ABB Power Conversion: High-Efficiency KBVS/KBVW Converters to Power 5G, Wireless Networks

June 21, 2023

Helping to address the evolving power needs of 5G equipment, ABB Power Conversion recently introduced additions to its low-power Barracuda-series of DC/DC converters, its KBVS008 and KBVW010 modules. The 1/16^th-brick converters offer high power density and efficiency in a compact footprint that aligns with an industry shift from 1/8^th brick solutions to 1/16^th brick isolated DC/DC bus converters.

The KBVS008A0B641-HZ provides 100-watt (W) output power and features a 30-60-volt (V) input range. The KBVW010 is available in two versions, one with a heat plate (KBVW010A0B641-HZ) and one with an open-frame design (KBVW010A0B641Z). Both versions of the KBVW010 bus converters provide 120W output power and feature input ranges from 36-75V. All three of the new Barracuda-series bus converters provide output voltage ranges that can be adjusted from 10.8V to 13.2V.

All of the new bus converters are well suited for applications with limited space, such as 5G radios, with the open-frame KBVW010 measuring just 10.7mm high and both the heat plate version and the KBVS008 measuring only 12.7 mm high. The heat plate version of the KBVW010 and the KBVS008 can deliver full power when mounted to a cold wall at temperatures of up to 100C. The open-frame version of the KBVW010 can deliver full power at air temperatures of up to 70C with airflow at 200 linear feet per minute.

Both the KBVS008 and KBVW010 bus converters can achieve efficiencies in excess of 92.5% at 48V input.

They feature overcurrent, overtemperature, and overvoltage protection with auto-restart, and are the converters suitable for indoor or outdoor applications with temperatures as low as -40C. The bus converters are also designed to support power over Ethernet (POE) applications, which require increased levels of isolation.

Learn more about the KBVS008 and the KBVW010.