Hysteretic Regulators with Partially-Saturated Inductors

This paper investigates the performances of partially-saturated ferrite power inductors in DC-DC hysteretic regulators. Exploiting inductors saturation allows reducing the volume and weight of switch-mode power supplies, provided that inductors ripple and losses are reliably limited. Hysteretic control is a simple viable solution for power supplies design, ensuring inherent inductor peak-peak ripple current and power losses stabilization over wide load range. The results of experimental tests performed by means of a 2.5V/2A buck converter prove the feasibility and reliability of hysteretic regulators exploiting inductors saturation.