Ericsson dc/dc power converters deliver up to 20A

The PKU-C series has been developed to respond to the increased demand in the mid range IT and communications power applications that are migrating from multiple output power modules to fully regulated intermediate bus converters, and require compact dc/dc modules that save space for core components, in addition to providing a height of less than 9mm for low profile applications. Designed to operate with a 36 to 75V input voltage range, the PKU-C series is primarily designed for applications that are powered by a centralised 48V bus. However, due to its efficient and flexible power performance, the series is also suitable for a wide range of applications including those in industrial, process control and automation. "According to market analyst Darnell Group, the migration from traditional board power architectures to intermediate bus architectures in high power equipment is accelerating in the mid power segment," said Patrick Le Fèvre, marketing and communication director of Ericsson Power Modules. "Based on Ericsson's advanced design and thermal optimisation, the PKU-C series are the ideal products to meet market requirements for high efficiency, low board space usage and low height." A key application for the devices is decentralised local data storage equipment that requires 12V and 5V to power disk drives. According to Ericsson, systems designers of these applications gain significant design freedom with the combination of the new 12V PKU4104C and 5V PKU4105C. Traditionally mid power applications, and especially decentralised disk drive storage systems, have used multiple output dc/dc converters, but cost optimisation and shorter time to market demands, in the high power segment, have led to the migration to intermediate bus voltage architectures. Because the PKU-C devices are isolated and feature a floating output, the two modules can also be combined to power the 12V and 5V rails in a disk drive array application requiring higher power than 100W. Additionally, designers can combine the 12V PKU4104C with Ericsson's BMR462 3E digital voltage regulator to generate the 5V rail in single disk applications. Available in an industry standard sixteenth brick footprint, with dimensions of 33 x 22.9 with a low profile height of 8.5mm, the devices deliver up to 100W, and provide 92.7% efficiency at 50% load and 12V output. The PKU-C series is also designed to deliver 'outstanding' thermal performance for applications that have limited airflow. The series delivers full performance up to 80°C with a 3.0m/s airflow, and, in worse case conditions, full output power with natural convection up to 65°C. Offering a mean time before failure of 4.27million hours, the devices meets safety requirements according to IEC/EN/UL 60950-1, and offer input/output isolation of 1500V(DC) as well as protection features such as OVP, input under voltage shutdown, OTP and output short circuit protection. The series is available in both through hole (PI version) and surface mount (SI version).