SVGA point of load DC-DC converters for space
ProductSeptember 03, 2012
Alice Moss
Military Embedded Systems
The SVGA Series 10A and 15A POL devices from VPT in Everett, WA are non-isolated, regulated buck DC-DC converters that reduce voltage by a step-down process at the point of use in a distributed power system. There is a big push toward power distributed architectures for space applications,...
The SVGA Series 10A and 15A POL devices from VPT in Everett, WA are non-isolated, regulated buck DC-DC converters that reduce voltage by a step-down process at the point of use in a distributed power system. There is a big push toward power distributed architectures for space applications, much like the way it is done in the commercial world, says Leonard Leslie, Manager of Space Programs at VPT. “Point of load converters enable this transition. Power distributed architectures provide one isolation boundary converter taking from the power bus of the vehicle to a distributed bus so you can move low-voltage conversion closer to the loads. This is especially important because the big demands of DSP and FPGA components require tight regulation at a high current level to keep the conversion as close as possible to the load.” The Defense Logistics Agency also issued Standard Microcircuit Drawings (SMDs) for the company’s SVGA Series point of load DC-DC converters for space radiation environments. The converters are tiny and save space and weight, Leslie says. Features include: 100 krads (Si) radiation hardening, MIL-PRF-38534 Class K, 10 A and 15 A modules, 85 MeV-cm2/mg SEE, and as much as 94 percent efficiency. The modules are available off-the-shelf. The VPT products are ITAR-controlled products that require an export license.
