RECOM are a global manufacturer of electronic power supplies and converters, who provide a large range of products suited for use in a vast range of applications. RECOM pride themselves on their 'R4' or "RECOM for ALL" approach, an approach of confidence that they can meet the requirement of any power product customer.

RECOM's buck converters contain the filter components to meet EMC Class A levels. There are alternate component positions included to experiment with the optimisation of EMC performance, all dependent on operating conditions and budget.

What does a buck converter do?

A buck converter is used to lower the voltage of the given input voltage range (VDC) to achieve the required maximum current output (A). In short, a Buck converter connects the input to output to get a lower voltage. Buck converters are mostly used for point of load converters for computers, battery chargers, power audio amplifiers, and USB on the go.

For example, the RPL-3.0-EVM-1 Buck converter generates a constant output voltage selectable from 1.8V, 3.3V, or 5V from a DC input in the range of 4 – 18V. It has a maximum continuous output current of 3 A.

What are the advantages of a buck converter?

There are numerous advantages of using buck converters, some benefits include:

• A higher efficiency from lower transitional losses
• A smaller output ripple voltage
• Transient performance is more efficient
• Require fewer external components in comparison to other evaluation boards (such as boost converters)

How do buck converters work?

Buck converters - also referred to as 'step-down converters' - use one, or sometimes more, transistors as a switch. The input voltage is rapidly connected and disconnected to an inductor from the use of this switch. The inductor resists instant changes in the current, which helps achieve a lower voltage and further conserve energy in the form of a higher current.

Does a buck converter increase current?

A buck converter, or 'step-down converter', steps down the voltage from a high input to a low output, increasing the current on the output voltage to lower this voltage.