What form factors are available?

Full brick (116.8 x 61 mm, up to 600 W), half brick (61 x 57.9 mm, up to 400 W), quarter brick (57.9 x 36.8 mm, up to 200 W), eighth brick (57.9 x 22.9 mm, up to 100 W), sixteenth brick (33 x 22.9 mm, up to 50 W). Non-isolated POL modules come in SIP, LGA, and QFN packages. DOSA (Distributed Power Open Standards Alliance) standardizes footprints.

EMC considerations for RF applications?

Switching converters generate harmonics at the switching frequency (100 kHz - 5 MHz) that can interfere with RF receivers. Use spread-spectrum modulation to reduce harmonic peaks. Place ferrite beads and LC filters between the converter output and RF power pins. Shield the converter module. LDOs produce no switching noise but are less efficient (30-60% vs 85-95% for switching).

Power Electronics

Board-Mount Power

Q: Isolated vs non-isolated?

Isolated modules use a transformer for galvanic separation between input and output. Required for safety (AC mains to low voltage), different ground references, or high voltage bus conversion. Non-isolated modules (buck, boost, LDO) share a common ground. POL (Point-of-Load) regulators are typically non-isolated, converting 5-12 V bus to 0.8-3.3 V for processors.

Board-Mount Power refers to complete DC-DC converter modules that solder directly onto a PCB, providing regulated power with minimal external components. Available in standardized brick form factors (full, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth) for isolated conversion up to 600 W, and SIP/LGA/QFN packages for non-isolated point-of-load (POL) regulation down to 0.6 V output. Modern modules achieve 85-95% efficiency with integrated magnetics and control ICs.

Category: Power Electronics

Efficiency: 85-95%

Understanding Board-Mount Power

Board-mount modules simplify power system design by integrating the switching FETs, magnetics, control IC, and output filtering into a pre-certified package. The designer only needs to add input/output capacitors and connect the enable/trim pins. This reduces design time, PCB area, and EMC risk compared to discrete converter designs.

For RF applications, switching noise is the primary concern. Spread-spectrum frequency modulation (typically ±10% of the switching frequency) reduces harmonic peaks by 10-15 dB. Ferrite bead + capacitor pi-filters between the converter and RF supply pins provide additional 20-40 dB rejection at the switching frequency.

Power Module Efficiency

η = P_out / P_in × 100%

Switching converter: 85-95%
LDO: V_out/V_in × 100% (e.g., 3.3/5 = 66%)

Heat dissipation:
P_loss = P_out·(1/η − 1)

Module Form Factor Comparison

Form Factor	Size (mm)	Max Power	Typical Use
Full brick	116.8 × 61	600 W	Telecom rectifier
Half brick	61 × 57.9	400 W	Server/network
Quarter brick	57.9 × 36.8	200 W	Industrial
Eighth brick	57.9 × 22.9	100 W	RF PA supply
POL (SIP/LGA)	10-20 mm	30 W	FPGA/CPU POL

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Form factors?

Full to sixteenth brick (isolated, up to 600 W). SIP/LGA/QFN for POL (non-isolated, <30 W). DOSA standardizes footprints.

Isolated vs non-isolated?

Isolated: transformer, safety separation. Non-isolated: shared ground, simpler, POL regulation. Choice depends on input/output grounds.

RF considerations?

Switching harmonics interfere with receivers. Use spread-spectrum modulation (−15 dB peaks), ferrite+cap filters, shielding. LDOs for lowest noise.

Related Terms

← Board-Level Shield Board Outline →

Power Modules

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