Flex Power Modules introduces a half-brick digital DC/DC converter

     Flex Power Modules has announced the BMR685, a half-brick packaged digital DC/DC converter for radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers that delivers up to 1300W of continuous output power. The BMR685 is supplied in the industry standard half-brick form with dimensions of 61.0mm×57.9mm×12.7mm (2.4in×2.28in×0.5in) and complies with safety requirements such as IEC/EN/UL 62368-1.

     As telecommunications infrastructure transitions to 5G and RF power amplifiers (RFPA) become more power intensive, RF amplifier designers are moving from LDMOS to gallium nitride (GaN) transistors. In general, the industry is raising the need for efficient DC/DC converters that can deliver the required power in smaller packages. The power handling capabilities of the BMR685 make it ideal for these high-power RF power amplifier applications and meet the requirements of both LDMOS and GaN.

     The new converter offers a high efficiency of up to 97.2% at full load. Its output voltage ranges from 25V to 55V and can provide up to 26A output current. The input voltage range is 36V to 75V, and the isolation between input and output is 2250V.

     The BMR685 includes digital capabilities that can be accessed through the PMBus interface, making it easy to monitor temperature, voltage and current, as well as make simple adjustments to the output voltage. It is supported by the Flex Power Designer software tool.

     The converter operates from -40 ° C to +125 ° C and provides 100% power at 100 ° C base plate temperatures. It includes comprehensive overvoltage, over-mild short-circuit protection, so it can achieve a long operating life, with an average time between failures (MTBF) of more than 4970 hours.

     David Xie, Director of Power Module Development and Product Management at Flextronics, said: "RF amplifier applications are demanding more and more power without compromising efficiency and functionality. The BMR685 meets all of these requirements and is designed in a small size, so it is easy to integrate it into your amplifier design."