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Understanding Switch Mode Power Supplies

Switch mode power supplies (SMPS) Conventional “linear” power supplies are automobiles. The vibrator “chopped” the
have been used for many years in inefficient because they regulate by 6 volt battery voltage into an AC signal
industrial and aerospace applications dumping the excess power in to heat. The that could be stepped up and down to
where good efficiency, light weight and AC power transformer, operating at 60 Hz, deliver the plate and bias voltages needed
small size were of prime concern. Today also contributes to the inefficiency of to power the tube radio.
SMPS (often called “choppers” or some power supplies. When all the
“switchers” are used extensively in AC inefficiencies are added, conventional, A more modern SMPS that you may be
powered electronic devices such as linear power supplies are typically 40- familiar with is the horizontal output stage
computers, monitors, television receivers, 50% efficient, while switchers have of a television receiver or computer
and VCRs. efficiencies from 60 to 90%. This is very monitor that develops the high voltage.
important when the designer wants to Although this “flyback” circuit is not
This Tech Tip explains the basic operation reduce generated heat, reduce power commonly called a switch mode supply, it
of the typical switch mode power supplies costs, or increase battery life. is a type of switcher.
used in consumer electronic equipment.
We will cover both the Pulse Width Anther key benefit of a SMPS is their Today’s more sophisticated SMPS still
(PWM) and Pulse Rate (PRM) types. ability to closely regulate the output employ the same basic concept used in
Refer to Tech Tip #204 for information on voltage. Switchers adjust for changes in the early vibrator supply: a DC voltage is
identifying SMPS problems, and to Tech input voltage or load current, with little converted to an AC signal, the AC signal is
Tip #205 for information on change in efficiency. Switch mode stepped up by a transformer; and the
troubleshooting PWM type SMPS. supplies regulate continuously, and follow stepped-up AC is converted back to a DC
load changes almost immediately. In voltage. Today’s supplies use feedback
SMPS Benefits addition, switchers have the unique ability and variable switching to provide
to maintain the correct output under low regulation, and incorporate a solid state
A SMPS offers three main advantages input voltage conditions. In fact switchers switch. Figure 2 illustrates the basic
over a conventional linear power supply: can actually produce an output voltage functions of a SMPS.
1) high efficiency & less heat generation that is higher than the DC voltage applied
2) tighter regulation, and to the input. Basic Switcher Operation
3) smaller size and weight.
Of these, greater efficiency is the biggest A final advantage of switchers is their Let’s take a closer look at the basic
advantage. relatively small size and weight. Because switcher block diagram shown in Figure 2.
switchers operate at high frequencies, the The heart of all switch mode supplies is
parts are physically smaller than those the switching transistor and switching
needed for a conventional, 60 Hz power transformer. Raw (unregulated) B+ is
supply of the same power rating. The supplied to the switching transistor
transformers, capacitors and coils are through the primary winding of the
both physically smaller and lighter. This transformer.The switching transistor
makes them ideal for use in portable (SOT) is a switch. When the switch is
equipment. closed (the transistor is turned on) it
provides a path for current to flow
Switchers Aren’t New through the transformer primary to
ground. As we’ll see a bit later, changing
Fig. 1: The SMPS transformer (left) and the You may think that switch mode supplies how fast or how long the switch remains
AC power transformer both provide isolation are relatively “new” technology. But quite closed regulates the output voltages.
and various output voltages, but the SMPS the opposite is true. One of the first
transformer is smaller, lighter weight, and switch mode power supplies was the The current flow in the primary winding of
more efficient. mechanical vibrator circuit used in early the transformer produces an expanding
rate modulated (PRM). Television
receivers and computer monitors may use
either type, while VCR commonly use
PRM supplies.

Pulse Width Modulated Regulation


PWM regulators vary the “on” or
conduction time of the switching
transistor. Figure 4 shows an example of
pulse rate modulation. Note that the
frequency of the signal remains constant
and only the duty cycle varies.

As the width of the pulse is increased, the

Fig, 2: A basic SMPS consists of a DC voltage source, a switching device, a step up/down
transformer, (flyback) and a switching control stage.

magnetic field which couples to the the input voltage. Switch mode power
secondary windings through the core. As supplies provide fast, efficient regulation.
the transistor is switched on and off the To better understand why, let’s review
magnetic field alternately expands and conventional power supply regulation.
collapses in all of the transformer
windings. By designing the transformer Conventional power supplies regulate by
with different secondary turns ratios, using a series-pass regulator operating in
various amplitude pulses are produced at its linear mode, as shown in Figure 3. The Fig. 4: The PWM regulates by varying the
the output of each secondary winding. series pass regulator maintains a fairly “on” time of the switching transistor
The output of each winding is applied to constant output voltage with changes in
high speed switching diodes and filters input voltage and load current. But, in switching transistor stays on longer, and
which produce the DC output voltages of order to maintain regulation for all load more energy is applied to the switching
the SMPS. conditions, more power is applied to transformer. This produces an increase in
regulator than is needed by the load. This the DC output voltage (Unless the load is
It is important to remember that all of the unused power is dissipated as heat. shorted, or draws excessive current).
windings are mutually coupled by the Likewise, as the pulse width is made
magnetic field. If more power is applied to The key to making the regulator more narrower, the transistor is on for a shorter
the primary winding, more power is efficient is to produce only as much amount of time, and less energy is applied
delivered to the secondary windings; if the power as the load consumes. Then there to the transformer.
voltage at one secondary winding will be no extra power to dissipate. This
increases (or decreases) the voltages at would be easy if the load current never Pulse Rate Modulated Regulation
the other windings change by an amount increased or decreased, or if the source Figure 5 shows an example of pulse rate
equal to the turns ratio. voltage remained constant. Of course this modulation. The PRM regulator varies the
never happens. rate (frequency) at which the switching
Achieving Efficient Regulation transistor is turned off and on. Notice,
Switchers are very efficient regulators however, that as the pulse rate increases,
Regulation is important in most power because they only produce as much
supplies. Good regulation is needed to power as is needed by the load. Voltage
maintain a constant output voltage for regulation is achieved by sampling the DC
changes in load current and changes in output voltage and comparing it to a
reference. (If the SMPS has several
outputs the main supply is sampled). The
resulting correction voltage is used to
control the frequency or “on” time of the
switching transistor, which in turn
delivers more or less power to the load.

The regulators used in consumer


equipment fall into two types; 1) pulse Fig. 5: The PRM regulates by varying the
Fig. 3: A conventional, series-pass regulator frequency of the pulses, which varies the
dissipates the unused power as heat. width modulated (PWM), and 2) pulse
switching transistor’s conduction time.
the “on time” decreases. Thus, if the MIC 1 - Unregulated B+ transistor (FET) is usually used for the
output voltage is too high, the switching The SMPS needs a source of power. The switch. FETs offer several advantages
transistor is turned on and off at a faster gray shaded blocks in Figure 6 provide over bipolar transistors for SMPS
rate. This results in less energy being the unregulated B+ to power the switcher. applications. (A horizontal output
applied to the switching transformer. A In an AC operated device the AC line transistor is a bipolar transistor). First,
typical PRM supply may operate at voltage is rectified by a conventional full FETs are voltage operated and can be
frequencies as high as 90 kHz under a “no wave power supply. (This is why driven directly without a driver stage.
load” condition, but slow to 40 kHz under everything on the primary side of the Secondly, FETs are bi-directional (conduct
full load. switching transformer is at “Hot ground” with voltage of either polarity applied to
potential). Often an RF filter network is the source and drain) which eliminates
Putting It All Together used to prevent the high frequencies the need for a damper diode. Thirdly,
produced by the switcher from getting on FETs operate efficiently at high switching
Figure 6 shows a block diagram of a the AC power line. frequencies.
typical SMPS. While specific switchers
many vary somewhat from this diagram, Most microprocessor controlled chassis Lastly, FETs have a low “on” resistance
all SMPS have these basic functional include a standby power supply to keep which contributes to the efficiency of the
blocks. Some switchers, for example, may the micro running when the main power SMPS, and reduces heat build up. (The
connect the System Control line to a to the unit is turned off. This allows the r e a s o n t h a t FETs a r e n ’ t u s e d a s
different point in the control loop. micro to respond to the “on” command horizontal output transistors is that they
from the remote control, or front panel can not handle the large reverse voltage
The blocks can be grouped in to four switch. The standby supply may be a spikes, 900-1100 VPP, produced in
sections or “most important circuits” small, conventional supply, or it may be a horizontal output stages).
(MICS): 1) Unregulated Bt, 2) Startup & small SMPS.
Drive, 3) Secondary circuits, and 4) MIC 2 - Startup & Drive
Feedback & Control. The primary of the switching transformer The pink shaded blocks in Figure 6 are
and the switching transistor are also part responsible for the signal that drives the
of the unregulated B+ stages. A field effect switching transistor. The driver block is

Fig. 6: The four most important circuits in a switch mode power supply are: Unregulated B+(MIC1),Startup and Drive (MIC2). Secondary Loads
(MIC3), and Feedback and control (MIC4).
either a PWM or PRM, and the necessary have five or more DC outputs, depending Figure 6 (red) couple a sample of the
oscillator and control. This block may be a on its application. There are several things output voltage back to the driver stage.
single IC, or may include discrete you need to keep in mind about the Two major parts of this functional area are
components. secondary circuits. the feedback divider network and the opto
isolator.
This stage receives its initial DC voltage First, a problem in one of the secondary
from a resistor divider on the B+ supply. loads (such as the horizontal output The feedback divider network usually
After the SMPS is running, the “run stage) may cause what appears to be a consists of two precision resistors which
voltage” for the driver stage may come SMPS problem. Before you troubleshoot a divide the output voltage. The divided
from one of the secondary windings on “dead” SMPS symptom, be sure to down voltage is coupled to the Driver
the switching transformer. determine if the problem is the load or the block through an opto isolator. The Driver
SMPS. uses this feedback voltage to regulate the
One important signal that is applied to the switching transistor. Some SMPS may
driver comes from the output of the opto Secondly, most SMPS will not run use a separate winding of the switching
isolator. This feedback signal is a sample properly without the main load connected. transformer to produce the feedback
of the output voltage of the SMPS. It is The main load is the output that is voltage.
compared to a reference level in the driver monitored by the Feedback & Control
control block. (The reference may be a circuit for voltage regulation control. An opto isolator is needed to maintain
discrete zener diode, or may be internal to Usually this is the highest voltage output, isolation between the cold ground
the driver IC). A correction or error or the output that has the most current (secondary side of the switching
voltage is produced which changes the drain. (In television receiver and computer transformer, and the hot ground (primary
pulse width or pulse rate to regulate the monitors the main load powers the side), while coupling the DC feedback
SMPS. horizontal output stage). Refer to Tech Tip voltage. An opto isolator consists of a
#204, “Identifying SMPS Problems” for photo transistor and an LED. As the
Several other control signals may be more information on isolating a SMPS feedback voltage changes the brightness
associated with the driver, depending on problem from a load problem. of the LED changes. The changes in light
the specific SMPS: over current cause the conduction of the photo
shutdown, over voltage shutdown, and/or Lastly, keep in mind that SMPS typically transistor to change. (The voltage at TP10
under voltage (low B+) shutdown. These operate at frequencies from 40 to 150 is supplied by the Driver, and is pulled to
control signals may be applied to the kHz. This means that you can not replace ground by the conduction of the opto
driver block via separate opto isolators; the rectifier diodes with conventional, AC isolator).
they may be combined in to a common power supply diodes. The diodes used in
control line and then applied via an opto the outputs of a SMPS are special high Refer to the Tech Tip #204 for information
isolator; they may be applied to the frequency, quick recovery types. The on identifying SMPS problems, Tech Tip
Feedback & Control blocks; or they may electrolytic capacitors should have low #205 for information on troubleshooting
not be used at all. equivalent series resistance (ESR) and PWM type SMPS, or Tech Tip #206 for
leakage. information on troubleshooting PRM type
MIC 3 - Secondary circuits SMPS.
The secondary circuits are indicated by MIC 4 - Feedback & Control
the black blocks in Figure 6. A SMPS may The Feedback & Control blocks shown in

Form 5421
Printed In U.S.A.

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