Design verification methods for switching power converters

In this paper, we present two methods for performing design verification of switching power converters. The first method can be used to compute the set of reachable states from an initial set of states with non-deterministic parameters. We demonstrate the method on a buck converter in an open-loop configuration. The method is automatic and uses the hybrid systems reachability analysis tool SpaceEx. The second method uses model checking to verify circuits that can naturally be modeled as timed automata. We demonstrate the method on an open-loop multilevel converter used to convert several DC inputs to one AC output. The method is also automatic and uses the timed automata model checker Uppaal. Finally, we mention that in contrast to simulation or testing based approaches - for instance, the standard Monte Carlo analysis used when analyzing component variation in circuit designs - the methods presented in this paper perform the verification for all runs of the circuits and all possible component parameter variations.