Based on the conventional PID algorithm and the adaptive PID (AD-PID) algorithm, a separate sampling adaptive PID (SSA-PID) algorithm is proposed to improve the transient response of digitally controlled DC-DC converters. The SSA-PID algorithm, which can be divided into an oversampled adaptive P (AD-P) control and an adaptive ID (AD-ID) control, adopts a higher sampling frequency for AD-P control and a conventional sampling frequency for AD-ID control. In addition, it can also adaptively adjust the PID parameters (i.e. K p , K i and K d ) based on the system state. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has better line transient and load transient responses than the conventional PID and AD-PID algorithms. Compared with the conventional PID and AD-PID algorithms, the experimental results based on a FPGA indicate that the recovery time of the SSA-PID algorithm is reduced by 80% and 67% separately, and that overshoot is decreased by 33% and 12% for a 700mA load step. Moreover, the SSA-PID algorithm can achieve zero overshoot during startup.