New 15-Watt Board-Mounted DC/DC Converter Offers High-Power Density

Available with narrow and wide input ranges, TRACO Power’s DC/DC converter provides high-power density conversion for industrial, automation, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

TRACO Power has announced the release of the new TEL 15 series of high-power density, isolated DC/DC converters for board-level power conversion in industrial, automation, and IoT applications. The 15-watt converter series comprises four families with both wide and narrow input voltage ranges and integrated heat sink options for improved thermal performance.

The standard variant TEL 15N (W), without heat sink, is in a 23.8 x 13.7 x 10.2-millimeter DIP-16 package that yields a power density of 4.51 watts/cubic centimeter (W/cm3). The package housing is aluminum with silicone potting and nickel through hole pins with matte tin coating, suitable for wave solder manufacturing processes. 

The 2:1 narrow input range models support nominal input voltages of 12, 24, and 48 volts DC with single and dual output options from 5 to +/-15 VDC. The 4:1 wide input models support 24- and 48-VDC nominal inputs.  

The converters have a typical conversion efficiency of 87 percent that limits thermal losses and heat generation. Several circuit protection features are integrated to help protect the converter and surrounding components, including undervoltage lockout, short-circuit protection, and output current limitation. 

The nominal switching frequency of the converter is ~ 500, kilohertz, and it provides a well-regulated output within 1 percent of specification across the full rated load. 

Input to output isolation is rated to 1,500 VDC for up to 60 seconds.

Integrated Modules Can Reduce Design Time

For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), many options are available to meet system and board-level power design needs. Cost, performance, size, and reliability are competing goals that impact how designers approach power management for a product or application. For example, high-volume consumer products are typically very price-sensitive. In these cases, aggressive bill-of-materials (BOM) cost targets leveraged across thousands, or even millions, of manufactured units may justify a custom board-level power design that can save space and unit costs. 

Conversely, in lower-volume industrial applications that are less cost-sensitive, a premium may be placed on design time and reliability. When considering an isolated power supply design, thought must be given to selection of the pulse width modulation (PWM) controller, switching components, power inductor, transformer, and other passives, with detailed attention to layout considerations. The design must then be fully tested and characterized (electrical, thermal, isolation, emissions, etc.).

In this respect, a fully tested and characterized DC/DC module like the TEL 15 is an excellent option for applications that can benefit from a plug-and-play solution that minimizes additional design and characterization work. Even more so when an application requires robust isolation and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance.

Heat Sink Extends Output Power Over Temperature

TEL 15 models without the integrated heat sink can support full-load, convection-cooled operations up to 55 degrees Celsius (ambient), while models with the heat sink extend full-load operation to 70 degrees C. The improved thermal performance comes at the expense of space, with the heat sink extending the height of the module to 24.4 mm. The nominal operating temperature range is -40 degrees C to +85 degrees C.

TEL 15 Packaging Addresses Electromagnetic Interference

Keeping radiated (air) and conducted (board) radio frequency (RF) emissions from the internal switcher to within specified parameters is a key design parameter for many applications, and ensures the supply does not compromise the surrounding electromagnetic (EM) environment. To help with this, the TEL 15 packaging incorporates a six-sided shielded metal case with insulated base plate. 

The module also incorporates an internal filter to help meet EN 55032 Class A conducted emissions requirements while preserving external board space. Class B conducted and Class A/B radiated emissions standards can be met with additional external filtering and a careful layout. External filtering also assists with meeting fast transient EFT (Burst)/Surge specifications per EN 61000-4-4.