Voutavg

Voutavg, or average output voltage, denotes the mean voltage presented at the output node of an electronic circuit over time. For a periodic signal vout(t) with period T, the average value is Voutavg = (1/T) ∫0^T vout(t) dt. In practice this value often corresponds to the DC component of the signal, especially after filtering.

In rectifier circuits, Voutavg depends on waveform shape. An ideal half-wave rectifier driven by a sinusoid of peak Vm has Voutavg = Vm/π, neglecting diode drops; a full-wave rectifier yields Voutavg = 2Vm/π, again minus diode drops in practical diodes. If a smoothing capacitor is used, the DC output approximately equals the peak input minus diode drops, with ripple determined by load current, capacitance, and ripple frequency. The average remains the DC level around which the waveform fluctuates.

In switching regulators and PWM-controlled converters, Voutavg is often controlled by the duty cycle. For an ideal buck converter, Voutavg ≈ D · Vin, where D is the duty cycle. In other topologies, relationships differ (boost, buck-boost), but the principle remains: by modulating conduction time, the average output voltage is set to the desired value, within efficiency limits and dynamic response considerations.

Measurement considerations: the calculated average assumes a periodic waveform; for non-periodic signals, a long-time average or a moving average is used. Voutavg is a key parameter for regulation, filtering design, and performance specification in power electronics and signal processing.