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Gary Sapia
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OPTIMIZING SWaP TO DRIVE EFFICIENCY
Perched atop a 25-meter mast on the edge of the Mojave Desert, a 5G radio transceiver is exposed to searing heat. But the use of smaller and lighter components, combined with more efficient electronic systems, produces less heat and allows the transceiver to keep cool and functioning. Simultaneously, at a nearby data center, spread out over 1,000 acres, banks of servers are executing millions of searches and high-demand workloads, catering to an increasingly information-hungry world. The vast, data intensive technology demands fast transitioning high currents and very high-power component densities that maximize efficiency to operate and rapidly deliver content.
Across the advancing communications world, the most challenging technical hurdles for today’s power electronics are size, weight, and power (SWaP). Almost every application seems to be getting smaller and lighter while demanding more power. The need to optimize SWaP drives the power electronics industry, as power management technology is central to today’s data center and communication industry.
MINIMIZING THE COST OF POWER
Reducing power consumption is financially prudent, given its major impact on operational expenses. The rise of 5G and high data rate systems has drastically increased data center processing power demands. Power costs comprise up to half of a typical data center’s costs, with 30% to 40% of that figure attributed to building cooling systems1. Inefficient power systems produce heat. Therefore, a more efficient power system will require less energy to operate, less space devoted to cooling systems, and less money spent on fans, heat sinks, and other forms of thermal management.
THE FOUR VECTORS OF INTELLIGENT POWER MANAGEMENT
Communications companies powering extremely high current devices no longer rely on reaching power-saving targets with off-the-shelf components. They leverage innovative materials and packaging methods to make smaller and lighter 5G radios. Smaller electronics circuits using less metal, plastic, and other resources can help technology leaders attain their sustainability targets.
SIZE, WEIGHT, AND POWER
SMALLER
FOOTPRINT
REDUCED
WEIGHT
INCREASED POWER
AND EFFICIENCY
The need to reduce size, weight, and power (SWaP) remains a constant for data centers and for the communications industry. Data centers2 , social media companies, connected device manufacturers, cloud service providers, and search engine giants are working to achieve some fo the challenges around sustainability.
IMPROVING WIRELESS SWaP AND EFFICIENCY
On the wireless side, the focus is on maximizing power density and efficiency while minimizing the size of the 5G application. Providing the flexibility to incorporate additional capabilities or functionality are also areas of focus. Operating in a smaller space translates to functioning more cost-effectively and efficiently. The potential for advances in wireless communications is vast. Opportunities include alternative ways of packaging to reduce size, weight, and power that produce fewer components and a smaller footprint. Reducing the size of the board frees up space to integrate new technologies or functionality, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and speech recognition.
Lower noise systems require less shielding;
less shielding requires less weight and smaller size.
ELIMINATING THE NOISE
Efficient power conversion is key to a well-run system, but this usually comes at the cost of size. High-frequency switching power conversion is necessary for reducing size. However, this decreases efficiency and increases electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise which can disrupt highly sensitive devices such as 5G network RF transceivers. Innovative technology, like ADI’s Silent Switcher® power converters, reduce EMI and improve overall power system performance while operating at high frequency.
The 5G radio installation enables global cell and internet connectivity, transforming how people communicate, learn, work, and play. This could impact healthcare workers and emergency responders, who rely on technology for critical communication and incident alert management.
The need for on-demand data and storage is soaring among businesses and consumers, requiring data centers to significantly increase power, and emphasizing the critical need for efficient power conversion to manage an already strained power grid system. Improvements in power management technology are essential, as some data centers consume as much electricity as a small city of 80,000 people3.
Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), custom designed for a specific application, are the biggest power consumers. For the same amount of power, ADI’s solutions tackle this challenge by helping to reduce power conversion losses and lowering heat dissipation.
SMALLER POWER CIRCUITS
Server systems use strict standard form factors throughout the industry. Yet, increasing ASIC performance requires significant increases in power. Given the unchanging size constraints, engineers find solutions using ADI’s solutions that provide high power density through advanced integration and proprietary magnetics, helping to deliver more power, with higher efficiency, and less space.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
Improvements in circuit and magnetics design, packaging, and integration are also shrinking the power system in wireless and wired communications equipment. µModule® technology, pioneered by ADI, offers high power density solutions, as multiple power components, are packaged inside a single, surface-mount substrate. A conventional power circuit that converts an input bus voltage to system-level voltages may contain as many as 30 separate components. By combining these circuit elements into a single µModule device, equipment manufacturers can shrink the footprint of the power circuit, place it closer to the load, simplify the design, and optimize the system performance.
SMART SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
To improve system reliability, smart system management is required to manage and control the power systems, essential for enabling long service life and reliable performance for 5G radio and data center server systems. Smart system management enables operators to operate their systems efficiently and reliably over time by applying insights gained from operational data. Smart system management of power provides the ability to monitor power usage and shut down or power up the server racks on-the-fly as needed to conserve energy. Facilities without smart system management may end up with servers being on, unnecessarily, during off-peak hours. By using ADI’s smart system management, data center operators could save power while reducing electricity bills.
SAFETY AND RELIABILITY
Monitoring and controlling power for failure is essential for safety and reliability. ADI’s intelligent hot swap technology provides critical system connect/disconnect, while monitoring and controlling system operation that insures safe and reliable data center operation. Hot swap solutions help users maintain their systems without the need for operational interruptions. This ensures the client experience is uninterrupted and without failures while giving the operator safe, low component stress, and reduced system failures for reduced lifetime performance degradation. In addition, hot swap detects and records system faults, alerts the system of impeding failures, and prevents catastrophic failure, such as a fire.
Hot swap’s intelligent technology also manages voltage and current at the rack mounted board level, enabling the safe installation of a backup board (or line card) without the need to power down the entire rack or system. This allows for the reliable servicing of individual units and minimizes service interruptions—saving time and cost.
SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVED POWER MANAGEMENT
Wireless communications and data centers provide the backbone for mobile phone and internet data services, how most of the world stays connected and informed. The sheer scale of these technologies has a monumental impact on both human interaction and power consumption. Power management and the creation of solutions that consume less energy are critically important to not only data center applications, but to industry and the environment. ADI, through its suite of advanced products and technologies, is committed to making it easier for power electronics system designers to bring economically beneficial, safe and reliable data center and communication innovation to the market.
References
1 "Data Center Cooling Costs", DataSpan, Inc.
2 "North America Data Center Trends H2 2021", CBRE
3 "Examining Data Center Energy Consumption and Power Sources", Enconnex
