Flex Power Modules' BMR490 dc-dc converter delivers active current sharing. The current-sharing capability enables two or more converters to be used in parallel for demanding datacom applications, thus providing higher power on a single rail and improving redundancy.
Up to six BMR490 converters may be used in parallel. When used in combination with OR-ing, it increases redundancy, because power is still supplied if one or more converters fail. If redundancy isn't required, the converters can be used in parallel without OR-ing diodes, which increases efficiency.
The BMR490 is a non-isolated dc-dc converter in a compact quarter-brick form factor (58.4 x 36.8 x 14.5 mm/2.3 x 1.45 x 0.57 inches). It can provide output power of up to 1300 W, with an input voltage range of 40 to 60 V, and an output voltage of 12 V. Efficiency is typically 97.3% at 53 Vin and half load, partly because of the fact that it's the industry’s first parallelable hybrid regulated ratio (HRR) module, claims the company.
Compared with using traditional droop load sharing (DLS), the BMR490 enables better thermal balance between load and sharing units. This is due to the higher accuracy achieved by active current sharing and the fact that each unit can deliver higher output power in parallel mode—up to 1260 W per module over the full input voltage range, with a droop of 200 mV at full power and nominal input, says Flex Power Modules.
Olle Hellgren, director of product management and business development at Flex Power Modules, remarked, “The BMR490 is a step ahead of competitors’ products—it is the only module of its class that can offer active current sharing, with the benefits of higher accuracy that this technology delivers.”
