New Industry Products

DC-DC Converter Replaces Cell Tower Circuit Breaker and Delivers Voltage Boost for 5G

September 25, 2019 by Paul Shepard

Today at ISE Expo, Vertiv introduced the Vertiv™ eSure™ C48/58-1000 Power Extend Converter, a compact device that economically boosts voltage up to -58Vdc to support increasing power needs of remote radio heads on cell towers. The eSure C48/58-1000 dc-dc converter plugs into an existing dc distribution panel in the same position as a single-pole bullet circuit breaker, conserving usable space. The converter is available now across North America.

Today's cell site infrastructure is evolving to support emerging 5G architectures, including 5G-friendly radios requiring more power at the top of cell towers. The eSure C48/58-1000 protects against voltage drops between the power system at the tower's base and the radio at the top. If a voltage drop is significant enough, it can trigger a shutdown of the remote radio head before the equipment provider's backup battery fully discharges.

In the past, minor voltage drops have been manageable from base to tower, but the emergence of 5G and increased power demands are creating the need to boost voltage to ensure reliable, efficient cell site operation.

The eSure Power Extend Converter consumes 0U of additional rack space, in contrast to traditional converter solutions which consume up to 4U of rack space. The eSure C48/58-1000 replaces a single-pole circuit breaker and provides the traditional overcurrent protection function of the circuit breaker.

"The transition from 3G to 4G and now to 5G is a complex, often expensive process for cellular providers," said Scott Armul, VP of DC power and outside plant lines of business at Vertiv. "The eSure C48/58-1000 converter offers a fast and affordable technology upgrade that helps enable 5G delivery while seamlessly integrating with existing dc power and enclosure infrastructure."

Along with space, the eSure C48/58-1000 conserves considerable energy while performing above 98 percent efficiency. Multiple units can operate in parallel to support radios requiring over 1kW of input power.

The eSure converter is on display in Vertiv booth #309 at ISE Expo.