Plug-and-play electronic capacitor for VRM applications

This paper introduces a new plug-and-play transient suppression unit (TSU) to enhance the performance and reduce the overall volume of voltage regulator modules (VRMs). The TSU acts as an electronic capacitor that is realized by switched-capacitor technology, mimics an increased capacitance during load transients. The unit connects in parallel to any existing tightly-regulated power supply without affecting the performance, and does not require any changes or interference in the design of the VRM. The resultant dynamic performance for load transients is significantly improved while the steady-state precision of the original design is intact. Furthermore, the unit is fully independent and is connected at the load-side of the converter, and as a result does not affect the input filter. The operation of the electronic capacitor is verified on a 30W, 12V-to-5V commercial buck converter evaluation module, demonstrating a near-ideal transient recovery with reduced output voltage deviation and settling time.