Multiphase Buck Converter: The Fundamentals

Tech Consultant Zach Peterson explores Multiphase Buck Converters, which are pretty common in voltage regulator modules, as well as other applications that require low noise. But how do they work? Zach dives into what precisely a multiphase buck converter is, how it works, and more.
0:00 Intro
0:39 What Is a Multiphase Buck Converter?
2:47 How Multiphase Buck Converters Work
10:51 Examining Components
For more Schematic Capture videos, click here: • Schematic Capture
For more PCB Design for Intermediate Users videos, click here: • PCB Design for Interme...
For more Tech Consultant Zach Peterson videos, click here: • Technical Consultant Z...
👉 Designing a Multiphase Buck Converter for an RF Power Supply: resources.altium.com/p/design...
👉 Better Power and Thermal Efficiency for Your PCB with Steven Schnier: • Better Power and Therm...
👉 15 Days Free Altium Designer Access: altium.com/yt/altium-academy
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: / altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: / altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: / altiumofficial
👉 Ready to try the industry's best-in-class design experience yourself? Download it today and get started! www.altium.com/downloads?utm_...
The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer!
About Altium LLC
Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products.
#Altium #PCBdesign #Electronics

[@Nanocosm]

Perfect. I had this topology on my mind this week :)

[@willpetersen952]

Zach is so smart, it blows my mind. He breaks down everything he talks about in such a digestible manner.

[@prasanthtarini8571]

Hii, Is there any possibility to identify the Odd Harmonics and how can we suppress noise in the Odd and Even Harmonics

[@joshuapitong899]

Thank you.

[@jeremyglover5541]

OK, so commenting before I have to go. its lower noise and higher current, because you have the resistance and voltage (and thermal) noise cut in half, plus you can use smaller, higher quality inductor parts as its higher FS and easier to filter (although more challenging to lay out).
does it make sense to use just because you want lower noise with a higher voltage drop than is practical for linear, even if you dont really need a higher current?

[@rdvader]

What happens if all them switch together, other than ripple. Does it impact stability of the overall loop. Thank you

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

It depends on how the loop is constructed. Some multiphase converters have one feedback loop per phase, while others have a single feedback loop for all phases. Using a single loop for all phases means that the loop stability is taken starting at the multiple of the frequency of an individual phase. I think in the single feedback loop case, excess parasitics on one phase will affect stability of all other phases, and I do not know how the PWM controller accounts for this.

[@robertbox5399]

Multiphase is used for ADAS (RADAR) as the noise level required is down at 10's of uV a MHz. The system accuracy is derived from the PSU voltages.

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

Yes it is, those ASICs can require low level core voltages with a lot of current too, multiphase is good for that as well.

[@myetis1990]

unavoidable power solution for the PC motherboards, you can see the implementation of this type of buck converter on any motherboard. Thanks Zach ! you are the king
Actually, it would be perfect to see the layout tips(both PDN and EMC) for this because handling high currents is usually tricky.

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

Thank you, that's a good idea I'll put together a project on this.

[@ostrov11]

спасибо

[@rutwijmulye6381]

Isolated multiphase buck converter would this a good choice?!

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

I have not seen any isolated multiphase converter available on the market. This is currently a research topic. If you look on Google you will see many scholarly articles looking at the design of isolated multiphase converters. I think the reason this has not been achieved yet is due to the difficulty of isolating all the phases with the same transformer. This is because you have a lot of switching phases in parallel. You could isolate all phases separately but this makes the system very large, so it would be desirable to do this through a single transformer in a half-bridge configuration or resonant LLC configuration.