Efficient Power Conversion from an Intermediate Voltage Rail (Download)
Different types of switch-mode power-supply topologies can convert an intermediate voltage rail into lower voltages used to power the various loads in a system. If the intermediate voltage is relatively high, e.g., 48 V, and the output voltage needs to be relatively low, e.g., 12 V or even 5 V, existing intermediate bus converter (IBC) topologies can be less than ideal. However, new innovations such as “hybrid converter” architectures may be able to offer higher conversion efficiency than simple heritage buck regulators.