Navitas and Microchip Developed New Data Center Power Design
The reference platform enables 800V DC power delivery for AI hardware at a power density of 2,100 W/in³.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Semiconductors
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Navitas Semiconductor and Microchip Technology have announced a joint reference design for AI data centers that converts 800V DC power to 6V DC. This platform is currently in the announcement phase and aims to support high-density power architectures.
Why it matters
As AI infrastructure demands higher performance, the industry is transitioning to 800V DC rack power architectures to improve efficiency. This reference design provides a standardized path for developers to mitigate design risk and accelerate the rollout of high-density hardware.
The platform achieves 96% peak efficiency at a 1 MHz switching frequency. It integrates 16 Navitas NV6034 GaNFast FETs—gallium nitride power transistors used for high-speed switching—alongside a 200 MHz 32-bit dsPIC33AK core.
The players
Navitas Semiconductor
A developer of gallium nitride power integrated circuits focused on energy efficiency for AI and enterprise markets.
Microchip Technology
A provider of microcontrollers, mixed-signal, analog, and Flash-IP solutions for industrial and data center applications.
The details
The design employs a stacked half-bridge topology, an electrical configuration that allows power components to handle higher voltages in a compact footprint. By integrating Microchip's TA100 CryptoAuthentication device, the system establishes a hardware-based security root of trust for authentication. The converter consolidates 800V DC-to-50V DC and 50V DC-to-6V DC conversion stages, reducing complexity for data center hardware engineers.
Timeline
October 05, 2026: Navitas and Microchip announced the reference design.
October 12-15, 2026: The design will be showcased at the OCP Event.
The Tech Race
The reference design aligns with the Open Compute Project 800V DC standard, marking an effort to consolidate power delivery architectures for global AI data centers. This follows a broader trend in high-performance computing to move away from traditional lower-voltage distribution to minimize power loss.
Data center operators and hardware designers can use this reference architecture to simplify the adoption of 800V power systems. The platform reduces development time by providing a pre-validated, secure template for power stage integration.
The takeaway
This collaboration highlights the shift toward integrated 800V power architectures in the AI era. Developers should monitor the OCP Event in October 2026 for performance benchmarks and further technical documentation on this reference design.
What happens next
The reference design is scheduled for a public showcase at the OCP Event from October 12-15, 2026.
Further reading
For more on the latest advancements in power conversion hardware, see the Semiconductors section.
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