Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1538715
Compact packaging and proximity to inductive loads compound these challenges. Engineers must prioritize components that can withstand higher thermal cycling, minimize equivalent series resistance (ESR) and equivalent series inductance (ESL), and offer consistent performance across wide temperature and vibration profiles. Within this transition, common-mode noise becomes a particular concern in 48V systems. While traditional 12V systems can often rely on simple pi filters, the added voltage and power density of 48V rails generate broader EMI profiles that extend into the common-mode domain. Common-mode chokes become essential for managing radiated and conducted emissions in applications like high-speed switching and motor control. As such, capacitors used in 48V domains must be selected with care. Conventional aluminum electrolytic capacitors may not meet the voltage ratings or thermal stability requirements of high-load 48V applications. Instead, designers are turning to hybrid aluminum polymer and low-ESR polymer capacitors that offer higher ripple current handling and improved temperature stability. Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with flexible terminations are also important in areas subject to mechanical stress and vibration, such as under-hood modules or tire pressure monitoring systems. Meanwhile, inductors and chokes present thermal challenges of their own. Because these components are physically larger and often responsible for dissipating significant power, their mounting and cooling strategies are inseparable from overall system reliability. Some designs now integrate thermal interfaces that allow heat to be drawn away via the vehicle chassis or external heat sinks. C h a p t e r 1 | T h e 4 8V S h i f t— Po w e r i n g M o r e W i t h L e s s Rami Saaidi Research and Development Hardware Engineer, Valeo Passive component manufacturers are responding to 48V architecture demands by developing solutions with enhanced voltage tolerance, improved power density, and optimized thermal characteristics." 8 Powering the New Automotive Era with Smart Passive Solutions