In a significant advancement for the data center industry, Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced new power management chips designed to meet the escalating power demands of modern data centers. The rise of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence (AI) has necessitated a shift towards more power-dense and efficient energy solutions. TI's latest innovation, the TPS1685, represents a breakthrough as the first 48V integrated hot-swap eFuse with power-path protection, providing essential support for data center hardware.
This newly launched chip enables designers to simplify their data center designs while meeting power levels exceeding 6kW, essential for powering high-performance CPUs, graphics processing units, and AI accelerators. In addition to the TPS1685, TI has unveiled a range of integrated gallium nitride (GaN) power stages: the LMG3650R035, LMG3650R025, and LMG3650R070. These components come packaged in an industry-standard transistor outline leadless (TOLL) form factor, promoting ease of integration into existing designs.
Texas Instruments is showcasing these groundbreaking devices at the 2025 Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in Atlanta, Georgia, where industry experts will gather to discuss the future of power management technologies. According to Robert Taylor, general manager of Industrial Power Design Services at TI, "With data centers increasingly demanding more energy, powering the world's digital infrastructure begins with smarter, more efficient semiconductors." This sentiment underscores the critical role that analog semiconductors play in maximizing energy efficiency while accommodating the needs of AI-driven applications.
The TPS1685 hot-swap eFuse is designed to support data center designers as they transition to 48V power architectures, a trend that enhances efficiency and scalability. By addressing the demand for higher power capacity, the TPS1685 allows for a more streamlined design process and a significant reduction in solution size—by as much as 50%—when compared to existing hot-swap controllers available on the market.
Further enhancing efficiency, the new GaN power stages incorporate a high-performance gate driver alongside advanced protection features such as over-current and over-temperature safeguards. The high efficiency (greater than 98%) and power density (over 100W/in3) achieved by these GaN FETs enable seamless integration into AC/DC applications critical to server power systems.
During APEC 2025, attendees will have the opportunity to explore various applications of TI's technology, including:
- - Dell's 1.8kW server power-supply unit (PSU), which utilizes TI GaN power stages to achieve over 96% system-level efficiency.
- - Vertiv's 5.5kW server PSU, powered by TI technology, designed to deliver impressive performance with capacities up to 132kW per rack.
- - An 8kW PSU co-developed by Greatwall and TI, integrating GaN technology alongside TI's C2000™ real-time microcontrollers.
In addition to the exhibit, TI experts will lead 27 technical sessions throughout the conference, emphasizing the innovations and challenges faced in power management design.
For those interested in these new power management solutions, preproduction units of the TPS1685 and GaN power stages are already available for purchase on TI's website, complete with evaluation modules to assist designers in making the transition to these cutting-edge technologies. As Texas Instruments continues to push the boundaries of semiconductor development, it reaffirms its commitment to creating a more efficient, sustainable future through innovation in power management solutions and semiconductors that enhance the performance of modern electronics.