Nature of power electronics and integration of power conversion with communication for talkative power

Power electronics and communication electronics are both based on electromagnetic theory, but they are usually regarded as two distinct subfields in electrical engineering. In fact, however, electric power is the most common matter-based carrier of messages; thus, power electronics and communications can be jointly considered. Here we study the essential nature of dc-dc power converters and characterize the similarity of their operation principle to that of communication systems. Based on this similarity and the double modulation methods used in power electronics and communication, a double modulation strategy for both power and data is presented and applied in dc-dc power converters to achieve what we call ‘talkative power’. A modulation strategy called frequency hopping-differential phase shift keying (FH-DPSK) is also presented to overcome the crosstalk between chosen transmission systems. The proposed talkative power strategy sheds new light on and provides inspiration for the further development of power electronics and communication.