New Industry Products

Artesyn Adds IBCs to Typhoon Family of Converters

December 18, 2003 by Jeff Shepard

Artesyn Technologies Inc. (Boca Raton, FL) launched two new series of application-optimized intermediate bus converters (IBCs). The new class of isolated dc/dc converters brings new levels of economy to distributed power applications. Designed primarily for powering multiple downstream non-isolated point-of-load converters, the Typhoon™ IBCs are offered in two versions to address both telecom and computing input voltage standards.

For telecom and central office applications operating from 48V battery plants, the wide-input IBCs operate from any voltage in the range of 36V to 75V. Implemented on a quarter-brick form factor, this 175W IBC generates a 12V intermediate bus voltage and can deliver up to 14A output current with a conversion efficiency of 94%. It employs an open-frame, single-board construction, and operates over a –40°C to +100°C temperature range, without the need for a heatsink. The wide-input IBC uses minimum feedback dc/dc conversion to achieve up to 94% efficiency while producing ±10% output regulation for all line, load and temperature conditions when operating across the specified 36V to 75V input range. Output noise and ripple are held to within 150mV, and transient load changes up to 0.1A/µsec are accommodated with less than 100mV deviation in output voltage.

The second series of IBCs is comprised of two models, optimized for use in cost-sensitive equipment applications such as servers and storage peripherals. The narrow-input IBCs are designed to run from a 48V ±10% input, and have an operating temperature range of 0°C to +80°C. The narrow-input IBCs are capable of achieving up to 96% power-conversion efficiencies; and employ open-loop regulation, holding output noise and ripple to 150mV. The narrow-input IBCs can be connected in parallel and will share current to within 10% at full output, without the need for any additional circuitry. They are available now in the industry-standard quarter-brick through-hole package, with future options to include standard surface-mount, through-hole vertical and surface-mount solder ball packaging.

Sample quantities of Artesyn's Typhoon IBCs are available for immediate delivery. In OEM quantities of 1,000, unit pricing is $53.99 for the 14A, wide-input and 20A, narrow-input IBCs, and $59.39 for the 25A, narrow-input IBC. Standard lead-time on all three products is stock to eight weeks.