MilitaryGrade Laptop PSU is 90 Percent Smaller and Lighter 80 Percent Lower Cost

UK company, On-Systems, launches revolutionary disruptive technology; delivers new technology platform for harsh-environment PSUs.

On-Systems, a young British company that specializes in innovative power supply design for harsh environments, launched Pebble, a new COTS, rugged, EMI-silent laptop power supply for defense, avionics, and mobile applications that is a fraction of the size, weight, and cost of current designs. Pebble is the first in a series of harsh-environment PSUs from the company which combines a new topology, custom-designed FET drivers, and fast switching speed to deliver industry-changing benefits.

The new topology combines three stages into one, reducing I2R losses and increasing efficiency. On-Systems has worked with a leading power semiconductor company to design new very fast FET drivers, allowing the Pebble to switch at up to 40 times typical switching frequencies. This high speed reduces the size of the EMC filtering components required, such that the laptop PSU meets all defense EMC performance standards, including MIL-STD 1275A-E, MIL-STD 704A-F, DEF-STAN 59-411 and MIL-STD 461 E-F EMC, in a package measuring just 115 x 52 x 36mm and weighing only 180g. Pebble is 96% efficient, operates over a universal AC input range and wide DC input range, features short circuit, overload and overvoltage protection, and carries a four-year warranty.

Explains On-Systems’ CCO Mike Harvey: “Traditional laptop power supplies that must be electrically silent for use in secure, harsh environments are about the same size as a laptop and weigh 2-3kg because they need so much filtering and heatsinking. Pebble, by contrast, retains the familiar look and feel of a commercial power adaptor, yet it is fully certified for defense use. What's more, we can use the same technology in other applications – notably in aircraft fuel pump systems, where space and weight saving will be of special interest.”
 

About On-Systems

On-Systems is a UK designer and manufacturer of high quality COTS-based, ITAR free, acdc and dcdc converters. Our products are used in land, sea and air applications across industry, broadcasting and the military, and a range from PCB mounted units of a few watts to large system units of several kW.