Basic knowledge of isolated DC-DC power supply, do you know?

What is an isolated DC-DC power supply? What does it do? Signal isolation in all power supply applications maintains integrity by preventing the propagation of high-frequency noise, thereby protecting sensitive circuitry from high-voltage spikes. In such applications, isolated power supplies are required to provide power to the different electrical components. To ensure personal safety, industry standards require enhanced isolation, which is twice the level of isolation required for proper equipment operation.

In addition to proper isolation, the market is also moving toward distributed power. In addition to the central power supply that provides the entire system, there are smaller power supplies and even micro power supplies that provide micropower to the various subsystems and components inside (such as integrated circuits). Size, cost and thermal management are all key design elements to consider here. Texas Instruments' integrated transformer technology provides a new 500 mW high-efficiency isolated DC-DC power solution with low electromagnetic interference (EMI).

"Our solutions need to have higher levels of power density and efficiency," said Steve Lambouses, vice president and general manager of Texas Instruments' High Voltage Power Supply Group. "Because we're placing these power supplies in a smaller space, and because We have more grid-connected power sources than ever before, so we cannot afford to waste energy. We need to deliver the highest density and most efficient solutions. Additionally, the electrification of vehicles has a major impact on factory automation and building automation as well as other fast-growing areas such as healthcare Demand continues to increase, all of which require higher levels of ruggedness and reliability.”

In each of these applications, the biggest concern is related to EMI, since interference is further amplified in tighter spaces. One of the common sources of EMI is the power supply itself. Energy quality is defined as the power to drive the load and the ability of the load to operate properly. Without a proper power supply that reduces EMI, the equipment (load) may not function properly or may be damaged prematurely.

To meet EMI requirements, engineers often need to follow correct design guidelines to reduce interference, while also adding external components such as filters or chokes to suppress noise, as well as performing accurate testing to optimize the design during the development phase. .

This is a very iterative and arduous process. TI's new integrated transformer technology is designed to shield against noise and provide low-EMI isolated power, ultimately greatly simplifying engineers' design work.

The new UCC12050 enables designers to reduce the solution size by 60% compared to power modules and ensures high isolation.

The UCC12050's 5 kVrms reinforced insulation and 1.2 kVrms operating voltage protect against high voltage spikes in systems such as industrial transportation, network infrastructure and medical equipment.

In all these applications, the UCC12050 is a compact, isolated DC/DC power supply companion device that can be used to power other integrated circuits (e.g., digital isolators, isolated current or voltage sensors) and communications equipment (e.g., isolated transceivers). )powered by.

The UCC12050 is available in a 16-pin SOIC package measuring 10.3mm x 10.3mm x 2.65mm. The new solution also eliminates certain external components typically required to meet EMI certification, such as low-dropout regulators and ferrite beads, significantly reducing design time. Its high efficiency and extended operating temperature range of -40°C to 125°C deliver more power under extreme conditions.

TI's integrated transformer technology enables conversion of high-density isolated DC/DC power while maintaining low EMI levels. The surface-mount monolithic architecture provides designers with an easy-to-use, low-profile IC that reduces BOM and operates efficiently over a wide temperature range.

“As a semiconductor manufacturer, we are able to integrate more external components on the die and now, by embedding proprietary transformer technology into the package, we can also eliminate the need for external ferrite beads or chokes to mitigate EMI , often this can be done in today’s systems where there are only local transformers,” said Lambouses.

Medical applications require EMI robustness and safe isolation. The new solution provides a technology combination that meets the stringent requirements of both the medical market and the T&M market, where efficiency is key for test meter measurements.

"Ten years ago, power density wasn't a big issue. We had big, large systems. We only had one power supply," Lambouses said. This has become one of the major concerns for customers today, in test and measurement, medical, factory automation equipment, all of which are becoming smaller and smaller, and as power is distributed more and more dispersed, power density becomes key . Likewise, EMI has become an important issue for customers. They can't afford the added cost and extra components outside the chip. Instead, they require mitigating or reducing EMI inside the chip, which is what TI's proprietary transformer design focuses on," he added. The above is the analysis of isolated DC-DC power supplies, I hope it can be helpful to everyone.