Maniktala S. Troubleshooting Switching Power Converters: A Hands-on Guide

Newnes, Elsevier, Burlington, MA, 2008, 303 pages, ISBN: 978-0-7506-8421-7This book presents practical knowledge the author acquired rather painfully, while working "in the trenches" for several years in major engineering companies scattered across several continents. This is intended to be the mythical senior engineer's "bag of tricks," finally made available in the form of an easy-to-read book on your shelf. This book will make life for the ambitious power supply engineer much simpler besides reducing significantly, the rigorous requirement of having to be a senior engineer's protAgA for years on end, just to gain a small measure of real success in this field.A practical presentation that answers the important question: why is my switching converter behaving so differently than what I was expecting on the basis of my paper design? And how do I bridge that huge gap?
For the first time, a systematic and thorough discussion of troubleshooting switching power supplies.
Coverage of AC/DC and DC/DC power supplies.
Bench Evaluation of semiconductor ICs used in power conversion - describing standard and unusual techniques mastered by the author, while testing similar chips at National Semiconductor.
Detailed coverage of vital topics that haven't been covered by available sources grounding systems, the subtleties of component datasheets, and using instruments and probes effectively.
Systematic investigation (type of failure mechanism, topology, etc.) and solutions for 5 years of reported power supply issues on a prominent, public web forum. This approach will ensure that engineers will not repeat the same mistakes.
A unique, readable style: personal and direct; no mystification - just the plain truth, easily and logically explained, with plenty of pictures, graphs and plots.Thinking Power
High-Frequency Effects and the Importance of Input Decoupling
Output Noise and Filtering
Using Capacitors Wisely
Maximizing the Effectiveness of the Ground Plane
Printed Circuit Board Layout for AC-DC and DC-DC Converters
Working without a Ground Plane
Home-Grown Strategies in Troubleshooting
Effective Bench Work
Effi ciency Rules
Magnetics, EMI, and Noise
Discussion Forums, Datasheets, and Other Real-World Issues