Purchasing off-the-shelf power conversion modules is beneficial in many ways: Not only can the PCB layout be simplified, but certification houses tend to pass the designs quickly. With the REC10K-RW, Recom adds versatility to its already well-established 10W series.

Recom packages these DC-DC converters in the industry-standard DIP-24 package shown in the figure below. This means they can easily deploy in existing footprints, adding flexibility or improved performance to existing designs.

Isolated Output and a Wide Input Range

DC/DC converter modules offer galvanic isolation: In the case of the REC10K-RW, an isolation voltage of up to 4000 V is provided. This means that input and output are reliably separated, with failures on the input side not affecting the output.

In terms of input voltage, the converters are available in two versions. The first converter family can handle 9 to 36 V DC, whereas the second family handles 18 to 75 V. In both cases, the input range condition four to one is fully satisfied.

A Wide Variety of Output Voltages With Tuning Flexibility

As of this writing, Recom provides about two dozen SKUs in the REC10K-RW family. The table shown below gives a graphical overview.

As can be seen from the values shown in the efficiency field, the REC10K-RW family is a highly efficient DC to DC converter. SKUs such as REC10K-2424DRW/H4 work with an input voltage range of 9-36V and provide an output voltage of 24 V with a typical efficiency of 88%. The REC10K-2405SRW/H4 emits a standard 5 V output voltage at an efficiency of 84%. Furthermore, some parts can provide dual output voltages. In the case of the REC10K-2405DRW/H4, a symmetrical plus/minus 5 V output is provided. This dramatically simplifies the creation of complex analog signal acquisition chains.

Designers can deploy the component without worry: the parts maintain perfect regulation even under a zero-output load. Furthermore, output ripple is well controlled, with the data sheet promising a ripple of 35mVpp to 150mVpp.

External Resistor for Trimming of Output Voltages.

Should a designer need to slightly adjust the output voltage of the converter, he can do so by adding an external trimming resistor. The device can be trimmed up or down, allowing perfect adjustment. The resistor values are usually taken from the E96 family, yielding the circuits and computations shown below.

Robust and Widely Certified

The REC10K-RW excels in high-temperature environments. The data sheet provides derating up to an ambient temperature of 100°C. The components can be used near hot processes, thereby significantly reducing the cooling required in data-acquisition applications.

Designers seeking to use the REC10K-RW in certified applications (such as railway systems) can benefit from various certifications. The data sheet provides the following certification information.

Finally, designers can use an external EMC filter to improve the quality of the output voltage.

Conclusion

Thanks to the small DIP24 housing and the three-year warranty, the Recom REC10K-RW family of DC/DC converters should be used wherever DC/DC conversion capability is needed.