NCP1381ADAPEVB

NCP1381ADAPEVB Application Field and Working Principle

Evaluation Boards – DC/DC & AC/DC (Off-Line) SMPS provides customers with an economical means of evaluating various aspects of power-conversion circuits. The use of such Evaluation Boards provide customers with vast benefits, such as: simulated results, fast and easy implementation, and quick problem solving/identification. In this article, the focus is on the NCP1381ADAPEVB Evaluation Board and its application field and working principle.

The NCP1381ADAPEVB Evaluation Board is a cost effective, high performance test platform which is designed for evaluating the NCP1381, high performance PWM DC/DC Controller. The test platform, with a minimum external component count, provides a simple way for engineers to observe the NCP1381's performance in different applications. The test board was constructed with two distinct power-converter topologies as follows: fixed frequency switch mode power supply (SMPS) and current-mode control with a quasi-resonant cell (Quasi-Resonant-Flyback – QRFB).

The NCP1381 device is a high performance, low cost, offline PWM controller which features current-mode, fixed-frequency, minimum cycle-by-cycle on-time and built-in self-protection features and can be used in either primary-side or secondary-side control application. In the fixed frequency operation, the NCP1381 can boost or buck-boost the system voltage from very low to high levels without using an external voltage reference in either primary-side control or secondary side control implementation.

The NCP1381 device is designed to work in quasi-resonant-flyback topology. It can be used with an opto-coupler and BJT/MOSFET to control the switching frequency of the power supply and reduce RFI generation. In this topology, half bridge introduction and smart gate drive enables higher efficiency, decrease component count and reduce power losses in designs below 65W.

The application field of the NCP1381ADAPEVB Evaluation Board can be seen in a wide range of applications. It has potential uses in home appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, audio amplifiers, LCD monitors, LED displays, chargers, and power converters. It can be used as a standard solution to meet Energy Star and other efficiency standards for internal power supply applications. It is also ideal for some medical applications, such as MRI scanners, portable assistive devices, electronic scales, and blood pressure monitors.

The Working Principle of the NCP1381ADAPEVB Evaluation Board is based on Buck regulator, boosted buck converter, and quasi-resonant-flyback system. In the buck regulator system, it starts with an unregulated voltage source and through a switching cycle of energy exchange from the source to load, the voltage is regulated to the desired levels. In the overall process, the switching regulator, also known as the active switch, is capable of decreasing the voltage and controlling the current to keep the output voltage stable and independent of a varying input voltage. The boost buck system is based on the same principle as the buck system. However, instead of regulating the output voltage, the boost buck works to boost the load current, increase the output voltage, or both.

As for the Quasi-Resonant-Flyback system, it is based on two distinct sections. The first stage is a buck boost converter, in which the input voltage is smoothly ramped up to the output voltage via the switch and inductor. The second stage works to reduce the switching frequency and with the aid of the output transformer and a diode, further smoothes out the voltage ripple.

NCP1381ADAPEVB Evaluation Board can be used to evaluate the performance of the NCP1381 and the different topologies that can be implemented with the device. It can also be used to test and diagnose the operational performance and various power-conversion designs. This test platform provides engineers with the ability to observe and test the performance of the NCP1381 on different operating conditions and allow them to easily evaluate different power-conversion topologies.

In conclusion, the use of the NCP1381ADAPEVB Evaluation Board provides engineers with a simplified and economical platform to test the NCP1381 and observe its performance over different power-conversion circuit designs. This test platform provides engineers with the ability to quickly and easily evaluate various applications and make informed decisions on their power-conversion designs.