Advantages of Current Mode Control Based Design for Infotainment Applications

1. Introduction

In the field of infotainment terminals, with the continuous development of automotive multimedia information processing, the demand for power management of high-performance microprocessors is growing. Traditional voltage mode control faces many challenges in efficiency, size, EMI (electromagnetic interference), transient response, etc. when dealing with high performance and high current output. In recent years, current mode control (CMC) technology has gradually emerged in infotainment applications due to its unique advantages. This article aims to explore the advantages of current mode control-based design for infotainment applications, and conducts a detailed analysis based on relevant technologies and application cases.

2. Basic Principles of Current Mode Control

Current mode control is a power factor control technology that adjusts the output voltage of the converter by controlling the current of the inductor or capacitor. Its working principle mainly includes three steps: current sampling, error amplification and pulse width modulation (PWM). By collecting the current information in the circuit in real time and comparing it with the set value, the error signal is obtained, and then amplified by the error amplifier. Finally, the on and off time of the switch tube is controlled by the PWM generator, thereby achieving precise control of the output current and voltage.

3. Advantages of Current Mode Control-Based Design for Infotainment Applications

Improve efficiency

In infotainment applications, high-performance microprocessors often require high current outputs to meet their complex computing and image processing needs. Traditional voltage-mode control suffers from reduced efficiency when processing high current outputs due to the high power consumption of the converter. Current-mode control effectively improves converter efficiency by reducing the current sense resistor. For example, for high-current output converters from 5A to 25A, reducing the current sense resistor can significantly improve converter efficiency and reduce energy loss.

Reduce EMI

There are many electronic devices in the infotainment system, and the electromagnetic interference between them cannot be ignored. Current mode control effectively reduces the EMI level of the system by controlling the dual-loop system of inductor current and output voltage. Compared with voltage mode control, current mode control has lower noise sensitivity and better anti-interference ability. This helps to improve the stability and reliability of the infotainment system.

Optimizing transient response

In infotainment applications, users have high requirements for the system's response speed. Current mode control achieves precise control of the output current by directly controlling the inductor current. This control method enables the system to quickly adjust the output current and voltage when the load changes, thereby optimizing the transient response performance. Compared with traditional voltage mode control, current mode control shows better performance in transient response.

Simplify design complexity

In infotainment systems, power management design often involves trade-offs between multiple parameters and indicators. Current mode control optimizes power management design by combining the advantages of voltage mode control (VMC) and current mode control (CMC). In ACMC (average current mode control) design, the current error amplifier (CEA) is compensated by the feedback network, which simplifies the compensation design and obtains a higher gain bandwidth. This makes the design process simpler and more efficient, reducing design complexity.

Easy to implement load balancing

In infotainment systems, it is common to have multiple power supply units running in parallel. Current mode control makes it easy to achieve load balancing when multiple power supply units are connected in parallel through its inherent pulse-by-pulse current limiting function. This helps improve the overall performance and reliability of the system.

IV. Conclusion

In summary, the design based on current mode control brings significant advantages to infotainment applications. By improving the efficiency of the converter, reducing EMI levels, optimizing transient response performance, simplifying design complexity, and facilitating load balancing, current mode control shows broad application prospects in the field of infotainment. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous expansion of application scenarios, current mode control is expected to play an important role in more fields.