Demand Increases for Non-Isolated Point-of-Load DC/DC Converters

The proliferation of different voltages at higher current levels has changed the way distributed bus architectures (DBA) are designed, according to VDC, a Natick, Mass.-based technology market research and consulting firm. Bus architectures traditionally use a central power source that converts the incoming line voltage separately to each regulated DC output. The regulated voltages are then distributed to each individual point-of-use within the equipment. Conversely, voltage in a DBA is generated from a front-end DC bus and converted into the required voltage at the point of use or point-of-load (POL). VDC found that the non-isolated POL DC/DC converters are smaller than their counterparts, feature no transformers or electrical isolation, operate at a higher efficiency, and offer the capability to easily adjust output voltage to accommodate different loads.