Microchip Announces the Industry's Only Standard, Non-Hybrid, Space-Grade Power Converter Family Now Added 28 Volt (V) Input Radiation Tolerant Option

     Space system designers cannot easily utilize traditional hybrid power converters to support non-standard voltages or add functionality. By offering a family of aerospace-grade DC-DC power converters based on discrete components, Microchip Technology Inc eliminates the cost, complexity and customization challenges of such hybrid solutions. Microchip recently announced that a 28V input, 50 Watt (W) radiation tolerant option has been added to this family of devices.

     "Our newest 28V input SA50-28 products greatly simplify and accelerate system development," said Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip's discrete products business unit. "They are easier to customize than other aerospace-grade power converters, so they can meet specific voltage, current and Other needs. Customers gain flexibility while reducing the size, cost and complexity of space system design.”

     Microchip's SA50-28 series is currently the industry's only stock 28V input, radiation-tolerant power converter product. The product is based on discrete components, uses a surface mount structure and a non-hybrid assembly process. Compared to other off-the-shelf aerospace-grade power converters, the SA50-28 device with custom parameters provides more functionality, eliminating the size, weight and complexity of multiple devices and surrounding circuitry that arise from using a hybrid solution.

     Microchip's complete SA50-28 product family features input voltages from 20V to 40V and power consumption of 50W, with nine standard outputs of 3.3V, 5V, 12V, 15V and 28V in single and triple output configurations. Compared to hybrid power converter products, this family of devices can be tailored to the stringent power requirements of a system in a relatively short period of time with lower additional cost. Additional features include high efficiency, low output noise, output rejection control, overcurrent protection, external synchronization, and full rated power operation from -55°C to +85°C with linear derating and extended operating temperature to +125° C.

     The SA50-28 series is one of Microchip's growing line of standard non-hybrid aerospace-grade power converters. The proven circuits of these converters are aerospace proven and available to aerospace application designers as commercial off-the-shelf components. These products, also part of the radiation-hardened SA50-120 power converter family, launched in February 2021, help designers start with mature commercial-off-the-shelf technologies in ceramic or plastic packages and take advantage of lower requirements than traditional Qualified Manufacturer List (QML) The level of screening to rapidly scale up development, thereby reducing risk and development time for qualified space systems.