This project presents the design and implementation of an irreversible (asynchronous) DC–DC Boost Converter as an educational and practical power electronics system.
The converter steps up a low DC input voltage to a higher regulated output voltage using:
- An inductor for energy storage
- A MOSFET for high-frequency switching
- A fast recovery diode
- An output capacitor to reduce voltage ripple
An isolated gate driver (TLP250) is used to safely interface the low-voltage control circuit (Arduino) with the high-power switching stage, improving electrical safety, noise immunity, and reliability.
This project helps learners understand:
- Inductor charging and discharging behavior
- The effect of duty cycle on output voltage
- Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) operation
- Practical component selection and real-world losses
- The importance of isolated gate drivers
- Voltage regulation using feedback control
The system consists of the following main blocks:
- Power Stage (Boost Converter)
- Isolated Gate Driver (TLP250)
- Control Unit (Arduino Nano)
- Measurement Circuit (INA219 + Voltage Divider)
- User Interface (LCD + Potentiometer)
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Inductor | 40 mH |
| MOSFET | IRFP260 / FQPF20N60 |
| Diode | BY399 Fast Recovery |
| Output Capacitor | 22 µF / 350 V |
| Heat Sink | TO-247 / TO-220F |
| Component | Function |
|---|---|
| Arduino Nano | PWM generation & control |
| TLP250 | Isolated MOSFET gate driver |
| INA219 | Current measurement |
| Voltage Divider | Voltage measurement |
| LCD 16×2 | Voltage & current display |
| Potentiometer | Duty cycle adjustment |
- MOSFET is ON
- Inductor stores energy
- Diode is reverse-biased
- Load is supplied by the output capacitor
- MOSFET is OFF
- Inductor releases stored energy
- Diode conducts
- Output voltage becomes higher than input voltage
- Input Voltage: 12 V
- Output Voltage: ≈ 34 V
- Switching Frequency: 50 kHz
- Operating Mode: CCM
- Control Method: PWM with feedback
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Duty Cycle (Real) | 0.68 |
| Inductor | 40 mH |
| Peak Inductor Current | ≈ 3.55 A |
| Output Capacitor | 22 µF |
| Diode | BY399 |
| MOSFET | IRFP260 / FQPF20N60 |
The Arduino firmware performs the following tasks:
- Generates PWM at 50 kHz
- Reads potentiometer to set duty cycle
- Calculates theoretical output voltage
- Measures actual voltage and current
- Applies feedback control for voltage regulation
- Displays data on LCD and Serial Monitor
Simulation was performed using both MATLAB (Simulink) and LTspice to verify the boost converter operation before hardware implementation.
The MATLAB Simulink model represents the complete boost converter circuit and was used to analyze:
- Output voltage behavior
- Inductor current waveform
- Converter response to duty cycle changes
LTspice simulation was used to validate the switching behavior and observe detailed waveforms, including:
- Output voltage
- Output voltage ripple
- Inductor current
- MOSFET and diode voltages
The PCB design of this project was developed using EasyEDA and is divided into two main sections:
- Isolated Gate Driver (TLP250)
- Boost Converter Power Stage
The separation improves safety, noise immunity, and overall system reliability.
The gate driver PCB provides galvanic isolation between the low-voltage control circuit (Arduino) and the high-power switching stage.
It ensures clean gate signals, protects the controller, and reduces EMI.
The boost converter PCB contains the power stage components, including the MOSFET, inductor, diode, and output capacitor.
Special attention was given to:
- Short high-current paths
- Proper grounding
- Thermal performance
- High-voltage clearance
This section shows the final hardware implementation after complete soldering and assembly.
All boards were fully assembled, interconnected, and tested as a complete working system.
- Tested at multiple duty cycle values
- Stable output voltage observed
- Real-time voltage and current monitoring
- Significant improvement after adding feedback control
The following table summarizes the experimental results using Vin=12.5 & R load = 10KΩ of the boost converter under different duty cycle values.
| 🔁 Duty Cycle (%) | ⚡ Output Voltage (V) | 🔋 Output Current (mA) |
|---|---|---|
| 70% | 42.5 V | 357 mA |
| 60% | 31.6 V | 261 mA |
| 50% | 24.7 V | 353 mA |
| 30% | 17.8 V | 336 mA |
| 20% | 15.3 V | 328 mA |
The results confirm the expected relationship between duty cycle and output voltage, with stable operation and consistent current behavior.
- Some MOSFETs showed poor thermal and efficiency performance
- Solution: Switched to FQPF20N60 (isolated package)
- High ripple and poor efficiency observed
- Solution: Optimized inductance value and switching frequency
- Output voltage varied with load changes
- Solution: Implemented feedback control loop
This project demonstrates a complete Boost Converter system, covering: design → simulation → firmware → PCB → hardware testing.
It provides a strong foundation for advanced power electronics designs such as:
- Synchronous boost converters
- Isolated DC–DC converters
- Advanced SMPS applications
For more technical details, calculations, waveforms, and full documentation,
please refer to the complete project report.
📌 Click the image above to open the full project report.
| Name | GitHub | Name | GitHub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omar Salama | @OmarSalama | Omar Fetian | @OmarFetian |
| Omar Roman | — | Abdelrhaman Reda | @AbdelrhamanReda |
| Romissa Elhadidi | @RomissaElhadidi | Hussein Aboalkheer | — |
| Renda Reka | @RendaReka | — | — |
This project is released under the
MIT License.
Use at your own risk.
#BoostConverter #DCDC #PowerElectronics #Arduino #ArduinoNano
#SMPS #PWM #TLP250 #INA219 #MOSFET
#PCBDesign #EmbeddedSystems #HardwareProject #Electronics