Insight
Vicor Europe's Quarterly Newsletter
Issue 7 – February 2007
V•I Chip family in full production
Following the launch of the Bus Converter V•I Chip in August 2006, Vicor has announced that a full family of further V•I Chips components, required for implementing complete Factorized Power Architectures (FPA), entered production in November. Using the Pre-Regulator Module (PRM) and the Voltage Transformation Module (VTM) 48 Vdc input FPA systems can now be implemented that provide isolated, regulated outputs from 0.8 to 55 Vdc.
The current range of standard V•I Chip products is targeted to meet the requirements of customers in the high volume manufacture of RF and communications systems, high-end servers, test & measurement systems and lighting equipment, that require power solutions with the highest power density combined with superior overall system performance.
Please contact your local Vicor technical support office directly or follow the V•I Chip link to find out what V•I Chips can do for you in your next demanding project.
Vicor has adopted techniques and processes to embrace the philosophy of Lean Manufacturing
Expansion of the Maxi, Mini and Micro families of modules
Having listened carefully to what our customers tell us about their dc-dc power supply requirements, Vicor is very pleased to tell you that within the past year we have doubled the number of pre-defined modules available to you, making it far more likely that you can get the exact power that you need for your design.
The expanded range includes:
- Mid power Maxis for the V 24, V 300 and V 375 families
- Mid power Minis for the V 24, V 300, and V 375 families
- Mid power Micros for the V 24, V 48, V 300, and V 375 families
- Added 36Vout models to all the families
Compact and efficient, Maxi, Mini and Micro converters feature wide input voltage ranges, remote sense, enhanced output programmability, and low standby dissipation. Modules can be paralleled for high power or for true redundant operation. Five temperature grades (down to -55°C operation and -65°C storage), three baseplate styles, and four pin types provide a maximum of cost effective flexibility.
To see the full range of available pre-defined dc-dc power supply modules, look the online product matrix.
And if you don’t find exactly what you want amongst the predefined products, you can use our online Custom Module Design System (CMDS), where you can enter your design parameters (including input voltage range, output voltage set point, output power and environmental grade) and mechanical variations (including package size, baseplate and pin options). Using these specifications, CMDS will test the feasibility of the design in real time, usually less than 30 seconds. If feasible, CMDS will provide a unique Top of pagepart number and unit price.
top »Wide range trimming with variable loads
Vicor Maxi, Mini and Micro modules can be programmed from 10 to 110% of their nominal output voltage. If the system always has a sufficient minimum load, trimming down is easily accomplished with a small low power resistor or potentiometer.
With a wide trim range, a preload is often needed to maintain a stable trimmed voltage, especially at light loads. A minimum load is frequently required, typically when the output is programmed below 75% of nominal, but it is always required if it is trimmed below 25%.
Figure 1 – Typical preload current for a given output voltage
At: http://www.vicorpower.com/documents/design_articles/pb_wide-trim.pdf you will find an article that explores this topic further and presents two simple preload circuits. These circuits automatically turn on when required and vary in value according to the load on the system.
top »Explosives detection systems for airports
Air travel is an essential part of our daily lives; over 600 million people fly each year, not to mention the millions of bags that go along with them. That is why efficient explosives detectors are absolutely vital for passengers’ safety. Current explosives detection systems (EDS) are the size of a mini-van and employ technology which combine many x-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views and, if needed, three-dimensional images.
A variety of Vicor products, such as modules, VIPACs and PFC MegaPACs, can be used in these systems. In particular, for a requirement of PFC with 350 Vdc output, our PFC MegaPAC is the ideal solution, due mainly to its configurability, as the outputs’ serial connection easily supports high voltage DC outputs with no NRE.
Microlithography for the semi-conductor industry using laser scanning
The PFC MegaPAC proved an ideal solution for this custom microlithographic processor. Depending on the semi-conductor manufacturers’ requirements, each system can be customised with a variety of output voltages, both positive and negative. The configurability of the product also means that lead times for this large piece of capital equipment can be reduced, improving the bottom line for the customer. Additionally, the modularity of the PFC MegaPAC enables fast system repair in the event of a supply rail failure.
A similar microlithographic process is also used for making a display. In this processor, the photo mask is used as a blueprint for the pixels and drive transistors on the display glass. Using this method, display products (flat panel displays like computer monitors, laptop displays, LCD and PDP TVs etc.) can be mass produced efficiently and cost effectively.
top »New technical tip section
To help with some of the problems that engineers often face when designing in dc-dc and ac-dc power supplies, we have built a technical tips section on our website. To get handy tips on topics such as EMI filtering, output voltage trimming, improving output ripple, etc. visit the site now.
If you would rather speak to one of our application engineers, go to the support section of the website, where you will get details of your nearest Technical Support Centre, or have someone call you back.
top »Manufacturing
Vicor’s production facility in Andover, Massachusetts has focused on what is called ‘Lean’ or ‘Continuous Flow’ manufacturing over the last several years. This can best be described as eliminating various wastes, such as motion, excess inventories, non-value added processes, etc., as well as focusing on the speed of workflow through the factory. It has been proven that as cycle time decreases, quality and cost improve.
Seven years ago, the average cycle time for a Vicor brick was about 500 hours. Today, with the new procedures a commercial unit is built in about 50 hours. In addition to our improvement in efficiencies, this has significantly impacted on-time delivery and responsiveness.
In the first quarter of 2007 we plan on completing a project for Maxi, Mini and Micro products that will bring us even more improvement. Vicor's 'mass customisation' production processes are done on a build-to-order basis – that is, we only start work after receipt of a customer order. This is a must, given the approximate 7,000 different models we ship a year and the difficulty of forecasting so many items. We will soon begin stocking common electrical building blocks, then doing our final assembly and test on a build-to-order basis. We believe that this could bring our cycle time down by a factor of eight, which could potentially enable us to build and ship sample quantities within 24 hours of receipt of an order. Production quantities could have lead times of as little as a few weeks. We are currently implementing plans to match this performance for VI-200 / VI-J00 products as well.
In this process of Lean manufacturing, we have freed up about 15,000 square feet of manufacturing space, leaving us well poised for future growth.
top »Using ONLY the syllables in the blue box, make words that fit each of the descriptions. Use each syllable only once. The letters in blue in each answer make another four-lettered word (clue: nothing to do with power supplies!).
This quiz is closed.
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