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Characterizing the operation of switch-mode power supplies requires a broad range of measurements using an oscilloscope. You must analyze the power supply's input, switching, and output. You will also need to make frequency response measurements like power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) and control loop response. These measurements are typically made with a vector network analyzer (VNA).
Perform these measurements using an oscilloscope with power measurement software, a deskew fixture, a high-voltage differential probe, a current probe, and a passive voltage probe. The deskew fixture nulls the difference in propagation delay between the probes for more accurate measurements. Deskewing is critical for the switching loss measurement. Time delay can cause significant differences in power and energy measurements during the turn-on and turn-off phases of transistor switching.
Additional resources for characterizing switch-mode power supply designs
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