dsPIC® Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) Computational Core

In a digital implementation of the power conversion design, two contributing factors are needed to implement the desired topology and control loop:

• Designers' knowledge on the power conversion topology and the set of equations that describe the topology itself; how the controlled variables (duty cycle, phase relationship, etc.) are influenced by the system parameters. See the accompanying image.
• Real-time data: run-time currents and voltages which need to be measured periodically.

This means that the digital approach operates on the equations and numbers that represent the most up-to-date values of the controlled variables. Some calculations are required to transform the input data through the implemented algorithm into the output data. The unit that operates this number-crunching must be fast and efficient in order to generate the updated values within a short period of time. This allows for efficient control of the system. In the next several sections, we'll take a closer look at how the dsPIC® Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) computational core can meet these requirements.