Worldwide DC-DC Converter Modules Forecasts : Power Architectures, Product Types, Voltage Trends, and Applications

This report provides a detailed and quantitative analysis of the global market for dc-dc converter modules. In many instances, unit sales, dollar sales and pricing trends are discussed. See the listing of Figures for a complete description of the Tables included in this unique and extensive analysis.

Topics covered include:

• DC-DC Converter Module Forecasts
• Power Architecture Forecasts
• Factors Driving Digital Bus Converters
• Input Voltage Forecasts
• Output Voltage Forecasts
• Product Type Forecasts
• Isolated DC-DC Converter Module Forecasts
• Wattage Forecasts
• Output Voltage Forecasts
• Non-Isolated DC-DC Converter Module Forecasts
• Amperage Forecasts
• Output Voltage Forecasts
• DC-DC Converter Module Application Forecasts

The dc-dc converter module market is being driven by different factors than the dc-dc converter IC market. Although the two “converge” in many applications, their functions are still specific enough to keep the module market healthy for many years to come. As a result, the total worldwide revenue market for dc-dc converter modules is expected to reach approximately $4.3 billion by 2016.

Over the previous years, dc-dc converter modules have become increasingly efficient and costeffective, with designs that are able to meet very specific system requirements. As a result, most of the problems posed by these “internal” challenges have been addressed. For example, increased package integration and digital control, which led to reduced parts count and increased efficiency of regulated converters, means that there is very little difference in cost or efficiency between regulated and unregulated converters, allowing customers to choose based on system needs. Due to these developments, the focus has now shifted to more “external” factors that are driving the market, such as new power architectures and new materials.
On the one hand, however, this shift to external drivers could inadvertently create new internal opportunities. External factors could even drive internal markets, as companies look for “emerging” solutions at this level. New power architectures are being designed with digital power management in mind, for instance. Internal loop control can be the value-added internal factor that differentiates these applications, accelerating digital adoption.

Changing power architectures are also having a strong impact on the design of dc-dc converter modules. These changes come from evolving system power demands, system architectures, developments in digital power technology, and new materials. The emergence of the Centralized Control Architecture (CCA) and the Dynamic Bus Architecture (DBA) is expected to be as significant as the earlier replacement of the Classic Distributed Power Architecture by today’s Intermediate Bus Architecture (IBA).

Digital power technology has been responsible for the growth of the CCA and the DBA in power system architectures. Such technology has brought further cost reductions and performance enhancements to equipment designers. Due to its “emerging” status, the DBA market is not expected to have significant sales until later in the period forecasted in this report. By 2016, however, worldwide unit sales could reach approximately 5.5 million, a CAGR of 82.1%. Most of these sales are projected to be in communications and computer applications, where the advantages of this digital power architecture are the greatest.

Looking at new materials, Gallium-nitride (GaN) is targeting the dc-dc converter module market and is expected to be a game changer for these products. National Semiconductor introduced what it says is the industry’s “first 100V half-bridge gate driver optimized for use with EPC’s  enhancement-mode GaN power field-effect transistors (FETs) in high-voltage power converters.” This is a major step in reducing costs and increasing efficiency in commercial products.
Changes are occurring in dc-dc converter input voltages, as well. For the foreseeable future, 48V is expected to continue being dominant. However, 12V power buses are closing the gap, reflecting the continued growth in IBA and (to a lesser degree) CCA architectures. The most typical IBA input voltages fall within the 12V segment, which is growing through the forecast period, and will eclipse 48V and be the largest segment after 2014. And, although input voltages in general are moving down, some current trends are pointing toward higher voltages.

For example, the EMerge Alliance is developing a 380Vdc power standard for inclusion in its hybrid alternating current (ac) and dc microgrid platform. This open architecture focuses on reducing or eliminating inefficient ac to dc conversions that occur between power sources and digital devices in commercial buildings by converting and distributing power in dc form. Japan’s NTT Facilities is already using 380Vdc data center power, and CTC is offering a hybrid ac- and dc-distribution system. Netpower Labs AB has a 400Vdc UPS, and Valadis DC Systems LLC has a 575Vdc distribution system. The market seems to be standardizing at 380Vdc-400Vdc, however. These higher input voltages are trends to watch in the future.

The non-isolated dc-dc converter market is experiencing some of the greatest changes in the dcdc module market. Multi-core CPUs and low-power microprocessors have been successfully introduced and have reversed the trend toward higher currents. There is still strong and  growing demand for currents up to 100A; the higher levels are often used to feed banks of memory chips. The peak amperage levels are going down, however, with increasing demand for embedded solutions. In addition, the replacement of dc-dc modules by embedded converters, and the increasing difficulty of efficiently producing low-noise, tightly-regulated outputs at  increasingly lower voltages, has led to higher growth in the low output voltage ranges.

Applications are strongly correlated with input voltages, with implications for dc-dc converter design such as isolation and non-isolation. The Communications segment is dominated by  8V, for instance, with 12V slowly catching up. The 12V input voltage is dominant in Computer applications, while the Industrial segment mainly uses 24V input. Medical input voltages are found in the 3.3V, 5V, 12V and 48V ranges, while higher input voltages are dominant in the Mil/Aero market.
Historically, the dc-dc converter module market has been driven by sales in the Communications segment. That began to change with the emergence of the IBA, when the Computer segment began to grow rapidly, catching up with the Communications segment in terms of dominance. Applications continue to drive sales of dc-dc converter modules, however. System sales are coming from the demand for energy efficiency, lower cost, smaller size, and configurability. The worldwide economy is slowly recovering, and most of the applications discussed in this report are showing improved orders and sales. The business climate is still cautious, however, with some application segments showing more improvement than others.

Standards also affect the design and sales of dc-dc converter modules in certain applications. Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) consumes a significant quantity of low-wattage (<25W) isolated converters, for example. AdvancedTCA™ is an open standard for the implementation of telecom computing and data center systems. Its shelf structure has up to 16 hot-swappable boards (blades), and each blade can demand up to 200W of power and must accommodate dual -48Vdc voltage sources for redundant powering. And in late 2010, the Distributed-Power Open Standards Alliance (DOSA) approved specification standards for the “third generation, highdensity, non-isolated MICRO converter.” The standard applies to both analog and digital nonisolated point-of-load converters.

So, even as the dc-dc converter module market moves from internal to external drivers, the changes provide opportunities that power supply companies can capitalize on. Demand for dc-dc modules is expected to be strong over the next five years. The forecasts – and the trends they reflect – will create a competitive, integrated environment for dc-dc module makers to introduce new designs and offer cost-effective, innovative solutions.

Table of Contents :

Introduction ................. 9
DC-DC Converter Module Forecasts.. 12
Power Architecture Forecasts....... 12
Classic Distributed Architecture........................ 14
Intermediate Bus Architecture . 16
Centralized Control Architecture....................... 18
Dynamic Bus Architecture ....... 19
Factors Driving Digital Bus Converters ....... 21
Input Voltage Forecasts ................ 27
Output Voltage Forecasts ............. 32
Product Type Forecasts................ 35
Background .... 35
Isolated DC-DC Converter Module Forecasts........ 40
Wattage Forecasts .................. 40
Output Voltage Forecasts........ 44
Non-Isolated DC-DC Converter Module Forecasts 48
Amperage Forecasts ............... 48
Output Voltage Forecasts........ 53
DC-DC Converter Module Application Forecasts... 57
Overview ........ 57
Communications...................... 64
Computers...... 69
Industrial......... 74
Medical ........... 79
Military/Aerospace ................... 83
Appendix A: GaN and Future DC-DC Converter Designs .................... 89

List of Exhibits :

TABLES
Table 1 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Power Architectures Market (millions of units) ....... 12
Table 2 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Power Architectures by Application (millions of units).............. 15
Table 3 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Applications by Power Architecture (millions of units) ............ 23
Table 4 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Input Voltage (millions of units)  28
Table 5 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Input Voltage (millions of dollars) ...................... 28
Table 6 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Input Voltage ($/unit) ........................ 31
Table 7 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of units) ..................... 33
Table 8 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of dollars) .................. 34
Table 9 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage ($/unit) ..................... 35
Table 10 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Product Type (millions of units) ..................... 36
Table 11 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Product Type (millions of dollars) .................. 36
Table 12 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Product Type ($/unit) ...................... 37
Table 13 – Worldwide Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Wattage (millions of units) ....... 41
Table 14 – Worldwide Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Wattage (millions of dollars) .... 42
Table 15 – Worldwide Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Wattage ($/unit) ................ 43
Table 16 – Worldwide Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of units) ....... 45
Table 17 – Worldwide Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of dollars) .... 45
Table 18 – Worldwide Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage ($/unit) ....................... 45
Table 19 – Worldwide Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Current (millions of units) ................... 49
Table 20 – Worldwide Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Current (millions of dollars) ................ 49
Table 21 – Worldwide Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Current ($/unit) .......... 49
Table 22 – Worldwide Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of units) ................... 53
Table 23 – Worldwide Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of dollars) ................ 54
Table 24 – Worldwide Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage ($/unit).......... 54
Table 25 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Application (millions of units)  60
Table 26 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Application (millions of dollars) ...................... 63
Table 27 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Application ($/unit). 64
Table 28 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Communications Sub- Segment (millions of units) ................. 65
Table 29 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Communications Sub- Segment (millions of dollars) .............. 65
Table 30 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Communications by Input Voltage (millions of units) ................... 66
Table 31 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Computer Sub-Segment (millions of units) ....... 70
Table 32 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Computer Sub-Segment (millions of dollars) .... 70
Table 33 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Computers by Input Voltage (millions of units) ................... 71
Table 34 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Industrial Sub-Segment (millions of units) ....... 75
Table 35 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Industrial Sub-Segment (millions of dollars) .... 75
Table 36 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Industrial by Input Voltage (millions of units) ....... 76
Table 37 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Medical Sub-Segment (millions of units) ....... 80
Table 38 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Medical Sub-Segment (millions of dollars) .... 80
Table 39 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Medical by Input Voltage (millions of units) ....... 80
Table 40 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Mil/Aero Sub-Segment (millions of units) ....... 85
Table 41 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Mil-Aero Sub-Segment (millions of dollars) .... 85
Table 42 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Mil/Aero by Input Voltage (millions of units) ....... 85

FIGURES
Figure 1 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Power Architecture (millions of units) ....... 13
Figure 2 – Classic Distributed Power Architecture..... 20
Figure 3 – Intermediate Bus Architecture .................. 20
Figure 4 – Centralized Control Architecture............... 21
Figure 5 – Dynamic Bus Architecture ........................ 22
Figure 6 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Applications by Power Architecture (unit market share) ......... 24
Figure 7 – Trends in DC-DC Converter Input Voltages ...................... 29
Figure 8 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Input Voltage (millions of dollars) .................. 30
Figure 9 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Input Voltage (millions of units) ..................... 30
Figure 10 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of dollars) .... 32
Figure 11 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of dollars) .... 34
Figure 12 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Isolated vs Non-Isolated (millions of dollars) .... 37
Figure 13 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Isolated vs Non-Isolated (millions of units) ....... 38
Figure 14 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Isolated by Application Segment (millions of units) ................. 39
Figure 15 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Non-Isolated by Application Segment (millions of units)........................ 40
Figure 16 – Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Wattage (millions of dollars) ...................... 42
Figure 17 – Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Wattage (millions of units)  43
Figure 18 – Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of units) ..................... 46
Figure 19 – Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of dollars) .................. 47
Figure 20 – Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Current (millions of units) ....... 50
Figure 21 – Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Current (millions of dollars) .... 51
Figure 22 – Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, Amperage Demand Shifts (millions of units) ...................... 52
Figure 23 – Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of dollars) .... 55
Figure 24 – Non-Isolated DC-DC Module Market, by Output Voltage (millions of units) ....... 56
Figure 25 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Dollar Market Share by Application (2011 vs 2016)................. 58
Figure 26 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Unit Market Share by Application (2011 vs 2016)................. 59
Figure 27 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Application (millions of dollars) ...................... 61
Figure 28 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Application (millions of units)  62
Figure 29 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Communications Sub-Segment (millions of dollars) .............. 66
Figure 30 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Communications Sub-Segment (millions of units) ................. 67
Figure 31 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Communications by Input Voltage (millions of units) ................... 68
Figure 32 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Computer Sub- Segment (millions of dollars) .............. 72
Figure 33 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Computer Sub- Segment (millions of units) ................. 73
Figure 34 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Computers by Input Voltage (millions of units) ................... 74
Figure 35 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Industrial Sub- Segment (millions of dollars) .............. 77
Figure 36 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Industrial Sub- Segment (millions of units) ................. 78
Figure 37 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Industrial by Input Voltage (millions of units) ................... 79
Figure 38 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Medical Sub-Segment (millions of dollars) .... 81
Figure 39 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Medical Sub-Segment (millions of units) ....... 82
Figure 40 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Medical by Input Voltage (millions of units) ....... 83
Figure 41 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Military/Aerospace Sub-Segment (millions of dollars) ...... 86
Figure 42 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, by Military/Aerospace Sub-Segment (millions of units) ......... 87
Figure 43 – Worldwide DC-DC Module Market, Military/Aerospace by Input Voltage (millions of units) .......... 88