The Intelligent Power-Supply Design Center offers design tools at each of four levels of digital integration into power supplies. Level one involves an 8-bit microcontroller used to implement simple functions, such as soft start. At level two, the loop is still analog, but an 8- or 16-bit microcontroller provides basic proportional control. At level three, the loop remains analog but an 8- or 16-bit microcontroller or Digital Signal Controller (DSC) can modify the topology of the power supply. At level four, the power-conversion loop is fully digital and managed by a DSC with specialized peripherals. The site features the recently announced (dsPIC30F1010/2020/2023) family of dsPIC DSCs.

Microchip Technology Inc., 1-888-MCU-MCHP, www.microchip.com/power