PCB of a buck converter for laboratory practical classes in power electronics

This paper presents a laboratory PCB (Printed Circuit Board) used in the practical classes of power electronics in the new Degree in Industrial Electronics and Automation taught at the University of Cantabria, where students are trained in the design and measurement of power converters. This laboratory circuit reduces the time spent assembling the circuit and can focus the study on different aspects of the converters. Students place the buck converter to be designed on the developed PCB. This converter is regulated as a voltage source or current source when it is used to supply a LED matrix. The PCB was developed in order to rationalize the student´s time in the laboratory to achieve their practical objectives. This laboratory circuit is ready for performing measurements of voltage and current on different devices. Furthermore, it is ready for introducing perturbations to measure transfer functions of the converter, so as to design the appropriate regulator.