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Custom Power Solutions

Tracewell has been designing custom power solutions for the latest technologies for 50 years. We began with central office systems for Bell, and progressed through mainframe computers and peripherals for IBM and Cisco.

Custom Power Supply Designs

  • 1W to 15KW
  • Power factor correction
  • Fault tolerant
  • Hot pluggable/redundant
  • Single wire load share
  • Single and multiple outputs
  • Embedded UPS/integrated battery backup
  • Stand-alone and PCB or system integrated
  • AC and DC outputs
  • AC and DC inputs
  • Self contained and open frame
  • Centralized and distributed
  • Designed to meet latest safety and EMI/EMC directives

Design & Development

  • Switch mode and linear
  • Switching frequencies to 250KHz
  • Analog and digital control techniques
  • Current and voltage mode control techniques
  • Active power factor correction topologies
  • ZVS techniques (Phase shifted full bridge)
  • Single and two FET forward topologies
  • Magnetic amplifier topologies
  • Buck, Boost and Flyback topologies
  • Magnetic design
  • Heatsink design
  • Busbar design
  • Proven soft circuits for rapid prototype

Power Testing

Burn

Units are run at high ambient temperature (50° C) while being power-cycled for a period of from 8 to 96 hours. All outputs of the units are monitored during this test and the time-to-failure is recorded in the quality database for each unit by serial number. Other levels of burn include Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) and Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS). ESS is a thermal stress, of ~1 degree C/minute, while the unit is operational and being monitored. HASS is a combination of thermal and vibration, of ~ 1 degree C/Second and a vibration of 50G’s max while the unit is operational and being monitored. (OVS-3 HALT/HASS Chamber, pictured right)

Final Test

Final test is designed to detect any changes to units during burn-in. It is a complete Hi Potential safety test and full load functional test. These test are done by program-controlled, automated test equipment, which records all test results in the quality database by serial number for each unit tested. A quality inspection of each unit is performed after testing to assure all quality checks are complete and that unit appearance and labeling is correct.

Our custom power solutions include:

  • Custom Power Supply Designs
  • Design & Development
  • Burn
  • Final Test