Advanced Bus Converter Sports Burst-mode Capability for Peak-power Demand

Ericsson’s award-winning advanced bus converter upgraded to include burst-mode capability for peak power demand

• Third-generation BMR458 quarter-brick advanced bus converter upgraded to deliver burst-mode capability and handle 1079W of power for one second
• New capability negates need for second converter module in parallel
• BMR458 handle delivers up to 650W for range of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) applications
• Designed to meet the demands of high-end and high power applications based on intermediate bus conversion (IBC) and dynamic bus voltage (DBV) architectures

Ericsson Power Modules today announced that its award-winning BMR458 third-generation 3E* quarter-brick advanced bus converter has been upgraded to integrate burst-mode operation, which enables the module to handle 1079W of peak power for a brief period of time, up to a maximum of one second.

Increasingly high-performance microprocessors and ASICs will require brief bursts of high current demand that is typically well in excess of normal system operation. Importantly, this burst-mode or peak-power capability eliminates the need for a second converter module to be placed in parallel.

The BMR458 delivers industry-leading performance to system architects developing equipment for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications, including datacom and server and storage systems. The module is ideal for high-power applications that are powered by multi-cell batteries or rectifiers commonly used in the ICT industry and employ intermediate bus conversion (IBC) or dynamic bus voltage (DBV) architectures.

“This upgrade of the BMR458 meet the needs of leading customers to handle peak current, commonly demanded by the latest system processors, ASICs and other system-on-chip devices,” said Martin Hägerdal, Head of Ericsson Power Modules. “Once again, Ericsson has extended its technological leadership with this further augmentation of capabilities to deliver the most advanced and highest power capable advanced bus converter available on the market today.”

Other features of the BMR458 include: the highest power delivery (650W) in the industry for a digitally operated quarter-brick advanced bus converter controlled via the PMBus, reducing the number of required modules in very high power applications; and highly accurate current sharing, as well as it being the only advanced bus converter available today to offer active- or droop-current sharing. Other key features including dynamic load compensation, snapshot parameter capture, and a PMBus v1.3 interface.

Key electrical characteristics include class-leading high efficiency of up to 96.6% at half load and 96.3% at full load; maximum current output of 54.2A; tightly regulated 12V output (+/–2mV, typical) across the 40 to 60V input voltage range; output current monitoring of +/-1A to enable highly accurate system monitoring capability; and a fast transient recovery time of only 1ms. Further specifications include: an MTBF of 8.2 million hours; and I/O functional isolation of 2250Vdc, which meets the latest IEC/EN/UL60905 safety standard.

Available in the industry-standard quarter-brick format with dimensions of 2.28 x 1.45 x 0.5in (57.9 x 36.8 x 12.7 mm), the module also offers excellent performance in challenging thermal environments. Delivering higher reliability overall, it provides higher useable power in applications that have a high ambient temperature and/or limited airflow. However, the module is also available with an optional baseplate, enabling connection to a heatsink or cold plate for the most extreme environments.

This new version of the BMR458 has been built to the highest quality design and manufacturing standards, enabling Ericsson to deliver to customers a continued high level of confidence in its power modules. The price of the new burst-mode version of the BMR458 starts at US$62.87 for OEM quantities of 1000 units.

* Enhanced Performance, Energy Management, and End-user Value are the key benefits delivered by Ericsson’s range of 3E digitally controlled DC/DC converters.