High-Efficiency Power for Reliable BBU Systems

Today, we will take you through an in-depth look at the critical role of DC-DC converters in the Battery Backup Units (BBUs), and explain how our solutions help customers improve backup performance, shorten development cycles, and further strengthen the product competitiveness.

The BBU is a backup power module specifically designed for critical equipment such as servers and network switches. It ensures continuous power or safe shutdown protection during power outages. At the core of a BBU is a high-efficiency DC-DC converter paired with a battery pack., it offers high energy density, low maintenance, and long lifespan, it is an essential element for stable data center operation.

In a data center, the PSU supplies the main DC power, while the BBU immediately takes over in the event of an abnormal power outage. We focus on providing the DC-DC converters in the BBU handle daily charging/discharging and emergency switching, ensuring uninterrupted system operation— a critical power core in server design.

In practical design, BBU modules must meet performance, reliability, and space constraint requirements simultaneously:
1. Battery lifespan: High temperatures and frequent charging/discharging accelerate aging, which requires effective cooling.
2. High integration: Tight integrating of control circuits, batteries, and power modules within limited space
3. Power Stability: Ensure uninterrupted power delivery within milliseconds to ensuring system stability.

Our DC-DC converters are specifically designed to address these challenges.

According to the experience of BBU manufacturers, the most common issues include:

• Delay in backup activation, leading to system reboots or even data loss
• Heat buildup during prolonged standby, which shortens module lifespan
• High standby power consumption, reducing energy efficiency, EMI may cause repeated test failures, making it difficult to meet international standards and delaying time-to-market

All these issues are closely related to the quality and design of the DC-DC converter.

To address the above challenges, we propose the following key design directions for the DC-DC converter:

• Utilize zero-voltage switching and low on-resistance components to maintain over 80% efficiency under light load conditions
• Integration of digital control and soft start to ensure seamless backup during main power loss
• Implementation of intelligent power monitoring and real-time status reporting to the host via PMBus communication

These features significantly enhance system reliability and simplify overall integration.

Our DC-DC converter offers 90% high efficiency, fast switching, excellent immunity, and a wide input range from 9V to 75V, fully meeting the high standards required for BBU modules. It helps you accelerate design validation, enhance system stability, shorten development cycles, and reduce overall costs.
Thank you for your attention, see you next time!

CTC is service provider for high-end power modules (DC to DC Converter and AC to DC Converter) for critical applications worldwide since 1987. We aim to be business generator and a virtual business unit. CTC is your own team with 35 years of experience for a strong business program from market research, product definition & development, supply chain management and total technical services.

CTC is the only corporation certificated with ISO-9001, IATF-16949, ISO22613(IRIS), and ESD/ANSI-2020. We can 100% ensure not only the product, but also our workflow and service to match quality management system for every high-end application from the very beginning. From design to manufacturing and technical support, every single detail is operated under highest standard.