Patent ID: 8004111

Claim:
A distributed power system comprising a centralized controller, a multiplexer, a plurality of DC-DC switching cell modules, and a plurality of loads, each DC-DC switching cell module adapted to generate a DC output voltage from a DC input voltage, each DC-DC switching cell module including at least one switch, an output filter, an inductor coupled to the output filter, and an input port for receiving a PWM control signal from the centralized controller, a first DC-DC switching cell module of the plurality of DC-DC switching cell modules coupled to provide power to a first one of the plurality of loads, a second DC-DC switching cell module of the plurality of DC-DC switching cell modules coupled to provide power to a second one of the plurality of loads, the centralized controller configured to output a first PWM control signal to the input port of the first DC-DC switching cell module and a second PWM control signal to the input port of the second DC-DC switching cell module to thereby control the power provided to the first one and the second one of the plurality of loads, the multiplexer coupled to receive a plurality of output voltages from the plurality of switching cell modules, the centralized controller configured to sample the plurality of output voltages one at a time via the multiplexer, and the multiplexer coupled to receive output voltages from less than all of the plurality of switching cell modules.