Evaluation kit simplifies digital power implementation

The 3E GUI Silver Edition evaluation kit has been designed to enable engineers to monitor, program and test Ericsson's range of BMR45x-series parts within a representative hardware and software environment. According to Ericsson, the kit's software package features a graphical user interface that is easy to use, while each kit includes one each of the 396 W BMR453 and 240 W BMR454 intermediate bus converters. There is also one 20 A-rated BMR450 and one 40 A-rated BMR451 point-of-load regulator. A cd is also provided that contains the 3E GUI Silver Edition software package together with a library of technical papers and supporting information. The kit's evaluation board embeds a USB to PMBus interface and accommodates one intermediate bus converter and up to three point-of-load regulators Ericsson says that designers can power the point-of-load regulators either from the onboard intermediate bus converter or from an external dc supply. The software has been designed to automatically scan the PMBus for connected devices at power on and continually update and display each converter's key operating parameters, its input and output voltages, output current, and on-chip temperature, while the devices are running. Patrick Le Fèvre, marketing director at Ericsson Power Modules, said: "Taking advantage of the PMBus read/write programmability that the BMR450 and BMR451 3E-POLs now offer to complement the BMR453 and BMR454 intermediate-bus converters, the 3E GUI Silver Edition software makes it very easy for users to configure each converter to deliver custom output voltages with variable margins, set sequencing delays, and define fault thresholds and responses - all the time monitoring and presenting key operating parameters on screen."