In some industrial and medical applications, high power is required only for short periods, whereas the power needed for regular operation is much lower. This is the case, for example, with 3D printers, laser cutters, or robotic arms that move quickly for a moment and then remain in position. The use of a power supply that permanently covers the highest power peak ("worst case load current") is disproportionately expensive, not optimized for efficiency, and potentially dangerous: the power supplied to the load in a fault situation would be great enough to present a very real risk of fire.

The solution is a power supply sized to the average power of the application while at the same time covering temporary peak loads and limiting power in the event of a fault. If the power supply also has a digital interface, it can be programmed as required and adapted to the needs of the particular load; at the same time, by monitoring output parameters such as voltage and current, it provides safe, simple monitoring of the connected load. To handle these tasks, the PMBus (Power Management Bus) has established itself and is built into many modern power supplies, including RECOM’s RACM1200-V series.

• Adaptable to the application: with the adjustable operating parameters of one or several power supplies, output voltage and output current can be adapted dynamically.

• Programmable fan power supply for smart operation: fan activity and speed are automatically adapted to the output power to minimize acoustic noise and ensure long fan life.

• Prediction of imminent overload or overtemperature conditions: the monitoring functions deliver real-time status information such as prevailing input and output currents, output voltages, performance, temperature of critical components, and detailed fault diagnostics.

• Power supply operation can be adjusted to the application’s load pattern or dynamically, on the fly: in connection with the power supply’s internal microcontroller, transient response, slew rates, and compensation matrices can be modified.

A special baseplate-cooled design supports thermal transfer to allow continuous output power of up to 1000W. Peak loads up to a maximum of 1200W are available for up to 10 seconds in boost mode operation — longer if there is sufficient airflow through the unit. A wide range of output voltage settings and a combination of constant current limiting and hiccup mode settings make the units highly versatile. The various analogue control and monitoring functions are accessible via connector.

• Programmable 5V to 12V system fan output

• Broad operating temperature range from -40°C to +80°C

• Can be limited to inherently fail-safe settings using smart, controlled, fault-limiting functions in project-dependant firmware settings.

The standard version allows the internal status to be read out via two signal lines and the indicator LED (see Fig. 2):

In addition to the analogue status and control pins, the PMBus version - RACM1200-V/PMB - also offers a digital interface that customers can use to make adjustments directly to the power supply unit. For this, RECOM offers a CLI (Command Line Interface) for programming. On request, the units can be custom preprogrammed with a desired firmware setting.

Both versions achieve peak efficiency of up to 95% and meet the ecodesign requirements in standby mode. The RACM1200 series holds worldwide safety approvals for medical (2MOPP, BF), industrial, and ITE standards, as well as electromagnetic compatibility compliance with class A immunity and class B emissions. The RACM1200 series is now available from Schukat.

RECOM's RACM1200-V series AC/DC converter modules are now available from Schukat.

Our technical sales team is also available to advise and support you on all aspects of power supply.