Considerations for the procurement and application of hybrid dc/dc converters

Hybrid DC/DC Converters are finding more widespread application in high reliability space applications. A large variety of products are available from which to choose, including commercial, milspec, and space qualified. While hybrid fabrication technology is mature, it's aggressive packaging requires special attention be paid to unique aspects of power supply design. These include the control of parasitics associated with magnetics, the use of physically small capacitors as ripple filters, and the mounting and thermal management of high power dissipating components. Normally, space qualified products must still adhere to MIL-SPEC or NASA derating guidelines. Considerations for the use of hybrid converters in space applications including design, compliance with derating guidelines, component technologies, fabrication processes, burn-in testing, radiation tolerance, and packaging are discussed. The drive to produce "faster, better, cheaper" spacecraft necessitates the abandonment of old paradigms, and a willingness to accept increased risk. Whether a mission costs $1 billion, $150 million, $5 million, or less, few sponsors are willing to waste money on failures. Great care is still advisable in the selection of flight hardware; thorough testing to eliminate infant mortality failures is still necessary to ensure timely delivery of flight hardware and a successfully completed mission.