Software controlled SMPS's for all to use.....no one doing it now? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: opampsmoker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2021, 10:07:32 am
content: Some years ago a company called Converter Technology in Reading , UK, were making processors to which one could upload data from an App that you ran on a laptop. This App allowed you to set the features of an SMPS control chip.The user could simply interact with the App, without writing C code etc, as the App filled that in for the user, and then the user simply uploaded the code to the processor.The user could set eg the current sense threshold, the amount of added slope compensation ramp, the switching frequency, the maximum duty cycle, the output overload time out duration, whether overload time out should result in latch-off or persistent re-try…..also the user could set the feedback loop compensation, and click around to see where the crossover frequency was, and what was the gain and phase margin. Obviously the user had to put in some other inputs , like output inductor value etc etc…but the user didn’t need to write any software, it was a simple user interface. Then this company got taken over by chargepoint, and now this technology is not available.Does anyone know if any other company is working on this, and has plans to deliver it to the market?

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2021, 01:16:43 pm
content: Not sure I understand what would be the point of developing that. Any modern power supply can be controlled remotely from a graphical interface, or by writing own programs.Are you are looking for a dev board to study SMPS, or for a finite product to set the output voltage/current?From EEVblog, user prasimix is designing and building controlled power supply, not sure if his are linear power sources or SMPS.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/profile/?area=showposts;u=101115

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2021, 01:39:04 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on January 04, 2021, 01:20:03 pmAnd busy learning ->how to use MOSFET, while keeps whining and piling up ->the hatred on Far Eastthat beating him in switching power supply business.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2021, 06:29:38 pm
content: Somewhat related, I've seen this thing,https://www.latticesemi.com/~/media/LatticeSemi/Documents/DataSheets/ispPAC/ispPAC-POWR1014ADataSheet.pdfwhich could probably be used to make an SMPS from scratch, if not much else at the same time.There are plenty of programmable regulators; you're using several right now, most likely. Most PCs have them on SMBus, I don't know what cell phones and other devices use -- probably something similar. (For Linux, check the boot logs, devices are enumerated there.)Tim

author: uer166
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2021, 02:44:29 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on January 04, 2021, 01:01:06 pmWow really interesting parts. I can't tell if this is the best of both worlds, or the worst. The "worlds" being, pure analog control vs. full-on DSP/mixed signal MCU implementation.

author: opampsmoker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2021, 10:37:21 am
content: QuoteBasically just a chip that can be configured to be an SMPS controller....but with all the exact features that you want.One can easily find a PWM controller to do a job......but inevitably it has features that you dont want.....for example, look how many "fixed" smps controllers dont have an internal duty cycle clamp, and thus can't be used with a current sense transformer.Also For example, the ISL6752 is a Full Bridge PWM controller, but it has insufficient delays between the synch fet and bridge fets..........and we cannot change this......if the features were software configurable by some kind of user friendly app...then this would be great.Another example, look how many current mode controllers force you to have slope compensatin when you dont need it...again, you could configure this out.Also, look at the LTC3723 with its 200mV current sense threshold......this is too low for use in a noisy high voltage offline bridge converter..if it were software configurable, then you could make the current sense threshold = 1V and use a Current sense transformer with it.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2021, 10:49:21 am
content: Because on standard parts, it can be set by a resistor and a capacitor.I trust a resistor more than any software.Have you ever seen a resistor with an errata?