NEURAL NETWORK CONTROL OF SWITCH MODE SYSTEMS:

OFF LINE TRAINING BY AN "IDEAL CONTROLLER" DATA SET

-.

*
Natalia Kodner, Daniel Adar and Sam Ben-Yaakov

Department of Electricaland Computer Engineering

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
P. 0. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105
ISRAEL
Tel: +972-7-461561; Fax: +972-7-472949; Email: sby@bguee.bgu.ac.il

ABSTRACT -A novel method is proposed for designing
Neural Network Controllers (NNC) for switch mode
systems. The method applies a new concepl: "The Ideal
Controller" which is run 'off-line' to generate a record of
'perfect' control signals in response to input and output
perturbations. The record is then used as an 'off-line'
training set for a Neural Network controller. The
advantages of the proposed melhod are three fold: (a) the
training set is the best possible, (b) training is done 'off-
line' by simulation and (c) there is no need to derive or
guess the control law .The present study demonstrates by
simulation the potential excellent performance of a NNC
for DC-DC Switch-Mode converters when trained by the
proposed methodology. The proposed methodology can be
readily expanded to other Switch-Modc systems such as
inverters and power factor conditioners.
The procedure entails the subjection of the system to
input and output perturbations while updating the weights
according to the error at the outputs [4]. The disadvantage
of this 'on-line' method is the extremely long time that the
training process might take due to convergence problems
of the algorithm. In this study we explored an alternative
procedure for training NNC for switch mode systems. The
new methodology hinges on two conjectures that are
proven experimentally: (a) that neural networks can be
trained to mimic the dynamic behavior of a high
performance controller for switch mode systems and (b)
that.a 'perfect' training set for the NNC can be generatedby
an 'off-line' procedure that applies an "Ideal Controller"
defined below. The power ot the new methodology is
demonstrated by applying it in the design of a NNC for
DC-DC Buck and Boost converters.

1.IN1RODUCTION

Artificial neural networks can be defined as

computational models whose operation is based on parallel
processing. The processing elements have a number of
internal parameters called weights. By changing the
weights, one can get practically any dynamic, linear or
non-linear, behavior of the transmission through the net
[I]. Considering these properties, it has been suggested
that neural networks can be useful as controllers for switch
mode systems [2,3].
A simplified diagram of Neural Network control
system is shown in Fig. I. The main problem in applying
Neural Networks Controllers (NNC) is how to set the
weights so as to get the desired response. This is normally
done by an 'on-line' training process (in many previous
studies it has been carried out by simulation) in which the
NNC is placed in the feedback path (Fig. I). The weights
are then changed by a delta learning rule until the systeln Fig. 1. Block diagram of Neural Nctwork Control
meets the goal requirements. system.

* Corresponding author.
 z

2. nIB "IDEAL CONTROLLER "

The "Ideal conn-oller" (IC) is a discrete simulation tool
that produces a set of sampled data controls that ensure a
perfect match of an output tO~a.referencewhile the system
is subjected to penurbation. 'that is, the IC is in fact an
'off-line' Dead-Beat Controller (DBC) [5,6] that forces the
output tO converge tO the desired reference value at the next
sampling point. However, unlike the classical DBC, the
algorithm of the IC is based on iteration and is carried out
'off-line' on a prescribed set of perturbations.
3. IDEAL CONlROLLER TRAINING DATA SET
Next, we apply changes to the input parameters and
search by an iteration procedure, at each sampling point
a), for the exact values of the control variables needed to
"ensureconvergence of the outputs to the desired values at
the next sa~pling point 0+1). These 'ideal' control
signals, which are the desired NNC outputs, the
corresponding state variables values and the pertinent input
and output data are saved as a training data set The data set
is then used to train the NNC to mimic the behavior of the
Ideal Controller.
In this study, the IC model and the search algorithms
were implemented by MATLAB routines [7]. The NNC
training was carried out by a MA TLAB Tool [8].

The proposed training procedure of NNC by the IC is 4. APPLICATION TO POWER CONVER"FERS

summarized in the block diagram of Fig. 2. The flfSt step
is to develop a model or any other emulation means (e.g. a The proposed training approach was used to deyelpp
SPICE netlist) that represent the plant (such as a switch and test a NNC for DC-DC Buck and Boost conve:rters.
mode system) and can be used to evaluate the plant's states For the sake of brevity, only the Buck topology is
and outputs at any time. discussedhere.
-
'..
Plant Model -~,

Defining Initial conditions

( x(O), u(O), p(O) )
Generation of
"Ideal Controller" Train~gset

Applying changes
-
I . to input paraInetcrs
(p(j+l»

Calculating Ideal control

variables (u(j+l» to meet
output requirements.

Saving state (xU+l» and

control (uU+l» as one
training point.

(n times loop)

Using (x, z) as Training

Set for Neural Network
Controller.

Fig. 2. Neural Network training procedure based on an "Ideal controller" data set (see Fig. 1 for notations).
 ~

The basic circuit diagram of a Buck converter is shown The proposed Neural Network control diagram for the
in Fig. 3.a. The output voltage is controlled by the switch buck converter is shown in Fig. 4. The control objective
duty cycle (D=Tonff), while the switching frequency is is to keep the output voltage close to a constant reference
constant. The average behavior of the Buck converter can "voltage, for any sampling instance, while the input
be represented by the simplified model described in Fig. voltage (Viii~nd the output resistor (Ro) are fluctuating.
3.b, where D controls the output voltage [9]. The state The block diagram of Fig. 5 is a simplified description of
space representation derived from the average model is as the algorithm used to pinpoint the ideal control (DO)) at a
follows: given sampling instance 0). The algorithm applies (2) in a
searching procedure to calculate the 'ideal control' (D 0))
x=A*x+B*u (I) for each value of VinO), Ro(j) and the state variable
conditions at 0). This proposed IC strategy can be applied
where: to all basic PWM converters using the Matlab models
described in [10]. Once the response of ideal controller
(DO» is found, it is saved along with the other data of the
system (VinO), RoO), iLO), DO-l)), as the training data
set for point 0). The complete training set for the'NNC is
obtained by repeating the same process as a function of the
discrete time 0) while V in and Ro are Perturbed.
1
CRo(t)
1
C ] ; B= 1
o The internal configuration of the'NNCof1his study is
described in Fig. 6. The controller was trained by Matlab
A=
1 O l L Vin(t) J software, as described in example 4 of the Neural Network
L Toolbox [7-8], to get the appropfiate val!les of W1, W2,
B 1 and B2 (see Fig. 6 for notations);"
and the solution for the state variables is:

t 5. SIMULATION RESULTS

x(t) = eA(t-tO)*x(tO)+ f eA(t-tO)*u(t)dt

(2)
LO
The response of the 'Ideal Controller' for a buck
converter was evaluated while modulating the input
where: voltage (Vin) and the output resistor (Ro) by white noise
of 3.0% variance. The parameters 6f the simulation runs
eAt= L -1 {(sI -A)-1 } given here where: L=300JlH. C=50JlF. Ro= 1.Q .
(3)
Dnom=0.5. Vin=10V. Vrer=5V an-nL1T(sampling interval
L -I denotes inverse Laplace transform and s denotes of the training set) =10-4Sec-(Fig. 3). The response of
Ideal Control (D(t) and the output voltage regulated by it
Laplace parameter.
are presented in Fig. 7.

Vin I
Vout
o ~ 0

1
Ro

D
(a) IL I

~i Z-1

(b)

Fig. 3. Basic power stage of DC-DC Buck converter (a) Fig.4. Proposed block diagram of Neural Network
and it's simplified Average model (b). Controller for DC-DC Buck converter.

~
 '-I

j=j+l
..c~

-- ..~-
Calculate output (Vout)
for the new inputs (Vin .Ro)
and previous controller (D).
Set AD=O.Ol.

yes

no yes
---

D=D+AD
--

';~~",
I Calc. outl)ut (Vout) I I Calc. output (Vout) I

no no
vout ~ vp

, yes
no
~ > 0.99

yes
~-.
D = 0.99 D = Q.Ol

Ideal controller search algoritlun (for each one point) (j» for DC-DC Buck converter.

Neuron Layer 1

A2

A 1 =logsig(W1 *P .81 ) A2=logsig(W2* A 1,82)

Internal configuration of Neural Network Controller for Buck converter (4 input, 4 hiddcn and 1 output Laycrs) as
applied in this study.

~
 5

I.
It is evident that the output voltage maintained by the
IC is practically constant except for cases where the
controller is clamped to one or zero. The clamping
represents the physical limitation of practical PWM
controllers in which the duty ratio (D) is limited to the 0
to I range. The Neural Network Controller (NNC) output 0.

(duty cycle), trained to approximate the Ideal Controller set Time(soc)

of Fig. 7.a, is depicted in Fig. 8. The output voltage (a)
regulated by the NNC, as shown in Fig. 8.b, was found to
be in a very good agreement with an ideal behavior. The
NNC performance was also examined for oilier types of
excitations (e.g. chirp excitation as shown in Fig. 9). The ~
results of these examinations (Fig. 10) imply that a NNC,
trained by a set random perturbations, becomes a universal
controller whose response is independent of ilie nature of
the input and output disturbances.

Tj".,(~c)
5.5 (.)

0 0.01 0.D2 0.03 01)4 0.05 0.06 0.U7 0.08 0.00 0.1

T~sec)
4.5
(a)
5.05- ;
, 0.01
" 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09

11m:(~c) ~
(b) "
>
Fig. 7. Output of the Ideal Controller for the Buck
converter (a) and the ideally controlled
output voltage (b) while input parameters 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.(Jl 0.08 0.00 0.1
(Vin. Ro) are modulated by a random noise of TI/De(scc)
30% variance. (b)

Fig. 10. Neural Network Controller output (a) and

regulated output voltage (b), for input
parameters (Vin, Ro) modulated by a chirp
function (Fig. 9).

6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Tim"sec)
(a) The novel approach of applying an "Ideal Controller"
for generating training sets for NNC seems to overcome
the main obstacle of NNC training. Namely. the non-
J
~
availability of a perfect-performance record needed for
>845 training 'off-line' NNC. The proposed approach could break
the deadlock which is now hampering the application of
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 o.~ 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 o.~ 0.1 neural network control of non-linear systems such as DC-
Time(soc)
DC switch mode converters. It can provide an easy to use
(b) tool needed to explore the power and limitation of neural
Fig. 8. Response of the Neural Network Controller network controllers. The proposed approach can be used to
(NNC) for the Buck converter (a) and the study fundamental questions such as the optimal
controlled output voltage (b) while the input configuration of a NNC for switch mode systems. optimal
parameters (Vin. Ro) are modulated by a sampling and control interval. large signal response.
random noise of 30% variance. inverter control by NNC and many other issues.
 G

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