PowerConversionBoard – Power Management & Conversion
This board is responsible for powering the entire system.
It performs battery voltage step-down conversion and distributes regulated voltage rails to all modules.
⚠️ Status: Requirements definition The module is currently in the specification phase. System power requirements, voltage rails, and load characteristics are being defined prior to schematic design.
🔧 Goal: Serve as an educational platform for learning switch-mode power supply (SMPS) design, including DC-DC conversion topologies, control loop design, component selection (inductors, MOSFETs, drivers), efficiency optimization, thermal management, and EMI/EMC considerations.
The system is based on multiple independent high-efficiency buck converters:
- TPS40170RGYR – used for 5 V / 6 V rails
- LM5146 – dedicated 12 V rail
- LTC3774 – high-current 7.4 V rail (main output)
The main 7.4 V rail is planned as a multiphase converter (2–4 phases) to:
- distribute thermal load
- reduce ripple current
- improve efficiency at high output currents (~40 A)
Final phase count will be determined during detailed design and validation.
The board includes a hardware kill switch input, allowing immediate shutdown of selected power rails:
- 12 V
- 6 V
- 7.4 V
This mechanism is implemented entirely in hardware and does not rely on any MCU, ensuring deterministic and fail-safe operation.
The PowerConversionBoard is designed as a fully standalone hardware module:
- no microcontroller
- no firmware dependency
- all control loops implemented using analog controllers
This approach ensures:
- predictable real-time behavior
- high reliability
- independence from the rest of the system
The design is currently in an early stage.
At this point:
- Power requirements and load distribution are defined
- Key controller ICs have been selected
- High-level architecture (including multiphase design for the main rail) is established
The following aspects are still under development:
- Inductor and power stage component selection
- Thermal design and efficiency estimation
- Input filtering and protection circuitry
- PCB layout strategy (high-current paths, grounding, EMI considerations)