Announcement of PSD tool for configuring modular power systems from power source to POL

Vicor has launched a new online design tool called PSD (Power System Designer). PSD is a useful tool that enables system designers to configure and optimize end-to-end power systems using Vicor's PCDM (Power Components Design Methodology) and high-performance power components.

As small electronic products and systems become more multifunctional and complex, there is a growing demand for power systems that are much smaller, more efficient, and cost-effective. Accordingly, power designers must analyze various topologies, architectures, and products to develop optimal power systems.

To approach each of these diverse design methods, numerous tasks are becoming necessary, including performance calculations, data sheet searches, manual simulations, thermal projections, layout and package studies, Bill of Materials (BOM) preparation, and cost analysis. To facilitate these analyses, there is a trend toward developing various power design tools. However, these tools have limitations in that they cannot analyze complete power systems.

Addressing complex power requirements and simplifying power design complexity

The front end, which filters and conditions power received from AC or DC power sources, must be configured and analyzed separately from the downstream regulators that generate the voltage required by the system load. However, these tools have not been able to provide a perfect modular solution until now.

The resulting power system solutions must combine a limited number of modular power elements into numerous individual circuit solutions, each requiring dozens of components. However, as this threatens power density, designers face the challenge of properly integrating the front end and DC-DC power train to address various factors, including not only the layout of electrical circuit elements but also thermal management, packaging, and cost.

Vicor's PSD online design tool facilitates the quick and easy design of multi-output modular power systems, from input power (AC or DC) to system loads. Engineers simply need to define the AC or DC input source, operating range, required output voltage, and respective power (or current) regulation and isolation specifications, and the PSD tool automatically generates the optimal solution.

This tool provides a variety of optimal solutions recommended based on characteristics such as maximum efficiency, minimal components, minimum cost, and minimal space usage. Furthermore, by utilizing an editable whiteboard tool to analyze the design of each solution and directly adding or removing components to optimize them for system requirements, it can meet the precise needs of designers.

PSD tools not only visually represent the system layout for any design but also provide a bill of materials including order and pricing information.

Vicor's field-proven high-density modular power components meet the requirements of any front-end power train. All of Vicor's solutions help achieve rapid time-to-market with excellent power density by minimizing overall design errors that may occur with individual components, as well as uncertainties regarding system performance and development completion time.

As such, Vicor's new PSD Online tool facilitates power system design by enabling the specification determination, analysis, and configuration of complete multi-output power systems in just minutes with groundbreaking performance, efficiency, and density. You can view a simulation of the PSD Online tool by visiting http://www.vicorpower.com/video/psd?utm_source=Vicorpower&utm_medium=LandingPage&utm_content=psd_video&utm_campaign=ACPoL-PSD-Promotion.

Vicor's power component design methodology enables power system engineers to achieve system operational efficiency, power density, and economics when compared to the best alternative solutions. As a result, engineers can develop more competitive products by leveraging all the benefits of modular power component design—predictable functionality and reliability of components and systems, rapid design cycles, easy system setup, reconfiguration, and scalability.

Power system designers can design, optimize, and simulate complete power systems by referencing Vicor's diverse portfolio of proven components—ranging from input sources to the entire Point of Load (PoL)—in Vicor's online tools.

This innovative approach to power system design minimizes the potential for unexpected problems and delays commonly found in traditional or custom design methods, while providing rapid market access and cutting-edge capabilities.

It is possible to quickly execute Vicor's PSD directly. After testing how fast and efficient design using PSD is, you can directly apply it to your next project.