Figure 1: AMP digital point of load and advanced bus dc-dc converters
The newly-formed Architects of Modern Power (AMP) consortium announced its first standards aimed at establishing common mechanical and electrical specifications for the development of advanced power conversion technology for distributed power systems. The initial standards revealed at electronica, and being demonstrated by AMP Group products on show at CUI’s booth cover digital point-of-load (POL) and advanced bus dc-dc converters.
The goal of the alliance between CUI, Ericsson Power Modules and Murata is to realize the most technically advanced, end-to-end solutions and provide a complete ecosystem of hardware, software and support. Beyond purely mechanical specifications, it is the standardization of monitoring, control and communications functions, and the creation of common configuration files for plug-and-play interoperability that will ensure compatibility between each firms’ products.
The advent of digital control in dc-dc converters and point-of-load regulators, driven initially by telecom and datacom companies experiencing a staggering rise in IP traffic and now proliferating into other industries, has made multi-sourcing of leading-edge power conversion products more difficult for customers. A level of software compatibility will be required in order to achieve a true multi-source solution, including compatibility of PMBus commands, proprietary controller commands, and configuration files.
The participating companies will establish common mechanical and electrical specifications for their products, standardization of monitoring, control and communications functions, and create common configuration files for plug-and-play interoperability between products from each firm.
AMP Group members have agreed upon common mechanical and electrical specifications for their products, including standardization of monitoring, control and communications functions, as well as common configuration files for plug-and-play interoperability between modules from each firm. The standards defined represent a commitment from the AMP Group to supply a true multi-sourced, high efficiency power ecosystem for distributed power architectures.
Two standards have been defined for digital point-of-load converters. The ‘microAMP’ specification covers supplies rated at 20 to 25 A in vertical and horizontal configurations, while the ‘megaAMP’ defines requirements for 40 to 50 A vertical and horizontal units. For advanced bus dc-dc converters the ‘ABC-ebAMP’ standard relates to advanced bus bricks measuring 58.42 x 22.66 mm and ranging from 264 to 300 W. For quarter-brick supplies, measuring 58.42 x 36.83 mm and ranging from 420 to 468 W, the Group has defined the ‘ABC-qbAMP’ standard. These standards detail mechanical footprints, features, and configuration files.
AMP Group spokesperson and CUI VP of Advanced Power, Mark Adams, commented, “Following the launch of Architects of Modern Power last month, the release of these standards marks an important first step on our shared technology roadmap.” Patrick Le Fèvre, Marketing Communications Director at Ericsson Power Modules said, “Providing a true multi-sourced, high efficiency power ecosystem with exceptional supply chain reliability enables continuity of production for our customers,” while Murata Power Solutions’ VP of Strategic Product Marketing, Steve Pimpis, added, “We are excited to make this advanced technology available in a way that allows wider adoption than would be possible with single-source solutions.”
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