Digital Power Supply Design Workshop from Biricha and Microchip

Overview

Learn how to design and implement digital power supplies using Microchip’s dsPIC33C range of microcontrollers during this four-day hands-on laboratory based design workshop.

The first day is dedicated to exploring the capabilities of the Microchip dsPIC® Digital Signal Controllers (DSC), the available tools and software libraries. If you are already an experienced programmer with Microchip products you may choose not to attend this first day. Days two and three cover stable compensator design and implementation for both voltage mode control and peak current mode control. By the end of day three you will have designed and then implemented several robust, stable digital power supplies.

Over the course of the three days we will cover the theory necessary to design and implement the compensators for several high performance, stable, digital power supplies. All theory is consolidated with hands-on practical labs at the well equipped work stations within the classroom. In addition, we will also measure the stability of all of the control loops using a Bode 100 network analyzer.

All attendees will also receive  a complimentary Digital Power starter kit (DM330017-3)  from Microchip and  a free trail WDS license from Biricha if they wish*.

Agenda​

Typically the morning session is dedicated to the study of theory and principles, whilst the afternoon session focuses on laboratory exercises to consolidate the theory.

All attendees will receive all of the software examples and templates which we use during the workshop to make programming your first digital power supplies easy and intuitive.

An overview of the course syllabus is given below:

Day 1: Introduction to Digital Power Programming (presented by Microchip)

• Introduction to dsPIC33 family architecture and peripherals
• Device setup: Configuration of registers and the oscillator
• General Purpose: I/O ports, timers and interrupts
• Digital Power: PWM, comparator and Analog to digital converter
• Introduction to MPLAB X IDE and program/debug tools
• Fixed point math and number formatting
• Setting up the ADC module and using ADC interrupts

Day 2: Digital Power Supply Design

• Detailed study of analog power supply design fundamentals
• Review of analog compensator design (Type II & Type III) for voltage and current mode control
• Discrete control theory, Z transforms and digital convolution
• Step-by-step digital power supply design
• Implementing a simple digital controller for your digital power supply
• Stable digital compensators for voltage mode control
• Hands-on laboratory exercises

Day 3: Digital Peak Current Mode Control

• Detailed review of analog peak current mode design
• Sub-harmonic oscillations and slope compensation
• Digital peak current mode controller design
• Reducing phase margin erosion
• High performance digital power supply design and implementation (both voltage mode and current mode)
• Hands-on laboratory exercises

Day 4: Digital PFC Design & Implementation

• Learn how to design and stabilise single phase and interleaved digital power factor correction systems from ground up quickly and easily during this in-depth day.
• Fundamentals of power delivery, power quality & PFC
• Single Phase CCM Boost PFC topology operation & design
• Digital PFC translated from analog PFC
• Step-by-step digital PFC control loop design (voltage loop and current loop)
• Voltage feed-forward & filter design in digital domain
• Digital interleaved PFC
• Live demos on Microchip digital PFC board (single phase and interleaved) 

The participants will typically work in pairs at a workstation. Each workstation will be equipped with a PC with relevant development software, digital power starter kit and an oscilloscope.

The material is supported by many practical examples and tutorials and includes a brief question and answer session at the end of each section.

The course fees include training, a printed copy of the training materials and lab manuals, lunch, refreshments and a free trial license for Biricha’s power supply design software (WDS). Important: This software is NOT needed to understand the engineering material taught in the class*

Course Details

The class runs from 9:00am – 5:00pm on Day 1 – 3.
The class runs from 9:00am – 4:00pm on Day 4 to allow for easy travel.
All attendees will work in pairs at a workstation. This means you may be paired up with someone else at a workstation if you have not registered in multiples of 2.
Price is for a ‘single’ seat – however you will be work in a pair with someone else at a workstation.

​​The price includes:

• Free  trial license for Biricha’s Power Supply Design Software  Biricha’s WDS*
• Lunch and refreshments throughout each day

Audience

These workshops are designed for analog PSU designers as well as embedded systems programmers who:

• Need learn how to design stable digital controllers for their power applications
• Have little or no experience of discrete time control theory and wish to reduce their learning curve
• Need to get up to speed with programming the dsPIC33 (or any Microchip PIC® MCU using the XC16 compiler) and would prefer to minimize and simplify the amount of code that they need to write
• Need to get their digital PSUs out of the door quickly and would prefer to use pre-coded templates instead of coding their own from scratch

Prerequisites

The audience should have a degree in electrical/electronic engineering, computer science or equivalent.
These workshops are highly technical, intended for professional engineers and are not suitable for the general public without relevant qualifications.

Cancellation Policy

Classes are subject to cancellation if the minimum number of attendees is not met ten days prior to the date of the workshop and full refund will be given: Minimum = 5; Maximum = 20.
​In the event of short notice cancellation by Biricha due to unforeseen circumstances, the liability of Biricha and its partners is limited solely to the refund of the course fees. No refund will be given if you can not make the event but you may delay to another Biricha workshop or transfer your registration to a colleague. In fairness to all attendees, confirmed participants who do not attend the scheduled session are obliged to pay the liable fee.

Testimonials

Testimonials from Past Participants

• “This is one of the best workshops I have ever attended. In three days an analog designer can leave ready to work on their first digital power supply design. Gaining the equivalent knowledge independently could take years.”
• ​​“This course covers everything an individual needs to know about digital power supply design. It starts from a beginners standpoint and walks you through the entire process to a complete design. Very very good course!”
• “Outstanding workshop! This answered many control theory question which have vexed me for years!”
• “The class provides a very comprehensive look at digital power supply and compensator design. It does not assume attendees have expert knowledge and covers from theory to practical design in a very straightforward and easy to understand format.”
• “The class provides a very comprehensive look at digital power supply and compensator design. It does not assume attendees have expert knowledge and covers from theory to practical design in a very straightforward and easy to understand format.”

* 6 months trial license. You must have unrestricted access to internet. These software are not necessary for understanding the material in the class and available on request.