The increasing adoption of 800 V power distribution in AI data centers and industrial automation is creating a new challenge for power-conversion designers: how to convert high-voltage DC efficiently into the 6 V, 12 V and 48 Vrails required by modern loads while maintaining high power density.

A presentation by Michael de Rooij of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) examines how a multi-stage Input Series, Output Parallel (ISOP) architecture can distribute the high-voltage input across several conversion modules, enabling low-voltage GaN FETs to be used on both the primary and secondary sides of multi-kilowatt isolated converters.

Rather than relying on high-voltage devices for the primary stage, the approach divides the 800 V input among multiple modules. Because each module handles only a fraction of the total input voltage, lower-voltage GaN devices can be used while retaining galvanic isolation, high efficiency and high power density. The presentation also examines how interleaving, planar magnetics and modularity contribute to reducing losses and improving thermal management.

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Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio, Director of Global Marketing Communications at EPC