Buck Converter

Buck converters step voltage down efficiently by switching fast and averaging with an inductor. Set the duty cycle and watch the output and ripple.

Buck ConverterLive

step-down switching regulator

Controls

Presets

Input Vin (V)

Duty cycle D

Inductor L (µH)

Switching freq (kHz)

Load current (A)

A buck converter chops the input at a fast switching frequency; the inductor and capacitor average it to a lower DC output, Vout = D·Vin. Bigger inductors and faster switching shrink the current ripple. Educational tool.

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Data Inspector

Output voltage5.04 V

Inductor ripple ΔIL0.29 A

Ripple / load29%

Modecontinuous

Governing equation

V_{o u t} = D \cdot V_{in} = 0.42 \cdot 12 V = 5.04 V Δ I_{L} = \frac{( V _{in} - V _{o u t} ) D}{L f _{s w}} = 0.29 A

Reading this result: Vout tracks D·Vin regardless of load; the ripple you see is set by L and switching frequency, not by the output voltage itself.

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How it works

A buck (step-down) converter chops the input at a high switching frequency; the LC filter averages it to Vout = D·Vin. The inductor ripple ΔIL = (Vin−Vout)·D/(L·f) shrinks with larger inductance or faster switching. If ripple exceeds twice the load, the converter enters discontinuous mode. Educational tool.

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Frequently asked questions

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The solver uses established numerical methods, but results are for research and educational purposes and should be validated against experiment or professional review before you rely on them.