Infineon introduces CoolGaN-based HV IBC reference design
Infineon has introduced two new high-voltage Intermediate Bus Converter (HV IBC) reference designs to help customers move to AI server power architectures powered by +/-400 V and 800 VDC.
Built using the company's 650 V CoolGaN switches, the designs target hyperscalers, power architects, and server OEMs seeking higher rack power, lower power distribution losses, and improved thermal performance at rising AI workloads.
The reference designs address two different architectures: the 800-VDC-to-50-V design serves as an intermediate stage for downstream 48-V IBC modules, while the 800-VDC-to-12-V design enables direct conversion for compact server boards. For custom implementations, Infineon offers the digital controller XDPP1188-200C, which supports flexible output voltages of 48 V, 24 V, or 12 V.
The 800 VDC or +/-400 V to 50 V HV IBC reference design was developed for next-generation AI data centres and demonstrates more than 98 percent efficiency at full load. Built using Infineon’s high-voltage and medium-voltage CoolGaN switches, EiceDRIVER gate drivers, and a PSOC microcontroller, it consists of two 3 kW 400 V to 50 V converter building blocks, which are configured in an input-series-output-parallel (ISOP) arrangement.
The approach scales to 6 kW TDP and supports up to 10.8 kW for 400 µs, using a planar PCB integrated transformer with multiple synchronous rectifier stages and soft switching across all load conditions to reduce EMI. The implementation has a 60 x 60 x 11 mm form factor and achieves an exceptional 2.5 kW/in³ power density.
The second reference design is an ultra-thin HV IBC demo board, which converts an 800 VDC bus voltage directly to a 12 V intermediate rail. The design delivers 6 kW TDP and supports up to 10.8 kW for 400 µs. It operates as an ISOP half-bridge LLC converter and uses an innovative matrix-transformer design to achieve an 8 mm height in a 130 mm × 40 mm footprint.
The design has a power density above 2300 W/in³ and is said to enablee innovative server board cooling concepts. The design reaches up to 98.2 percent peak efficiency and 97.1 percent efficiency at full load. To meet these stringent specifications, the design uses Infineon’s premium 650 V CoolGaN and 40 V OptiMOS 7 switches, with EiceDRIVER gate drivers and a PSOC microcontroller.
Both HV IBC reference designs are optimised for use with Infineon’s AI server power delivery portfolio spanning solid-state transformers and circuit breakers, high-voltage and intermediate bus conversion, as well as second-stage DC conversion power modules.
