VICBricks, high performance DC-DC converters from Vicor Corp. are only a quarter-inch high and conform to industry-standard quarter-brick footprint and pin outs. VICBricks feature a V•I Chip-set, a Pre-Regulator Module (PRM) and a Voltage Transformation Module (VTM), surface mounted on a ¼-brick interposer board. Fitting comfortably within the volume of the ¼-brick format, the VICBrick's V•I Chip-set achieves unprecedented performance in power density, efficiency, transient responsiveness, low noise and cost.
The VICBrick lets users begin to take advantage of V•I Chips while using the established through-hole DC-DC converter ¼-brick format. This is a logical step to deploying the PRM/VTM Chip-set as SMD devices directly on the board, either next to each other or with the PRM factorized away from the prime real estate at the point-of-load. In that next step, OEMs can take full advantage of the flexibility, density, efficiency, speed and cost-effectiveness of V•I Chips to enable superior products.
The D048C series of VICBricks operate from an input voltage of 36-75 Vdc and meet the basic insulation requirements of 2,250 Vdc input to output. The initial standard VICBrick outputs include 1.0, 1.2, 1.5 and 1.8 V at 80 A, 2.5 V at 60 A, 3.0 and 3.3 V at 45 A, and 5 V at 30 A. Output voltages can be easily trimmed up or down over a wide range. The 1.0 and 1.2 V units are rated at 100 A for up to 100 milliseconds. Double output pins are used for output currents over 50 A.
Full load efficiencies range from 83% at 1.0 V to 93% at 5.0 V and operation is specified for up to 100 deg. C case temperature. Even with the speed limitations of the ¼-brick format interposer interconnect traces and pins that add impedance between the VTM and the load the response of the VICBrick to a 50% step change in load is less than 100 microseconds. PRMs and VTMs may be surface mounted directly to system boards to support higher bandwidth applications with a total DC-DC converter current density of up to 50 A/sq. in. and with a mounting height of only 0.25 in.
Pricing for the VICBricks is only $70.00 at 1,000 pieces. Pricing for the PRM/VTM SMD Chip-set is $60, also at 1,000 pieces. Production quantities are 8-10 weeks.
More Information
http://www.vicorpower.com/products/vichip/vicbrick/
Download the VICBrick Data
http://www.vicorpower.com/documents/datasheets/ds_vicbrick.pdf