Full Customization Case Study of AC/DC Power Adapter for Information Technology Equipment | Communication Equipment and Gateway Applications

A case study of full custom support for AC/DC Power Adapter for information technology equipment. For communication equipment and gateway applications, we introduce an example where we provided support from the design stage based on required specifications.

What Full Custom Support Means

Full custom support refers to optimizing from the circuit design stage based on safety standard requirements, reliability conditions, and usage environment. It is selected when required specifications cannot be met with semi-custom solutions.

Full Custom Case Study 1

Development of AC/DC Power Adapter for Routers for a Major Domestic Telecommunications Carrier

We received a request for custom development of an AC/DC Power Adapter for router applications for a major domestic telecommunications carrier.

In this project, it was necessary to simultaneously satisfy multiple conditions:

Compliance with IEC60950 was mandatory despite being a domestic Products
Carrier-specific reliability standards
Equipment manufacturer-specific power supply adoption criteria

Response During Hearing and Design Phase

At the initial stage, we focused our hearing on the following points:

Heat generation conditions
Policy for conducted noise adjustment
Reliability conditions assuming actual usage environment

Based on this, we implemented full custom support including:

Circuit design
Creation of evaluation jigs
Acquisition of PSE and IEC60950 certification

Full Custom Case Study 2

Wide Temperature Range AC/DC Power Adapter for Gateway Equipment

We received an inquiry from a wireless device manufacturer for an IoM gateway application.

Typical AC/DC Power Adapter often have a guaranteed operating temperature range of 0~40C, making them unsuitable for this application, which required guaranteed operation at -20~60C.

Background of Requirements and Response

As a result of our hearing, the following circumstances became clear:

Relocation is difficult once installed
Use in high- and low-temperature environments is assumed
Applications where communication outages would have social impact

Therefore, we modified the design based on an AC/DC Power Adapter with a rating that provided margin beyond the actual load, enabling guaranteed operation at -20~60C.

This Products is currently adopted in high-speed railway onboard Wi-Fi services.

Results of Full Custom Support

As a result of this initiative, UNIFIVE released the wide temperature range SU Series.

Full custom support is not limited to one-off solutions but is also an important initiative that leads to future expansion of the Products lineup.

Transition to IEC 62368-1 and Its Impact on Power Supply Design

In recent years, the safety standard for information technology equipment has shifted from IEC 60950-1 to IEC 62368-1. This is not merely a simple integration of previous standards but a new standard based on Hazard-Based Safety Engineering (HBSE).

IEC 62368-1 broadly defines safety requirements for ICT and AV equipment, requiring risk assessment at the design stage and a design philosophy that reduces potential hazards to users.

Even in custom AC/DC Power Adapter development, it is essential to have a design and evaluation strategy compliant with IEC 62368-1, and UNIFIVE proposes optimal solutions based on this premise.

Key Concepts of IEC 62368-1 to Understand

With full custom support, greater design flexibility means safety standard requirements directly affect the design itself. IEC 62368-1 goes beyond the framework of IEC 60950-1 and is adopted as a safety evaluation model capable of addressing unknown energy sources and diversified Products designs.

Rather than simply listing safety test items, IEC 62368-1 requires that how energy within a Products is controlled and safeguarded be considered as a safety strategy from the design stage.

Key Design Impact Points of IEC 62368-1

Design approach based on Hazard-Based Safety Evaluation (HBSE)
→ It is necessary to identify hazards (e.g., high voltage/heat sources) and incorporate protective measures into the Products design.
Classification of energy sources and setting of protection levels
→ IEC 62368-1 clearly classifies required safety levels compared to previous standards.
Certification strategy for global expansion
→ IEC 62368-1 is the de facto standard in major Western markets, and compliant design increases the reliability of overseas expansion.

UNIFIVE's Full Custom Support and IEC 62368-1

In UNIFIVE's full custom support:

Safety standard evaluation is conducted at the initial hearing stage
Risk analysis and protective design based on IEC 62368-1 are reflected
Design improvement proposals are made with certification acquisition in mind

Especially for information and communication equipment applications, design optimization according to Products use and market-specific safety requirements directly leads to competitiveness.

UNIFIVE provides optimal solutions for AC adapters for information technology equipment from both perspectives: rapid standards compliance through semi-custom support and dedicated design through full custom support.