15 September 2016

Telcodium partners with Transphorm on first redundant power supplies using GaN FETs

Power supply design firm Telcodium of Boucherville, QC, Canada, in collaboration with Transphorm Inc of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, CA, USA — which designs and manufactures JEDEC-qualified 650V gallium nitride (GaN)-based devices for high-voltage power conversion applications — has released what are claimed to be the first redundant power supplies using GaN field-effect transistors (FETs).

Telcodium's AC Series replaces a typical three-module power supply architecture — two power supply bricks and one intermediate bus converter (IBC) — with a single power module with redundant AC feeds. The firm's power module operates at 94% true system efficiency (TSE, i.e. power supply module efficiency plus IBC efficiency) or higher — reducing average energy loss by 13% or more. To achieve the same TSE with the typical three-module power supply, the bricks and IBC would each need to yield 97% efficiency, which exceeds the 80Plus Titanium specification and has yet to be demonstrated by any power supply manufacturer.

Further, the new module is reckoned to be 30% smaller than the two bricks and eliminates the standalone IBC, freeing considerable, critical space inside a host system.

The high TSE and size reduction are made possible by Telcodium's design, which pairs patented front-end circuitry with what is said to be the market's only JEDEC-qualified 650V GaN FET (from Transphorm). The resulting AC Series enables data-center, server and telecom manufacturers to develop smaller, high-performing systems that can virtually eliminate power-supply-related failures, it is reckoned. Such features can potentially reduce an average system's total cost of ownership by 19%.

The AC Series' universal form factor (260mm x 100mm x 40mm) is lightweight (1.36kg) and fits common equipment developed by data center, server and telecom manufacturers. Products are available now, and short delivery windows average in-stock to 6 weeks.

Tags: Transphorm GaN-on-Si GaN HEMT Power electronics

Visit: www.telcodium.com

Visit: www.transphormusa.com