Applications of digital PWM integrated circuits

Abstract

Pulse width modulated (PWM) circuits are traditionally associated with analog circuitry. A continuous analog input voltage generates one or more pulse width modulated signals where the pulse width is modulated by the input voltage and its frequency is a function of a ramped oscillator. The object of this paper is to introduce a new PWM concept: The digital PWM building block IC and it's applications. In a digital PWM IC, the pulse width of the outputs is determined by a digital 8-bit word. The frequency of the output is a function of a digital clock signal and the output "dead time" is programmable. This device is referred to as a "Digital to PWM Converter" (DPC). Typical applications in microprocessor systems are: servo motion control, solenoid drive, power conversion, induction heating, etc.