Ericsson Power Modules Revises PKR Series DC Converters

Ericsson Power Modules AB (Sweden), a supplier of dc-dc power modules for distributed power architectures, announced that it has revised its PKR Series of dc-dc converter, which are manufactured using an open-frame building process, offering reduced cost and increased compatibility with lead-free soldering processes. The revised PKR range consists of the PKR4110B SI 3.3V at 4.5 A, and the PKR4910A SI 3.3V at 3 A. Additional products will be added to the PKR family throughout the rest of 2005 and through to the middle of 2006.

The new products embrace 18 V to 75 V and 36 V to 75 V input ranges with single and dual outputs, providing a complete program for low-power applications. The PKR Series is aimed at projects looking for cost reduction, particularly the cost of "power per board." It is suitable for use in projects with a complex components mix requiring a low Delta T across the board, and for those that need to be lead-free soldering and RoHS-compliant. The most important application areas for the revised PKR Series are telecom and datacom; however, the series also addresses a wide range of applications using 48 V distributed power architectures aiming for cost-efficient power management and compliance with RoHS regulations and lead-free soldering processes.

The revised PKR Series products comply with the European RoHS directive and also the high-temperature requirements needed for lead-free reflow soldering processes. The PKR Series' low delta T makes it possible for customers to integrate the module into boards without worry or concern for the potential negative impact that massive sub-assemblies may have on other components during the soldering process. The series' full inter-operability with Ericsson's PKF Macrodens means no re-design when implementing PKR into the next generation of boards, or in the case of cost-reduction exercises with respect to existing boards. The PKR Series is a combination of topology and an electrical platform developed for PKF MacroDens, and a manufacturing process developed to respond to high-volume demand and lead-free regulation.

The board-to-board technology introduced by Ericsson in the board-mounted product (BMP) segment is an important step for low-power dc-dc converters in having to comply with cost efficiency without compromising any other parameters. The board-to-board technique guarantees that the product is not compromised and always delivers what it promises.