A 10 W 30 V/5.0 V push-pull DC-DC power converter breadboard, designed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with a +50/spl deg/C to +5/spl deg/C operating range for the Cassini space probe, was characterized for lower operating temperatures. The breadboard power converter which failed to operate for temperatures below -125/spl deg/C was then modified to operate at temperatures approaching that of liquid nitrogen (LN2). Associated with this low operating temperature range (<-196/spl deg/C) was a variety of performance problems such as a significant change in output voltage, power converter switching instability and failure to restart at temperatures below -154/spl deg/C. An investigation into these problems yielded additional modifications to the power converter which improved low temperature performance even further.
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