An intelligent power supply conditioning system using an embedded microcontroller

Abstract

Uninterruptible power supplies present a method to quickly detect a loss of power and replace the defective power source before any damage or corruption occurs. Using an inverter circuit to generate a square wave for a DC source can supply a crude approximation of an AC wave form. Obviously, the harmonic content is high and voltage regulation and current limiting are essentially non-existent. The microcontroller brings complex timing functions to the design equation. Also, the microcontroller can dynamically adjust the wave forms for both voltage and current regulation. Because of the speed of the microcontroller and its ability to determine when errant conditions on the incoming power line occur, a UPS can be constructed that can switch reliable, temporary power onto the electrical load before any devastating effects occur.