TDK Lambda: wide-input, wide-output DC-DC converters boast high power density for compact industrial builds  

In our next piece from The Engineering Design Show 2023, ipXchange chats with Stephen from TDK-Lambda, who have made a few additions to their range of low-cost non-isolated DC-DC converters. Both device families are great solutions for industrial, test & measurement, telecommunications, and robotics applications, and a compact, 34 x 36.8 mm footprint (1/16th brick) and minimal additional components required for integration makes them ideal for space-constrained designs where you might currently be considering parts from Murata or TI. 

TDK-Lambda’s i7A non-isolated POL converters offer several voltage input ranges – 9-18 V, 18-32 V, and 18-60 V – for output powers of 400 W, 500 W, and 750 W, each with their own output voltage ranges of 0.8-8 V, 3.3-24 V, and 3.3-18 V respectively. These are great devices for power distribution architectures after the initial AC-DC stage or when running devices directly from a DC supply or battery power. 

While the i7A devices only provide step-down conversion, the i7C devices can operate as a buck or boost converter, with 9-53 V input and up to 300 W power output. As Stephen explains, these devices are great for sustaining a battery-driven regulated output as the battery starts to lose charge, which in turn extends the battery life of battery-operated devices. 

Both the i7A and i7C families of devices are available in three mechanical packages to suit your integration requirements and intended thermal management system: low-profile open-frame package; with a baseplate for conduction cooling; or with an integrated heat sink for air cooling via convection or something a little more active. 

If this post has piqued your interest, and you’d like to evaluate this technology for use in a commercial project, learn more about each of TDK-Lambda’s DC-DC product families by following the links below, where all it takes is a quick application form, and ipXchange will get the ball rolling to put an evaluation board in front of you: 

Evaluate an i7A DC-DC step-down converter 

Evaluate an i7C DC-DC buck-boost converter

Keep designing!