Buck converter

A buck converter is a step-down DC to DC converter. It is a switched-mode power supply that uses two switches (a transistor and a diode), an inductor and a capacitor.

Why we need buck converter

The simplest way to reduce the voltage of a DC supply is to use a linear regulator (such as a 7805), but linear regulators waste energy as they operate by dissipating excess power as heat. Buck converters, on the other hand, can be remarkably efficient (95% or higher for integrated circuits), making them useful for tasks such as converting the main voltage in a computer (12 V in a desktop, 12-24 V in a laptop) down to the 0.8-1.8 volts needed by the processor.

Operation
There are two states of operation: ON state OFF state

Operation
The conceptual model of the buck converter is best understood in terms of an inductor's "reluctance" to allow a change in current. Beginning with the switch open (in the "off" position), the current in the circuit is 0. When the switch is first closed, the current will begin to increase, but the inductor doesn't want it to change from 0, so it will attempt to fight the increase by dropping a voltage. This voltage drop counteracts the voltage of the source and therefore reduces the net voltage across the load.

Operation
When the switch is opened again, the voltage source will be removed from the circuit, so the current will try to drop. Again, the inductor will try to fight against it changing, which is does by reversing the direction of its voltage and acting like a voltage source. Put another way, there is a certain current flowing through the load due to the input voltage source: in order to maintain this current when the input source is removed, the inductor will have to take the place of the voltage source and provide the same net voltage to the load. Over time, the inductor will allow the current to decrease gradually, which it does by decreasing the voltage across itself. During this time, the inductor is discharging its stored energy into the rest of the circuit. If the switch is closed again before the inductor fully discharges, the load will always see a non-zero voltage. The capacitor placed in parallel with the load helps to smooth out voltage waveform as the inductor charges and discharges in each cycle.

Synchronous rectification
A synchronous buck converter is a modified version of the basic buck converter circuit topology in which the diode, D, is replaced by a second switch, S2. This modification is a tradeoff between increased cost and improved efficiency.

Operation
In a standard buck converter, the freewheeling diode turns on, on its own, shortly after the switch turns off, as a result of the rising voltage across the diode. This voltage drop across the diode results in a power loss which is equal to

By replacing diode D with switch S2, which is advantageously selected for low losses, the converter efficiency can be improved.

Advantage of synchronous circuit

Another advantage of the synchronous converter is that it is bi-directional, which lends itself to applications requiring regenerative braking. When power is transferred in the "reverse" direction, it acts much like a boost converter.

Merits & Demerits

Advantages : 1- Easy to implement . 2- low noise at out put . 3- low price , at high powers . 4- compact design . 5- easy to get feed back . 6-cheaper price Disadvantages: 1- it has not any isolation between input and output. 2- the 50 Hertz hum ( if the frequency of your power line is 50 HZ ) or 100 HZ hum , can appear at out put ( from ground ) .