The 48 Volt Power Trend
48 Volt power distribution architectures have increased in popularity for reasons similar to other technology advancements in recent years: hello global AI/ML! Industries, systems and data are more interconnected and intelligent than ever before. Demand for instant, reliable data increases daily. High-performance processors are used to optimize performance. Conversations to scale, using similar or smaller footprints (requiring greater power density), are at the forefront. Therefore, probably to no surprise, power supplies are evolving alongside these advancements.
Where Are 48 Volt Architectures Being Used?
48 V power distribution networks are being deployed for efficient, reliable power in highly dense data center applications. They’re also commonly used in renewable energy, hybrid and electric vehicles, and industrial applications.
Advantages of 48 Volt Architectures
There are many advantages in using 48 Volt architectures, compared to traditional 12 Volts (or 24 Volts). One advantage is power density as 48 Volts allows for less wiring, less system complexity and less weight. Of equal or possibly greater importance is that 48 Volt architectures allow for a 4x reduction of current (Amps) if maintaining a similar power output. Lowering the current means less heat is generated, allowing for potential cost savings on cooling systems. In addition, 48 Volt architectures when used across a system will require less step down resulting in less power loss.
Interconnect Selection for 48 Volt Systems
Do 48 Volt power distribution networks change or impact the interconnects selected? Good news for Samtec: The answer is no. 48 Volt power distribution networks do not change or impact interconnect selection. Samtec products are already well-suited for 48 Volt systems. There’s no need to change your connector approach.
Discrete Wire Solutions for 48 Volts
Let’s take a look at our Discrete Wire solutions for a moment.
All Samtec Discrete Wire solutions exceed the 48 V rating requirement. For addressing power density mentioned above there’s a wide variety of small form factor solutions (0.80 mm, 1 mm pitch and above) with contact styles that are optimized for power with high isolation.
A key differentiator for Samtec is that we provide readily available, off-the-shelf, Discrete Wire cable assembly solutions for instances when you may not have the resources to crimp and assemble them yourself (or may not be quite ready to invest in tooling). However, Samtec also provides components and tooling for more traditional or high-volume approaches. Visit samtec.com/tooling for more information. And please be sure to visit our Discrete Wire product page to see which solution may best fit your application.
As the industry continues to adopt 48 V systems, best practices for compatible equipment and expertise continue to evolve. If you have interconnect questions related to 48 Volt power distribution networks, please feel free to reach out to Samtec. We welcome conversations with our customers to ensure the best solution for specific applications.
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