www.fairchildsemi.com
Application Bulletin AB-28
Power Conversion for the Data
Communications Market
Abstract
Migration to Converged Voice/
Data IP
Fig. 2 shows the envisioned converged Voice/Data/Video
system over IP. At the center of this new universe is the
Internet Protocol Wide Area Network, with all the services,
including voice, data, video and wireless communications
gravitating around it.
This application bulletin discusses the transition from tradi-
tional telephony to converged voice and data over Internet
Protocol (IP) and its implications for the power conversion
of such systems. A few power conversion examples are pro-
vided complete of applications schematics.
Introduction
The arm wrestling between voice and data has concluded in
favor of the latter with all the major players now posturing
for leadership of the migration from traditional voice to
Internet Protocol (IP) telephony. On the short term the huge
investments in both traditional telephony infrastructure and
data over IP warrants that over the next few years we will
have to provide power conversion for both types of systems
as well as for the converged systems to come.
WLAN
Router
Video
IP WAN
PSTN
IPWAN = Internet Protocol Wide Area Network
WLAN = Wireless Local Area Network
PSTN = Public Switched Telephone Network
Current Environment with Separate
Networks
Fig. 1 shows the current situation with voice going through
traditional PBX (Private Branch Office), Central Office, and
Switch to the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN). On
independent paths the data travels from Routers to wide Area
Networks (WAN) and the video goes trough a third indepen-
dent path.
Fig. 2. Voice/Data/video Over IP
Telecom –48V DC Power Distribution
Traditionally telecom systems have been distributing a DC
power (-48V typically) obtained from a battery back up
being continually charged by a Rectifier/Charger from the
AC line. Subsequently the –48V is converted into various
low positive DC voltages (Fig. 3 shows 12V only for
simplicity) as well as back to AC voltages as necessary.
Home
Phone/Fax
Public Switch
Telephone
Network (PSTN)
Central
Office
Voice
Switch
Office PBX
(Private Branch
Exchange)
-48V
AC LINE
12V DC
-48V
DC/DC
DC/AC
Rectifier
/Charger
Wide Area
Network
(WAN)
Data
Router
Video
Battery
Backup
120/208V AC
Video
Video
Fig. 3. Telecom –48V DC power distribution
Fig.1. Separate Networks for Voice, Data and Video
Datacom AC Power Distribution
Data centric systems tend to rely on an Uninterruptible
Power Supply (AC UPS) front-end for distributing AC
power, which subsequently is converted into the basic
constituents, -48V, AC power and low voltage DC (again,
for simplicity we are only showing a 12V DC in Fig. 4).
REV. 1.0.0
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