Summary
- Wide-body ACS37030 and ACS37002 current sensors support high-voltage power monitoring and protection.
- The AHV85311 gate driver targets silicon carbide conversion equipment, while the A89333 addresses 48V cooling motors.
- Acbel Polytech has integrated Allegro sensors into power products intended for high-density data centres.
Allegro MicroSystems has expanded its semiconductor portfolio for AI data-centre electrical systems, introducing new current-sensing, power conversion, and cooling motor control components.
The range includes higher-isolation versions of the ACS37030 and ACS37002 current sensors, the AHV85311 isolated gate driver for silicon carbide power systems, and an improved QuietMotion A89333 motor driver for 48V applications.
The developments target equipment manufacturers designing high-density computing infrastructure around higher-voltage electrical distribution and more demanding thermal management requirements.
Allegro has also confirmed that Acbel Polytech has incorporated its high-speed current sensors into power equipment intended for AI data centres, providing an identified commercial integration beyond the introduction of the components themselves.
As computing rack electricity demand increases, the architecture used to deliver power becomes more important. Electrical energy passes through several stages of conversion and distribution before reaching processors, memory, and the supporting equipment within a server.
Transmitting higher power at relatively low voltage requires greater current, which can increase losses and place additional demands on conductors, connectors, and protection devices.
Higher-voltage distribution can reduce current for a given power level, potentially changing cable and busbar requirements. However, the equipment must also manage the greater insulation, isolation, and protection requirements associated with elevated voltage.
Allegro’s new current sensors use wide-body packages with high comparative tracking index material. The company specifies 6,000V galvanic isolation, supporting electrical separation between measurement and power circuits in appropriately designed equipment.
Current measurements can be used to manage power conversion systems and identify abnormal conditions. Fast sensing is particularly relevant to applications where changes in computing load produce rapid variations in the electrical behaviour of power supplies.
Such measurements may inform current limiting, overload protection, and control functions, depending on the surrounding circuit architecture and the equipment manufacturer’s design.
The AHV85311 gate driver addresses silicon carbide power conversion. It provides an isolated interface for controlling switching devices used in high-voltage circuits, where reliable switching and separation between control and power electronics are necessary.
Allegro says the driver can remove the need for a separate isolated power supply in certain designs, reducing associated circuit-board space by up to 50%. That is an application-specific component comparison, rather than a reduction in the overall dimensions of a server or rack.
Cooling components and power density
The updated A89333 motor driver is designed for 48V cooling fans used in compact server equipment. Allegro says its integrated control functions reduce the need for equipment designers to develop their own motor control software.
Fans consume electricity while maintaining acceptable operating temperatures for components within air-cooled servers. Their speed, efficiency, and reliability influence both the thermal performance and the supporting power demand of the equipment.
Motor control technology can also be applied to pumps within liquid cooling systems, although pump requirements differ from those of fans and must be addressed through the relevant mechanical and electrical design.
At higher rack densities, changes to individual components can influence the performance of larger systems. More efficient conversion may reduce heat generated by power electronics, while improved sensing can help equipment respond to changing load conditions.
Those benefits must be evaluated across the complete electrical architecture. Component efficiency does not establish the efficiency of a complete rack or facility, because other conversion stages, cooling equipment, and operating loads remain.
Adoption also depends on qualification by equipment manufacturers. Components used within power supplies and protection systems need to satisfy electrical performance, reliability, safety, and compatibility requirements for their intended applications.
Acbel’s integration of Allegro sensors demonstrates one route into commercial power equipment, while other products remain subject to manufacturers’ individual design and procurement decisions.
The new range reflects the increasing technical demands on the electrical components supporting AI infrastructure. As rack densities rise, current sensing, isolation, switching control, and cooling motor management are becoming more closely connected to the performance of the complete computing system.
