In a move set to transform how hardware engineers approach the foundational stages of electronic product development, RECOM Power—a global leader in power conversion solutions—and CELUS, a pioneer in cloud-based electronics design automation (EDA), have announced a major strategic partnership. By integrating 37 sophisticated, application-ready RECOM power designs into the CELUS Design Platform, the two companies are effectively shifting power management decisions from the end of the design cycle to the very beginning, where they can be most effectively optimized.
Main Facts: Digitizing the Power Design Lifecycle
The core of this partnership lies in the introduction of "CUBOs"—reusable, intelligent circuit modules that serve as digital representatives of RECOM’s power solutions. These 37 CUBOs encompass a wide array of power ICs, R-78 switching regulators, and RAC AC/DC converter modules.
Unlike traditional static datasheets, which require engineers to manually synthesize component data, CELUS CUBOs—often referred to as "Digital Datasheets"—encapsulate technical specifications, schematic context, bill-of-materials (BOM) information, and implementation guidance derived directly from RECOM’s validated reference designs. This integration allows engineers to treat power as a modular, architectural component rather than a collection of individual parts.
The integration is fully compatible with the CELUS Design Platform’s newly launched "Power Nets" capability. This feature enables engineers to define supply nets with specific voltage requirements and power flow directions. The platform then intelligently filters and proposes RECOM solutions that precisely match those requirements, ensuring that every power stage is validated against system-wide constraints before a single physical component is purchased or a PCB is laid out.
Chronology: From Concept to Digital Integration
The journey toward this collaboration reflects a broader industry shift toward "digital-first" hardware design. Historically, power conversion has been a late-stage consideration. Engineers would often finalize processors, sensors, and communication interfaces before determining the power budget, leading to the "re-spin" phenomenon—a costly and time-consuming process where the PCB must be redesigned because the chosen power stage failed to meet the system’s electrical or thermal requirements.
- Phase 1: Identification of the Bottleneck. Both RECOM and CELUS recognized that while component manufacturers provided excellent reference designs, these were often trapped in PDF documents, disconnected from the actual CAD environment.
- Phase 2: Technical Mapping. RECOM’s engineering teams worked to translate their proprietary reference designs, R-78 switching regulators, and RAC AC/DC modules into the standardized, modular format required by the CELUS architecture.
- Phase 3: Platform Integration. The 37 CUBOs were uploaded and verified within the CELUS environment, ensuring that the metadata—including pinouts, thermal characteristics, and BOM data—was correctly mapped for the platform’s automation engine.
- Phase 4: Launch and Ecosystem Deployment. The partnership was officially announced to the global engineering community, making these assets immediately available to the over 30,000 engineers currently utilizing the CELUS platform across more than 100 countries.
Supporting Data: The 37 CUBO Advantage
The 37 solutions provided by RECOM cover a comprehensive range of power needs, categorized by their function and core technology.
Isolated and Switching DC/DC Conversion
Twenty-nine of the CUBOs are centered on RECOM’s advanced power ICs. These modules address the complex challenges of isolated DC/DC conversion—critical for medical, industrial, and high-reliability applications—as well as high-efficiency switching regulation. By digitizing these, CELUS enables engineers to drag-and-drop complex power stages that are pre-configured to meet stringent regulatory and performance standards.
Efficiency and Versatility: R-78 and RAC Series
The remaining eight CUBOs are dedicated to the high-demand R-78 switching regulators and RAC AC/DC modules. The R-78 series, famous for its high-efficiency, pin-compatible replacement for linear regulators, is now accessible as a "plug-and-play" architectural building block. Similarly, the RAC modules, which provide robust AC-to-DC conversion for compact applications, allow developers to integrate power supplies into their IoT and smart-home designs with significantly reduced design-in effort.
Integration with Professional EDA Suites
Crucially, the journey does not end within the CELUS platform. Once the architecture is finalized and the RECOM CUBOs are selected, the design can be exported directly into industry-standard EDA tools, including:
- Altium Designer
- KiCad
- Siemens EDA
- Autodesk Fusion
This ensures that the digital intelligence built into the CUBOs is preserved throughout the transition from system architecture to physical PCB layout.
Official Responses: Aligning Strategy and Engineering
The leadership teams from both organizations emphasize that this partnership is not merely a product listing, but a fundamental change in workflow.
Tobias Pohl, CEO of CELUS, highlighted the efficiency gains for the end-user: "Engineers would rather start from a power design the manufacturer has already worked out than assemble one part by part. Each of these RECOM CUBOs brings the power IC, its companion components, and the full bill of materials from a RECOM reference design. This allows engineers to place a complete power stage in their architecture and spend their time on the parts of the system that set their product apart."
From the manufacturing perspective, Konrad Berger, Head of Global Marketing at RECOM, noted the evolution of the design environment: "Engineers increasingly start their designs in digital environments, long before they open a datasheet. Bringing our power IC designs to the CELUS Design Platform puts RECOM power solutions in front of engineers at the moment they define their power architecture, with the application context they need to design them in with confidence."
Implications: The Future of Hardware Design
The implications of this partnership for the broader electronics industry are significant, touching on three key areas:
1. Risk Mitigation and Time-to-Market
By moving power decisions to the architectural stage, the CELUS-RECOM collaboration effectively "de-risks" the hardware design process. When a power solution is selected based on validated system requirements rather than guesswork, the likelihood of a successful first-pass prototype increases exponentially. In a market where time-to-market is often the primary driver of success, this efficiency gain provides a distinct competitive advantage.
2. Standardization of Tribal Knowledge
Much of the expertise required to design high-performance power stages is "tribal knowledge"—lessons learned through years of experimentation. By embedding RECOM’s application notes and reference design expertise into the CELUS CUBOs, this knowledge is now codified. Less experienced engineers can achieve high-level results by leveraging the platform’s guidance, while senior engineers can focus on higher-level system optimization.
3. Scaling the Engineering Ecosystem
For RECOM, this partnership provides a scalable channel to reach a massive, global audience. With over 560,000 components already in the CELUS library, the addition of these 37 refined power designs creates a "force multiplier" effect. It ensures that when an engineer searches for a solution, a high-quality, pre-vetted, and manufacturer-supported RECOM module is the most attractive option.
Conclusion: A New Standard for Design Collaboration
The collaboration between RECOM and CELUS represents a shift toward a more intelligent, automated, and collaborative hardware design environment. By treating power components as intelligent digital objects rather than mere parts on a spreadsheet, the industry is moving closer to a reality where system architecture is as fluid and flexible as software development.
As this partnership continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see further expansion of the CUBO library, potentially covering more complex power management ICs (PMICs) and advanced conversion topologies. For now, however, the 37 RECOM CUBOs serve as a powerful testament to the value of digital integration, offering a glimpse into a future where the complexity of power design is tamed by the power of cloud-based automation. Engineers, designers, and project managers alike can look forward to a faster, more reliable, and significantly more efficient design process.
