In many applications, a DC/DC Converter is used to
produce a regulated voltage or current, derived from an
unregulated power supply, or from a battery. Examples
of these applications include battery chargers, electronic
air purifiers, emergency exit signs, and distributed
power systems.
In some of those applications, a dedicated Switched
Mode Power Supply (SMPS) Controller IC is used in
conjunction with a microcontroller. In other applications,
however, a dedicated SMPS Controller IC may be
overkill. An alternative approach is to generate a low
cost SMPS function in a smart microcontroller, such as
the PIC16C620A. This Application Note shows a
method of using the microcontroller to perform simple
SMPS control functions.
Two circuits were built for evaluation. One circuit provides
a Constant Voltage output, the other a Constant Current output.