Powerstax Ltd

DC-DC, AC-DC & Custom Power Supplies

UK/Europe: +44 1268 568200
USA/Canada: +1 877 215 8463
email: sales@powerstax.com

November 2011 Powerstax MEDISTAX® Medical Power Supplies meet latest Medical Approvals

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Powerstax, one of Europe’s leading value-added power solutions manufacturers, announces that its MEDISTAX® range of power supplies for medical applications has now been approved to the latest versions of safety approvals IEC 60601-1:2005 3rd Edition. This is in addition to the existing approval to the 2nd Edition and ensures full medical approval is maintained during the transition period from 2nd to 3rd editions.

The MEDISTAX® family of power supplies available in two power ranges, 200-750W and 400-1340W providing a modular and configurable power solution in an extremely compact 1U high (40mm) package with up to 12 isolated outputs in either a 4 or 6 slot chassis. Typical applications for the Powerstax MEDISTAX® medically approved power supply series include medical imaging equipment, dialysis systems, clinical diagnostic systems and medical lasers.

Employing an innovative plug-and-play architecture the MEDISTAX® units combine feature-laden front-end Power Units combined with slide-in output converter modules that allows the configuration of a custom power solution in less than 5 minutes. All possible configurations carry full safety agency approvals and are CE marked. Ultra high efficiencies of over 90% significantly reduce system thermal load and an industry leading 15W/in³ power density provides a compact and versatile power solution with less than 300µA leakage current and 4000VAC isolation.

Tim Worley, CEO of Powerstax comments; “These improvements to our already successful MEDISTAX® range of medical power supplies offer our customers a future-proof power solution. The plug and play power module architecture allows fast custom configurations, facilitates rapid prototyping and simplifies logistics offering many benefits to both designers and buyers.”

Other standard features include standard output voltages over the range 1.5V to 58V, all outputs are fully floating allowing outputs to be configured in series or parallel to provide custom outputs, 5V bias standby voltage, ultra-high efficiency up to 90% reducing system heat dissipation, visual LED indicators and individual output control signals. A universal 85-264VAC input range is standard as is over voltage protection and the full load operating temperature range is from -20 to +70°C.

The updated medical approvals for the Powerstax MEDISTAX® powers supply includes ANSI/AAMI ES60601-1:2005, Medical electrical equipment– Part 1, General requirements for basic safety and essential performance, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60601-1:08 Medical electrical equipment, Part 1: General requirements for basic safety and essential performance, IEC60601-1:2005 Medical electrical equipment– Part 1: General requirements for basic safety and essential performance

October 2011 Powerstax convection cooled miniature PSU increases reliability and reduces noise

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260 watts in 1U without fans for OEM solutions
Increased reliability – reduced noise



To download the datasheet for the N-03751 Series, please click the datasheet image.
(pdf format 458k)




Powerstax, one of Europe’s leading value-added power solutions manufacturers, announces the availability of a convection cooled option for its N-03751-PFC Series of ultra-compact AC-DC switching power supplies. The N-03751-PFC Series is designed for outdoor and semi-sealed industrial applications and low noise office environments and its low profile will suit 1U rack mounted systems.

The new convection cooled option delivers 260 watts of output power across all output voltages and eliminates the fans and fan controllers required to cool conventional power supplies. The convection cooled option reduces costs and frees-up valuable system real-estate. As the Powerstax N-03751-PFC does not require forced air for full 260W operation, the system designer no longer has to be concerned with channelling air over the PSU, simplifying thermal design. Removing the fans also significantly increases system reliability and reduces audible noise of end products, making them ideal for office environments.

Where an end system may be used in different environments, customers can simplify system level design by specifying the convection cooled Powerstax N-03751-PFC and if required substituting the forced-air cooled version which offers the same very compact, low profile 5×7.7×2.3mm (3.3x5x1.5”), packaging, connectors and layout, saving design time and costs.

“Powerstax power supplies are inherently reliable.” Says Tim Worley, CEO of Powerstax plc. “Since the reliability of a power supply is in many cases degraded by the reliability of its cooling fan, the introduction of this range of compact convection cooled power supplies offers our customers a very real increase in reliability with added packaging and cost benefits. Convection cooled power supplies reduce overall system power consumption and cooling requirements and are not susceptible to failures due to dust clogging fans or airborne contamination of their circuit boards.”

The synchronous rectification technique of the Powerstax N-03751-PFC Series delivers exceptionally high efficiency, up to 93% in some models and all models feature active current sharing allowing up to four power supplies to be operated in parallel for high output power applications. An optional active OR-ing mosfet board is also available for N+1 redundant applications. Both 5V standby and 12V auxiliary outputs can be wired OR-able when the main output is disabled.

The Powerstax N-03751-PFC Series has a very compact footprint of 3.3” x 5.0” (83.8mm x 127.0mm) and low profile of 1.5” (38.1mm) suitable for use in 1U racks, an active PFC input over the range 90–264 VAC, an operating temperature range of –25ºC to +50ºC and meets a full range of international agency requirements, including RoHS, UL, DEMKO, CE Mark and FCC Class B. Output is protected against overvoltage, overpower, short circuit and over temperature.

September 2011 Extensive Range of MIL Spec Power Modules available from Powerstax

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MIL COTS converters for vehicle and mobile applications.

View complete range at DSEi 13th-16th September, London ExCel Stand N9-349.

Powerstax, one of Europe’s leading application-rich power solutions specialists, announces the availability of its PX range of competitively priced, high reliability MIL standard DC:DC converters and pre-regulator, filter and hold-up modules.

Tim Worley, CEO of Powerstax comments; “Our PX range of power modules offers designers one stop shop for complete board level power solutions.”

The Powerstax PX range of DC:DC converters contains more than 40 products including single, dual and triple output versions with output power up to 30W. All models have an ultra-wide DC input range of 16-40V and output voltages which may be selected as combinations of 5V, ± 12V, ± 15VDC. The converters employ fixed high-frequency (400kHz) switching technology with an on-board input EMC filter and built-in soft start circuit. All modules have output short circuit and overload protection.

The Powerstax PX series pre-regulator module operates up to 50W and can extend a DC-DC converter’s input voltage range while inhibiting supply rail surges and spikes. The pre-regulator offers three operating modes: Normal mode operation occurs between 16V to 40V input voltage when the module is operating in a steady transparency state. Voltage mode is deployed when the bus voltage falls below 16V putting the voltage regulator module into BOOST mode and raising its output voltage to 20V. Should the input voltage drop below 10V the voltage regulator module will safely shut down. And finally surge and spike suppression mode may be used when the input voltage goes above 39V. The pre-regulator module output voltage is then clamped at 38.5VDC and can withstand the maximum 80V/50ms bus voltage surges and up to 600V/20?s spikes.

The Powerstax PX series switching regulator modules provide an extended input voltage range to allow extra low voltage outputs from the output of one of the PX series DC:DC converters. Input voltage range is 4.5 – 32VDC with outputs of 2.5, 3.3 or 5VDC as standard.

Providing a hold time 10?s/?F the Powerstax PX series hold-up module provides an alternative solution to reduce the amount of capacitance needed by charging the hold up
capacitor at high voltage (typical 38VDC) while limiting the input current. This provides enough time to facilitate an orderly system shut-down in the event of a brown-out or complete power failure.

The final modules in the PX series are two EMC filter modules which meet the requirements of MIL-STD-461D, CE102 levels of conducted power line noise.

All PX series modules have an operating temperature range from -55 to +105 ºC, employ proven SMT technology offering high reliability, low noise and high power density

Typical applications for the Powerstax PX series include Mil and aviation systems and high reliability industrial applications. Powerstax provides standard and custom power solutions for defence, homeland security, shipboard and ground systems and mobile/vehicle mounted wireless and radar systems, telecomm infrastructure and security systems.

August 2011 Powerstax embraces the new MIL COTS paradigm SWAP Size, Weight and Power

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Powerstax, one of Europe’s leading application-rich power solutions manufacturers, is developing solutions that meet the environmental and technical challenges of tactical and non-tactical vehicle based electronics systems.

“The essence of SWAP” claims Tim Worley, CEO of Powerstax plc “is to minimise the size and weight of power conversion solutions while meeting the demand for ever higher power. Very high efficiency, meeting the twin EMC challenges of low emissions and high immunity coupled with high reliability in harsh environments, all add to the challenge.”

Vehicle based electronic systems may be required to run from nominal battery supplies of 12VDC or 24VDC and to comply with the MIL-STD-1275 28VDC electrical systems in military vehicles standard. Meeting all of these input voltages in one product is ideal, with high power up-conversion to 28VDC or 48VDC for end equipment operation. This can create the twin challenges of maintaining high efficiency and low heat dissipation. The move to a 600VDC vehicle supply to reduce power distribution losses will create another opportunity for innovative power conversion, albeit moving to a hazardous high voltage.

Power system design criteria for MIL COTS applications, especially those which may be vehicle mounted, include varying degrees of sealing for environmental protection, which offers challenges to removing heat generated inside the enclosure. Some systems do not allow integral fan cooling as this can affect sealing and introduce reliability issues created by the fans themselves. In these cases, heat removal solutions include high efficiency customised heat-sinking, cold wall cooling by mechanical contact with external surfaces and in extreme cases water cooling. Compliance with MIL-STD-810 environmental specification and MIL-STD-461 EMC requirements place further demands on system design.

Worley continues; ”The MIL COTS market is strategically very important to Powerstax and our F501 high efficiency DC:DC Converter brick is central to our power solutions. Our field proven patented design allows us to perform both step-up and step-down power conversion using the same highly efficient product. It offers a very wide range of input voltages between 11VDC and 75VDC making it ideal for vehicle based operation in both military and the growing non-tactical vehicle market. Optimisation of the main converter can reap significant efficiency benefits, we designed our own brick and we know exactly how to get the best out of it.”

Powerstax has recently launched the TVS1001 ruggedised 1000 watt DC-DC power supply. At the heart of the TVS1001 are two of the patented Powerstax F501 DC-DC converters which have demonstrated ability to perform under the harshest of conditions with field proven use in military applications. It is one of the few units of its kind that offers step-up conversion at consistently high efficiency.

The Powerstax TVS1001 has a wide range DC input voltage, from 11 to 36 volts, with a range of outputs at 24, 28 36 or 48 VDC making it ideal for vehicle mounted Military and Non-Tactical, fixed and mobile communications and security systems. The unit can be also be customised to meet special requirements.

Typical applications for Powerstax MIL COTS power solutions include defence, homeland security, avionics, shipboard and ground systems and mobile/vehicle mounted equipment.

Powerstax also supply an extensive range of standard and custom AC & DC power solutions for centralised and distributed power (DPA) in a broad range of applications including hot swap front end AC-DC bulk power, DC-DC converter bricks and programmable, modular rack mounted Power Supplies, for use in Telecoms, Datacoms, IT, Industrial, Test & Control, Transportation, Medical and all commercial markets. For more information contact sales@powerstax.com or visit www.powerstax.com

July 2011 Powerstax Unveil Growing Range of MIL and COTS Power Solutions at DSEi 2011

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See Powerstax at DSEi, 13th-16th September, London ExCel Stand N9-349

Powerstax at DSEi 2011

Powerstax, one of Europe’s leading application-rich power solutions specialists, will be displaying their growing range of standard and custom COTs power solutions for MIL and non-tactical applications at this year’s DSEi exhibition.

To be seen for the first time in Europe will be the TVR3001, a 3000W DC-DC power conversion rack that has been developed specifically for harsh environmental conditions. In a highly efficient configuration, each of the three individual modules within the rack contain two of Powerstax’s versatile F501 full brick DC-DC converters, coupled with a two phase boost converter to provide a standalone power solution. The Powerstax TVR3001 is ideal for use in vehicle or remote applications and the system is designed to protect the internal electronics from the ingress of dust.

Other significant developments in vehicle based power systems for communications systems include the Powerstax TVS1001 ruggedised 1000 watt DC-DC power supply which has demonstrated ability to perform under the harshest of conditions with field proven use in military applications. It is one of the few units of its kind that offers step-up or step-down conversion at consistently high efficiency. The electronic circuits are sealed to withstand exposure to the harshest of environments and are cooled with a mechanically isolated field replaceable fan unit. The unit is highly efficient offering a choice of fan speeds dependent on the operating environment. The Powerstax TVS1001 has a wide range DC input voltage, from 11 to 36 volts, making it ideal for vehicle mounted Military and Non-Tactical, fixed and mobile communications and security systems. The unit can be configured over a range of standard output voltages or customised to meet special requirements.

Also on display will be the Powerstax N series of ultra-compact ac-dc, high efficiency open frame power supplies. The 1U high, compact package makes this power supply ideal for applications using industry standard 1U chassis. Output power is from 125 to 375W and all models offer a single main output plus a standby supply. The series includes I2C communication for added functionality and monitoring and N+1 redundancy operation.

Completing the Powerstax product line up for DSEi 2011 will be a wide range of board mounted DC:DC converters offering single, dual and triple outputs from 5 to 500W, pre-regulator modules, switching regulators, hold-up modules and EMC filters.

The Powerstax design and engineering team will design, develop and supply value-added and custom power solutions to meet customer’s needs. Tim Worley, CEO of Powerstax comments;”Our engineers possess a wealth of expertise and experience in the research, development and manufacture of both AC and DC power solutions. We aim to operate as an extension to our customer’s own design team to produce the fastest, most elegant and cost effective power solution.”

Typical applications for Powerstax MIL COTS power solutions include defence, homeland security, avionics, shipboard and ground systems and mobile/vehicle mounted wireless and radar systems, telecomm infrastructure and security systems.