October 18, 2019 by Biljana Ognenova
The new TRACO Power TRI Series DC/DC converters have recently been released on the market, featuring 5 variations, namely the 3.5, 6, 10, 15, and 20W models.
All models in the TRACO POWER TRI Series include a 1,000 VAC (voltage amperage and frequency) working voltage and common-mode transient immunity (dv/dt) of 15kV/μs. Except for the 3.5W converters, which have 5 more models, each of the power levels in the TRI Series consists of 15 standard models, with 9 to 18, 18 to 36, 36 to 75 VDC inputs and output voltages of 5, 12, 15, ±12 and ±15 VDC (volts direct current).
Series TRI models are high-isolation DC/DC converters with a 2:1 input voltage range: 4.5VDC to 9VDC, 9VDC to 18VDC, 18VDC to 36VDC, and 36VDC to 75 VDC. They feature the following characteristics:
TRACO POWER's family of 3 Series DC/DC converters. Image Credit: TRACO POWER.
Depending on the model, these DC/DC converters feature low no-load power consumption of 96–480 mW. They allow for high efficiency (up to 90%) and an operating temperature range of −40 to 85 °C, which makes them suitable for industrial and automotive applications, as they can withstand harsh environmental and electromagnetic interference (EMI) conditions.
EMI is often a highly demanding design issue in the product qualification cycle, and it poses significant challenges for product designers who need to meet EMI standards. The new model design has an integrated internal EN 55032 class A filter—without including any external components—and it matches the European Standard for restricting conducted emissions.
All models in the 3 to 20 range are in keeping with the current IT safety certifications (IEC/EN/UL 62368-1), providing protection from overload, overvoltage, and short circuit conditions.
The transportation infrastructure at large requires more reliable converters, and most commercial-grade parts do not perform sufficiently when integrated within massive variable voltage structures.
Railways, for example, can have variable nominal system voltages (ranging anywhere between 24 and 110VDC), and although some commercial DC/DC converters could cover some of the variations, the ideal converter for a transportation system should have a comparatively higher input range ratio. (Lower input range converters, on the other hand, could be applied partially in the overall transportation network.)
Industrial equipment, moreover, such as electric forklift trucks, support ground equipment, floor cleaners, and aerial work platforms, (plus electric or hybrid vehicles) must be designed with high-performance DC/DC converters, such as those in the TRI 3 series.
Another application of DC/DC converters (beyond standard commercial use) is instrumentation circuitry design. After all, measuring instruments require low noise, wide input range, wide operating temperature range, and high-precision regulated output converters. Such qualities will become increasingly important for future communication equipment, computer terminals, and battery-powered electronic devices—which must altogether provide efficiency at a lower cost.
