Embedded systems: Design, analysis and control methodologies for switching power converters with improved compatibility properties

A consequence of adopting IoT technologies in the area of industrial automation is to integrate smart device capabilities such as sensing, communication, knowledge management, decision-making, control, actuation, into advanced automation systems of the future in order to achieve smart maintenance and smart production execution. Yet, Industrial platforms impose stringent requirements for legacy compatibility, and this in turn imposes constraints on the switching power supply units for the IoT nodes:

  • supplying the desired voltage/current levels with high efficiency;
  • electrical isolation to address safety concerns for eHealth and to ensure legacy compatibility for industrial automation;
  • size reduction to satisfy the dimension constraints of IoT devices, sensors, and actuators;
  • high speed communication capability.

The key architecture for meeting these requirements is offered by (isolated) resonant converters. They embed a resonant circuit that shapes the voltage and the current across active devices in order to synchronize the device turn-on with the zero-crossing of the voltage and the current waveforms.
We have developed a new approach for class-E dc–dc converter design, which is to ensure perfect match between simulations and prototype measurements. Such a technique can be used to establish an information flow, both from the primary to the secondary side of the converter (i.e., a forward communication channel) and from the secondary to the primary side (i.e., a backward communication channel), which makes the converter a perfect match for powering sending nodes in IoT and Industry 4.0 applications as well as for powering up biomedical implants.

ERC Sector:

  • PE7_2 Electrical engineering: power components and/or systems
  • PE7_4 (Micro and nano) systems engineering

Keywords:

  • DC-DC power converters
  • Resonant dc–dc converters

Gruppi di ricerca

Persone di riferimento