Influence of transformer parasitics in low-power applications

High-frequency operation of power converters has made it clear that the parasitic components associated with power transformers have an important influence on the behavior of the converter. Leakage inductance is often considered to be the most important parameter to take into account when designing a transformer. However, when dealing with low-power applications, self-capacitance and mutual capacitance values may play a much more important role. A proper understanding of the influence of these parasitic components and a method that allows determination of their values will help designers optimize their power converters.