One of the healthy aspects of the power electronics space is that our power engineering community has deep roots and strong connections. One way this community is manifested is in its events, where everyone congregates to not only learn, sell, and organize, but also chat, visit, and socialize. One of the leading shows in this industry is the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, a keystone of the power electronics marketplace.
Now in its 40th year, APEC offers a program that covers a variety of topics in the design, manufacturing, and testing of power electronics and components solutions as well as their marketing and business development. The program is complemented by a variety of Professional Education Seminars, paper presentations, and an exhibition with over 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest in power electronics technology and solutions to over 5000 attendees, the best turnout ever for one held on the East Coast.
The show had a healthy amount of coverage, unsurprising considering the range of solutions presented. One noteworthy development was the plethora of USB charging solutions touting high power densities and advanced functionality. For example, we were impressed by Pulsiv’s 65-watt USB power supply intended for in-wall deployments. One issue with having multiple power devices in the wall is the risk of tripping the breaker when powering up multiple power devices.
The Pulsiv solution (see Figure 1) will enable a variety of USB applications in areas beyond wall deployments, and won the Global Energy Efficiency Award from the Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) at the event. The high-efficiency 65W USB Type-C reference design was recognized for its thermal performance and efficiency, addressing the growing demand for fast-charging solutions.
In other coverage, EDN posted an article on Data Center power solutions at the show, with a look at high-density power supply units (PSUs), battery backup units (BBU), intermediate bus converters (IBCs), and other application solutions. One of their highlights mentioned is Infineon’s BBU technology, which leverages a partial power converter (PPC) topology to enable high power densities of over 12 kW.
Electropages mentioned several companies in their coverage, pointing out advances such as Advanced Energy’s latest high-power shelf systems for AI and data center infrastructure that can deliver power densities of up to 100W per cubic inch and scale up to 72 kW per shelf. Another solution in current sensors from Danisense was the addition of TEDS (Transducer Electronic Data Sheet) functionality, embedding model-specific performance data such as offset drift, gain error, phase shift, and calibration limits directly in the sensor. This enables test equipment to automatically configure itself using this stored data for a plug-and-measure workflow.
EEWorld Online also covered test technology in some of their APEC content, pointing out the importance of testing the power supply and charging circuits, battery management systems (BMSs), and battery cells in advanced electronic devices. Among the solutions mentioned were some of the latest test instruments from B+K Precision, like the HVL600150 electronic load and data-acquisition systems such as the DAQ3120 modular system.
Simulating batteries is an important task, and the Chroma 87001 battery simulator provides 16 channels to simulate up to 16 battery cells with a total power of 25 W while also measuring voltage and current. Addressing other power issues, the Hioki PW8001 power analyzer provides eight channels with 18-bit resolution to measure dc and ac power with a basic accuracy ±0.03%. On another note, Picotest ( reduced the size of its transient load stepper board for testing GPUs. The board reduces 48 V to 0.8 V at up to 2000 A.
The coverage at Electronic Design included a product roundup that includes the SUPER CLAMP Snapback transient voltage suppressor (TVS) from Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC), a 7.7 kW, 24-V, bidirectional, TVS diode with AEC-Q101 automotive qualification. The LTD7S24CAH offers a 1.0 to 1.05 clamping ratio, with a bidirectional aspect allowing for ac and dc designs. Another highlight was TDK’s FS1606 DC-DC micro point-of-load (microPOL/μPOL) module for high-power-density applications, with a power density of 1 W/mm3.
In addition to highlighting the history of the event, Power Electronics News looked at some of the technical innovations, such Infineon’s semiconductor innovations for AI data center efficiency, green hydrogen’s growing role in addressing the global energy demand, and Advancements in integrated magnetics for power delivery. It closes with an overview of various technical innovations they encountered on the show floor.
The coverage over at How2Power opened with a focus on the power demands of AI and high-performance computing, and how they are being addressed. Among the solutions highlighted was Empower Semiconductor’s Crescendo platform, which is based on the company’s proprietary FinFast technology and integrates all power components into a single ultra-thin device. Another was Ferric’s high density integrated voltage regulator solutions. The company had a demo of its AI power solution, featuring chip-scale power converters that are described as significantly smaller than existing products. EPC had examples of server power applications for its GaN power devices, including a 48-V to 12-V LLC-based bus converter.
There can be no electronics without electricity, and the latest APEC underscored how advanced power electronics are enabling a better, greener, world. The first APEC was held in April 1986 at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has since grown to become the preeminent event in the power electronics industry.
