New Industry Products

Ericsson Adds Surface Mount Sixteenth Brick Modules

December 26, 2007 by Jeff Shepard

Ericsson Power Modules has released a surface-mount version (SI) of its PKU series of dc-dc converters. The PKU-SI is intended to address the market for smaller power supplies, particularly for highly integrated systems in a broad range of applications in telecom and datacom equipments. Ericsson has released the PKU4510 SI 48Vin/3.3V/15A 50Wout, PKU4511 SI 48Vin/ 5V/10A 50Wout and PKU4515 SI 48Vin/15V/3.3A 50Wout.

The modules feature a wide output adjustment range of, for example, 3.3V +10/-40%. For safety, the modules have a 1500V input-to-output isolation rating and feature comprehensive protection against overtemperature, output short circuit, and output overvoltage.

The PKU-SI is DOSA (Distributed-power Open Standards Alliance) compatible, ensuring footprint compatibility across a wide range of manufacturers and compatibility with all aspects of DOSA. The same board is used for PI and SI versions of PKU, which increases the flexibility and speed of manufacturing and contributes to reduced lead-times. The company claims that the module’s high-efficiency results in lower power dissipation, reduced heat build up, and lower power consumption, all contributing to lower total cost of ownership.

The modules’ FIP concept is said to ensure that all the connecting pins remain in place and are aligned during second or third reflow soldering. The pins are also manufactured with very tight tolerances, guaranteeing co-planarity and mechanical accuracy. The FIP concept is based on highly accurately tooled pins that are inserted and aligned during the original assembly process. When a PKU-SI module is assembled on the final board, during lead-free soldering reflow, the pins remain aligned in the plated through-hole of the PKU and self-adjust to guarantee excellent interconnection between the two solder pads. This is said to ensure high reliability and host equipment availability.

Ericsson claims that many modules use pins such as box-pins or cylinder-pins that were originally designed for lower-mass modules (such as point-of-load). Although such pins are perfectly suitable for light components (Ericsson also uses box-pins in its PMC point-of-load module), in the case of higher mass modules, if the pins are not mechanically secured in the PCB there is a significant risk the pins may move during assembly and reflow, with consequences ranging from short-circuit to total disconnection. So the assembly advantage of FIP for the final user is very significant, as it guarantees high stability and reliability when assembling heavier surface-mount modules.

PKU-SI is available in molded trays (JEDEC design guide 4.10D standard) and in tape and reel formats. Complying with the IPC/JEDEC standard J-STD-033 (handling, packing, shipping and use of moisture/reflow sensitivity surface-mount devices) inner shipment containers are dry packed in standard moisture-barrier bags.

In OEM quantities the PKU-SI is priced at $24.10.