Insight
Vicor Europe's Quarterly Newsletter
Issue 10 – Winter 2007
Vicor News
Round-up of new products
Bricks
2007 was a busy year for Vicor product launches. We have tripled our Maxi, Mini and Micro family product offerings, in addition to the new products covered in the new product section, we have added new mid power modules, new input voltages, new output voltages and product grades.
Cost-effective mid-power options
With the introduction of new mid-power products across all Vicor’s Maxi, Mini Micro product families, we can now provide an even greater variety of cost-effective standard solutions, which better match load requirements, as shown in the table of available 24, 48, 300, and 375 Vin pre-defined modules (mid-power modules are listed in red):
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Output Voltage and Power
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| Module Size | 2 V | 3.3 V | 5 V | 8 V | 12 V | 15 V | 24 V | 28 V | 32 V | 36 V | 48 V | 54 V |
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24 Vdc Input (18-36 Vdc range)
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| Maxi family | 264 W | 400 W | 300 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | |||
| 200 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | |||||
| Mini family | 150 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | |||
| 100 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | |||||
| Micro family | 75 W | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W | |||
| 50 W | 50 W | 50 W | 50 W | 50 W | 50 W | 50 W | 50 W | |||||
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48 Vdc Input (36-75 Vdc range)
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| Maxi family | 264 W | 400 W | 500 W | 500 W | 500 W | 500 W | 500 W | 500 W | ||||
| Mini family | 100 W | 150 W | 200 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | |||
| Micro family | 50 W | 75 W | 100 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | |||
| 50 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | ||||||
| 50 W | ||||||||||||
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300 Vdc Input (180-375 Vdc range)
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| Maxi family | 160 W | 264 W | 400 W | 400 W | 500 W | 500 W | 500 W | 500 W | 500 W | 500 W | ||
| 200 W | 300 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | |||||
| Mini family | 100 W | 150 W | 200 W | 200 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | ||
| 100 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | |||||
| Micro family | 50 W | 75 W | 100 W | 100 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | ||
| 50 W | 50 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | |||||
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375 Vdc Input (250-425 Vdc range)
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| Maxi family | 160 W | 264 W | 400 W | 400 W | 600 W | 600 W | 600 W | 600 W | 600 W | 600 W | 600 W | 600 W |
| 200 W | 300 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | 400 W | |||||
| Mini family | 100 W | 150 W | 200 W | 200 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | 300 W | ||
| 100 W | 150 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | |||||
| Micro family | 50 W | 75 W | 100 W | 100 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | 150 W | ||
| 50 W | 50 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | 75 W | |||||
New output voltages
In addition to the 36V outputs we added in 2006, 8V outputs were added to the 24, 300 and 375V input series.
Vertical market offering
Recognising the unique requirements of some industry sectors the last year has seen the introduction of a number of new industry-specific products, in addition to those highlighted in the New Products section:
- 28 Vdc MIL-COTS VIPAC family of power systems: a 19.1mm-high, user-defined, modular power solutions for military COTS applications providing a choice of 1, 2, or 3 outputs (50 to 400 Watts per output). Incorporating Vicor’s M-FIAM5B, it provides MIL-STD-461E EMI filtering and MIL-STD-704E/F transient protection
- The new 110V T input products provide engineers with up to 400 W output power. The wide input range (66-154 V continuous operation) – in accordance with EN50155 – encapsulated circuitry and extended temperature ranges makes these products ideal for the rail industry. They are configurable in any combination using Vicor PowerBench™
And did you know that all our 24 Vin Maxi, Mini and Micro products now operate down to 16 V after start up?
That means… 15,000 new Brick products
The number of Maxi, Mini and Micro base designs have increased from 89 to 275. With 90 grade and mechanical variations possible for each design that makes nearly 25,000 different models, almost 15,000 of them new!
The recent launch of Vicor PowerBench™ – providing access to previous custom designs and the ability to design new products, as standard – gives power supply designers almost infinite possibilities.
V•I Chips
For for Vicor’s V•I Chip product range, the last 12 months have seen the completion of the first full family of products – enabling complete power systems using the new Factorized Power Architecture (FPA) – new packaging options and new high power and high voltage options:
The first full family of V•I Chip components to have been completed
includes the PRM (non-isolated regulator) and VTM (current multiplier)
components, which deliver the most efficient 48 V direct-to-load power
conversion system in mass production today.- Equipped with test sockets, trim pots, and convenient input and output connections the 52 new FPA evaluation boards provide engineers with a jump start toward implementing the technology.
- The new high power (>110 W/in³) 320W PRM provides a controlled Factorized Bus distribution voltage for powering downstream VTM current multipliers, creating fast, efficient, isolated, low-noise Point-of-Load (POL) converters. This combination enables direct 48 V-to-load with 91% efficiency, eliminating the need for an intermediate 12 V bus conversion stage and VRMs.
- A new off-line, high-density V•I Chip bus converter is a 1000 w/in³ isolated 384 V to 12 V, 300 watt converter, ideal for HV distribution systems.
Can we match this in 2008?
Absolutely. Without giving too much away too soon, new Brick products due out include two new input voltage families (150 V, and 72 V) and the full market launch of a new input voltage range (10-36), not to mention some very interesting new packaging options. In addition, some exciting new products are expected from both our V•I Chip and Picor businesses.
We will let you know as these products launch, giving you all the information you need to determine whether these products are right for your application.
Here’s wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year.
top »Product News
New PFC FlatPAC launching this month
The
new, power dense and flexible PFC
FlatPAC uses Vicor’s field-proven VI-HAM
and Maxi
DC-DC converters to deliver up to 575 watts of clean, reliable power.
The PFC FlatPAC is a single-output power supply available with standard output voltages from 2 to 54 Vdc. It operates from an input of 85-264 Vac, includes active power factor correction (0.99 power factor), and meets EN61000-3-2 harmonic current limits. Internal filtering provides compliance to EN55022-A conducted EMI. It is available in Vicor’s ultra low profile 34.8 mm FlatPAC chassis, in either finned or conduction-cooled (CC) versions.
Measuring 126 x 235 x 35mm, the universal input, RoHS-compliant AC-DC switcher has a power density greater than 9 W/in³ with up to 85% efficiency.
New 24 Vin wide input range DC-DC converters launching this month
The
new 24 V input series has a wide input range of 10-36 V and are targeted
for applications requiring 12 V or 24 V, which are typical for battery
systems in vehicles. They can be used in a variety of vehicle applications
including lighting, communications, portable test equipment, displays,
and control systems. The low-noise ZCS topology greatly reduces the design
effort and filtering costs required for power converters to meet agency
conducted emissions requirements.
The new series offers 16 different output voltages ranging from 3.3 V to 48 V with a maximum power of 50 W, and four different environmental grades Packaging options include a flangeless model (SlimMod), a flangeless model with an integral heat sink (FinMod), and a chassis mount housing with screw/lug wiring interface (BusMod).
The modules, which are optionally available in RoHS compliant models, are a compact 57.9 x 61.0 x 12.7mm in size.
Click here for the datasheet
New V•I Chip™ Through-Hole Packaging Option
Vicor
has added a through-hole packaging option for all V•I Chip products.
This is in addition to existing surface mount (SMT) compatible packaging,
doubling the available range. This new option allows power designers in
a broader range of applications to take advantage of the benefits of V•I
Chips.
Through-hole products are electrically and thermally identical to the SMT versions and are compatible with both hand soldering and wave solder techniques so they are perfect for fast prototyping or large production runs. Through-hole assembly facilitates multi-chip cold-plate or heatsink mounting and makes system assembly simpler, faster, and cheaper.
The new through-hole packaging option is compatible with both leaded and lead-free solder.
Information on board layout and 3D models is available. To access this information as well as datasheets for V•I Chip products, application notes and demo board user guides, click here.
top »Novel Applications
Stratospheric Wi-MAX-HAP
The University of York, working with Swiss technology company Strat-XX, are developing a WiMAX-HAP system. This aims to deliver WiMAX wireless broadband services via cellular networks and spot beam antennas as the payload on stratospheric High-Altitude Platforms (HAPs), such as airships or hot-air balloons, at an altitude of around 21 km above the earth. The basic concept for the system is shown below:
Using one customer premises equipment (CPE) as a gateway to the wired internet, at least one other remote CPE is linked to the wider internet via the HAP payload. Other users can use a WiFi access point whose backhaul is provided by the WiMAX CPE. The base-station is placed on the HAP so that all of the CPEs can be viewed.
Not surprisingly the application has severe size and weight restrictions for all elements of the design, including the power feed for the system. Vicor DC-DC converters were chosen as the link between the specialist low temperature batteries and the payload power control system because of their small size, high power density and their very wide operating temperatures. As one of the products used (V24B48E150BL3) was from Vicor’s new lower cost E grade range and the other (V24B12C150BL3) was one of the new mid-power products the designers also selected a particularly cost-effective solution.
Train control and monitoring system
On-board
train control and monitoring systems (TCMS) and traction systems have
a major role in the design of modern trains. Train operating companies
are now asking for trains that are capable of more than a simple passenger
journey from one location to another. Modern "intelligent" train
control and monitoring systems play a vital role in the provision of reliable,
adaptable and flexible trains necessary to provide reliable train services
that meet the expectations of today's customers. Increased utilisation
of intelligent on-board systems, combined with reliable high integrity
development methodologies, can provide today's train operating companies
with modern systems that meet basic safety, operational and maintenance
needs and can also be adapted to meet longer term changing business needs.
Our customer develops and markets the most complete range of systems, equipment and service in the railway market. In particular they are developing control and monitoring systems both for underground wagons and for trains.
Vicor’s new “V” series (10-36 V input) VI-2 and VI-J 10-36 V products are ideal for this kind of application as they offer the wide range of input voltage required by these systems, which are supplied by the train battery at 24Vin.
These Vicor products are electrically and mechanically rugged, and are built to high standards that tolerate the harsh environments traditionally associated with the transportation industry. They are amongst the smallest, high density modules in the industry and meet industry standard requirements and regulations, i.e. EN50155.
top »New from Vicor
As has been highlighted in previous issues of Insight, Vicor is committed to providing support through our team of experienced and knowledgeable applications engineers. Over the years we have developed a number of online tools, too, for quick and easy access to some of the information needed.
We would like to continue to develop our web site to make it as useful as possible for designers looking for a power supply or who are using our products. As part of that development process we have created an FAQ section, which enables users to find answers to some of the more frequent questions quickly and easily. But we recognise that a tool such as this should continue to grow and develop, reflecting the evolving needs of designers.
So, who better to ask to contribute to this resource than the readers of Insight? If you have any questions about Vicor’s products and how to use them – or about power solutions in general – please send them to the editor ( ) with ‘FAQ’ in the subject line. For every question one of our applications engineers answers and we publish on the web we will send the questioner a useful mini screwdriver multitool for your keyring as a thank you.
All questions will be considered – complex or simple; short or long. So please send them through. We will give you a preview of some of the best questions and answers in future editions of Insight.
top »Inside Vicor
PowerBench™ and Mass Customization Manufacturing
In Insight 9 we announced the launch of Vicor PowerBench™, the comprehensive suite of tools that exploits Vicor’s mass-customization capability, and included a guide to the various elements. For this issue we will explain in detail how the dc-dc module elements integrate with our manufacturing facility.
Finding a design from standard
A designer looking for a solution can use PowerBench™ to find the most appropriate module from our pre-defined product ranges. The system allows them to select from our library of over 290 base electrical designs, covering five different input ranges, eight or nine output voltages, three package sizes and multiple power levels. After selecting the appropriate base design, the designer can configure the design with any of six pin styles, three baseplates, and five environmental grades. A part number, price, and lead-time are then generated by the system (all FOB Andover, USA).
When an order is placed for that part, the back end of the process is completely automated. The order triggers a bill of materials (BOM) generator to run and create this variant of a base design. The base electrical design and everything else – such as pins and base plates – are configured around it automatically. Every night, the BOM generator searches for new models that were added during the day to create new and unique bills of materials.
It is essential that the process be an automated expert system because of the numbers involved: each base design can be configured 90 different ways! – more than 25,000 possible part numbers. It does not make sense to create bills of materials for that number of part numbers in advance, so it is done as needed – usually in less than a day. In fact, in an emergency, it could run on request and generate a BOM the very next minute.
When the BOM is created, everything is in place for the build, and the design takes its place on the production line. No standard modules are in stock; each is built on demand, with a four-week lead time. An order for a part that has not previously been manufactured can still be fulfilled within four weeks. Actually, small quantities of these base model designs, with five different input ranges and eight or nine output voltages and different power levels and package sizes can be done in two weeks.
Creating variations of a custom design
But what if the designer needs something that is not in that matrix? The system allows the designer to perform a search, in real time, for customized designs that have been done in the past. Perhaps a designer needs a 300-Volt input module with a 9-Volt output. A 9 Volt output is not a base model design. The designer knows that a 12-Volt output can be trimmed down, but may not want to do that. So a search can be done for 9-Volt output modules. Let us assume that one was found. Now the electrical design can be configured with the required pin style, temperature grade, and base plate, and RoHS compliance (if required). With the desired design in hand, the designer can create a part number, and when the new customized design is ordered, the same process as before takes place in the background. The BOM generator creates the BOM, and the parts are scheduled on the production line.
There is a modest setup fee for creating variations of customized designs because of the additional documentation work required and the other steps being done in the background. But overall, it is a very highly automated process that results in benefits to the customer. In real time, they can get a part number, place an order, and receive their order in as little as two weeks. And it’s very seamless and very reliable.
Creating a design as standard
The third section of PowerBench™, which enables user-defined designs, is truly unprecedented. There is nothing in the industry – and there are not many other instances in other industries – that can compare to this level of online, expert system. In this case, the customer can input literally an infinitely variable set of requirements such as low-line input, high-line input, nominal input, output voltage within very broad limits. So, for example, the designer can enter an output voltage of 2 volts to 48 volts – or anything in between. There is no restriction to specific outputs – if you want 13.5 Volts, you can get 13.5 Volts. For the nominal input voltage, you can select anything from 18 volts up to 420 volts, and anything in between. We do have some restrictions in terms of the ratio between a high-line voltage and a low-line voltage.
After defining the critical specifications of the module, the user then runs a Feasibility Check. This is a real time-analysis of the requirements by a sophisticated expert system that creates multiple designs that would meet the required specifications. If the optimal system-generated design is determined to be feasible, the user can generate a part number and a price.
If an order is placed for this module, part of the expert system named the Automated Bill of Materials creates, simulates, and scores as many designs as it can to meet the user’s requirements. The optimal design is then selected and dispatched to the production line.
This new module is built just like any other modules on the line that day. In-line testing during production is done using test specifications created by the design generator and passed automatically to the CIM line. And it is interesting to note that because of Vicor’s mass customization manufacturing capability, we are building this product at the same time that we are building thousands of other modules with no setup or factory changeover time.
Once the initial batch of modules is completed and tested, they are sent to Engineering where they are subjected to Device Verification Testing. This is another automated system that subjects the module to thousands of different tests to characterize its performance and verify that the design meets our stringent internal design rules. The engineer will also perform some bench testing and data gathering which is used to continually improve the expert system’s capability to generate new designs.
Note that this whole process is highly automated. The design engineer no longer has to produce a design, have it breadboarded, build it, and then verify it – and then change it if it doesn’t work quite right. All of that is done automatically. The engineer only verifies that the design was done properly. If it wasn’t done correctly, the design generator is reworked to avoid that problem in the future.
The whole platform, the Mini/Maxi/Micro platform, was developed to be highly customizable, so that customized designs could be generated and built without any interruption to the manufacturing line. In fact they have been designed to optimize their manufacturability. Typical manufacturing operations require the factory to change over for each different product. A change-over is inconsistent with our mass customization model, so it was imperative to develop a highly flexible, highly automated manufacturing capability, and a modular platform that complements it. There is no factory setup time for any product. It is a continuous process – any module design can be built right next to one another – nothing stops, the line just keeps going.
Finally, these modules do not have to undergo additional qualification tests such as life testing or shock and vibration because they are built on the same platform as our standard modules using the same qualified components. The standard products have undergone extensive life and environmental testing to ensure the quality of design and manufacture, and these new designs are qualified by similarity
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