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48 V intermediate bus converter (IBC)

High efficiency and high power density 48 V power distribution solutions for hyperscale datacenters and AI servers

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48 V intermediate bus converters in data centers

Driven by AI and the associated high power requirements, datacenters are transitioning to 48 V intermediate bus converters, which require a complex power conversion process.

For high power GPU and AI ASICs in this application, the conversion process starts with the power supply directly from the busbar to the accelerator card or baseboard. In the next step, it is converted to intermediate voltage through an intermediate bus converter (IBC), which can be regulated or unregulated. The last step of the process is the conversion to the core/PoL voltages in the secondary conversion.

The specificity of the application, as well as the extremely limited space on accelerator cards and the very high power requirement drives the need for high power density and efficiency. Further, the load dynamics of the accelerator IC can be wide with peak power nearly double the average. As a result, the combination of high power density, efficiency, and peak power is driving tremendous innovation in the power conversion industry.

Unregulated solutions for 48 V IBC power distribution in datacenters

Infineon offers a wide range of unregulated solutions, depending on efficiency, power density, peak power, and cost requirements.??

While many approaches have been employed in the industry, including STC, LLC, and others, which Infineon also supports, each has its limitations. Infineon's patented hybrid switched-capacitor (HSC) family of converters incorporates the benefits of resonant ZVS operation with the benefits of magnetic step-down. This approach enables a high level of immunity to component variation ensuring resonant operation over a wide input range. Output voltage is set by choice of turns ratio of the multi-tapped autotransformer (MTA).? Moreover, HSC offers low ripple and low DC loss while supporting the high peak currents required for AI applications. The HSC family of converters has been optimized to optionally work with XDP710 family of protection controllers, to ensure smooth startup and a full range of protection features.?

The different variants of hybrid switched-capacitors that Infineon offers are designed to address the specific needs of each application.?

Learn about HSC
Learn about ZSC
Regulated solutions for 48 V IBC power distribution in datacenters

Infineon also supports a number of regulated and semi-regulated topologies in the IBC application space.?

The regulated hybrid switched apacitor converter (R-HSC) topololgy, as with the open-loop HSC converter, combines the benefits of resonant ZVS with the benefits of magnetic step-down. In the case of R-HSC, the regulation is achieved using a sigma converter architecture. Meanwhile, the dual-phase regulated HSC, known as DR-HSC, combines a resonant 2:1 ZSC with a 3LFC-DP with duty cycle modulation to achieve regulation.

Both approaches deliver high efficiency, current density, and peak power capability in a regulated or semi-regulated output solution.

48 V intermediate bus converters in data centers

Driven by AI and the associated high power requirements, datacenters are transitioning to 48 V intermediate bus converters, which require a complex power conversion process.

For high power GPU and AI ASICs in this application, the conversion process starts with the power supply directly from the busbar to the accelerator card or baseboard. In the next step, it is converted to intermediate voltage through an intermediate bus converter (IBC), which can be regulated or unregulated. The last step of the process is the conversion to the core/PoL voltages in the secondary conversion.

The specificity of the application, as well as the extremely limited space on accelerator cards and the very high power requirement drives the need for high power density and efficiency. Further, the load dynamics of the accelerator IC can be wide with peak power nearly double the average. As a result, the combination of high power density, efficiency, and peak power is driving tremendous innovation in the power conversion industry.

Unregulated solutions for 48 V IBC power distribution in datacenters

Infineon offers a wide range of unregulated solutions, depending on efficiency, power density, peak power, and cost requirements.??

While many approaches have been employed in the industry, including STC, LLC, and others, which Infineon also supports, each has its limitations. Infineon's patented hybrid switched-capacitor (HSC) family of converters incorporates the benefits of resonant ZVS operation with the benefits of magnetic step-down. This approach enables a high level of immunity to component variation ensuring resonant operation over a wide input range. Output voltage is set by choice of turns ratio of the multi-tapped autotransformer (MTA).? Moreover, HSC offers low ripple and low DC loss while supporting the high peak currents required for AI applications. The HSC family of converters has been optimized to optionally work with XDP710 family of protection controllers, to ensure smooth startup and a full range of protection features.?

The different variants of hybrid switched-capacitors that Infineon offers are designed to address the specific needs of each application.?

Learn about HSC
Learn about ZSC

Regulated solutions for 48 V IBC power distribution in datacenters

Infineon also supports a number of regulated and semi-regulated topologies in the IBC application space.?

The regulated hybrid switched apacitor converter (R-HSC) topololgy, as with the open-loop HSC converter, combines the benefits of resonant ZVS with the benefits of magnetic step-down. In the case of R-HSC, the regulation is achieved using a sigma converter architecture. Meanwhile, the dual-phase regulated HSC, known as DR-HSC, combines a resonant 2:1 ZSC with a 3LFC-DP with duty cycle modulation to achieve regulation.

Both approaches deliver high efficiency, current density, and peak power capability in a regulated or semi-regulated output solution.

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