High Power DC/DC Converters - The RPMGS-20 and RPMGQ-20 Series

Podcast Transcript

Jeff: Welcome to RECOM's Powerful Podcast, where we discuss new topics and products. I'm Jeff Deutschman, your product moderator. From a quarter watt up to 1,000 watts, whether the power is required for an industrial setting, a new IoT gadget, or a high-end medical-grade device, RECOM has you covered.
On this episode, we'll be discussing a couple of new power supplies, the RPMGS-20 and the RPMGQ-20. Peter, what can you tell us about these?

Peter: Hey Jeff, both these parts are non-isolated DC/DC converters, designed and manufactured completely in Europe.

Jeff: Excellent. What makes these different from our other switching regulators?

Peter: These are much higher power than our other switchers and can support loads up to 20A, hence the 20 in the part number.

Jeff: Makes a lot of sense. Okay, that's a lot of power. What does the S and Q stand for?

Peter: Yeah, so this denotes the form factor. The S has a 16th brick footprint, and the Q has a quarter brick footprint. So, a little larger than our other solutions as well.

Jeff: I guess that's necessary to handle the thermals for 20A, right?

Peter: Yep, that's right. But considering the power, these are actually very compact and that's due to the high efficiency. Efficiency can get up to 97% under the right conditions.

Jeff: That's excellent. How tall are these parts?

Peter: They're actually pretty low profile. They both have a height of 15mm and that's because of a design choice when selecting the inductors. Instead of one very large inductor, we split the output into two smaller inductors and that allows us to save some height.

Jeff: Sounds like a lot of thought and logic went into these, Peter. What's the temperature rating on these?

Peter: It really depends on the part number and loading conditions. In general, the larger quarter brick, our RPMGQ, can operate at higher temperatures. Without any fan cooling, best case scenario is 20A at 67°C. Both the Q and the S can start up at -40°C.

Jeff: Gotcha. And how high can the temperature get with a fan?

Peter: The forced air cooling from a fan helps significantly and can allow customers to run these parts in ambient temperatures over 100°C. But like I said, every part is different, so please refer to the datasheet for more details.

Jeff: That makes sense. Let's talk about some of the other features now. What kind of output voltages are available?

Peter: Each series has a standard 5V and 12V option. These outputs can also be trimmed using a couple external resistors. The 5V can be set between 3.3 and 8V, where the 12V model can be adjusted between 8 and 24V.

Jeff: Okay. I also see that there's a sense pin. What does that pin do?

Peter: Yeah, so the sense pin is used for voltage regulation. It's what customers will connect the resistors to, to adjust the voltage. It should also be connected right at the point of load to compensate for any voltage drop across a long trace. Another way we ensure the highest accuracy possible.

Jeff: Very nice. What does this part come with standard protections? Or does this part come with standard protections?

Peter: Yeah, it does. The output is protected against short circuit and overcurrent, and there's also over-temperature protection built in.

Jeff: We like to hear that. Let's wrap up by talking about the safety standards in EMC.

Peter: Sure. So, safety standards aren't a concern for non-isolated power supplies, so this part actually doesn't have a UL or IEC certification. We do offer EMC filter suggestions on the datasheet, so customers can meet EN55032 Class A or B.

Jeff: Excellent. Sounds like we got another winner, Peter. Thank you very much. Well, that wraps up another episode of RECOM's Powerful Podcast. Be sure to listen next time when we delve into the pros of another RECOM topic. As always, please contact your regional sales manager for any samples or pricing information. Our application engineers are always happy to assist you with any technical questions or requests. You can email them at techsupportamericas@recom-power.com. Until then, have a great day and always remember, RECOM powers your products!