Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter with Neural MARUTA Hidenori

Network Based Digital Controller

Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter

with Neural Network Based Digital Controller

Hidenori Maruta†, Hironobu Taniguchi†, Yudai Furukawa†, Fujio Kurokawa‡

†Nagasaki University
‡Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science
†1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521 Japan
‡536 Aba-machi, Nagasaki 851-0193 Japan
E-Mail: hmaruta@nagasaki-u.ac.jp

Keywords
Digital control, Converter control, Neural network

Abstract
One of the important role for dc-dc converters is to regulate output voltage against the transient variation
of input voltage. Recently, renewable energy becomes popular and renewable power generators are
connected to the dc power grid directly, dc bus voltage is affected from them. Therefore, the
improvement of the transient response against the variation of the dc bus voltage is required to control
methods for dc-dc converters. The dc bus variation as the input voltage for dc-dc converters tends to be
complicated, a flexible control method is required to improve the performance in the transient state. For
such purpose, the digital control technique has potential to realize flexible control methods. In this study,
to improve the transient response of a dc-dc converter against such wide input voltage variations, we
present a novel neural network based digital control method. The neural network is adopted in
coordination with a popular PID control to realize a flexible control by learning the non-linear input-
output relation under various input voltage variations. It is well known that the neural network
computation causes a computational burden for a widely used digital control unit such as digital signal
processor. To address this problem, two different control periods, a slower one for the neural network
computational process and a faster one for the conventional PID control process, are used to avoid
computational burden in the digital controller in the presented method. Since the neural network works
as a predictor, its prediction can be used for the combination with the PID control in the same timing of
the faster control period. The evaluation result using a buck type dc-dc converter as a test study shows
that the presented method improves the transient response effectively compared with the conventional
PID control.

Introduction
Recently, the transient variation of dc bus voltage becomes an important problem since renewable power
generators such as photovoltaic generation are connected to power grid directly. Dc-dc converters used
in electrical and electronic equipment is required to have a superior performance to regulate output
voltage against the variation of input voltage. Therefore, a flexible non-linear control method is needed
to realize a superior transient response of dc-dc converters.

Digital control method for dc-dc converters widely draws attentions since it can realize a flexible control
and an easy and fast designing process compared to analog control [1-4]. However, the digital control
needs a computation time to calculate the control signal and its causes delay effect on a control process.
To avoid such delay effect and utilize the advantage of the digital technology, a prediction based control
method has been studied recently. The prediction based method is especially expected to improve the
transient response since it can realize a nonlinear control against a wide range of operation. A popular
way of the prediction based method is to use the predicted value such as output voltage and/or output

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Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter with Neural MARUTA Hidenori
Network Based Digital Controller

current to obtain the suitable control signal with modelling of converter. However, modelling and
prediction increase computation burden of the control process.

In this study, a neural network [5] based voltage mode control for PWM dc-dc converter is discussed
since it can realize the nonlinear dynamics modelling and the prediction simultaneously with the training
from an input-output relation of the dc-dc converter[6-9]. Especially, the improvement of the transient
response against input voltage variations is focused since it becomes a difficult problem in the popular
control method such as a conventional PID control. It is previously mentioned that the neural network
also requires a computational burden[10-12], therefore, the different computational periods, the slower
one for the neural network control and the faster one for PID feedback control are used. The neural
network predicts the output voltage and it is used to modify a reference value in the PID control
dynamically to improve the transient response[11-12]. Since the predicted values are used, the reference
value can be modified at each computational period of the PID control even the neural network
computation proceeds at the slower computation period.

To evaluate the presented method of this study, a buck type dc-dc converter is selected as a cast study
and transient characteristics against input voltage variations are investigated in simulation. From results,
it is revealed that the presented method can improve the transient characteristics effectively compared
to the conventional PID control. Therefore, it can be concluded that the neural network based method
can provide the effective way both in the improvement of performance and easy designing of control of
dc-dc converters.

OPERATION PRINCIPLE
A digitally controlled buck converter used as a test case in this study is shown in Fig. 1. In this figure,
symbols represent parameters as follows: ‫ݒ‬௜ is input voltage; ‫ݒ‬௢ is output voltage; R is a load resistance;
L is a reactor; ݅௅ is reactor current; D is a diode; C is an output, respectively. Sensed ‫ݒ‬௢ is sent to an A/D
converter and converted to its digital value ܰ௩௢ and used to in the reference modification part with the
neural network and the PID control part. It is noted that ܶௌ represents a switching period which is same
as the control period of the PID control, and ܶே represents a control period of the neural network control.
Also, a suffix n denotes n-th switching period.

The neural network control works during the transient state and it modifies the reference value in the
PID control to improve the transient response. Since the proportional term is dominant in transient state,
the reference value it the proportional term is modified and the on-time duration in the n-th switching
period ்ܰ௢௡ ሾ݊ሿ is calculated as shown in Eqs. (1) and (2).

PID
ˆ
ǻNR [n]
Neural
Network
Controller
Nvo [n]
NTon [n]
Drive Circuit A/D
Ton [n] Converter
iL

Tr L
vi D C R vo

Training Part of Neural Network

Fig. 1: Circuit configuration of presented method.

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Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter with Neural MARUTA Hidenori
Network Based Digital Controller

Case1 : raising input voltage

vo

t
Case2 : dropping input voltage

vo

t
Back Propagation

Weight

Acquisition of Training Data

(to Neural Network)

Input Layer Output Layer

(M unit) (N unit)

Fig. 2: Training process of neural network.

்ܰ௢௡ ሾ݊ሿ ൌ ܰ஻ െ ܰ஼௢௡ ሾ݊ሿሺͳሻ

෢ோ ሾ݊ሿ൯ൟ ൅ ‫ܭ‬ூ ෍ሼܰ௩௢ ሾ݊ሿ െ ܰோ ሽ ൅ ‫ܭ‬஽ ሺܰ௩௢ ሾ݊ሿ െ ܰ௩௢ ሾ݊ െ ͳሿሻሺʹሻ

ܰ஼௢௡ ሾ݊ሿ ൌ ‫ܭ‬௉ ൛ܰ௩௢ ሾ݊ሿ െ ൫ܰோ ൅ οܰ

Here ܰ஻ is the digital bias term; ‫ܭ‬௉ , ‫ܭ‬ூ and ‫ܭ‬஽ are the proportional, integral and differential coefficients
of the PID control; ܰோ is a constant reference value, respectively. To modify the reference, the neural
network is trained using the input-output relation of the dc-dc converter when the input voltage varies
to predict the output voltage as shown in Fig. 2.

The neural network adopted in this study is a three layered neural network and the training of it uses a
standard back propagation algorithm. As shown in this figure, the neural network is trained to predict N
forthcoming output voltage data ൛ܰ෢ ෢
௩௢ ሾ݊ ൅ ͳሿǡ ‫ ڮ‬ǡ ܰ௩௢ ሾ݊ ൅ ܰሿൟ from M former data ሼܰ௩௢ ሾ݊ െ
‫ܯ‬ሿǡ ‫ ڮ‬ǡ ܰ௩௢ ሾ݊ െ ‫ܯ‬ሿሽ.

It is well known that the neural network control requires more computational resource compared to other
simple control methods. To avoid such computational burden, the neural network control period ܶே is
set to be longer that of the PID control ܶௌ . When the number of unit in the output layer, i.e. the number
of output value is ܰ, the neural network control period can be ܰ times longer than that of the PID control
to modify the reference at every control period of the PID control. The N forthcoming output voltage
data are predicted at every neural network control period and stacked into memory and they are called
at every PID control period. For example, when the case of ܰ = 3, ܶே can be twice longer than ܶௌ (ܶே
= 3ܶௌ ). In each control period of the PID control, the reference is modified as shown in Eq. (3);

෢ோ ሾ݊ሿ ൌ ܰோ െ ܰ෢
οܰ ௩௢ ሾ݊ ൅ ͳሿሺ͵ሻ

Figure 3 shows the control procedure of the presented method with two different control periods. Figure
4 shows a relation between two different control periods ܶே and ܶௌ when the case of ܰ = 3.

One of the advantages of the neural network based method is that the training procedure can be repeated
in the same manner and the repeated training improves the transient response gradually and effectively.

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Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter with Neural MARUTA Hidenori
Network Based Digital Controller

Fig. 3: Control procedure with different control periods.

PID Control Sensed Voltage

Proposed Control Predicted Voltage (n-th)

N vo[n-2] NR
Nvo [n-1]
ˆ ˆ
ǻNR [n+2]
Nvo [n] ǻNR [n]
ˆ
ǻNR [n+1]
vo (V)

t
ˆ
Nvo [n+1]
ˆ
N vo[n+2] N
ˆvo[n+3]
PID Control Clock (T S )

Neural Network Clock (T N = 3T S )

TS
TN

Fig. 4: Control periods of PID control and neural network control.

[11]. Therefore, the training of the neural network control is repeatedly proceeds as following. The first
neural network is obtained by the training using the data when only the PID control is adopted

Then, the reference modification proceeds with the first neural network as Eq. (3). This training
procedure can repeated in the same manner by using the obtained neural network and the predicted
values the neural networks are summed up and adopted to modify the reference value. After T times
෢ோ ሾ݊ሿ become as shown
training, T neural networks are obtained and the reference modification term οܰ
in Eq. (4);

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Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter with Neural MARUTA Hidenori
Network Based Digital Controller

vo (V)
Third Training

Second Training
PID Control
First Training
Reference Modified Value
ˆ
ǻNR [n]
ˆ ǻNR

Fig. 5: Reference modified value when neural network is repeatedly trained.

்
෢ோ ሾ݊ሿ ൌ ෍ ቀܰோ െ ܰ෢
οܰ
ሺపሻ
௩௢ ሾ݊ ൅ ͳሿቁ ሺͶሻ
௜ୀଵ

෢ሺపሻ
Here ܰ௩௢ is the prediction of output voltage of i-th neural network. Figure 5 shows an effect of the
repeated training. As illustrated in this figure, the reference modification gradually improves the
transient response as the training proceeds repeatedly. The training can proceed repeatedly till the
enough suppression is obtained and the performance reaches its limit.

Evaluated results
The effect of the presented method is confirmed in simulation study. The simulator software used here
is PSIM. The switching frequency is 150 kHz. The number of bits of A-D converter is 12. Circuit
parameters are as follows; the nominal input voltage ܸ௜ = 20 V, the desired output voltage ܸ௢‫ = כ‬5 V, C
= 120 ɊF and L = 189 ɊH. In the PID control, ‫ܭ‬௉ , ‫ܭ‬ூ and ‫ܭ‬஽ are set equal to 1, 0.009 and 1. In this study,
parameters in the PID control remain same in all training processes. The numbers of units in input and
output layers are 3. Therefore, the neural network control period is three times longer than that of the
PID control. It means that the control frequency of the neural network controller is 50 kHz and the one
of the PID controller is 150 kHz. The training of the neural network proceeds repeatedly three times (T
= 3) and three neural networks are obtained in the training process.

Figure 6 shows waveforms when the input voltage is varied from 20 V to 16 V. In these figures, the
convergence time ‫ݐ‬௖௧ denotes the required time duration in which the output voltage is settled within
1% of the desired output voltage. Figure 6(a) shows the transient response when PID control is only
adopted. The undershoot and convergence time of the output voltage are 18.6 % and 4.09 ms. Figure
6(b) shows the transient response of proposed method after third training. The undershoot and
convergence time of the output voltage are 11.0 % and 6.50 ms.

Figure 7 shows waveform when the input voltage is changed from 20 V to 24 V. Figure 7(a) shows the
transient response when PID control is only adopted. The overshoot and convergence time of the output
voltage are 15.6 % and 4.17 ms. Figure 7(b) shows the transient response of proposed method after third

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Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter with Neural MARUTA Hidenori
Network Based Digital Controller

(a) Transient response of PID control. (b) Transient response after third training
of neural network control

Fig. 6: Waveforms of transient response when input voltage is varied from 20 V to 16 V.

(a) Transient response of PID control. (b) Transient response after third training
of neural network control.

Fig. 7: Waveforms of transient response when input voltage is varied from 20 V to 24 V.

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Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter with Neural MARUTA Hidenori
Network Based Digital Controller

Table I: Summary of transient characteristics in evaluation.

Convergence Time
Input Voltage Control Method Undershoot [%] Overshoot [%]
[ms]
PID 18.6 4.09
PID+NN1 14.1 5.12
20VЍ16V
PID+NN2 12.2 5.83
PID+NN3 11.0 6.50
PID 15.6 4.17
PID+NN1 12.3 4.67
20VЍ24V
PID+NN2 10.9 4.85
PID+NN3 9.91 5.00

training. The overshoot and convergence time of the output voltage are 9.91 % and 5.00 ms.

Table 1 shows the summary of transient characteristics when the neural network is repeatedly trained.
The undershoot and overshoot are finally improved by 40.9 % and 36.5 % after the third training of the
neural network.

By comparison of above results, it is revealed that the presented method performs superior overshoot
and undershoot characteristics compared to the conventional PID control method when the input voltage
varies widely. Therefore, it can be said that the neural network control learns the dynamics of the input
and output voltage relationship and realizes the flexible control to improve the transient response against
the wide input variation effectively.

Conclusion
The neural network prediction based method is discussed to improve the transient response against the
input voltage of the dc-dc converter varied in this study. To improve the transient response, the neural
network is trained to predict the output voltage and it is adopted to modify the reference value of the
PID control. One of the key problems to use the neural network is the computational burden of its
processing. To address this problem, the computational period of the neural network is selected longer
compared to the PID control period and the number of prediction is adjusted to perform the reference
modification at each PID control period. From the simulated results, it is confirmed that the presented
method contributes to improve the transient characteristics against the transient variation of input
voltage effectively compared to the conventional PID control.

The presented method can be applied to other types of converter since it can be realized by a simple
training algorithm and easy designing. Therefore, it can contribute to a high performance digital control
field of the power conversion.

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Improved Transient Response for Wide Input Range of DC-DC Converter with Neural MARUTA Hidenori
Network Based Digital Controller

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