Instruction Manual

Design Guide & Applications Manual
F
or Maxi, Mini, Micro Family DC-DC Converters and Configurable Power Supplies
Maxi, Mini, Micro Design Guide Rev 4.9 vicorpower.com
Page 23 of 88
Apps. Eng. 800 927.9474 800 735.6200
5. Current Sharing In Power Arrays
The synchronous current-sharing method applies to
quasi-resonant, frequency-modulated converters with the
necessary intelligence, such as the Vicor Maxi, Mini, Micro
F
amily of high-density DC-DC converters, where the energy
per pulse is fixed.
Finally, no matter what method is used, current sharing
reduces thermal problems, improves transient response,
and helps extend the lifetimes of all modules in an
a
rray. Nevertheless, all current-sharing schemes require
careful attention to electrical and mechanical design to
o
perate effectively.
Ground
Plane
+
S
+
OUT
S
C
–
S
–OUT
–
IN
PR
PC
+IN
+
S
+
OUT
SC
–S
–OUT
–
IN
P
R
PC
+IN
Return
DC-DC Converter
DC-DC Converter
Parallel
Bus
+V
I
N
+V
O
UT
-V
IN
Figure 5–2 — Synchronous power architecture simplifies current sharing control and enhances fault tolerance.