Converters step-up / step-down

What is a step-up/step-down converter and how does it work?

The step-up / step-down converter is a power electronic converter based on the buck-boost topology and converts the DC voltage from the power source into DC voltage for the receiver with a lower or higher value than the input voltage supplied by the source. The working elements of buck-boost converters include semiconductor switching elements in the form of a diode and a transistor key, capacitors and/or energy storage coils and anti-interference filters. When the switching transistor begins to conduct, a voltage is applied from the source to the coil, and the diode connected with the anode to the receiver receives a higher potential at the cathode, which is equivalent to its transition to the reverse state. When the switching transistor is turned off, the voltage across the coil drops and causes a change in the coil's magnetic flux, which causes current to flow to the receiver and a parallel voltage-holding capacitor connected to it. The transistor key is controlled by a square wave signal with variable duty cycle (PWM). The design and the mathematical apparatus describing it show that the output voltage in a converter in a buck-boost topology depends on the width of the control pulse in a proportional and disproportionate manner. This type of step up/step down converters will be useful in every workshop.

High-quality Polou impulse converters

The S9V11X family of pulse converters from Polou is based on the Buck-Boost topology, which enables the conversion of the input voltage into a lower or higher voltage at the converter output. The supply voltage range includes values from 2.0V to 16.0V and they can be increased or decreased accordingly depending on the converter model. The efficiency of the converters is above 85% and the maximum output current is 1.5A. The flexible supply voltage range allows the S9V11X family of impulse converters to be used in battery-powered devices where the battery voltage is higher than that set at the converter output, and when it drops below this value, further operation of the powered device is possible. The S9V11X family of impulse converters are available in the Botland store in various output voltage variants, both in the version with a fixed output voltage and in the version with adjustable output voltage between 2.5V and 9.0V, adjustable using a 12-turn potentiometer. Built-in undervoltage protection prevents excessive battery discharge, and short-circuit and overload protection protects the system against damage.