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The design and the silicon characterization of two mostly digital, low-voltage, energy- and area-efficient Relaxation Digital-to-Analog Converters (ReDACs) in 180nm featuring digital self-calibration and parasitics-induced error suppression are presented and compared in this paper. The first design is a single-ended ReDAC (SE-ReDAC) and operates at 880kS/s with a 10-bit resolution, while the second is based on a differential ReDAC (Diff-ReDAC) architecture and operates at 100kS/s with a 13-bit resolution. The SE-ReDAC testchip in 180nm occupies just 5,030 $\mu $ m2 and operates with a supply voltage ranging from 0.6V to 1V. Experimental results at 0.65V reveal a 72.18dB-SFDR, a 65.59dB-THD and a 56.09dB SINAD, resulting in 9.02ENOB, with a power dissipation of just $3.3\mu $ W, achieving a competitive energy-efficiency (area-normalized energy efficiency) figure of merit FOM ( $\mathrm {FOM_{A}}$ ) of 166dB (175dB). On the other hand, the 180-nm Diff-ReDAC testchip occupies 7,800 $\mu $ m2 and operates in a supply voltage range from 0.45V to 1V, while achieving a 77.81dB-SFDR, a 77.52dB-THD and a 65.82dB-SINAD (10.64ENOB) at 0.6V supply with a power consumption of just 880nW, leading to a very competitive FOM (FOMA) of 172dB (178dB).

This study thoroughly compares multiple single bidirectional and multiport converters (MPCs), highlighting the significant role of MPCs in multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) systems. MPCs offer a more efficient and cost-effective solution than multiple single converters, especially in applications involving photovoltaic (PV), electric vehicles (EVs) with storage systems, and power grids. This research emphasizes the importance of multi-input converters (MICs) in integrating diverse voltage sources. It notes the rising popularity of multi-output DC-DC converters in portable electronics, owing to their reduced component count, lower costs, and compact design. This paper emphasizes comparisons based on diverse aspects and applications, shedding light on recent developments in basic bidirectional converters. Additionally, it delves into the advancements in MPC topologies, focusing on efficiency, reliability, and modularity improvements. These advancements are crucial for harnessing cost reduction, simplicity, and compactness. Furthermore, this paper introduces an innovative multiport DC-DC converter tailored for integrating and managing renewable sources. This new converter design enhances PV system and battery storage performance by reducing power conversion steps, using fewer components, and improving voltage-boosting capabilities. Its unique bidirectional buck-boost structure allows for versatile connections between sources and loads with varying voltage and power requirements. The performance of this novel converter is evaluated through MATLAB/Simulink simulations under different scenarios. Experimental studies further validate its effectiveness, marking a significant contribution to power conversion and management in integrating renewable sources such as DC microgrids.

This paper proposes an improved topology of the three-phase series resonant DC-DC Boost converter with variable frequency control. The DC output voltage can be properly regulated at a constant value from no-load condition to full-load condition by adjusting the switching frequency. This is feasible with the three series resonant circuits coupled to the three-phase inverter. The leakage and mutual inductances of the step-up transformer are used implicitly in the series resonant circuits. Therefore, the proposed converter, when matched to the traditional three-phase inter-leaved LLC converters, requires fewer transformers, passive components, and switching devices. Furthermore, it offers better efficiency and size reduction. The proposed SRC converter also relies on the transformer’s magnetizing inductance to ensure zero voltage switching (ZVS) for all the switches within the considered range of the operating frequency. The deployed variable frequency controller shows a good level of stability at the considered loading conditions. The output voltage-to-input voltage ratio is steadily regulated at 6:1, irrespective of the load variation, by varying the switching frequency. The experimental validation of the theoretical findings proceeded on a low power scaled-down laboratory prototype. From the achieved results, the performance of the proposed converter (in terms of its effectiveness) was validated.

Digital-based differential amplifiers (DDA) are particularly suitable to low voltage digital integrated circuit technologies. This paper presents an exhaustive analysis of digital-based analog amplifiers to take advantage of today’s high-performance digital technologies, and of computer aided design (CAD), which is commonly employed to design integrated circuits. The operating principle and the main mathematical relations of digital-based differential amplifiers are discussed along with an exhaustive explanation of its operating regions and of the corresponding power consumption. These aspects, which are not discussed in the literature, are very important for the circuit designers. Finally, a detailed description of the design procedure of the UMC 180nm standard CMOS technology is provided.

Multi-level inverters (MLIs) have been widely used in recent years due to their various advantages in industrial and grid-connected applications. Traditional MLI topologies are being hampered by the rapid surge of renewable energy systems (RES) as a result of performance difficulties such as poor power reliability, an economically unviable structure, and a lack of efficiency. These difficulties are due to the traditional MLI topologies’ inability to keep up with the increasing demand for RES. Because of concerns about performance and limitations posed by classic MLI topologies, researchers have found themselves driven to the idea of building innovative hybrid MLI topologies. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of multilevel inverter systems that are wired into the main power supply. Grid-connected inverter types and their configurations are discussed in depth in this review. Diverse multi-level inverter topologies, as well as the different approaches, are divided into various categories and discussed in depth. Additionally, a number of control reference frames for inverters were brought forward for discussion. Furthermore, different inverter control strategies were investigated, followed by a tabular summary of recent developments in the inverter-related literature for the convenience of the readers. Moreover, the recently proposed grid-connected multi-level inverter systems were discussed including their findings and innovations. In conclusion, a brief description of the study’s scope was offered and research directions for future studies were provided.

In several energy applications, DC/DC converters are one of the most important components [...]

The Internet of Things (IoT) has found application in many components of implantable medical devices, wearable smart devices, monitoring systems, etc. The IoT devices are conventionally battery powered, even though, in several low power applications, they can also be powered using energy harvesting technology. Independently of the power sources (if batteries or environment), efficient and robust power converters must be designed to provide the small and distributed energy required by such IoT devices. This review paper will first provide an overview about the power consumption in IoT devices; second, it will discuss the most recent research and advance in the field of fully-integrated or embedded DC/DC converters, starting from high-performance integrated charge pumps or embedded inductive boost converters for specific harvesting sources (temperature, solar, and so on), to novel DC/DC converters for multiple energy sources.

Over the last decade, energy demand from the power grid has increased significantly due to the increasing number of users and the emergence of high-power industries. This has led to a significant increase in global emissions with conventional energy generation. Therefore, the penetration of renewable energy resources into the power grid has increased significantly. Photovoltaic systems have become the most popular resources as their protentional is enormous, thus, the worldwide installed PV capacity has increased to more than 635 gigawatts (GW), covering approximately 2% of the global electricity demand. Power electronics are an essential part of photovoltaic generation; the drive for efficient power electronic converters is gaining more and more momentum. Presently, multilevel inverters (MLI) have become more attractive to researchers compared to two-level inverters due to their abilities to provide lower electromagnetic interference, higher efficiency, and larger DC link voltages. This paper reviews multilevel inverters based on their classifications, development, and challenges with practical recommendations in utilizing them in renewable energy systems. Moreover, PV systems with various maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods have been extensively considered in this paper as well. The importance and the development of a modified multilevel inverter are also highlighted in this review. In general, this paper focuses on utilizing multilevel inverters for PV systems to motivate and guide society to focus on inventing an efficient and economical multilevel inverter that has the combined capabilities of these converters reported in the literature.

Reducing voltage supply is one of the most effective way to reduce the power consumption, but, on the other hand it is a challenging choice for the analog designers. In this paper, different topologies, well-suited for low voltage and ultra-low voltage supply, are depicted, investigated, designed in the same standard 180 nm technology and compared, highlighting the benefits and the possible applications.