Every piece of mains-powered electronic equipment requires some form of power supply unit (PSU) with unique requirements. As a starting point, the equipment designers need to consider the PSU’s form factor (size, shape, weight, and other physical characteristics), input and output voltages supported, power capability (wattage), efficiency, reliability, etc. Designers also need to consider the targeted deployment environments for each PSU.

Some environments are relatively benign, while others may be more hostile and demanding like in extreme operating temperatures. Active cooling, such as forced air cooling, requires a fan, which itself demands space in the system, increases the weight of the system, consumes power, generates noise, and provides an additional (and common) point of failure. In many cases it is preferable to use passive cooling in the form of conduction and convection, possibly including the addition of a heatsink.

In addition to sharing common requirements (efficiency, reliability, etc.), different markets have specific requirements for power supplies, such as the following examples:

Communications applications such as 5G base stations require high efficiency and high reliability to provide continuous operation.
Industrial applications such as industrial printers require support for a wide range of input and output voltage options.
Energy storage systems (ESS) require high efficiency to make long-term operations as economical as possible.
Defense applications require appropriate certifications that meet stringent defense safety standards.
Robotics applications require small form factors, lightweight, passive cooling, high stability, and multiple output voltage options to satisfy the needs of actuators, motors, and control systems.
Factory automation applications require support for a wide range of input voltages to facilitate deployment in different countries, and a wide range of output voltages to provision a diverse range of equipment.

In many cases, designers require the ability to employ multiple power supplies in parallel to increase the overall power capability. However, not all PSUs support this capability, and attempting to use non-capable PSUs in this capacity can lead to catastrophic system failure and damage to the equipment.

Non-technical managers and purchasing personnel may think it is easy to exchange one PSU with a similarly rated PSU from another supplier, but this is rarely the case. Each type of PSU has its own unique characteristics and learning curve for the designers, who therefore prefer to use the same PSU family in as many pieces of equipment as possible. Meanwhile, the manufacturers of the equipment desire to minimize inventory, which can be achieved by using a base PSU that can be configured to address the requirements of different deployments.

P-DUKE TBF500 Power Supply Unit (PSUs)

Founded in 1992, P-DUKE is committed to the research, development, and production of high-performance power conversion products. P-DUKE offers a broad range of DC/DC converters, AC/DC power supplies, and custom power conversion solutions for markets that demand the highest product quality and compliance to all relative application standards.

P-DUKE's TBF500 family of AC/DC power supplies support a universal input voltage range from 85 to 264 VAC and are available with output voltages of 12, 15, 24, 28, 48, and 54 VDC. All members of the family offer a low 0.6 W power consumption under no-load conditions (no minimum load is required) and support up to 500 W loads with up to 93% power conversion efficiency.

With 3,000 VAC reinforced insulation, TBF500 devices are presented in the form of a sealed power brick containing active semiconductor components with an integrated thermally conductive aluminum base plate (Figure 1).

High-Reliability Power Supplies for Communications, Industrial, and Defense Applications

Figure 1: The TBF500 is presented in the form of a sealed power brick.

In addition to a 3-year warranty, the TBF500 PSUs are RoHS compliant, REACH compliant, and IEC/UL/EN 62368-1 safety compliant. A typical deployment involves the use of additional components, including a metal oxide varistor (MOV) to act as a fuse, resistors capacitors, and inductors to meet electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements, bulk capacitors for smoothing, and other components to provide output filtering (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Some of the additional components required in a typical TBF500 deployment.

When deployed as illustrated in Figure 2, a TBF500 PSU offers industry-leading Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Temperature Protection (OTP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP).

In one example, unless mitigated against, overvoltage transients from the AC source can cause damage to the PSU and downstream equipment, exposing users to possible danger. The IEC 60664-1(2007) international standard describes various Over Voltage Categories (OVCs) that address transient overvoltage levels from sources, such as lightning or unstable power sources. OVC I is the lowest of these overvoltage categories—with TBF500 PSUs fully satisfying the requirements of OVC III.

The –Sense and +Sense inputs in Figure 2 allow the TBF500 PSU to sense the voltage seen by the load and to automatically adjust their output to address any voltage drop caused by resistance in the cabling.

In the case of equipment that requires more than 500 W, TBF500 PSUs support a current share function (CSF), allowing multiple units to be connected in parallel.

Deployment Options (Including the XTBF500)

To help equipment manufacturers minimize their inventory requirements and to satisfy a wide selection of market and application requirements, TBF500 PSUs support a variety of deployment options. For example, a TBF500 PSU can be attached directly to the system’s main printed circuit board (PCB). In this case, the TBF500 could be cooled by convection and radiation via a heatsink mounted on its attached aluminum plate, possibly augmented with forced air cooling. This scenario is illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Attachment to the main PCB with cooling via convection.

In this scenario, the additional external components mentioned in the previous section would be attached to the system's main PCB.

An alternative scenario would involve mounting the TBF500 PSU directly on the chassis. In this case, cooling would be achieved by convection via the aluminum plate attached to the back of the TBF500 (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Attachment to the system chassis with cooling via conduction.

Once again, the additional external components would be attached to the system’s main PCB.
Yet another alternative is provided in the form of the XTBF500 family of self-contained PSUs. In this case, the TBF500 power brick is attached by its aluminum plate to a larger aluminum base. The TBF500 is also attached to a circuit board containing all the additional components mentioned in the previous section (Figure 5).

Figure 5: The XTBF500 combines the TBF500 with a circuit board.

The XTBF500 may be deployed as an enclosed unit with the shield as shown in the upper portion of Figure 5. Alternatively, it may be deployed in an open frame mode as seen in the lower part of Figure 5. In addition to facilitating any necessary repair-and-replace procedures, an open frame deployment provides a thermal dissipation advantage. However, a shielded deployment provides enhanced protection by inhibiting access to the PCB, thereby averting the possibility of electric shocks.

As illustrated in Figure 6, the TBF500's aluminum baseplate connects to the XTBF500's aluminum baseplate, which, in turn, can be mounted onto the system chassis, thereby providing enhanced conductive cooling capability.

Figure 6: The XTBF500 provides enhanced conductive cooling capability.

The TBF500, possibly presented as an XTBF500, offers system architects and designers the ability to use different deployment options for different applications, allowing equipment manufacturers to minimize their PSU inventories.

P-DUKE Power Supply Unit (PSUs) Example Markets and Applications

The TBF500 and XTBF500 PSU families support a wide range of markets and applications. Some examples, along with corresponding PSU features that are particularly applicable, are summarized as follows:

Communications (e.g., 5G Base Stations)

500 W output power: provides stable and high power necessary for continuous operation.
Up to 93% efficiency: reduces energy loss and operating costs.
Wide Input Range (85 to 264 VAC): adapts to varying power grids in different geographic locations.
Comprehensive protection features and high operating altitude: ensures reliability in harsh environments.
3-year product warranty: increases system reliability.

Industrial Applications (e.g., Industrial Printers)

Multiple output voltages (12, 15, 24, 28, 48, 54 VDC): adapt to various industrial equipment requirements.
High efficiency: lower running costs and improve system stability.
Current sharing function and stable voltage output: provide stability and expandability.
EMC standard compliant filters: provides robust EMI resistance.
Comprehensive protection features: includes overvoltage and short circuit protection for system safety.

Energy Storage Systems (ESS)

Up to 93% efficiency: provides energy-saving advantages, making long-term operation more economical.
Current sharing and parallel function: meet varying load demands and support expansion.
Multiple output voltage options: adapt to different ESS system requirements (e.g., 48V, 54V).
High reliability and environmental adaptability: provides stable operation in harsh environments.

Defense

IEC/UL/EN 62368-1 Certification: meets stringent defense safety standards.
High efficiency and comprehensive protection features: increase system reliability.
Capability to operate at high altitudes: makes it suitable for various harsh environments.
Excellent EMI compatibility: offers superior EMI resistance performance.

Robotics

High stability output and multiple output voltage options: meet the needs of robotic control systems.
High-performance efficiency: ensures fast response and reduced energy consumption.
Sufficient protection mechanisms: ensure reliability for long-term operation.
EMC standard compliance: EMI resistance ensures operational accuracy.

Factory Automation

500 W output power and multiple output voltages: support various automation equipment.
High efficiency (93%): reduces energy loss and supports long-term operations.
Integrated peripheral circuits: simplify design and implementation processes; easy to deploy.
Adaptability to harsh operating environments and comprehensive protection features: improve system stability and reliability.

Learn More - XTBF500, TBF500

P-DUKE is a leading provider of high-performance power conversion products for markets that demand the highest product quality and compliance to all relative application standards.
Supporting a universal input voltage range from 85 to 264 VAC, P-DUKE’s TBF500 family of AC/DC power supplies are available with output voltages of 12, 15, 24, 28, 48, and 54 VDC. All members of the family offer a low 0.6 W power consumption under no-load conditions and support up to 500 W loads with up to 93% power conversion efficiency.

TBF500 PSUs are presented in the form of sealed power bricks containing active semiconductor components with an integrated thermally conductive aluminum base plate. To help equipment manufacturers minimize their inventory requirements and satisfy a wide selection of market and application requirements, TBF500 PSUs support a variety of deployment options. These include the XTBF500 family of self-contained PSUs, which combines the TBF500 with a custom circuit board and can be deployed as an enclosed unit with a shield or in an open frame mode.

The TBF500 and XTBF500 PSU families’ compliance to international regulations and safety standards makes these P-DUKE PSUs ideal for a wide range of markets and applications, including Communications, Industrial Applications, Energy Storage Systems, Defense, Robotics, and Factory Automation.
To explore P-DUKE’s products and services, please visit the dedicated product pages. For any assistance, feel free to contact P-DUKE.