48V / 12V bi-directional DC/DC converter targets data centres
Designed for data centres and super computers, the high power density, bi-directional DC/DC converter U50SU4P162 has been released by Delta. It provides 48V / 12V bi-directional conversion, and features high power density of up to 3,000W/inch3. It has a small footprint of 23 x 17.4 x 10mm and up to 98 per cent conversion efficiency.
It has been introduced in response to the rapid pace of technology and internet development which will see 5G technology and onboard AI for EVs add 20 to 30 per cent to the annual growth rate of data centres during 2020 to 2025 (source Cisco).
Together with the boost in on-line activities for recreation, commerce and enterprise due to the Covid-19 pandemic, social media platforms, online games, and remote working / studying have also led to higher demand for efficient, reliable data centres. Building more data centres increases power consumption, leading to higher demands for the power usage effectiveness. For example, data centres and high voltage AI computing cards usually adopt 12V bus power output but the high DC power consumption and voltage drop adversely affect the systems, prompting manufacturers to use 48V while most server PCBs remained at 12V, making the power conversion and power supply complicated.
The U50SU4P162 converts 48V into the intermediate bus voltage required by the downstream voltage regulator. It can also convert 12V into 48V to power the downstream system. It provides 48V / 12V bi-directional conversion, 800W output power, and 1MHz switching frequency. The U50SU4P162 can handle large load capacitance (up to 10,000 microF) and double-sided heat sink with low thermal resistance for high performance computing in high density data centres.
It also has the PMBus (power management bus) protocol. This allows the converter to transmit power data to system controllers for efficient monitoring and management. Delta also offers customisation services for power configuration and optional heat sinks to build advanced systems.
