VPT's SVGA point of load DC-DC converters for space get DLA drawings
NewsJuly 18, 2012
MIAMI. Engineers at VPT in Everett, Wash., announced at the Nuclear Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC) this week in Miami that the Defense Logistics Agency issued Standard Microcircuit Drawings (SMDs) for the company?s SVGA Series point of load DC-DC converters for space radiation environments.
The SVGA Series 10A and 15A POL converters are non-isolated, regulated buck DC-DC converters that reduce the voltage by a step down process at the point of use in a distributed power system.
There is a big push toward power distributed architectures for space applications much the way it is done in the commercial world, says Leonard Leslie, Manager of Space Programs at VPT. “Point of load converters enable this transition. Power distributed architectures provide one isolation boundary converter taking from the power bus of the vehicle to a distributed bus so you can move low voltage conversion closer to the loads. This is especially important because the big demands of DSP and FPGA components require tight regulation at a high current level to keep the conversion as close as possible to the load.”
The converters are tiny and save space and weight, Leslie says. Features include: 100 krads (Si) radiation hardening; MIL-PRF-38534 Class K; 10A and 15A modules; 85 MeV-cm2/mg SEE; and as much as 94% efficient.
The modules are available off-the-shelf with pricing that starts at $2,400.00. The VPT products are ITAR-controlled products that require an export license.
For more information stop by booth #42 at NSREC today or visit www.vpt-inc.com.
