Problem 1
Suppose you have an ordinary switch mode buck regulator. The input voltage is 100 V, the switch’s duty cycle is exactly 50%, and you measure the output voltage as 70 V. Is this converter operating in continuous conduction mode or discontinuous conduction mode? How can you tell?
Answer 1
If a switch mode buck converter is operating in continuous conduction mode, then the output voltage is the fraction of the input voltage as defined by the duty cycle. 100 V × 0.5 would equal 50 V. Therefore, this converter is operating in discontinuous conduction mode.
Note that continuous conduction mode includes the case in which synchronous (active) rectification is being used and the current through the coil is allowed to reverse direction when the output is lightly loaded. The output voltage in relation to the input voltage will still be defined by the switch duty cycle.
Therefore, we also know that the regulator in question is not using synchronous rectification, but rather is using a diode instead.
Problem 2
Since a diode can be placed in a High-Impedance state (reverse-biased) or a Low-Impedance state (forward-biased), they are sometimes used to switch AC signals, including audio and RF. What determines the magnitude of a signal that a diode can switch?
Answer 2
When diodes are used for signal switching, there are two considerations with regard to the magnitude of the signal relative to the DC control signal:
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- In the Blocking state, the reverse bias voltage must be greater than the peak signal voltage to prevent signal leakage. Also, a high-bias voltage reduces the parasitic capacitance through the diode. PIN diodes are often used for RF switching because of their ultra-low capacitance.
- In the On state, the forward DC control current through diode must be greater than the peak AC signal current, and it must be large enough so that the current doesn’t approach the diode curve’s “knee” too closely, introducing distortion.
Obviously, the diode needs to be rated for both the peak reverse voltage and the peak forward current created by the combination of the control signal and the application signal.
Problem 3
What common function does the following truth table represent?
| A B C | X Y Z |
| 0 0 0 ? | 0 0 0 |
| 0 0 1 ? | 0 0 1 |
| 0 1 0 ? | 0 1 0 |
| 0 1 1 ? | 0 0 1 |
| 1 0 0 ? | 1 0 0 |
| 1 0 1 ? | 0 0 1 |
| 1 1 0 ? | 0 1 0 |
| 1 1 1 ? | 0 0 1 |
Answer 3
The truth table implements a form of priority encoder:
Z is set if C is set, otherwise
Y is set if B is set, otherwise
X is set if A is set
In other words, C has the highest priority and A has the lowest. However, unlike conventional priority encoders that produce a binary output, this one produces a “one hot” encoding.
Problem 4
Write the equations for the logic that would implement the table.
Answer 4
The logic is quite straightforward:
Z = C
Y = B & !C
X = A & !B & !C
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