Enumeration-Based Predictive Control for Buck Dc-Dc Converter

Qin Huang1, Xiaodong Yan1, Rui Ling1,, Qing Hu1, Daxia Yu,1 Hui Liu1
1. School of Automation, Chongqing University, Chongqing 40044
E-mail: yanxd_92@163.com

Abstract: In this paper, Enumeration-Based mode predictive control (EMPC) approach is applied to Buck dc-dc
converter. First of all, the continuous state space model and the discrete-time state space model of the converter are
derived. Secondly, the strategy of Enumeration-based predictive control for continuous current mode (CCM) and
discontinuous current mode (DCM) of buck converter is presented in detail. The controller can stabilize the voltage
of the converter fast with non-overshoot and have favorable performance in dynamic transition. Finally, the control
strategy has been verified by simulations.
Key Words: Enumeration-based, model predictive control, Buck converter

MPC regulates the output voltage under a wide range supply

1 INTRODUCTION
Dc-dc converters are widely used in renewable energy
system. Due to their switching behavior, dc-dc converters
are called as switched system. The switched systems like
dc-dc converters are called hybrid system which contains
both continuous and discrete dynamics. Usually, the control
design for these switched systems is based on a continuous
or discrete state-space averaged model. An outstanding
controller addresses the ease of controller design and
tuning, robustness to the load parameter variations and fast
transient responses. The linear techniques like PI control
eliminate the steady-state error by adding integral term
[1-2]. While, integral term implies a slow response against
disturbances. Varies of large-signal based approaches have
been considered to improve transient responses and
robustness of converter, such as hybrid digital adaptive
control [3], proximate time-optimal control [4], boundary
control [5, 6], second-order sliding-mode control[7] and
raster surface control [8]. However, the optimal sliding
surface and the stability for transient responses are
dependent on the supply and load characteristics.
Model predictive control is a suitable control method for
dc-dc converters modeled as hybrid systems, which permits
integrating constraints over the duty cycle or inductor
voltage and load with improving dynamic performance
during line and load transients [16]. The paper [18] has
proposed a MPC based on enumeration for boost converter.
The results indicate that the method has good performance
in tracking the reference voltage and dynamic transient.
This paper presents an Enumeration-Based mode predictive
control (EMPC) approach as a voltage mode controller for
the Buck converter. The discrete-time model of the
converter is used to design the controller for it accurately
predicts the plant behavior both in continuous current mode
(CCM) and discontinuous current mode (DCM). The
method has several advantages of fast dynamic and
robustness in the supply voltage and load changes.
The paper is organized as follows. Section II describes the
modeling procedure of buck converter. The idea of EMPC
approach and objective function are introduced in Section
III. The simulation results for the fast transient performance
and robustness are presented in Section IV. And in Section
V gives the conclusions.
 6 / iL

+
9V & 5 9R
-

current [9-10]. The predictive control is based on the idea

that calculates the sequence of control signals in prediction
Fig 1. The circuit of buck converter
horizon to minimize the objective function. MPC is used to
guarantee performance of dc-dc converters that have
general impedances as loads, by predicting the outer loop 2 MODEL OF BUCK CONVERTER
gain for the source converter [11]. The digital predictive
control method focuses on the inductor current in The buck converter is shown in Fig 1, where Vs is the supply
implementing a current mode controller [12-17]. Explicit voltage, Vo is the output voltage, R is the converter load, L
is the rectification inductor and C is the filter capacitor, iL
This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of
China (61203097), Chongqing Application Development Plan Project in is the inductor current. According the switch
China (CSTC2014YYKFA80017), the National Key Basic Research
Program (973), China (2012CB215202), Open Research Fund Program of
Key Lab. for Spacecraft TT&C and Communication, Ministry of
Education, China (CTTC-FX201304) and Key Laboratory of Dependable
Service Computing in Cyber Physical Society (Chongqing University),
Ministry of Education, technology transformation program of Chongqing
higher education university (KJZH17102).

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 position and the inductor current iL , the buck converter has
three linear dynamics. When the switch S is turned on, the
supply voltage charges the inductor and supplies energy for Model A Model B
the load. The buck converter can be described as
­ diL Vo Vs
°° dt = − L + L
® (1)
° dVo = iL − Vo
°̄ dt C CR
When the switch S is turned off, the inductor current
decreases (but the current iL > 0 ) and supplies energy for the Model C

load. The buck converter works in CCM. The buck

converter can be described as
­ diL Vo
°° dt = − L Fig 2. Switching of three discrete-time model
® (2)
° dVo = iL − Vo
°̄ dt C CR 3 ENUMERATION-BASED MPC
When the switch S is turned off, and the inductor current
Generally, quadratic objective function is used to solve the
decreases to zero ( iL =0 ), the filter capacitor supplies energy problem of optimal solution. However, the algorithm based
to the load. The buck converter works in DCM. The buck on quadratic objective function is complicated and difficult
converter can be described as to be implemented in the digital controller. By contrast, the
­ diL enumeration algorithm is easy to be applied in hardware
°° dt = 0 system [18].
® (3)
° dVo = − Vo The main idea of the enumeration-based model prediction
°̄ dt CR control (EMPC) is that calculate the objective function
Assume X = ( iL Vo ) , Y = Vo , the state-space representation
T utilizing all the control sequence in the next N step
prediction horizon, and output the first element of the most
of the buck converter in the continuous-time can be optimal control sequence which minimize the objective
described as follow: function[18].
§ a · A. Objective function
¨0 − §u·
L ¸¸
X ( t ) = ¨ X ( t ) + ¨ L ¸Vs ( t ) (4) For the buck converter, the main objective is regulating the
¨a 1 ¸ ¨¨ ¸¸ output voltage to the given reference voltage as fast and with
¨ − ¸ ©0¹
©C CR ¹ as little overshoot as possible. So the difference between
Where, u=1 implies the switch is turned on, and u=0 implies output voltage and reference voltage should be embodied in
the switch is turned off. The auxiliary binary variable a=1 the objective function.
when u=1 or u=0 and iL > 0 (CCM). When the converter Define Vo, ref ( k ) = Vo, ref − Vo ( k ) as the error between reference
operates in DCM, a=0. and output voltage.
­1 u = 1, or u = 0 and iL > 0 The power loss is mainly caused by the switch action. To
a=® (5) improve the efficiency of converter, it is necessary to reduce
¯0 u = 0 and iL = 0 the excessive switch action.
According the continuous-time state-space model and the Define Δu ( k ) = u ( k ) − u ( k − 1) as the change of switch
forward Euler approximation approach, the discrete-time
action.
model of buck converter can be expressed as follow:
Take account of tracking the reference value fast and
§ aT · reducing the excessive switch action, the objective function
¨ 1 - § uT ·
L ¸¸
X ( k +1) = ¨ X (k ) + ¨ L ¸V ( k ) (6) is designed as
¨ aT T ¸ ¨¨ ¸¸ s k + N −1
¨
© C
1− ¸
CR ¹
© 0 ¹ J (k ) = ¦ ( V (ξ + 1| k ) + λ Δ (ξ | k ) )
ξ =k
o , ref (7)
Where, T is the sample frequency.
The first term is against the output voltage error. The second
According the value of a and u, there is three discrete-time
term avoids excessive switch action. The factor λ > 0
models. Model A describes the situation of u=1, a=1. Model
balances the output voltage error and switching frequency.
B elaborates the situation of u=0, a=1. And Model C
B. Enumeration control sequence
represents the situation of u=0, a=0.
In the buck converter, there is only one switch. The switch
The three different states of the converter’s discrete-time
of buck converter has two states: u = 1 or u = 0 . So it has
mathematical model are illustrated in Fig 2. The conditions
from one state to another are the position of switch and the 2 N control sequences over the next N prediction horizon.
value of the inductor current. Each control sequence of switching action at t = k -1 can be
enumerated as
U ( k ) = ¬ªu ( k ) u ( k + 1) … u ( k + N − 1) ¼º (8)

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 Where u ( x ) =1 or u ( x ) =0 , x=k, k+1, …,k+N-1 . element u * ( k ) of U * ( k ) as the next switching action and
Assumed the sample interval is T, it can be deduced that the repeat the procedure at the time k+1. According the theory,
switching frequency f s ≤ 1/ ( 2T ) . it should be calculated for 2 N times in N step prediction
horizon to acquire one actual control signal.
START
The flowchart of the EMPC algorithm is showed in Fig 3.
The algorithm program implementation is described as the
Build all the sequences U(k) over N algorithm 1.
Make the private value of objective function J*=0
4 SIMULATIONS
i=1
In this section, the simulation results of enumeration-based
MPC for buck converter are presented to demonstrate the
iİ2N?
NO performance in both CCM and DCM. The simulations are
conducted in MATLAB/Simulink. The dynamic
YES
performance in start-up, the changes of the reference, the
Evaluate objective function J with the switching sequence Ui
i
load and input voltage are illustrated successively. To
evaluate the performance of the EMPC in start-up transient,
the supply voltage and reference voltage are set as 5V, 2.5V,
YES
JiİJ*? J*=Ji,U*=Ui respectively. The inductor L is set as 1.26uH and the
capacitor is 270pF. Due to the limits of switch frequency,
NO
the sample time is set as 10us. The prediction step is 14. And
i=i+1 the factor λ is 0.1. Parameters of the simulations are listed
in table I.
Output u*(k)=U*(1)
Table I Parameters of simulation
END Parameters Value
Supply voltage Vs 5V
Fig 3. Flowchart of the EMPC algorithm
Reference output voltage Vref 1.25V
Rectification inductor L 1.26uH
C. Optimization process
Filter capacitor C 270pF
Calculate the objective function using the enumeration Converter load R 1Ω
control sequence. According the value of input voltage and Sample time Ts 10us
the inductor current, it selects corresponding model to Prediction step N 14
calculate the objective. So the EMPC can be applied in the
situation of CCM and DCM.
λ 0.1

Algorithm 1 EMPC algorithm

(
function u * ( k ) = EMPC Xˆ ( k ) , u ( k − 1) )
J ( k ) = ∞; u ( k ) = 0; X ( k ) = Xˆ ( k )
* *

7LPHV
for all U ( k ) over N do
J =0
for i = 1 to 2 N then
X (ξ + 1) = F ( X (ξ ) , u (ξ ) ) 7LPHV

Vo , ref (ξ + 1) = Vo, ref − Vo ( ξ + 1)

Δu (ξ ) = u (ξ ) − u (ξ − 1)
J = J + Vo , ref (ξ + 1) + λ Δu (ξ )
7LPHV
end for
Fig 4. Simulation waveforms of the start-up transient
if J < J * ( k ) then
J * ( k ) = J ,u * ( k ) = U (1) The start-up behavior of the EMPC can be seen in Fig 4. At
end if beginning, the switch is turned on, the output voltage
end for reaches its reference value fast with the current of inductor
increasing quickly. After reaches the reference value in
end function
about t=0.03ms, the output voltage is steady at 1.25V
without overshoot. And the current is decreased to 1.25A to
Assume the sequence U * ( k ) making the objective function balance the output voltage.
J ( k ) minimum, U * ( k ) =U ( k ) |min J ( k ) . Then output the first

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 2.5V to 3V at 0.4ms. The switch is turned on and iL
increases fast until the output voltage up to new reference
value. In Fig 7, the reference voltage is step-down from 3V
7LPHV to 2.5V. The switch is turned off and the iL decreases to
zero until the output voltage decreases to 2.5V. From Fig 6
and Fig 7, it can be seen that the EMPC has favorable
performance in reference voltage change.
7LPHV

7LPHV

7LPHV

Fig 5. Simulation for step-down load transient from 1 Ω to 0.5 Ω

Next, the performance of the step-down load transient from

1 Ω to 0.5 Ω is showed in Fig 5. The load changes at 7LPHV

t=0.4ms. It can be observed that the current is increased

corresponding from 2.5A to 5A. The output voltage is
adjusted quickly to the reference after a little disturbance.
So the EMPC is able to deal with the step-down load 7LPHV
change. Fig 8. Simulation for step-up supply voltage transient from 5V to 10V

Subsequently, the supply voltage changes from 5V to 10V at

t=0.4ms, the current of inductor changes quickly to adjusted
the output voltage at the reference, as shown in Fig 8. When
the supply voltage step-up changes, the ripple amplitude of
7LPHV
the current of inductor enlarges to maintain the output
voltage at 2.5V. After a small fluctuation, the output stables
to 2.5V at 0.5ms. As a whole, the output voltage is stable at
the reference voltage when the supply voltage changes.
7LPHV
5 CONCLUSIONS
An Enumeration-based model prediction control (EMPC)
for buck converter has been presented in this paper.
According the dynamical model of the buck converter, the
7LPHV

Fig 6. Simulation for step-up reference voltage transient from 2.5V to 3V

continuous-time and discrete-time state space model of
buck converter have been derived. Based on the
discrete-time model, the EMPC has been designed to
improve the performance of buck converter in transition
dynamics. The controller is easily implemented with
program. It directly regulates the output voltage tracking the
7LPHV reference voltage ensuring fast transient dynamics. The
EMPC calculates the all sequence in next N prediction
horizon and outputs the first signal of the sequence, which
minimizes the subjective function, as the followed control
signal. So the output is the local optimum. The EMPC has
7LPHV
fast respond to the change of supply voltage Vs , load R and
reference voltage Vref . Simulation results verifies the
advantages of the EMPC.
7LPHV REFERENCES
Fig 7. Simulation for step-down reference voltage transient from 3V to
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