Analog Building Blocks of dc-dc Converters: Examining Fundamental Concepts

Dc-dc conversion plays the central part in the growing field of power management, which converts input voltages from various different energy sources into circuit-level voltages. At the system level, input voltages may range from a few millivolts (in the case of energy harvesting) to a few volts (in the case of low-voltage batteries). There is a trend toward higher voltages driven by the need to minimize dc-dc conversion losses. For this reason, servers in data centers utilize an intermediate voltage of 48 V [1]. Likewise, hybrid and electric cars are equipped with a 48-V battery in addition to the conventional 12-V board net and the ~400-V high-voltage battery that supplies the drive train [1]. Other applications with higher voltages include USB, e-bikes, or drones.