In electronics, a split-pi topology is a pattern of component interconnections used in a kind of

power converter Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

that can theoretically produce an arbitrary output voltage, either higher or lower than the input voltage. In practice the upper voltage output is limited to the voltage rating of components used. It is essentially a boost (step-up) converter followed by a buck (step-down) converter. The topology and use of

MOSFET The metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or MOS FET) is a type of field-effect transistor (FET), most commonly fabricated by the controlled oxidation of silicon. It has an insulated gate, the voltage of which d ...

s make it inherently bi-directional which lends itself to applications requiring regenerative braking. The split-pi converter is a type of DC-to-DC converter that has an output voltage magnitude that is either greater than or less than the input voltage magnitude. It is a switched-mode power supply with a similar circuit topology to a boost converter followed by a

buck converter A buck converter (step-down converter) is a DC-to-DC power converter which steps down voltage (while stepping up current) from its input (supply) to its output (load). It is a class of switched-mode power supply (SMPS) typically containing at ...

. Split-pi gets its name from the pi circuit due to the use of two pi filters in series and split with the switching MOSFET bridges. Other DC–DC converter topologies that can produce output voltage magnitude either greater than or less than the input voltage magnitude include the ''boost-buck converter'' topologies (the split-pi, the

Ćuk converter The Ćuk converter (pronounced ''chook''; sometimes incorrectly spelled Cuk, Čuk or Cúk) is a type of buck-boost converter with low ripple current. A Ćuk converter can be seen as a combination of boost converter and buck converter, having o ...

, the SEPIC, etc.) and the

buck–boost converter The buck–boost converter is a type of DC-to-DC converter that has an output voltage magnitude that is either greater than or less than the input voltage magnitude. It is equivalent to a flyback converter using a single inductor instead of a tr ...

topologies.

Principle of operation

In typical operation where a source voltage is located at the left-hand side input terminals, the left-hand bridge operates as a boost converter and the right-hand bridge operates as a

. In regenerative mode, the reverse is true with the left-hand bridge operating as a

and the right as the boost converter. Only one bridge switches at any time to provide voltage conversion, with the unswitched bridge's top switch always switched on. A straight through 1:1 voltage output is achieved with the top switch of each bridge switch on and the bottom switches off. The output voltage is adjustable based on the duty cycle of the switching MOSFET bridge.

Applications

* Electric drivetrain *

Motor control Motor control is the regulation of movement in organisms that possess a nervous system. Motor control includes reflexes as well as directed movement. To control movement, the nervous system must integrate multimodal sensory information (both f ...

* Battery balancing * Regenerative braking

References

* British Paten
GB2376357B - Power converter and method for power conversion
* {{Electronic components DC-to-DC converters Voltage regulation