A Measurement System for Power Inductors in Non-Linear Operating Conditions

The exploitation of power inductors in switching converters outside the linear region requires detailed information on the magnetization curve that often is not included among those usually available on their datasheets. This paper proposes an automatic system in which the inductor is characterized in real operating conditions taking into account also the core temperature. It is based on a switching converter suitably controlled by a virtual instrument. The system was tested by retrieving the inductance vs current curves of two commercial inductors for core temperatures up to 105°C, showing the different behaviors of the magnetization curves. Results are coherent with data given by manufacturers and provide a complete characterization of the inductors.