Over the last decade, dual active bridge (DAB) converters have become critical components in high-frequency power conversion systems. Recently, intensive efforts have been directed at optimizing DAB converter design and control. In particular, several strategies have been proposed to improve the performance of DAB control systems. For example, fractional-order (FO) control methods have proven potential in several applications since they offer improved controllability, flexibility, and robustness. However, the FO controller design process is critical for industrializing their use. Conventional FO control design methods use frequency domain-based design schemes, which result in complex and impractical designs. In addition, several nonlinear equations need to be solved to determine the optimum parameters. Currently, metaheuristic algorithms are used to design FO controllers due to their effectiveness in improving system performance and their ability to simultaneously tune possible design parameters. Moreover, metaheuristic algorithms do not require precise and detailed knowledge of the controlled system model. In this paper, a hybrid algorithm based on the chaotic artificial ecosystem-based optimization (AEO) and manta-ray foraging optimization (MRFO) algorithms is proposed with the aim of combining the best features of each. Unlike the conventional MRFO method, the newly proposed hybrid AEO-CMRFO algorithm enables the use of chaotic maps and weighting factors. Moreover, the AEO and CMRFO hybridization process enables better convergence performance and the avoidance of local optima. Therefore, superior FO controller performance was achieved compared to traditional control design methods and other studied metaheuristic algorithms. An exhaustive study is provided, and the proposed control method was compared with traditional control methods to verify its advantages and superiority.

Nowadays, meta-heuristic algorithms have been emerged as a potential solution in adaptive filtering applications since they offer good convergence properties. Nonetheless, most of them fall into local minimum since their optimization is based on single-solution technique. As a consequence, these algorithms present a high misadjustment level and require a large population to find the optimal solution. Recently, the grey wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm have emerged as a potential solution since it requires a smaller population and possesses a stronger global optimization ability with lesser control parameters. From an engineering perspective, its compactness is an attractive feature. Therefore, this opens new horizons in the implementation of this algorithm in resource-constrained devices. In this paper, we present for the first time the use of the GWO algorithm for system identification and acoustic echo canceller (AEC) and its implementation in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device to validate its effectiveness. Our results show that the use of the GWO algorithm achieves lower steady-state mean square error (MSE) and requires less computational resources when compared with one of the most used meta-heuristic algorithm.

Affine projection (AP) algorithms have been demonstrated to have faster convergence speeds than the conventional least mean square (LMS) algorithms. However, LMS algorithms exhibit smaller steady-state mean square errors (MSEs) when compared with affine projection (AP) algorithms. Recently, several authors have proposed alternative methods based on convex combinations to improve the steady-state MSE of AP algorithms, even with the increased computational cost from the simultaneous use of two filters. In this paper, we present an alternative method based on an affine projection-like (APL-I) algorithm and least mean square (LMS) algorithm to solve the ANC under stationary Gaussian noise environments. In particular, we propose a switching filter selection criteria to improve the steady-state MSE without increasing the computational cost when compared with existing models. Here, we validate the proposed strategy in a single and a multichannel system, with and without automatically adjusting the scaling factor of the APL-I algorithm. The results demonstrate that the proposed scheme exploits the best features of each filter (APL-I and LMS) to guarantee rapid convergence with a low steady-state MSE. Additionally, the proposed approach demands a low computational burden compared with existing convex combination approaches, which will potentially lead to the development of real-time ANC applications.

Presently, the technology development trend of active noise control (ANC) systems is focused on implementing advanced adaptive filters in resource-constrained electronic appliances. Recently, several authors have proved that the use of two adaptive filter algorithms significantly improves the overall adaptive filter performance. However, the computational cost of these approaches is significantly increased since they use two filters simultaneously. Consequently, these filters cannot be implemented in these devices. To solve this problem, we propose a new ANC structure with switching selection based on filtered-x normalized least mean square (FxNLMS) and filtered-x sign least mean square (FxSLMS) algorithms to reduce the computational cost of the ANC system. The improvement of this factor has allowed us to introduce for the first time an advanced spike-based architecture, which can perform dual filter operations using dynamic routing, to be used in real ANC applications. The results have demonstrated that the computational cost of the proposed dual D-FxNLMS/SLMS algorithm is lower compared with previously reported solutions.

Recently, the use of acoustic echo canceller (AEC) systems in portable devices has significantly increased. Therefore, the need for superior audio quality in resource-constrained devices opens new horizons in the creation of high-convergence speed adaptive algorithms and optimal digital designs. Nowadays, AEC systems mainly use the least mean square (LMS) algorithm, since its implementation in digital hardware architectures demands low area consumption. However, its performance in acoustic echo cancellation is limited. In addition, this algorithm presents local convergence optimization problems. Recently, new approaches, based on stochastic optimization algorithms, have emerged to increase the probability of encountering the global minimum. However, the simulation of these algorithms requires high-performance computational systems. As a consequence, these algorithms have only been conceived as theoretical approaches. Therefore, the creation of a low-complexity algorithm potentially allows the development of compact AEC hardware architectures. In this paper, we propose a new convex combination, based on grey wolf optimization and LMS algorithms, to save area and achieve high convergence speed by exploiting to the maximum the best features of each algorithm. In addition, the proposed convex combination algorithm shows superior tracking capabilities when compared with existing approaches. Furthermore, we present a new neuromorphic hardware architecture to simulate the proposed convex combination. Specifically, we present a customized time-multiplexing control scheme to dynamically vary the number of search agents. To demonstrate the high computational capabilities of this architecture, we performed exhaustive testing. In this way, we proved that it can be used in real-world acoustic echo cancellation scenarios.

In recent years, active noise control (ANC) systems have been widely used in advanced electronic appliances. Nowadays, several authors use gradient-optimization algorithms since they can be easily implemented in these devices. However, these algorithms need to estimate the secondary path in advance. As consequence, this factor can limit its use in real-ANC applications since the secondary path can undergo significant variations over time. To solve this problem, we propose an ANC system with switching filter selection based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms. Specifically, we use two sets of populations of particles with different acceleration coefficients and inertia weights to create an advanced structure in which the first PSO algorithm guarantees a high convergence speed while the use of the second PSO algorithm allows to achieve a high-level noise reduction. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm exhibits better convergence properties compared with previously reported solutions.