Power: kit, connectors, supplies, UPS, regulator

Following is a round-up of recently released power-related products from American Superconductor, Interpower, Lascar Electronics, MGE, Phoenix Contact, and Vishay Siliconix.

By Control Engineering Staff December 2, 2004

Following is a round-up of recently released power-related products from American Superconductor , Interpower , Lascar Electronics , MGE , Phoenix Contact , and Vishay Siliconix .

American Superconductor ’s PowerModule PM1000 Developers Kit (PDK) provides a platform for developing hardware and software elements of power conversion systems, 60-225 kW for ac-dc, dc-dc, and dc-ac. Perry Schugart, who directs AMSC’s power conversion application development program, says, “This is the first time a fully integrated kit is available at these power levels to address power conversion issues across a wide array of products. The PDK is delivered as a ‘black box.’ It’s pre-configured, so you connect and it’s ready to go.” Kits are available for 480 V ac and 690 V ac applications, as well as for air-cooled or liquid-cooled applications. A personal computer-based PowerModule-Graphical User Interface allows users to modify system parameters to meet specific power-conversion requirements. Multiple PDKs may be combined to produce even higher power levels.

Interpower High Power Pin and Sleeve Devices offer locking, dust- and moisture-resistant large Amp connections.

Interpower High Power Pin and Sleeve Connection (IEC 60309) Devices are IP44–IP67 rated for dust and splashing water. They are used for connection to equipment rated from 16–32 Amp with service at 120–250 V ac. Applications would include equipment designed for industry or factory, food service, computer servers, construction, and entertainment locations. They have CSA, UL, and/or VDE approvals and come in 3-pin, 4-pin, or 5-pin designs. Lascar Electronics PSU 130 power supply is ultra-compact, low cost, and aesthetically designed, with an adjustable output, 1.5-30 V at up to 1 Amp, the company says. Output voltage can be accurately adjusted to within 0.1 V across its range. Voltage and current are displayed on a backlit LCD. It has over-voltage, over-current and short-circuit protection, and prevents accidental damage to the unit. The output terminals are standard 4-mm sockets on a 19-mm pitch. It has a compact, non-slip, footprint of 135 mm x 140 mm (5.3 x 5.1 in.), and can be angled and stacked. Price is $79.95, with volume discounts available.

MGE Galaxy UPS can be programmed to issue server shutdown commands via XML tags when MGE’s “webi-card” is installed.

MGE ‘s Galaxy 4000 UPS solves input power distortion for increased reliability, reduced system costs for data centers and industrial facilities. It has advanced IGBT technology said to virtually eliminate damaging input harmonics. The 40, 50, 65 and 75kVA online double-conversion Galaxy 4000 models have an IGBT rectifier to eliminate input harmonics from the utility-supplied power and correct the input through power-factor correction. These features allow smaller cabling and breakers and the lowest UPS-to-generator sizing of any UPS on the market (as of Nov. 15, 2004), saving up to 50% in generator costs, MGE says. In addition, the Galaxy’s power surge stabilization system regulates voltage during a surge, common during equipment startups in IT and industrial environments. Supported communications include SNMP, J-Bus/ModBus, TCP/IP, RS-232, and RS-485. Pricing starts at $35,000 and includes a one-year warranty.

Phoenix Contact Mini Power Supply has a high-Amp rating.

Phoenix Contact says its new Mini Power Supply is the highest Amp rated, industrial grade, UL 508/1310 Listed, Class 2 power supply on the market (as of Nov. 19, 2004). Developed for applications requiring a UL 1310 Listed Class 2 power source, the power supply provides a 3.8 Amp (91 W) output at 24 V and ensures proper safety compliance. The power supply offers a wide input voltage range of ac and dc. Output currents are available with a regulated and adjustable output of 22.5-26 V dc with constant capacity above 24 V. It has a three-year U.S. warranty and greater than 500,000-hour mean time between failure (MTBF) rating, in accordance with IEC 1709. The unit is DIN-rail mountable, fully enclosed, has integral diagnostic feedback via an alarm output with LED indication, and incorporates Phoenix Contact pluggable, screw clamp terminal blocks for ease of wiring. Power over Ethernet: overcome the challenges : Texas Instruments ’ Jonathan Bearfield, power interface product line manager, offers advice via Control Engineering ’s sister publication ECN , also part of Reed Business Information. Bearfield says, in part, “before fully functional power sourcing equipment (PSE) is developed, one must understand many aspects of the technology, including power management, electrical isolation, dc and ac disconnect, detection, classification and legacy support.” Other considerations, for powered device design, include managing transitions between PSE power and another source, isolation, setting classification levels and using dongles.

Vishay Siliconix 3.3-V Buck-Boost Regulator has a compact 4.9 x 3.0 mm footprint, 100-mA output current, 60 microamp quiescent current, and less than 1-microamp current in shutdown mode. SiP1759 also provides a 2.5-V to 5.5-V variable output voltage with a 1.6-V to 5.5-V input voltage range. Pricing for U.S. delivery is $1.95 for quantities of 1,000 or more.

—Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, MHoske@cfemedia.com