POL Converter Use On The Rise

The increasing need for multiple voltages at higher current levels is changing the way designers distribute power around their circuit boards. More and more, distributed bus architectures (DBAs) are the choice, according to market research firm Venture Development Corp.

Traditionally, designers have created a central power source where the line voltage was converted to the several required regulated voltages and sent to individual points in the system. Yet in a DBA, one voltage is sent via a dc bus to the several points of use, where it is converted into the required voltage.

These point-of-load (POL) dc-dc converters are small and close to their loads, enhancing power-supply performance. They are non-isolated and have no transformers, so they are smaller, less expensive, and more reliable. Being closer to their loads makes them more efficient as well. This trend toward the increased use of DBAs has led VDC to propose a global market demand analysis exclusively for dc-dc converters and regulators and for pulse-width-modulation/pulse-frequency-modulation (PWM/PFM) controllers. To review the proposal, go to www.vdc-corp.com/power/reports/ 04/br04-20.pdf