Power: standards push DC-DC converter use

Worldwide shipments of dc-dc converters for the merchant market continue to grow, according to a recent study by Venture Development Corp.

By Control Engineering Staff

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Natick, Massachusetts– Worldwide shipments of dc-dc converters for the merchant market continue to grow, according to a recent study by Venture Development Corp. In 2006, shipments of dc-dc converters totaled US$ 2.6 billion, and are forecast to reach US$ 3.9 billion in 2011. According to Brian Greenberg, analyst for VDC in the power conversion and control practice, standard converters represented over 60% of the dc-dc converters shipped during 2006, an increase from 45% only two years ago.

This increase can be partially attributed to industry standard organizations such as the Distributed-power Open Standards Alliance (DOSA) and Point of Load Alliance (POLA), says Greenberg. The standards developed by these organizations allow competing vendors to develop converters that are compatible in form, fit and function.
The availability of interchangeable products has simplified the evaluation process of converters and is in some measure responsible for the downward movement of ASPs, he said.

Also revealed in the study, pricing has become a significant criterion in the vendor selection process and has forced converter manufacturers to find other ways to remain competitive. Improving efficiency and reliability and adding features such as supply monitoring and control functions are some of the ways converter manufacturers are differentiating their products in an increasingly standardized environment. Venture Development Corp. (VDC) is an independent technology market research and strategy consulting firm that specializes in a number of embedded, component, industrial, retail automation, RFID, AIDC, datacom/telecom, and defense markets. renee.robbins@reedbusiness.com , Control Engineering Weekly News ( Register here and scroll down to select your choice of eNewsletters free.)