Chapter 8

Current Programmed Control (CPM)

Buck converter
L

is(t)

iL(t)

The peak transistor current

replaces the duty cycle as the
converter control input.

+
Q1
vg(t) +

D1

vo(t)

Measure
switch
current

is(t)
Rf

Clock
0

is(t)Rf

m1

Switch
current
is(t)

Control
input

Ts

S Q
+

ic(t)Rf

Control signal
ic(t)

Analog
comparator

Latch

Current-programmed controller

Transistor
status:

dTs
on

Clock turns
transistor on

vo(t)

Compensator

Ts

off
Comparator turns
transistor off

vre f
Conventional output voltage controller

Power Electronics

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Current programmed control vs. duty cycle control

Advantages of current programmed control:
Simpler dynamics inductor pole is moved to high frequency
Simple robust output voltage control, with large phase margin,
can be obtained without use of compensator lead networks
It is always necessary to sense the transistor current, to protect
against overcurrent failures. We may as well use the
information during normal operation, to obtain better control
Transistor failures due to excessive current can be prevented
simply by limiting ic(t)
Transformer saturation problems in bridge or push-pull
converters can be mitigated
A disadvantage: susceptibility to noise

Power Electronics

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

8.1

Oscillation for D > 0.5

The current programmed controller is inherently unstable for

D > 0.5, regardless of the converter topology

Controller can be stabilized by addition of an artificial ramp

Objectives of this section:

Stability analysis

Describe artificial ramp scheme

Power Electronics

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Inductor current waveform, CCM

Inductor current slopes m1

and m2

iL(t)
ic
m1

iL(0)

m2

dTs

iL(Ts)

Ts

- buck converter
v g vo
v
m1 =
m2 = o
L
L
- boost converter
vg vo
vg
m1 =
m2 =
L
L
- buckboost converter
vg
v
m1 =
m2 = o
L
L

Power Electronics

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Steady-state inductor current waveform, CPM

First interval:
i L(dT s) = i c = i L(0) + m 1dT s

Solve for d:
i i (0)
d= c L
m 1T s

iL(t)
ic
m1

iL(0)

m2

iL(Ts)

Second interval:
i L(Ts) = i L(dTs) m 2d'Ts
= i L(0) + m 1dTs m 2d'Ts

dTs

Ts

In steady state: m1M1, m2M2

0 = M 1DTs M 2D'Ts

M2 D
=
M 1 D'
Power Electronics

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Perturbed inductor current waveform

iL(t)

i L(0)

ic

i L(T s)

m1

I L0 + i L(0)

m2

m1

IL0

m2

Perturbed
waveform

dT s

Power Electronics

D + d T s DTs

Ts

Steady-state
waveform

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Change in inductor current perturbation

over one switching period
magnified
view

ic
m1

i L(T s)

i L(0)
m1

dT s

m2

m2

Steady-state
waveform
Perturbed
waveform

i L(0) = m 1 dTs
i L(Ts) = i L(0) D
D'

i L(Ts) = m 2 dTs
m2
i L(Ts) = i L(0)
m1
Power Electronics

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Change in inductor current perturbation

over many switching periods
i L(Ts) = i L(0) D
D'
i L(2Ts) = i L(Ts) D = i L(0) D
D'
D'

i L(nTs) = i L((n 1)Ts) D = i L(0) D

D'
D'

i L(nTs)

For stability:

Power Electronics

when D < 1
D'
when D > 1
D'

D < 0.5

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Example: unstable operation for D = 0.6

= D = 0.6 = 1.5
0.4
D'

iL(t)
ic
2.25i L(0)

i L(0)

IL0

1.5i L(0)

Power Electronics

Ts

3.375i L(0)

2Ts

3Ts

4Ts

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Example: stable operation for D = 1/3

= D = 1/3 = 0.5
D'
2/3
iL(t)
ic
i L(0)

IL0

1 i L(0)
2

Power Electronics

Ts

1 i (0)
4 L

2Ts

10

1 i (0)
8 L

3Ts

1 i (0)
16 L

4Ts

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Stabilization via addition of an artificial ramp

to the measured switch current waveform
Buck converter
L

is(t)

iL(t)

ia(t)

+
Q1
vg(t) +

D1

vo(t)

Measure is(t)
switch
current
Rf

is(t)Rf
++

ia(t)Rf

Artificial ramp
+

ic(t)Rf
Control
input

Power Electronics

Analog
comparator

ma

Ts

2Ts

Now, transistor switches off

when

Clock
ma

Ts

i a(dTs) + i L(dTs) = i c

S Q
R
Latch

or,

i L(dTs) = i c i a(dTs)

Current-programmed controller

11

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Steady state waveforms with artificial ramp

i L(dTs) = i c i a(dTs)
(ic ia(t))

ic

ma

iL(t)
m1

IL0

0
Power Electronics

m2

dTs

Ts
12

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Stability analysis: perturbed waveform

(ic ia(t))

ic

-ma

m1

I L0 + i L(0)
IL0

m1

m2

Steady-state
waveform

m2

Perturbed
waveform

dT s

Power Electronics

D + d T s DTs

Ts

13

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Stability analysis: change in perturbation

over complete switching periods
First subinterval:
i L(0) = dTs m 1 + m a

Second subinterval:
i L(Ts) = dTs m a m 2

Net change over one switching period:

m m
i L(Ts) = i L(0) m 2 + m a
1
a
After n switching periods:

m m
m m
i L(nTs) = i L((n 1)Ts) m 2 + ma = i L(0) m 2 + ma
1
a
1
a
Characteristic value:

m m
= m 2 + ma
1
a

Power Electronics

i L(nTs)

14

when < 1

when > 1

= i L(0) n

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

The characteristic value

ma
1 m
2
=
D' + m a
D m2

For stability, require | | < 1

Buck and buck-boost converters: m2 = vo/L

So if vo is well-regulated, then m2 is also well-regulated

A common choice: ma = 0.5 m2

This leads to = 1 at D = 1, and | | < 1 for 0 D < 1. The minimum
that leads to stability for all D.
Another common choice: ma = m2
This leads to = 0 for 0 D < 1. Deadbeat control, finite settling time

Power Electronics

15

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Sensitivity to noise
With small ripple: a small amount of noise in the control current ic
leads to a large perturbation in the duty cycle.

iL(t)

Perturbed
waveform
ic

ic
Steady-state
waveform

d Ts

0
Power Electronics

DTs

(D + d )Ts
16

Ts

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control

Artificial ramp

reduces sensitivity to noise

The same amount of noise in the control current ic leads to a smaller
perturbation in the duty cycle, because the gain has been reduced.

iL(t)
ic

Artificial
ramp

Perturbed
waveform

ic
Steady-state
waveform

d Ts

0
Power Electronics

DTs (D + d )Ts
17

Ts

Chapter 8: Current Programmed Control