Just updated the homepage to highlight an interesting in-depth look at digitally managed power circuits.
Power ICs that combine analogue and digital are becoming more common, writes Terry Cleveland, from our sister-site EDN. And among other points, he considers the important decision of where to partition the analogue and digital boundaries...
The feature begins:
"Battery-charger applications have increased the need for digital functions, but high frequency and cost have limited the practicality of closed-loop, purely digital systems. Combining both analog and digital control of the power-conversion feedback loop can help designers achieve the best of both the analog and the digital worlds.
Historically, many power-management designs have been analog-only. However, with the development of small, low-cost microcontrollers, power-system designers are now integrating digital features into their power systems. The following design examples include both digital and analog components and features.
Digital features include host communication, output-voltage/current programming, fault diagnostics and management, timers and housekeeping, and others. Analog components and features include MOSFET drivers and current and temperature sensing."
Read the full feature: Digitally managed power circuits
