Sinrace Power Supply Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

The thermal performance of board-mounted DC/DC converters is increasingly critical in many applications as voltages fall and current levels rise. However, measuring the thermal performance of an on-board converter can create many problems, as it depends largely on how the converter is actually used in the application. The EPSMA has produced a guide to help engineers understand the complexities of this issue and promote common understanding across the industry.

The guide starts by examining the different methods of thermal measurement for board-mounted DC/DC converters. It goes on to examine the thermal testing procedures for these products, covering the four main application scenarios: heat dissipation through the pins, use of additional heatsinks, thermal coupling to a chassis, and rack-mounting. In each case, the test set-up is examined, the measurement parameters listed, and potential issues discussed.