The History Of The Forward Converter

Focus:

The forward converter is a power supply topology whose history reaches back to the 1950s with the introduction of an identifiable circuit by D.A. Paynter, which was then followed by numerous variations over the years. This article chronicles the contributions of various inventors including Dudley, Philips Semiconductors, La Duca and Massey, Heinicke, Kamata and Katou, Lilienstein and Miller, Carsten, and Kuwabara and Miyachika to the development of the forward converter, identifying and explaining each contribution. The author also touches on the ongoing trend of increasing switching frequency and other recent developments. The article begins with a brief explanation of how the classic forward converter operates and its tradeoffs/limitations, which have provided the motivation for developments discussed in this article.

What you’ll learn:

• How to understand the evolution of the popular forward converter and key contributions to its development

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Author & Publication:

Rudy Severns, Switching Power Magazine, Jul 01 2000

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