Embedded Explicit MPC @ 10 kHz for a Power Converter

Martin Specq (EPFL Master student in Robotics) has recently carried out a semester project at LA , aiming at answering the above question. Under the supervision of Emilio Maddalena and prof. Colin Jones, the student designed a step-down dc-dc converter and an MPC controller to attain a fast and precise start-up response. 

The resulting controller was then converted into its explicit form, partitioning the domain in numerous small pieces. Finally, through the use of a recently proposed parametric Neural Network architecture, he was able to drastically reduce the overall complexity of the control law, allowing for its implementation on an inexpensive embedded hardware platform!