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Figure 3. Energy efficiency can be optimized on the fly with PMBus-compatible converters
Group in streamlining the design
of digital power was to enable true
second-source flexibility for system
OEMs. In going beyond the standards
set by power industry bodies such as
POLA and DOSA, the AMP Group has
not only created standards that provide
mechanical, electrical and software
compatibility, but each of its standards
is represented by commercially
available products from at least two of
its founding member companies: CUI,
Ericsson Power Modules and Murata.
Furthermore, the members have set
out to collaborate on a technology and
product roadmap to keep one step
ahead the IoE power challenge. The
AMP Group classically demonstrates
the adage that “the sum is greater
than the parts” as collaboration
between its members each, with their
own unique experience, benefits not
just those member companies but
also the industry at large.
Conclusion
Industry and commerce, driven
by the needs of the consumer, are
increasingly dependent on Cloud
data services as we rapidly move
towards the Internet of Everything.
The resulting huge quantities of
data need to be communicated and
processed quickly to provide useful
information and then stored for
future reference. As the demands on
Cloud data centers increase, energy
efficiency is becoming an increasingly
important factor governing operating
costs. At the board level, energy
lost during power conversion can be
reduced by adjusting bus voltages
as load conditions change. PMBus-
compatible converters allow real-time
software-based control to achieve a
valuable reduction in these losses.
At the system-level, this combination
of optimized hardware and software
will greatly improve power utilization
in data centers as capacity demands
continue to rise. To fully realize the
promise of software defined power,
it is going to require collaboration
between organizations with unique
technologies and competencies, like
the AMP Group, to meet this looming
IoE power challenge head-on.
New-Tech Magazine Europe l 45