Managing DC/DC thermals in high-current, high-ambient temperature applications

Wireless basestations and military communications equipment are examples of
applications that require significant output current from a point-of-load
DC/DC converter without the luxury of air flow to keep the device cool. In
rugged outdoor environments, ambient temperatures may reach 85C or greater.
Most integrated-FET DC/DC converters do not have the ability to operate at
these high ambient temperatures without significant de-rating of the output
current. As a result, many designers sacrifice solution size and build their
power supply around a multi-phase buck controller to spread the heat across
the discrete controller and FET ICs. The new TPS546D24A 16V, 40A buck
converter gives these designers an alternative that eliminates this
trade-off. With its unparalleled thermal performance, TPS546D24A not only is
able to output a full 40A at 85C, but does so with much smaller solution size
and greater simplicity than competing multiphase controllers. Watch the video
to see a demo of TPS546D24A operating at 85C without any current de-rating.

Download the TPS546D24A datasheet http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps5...