Download or read book Design of Miniaturized Radio frequency DC DC Power Converters written by Anthony David Sagneri and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Power electronics appear in nearly every piece of modern electronic hardware, forming an essential conduit from electrical source to load. Portable electronics, an area where a premium is placed on size, weight, and cost, are driving the development of power systems with greater density and better manufacturability. This motivates a push to higher switching frequencies enabling smaller passive components and better integration. To realize these goals this thesis explores devices, circuits, and passives capable of operating efficiently into the VHF regime (30-300 MHz) and their integration into power electronic systems of high power density. A good integrated power MOSFET presages high-density converters. Previous VHF systems were demonstrated with bulky and expensive RF Lateral, Double-Diffused MOSFETs (LDMOSFET). We show that through a combination of layout optimization and safe operating area (SOA) extension integrated devices can achieve near-parity performance to their purpose-built RF discrete cousins over the desired operating regime. A layout optimization method demonstrating a 2x reduction in device loss is presented alongside experimental demonstration of SOA extension. Together the methods yield a 3x reduction in loss that bolsters the utility of the typical (and relatively inexpensive) LDMOS IC power process for VHF converters. Passive component synthesis is addressed in the context of an isolated VHF converter topology. We present a VHF topology where most of the magnetic energy storage is accomplished in a transformer that forms an essential part of the resonant network. The reduced component count aids in manufacturability and size, but places difficult requirements on the transformer design. An algorithm for synthesizing small and efficient air-core transformers with a fully-constrained inductance matrix is presented. Planar PCB transformers are fabricated and match the the design specifications to within 15%. They are 94% efficient and have a power density greater than 2kW per cubic inch. To take full advantage of good devices and printed passives, we develop an IC for the isolated converter having optimized power devices, and integrated gate driver, controller, and hotel functions. The chip is assembled into a complete converter system using the transformers and circuits described above. Flip-chip mounting is used to overcome bondwire parasitics, and reduce packaging volume. The final system achieves 75% efficiency at 75 MHz at 6W.

Download or read book Design of Low voltage High bandwidth Radio Frequency Power Converters written by Jingying Hu (Ph. D.) and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mass and volume required for power electronics circuitry is a dominant obstacle to the miniaturization and integration of many systems. Likewise, power electronics with greater bandwidth and efficiency are becoming vital in many applications. To realize smaller and highly responsive power electronics at low voltages, this thesis explores devices, circuits, and passives capable of operating efficiently at very high frequencies (VHF, 30-300 MHz). Operation at these frequencies enables reduction of the numerical values and physical size of the passive components that dominate power converters, and enables increased bandwidth and transient performance which is valuable in a multitude of low-voltage and low-power applications. This thesis explores the scaling of magnetic component size with frequency, and it is shown that substantial miniaturization is possible with increased frequencies even considering material and heat transfer limitations. Moreover, the impact of frequency scaling of power converters on magnetic components is investigated for different design criteria. Quantitative examples of magnetics scaling are provided that clearly demonstrate the benefits and opportunities in VHF magnetics design. It is shown to utilize the advantages of frequency scaling on passive component size that system losses and other limitations must be considered. One such area that is examined is semiconductor device requirements, where through a combination of device layout optimization for cascode structures and integrated gate drive designs on a 0.35-um CMOS process, converter performance (i.e., loss and bandwidth) can be significantly improved in the VHF regime. In this thesis a dc-dc converter topology is developed that is suitable for low-voltage power conversion and employs synchronous rectification to improve efficiency. The converter is also comprised of a high-bandwidth and high-switching-frequency inverter topology that can dynamically adjust the output power from one-quarter to full power, while maintaining good efficiency. Furthermore, with its inherent capability of gate-width switching, the inverter can further reduce gating loss by one-half resulting in substantial performance improvements at light load operation. A major contribution of this thesis is the development of a synchronous rectifier operating in the VHF regime. VHF power conversion is especially challenging at low voltages due to poor efficiency resulting from rectification loss. To overcome diode rectification loss, the benefits of synchronous rectification are discussed in the context of a 100MHz class-E resonant rectifier, which results in a 2.5 x overall converter efficiency improvement. The culmination of the developed design techniques in passives, semiconductor devices, and circuit topologies is an experimental prototype of a miniaturized 100MHz, 1W power converter utilizing synchronous rectification.

Download or read book Multi MHz High Frequency Resonant DC DC Power Converter written by Dianguo Xu and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-08-08 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyzes multi-MHz high frequency resonant DC-DC power converters with operating frequencies ranging from several MHz to tens of MHz in detail, aiming to support researchers and engineers with a focus on multi-MHz high frequency converters. The inverter stage, rectifier stage, matching network stage are analyzed in detail. Based on the three basic stages, typical non-isolated and isolated resonant DC-DC converters are depicted. To reduce the high driving loss under multi-MHz, resonant driving methods are introduced and improved. Also, the design and selection methods of passive and active component under multi-MHz frequency are described, especially for aircore inductor and transformer. Furthermore, multi-MHz resonant converter provides an approach for achieving flexible system.

Download or read book Pulse Width Modulated DC DC Power Converters written by Marian K. Kazimierczuk and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-10-26 with total page 960 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: PWM DC-DC power converter technology underpins many energy conversion systems including renewable energy circuits, active power factor correctors, battery chargers, portable devices and LED drivers. Following the success of Pulse-Width Modulated DC-DC Power Converters this second edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded to cover the latest challenges and advances in the field. Key features of 2nd edition: Four new chapters, detailing the latest advances in power conversion, focus on: small-signal model and dynamic characteristics of the buck converter in continuous conduction mode; voltage-mode control of buck converter; small-signal model and characteristics of the boost converter in the discontinuous conduction mode and electromagnetic compatibility EMC. Provides readers with a solid understanding of the principles of operation, synthesis, analysis and design of PWM power converters and semiconductor power devices, including wide band-gap power devices (SiC and GaN). Fully revised Solutions for all end-of-chapter problems available to instructors via the book companion website. Step-by-step derivation of closed-form design equations with illustrations. Fully revised figures based on real data. With improved end-of-chapter summaries of key concepts, review questions, problems and answers, biographies and case studies, this is an essential textbook for graduate and senior undergraduate students in electrical engineering. Its superior readability and clarity of explanations also makes it a key reference for practicing engineers and research scientists.

Download or read book Design and Implementation of Fully Integrated Inductive DC DC Converters in Standard CMOS written by Mike Wens and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-05-10 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CMOS DC-DC Converters aims to provide a comprehensive dissertation on the matter of monolithic inductive Direct-Current to Direct-Current (DC-DC) converters. For this purpose seven chapters are defined which will allow the designer to gain specific knowledge on the design and implementation of monolithic inductive DC-DC converters, starting from the very basics.

Download or read book Design and Characterization of a Radio frequency Dc dc Power Converter written by David Alexander Jackson and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The use of radio-frequency (RF) amplifier topologies in dc/dc power converters allows the operating frequency to be increased by more than two orders of magnitude over the frequency of conventional converters. This enables a reduction in energy storage capacity by several orders of magnitude, and completely eliminates the need for ferromagnetic material in the converter. As a result, power converter size, weight and cost can all potentially be reduced. Moreover, converter output power and efficiency remain high because of the soft-switching capabilities of RF amplifiers. This document describes the design, implementation and measurement of a dc/dc power converter cell operating at 100MHz, with approximately 10 to 30W of output power at around 75% efficiency. The cell is designed for an input voltage range of 11 to 16V, and a user-determined output voltage on the same order of magnitude. The design of this cell also allows an unlimited number of identical cells to be used in parallel to achieve higher output power. This type of converter has applications in a broad range of industries, including automotive, telecommunications, and computing.

Download or read book Miniaturized Low voltage Power Converters with Fast Dynamic Response written by David Michael Giuliano and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis introduces a two-stage architecture that combines the strengths of switched capacitor (SC) techniques (small size, light-load performance) with the high efficiency and regulation capability of switch-mode power converters. The resulting designs have a superior efficient-power density trade-off over traditional designs. These power converters can provide numerous lowvoltage outputs over a wide input voltage range with a very fast dynamic response, which are ideal for powering logic devices in the mobile and high-performance computing markets. Both design and fabrication considerations for power converters using this architecture are addressed. The results are demonstrated in a 2.4 W dc-dc converter implemented in a 180 nm CMOS IC process and co-packaged with its passive components for high-performance. The converter operates from an input voltage of 2.7 V to 5.5 V with an output voltage of /= 1.2 V, and achieves a 2210 W/inch3 power density with /= 80% efficiency.

Download or read book Laboratory Manual for Pulse Width Modulated DC DC Power Converters written by Marian K. Kazimierczuk and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-08-13 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designed to complement a range of power electronics study resources, this unique lab manual helps students to gain a deep understanding of the operation, modeling, analysis, design, and performance of pulse-width modulated (PWM) DC-DC power converters. Exercises focus on three essential areas of power electronics: open-loop power stages; small-signal modeling, design of feedback loops and PWM DC-DC converter control schemes; and semiconductor devices such as silicon, silicon carbide and gallium nitride. Meeting the standards required by industrial employers, the lab manual combines programming language with a simulation tool designed for proficiency in the theoretical and practical concepts. Students and instructors can choose from an extensive list of topics involving simulations on MATLAB, SABER, or SPICE-based platforms, enabling readers to gain the most out of the prelab, inlab, and postlab activities. The laboratory exercises have been taught and continuously improved for over 25 years by Marian K. Kazimierczuk thanks to constructive student feedback and valuable suggestions on possible workroom improvements. This up-to-date and informative teaching material is now available for the benefit of a wide audience. Key features: Includes complete designs to give students a quick overview of the converters, their characteristics, and fundamental analysis of operation. Compatible with any programming tool (MATLAB, Mathematica, or Maple) and any circuit simulation tool (PSpice, LTSpice, Synopsys SABER, PLECS, etc.). Quick design section enables students and instructors to verify their design methodology for instant simulations. Presents lab exercises based on the most recent advancements in power electronics, including multiple-output power converters, modeling, current- and voltage-mode control schemes, and power semiconductor devices. Provides comprehensive appendices to aid basic understanding of the fundamental circuits, programming and simulation tools. Contains a quick component selection list of power MOSFETs and diodes together with their ratings, important specifications and Spice models.

Download or read book Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Miniatured High frequency DC DC Power Conversion for Embedded Applications written by Sakshi Arora and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In order to achieve high power density in battery-powered systems, as well as accommodate the reduced breakdown voltages in scaled CMOS technologies, systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) typically employ one or more supply voltages generated using dc-dc converters. Dc-dc converters are commonly implemented as inductive switching converters because of their high efficiency. However, inductive converters typically have a large footprint that is dominated by the size of bulky off-chip inductors and capacitors. In order to reduce the size of an inductive converter, its switching frequency can be increased by orders of magnitude above the existing practice. However, the use of a high switching frequency leads to increased switching power losses that in turn decrease the power conversion efficiency. To address this challenge, techniques for designing a high-efficiency buck converter while using miniaturized external components are investigated in this research. Design techniques, such as using a high switching frequency that is tunable with the load current and the segmentation and cascoding of power transistors are employed to achieve high power efficiency across a wide range of load currents. While in SoC applications multiple voltages are typically derived from battery by connecting converters in parallel, this work introduces a cascaded, dual-output buck converter topology. Cascading buck converters reduces the input supply voltage of the second converter, thus reducing the switching and ripple-conduction losses that severely affect the efficiency of buck converters using small inductors and operating at high switching frequencies. The use of high-frequency, cascaded conversion presents two significant challenges to the design of the controller for a buck converter. First is the need for adjustability of the switching frequency with varying load currents, and second is the possibility of cross regulation between the outputs of the converter. A digital constant-off-time controller is proposed to address these challenges. The controller enables tuning of the converter's switching frequency. The controller has a fast transient response and good line regulation that help to suppress cross regulation between the two outputs of the buck converter. To demonstrate the proposed multiple-output, cascaded, high-frequency converter, an experimental prototype has been integrated in a 90-nm CMOS technology. This prototype provides two output voltages using a cascade of two buck converters, each employing a small output capacitor on the order of 100 picofarads and a small inductor on the order of nanohenries, thereby reducing the overall size of the converter compared to conventional alternatives.

Download or read book Radio Frequency Dc dc Power Conversion written by Juan Rivas and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THIS THESIS addresses the development of system architectures and circuit topologies for dc-dc power conversion at very high frequencies. The systems architectures that are developed are structured to overcome limitations associated with conventional designs. In particular, the new architectures described here structure the energy processing and control functions of the system in such a manner that high efficiency can be achieved across wide load range while regulating the output. Moreover, these architectures are amenable to circuit designs operating at fixed frequency and duty ratio, considerable easing the circuit design. The thesis also develops new circuit designs that are well suited to these new architectures. As part of this, two new gate drives and control methods are introduced that greatly reduce gating loss at VHF frequencies for fixed frequency, fixed duty ratio operation. One of these gating schemes provides near theoretical minimum loss by resonantly wave shaping the gate voltage to have a trapezoidal drive voltage. This waveshaping approach is then taken a step further, yielding a new class of dc-dc converter that archives a significant reduction in peak switch voltage stress, requires small passive components with low energy storage, and provides the capability for extremely rapid startup and shutdown. This new class of converter is well adapted to the architectures and gate drive methods proposed in the thesis. It is expected that the new architectures and circuit designs introduced here will contribute to the development of power converter having greatly reduced size and improved transient performance.

Download or read book Average Current Mode Control of DC DC Power Converters written by Marian K. Kazimierczuk and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2022-03-14 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: AVERAGE CURRENT-MODE CONTROL OF DC-DC POWER CONVERTERS An authoritative one-stop guide to the analysis, design, development, and control of a variety of power converter systems Average Current-Mode Control of DC-DC Power Converters provides comprehensive and up-to-date information about average current-mode control (ACMC) of pulse-width modulated (PWM) dc-dc converters. This invaluable one-stop resource covers both fundamental and state-of-the-art techniques in average current-mode control of power electronic converters???featuring novel small-signal models of non-isolated and isolated converter topologies with joint and disjoint switching elements and coverage of frequency and time domain analysis of controlled circuits. The authors employ a systematic theoretical framework supported by step-by-step derivations, design procedures for measuring transfer functions, challenging end-of-chapter problems, easy-to-follow diagrams and illustrations, numerous examples for different power supply specifications, and practical tips for developing power-stage small-signal models using circuit-averaging techniques. The text addresses all essential aspects of modeling, design, analysis, and simulation of average current-mode control of power converter topologies, such as buck, boost, buck-boost, and flyback converters in operating continuous-conduction mode (CCM). Bridging the gap between fundamental modeling methods and their application in a variety of switched-mode power supplies, this book: Discusses the development of small-signal models and transfer functions related to the inner current and outer voltage loops Analyzes inner current loops with average current-mode control and describes their dynamic characteristics Presents dynamic properties of the poles and zeros, time-domain responses of the control circuits, and comparison of relevant modeling techniques Contains a detailed chapter on the analysis and design of control circuits in time-domain and frequency-domain Provides techniques required to produce professional MATLAB plots and schematics for circuit simulations, including example MATLAB codes for the complete design of PWM buck, boost, buck-boost, and flyback DC-DC converters Includes appendices with design equations for steady-state operation in CCM for power converters, parameters of commonly used power MOSFETs and diodes, SPICE models of selected MOSFETs and diodes, simulation tools including introductions to SPICE, MATLAB, and SABER, and MATLAB codes for transfer functions and transient responses Average Current-Mode Control of DC-DC Power Converters is a must-have reference and guide for researchers, advanced graduate students, and instructors in the area of power electronics, and for practicing engineers and scientists specializing in advanced circuit modeling methods for various converters at different operating conditions.

Download or read book Soft Commutation Isolated DC DC Converters written by Ivo Barbi and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-08-27 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the operation and analysis of soft-commutated isolated DC–DC converters used in the design of high efficiency and high power density equipment. It explains the basic principles behind first- and second-order circuits with power switches to enable readers to understand the importance of these converters in high efficiency and high power density power supply design for residential, commercial, industrial and medical use as well as in aerospace equipment. With each chapter featuring a different power converter topology, the book covers the most important resonant converters, including series resonant converters; resonant LLC converters; soft commutation pulse width modulation converters; zero voltage switching; and zero current switching. Each topic is presented with full analysis, a showcase of the power stages of the converters, exercises and their solutions as well as simulation results, which mainly focus on the commutation analysis and output characteristic. This book is a valuable source of information for professionals working in power electronics, power conversion and design of high efficiency and high power density DC–DC converters and switch mode power supplies. The book also serves as a point of reference for engineers responsible for development projects and equipment in companies and research centers and a text for advanced students.

Download or read book Design Considerations for Radio Frequency Power Converters written by Lei Gu (Researcher in power electronics) and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Compact and efficient high-frequency power converters and amplifiers are needed in a variety of applications, including base stations, mobile devices, and medical equipment. The ever-growing need for a smaller size, longer battery life, and lower cost introduces challenging design considerations for radio-frequency power converters. Today, these radio-frequency resonant converters use harmonic tuning to shape the voltage or current waveform of the switching device, with the primary goals of reducing device stress and increasing achievable efficiency. Although harmonic-tuned resonant converters can be very compact and efficient for a certain condition, significant challenges remain to widespread adoption, including limited high-efficiency range, complicated design procedures, and higher device stress compared with conventional approaches. This thesis presents circuit techniques that can extend the voltage, frequency, and efficiency ranges of radio-frequency power converters and provides more straightforward analysis and easy-to-implement design procedures. This thesis first presents a multi-resonant gate driver circuit developed using the harmonic wave-shaping technique that significantly reduces the high-frequency gate driving losses for Si and SiC MOSFETs. By controlling different harmonic components of an ideal square wave, we can resonantly shape a quasi-square voltage waveform at the gate. This gate driver is simple to control and has a low component count. Compared with a sine wave gate signal, this method reduces the transition time between the MOSFET is fully enhanced and turned-off, driving down the switching losses. Compared with similar multi-resonant drivers that are self-oscillating, this driver reduces the long start-up time required to reach steady-state. Intuitive design methodologies based on the frequency-domain plot are introduced. Using this technique, we are able to resonantly drive a Si MOSFET at 20 MHz and recycle 60% of the hard-switching gate-driving loss. We also demonstrate this driver on a SiC MOSFET switching at 30 MHz and save 80% of the hard-switching loss. Modern applications demand power converters to maintain a constant voltage output with high efficiency across significant load variation. This thesis presents a bidirectional dc-dc converter that enables efficient fixed-ratio voltage conversion at tens of megahertz. By selecting a proper matching network for the intermediate gain stage, we address multiple challenges simultaneously; a) replacing a lossy passive diode with a more efficient active transistor, b) maintaining efficient soft-switching operation, and c) a constant voltage conversion ratio over a wide load range. A 64 MHz, 12 W, 36 V-to-12 V prototype converter with 75% peak efficiency verifies the operation of the structure. An interleaved configuration is then proposed to improve the efficiency and transient performance of a single-phase structure. A 13.56 MHz, 210 V-to-30 V prototype converter with 90% peak efficiency at 200 W demonstrates the advantages of this proposed structure. RF power amplifiers underpin many systems that support our modern infrastructure. The Class EF and E/F family of harmonic-tuned switch-mode amplifiers have simple gate drives, reduced voltage stress, and higher output power capabilities than a conventional Class E circuit. To best utilize the performance potential of this family of circuits, this thesis presents a novel push-pull Phi2 (EF2) amplifier using interleaving and series-stacking techniques, denoted as a PPT Phi2 circuit. This series-stacked PPT Phi2 circuit combines all of the main advantages of different topologies, like the simplicity of gate driving, highest cut-off frequency, lowest voltage stress, and load-invariant operation. A compact 6.78 MHz, 100 V, 300 W prototype converter is demonstrated. Using lowcost Si devices, the prototype converter achieves 96% peak total efficiency and maintains above 94.5% drain efficiency across a wide range of voltage and power. This new series-stacked PPT F2 RF amplifier doubles the maximum operating frequency and voltage range of a Class EF or E/F amplifier with benefits in many modern applications that require high-frequency high-power RF signals, like wireless charging for electric vehicles, plasma RF drives, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Download or read book High Frequency Power Conversion Architecture for Grid Interface written by Seungbum Lim and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the present ac-voltage distribution system, ac-dc converters are key components for driving many dc voltage applications from the ac grid voltage. There are a lot of electronic devices that natively operate from the dc voltage including light emitting diodes (LEDs), personal and laptop computers, and smart phones; for all of them there is a drive to increase functionality and to reduce the volume at the same time. The desire for further miniaturization is, however, facing a dominant obstacle strained by the performance requirements on power electronic circuits. In this thesis, a design technique for high-performance ac-dc power converters will be presented. A new grid interface ac-dc conversion architecture and associated circuit implementations are proposed along with novel control methods. This approach simultaneously address design challenges associated with high performance (e.g., high efficiency, high power factor, miniaturization, and high reliability/lifetime) of ac-dc power conversion systems. The proposed architecture is suitable for realizing ac-dc converters that switch in the HF range (3-30 MHz) with relatively low-voltage components and with zero-voltage switching (ZVS) conditions, enabling significant converter size reduction while maintaining high efficiency. Moreover, the proposed approach can achieve reasonably high power factor about 0.9, while dynamically buffering twice-line frequency energy using small capacitors operating with large voltage swings over the ac line voltage cycle. The ac-dc converter design shows that excellent combinations of power density, efficiency, and power factor can be realized with this approach.

Download or read book Radio Frequency Direct Current direct Current Converters written by Olivia Leitermann and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: High frequency power conversion is attractive for the opportunities it affords for improved performance. Dc-dc converters operating at high frequencies use smaller-valued energy storage elements, which tend to be physically smaller and lower-cost, and this can result in improved transient performance while retaining high efficiency. One way to achieve high switching frequencies is by using resonant inverter and rectifier topologies and regulating voltage via on-off control. This scheme requires a great deal of investigation of design practices appropriate to high frequency power conversion. The design issues were investigated for a 200 W 160-200 V input 33 V output converter. A comparison of resonant inverter topologies for the power stage was made. Appropriate devices were sought, compared, and characterized. A high frequency gate drive scheme for a large vertical MOSFET was developed. Several prototypes were built and these are also presented.

Download or read book Knowledge and Understanding of Different DC DC Converter Architectures written by Miquel Ricart Oltra and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The student will participate as a student assistant in a research project of power electronics with two Ph.D. students. Particularly, the student will join a design effort of a new high-performance DC-DC converter for data centers and telecommunication systems. The student will design test boards and carry out implementation and tests of the DC-DC converter. The student can also participate in writing related papers. At the end of the program, the student will be trained to be familiar with different types of DC-DC converters, and how to design and test an example DC-DC converters. The students will also be exposed to other parts of integrated circuit design and miniaturization of power converter. The ability of the student will be evaluated at the end of the internship by looking at his progress over the period of 5 months. Evident can be seen on the quality of his designed and tested circuit boards over the time. The student will also be asked to deliver a public talk about his work in the Colorado Power Electronics Center where he will get questions and feedback from other Ph.D. students from other research groups in the center.