Page 17 - EngineerIT September 2022

ICT

Advanced technologies Hot swap ensures the input current is controlled in a safe
Improvements in circuit and magnetics design, packaging and manner, preventing component stresses that can cause system
integration are also shrinking the power system in wireless failures and component lifetime performance degradation. In the
and wired communications equipment. µModule technology, event of a fault, hot swap alerts the system and attempts to limit
pioneered by ADI, offers the industry’s highest power the condition or perform an immediate shutdown to prevent a
density solutions, as multiple power components, making catastrophic failure, such as a fire.
up a complete power solution, are packaged inside a single, Hot swap’s intelligent technology manages voltage and
surface-mount substrate. A conventional power circuit that current at the rack-mounted board level, enabling the safe
down-converts an input bus voltage to system level voltages installation of a backup board (or line card) without the need
may contain as many as 30 separate components. By combining to power down the entire rack or system. This allows for the
these circuit elements into a single µModule device, equipment reliable servicing of individual units and minimises service
manufacturers can shrink the footprint of the power circuit, interruptions – saving time and cost.
place it closer to the load, simplify the design and optimise the ADI’s intelligent hot swap solution is an advanced technology
system performance. that ensures systems operate in an efficient, safe, secure and
As process technology improves, system voltages get lower reliable manner, which are critical parameters for any high power
and current requirements increase in a non-linear manner. data centre system.
This dramatic increase in current across the power distribution
network (PDN) resistance creates losses that significantly Solutions for sustainability
impact system power efficiency and power dissipation in the Mobile phone and internet data services are how most of the
form of heat. As we well know, power loss increases with world stays connected and informed. The sheer scale of these
the square of the current. Our biggest challenge is to reduce technologies has a monumental impact, both environmentally
this loss. This is where ADI’s µModule technology meets the and financially. That’s why innovations in power management
challenge head on. technology that have the potential to enhance sustainability with
increasing efficiency, are so valuable.
Smart system management Creating sustainable solutions that consume less energy
To drive peak operating efficiency, smart system management is is growing in importance across applications. Power semi-
required to effectively manage and control the power systems. conductors are central to that objective. But technology is just
5G radio and data centre server systems can benefit from new a starting point. ADI is committed to making it easier for power
technology today, which enables operators to incrementally electronics system designers to bring safe and reliable data
improve efficiency and reliability over time by applying insights centres and communication innovation to the market, as well as
gained from operational data. AI or smart power provides the reach the goal of a sustainable future that will benefit the planet
data centre operators the ability to monitor power usage and and its global population. n
shut down or power up the server racks on-the-fly as needed to
conserve energy. Facilities without smart system management About the authors
may end up with servers being on, unnecessarily, during off- Gary Sapia received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Texas
peak hours. By using ADI’s smart system management, data A&M University, with advanced technology courses
centre operators can realise up to 25% power savings while in power electronics and RF system design. He has
reducing electricity bills. over 28 years of experience focused on the design
and development of analogue systems, including
Safety and reliability power conversion and high frequency solutions for
Data centres require enormous amounts of power to operate. the communications and GPS markets. Prior to joining
Monitoring and controlling this power for failure is critical for Analog Devices, Gary spent 18 years as a field applications engineer
safety and reliability. ADI’s intelligent hot swap technology at Linear Technology (now part of ADI), focused on Cisco and other
sets the industry standard in providing the needed system prominent Bay Area networking companies.
monitoring and control that ensure safe, reliable data centre Andrea Pizzutelli holds a Ph.D. in information technology and an
operation. electrical engineering Laurea degree from Politecnico
di Milano in Italy. He has 15 years of experience
developing integrated power conversion products
and has held various positions focusing on data
centre, telecommunications, and notebook markets.
Andrea has also co-authored multiple scientific papers
and holds numerous U.S. patents.

Analog Devices is represented in South Africa by Altron Arrow.
Engage with Conrad Coetzee at ccoetzee@arrow.altech.co.za
for more information.

EngineerIT | September 2022 | 15