Buck Converter Calculator

Buck Converter Calculator

Buck Converter Calculator

Output

About Buck Converter Calculator


Buck Converter Calculator

The Buck Converter Calculator determines two key design parameters for an ideal buck converter:

  • Duty Cycle (D): In an ideal buck converter, the output voltage is related to the input voltage by
    \[V_{out} = D \times V_{in}\] so that \[D = \frac{V_{out}}{V_{in}} \times 100\%\] (expressed as a percentage).
  • Inductance (L): The inductor is chosen to limit the ripple current (\(I_{ripple}\)) according to the formula:
    \[L = \frac{(V_{in} – V_{out}) \times \left(\frac{V_{out}}{V_{in}}\right)}{I_{ripple} \times f_{sw}}\]

Important: For a buck converter the input voltage must be greater than the output voltage. If not, an error message will be shown.

Example Calculation

Example

  • Vin = 12 V
  • Vout = 5 V
  • fsw = 500 kHz
  • Iripple = 1 A

Duty Cycle:
\[D = \frac{5}{12} \times 100 \approx 41.67\%\]

Inductance:
First, express the duty cycle as a fraction: \(D_{frac} = \frac{5}{12} \approx 0.4167\). Then, using the formula:
\[L = \frac{(12 – 5) \times 0.4167}{1 \times (500\times10^{3})} \approx \frac{7 \times 0.4167}{500\,000} \approx 5.83\times10^{-6}\,H\]
which is about 5.83 µH.