Book excerpt: Sliding Mode Control of Switching Power Converters: Techniques and Implementation is perhaps the first in-depth account of how sliding mode controllers can be practically engineered to optimize control of power converters. A complete understanding of this process is timely and necessary, as the electronics industry moves toward the use of renewable energy sources and widely varying loads that can be adequately supported only by power converters using nonlinear controllers. Of the various advanced control methods used to handle the complex requirements of power conversion systems, sliding mode control (SMC) has been most widely investigated and proved to be a more feasible alternative than fuzzy and adaptive control for existing and future power converters. Bridging the gap between power electronics and control theory, this book employs a top-down instructional approach to discuss traditional and modern SMC techniques. Covering everything from equations to analog implantation, it: Provides a comprehensive general overview of SMC principles and methods Offers advanced readers a systematic exposition of the mathematical machineries and design principles relevant to construction of SMC, then introduces newer approaches Demonstrates the practical implementation and supporting design rules of SMC, based on analog circuits Promotes an appreciation of general nonlinear control by presenting it from a practical perspective and using familiar engineering terminology With specialized coverage of modeling and implementation that is useful to students and professionals in electrical and electronic engineering, this book clarifies SMC principles and their application to power converters. Making the material equally accessible to all readers, whether their background is in analog circuit design, power electronics, or control engineering, the authors—experienced researchers in their own right—elegantly and practically relate theory, application, and mathematical concepts and models to corresponding industrial targets.