Nonlinear Adaptive Controller Design for Frequency Variation in Pulse Width Modulation for DC-DC Buck Converter via Experimental Evaluation

Abstract This paper presents a novel adaptive backstepping control to deal with the frequency variations of Pulse Width Modulation signals in DC-DC buck converters. The traditional control methods, such as Sliding Mode Control and Feedback Linearization, are prone not to maintain stable output voltage when the input changes significantly and unforeseen switching frequency variations that eventually lead to system instability. To overcome these limitations, the adaptive backstepping controller is designed to handle the estimation and compensation of the switching frequency variations to ensure robust voltage regulation. Practical experiments are performed to validate the performance of the controller using an ESP32-S2 microcontroller; in addition, dynamic and steady-state responses show their effectiveness in keeping stability under different operating conditions such as load variations, input voltage fluctuations, and random switching frequency variations. The suggested approach not only strengthens the system’s stability and robustness but also decreases the chattering and steady-state errors associated with traditional control methods. These findings indicate the adaptive backstepping control technique provides a credible solution for frequency variation control in power electronic systems, which are ideal for renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and other high-performance electronics.