Featured Applications Note:

DC-DC Converters

• Component Power Solutions for Industrial High Voltage Applications

  (3 pages, 123k)
  State-of-the-art Vicor Maxi, Mini, Micro Series DC-DC converters offer many features that facilitate their integration into a complete power solution. Foremost of these is a unique current sharing schemewhich allows for increased power capability, with current sharing accuracy between modules better than 5%.
  

• Constant Current Control for DC-DC Converters

  (9 pages, 1,224k)
  Vicor's VI-200/VI-J00 and Maxi, Mini and Micro family DC-DC converters are voltage regulating devices, but their wide trim range makes it possible to use them as efficient high-power current sources. Current regulation can be implemented through the addition of an external control loop and current-sense resistor. Such a design must take into account the power limitations of the DC-DC converter and must ensure the stability of the converter's voltage loop. In addition to these considerations, this application note covers compensation of the external current-control loop and a design example for a simple battery charger.
  

• Converter PR Pin Facilitates Parallel Operation for Power Expansion or Redundancy

  (2 pages, 84k)
  A unique feature has been designed into Vicor's Maxi, Mini and Micro converter modules which facilitates parallel operation for power expansion or redundancy.
  

• Designing High-Power Arrays Using Maxi, Mini and Micro Family DC-DC Converters

  (8 pages, 596k)
  Vicor's Maxi, Mini and Micro DC-DC converters are designed for easy paralleling to increase output power. The unique paralleling interface allows multi-kW capable designs to be implemented with few external components.
  

• High Efficiency Battery Charger Using Power Components

  (4 pages, 128k)
  An offline battery charger – using the Unitrode UC3906 battery charger controller chip and a Vicor Maxi, Mini, Micro Series DC-DC converter module – provides design flexibility, small size, and highefficiency. The system is described, and an estimate of overall efficiency of the battery charger is derived.
  

• Hot Swap Capability Eliminates Downtime

  (4 pages, 44k)
  Hot swap capability imposes special needs to insure survival of the component which is subjected to live insertion and extraction. In addition, it is necessary to prevent any significant disturbance of either input or output power rails during live insertion / extraction.
  

• Micro Family Isolated Remote Sense

  (6 pages, 412k)
  Vicor's Micro DC-DC converters do not have remote sense pins. Nevertheless, remote sense can be achieved by employing external circuitry. A circuit is proposed that senses the voltage at the load and adjusts the converter output voltage to compensate for the voltage drop in the leads / traces. It also provides isolation of the sense leads / traces that is beneficial in high-noise applications.
  

• Thermal Considerations: Assuring Performance of Maxi, Mini and Micro High-Density DC-DC Converter Modules

  (3 pages, 104k)
  As the modular DC-DC converter industry realizes greater power densities, proper thermal management must be achieved in order to get the most usable power to the load. Efficiency, while an important element in thermal management, is not the only item to consider. Dealing with the heat generated by the conversion process should not be underestimated nor overlooked when designing or selecting a power supply.
  

• Undervoltage / Overvoltage Lockout

  (9 pages, 549k)
  For many applications it is necessary to disable a DC-DC converter when its input voltage goes outside a specified range. This note describes circuits that can be used to disable a Vicor converter based on programmable undervoltage or overvoltage set points.
  

• Wide Range Trimming with Variable Loads

  (2 pages, 37k)
  The output of Vicor 2nd Generation DC-DC converter modules can be programmed from 10 to 110% of their nominal output voltage. Trimming down is easily accomplished with a small low power resistor or potentiometer connected between the SC pin and the -S pin.
  

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VI BRICKS™

• AN-VI BRICK THERMAL MANAGEMENT

  (8 pages, 572k)
  VI BRICKs allow access to the advantages of Vicor’s V•I Chip technology with increased options for thermal management. High operating efficiency minimizes heat loss, and the thermally enhanced low profile package features an easily accessible, electrically isolated thermal interface surface.
  

• AN:001 -Configuring the Vicor BCM with low power niPOLs

  (4 pages, 253k)
  The niPOLs within IBA forego isolation and high–ratio voltage transformation in order to improve cost effectiveness, and they depend upon a nearby bus converter to supply isolated power at a low voltage. The 48 V to 12 V (K = 1/4) BCM can be placed at the power entry point on the board. This will provide safety isolation from the higher 48 V backplane voltage as well as free up board space at the point–of–load.
  
  

• AN:002 -PRM/VTM Parallel Operation

  (4 pages, 44k)
  This applications note describes the steps needed to create a current sharing higher power array using two PRM-AL and VTM pairs in a parallel configuration. If the application requires more than two PRMs in parallel, please contact Applications Engineering for additional information.
  
  

• AN:003 Powering Multiple VTMs with a Single PRM

  (3 pages, 337k)
  This Applications Note discusses the design practices for using Vicor’s V•I Chip Pre-Regulator Module and Voltage Transformation Module to meet the challenge of power systems that require lower voltages, more current, and multiple voltages within one system. Vicor’s V•I Chips can address these challenges.
  
  

• AN:005 FPA Printed Circuit Board Layout Guidelines

  (10 pages, 522k)
  Factorized Power with V•I Chips enable system density to keep pace with technology by providing layout flexibility and high power density. More importantly, V•I Chips allow a power conversion system to be "factorized" or separated into its constituent functions.
  
  

• AN:007 Using VTMs as 26-55 V Input Bus Converters

  (3 pages, 243k)
  The Voltage Transformation Module (VTM) is a fundamental building block of Factorized Power Architecture (FPA). This new power conversion architecture separates the functions of the DC-DC converter ?regulation, isolation, and transformation ?into two building blocks.
  
  

• AN: 016 Using BCM™Bus Converters in High Power Arrays

  (6 pages, 644k)
  This application note provides methods and guidelines for designing BCMs into high power arrays.
  
  

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