INP-Toulouse shows SCOPS project in the PCIM 2026

INP Toulouse presented a paper¹ named “Distributed Self-Interleaving PWM Signals with Fault-Tolerant Capability for High-Performance Microprocessor Power Supply in Aerospace” about the novel distributed control strategy for multiphase DC-DC converters at PCIM Europe 2026 (Germany, June 9-11). This is a leading international conference that brings together experts from industry and academia to showcase cutting-edge research and innovation in power electronics.

Modern space applications demand extremely high currents at very low voltages, combined with strict reliability requirements. Traditional solutions rely on centralized controllers, which introduce a single point of failure-a critical limitation for mission-critical systems.

However, SCOPS shows a fully distributed architecture in which each converter phase operates autonomously using an identical local controller. This eliminates the need for a master controller and inherently improves system robustness and fault tolerance.

Key innovations

The proposed solution combines three core functions within each phase:

• Adaptive Voltage Positioning (AVP) for precise output voltage regulation using peak current detection
• Distributed current balancing, ensuring accurate current sharing between phases
• Automatic clock interleaving, synchronizing phases without centralized coordination

Together, these features enable scalable operation, stable performance, and seamless coordination across all phases.

Performance and validation

The architecture was validated through system level simulations of a 10-phase GaN converter (12V -> 0.6V, 100A, up to 3 MHz). Results demonstrate:

• Fast transient response under large load changes
• Accurate current sharing across phases
• Intrinsic fault tolerance, with automatic resynchronization when a phase is disabled after a fail detection

The system maintains stable operation even in degraded configurations, making it well suited for harsh and failure sensitive environments such as space missions.

This work advances the shift toward decentralized power management architectures for space applications. By removing single points of failure and enabling modular scalability, the proposed approach aligns with future requirements for AI capable onboard processors and high performance satellite platforms.

Developed within the EU Horizon 2022 research and innovation program, SCOPS paves the way for next generation, fault tolerant power solutions for space electronics.