From saying "Hey Siri" to your phone automatically organizing faces in photos, these seemingly simple AI features rely on the rapid computations of thousands of servers behind the scenes. These servers are concentrated in one place: data centers. You can think of an AI data center as a "smart factory" that continuously processes data from around the world. And to keep this factory running, what it needs most is a stable and robust power supply.
AI models are becoming increasingly complex, their computational power is growing, and so is their demand for electricity. The power consumption of a single AI data center may equal that of an entire neighborhood! Therefore, stable, intelligent, and energy-efficient power systems have become critically important.
But even when power is available, it can't be used directly. Just as household appliances can't be connected to high-voltage electricity, servers also require conversion and voltage regulation to operate safely. This is where the power supply unit (PSU) acts like a transformer, converting electricity from the grid into a form suitable for servers. Additionally, AI data centers cannot afford sudden power outages - a blackout could lead to data loss or system crashes. This necessitates uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS) and backup power to ensure seamless operation even during external power failures.
On the other hand, energy efficiency is also a priority. Waste must be minimized. High-efficiency power conversion technology can reduce energy waste and heat generation, which in turn improves overall cooling efficiency. For AI data centers, this is a win-win for both energy savings and environmental sustainability.
Moreover, power can become "smart." Modern data centers don't just need "power on demand"; they also require real-time monitoring of power status, automatic load distribution adjustments to reduce single-point stress, and integration with renewable energy sources like solar and battery storage to achieve green power supply. All of this is made possible by intelligent power management systems (PMS). It's like having a meticulous butler that ensures the entire AI center operates powerfully and efficiently.
AI can perform rapid computations, understand language, recognize images, and even predict the future. But behind all of this lies a foundation of stable power supply. Electricity is the "lifeline" of AI data centers, providing not just energy but also bearing the responsibility of sustainability, safety, and intelligence.
Power supply systems for AI data centers: power conversion and smart interconnects
In the world of AI, data is the fuel, and electricity is the lifeline. To keep artificial intelligence running at high speed, the data centers behind it require powerful, stable, and efficient power supply systems. Two key technologies in this regard are power conversion and smart interconnects.
Data centers receive high-voltage alternating current (AC) from the grid, but servers, storage devices, and networking equipment actually require low-voltage direct current (DC). This is similar to how our phone chargers work - they can't be plugged directly into high-voltage electricity but must first convert it into a safe and usable form.
In AI data centers, the task of power conversion includes transforming the incoming grid voltage into the voltages and formats required by different devices. It also involves improving conversion efficiency to reduce energy loss and excess heat generation, as well as integrating with battery storage systems and UPS to ensure uninterrupted power during outages. As AI computing scales up and server density increases, power conversion is no longer just about "supplying power" but about "supplying power with precision" - every watt must be used just right, safely, and intelligently.
On the other hand, traditional power systems are one-directional - "deliver power and you're done." But AI data centers can't operate so simply. These servers run around the clock, with power demands fluctuating constantly. Therefore, the power supply system must also have real-time sensing and response capabilities. Through smart interconnects, the power system can monitor and report power consumption across different zones, automatically adjust loads to avoid local overloads or waste, and collaborate with other systems (such as cooling, battery storage, and energy management platforms) to provide visual data that helps engineering teams optimize operations and energy efficiency.
In short, smart interconnects make the power supply system "connected" and "intelligent." It doesn't just deliver power but also adjusts and predicts in sync with the data center's rhythm, enabling truly smart energy infrastructure. Whether training large language models, performing real-time image recognition, or processing vast amounts of global data, every task in AI relies on a reliable power supply system. Power conversion and smart interconnects are the two key technologies that make this power stable and intelligent. Building the next generation of AI data centers isn't just a race for speed - it's also a challenge of energy efficiency and smart operations. Starting with electricity, we can make AI faster, more stable, and more sustainable.
Power supply solutions for stable AI data center operations
Arrow Electronics and its partners are committed to making AI data center operations more stable and improving energy efficiency. They have introduced numerous power supply solutions. Below, we will introduce these solutions by application type, including AC-DC power conversion, DC-DC power conversion, power conversion for AI processing units, and smart interconnects.
1. AC-DC Power Conversion
In AI data centers, the electricity from the grid is alternating current (AC), but servers and computing equipment actually require direct current (DC). This is where AC-DC power conversion comes in, acting as a "power bridge." Its functions include converting high-voltage AC into safe and stable DC for equipment use, ensuring the conversion process is efficient and low-energy to reduce heat generation, and supporting diverse output voltage requirements to flexibly supply various server architectures. With efficient AC-DC solutions, AI data centers can achieve stable power supply and energy-efficient operation, making it an indispensable cornerstone of the overall energy infrastructure.
Arrow-ST-Bourns 5.5kW AI server power supply — This power supply complies with the ORV3 standard, with a power density of up to 65W/In³. Its output voltage ranges from 48-54V (typical value: 48-50V), and its input voltage range is 180V AC to 305V AC. It achieves a peak efficiency of 97.5%, with a surge power 1.5 times the nominal output power. It supports firmware upgrades in the field (using a bootloader), active current sharing on top of droop, and hot insertion/removal (hot-plug). The rectifier can communicate via PMBus (up to 100kbps) and ModBus (up to 115kbps) and features an internally controlled variable-speed fan. The bill of materials (BOM) primarily uses ST components.
3.3kW 54V Bidirectional DC-DC — This EVAL_3K3W_BIDI_PSFB, introduced by Infineon, is a 3300W 54V bidirectional phase-shift full-bridge (PSFB) evaluation board featuring 600V CoolMOS™ CFD7 and XMC™. The converter achieves up to 98% efficiency in buck mode and up to 97% in boost mode. The EVAL_3K3W_BIDI_PSFB board is a DC-DC stage with telecom-level output, implemented using a phase-shift full-bridge (PSFB) topology module with bidirectional functionality. The board uses CoolMOS™ CFD7 and OptiMOS™ 5 in a fully SMD solution and incorporates an innovative cooling concept.
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• 3300W 54V Bidirectional Phase-Shift Full Bridge with 600V CoolMOS™ CFD7 and XMC™
onsemi AI server power supply — onsemi's integrated solution leverages complementary products, including cutting-edge Si, SiC, and GaN technologies for power switching. It also integrates gate drivers, multi-phase controllers, 48V controllers, smart power stage (SPS) modules, smart fuses, and point-of-load (PoL) buck converters for power management. This provides a comprehensive power solution (ranging from 3kW to 25-30kW high-voltage DC transmission) tailored for data centers, covering everything from the grid to GPUs. This product portfolio enhances system efficiency and power density, reducing the system's footprint.
Video: 650V EliteSiC M3S and PowerTrench® T10 MOSFET empowering AI data centers
Video: Empowering AI Data Center - Industry- Leading PowerTrench T10 MOSFETs
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Power solutions for data centers and open compute — Murata has been committed to developing and manufacturing a series of modular, scalable, and high-density titanium-grade products, including AC-DC power supplies and DC-DC converters for various applications. In recent years, Murata has focused on power distribution subsystems used in emerging data center markets. Its latest products include rack systems that support Open Compute V2 and V3 power shelf specifications. While typical OCP power shelves only support three-phase AC input, Murata's power shelves support single-phase AC, three-phase AC, and high-voltage DC (HVDC) (200-400Vdc) input to create leading, efficient data centers.
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• Power Solutions for Data Center and Open Computer
Arrow-onsemi SiC-Based 3kW Totem Pole PFC and LLC power supply — This power module has an input voltage range of 85VAC to 230VAC, an output voltage of 48V, and an output current of 62.5A. Its dimensions are 280mm x 110mm x 38mm, with a four-layer copper Inlay PCB structure and a weight of 2kg. Key components include NTB045N065SC1, NVB055N60S5F, and NTBLS1D1N08H MOSFETs, which reduce the number of components in applications, thereby improving performance and reliability. This makes it an ideal power supply for AI data center servers.
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• SiC based 3kW totem pole PFC and LLC power supply
3kW server power supply — This power module, with part number REF_3K3W_TP_SIC_TOLL, is a 3300W CCM totem pole introduced by Infineon. It features 650V CoolSiC™ and XMC™ in TOLL packaging and uses Real2pin packaging. This is a system solution based on Infineon's silicon carbide trench gate (CoolSiC™) and superjunction (CoolMOS™) power semiconductors, drivers, and microcontrollers. It is suitable for bridge-less totem pole power factor correction (PFC) converters operating in continuous conduction mode (CCM). With its high efficiency and power density, it is ideal for applications where space and efficiency are critical, such as high-end servers and telecommunications equipment.
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• 3300W CCM Totem Pole with 650V CoolSiC™ and XMC™ in TOLL Packaging
3kW server power supply — This evaluation board, EVAL_3KW_50V_PSU, introduced by Infineon, is a 3kW 50V power supply for servers and data centers. Its dimensions are 520mm x 40mm x 73.5mm, with a frequency range of 45kHz to 160kHz. It supports AC input, with an output current of 0A to 60A and an output voltage of 48V to 50V. The supply voltage ranges from 178V to 275V, and the output power is 3000W. It supports topology structures such as PFC, LLC, isolation, half-bridge, and continuous conduction mode (CCM). It uses product series like CoolSiC™, CoolMOS™, OptiMOS™, and EiceDRIVER™, targeting applications such as servers, telecommunications, switch-mode power supplies, power supplies, and industrial power supplies.
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• 600V CoolMOS™ CFD7
5.5kW ORV3-compliant power supply — This MWOCP67-5500-B-RM 67mm power module, introduced by Murata, is a highly efficient (peak 97.5%), ORV3-compliant 5,500W front-end power module with a 50.0Vdc main output. When deployed in Murata's Open Compute-compliant shelves, the 50.0V main output provides active current sharing and output voltage droop control, delivering up to 33.0kW (27.5kW in N+1 configuration). The power module supports hot-plugged, recovery from overtemperature faults, and hardware status LED indicators and signals. With PMBus™ 1.2 digital communication capabilities, a low profile 1U form factor, and a power density of 52.6W/in³, this power and rack solution is ideal for providing reliable power in OCP Open Rack architectures or standalone applications.
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• MWOCP67-5500-B-RM — 67mm 1U 5500W Front-End Power Module
Rack-Mounted power distribution unit — This MWOC-PDU-A-3 power distribution unit, introduced by Murata, is equipped with three C13 AC power outlets for power to peripheral equipment such as network switches. Each outlet is fitted with a 15A Class CC fuse. The PDU (power distribution unit) is an accessory for power shelves without AC power outlets and features a Positronic 7-pin connector for input. The input configuration supports three-phase four-wire delta, three-phase five-wire wye, and single-phase. It is mounted to the PDU body or included mounting bracket using screws or bolts, with dimensions of 43.8(W) x 424(L) x 60(H)mm.
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• MWOC-PDU-A-3 Power Distribution Unit
3.3kW server power supply — This D1U74T-W-3200-12-HB4C, introduced by Murata, is a 73.5mm M-CRPS-185 1U front-end AC-DC power supply module. It is a compact 3200W high-efficiency front-end power module with a 12Vdc main output and a 12Vdc standby output. It features active current sharing, multifunctional status LEDs, hardware logic signals, and a digital communication bus compliant with PMBus™ 1.2. The product complies with the Open Compute Project M-CRPS standard and is backward compatible with Intel CRPS, with factory configuration in CRPS mode. Its low profile, ultra-high power density (97.8W/In³) form factor makes it ideal for providing reliable and efficient power to servers, workstations, storage network systems, high-performance computing, and other 12V distributed power architectures.
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• D1U74T-W-3200-12-HB4C — 73.5mm M-CRPS-185 1U Front-End AC-DC Power Supply
2. DC-DC power conversion
In AI data centers, servers and various computing modules have diverse voltage requirements. The role of DC-DC power conversion is to transform DC power between different levels, providing more refined and precise power control. The core functions of DC-DC power conversion include converting the main power supply's DC voltage into the voltages required by different modules, delivering stable power to high-performance components like CPUs, GPUs, and memory, and improving conversion efficiency to reduce losses and heat generation. DC-DC solutions act like "precision power distributors," ensuring that every component in the AI computing system receives just the right amount of power. This is a critical element in driving high-density, high-performance computing.
48V to 12V DC 1600W module — This REF_IBC_1600W_GAN, introduced by Infineon, is a scalable 48V to 12V regulated intermediate bus converter featuring 100V CoolGaN™ power transistors. It uses Infineon's CoolGaN™ 100V IGC033S10S1 in a 3mm x 5mm PQFN package with a typical RDS(on) of 2.4 mΩ and dual-side cooling. Additionally, it includes Infineon's EiceDRIVER™ 1EDN7136U, a GaN-optimized 1.8mm x 1.8mm gate driver IC with true differential input, and Infineon's XDPP1148-100B controller, a 4mm x 4mm digital power controller with firmware and a configuration GUI. It is paired with Vishay IHLP7575 inductors, which are 7mm height, and features onboard 3.3V and 5V internal power supplies for easy evaluation.
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• Scalable Regulated Intermediate Bus Converter with CoolGaN™ 100V Power Transistors
3. Power conversion for AI processing units
The core computing power of AI data centers comes from GPUs, TPUs, and other AI processing units. These units demand not only high power but also extreme stability and rapid response capabilities. This requires power conversion solutions specifically designed for AI processors. The primary roles of power conversion for AI processing units include providing low-voltage, high-current precision power, meeting the instantaneous load changes of AI computations, supporting high-speed switching and low-noise design to ensure stable processor operation, and optimizing energy efficiency to reduce heat generation and cooling pressure. Such power solutions are the key enablers for AI processing units to "operate at full power smoothly," ensuring that every deep learning training and inference task is completed quickly and stably.
MPQ1500-12V125-L48 Series 1500W DC-DC Converter — The MPQ1500-12V125-L48 is a high-efficiency, 1.5kW, digitally controlled, isolated intermediate bus converter which converts 40-60Vdc (nominal: 54V) input into an isolated, semi-regulated 12Vdc output, full protected from overcurrent, overtemperature, and overvoltage. It utilizes an industry-standard quarter-brick with optional PMBus™ interface. This DC-DC converter boasts a peak efficiency of 97.2%, supports 500Vdc input/output isolation, supports paralleling of three or more units, and features remote on/off control. It is RoHS-compliant.
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• MPQ1500-12V125-L48 Series
4. Smart interconnects
In AI data centers, smart interconnects elevate the entire power system from "power supply" to "intelligent management." Their roles include connecting power modules, sensors, and management platforms to enable real-time monitoring and data feedback, assisting in anomaly detection and load changes to prevent outages or overheating, and collaborating with energy management and cooling systems to improve overall efficiency and stability. Through smart interconnects, power supply becomes visible, controllable, and more intelligent, providing a more reliable foundation for AI computing.
Power and signal cable assemblies — Molex offers standard cable assemblies as off-the-shelf (OTS) solutions, including a wide range of connectors and various cable lengths to facilitate prototyping and global production. Molex's power and signal cable assembly product line is extensive, covering discrete wires, high-power cables, overmolded cable assemblies and plug adapters, sealed solutions, sensor cable assemblies, ribbon cable assemblies, and more. Molex's PicoBlade, Micro-Fit, Mini-Fit Jr., and Ultra-Fit power connectors provide premium housing features that prevent mismating, reduce terminal backout, and alleviate operator fatigue during assembly.
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•PowerPlane OCP ORV3 Power Shelf Cable Assembly
PowerPlane Busbar assemblies — Molex's PowerPlane busbar assemblies are medium-sized, right-angle, screw-mounted components with busbar thicknesses of 3.00mm and 3.18mm. They support a maximum current of 200.0A per contact and a maximum voltage of 1000V, with a durability of up to 200 mating cycles. The busbars are made of copper alloy with a silver-plated mating surface, while the terminal contacts are tin-plated. The housing is made of liquid crystal polymer (LCP) resin and is packaged in trays. The recommended PCB thickness is 4.80mm, and the operating temperature range is -40°C to +125°C.
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• PowerPlane Busbar
MMC Female-to-Female fiber optic patch cord — Molex's 106292 series is an MMC female-to-female fiber optic patch cord. It is a single-mode, 16 fiber BIF Plenum fiber optic cable assembly, featuring a yellow, 5.0-meter-long cable with a diameter of 2.50mm. The fiber (core/cladding) is 9/125µm, with a net weight of 1.000g. It complies with EU RoHS directives, REACH SVHC (substances of very high concern), and low-halogen standards. Its compact design meets the ultra-small form factor (VSFF) standard, offering higher port density and low-loss performance while reducing cabling complexity.
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• MMC Female-to-MMC Female Fiber Optic Patch Cord
Mini Cool Edge (MCIO) connector — This Mini Cool Edge connector, introduced by Molex, is a vertical, 16x PCIe Gen5, 124-circuit connector. It features 0.75µm gold (Au) plated contacts, 1.50mm solder peg length, and a 1.27µm nickel-plated shell with a pick-and-place cap. It is a wire-to-board receptacle, with a maximum current of 1.1A per contact and a maximum voltage of 30V AC (RMS)/DC. The data rate can reach 32.0 Gbps, and the operating temperature range is -40°C to +85°C. It uses surface-mount terminal interfaces and complies with EU RoHS directives, REACH SVHC (substances of very high concern), and low-halogen standards.
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Conclusion
As artificial intelligence rapidly advances into the future, every computational instruction relies on stable and efficient power support. From power conversion to smart interconnects, from precision power supply to intelligent monitoring, power systems are not just infrastructure - they are the core driving force behind the reliable operation of AI data centers. Stable electricity is the heartbeat of the AI world's continuous progress. In the future, we will illuminate every leap forward in AI with smarter, more energy-efficient power architectures.