Analysis of PWM nonlinearity in non-inverting buck-boost power converters

This paper focuses on the non-inverting buck- boost converter operated as either buck or boost converter. It is shown that a pulse-width modulation (PWM) discontinuity around buck/boost mode transition can result in substantial increases in output voltage ripple. The effect of the PWM nonlinearity is studied using periodic steady state analysis to quantify the worst case ripple voltage in terms of design parameters. Furthermore, a bifurcation analysis shows that the PWM discontinuity leads to quasi- periodic route to chaos, which results in erratic operation around the buck/boost mode transition. The increased ripple is a very significant problem when the converter is used as a power supply for an RF power amplifier, as is the case in WCDMA handsets. An approach is proposed to remove the discontinuity which results in reduced output voltage ripple, at the expense of reduced efficiency, as demonstrated on an experimental prototype.