Flexible experimental FPGA based platform: For testing and verifying digital controlled DC-DC converters

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental flexible Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based platform for testing and verifying digital controlled dc-dc converters. The platform supports different types of control strategies, dc-dc converter topologies and switching frequencies. The controller platform has a synchronized load change mechanism and build-in acquisition memory, which makes it possible to, easily compare and verify different control strategies. Besides the main controller tasks, the logic also contains a digital to analog module, that can be used for eq. outputting a controller parameter, for easy inspection on an oscilloscope in real time. The platform is implemented with low coupling between logic modules with a modular design, which allows changes, update of features and/or adding functionality, if needed. The platform has an operating system independent controller host interface supporting configuration and reading of setup parameters, controller status and the acquisition memory in a simple way. The FPGA based platform, provides an easy way within education or research to use different digital control strategies and different converter topologies controlled by an FPGA without deep knowledge about Hardware Description Language (HDL).