The need for more power

Modern rail infrastructure presents new challenges for designers of both freight and commuter solutions. Commuter rail systems require mobile office communication capabilities with the infotainment capabilities of home. Freight rail systems require monitoring and control capabilities to assure the safe and timely delivery of all goods onboard. Both commuter and freight systems demand reliable and high-performance power systems for the necessary safety and security measures (onboard and at station). A new class of DC-DC power converters is required to meet these new demands, ones that are more power dense, more efficient, cost-effective, and robust enough to meet the rigors of onboard rail applications.

Meeting the demands of modern rail applications

Vicor modular power components and complete power systems are used by customers throughout the world to create solutions for a wide variety of railway applications. Our long, successful record supporting customers in this demanding market, along with our understanding of rail standards and regulations, have inspired us to design the next evolution design the next generation in onboard rail power: the comprehensive Vicor family of isolated, regulated DC-DC converters, the DCM^TM.

Advantages of Vicor solutions

High efficiency

Power density

Reliability

Competitive cost

Watch the Digi-key video describing how the DCM2322 powers modern rail systems

Vicor ChiP DCM is the next step in the evolution of rail power

The Vicor ChiP DCM family of isolated, regulated DC-DC converter modules addresses the requirements of modern rail applications while building on our 20+ years proven track record in the rail industry. The ChiP DCM comes in two different packages sizes, 22 x 23 x 7mm and 36 x 23 x 7mm, and input voltages that match up well with all global rail standards, including a wide range 43 – 154V_IN, and a low range18 – 36V_IN. The family has offerings that are optimized for power levels from 60 – 320W, at power densities up to 653W/in³, and generates isolated DC outputs as required by the applications. Utilizing a high-frequency zero-voltage switching (ZVS) topology, the DCM converter delivers efficiencies of up to 93% across its entire input voltage range.

DCM2322 Details