Efficient numerical determination of boundaries between operating modes of a power converter

In the design of a switching power converter, it is essential to analyze its possible periodic steady-state operating modes. The modes are dependent on various parameters such as duty ratio and load. Knowledge of the boundaries between operating modes is crucial. There are two types of methods to calculate these boundaries, but both present problems. The authors propose a new numerical method which has no problems. Numerical methods are based on finding and classifying steady-state operation waveforms numerically at a set of points in parameter space. This method is distinguished by its parsimonious choice of these points. The proposed algorithm is based on a binary recursive scheme, which permits the resolution with which the boundaries are computed to be selectively increased.