Design and Evaluation of a Digital Control System: An Upgrade from Converters to Resolve Aging and Obsolescence Issues

The dc-dc converters at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at the Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, are more than 15 years old. An upgrade to a digital control system is being evaluated to resolve aging and obsolescence issues. These converters supply power to electromagnets used to guide high-energy beams, so a highly accurate control system is required for the dc-dc converters. This article describes the design and evaluation of a digital control system to regulate the output current and resolve aging and obsolescence issues.