This is the page where you can download the seminars I taught at the Applied Power Electronics Conference or APEC in the US, every year, starting from 2009 to 2021, date at which I uploaded a video of this last sequence.
I took the above picture in Lise and Larry Meares's house, back in 2004. Dr. David Middlebrook is seating left, then his wife Val and Larry in the back. Dr. Middlebrook is considered as one of the founders of the power electronics field and was part of the people who cofounded the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference known as APEC.
I remember Dr. Middlebrook as a kind person, always open to explain things with the soft voice he had. At that time, David and Larry worked together to adapt the general feedback theorem (GFT) to ICAPS, the simulation suite of Intusoft.
I value these moments of complicity around a good meal and friendly discussions with people I was fortunate to meet.
Venable Instruments has recently uploaded the series of videos from Dr. Middlebrook teaching his Technical Therapy series. The YouTube link to Chapter 1 is here.
APEC 2021, 3-hour professional seminar held on line: this new seminar focuses on loop compensation using analogue and digital compensators. It starts with compensation strategies built around an op-amp and later extended to a TL431. The PID is explored and in particular saturation effects. Finally, the remaining presentation offers a smooth introduction to the digital world and shows how to implement digital filters starting from a Laplace expression. Oh, by the way, it is my last presentation with onsemi as the company recently fired me as part of a cost-reduction program - Hasta la Vista, Cisco Kid!
APEC 2019, 3-hour professional seminar held in Anaheim, CA: this seminar describes the modeling of buck converters operated in different control schemes with the four transfer functions of the CCM buck converter presented as examples. SPICE, SIMPLIS and, finally, bench experiments are shown along the examples to confirm theory matches reality. I have purposely built demonstration boards showing how experimental results agree well with the simulations if you properly characterize some of the components. The audience was between 100-150 people and I was really happy to see you all again. Thank you for attending this session and see you next year in New-Orleans!
APEC 2018, 3-hour professional seminar held in San Antonio, TX: this seminar describes how to obtain the control-to-output transfer function of a converter using small-signal analysis, average model SPICE simulations, SIMPLIS and, finally, bench experiments. I have purposely built demonstration boards showing how experimental results match well with the simulations if you properly characterize some of the components. I used the FACTs to determine the transfer function of the boost converter in voltage-mode control. The audience was between 100-150 people (statistical data here) and I was really happy to see you all again. Thank you for attending this session and see you next year!
APEC 2017, 3-hour professional seminar held in Tampa, FL: this presentation focuses on interactions between an EMI filter and a switching converter. Fast Analytical Circuits Techniques are at work here and they truly simplify the analysis. I was happy to see some known faces again and hope the new ones enjoyed the show. 108 people were registered for this seminar. The seminar statistics are here. Thank you all!
APEC 2016, 3-hour professional seminar held in Long Beach, CA: this presentation introduces you to Fast Analytical Circuits Techniques which let you derive transfer functions in a quick manner and sometimes without writing a single line of algebra. The method is at work with two switching converters, the buck and the buck-boost in voltage mode. The seminar went well and I thank you all in the audience! Statistics of this seminar are here.
APEC 2015, 3-hour professional seminar held in Charlotte, NC: this presentation capitalizes on what has been discussed during previous seminars and bridges theory with practical results. For instance, what is the impact of an op amp slew-rate and GBW product on phase margin for instance? How to ensure clean start-up sequences on isolated dc-dc converters? These are among the few topics I tackled during the session. Again, thank you all for attending! Statistics about this seminar are here.
APEC 2014, 3-hour professional seminar held in Fort Worth, TX: this presentation shows the PWM switch models at work in various converter structures. Fixed switching frequency in voltage and current mode is described but borderline conduction mode is also demonstrated. This presentation also introduces the small-signal model of the active clamp forward converter operated in voltage mode control. The model is then compared to bench measurements. The audience peaked to 150 people during the show, thank you all for attending! Statistics are here.
APEC 2013, 3-hour professional seminar held in Long Beach, CA: this presentation teaches step by step how to derive large and small-signal models of switching converters. The presentation starts by showing how to linearize non-linear equations and then describes models for voltage-mode and current-mode CCM/DCM converters. It extensively makes usage of the PWM switch model. A model of a QR flyback model is also presented. Merci to my friend Chris Warin for kindly taking the below pictures!
APEC 2012, 3-hour professional seminar held in Orlando, FL: this presentation teaches you some less known aspects of loop control theory applied to switching and linear converters. Things like delay margins, modulus margin or how a PID converts to a type 3 compensator. They were in this new seminar entitled "The Dark Side of Loop Control Theory". The seminar statistics are here.
This is me, together with Franki Poon from the PowerEsim website
APEC 2011, 3-hour professional seminar held in Fort Worth, TX: this presentation teaches you the untaught aspects of the flyback converter. Things like Over Power Protection (OPP) or Quasi-Resonant small-signal compensation are rarely included in seminars. They were in this one, entitled "The Dark Side of Flyback Converters".This seminar has been downloaded thousands of time and taught at numerous occasions world-wide.
APEC 2010, 3-hour professional seminar held in Palm Springs, CA: this presentation teaches you how to design compensators based on TL431, op amps or OTAs. This seminar associated with that of 2009 represent the subject of my new book on loop control.
APEC 2009, 3-hour professional seminar held in Washington DC: this presentation teaches you where phase margin and crossover frequency come from and guides through the stabilization process of a dc-dc converter.
