Enabling High-Voltage Distribution in Data Centers Through Next-Generation Connectors

Author: Kushan Vasant, Lead Customer Engineer, Amphenol Collection: 2025 OCP Global Summit - Expo Hall Sessions

Summary

Amphenol presents the interconnect challenges of transitioning data center power architectures from legacy 12/48V DC to high-voltage DC (HVDC) at +/-400V (800V) and beyond. The presentation maps three evolutionary stages of data center power architecture: traditional 12/48V with per-rack AC-to-DC conversion, HVDC sidecar architecture with centralized AC-to-DC conversion at +/-400V/800V, and full HVDC busway architecture where the entire DC backbone runs on high-voltage DC. At 100 kW with 48V architecture, connectors must handle 2,000 amps -- a fundamentally impractical current level for rack-to-rack power distribution.

The interconnect requirements for HVDC include controlled creepage and clearance distances, touch-safe designs, compliance with evolving UL/IEC/regional standards, EMC/EMI management (increasingly important at higher voltages), and reliability testing for vibration, thermal cycling, and other stress conditions. Amphenol demonstrates a wire-to-board HVDC connector with a novel safety mechanism: a lever-assist insertion system where power/signal pins connect first, but a separate red-button sense circuit must be physically pressed to complete the connection and signal the controller to energize at 400V. Unmating requires disconnecting the sense circuit first, triggering the controller to de-energize before the connector can be removed.

The presentation issues a call to action for industry-wide collaboration across OEMs, hyperscalers, connector suppliers, and standards bodies to define HVDC interconnect solutions, and highlights the need for regulatory engagement with UL, IEC, and regional agencies to expand existing standards for HVDC above 400V/800V.