Choosing right AC-DC power supply can have a major impact on your embedded system’s capabilities. Power supply manufacturers are meeting today’s demands with devices designed to suit applications like industrial control, medical and IoT—and even multipurpose needs.
What’s happening in AC-DC power supplies?
600W IHC600 from Calex
CUI’s VGS-100C series
PQU650 series from Murata Power Solutions
RACM1200-V series from RECOM
TDK-Lambda brand TPS4000-48
XP Power’s HDL3000-HV series
While embedded systems strive to cram ever more intelligence into smaller spaces, power has direct implications on the size, cooling and mobility of any system. That makes AC-DC power supplies critical enablers for meeting today’s needs. To meet those needs, AC-DC power supply vendors continue to roll out more efficient products, new cooling strategies and more compact solutions. In tandem to those trends, there’s a growing demand to reduce size, weight and power of system electronics. Driving those demands is a desire to fit more functionality in the same space or into a smaller footprint.
In recent years, there’s been a trend in AC-DC power supply products that have some sort of application or industry focus. Although that trend hasn’t diminished, many of the new products released over the past 12 months are moving in a multipurpose direction. We’re seeing supplies that offer certifications and features that span multiple applications like medical, industrial and networking (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1 Many of the new AC-DC power supplies released in the past year are moving in a multipurpose direction. We’re seeing supplies that offer certifications and features that span multiple applications such as medical, industrial and networking.
Exemplifying this trend, RECOM’s RACM1200-V series of AC-DC powers supplies offer a wide output voltage adjustment range and a combination of constant current limitation and hiccup mode settings. All these features make the product multipurpose, says RECOM. The product also holds worldwide safety files to medical, industrial and ITE standards along with electromagnetic compatibility compliance with class A immunity and class B emissions.
Shown in the product gallery on the following pages are representative examples of AC-DC power supplies. The gallery shows a mix of products spanning a wide range of sizes, formats and voltage configurations. Most of the AC-DC supplies offer certifications specifically tailored to specific markets, but many meet multiple certifications across different markets. Others are targeted for harsh environmental applications and feature special cooling schemes and wide temperature specs.
The 600W IHC600 from Calex is a new series of AC-DC harsh environment industrial power supplies. The IHC series is aimed at ruggedized and special applications that require operation in extreme industrial environmental conditions. The product enclosure is an IP66 sealed convection/conduction cooled assembly that can be baseplate mounted to a thermal (cold) plate or natural convection cooled.
• Universal AC input 100VAC to 240VAC
• Single 12V, 24V and 48V output
• -5%/+15% output voltage adjustment
• Up to 600W conduction cooled,
no fan at +85°C max.
• High efficiency of 95%
• Active PFC meets
EN61000-3-2 class A
• Active inrush current protection
• RoHS3 Directive 2015/863 compliant
The PQU650 series from Murata Power Solutions are open-frame, 650W-rated AC-DC power supplies. They offer high power-density, with forced air- and convection-cooled ambient ratings. Features include wide output voltage adjustment range, auxiliary power rails and a high transient capability. Measuring just 6″ × 4″ by 1U high, the power supplies accept a universal AC input voltage range of 90VAC to 264VAC.
• AC input voltage range of 90VAC to 264VAC
• Meets 2x MOPP primary to secondary, and 1x MOPP primary to chassis
• Output ratings from 12V to 54V,
and 12.1A to 54.2A
• High 450W convection-cooled rating
• Efficiency levels of up to 95%
• Dimensions: 6″ × 4″ by 1U high
The PQU650 series from Murata Power Solutions are open-frame, 650W-rated AC-DC power supplies. They offer high power-density, with forced air- and convection-cooled ambient ratings. Features include wide output voltage adjustment range, auxiliary power rails and a high transient capability. Measuring just 6″ × 4″ by 1U high, the power supplies accept a universal AC input voltage range of 90VAC to 264VAC.
• AC input voltage range of 90VAC to 264VAC
• Meets 2x MOPP primary to secondary, and 1x MOPP primary to chassis
• Output ratings from 12V to 54V,
and 12.1A to 54.2A
• High 450W convection-cooled rating
• Efficiency levels of up to 95%
• Dimensions: 6″ × 4″ by 1U high
The RACM1200-V series from RECOM features a special baseplate cooled design supports heat transfer to allow up to 1000W continuous output power. Up to 1200W output power is available for up to 10 seconds and in boost mode operation or for extended time with sufficient system airflow through the unit. Wide output voltage adjustment range, constant current limitation and hiccup mode settings make the product multipurpose.
• Up to 1000W fan-less power
/ 1200W boost
• Designed and made in Europe
• Efficiency exceeding 90% from
15% load
• Operating temperature
-40°C to +80°C
• Certified to Industrial and medical standards
• Analog control and monitor function
• Dimensions L×W×H:
228.0mm × 96.2mm × 40.0mm
3-Phase 4080W Supply Supports Delta and Wye Inputs
The TDK-Lambda brand TPS4000-48 power supply extends TDK’s the existing 3kW to 4kW rated TPS series. Delivering up to 4080W output power (48V at 83.3A) in a 2U high package, the TPS4000 series operates from a wide range Delta or Wye 350 – 528VAC three phase input. This industrial power supply is ideal for use in many applications including test and measurement equipment, IC fabrication and more.
• Suitable for 400/440/480VAC 3-phase Delta and Wye inputs
• Compact 2U high package size
• 92% efficient
• PMBus interface for remote programming and monitoring
• Certified to IEC/EN/UL/CSA 62368-1
• Dimensions: 107mm × 84.4mm × 335mm
• Weight: 4kg
• 55% load at 70°C
XP Power’s HDL3000-HV series of single-phase input 3kW AC-DC power supplies provide output voltages from 150V to 400VDC, with up to 800VDC realized by connecting units in series. All models feature output voltage and current adjustment ranging from 0 to 105% using analog (via voltage or resistance) or digital (I2C, RS485 and RS232) interfaces enabling the user to tailor the power solution to the application.
• Programmable output voltage
(0-105%) and current (0-105%)
• Nominal output voltages 150/200/250/300/400VDC
• 90VAC to 264VAC input
• ITE safety agency approvals
• Class A conducted and radiated emissions
• High efficiency, up to 93%
• Intelligent fan speed control
• Digital protocol: I²C
• -20°C to +60°C operating temperature
Note: We’ve made the Dec 2022 issue of Circuit Cellar available as a free sample issue. In it, you’ll find a rich variety of the kinds of articles and information that exemplify a typical issue of the current magazine.
Jeff served as Editor-in-Chief for both LinuxGizmos.com and its sister publication, Circuit Cellar magazine 6/2017—3/2022. In nearly three decades of covering the embedded electronics and computing industry, Jeff has also held senior editorial positions at EE Times, Computer Design, Electronic Design, Embedded Systems Development, and COTS Journal. His knowledge spans a broad range of electronics and computing topics, including CPUs, MCUs, memory, storage, graphics, power supplies, software development, and real-time OSes.
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