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Case study: Vehicle-powered portable digital radio

Providing well-regulated 48V at over 1kW

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Customer’s challenge

A performance upgrade to an existing vehicle-mounted radio providing voice and data communications across the battlefield required 1kw of power – that needed tight regulation – to power upgraded performance features. Key goals were:

  • Provide well-regulated 48V with high power
  • Use an existing cold wall for thermal dissipation
  • Fit in a very small, existing space
Vehicle-powered portable digital radio image

The Vicor solution

Vicor high-performance power modules provided a lightweight, compact, power-dense solution that both fit within the existing space, but all provided the power necessary. With 800W/in3 of power density, the MIL-COTS DCM3623 provided the efficiency required to reduce heat and improve reliability critical to vetronics applications.

Key benefits

Key benefits

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High peak RF output power

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Compact, efficient power delivery

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Low-profile packaging that can utilize the cold wall

Power delivery network

This PDN boosts the 28V bus to a regulated 48V with a MIL-COTS DCM3623 DC-DC converter module. The regulated 48V from the DCMTM charges a large capacitor required to deliver the high peak power required by the RF stage. The low profile (7.62mm) of the thermally adept DCM facilitates a cooling solution utilizing an available cold wall, which along with the 800W/in3 DCM power density, further reduces the footprint of the PDN. The high efficiency of the DCM reduces the waste heat and improves reliability, while its high frequency helps reduce EMI.

Vicor power delivery network for portable digital radio
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DCM DC-DC converters


Input: 9 – 420V


Output: 3.3, 5, 12, 13.8, 15, 24, 28, 36, 48V


Power: Up to 1300W


Efficiency: Up to 96%


As small as 24.8 x 22.8 x 7.21mm


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