5day summer course in Class-D amplifiers

[sovadk]

My interest in power electronics has really been sparked by working with switching mode class-D amplifiers. If's there is a phenomena that matters within power electronics, integrated analog electronics or component limitations, then you will have to deal with this in order to achieve a good audio quality. It's a great learning experience. Now I'm trying to start a business venture with piezoelectric-transformer based power converters, but every day I can refer to my background in self-oscillating class-D audio amplifiers.

Companies like Bang & Olufsen Icepower, the class-D department of Texas Instruments, the upcoming Merus Audio and Upcon Technology have all been started by former PhD students of Michael A. E. Andersen.

We have a group that is very dedicated to this topic and now you have the opportunity to take part in this.

15 - 19 August 2011 in Copenhagen (Kgs. Lyngby), Denmark on Switch-mode audio power amplifiers. The course applies to industry partners, PhD students and regular students who are up for the challenge.
Following the intensive 5 day course, there's an optional assignment, which will be evaluated on a PhD level. The optional assignment generates 5 ECTS points.

Have a look at the attached Pdf if this has sparked your interest.

Best regards
Kaspar Sinding Meyer

[nigelwright7557]

I learned about class d by getting stuck in with irs2092 design and addressing problems as they arose.

Class d is touchy about pcb layout and decoupling.

For pro designers they also have to address EMI issues.

[sovadk]

In addition to the subjects above, I couldn't agree more.

I might add that, since your experience is based on a reference design, you're saved from having to deal with the issues solved by a chip that has it all.
The Class D course digs into the underlying functionality, small signal modeling of fixed frequency and self-oscillating topologies, THD modeling, discrete nod integrated design etc. just to mention some of the topics.
If you just want to get the job done, a reference design is more than fine. In many respects time is the devil. The business modes of Bang & Olufsen Icepower is among others to enable customers to take advantage of their technology, without putting the customers in a situation where they have to dedicate their life to complete the task.
If you think that the current situation can be improved and you would like to compete with the big players (IRF etc.) or in corporation with them, then this is for you.

Best regards Kaspar

[phase_accurate]

I remember that something like that course also took place two years ago shortly before or after the AES class-d conference (I even know some of the guys who will lecture at this course).
I think it is educational efforts like this combined with the dedication of DTU's lecturers that make Denmark one of the class-d Meccas.

Regards

Charles

[sovadk]

True that. It might actually be the same course. It has been ongoing since the first time I was there in 2006. Thanks to all the great info, inspiration and help I could get here on DIYaudio, I was able to do a very fine job on this PhD course early on in my bachelor. It was a very good experience. Charles you where one of those sources.

The assignment was on small-signal modeling of fixed- and self-oscillating amplifiers. It felt almost god like, to be able to predict the feedback loop performance of something as chaotic as a self-oscillating amplifier. Somehow sliding mode control is exactly the same thing, but with another objective, namely robustness. I guss you can say that something that is already unstable can be regarded as being robust.
I've been wondering why the mechanical automation society hasn't made the link to small-signal modeling of self-oscillating amplifiers. Maybe it doesn't make sense to a MIMO system where you have too many transfer functions to make much sense out of it.