SCIENCE

Vicor Corporation has announced the introduction of the IBC048 series of VI BRICK Intermediate Bus Converters, which offer double the power density and half the conversion loss of competitive devices.  Available as drop-in replacements for industry standard eighth-brick and quarter-brick 5:1 and 4:1 intermediate bus converters, initial product offerings include 300 W and 500 W models, providing 9.6 V or 12 V outputs from a nominal 48 V input with a voltage range extending from 38 V to 55 V.

IBC048-series modules provide pin-compatible upgrades for eighth-brick and quarter-brick bus converters, the sale of which has been restricted by a U.S. District Court injunction against manufacturers found to infringe patent claims asserted by SynQor, Inc.  Bus converters utilizing Vicor's proprietary Sine Amplitude Converter engine are fundamentally different from, and technologically superior to, bus converters that were found to infringe. The limitations of claims asserted by SynQor do not apply to Sine Amplitude Converters and Vicor Bus Converters are unaffected by the injunction. Samples of IBC048-series bus converters are available with 2 weeks leadtime.  Pricing starts at $39 in OEM quantities with 12 weeks leadtime.

The new VI BRICK Bus Converters utilize the same ZCS/ZVS engine that has powered V.I Chips into high performance applications with tier-one customers.  Switching at approximately 10 times the frequency of SynQor bus converters, IBC048 modules cut transient response time from 200 to 20 microseconds, eliminating the need for bulk capacitors.  Superior density and conversion efficiency enable competitive advantages for OEMs seeking to maximize performance across a range of applications, including computing, data storage, networking and Power-over-Ethernet.

"From pioneering the 'brick' paradigm in the 1980s, Vicor has invested a substantial portion of its revenues in the R&D necessary to architect game-changing innovation in power electronics," said Robert Marchetti, Senior Manager of Product Marketing for Vicor's Brick Business Unit.  "With this new product line, we are re-packaging remarkable advances achieved with V.I Chips and applying this superior technology to an established market that is now suffering from industry-wide shortages while still relying on traditional brick form factors."

For datasheets and additional information on Vicor DC-DC and AC-DC power products, please visit the Vicor website.  To order, contact Vicor Customer Service at 800-735-6200 or e-mail custserv@vicr.com.