Microcontroller-Driven Power Supply - 1

44 EME8 MICROCONTROLLER-DRIVEN POWER SUPPLY 1 Although the use of a microcontroller in a power supply may raise some eyebrows, there are cogent reasons for it. The result, to the best of our knowledge, is simply the most advanced power supply project ever published by an electronics magazine. Its complexity and cost, however, make it really only suitable for advanced constructors. Furthermore, the microcontroller, an Intel 8751, can only be programmed in our design department. The use of a microcontroller in a power supply may be questioned for good reasons. There are, however, a number of arguments in favour of the use of such a device. Consider, for example, important benefits such as accuracy, ease of use, and the availability of functions that are virtually impossible to realize without resorting to complex analogue and/or digital circuits. One of these functions is the ability of the power supply to be inte- grated in a computer-controlled test and measurement system. Such sy...