Optimization of DC-DC Converters for Improved Electromagnetic Compatibility With High Energy Physics Front-End Electronics

The upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments at CERN sets new challenges for the powering of the detectors. One of the powering schemes under study is based on DC-DC buck converters mounted on the front-end modules. The hard environmental conditions impose strict restrictions to the converters in terms of low volume, radiation and magnetic field tolerance. Furthermore, the noise emission of the switching converters must not affect the performance of the powered systems. A study of the sources and paths of noise of a synchronous buck converter has been made for identifying the critical parameters to reduce their emissions. As proof of principle, a converter was designed following the PCB layout considerations proposed and then used for powering a silicon strip module prototype for the ATLAS upgrade, in order to evaluate their compatibility.