Research on renewable energy sources and power electronic converters has been increasing due to environmental concerns. Many countries have established targets to decrease CO₂ emissions and boost the proportion of renewable energy, with solar power being a prominent area of investigation in the recent literature. Techniques are being developed to optimize the energy recovered from PV cells and increase system efficiency, including modeling PV cells, the use of converter topologies to connect PV systems to high-power inverters, and the use of MPPT methods. Certain MPPT algorithms are intricate and demand high processing power. The literature describes several MPPT methods; however, the number of hardware resources required by MPPT algorithms is typically not disclosed. This work proposes a novel MPPT technique based on integral feedback conductance and incremental conductance error, considering the current dynamics of the boost converter. This MPPT algorithm is compared to the most widely used techniques in the literature and evaluates each method’s efficiency, performance, and computational needs using an HIL system. Comparisons are made with well-known MPPT algorithms, such as perturb and observe, incremental conductance, and newer techniques based on fuzzy logic and neural networks (NNs). As the NN that is most widely used in the literature depends on irradiation and temperature, an additional NN that is trained using the proposed method is also investigated.

In order to obtain acceptable efficiencies, hard-switching techniques and the converters that implement them must operate at relatively low frequencies (tens of kilohertz), which translate into converters of large size, weight, and volume, and therefore higher cost. To improve these characteristics, this work introduces a new transformerless MHz-range DC–DC converter that provides symmetrical bipolar outputs. The developed topology uses a single grounded switch, achieves soft switching (ZVS) over a wide load range, and does not require the use of floating or isolated controllers, reducing cost, size, and complexity. The output voltages are self-regulated to maintain the same value, ensuring balanced bipolar operation. A comprehensive analysis, design, sizing, simulation, implementation and testing are provided on a 150 W prototype operating at a switching frequency of 1 MHz, with step-up and step-down capability and implemented with GaN FET. The evaluated configuration shows an efficiency close to 90% and high power density, making it suitable for compact designs in a variety of applications requiring reliable power management and high efficiency such as lighting, electric vehicles, or auxiliary power supplies.

The rapid expansion of fiber optic networks and services, which sees a large number of circuits enabled and disabled each day, introduces a significant complexity for operators to identify fibers that have and do not have attached clients. The service level agreements prevent operators from disconnecting circuits without absolute assurance that no clients are attached. We propose a non-intrusive multichannel fiber detector to facilitate the operation and maintenance of the optical networks. The optical distribution frame usually does not have any power available, thus, the proposed device operates without batteries and is powered by near field communication (NFC). Device installation does not require fiber disconnection or communication interruption, and introduces less than 1 dB insertion loss to detect optical signals down to -30 dBm. In order to read multiple fiber channel status, an NFC-enabled smartphone is used to power the device and measure the signal levels of each channel.