CAES Develops Industry’s First Single-Stage, Isolated DC-DC Converters

Gallium-nitride-based power converters yield power efficiency rating of more than 90 percent for power- and space-constrained communications satellites

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CAES, a leading provider of mission critical electronics for aerospace and defense, introduced the industry’s first single-stage, isolated DC-DC converters for high throughput satellite payloads. The new devices provide spacecraft designers with the industry’s most efficient power conversion modules for enabling reprogrammable, software-defined payloads.

Compared to conventional two-stage DC-DC converters, the CAES single-stage converters increase power efficiency from approximately 80 percent to more than 90 percent while simultaneously reducing size, weight and power requirements in space applications.

The 28V radiation-tolerant converters are also the first satellite single-stage power supplies to incorporate gallium-nitride (GaN) FET technology. These GaN-based converters provide customers with a unique, fully-tested, off-the-shelf power conversion solution. The move to GaN enables higher performance and switching frequencies, thereby improving response time to changing load currents compared to silicon-based DC-DC converters. These new converters can also be used in parallel for higher-power applications.

“Two-stage power switches require two converters, making them bigger and more expensive. They are also inherently lower performing in that their power efficiency degrades with each conversion stage,” said Mike Elias, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Space Systems Division, CAES. “Our single-stage converters deliver the industry’s most efficient bus-to-load output while opening the door further for GaN in space applications.”

By converting power straight from the power bus to the point of load, the new single-stage converters operate easily within the increasingly stringent voltage tolerances of today’s leading-edge processing devices. This includes deep-submicron ASICs and FPGAs used in software-defined payloads that can be reprogrammed in-orbit to extend the mission life of space applications.

The new CAES converters comply with U.S. Department of Commerce Export Administration Regulations (EAR99) and are commercially available worldwide.

Designed for aerospace and high-reliability space applications, the new 28V SCD51028xx converters have a total dose radiation tolerance of 50krads (Si) and are available in a (2.5L x 1.5W x 0.63H inch) gull-winged power package that enables surface-mount installation and a low-impedance interconnect with the system board. The converters feature a lightweight 50g design and an operating temperature of -40ºC to +125ºC.

About CAES

CAES is a pioneer of advanced electronics for the most technologically challenging military and aerospace trusted systems. As the largest provider of mixed-signal and radiation-hardened technology to the United States aerospace and defense industry, CAES delivers high-reliability RF, microwave and millimeter wave, microelectronic and digital solutions that enable our customers to ensure a safer, more secure planet. On land, at sea, in the air, in space and in cyberspace, CAES’ extensive electronics and enhanced manufacturing capabilities are at the forefront of mission-critical military and aerospace innovation. www.caes.com