Sine amplitude conversion for dc-dc converters

Electronics Weekly columnist Bob Marchetti explains the importance of SAC to help improve energy efficiency and output.

By Bob Marchetti, Electronics Weekly July 26, 2011

In a column for Electronics Weekly, columnist Bob Marchetti explains how sine amplitude conversion can be used to help improve efficiency for dc-dc converters. He writes how old dc-dc transformers would switch dc into an alternating square wave to produce the required output. The problem was that harmonic components had to be filtered in the process. Too much potential energy, as a result, ended up being lost.

A sinusoidal waveform, by contrast, is more efficient because it is continuously oscillating at a fixed frequency. Conversion efficiency increases to 98% to 99%, contributing to both high power density and reduced thermal management requirements. Radiated and conducted harmonic content is also minimized because of the sine amplitude.

Marchetti believes this adjustment is key for energy regulation, especially in a time when the desire to be more and more efficient while trying to cut down on waste.

Read the full article