ExactBench · Engineering calculators

Buck Converter Calculator

Step-down · CCM

Converter

Inductor value

9.72
µH
duty 41.7 % · 0.60 A ripple · 2.30 A peak

Inductor current

500 kHz
INDUCTOR CURRENT · TWO CYCLESI_out 2.00 A2.30 A1.70 AΔI 0.60 Ahigh side on 41.7 % of each 2.00 µs cycle
Duty cycle41.67 %
Inductor ripple current0.600 A
Peak inductor current2.300 A
Valley current1.700 A
Minimum output capacitance3.00 µF
Maximum output cap ESR83.3 mΩ
Input capacitor RMS current0.986 A
Average input current0.833 A
Enters DCM below0.300 A output
How this is calculated. In continuous conduction the duty cycle is just D = Vout/Vin, and the inductor ripple follows from the volt- seconds applied while the high side is on: L = Vout(Vin − Vout) / (Vin · fsw · ΔIL). Ripple is a design choice, not a given — 20–40 % of full load is the usual compromise, because less ripple means a bigger inductor and more ripple means higher peak current and more core loss. The peak matters twice over: it sets the inductor's saturation rating and it is what the current limit trips on, so size the inductor for the peak, not the average. Output capacitance comes from charge balance, C = ΔIL / (8·fsw·ΔV), which assumes an ideal cap — with anything other than ceramics the ESR term dominates, so check the ESR limit above too. Below half the ripple current the converter drops out of continuous conduction and these relations no longer hold.
This duty cycle is very high or very low. Real converters have minimum on and off times, so check the controller datasheet — you may need a different switching frequency or a two-stage conversion.