DC-DC converters

A conduction cooled DC-DC power supply is designed with a flat baseplate, through which any heat generated by the components of the power supply can be conducted away, as opposed to a convection cooled power supply, where the heat radiates into the air around the power supply.

Efficient conduction cooling is usually achieved by mounting the power supply inside the outer wall of a metal equipment case, in a position that allows heat transfer through the case to the surroundings, this may be enhanced by ribs or a heatsink on the outside of the case.

The advantages are that it allows the case to be sealed to prevent ingress of contaminants, also it eliminates the need for fan assisted cooling with its noise, energy consumption and servicing requirements.

Conduction cooled DC-DC power supplies are available from XP Power to suit a multitude of applications.

Power bricks are DC-DC converters that are designed to conform to the Distributed-power Open Systems Alliance (DOSA) industry standard comprising of six sizes, the largest is the Full brick with a footprint of 116.8 x 61.0mm, then Half brick, Quarter brick, 1/8th brick, 1/16thbrick, down to 1/32nd brick at 23.35 x 19mm.

The advantage of a DC-DC power brick is that they offer a complete solution in a single package, that may just require additional input or output filtering, depending on the application. Cooling can be by conduction via the baseplate mounting or convection via a heatsink.

Within its extensive DC-DC converter portfolio, XP Power offers a number of solutions in brick packages of various sizes and power ratings for a variety of applications.