IBA SPAWNS NEW DC/DC PRODUCTS, PRESENTS NEW OPPORTUNITIES to DC/DC CONVERTER ASSEMBLERS

摘要

The Intermediate Bus Architecture (IBA) is all about reducing the cost of on-board power, and despite the controversy surrounding it, the IBA is rapidly taking hold in many market segments. Early adopters are pleasantly discovering that challenging electrical issues, such as recovering lost efficiency, are being addressed by new products (bus converters in that case) brought to market by both IC makers (as chip sets and reference designs) and DC/DC converter makers (as assembled modules). One of the remaining challenges of the IBA is a logistical one. The proliferation of voltages and the intense market competition among DC/DC vendors (both chips and modules) has already brought forth a sea of products and part numbers that few ... even those who want to ... can navigate. A new generation of smart DC/DC converters promises to address the part-number explosion. Based on embedded microcontrollers, these devices will set their own output voltage and optimize their performance based on whatever socket they are in. The promise of "one-size-fits-all" convenience appeals to both manufacturers, who will have fewer products to design/assemble/stock, and users, who will have fewer products to evaluate/purchase/stock. A future of totally configurable, low-cost POL's communicating via the ICI bus may be on the horizon.