News

DOSA Sets Standard Footprint for Quarter-Brick Converters

November 02, 2004 by Jeff Shepard

The Distributed-power Open Standards Alliance (DOSA) announced a standard footprint and pin-out design for high-current, quarter-brick dc-dc converters. The new standard establishes both the location and function of additional output pins required for a new generation of high-current, quarter-bricks. The solution was achieved through close collaboration with DOSA members and key OEM customers.

The new DOSA standard establishes a common pin placement and designation for the two additional power output pins required for recently introduced, high-current quarter-bricks, rated in the 50 A to 80 A range. Extra power pins are needed due to the increased complexity of the soldering and thermal relief requirements associated with muti-layer boards. The added pins reduce the total resistance, contributing to improved thermal performance and better reliability.

After studying the technical merits of several proposed solutions, DOSA based its standard footprint on the design of SynQor’s high-current pin-out proposal in which two additional power pins are located 0.15 in (3.81 mm) outside of, and in line with, the existing quarter-brick power pin locations. The extra output pins employ the opposite polarity of their adjacent power pin. As a result, the DOSA solution maximizes the distance between like polarity pins, allowing significantly less spreading of resistance.