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Design of Closed-loop Buck-boost Converter for

LED Driver Circuit
Chi-Jen Huang

Ying-Chun Chuang, Member, IEEE

Department of Electrical Engineering

Yu-Lung Ke, Senior Member, IEEE

Department of Electrical Engineering

Kun Shan University

National Penghu University of Science and Technology

Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C

Penghu, Taiwan, R.O.C

Abstract--This paper develops a light emitting diode (LED)

driver circuit with a buck-boost converter. The forward bias
of the LED used was 3.1V~4.3V, and the forward current
was 0.7A. Twelve 3W white-light LEDs were driven in
series in the proposed circuit. Each LED was operated at
4V and 0.6A using ac 110V that was rectified by a bridge
rectifier. It is operated in continuous buck-boost mode and
the results are then simulated using IsSpice software. In an
LED only 15% to 25% of electrical energy is converted
into light; the rest is converted into heat, which increases
its temperature. The resistance of an LED varies with
temperature, making the circuit unstable. Therefore, a
closed-loop voltage control system is used in this paper to
increase output voltage stability. The circuit scheme and
operation mode will first be explained. Then, the transfer
function for calculating the shortest regulation time is
derived using the state-space averaging method. MATLAB
is applied to execute the whole circuit simulations. Finally,
experimental results demonstrate that the power factor of
the closed-loop buck-boost converter is 0.998 and the
output voltage of the designed controller can be stably
maintained at 48V.

yet popular because of their cost. Their cost could be

reduced by using a simple circuit to drive the LED emitter.
Most early power supplies were linear converters. As the
technology improves, high-efficiency, small switch-mode
power supply driving circuits have been developed, and
they are taking over traditional linear converters [11-12].
The numerous types of switching converter include boost,
buck, buck-boost, and Cuk converters. The converter
circuit primarily comprises semiconductor switching
devices. Selecting the correct integrated circuit (IC) for the
switching converter circuit is very important to the efficient
driving of the converters. The inductance determines
whether the buck-boost converter is operated in continuous
or discontinuous current mode. The design in this paper is
based on continuous current mode. When the power is
switched on or off, the surge voltage and surge current may
damage the switch circuit. A snubber circuit is used to
protect the switch and prolong its lifetime [13-17]. Finally,
a test for regulation control is performed after the complete
driver circuit has been established. Under various input ac
voltages (110~130V) and loads, the output voltage is quite
stable.

Keywords: buck-boost, closed-loop, stabilizer,

factor

II. CONVERTER POWER FACTOR [1~5]

An ideal ac-dc converter has high power factor input
and output voltage stabilization properties.

power

Energy prices have skyrocketed in recent years owing to

depleting renewable resources. In addition to seeking other
energy sources, countries worldwide are also initiating
energy-saving and carbon reduction programs. The
electricity that is used for lighting represents a large
proportion of energy consumed. Lighting sources have
developed progressed from light bulbs only, years ago, to
high-power LEDs. LEDs have also improved lighting
efficiency and diversity, and have a wide range of
applications, including automobile lights, street lamps,
decorative lights and others [6]. LEDs will eventually
display all traditional light bulbs. The first white-light LED
was invented by combining with three primary colors, and
the excitation between blue light and optical materials to
emit white light [7-10]. However, white-light LEDs are not

Iin

ac 110V V
in

ac-dc
converter

high power factor

I. INTRODUCTION

Vout LED

fixed voltage

Fig. 1. Ideal ac-dc converter circuit

I in
Power
factor
correction
circuit

Vin

LED

PF=1

Fig. 2. Power factor correction circuit

A power factor is low when the ac current is sent
directly to the load through the circuit. Accordingly, a
power factor correction circuit is added to increase the
power factor and thereby reduce the amount of power used.
The operation of a closed-loop buck-boost control system

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is composed of four steps.

1. The buck-boost converter is operated in continuous
current mode. The power factor is measured and
compared with the value from the IsSpice software
simulation [6~15].
2.The transfer function of the buck-boost converter is
calculated using the state-space averaging method
[14~16].
3. The simulation results are performed using MATLAB:
steady-state error = 0, phase margin > 45, and the
cross-over frequency is one-tenth the buck-boost
frequency [17~22].
4.The closed-loop system is tested.

Fig. 5. Experimental input voltage and current

VGS

V DS

Fig. 6. Simulated VGS and VDS

70K

10K
VCC

10

2.2PF

VCC

2.2PF
1

10k
9

VCC

0.1P F

3 2
IR 2112
12 13

1k

1k

VCC

11 8 13 12 10 9
TL 494
3 14 5 6 4

50k
0.001 P F

Fig. 7. Experimental waveforms of VGS and VDS

Fig. 3. Closed-loop buck-boost converter

III. TESTING AND SIMULATION OF

BUCK-BOOST CONVERTER
The buck-boost converter is operated in continuous
current mode with 300uH and the results are compared
with the simulated results.

Fig. 8. Simulated inductance voltage and current

Fig. 4. Simulated input voltage and current

Fig. 9. Experimental waveforms of inductance voltage

and current

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Fig. 13. Equivalent circuit when transistor is switched on

and diode is switched off
When the transistor is switched off and the diode is
switched on, as in Fig. 14, the dynamic equation is shown
as Eq. (2).

Fig. 10. Simulated output voltage and current

diL t 
VC t 
L dt

1
dvc t 
iL t   VC t 
C
dt
R

Vo t  VC t 

Vout

(2)

I out

Fig. 11. Experimental waveforms of output voltage and

current

Step.2. Moving average is obtained in period TS.

IV. TRANSFER FUNCTION OF

A BUCK-BOOST CONVERTER
Figure 12 shows an equivalent circuit of a buck-boost
converter. Small signal analysis is conducted using the
state-space averaging method. The impedance associated
with inductance and capacitance is low and can therefore
be neglected. The steps are explained below.
iD

Fig. 14. Equivalent circuit when transistor is switched off

and diode is switched on

d i L t 
v c t   v c t d t   v s t d t 
L dt

1
d v c t 
 i L t   i L t d t   v c t 
C
dt
R

v o t  v c t 

Step.3. Small-signal perturbation is taken into account.

iL t 

vc t 

vs t 
d t 

VS

(3)

VL

VO

iC

Fig. 12. Equivalent circuit for buck-boost converter

~
I L  iL t 
V  v~ t 
C

~
I L !! iL t 
V !! v~ t 
C

VS  v~s t 
~
D  d t 

(4)

VS !! v~s t 
~
D !! d t 

Step.4. DC analysis: Derivative terms are set to zero and

the DC operating point is derived as follows.
Step.1. When transistor is switched on and diode is
switched off, as in Fig. 13, the dynamic equation is
shown as Eq. (1).
di L t 
v s t 
L
dt

1
dv c t 


v c t 
C
dt
R

v o t  v c t 

VC  1 D VS

VC
I
L RD 1

(5)

Step.5. AC analysis: Small-signal perturbation is taken into

account close to the DC operating point.
(1)

d~
iL t 
VC  v~c (t) 1 D  d~t   VS  v~s (t) D  d~(t)
L
dt
~
~
1
C dvc t   I  ~
VC  v~c (t)
L iL (t)1  D d(t) 
R
dt

(6)

The transfer function from the buck-boost converter in

terms of duty ratio is shown as follows.

~
iL t 
~
d s 

RC(VS VO )  (VS VO )  RCIL (1 D)

LRCs2  Ls  R(1 D)2

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(7)

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V. DESIGN OF A STEADY-STATE CONTROLLER

Figure 15 shows a block diagram of a closed-loop
buck-boost converter control system. The output voltage
V0=48V. The error signal ve can be obtained relative to the
reference voltage Vref. The control signal through the
regulator can then be obtained. The control signal is
converted to the pulse width modulation (PWM) duty ratio
d by a trigger circuit. The experimental data and circuit
element parameters can be input to Eq. (7), and a block
diagram of the system block diagram constructed using
Sisotool.
Cs
voltage
stabilizer

v~e

Vref

s  1.38k 
ss  5k 

C(s) 114 u

(8)

C1

R2

C2

R1

Vin

v~ctrl

~
iL s
0.4331s  67.668
~
d s ~v  s 0 1.92u10-6 s2  0.0003s  37.356

1
u
VP

v~ctrol

conditions are satisfied. C(s) can also be calculated as the

following equation.

~
d

PWM

buck-boost
converter

Vref

VO

Fig. 18. Secondary control circuit

Hs
voltage
divider

1
u
6

Fig. 15. Block diagram of closed-loop buck-boost

converter control system
The block diagram is constructed using Sisotool.
Feedback is controlled using a proportional integral (PI)
controller. The steady-state controller design must satisfy
the following three conditions.
(1) Steady-state error is zero
(2) Phase margin > 45
(3) Cross-over frequency is between 0 and 8kHz
Open-Loop Bode Editor (C)

The control circuit in this paper is a secondary control

circuit, as shown in Fig. 18. The transfer function of the
controller is given by Eq. (9).
C( s)

1
s
R2C2
1
u
R1C1 s( s  C1  C2 )
R1C1C2

(9)

From Eqs. 8 and 9, R1 N 52 N &1=1uF, and

C2=0.02uF are calculated. The above four values are
substituted into Eq. 9 and a simulated is performed in
MATLAB again to check whether the steady-state
conditions are satisfied.

50

Open-Loop Bode Editor (C)

0
Magnitude (dB)

Magnitude (dB)

50

-50
G.M.: Inf
Freq: Inf
Stable loop

-50
G.M.: Inf
Freq: Inf
Stable loop

-100
-100

P.M.: 47.2 deg

Freq: 740 Hz

90

P.M.: 53.1 deg

Freq: 737 Hz

0
Phase (deg)

Phase (deg)

90

-90

-90

-180
10

10

10

10

10

10

-180
0

Frequency (Hz)

10

10

10

10

10

10

Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 16. Bode phase plot

Fig. 19. Bode phase plot

Step Response
50

Step Response
50
System: Closed Loop: r to y
I/O: r to y
Time
Settling
(sec):
Time0.563
(sec): 0.565
Amplitude: 47

40

System: Closed Loop: r to y

I/O: r to y
Settling
Time (sec):
Time0.656
(sec): 0.653
Amplitude: 47

40

30

Amplitude

Amplitude

30

20

20

10
10

0
0

-10

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Time (sec)

-10

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Time (sec)

Fig. 17. Frequency response plot

Figures 16 and 17 reveal that the system steady-state
time is 0.563s, the phase margin is 47.2, and the
cross-over frequency is 740Hz. Therefore, the three

Fig. 20. Frequency response plot

From Figs. 20 and 21, continues to operate in the
steady-state and all of the conditions are satisfied.

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VI. TEST OF CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM

As shown in Fig. 3, two resistors are loaded in parallel
at the output of the closed-loop buck-boost converter
control system. 7KHSDUWLDOYROWDJHRIWKHNUHVLVWRULV
taken to be 8V and the reference voltage Vref=4V. The
closed-loop system is tested. It is operated in continuous
current mode and an output voltage of 48V is maintained.
Accordingly, the output voltage is independent of the input
voltage and output load change.
1. Sudden change in the input voltage
When the input voltage changes suddenly from 110V to
130V or from 110V to 90V, the output voltage remains
constant. The voltage regulation property of the
closed-loop system is demonstrated.

Vout

Fig. 21. Sudden increase in input voltage

Vout

Fig. 22. Sudden decrease in input voltage

Figures 21 and 22 indicate that if the input voltage is
increased suddenly from 110V to 130V or decreased
suddenly from 110V to 90V, the output value remain
constant. Hence, the voltage regulation property of the
closed-loop system is demonstrated.
2. Sudden change in output load
When the resistance of the output load decreases
suddenly from  WR   RU LQFUHDVHV suddenly from
WRWKHRutput voltage remains constant.

Fig. 23. Sudden decline in the resistance of load IURP

WR

Fig. 24. Sudden increase in the resistance of load from

WR

VII. CONCLUSIONS
Based on the results obtained from the converter, the
output voltage was successfully maintained at 48V,
verifying the high power factor property of the converter.
This circuit operates in a high-frequency cut-off mode,
reducing the size of the device and the circuit, reducing the
cost.
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