Advanced Energy AIH03ZPFC - 1,100 W PFC Module in a Half-Brick with Industry-Leading Power Density
The First 1,100 W PFC Module in a Standard Half-Brick Form Factor
Power factor correction is a fundamental building block of modern AC/DC power system design - but integrating a high-power PFC stage has traditionally meant accepting significant board area, external inrush limiting circuitry, and limited digital control visibility. As system designs across industrial, medical, defence, and telecommunications applications push toward higher power density and smaller footprints, the constraints of existing PFC solutions have become an increasingly limiting factor.
Advanced Energy addresses this directly with the AIH03ZPFC: the industry's first 1,100 W board-mounted PFC module in a standard half-brick form factor. By combining 1,100 W of power capability with integrated inrush control, digital PMBus management, and auxiliary power support in a 2.4" × 2.3" × 0.52" encapsulated package, it sets a new benchmark for what is achievable within the half-brick footprint.
380 W/in³ - a 44% Increase in Power Density Over Previous Designs
The AIH03ZPFC achieves a power density of 380 W/in³ – a 44% improvement over earlier-generation PFC modules. This increase in density, combined with the standard half-brick mechanical format, allows system designers to replace larger, more complex PFC implementations with a single board-mounted module without modifying their thermal or mechanical architecture. Standard heatsinks and thermal solutions are directly compatible.
Peak efficiency reaches 97.3% - a 2.3 percentage point improvement over Advanced Energy's previous-generation PFC designs - reducing conversion losses by 46% compared to earlier solutions. At 1,100 W of throughput, this efficiency improvement translates directly into a significant reduction in heat generated within the system, supporting more compact thermal management and lower cooling overhead.
Unity Power Factor Across the Full 85-264 V AC Input Range
A unity power factor is maintained across the complete 85-264 V AC universal input range, with no power derating under low-input-voltage conditions. This simplifies compliance with harmonic current standards and ensures that the full 1,100 W of regulated 390 V DC output is available regardless of the mains supply voltage. The wide input range eliminates the need for input voltage selection or region-specific power supply variants.
Integration Features That Reduce External Circuitry
The AIH03ZPFC includes several functions that are not typically associated with half-brick PFC modules, and which directly reduce the surrounding component count required in the host system:
- Internal inrush current limiting, removing the need for external NTC thermistors or inrush limiters on the AC input
- PMBus digital control and monitoring for real-time access to operating parameters, fault status, and power sequencing from the host system controller
- Auxiliary power output supporting external housekeeping supply functions without requiring a separate auxiliary power source
- Baseplate contact cooling for integration into conduction-cooled or heatsink-mounted system designs
Operating conditions span -20 °C to +100 °C with baseplate contact cooling, with cold-start capability down to -40 °C.
Deployment Flexibility
The AIH03ZPFC can be used as a standalone PFC front end or paired with downstream DC/DC converters to form a complete two-stage power conversion architecture. This pairing approach allows system designers to construct high-density, high-efficiency power systems from modular building blocks, with the flexibility to specify different DC/DC stages for different output voltage or power requirements.
Target Applications
The combination of 1,100 W output, industry-leading 380 W/in³ power density, 97.3% peak efficiency, integrated inrush limiting, and digital PMBus monitoring makes the AIH03ZPFC well suited for:
- Industrial automation and control systems
- Medical equipment power architectures
- Defence and aerospace system power stages
- Telecommunications and networking infrastructure
- High-density server and computing platforms
- Test and measurement equipment
FORTEC Switzerland supports your project from initial module evaluation through to series procurement. Our team advises on PFC module selection, system architecture, thermal integration, and downstream DC/DC converter pairing to help you identify the right Advanced Energy solution for your application.