A Noise-Shaped Randomized Modulation for Switched-Mode DC-DC Converters

We propose a novel low-harmonics low-noise modulation scheme for switched-mode dc-dc converters. The proposed scheme is a hybrid of a randomized modulation scheme, namely, the randomized wrapped-around pulse position modulation scheme (RWAPPM), and a noise-shaper. The RWAPPM mitigates the switching-frequency harmonics in the input current, whereas the noise-shaper mitigates the low-frequency noise therein. We derive an analytical expression for the input current spectrum of the hybrid scheme. We benchmark the hybrid scheme against the conventional pulse width modulation scheme (PWM) and the RWAPPM without the noise-shaper. At 0.5 duty cycle, 3.3-V input voltage, 100-kHz average switching frequency, and with the second-order noise-shaper, the peak spectral power in the input current spectrum of the hybrid scheme is 18.1 dB lower than the PWM. Other randomized and spread-spectrum modulation schemes, in general, have undesirably higher input noise current than that of the PWM. However, the input noise current of the proposed hybrid scheme, obtained at ~73-mA rms (integrated over a 200-kHz bandwidth without an input filter), is comparable with that of the PWM, and is lower by ~16-mA rms compared with that of the RWAPPM without the noise-shaper. We also benchmark the hybrid scheme against other well known randomized and spread-spectrum modulation schemes. We further propose a novel pulse generator structure that embodies the hybrid scheme. We realize a dc-dc converter employing the pulse generator, and measure the converter to verify the derived expression and the characteristics of the hybrid scheme. We also measure the output voltage spectrum, the transient-response, and the operating range of the converter.