LTspice: Design a 99% efficient Buck Converter

Learn how to maximize the efficiency of a buck converter design.

What you’ll learn
You will be able to understand what are the critical steps to design a 99% efficient buck converter.
This course is hands-on! All the examples will be designed in LTspice itself instead of using presentation slides
You will understand how to use real components from actual manufacturers instead of having to rely on ideal component models.
You will master several aspects of the LTspice interface, toolbars and commands.
You will learn how to measure power dissipation and efficiency of components.
You will learn about parasitic capacitances of MOSFETs, diodes and inductors and how they influence the efficiency of a buck converter.

Requirements
You are already able to use LTspice, but would like to understand how to use real component models rather than using ideal components.
You already know what a buck converter is, but struggle or wonder how to increase its efficiency.
I use a lot of keyboard shortcuts, if you learn on how to use them too, you can increase your speed when working with LTspice

Description
This course introduces you to the steps that are required to increase the efficiency of a buck converter.

When using real component models in LTspice, you have to consider many factors during your component selection.

This course will help you to find out which effects are the main causes for degradation of a buck convers efficiency, following terms will be directly or indirectly covered during this course

Diode

* Forward Voltage

* Current Capability

* Breakdown Voltage

* Reverse Current

* Junction Capacitance

MOSFET

* On Resistance

* Gate Capacitance and Gate Charge as well as other capacitances that influence the switching behaviour

* Gate Risetime and Gate Falltime

* Switching Frequency

* Dead Time

* Current Conduction via Body Diode

* Gate Driving Requirements

* Safe Operating Area (SOA)

* Shoot-Through Current (Current that flows when High-Side and Low-Side MOSFET are on at the same time)

Capacitor

* Series Resistance

* Series Inductance

* Parallel Resistance

Inductor

* Series Resistance

* Series Capacitance

* Parallel Capacitance

Following topics are not being discussed in this course, but are still important for a real world design

Diode

* Temperature dependence of Forward Voltage and Current

* Temperature dependence of Reverse Current

* Temperature dependence of Junction Capacitance

* Surge Current capability over Temperature

MOSFET

* Temperature dependence of all above mentioned topics

* Variation of Dead time of the Gate Driver (Jitter)

* dV/dt rugedness of MOSFET (maximum change rate VDS voltage)

* Maximum allowed Power Dissipation over Temperature

* Current Capability of Body Diode

Capacitor

* Frequency and Temperature dependence of Capacitance

* Temperature dependent allowable Maximum Power Dissipation

* Ripple Current Capability over Temperature

* Aging Effects due to Temperature and ripple current

* Acoustic noise Emission limits (MLCC piezoelectric effect)

Electromagnetic Compatibility

* Emission Limits

* Immunity Requirements

Regulatory Requirements

* CE, FCC, …

* Hazardous Area Requirements

* Laws limiting import and export of Hazardous Substances (e.g. RoHS)

Who this course is for
This course is best for people that are already knowledgeable about LTspice but want to level up their design skills.
This is not a beginners course as many keyboard shortcuts are used which can intimidate beginners.