FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is DOSA?

Why have Lineage Power Corporation (formerly Tyco Electronics Power Systems) and SynQor decided to cooperate on product specifications, an area previously used for product differentiation?

Customers have been encouraging product standardization efforts because of the sourcing benefits created. This standardization will accelerate market adoption of new products creating greater opportunity to grow market share and drive new product development and competition to higher levels.

What is the extent of the cooperation?

Lineage Power Corporation (formerly Tyco Electronics Power Systems) and SynQor have formed the alliance to develop standards for next generation, board mounted, DC-DC converters. This is neither a private labeling nor licensing agreement. It is a cooperative alliance between competitors, across the range of the industry's most popular board mounted power modules. This includes intermediate bus converters, non-isolated point of load modules and isolated converters. The concept is to agree on standards early in the development cycle, including footprint, pin-out, control functions and basic parameters that permit alternate sourcing.

How is DOSA different?

Why is this different from other attempts to bring standardization to DC power?

This alliance is focused on developing standards that are market and customer driven which will then drive product development, resulting in independent alternate sources. Prior attempts at standardization in the power supply industry have been disjointed, competitive reactions to whichever product is most readily adopted by the market. Traditionally, the closest thing to alternate sourcing has been private labeling or licensing agreements between competitors. In the first case, the same manufacturer just applies a new label on their product and sells to another vendor who resells it to the end customer. In the second case, the technology is licensed to another manufacturer that has to obey rules of licensing, which constrain product improvements, add to product costs through royalties and generally require duplication of the BOM, which tends to duplicate problems among the licensees. About the only customer benefit is that the primary owner of the product has provided alternate sources. In some cases, if the primary owner controls a key component, the partners are at the mercy of that partner's price and availability of that part. Not to mention should any quality issue surface, the problem rapidly spreads through the associated products. In these partnerships, the alternate sources cannot offer the customer the expected benefits of true alternate sources. The partners' products are all tied to one another, and this eliminates the natural tendency of competitors to bring out their own unique and presumably superior product.

How Does the DOSA Alliance differ from other recent alliances?

Other recent alliances are limited to specific products such as non-isolated converters or the new sixteenth brick isolated converter. The DOSA Alliance addresses a broad spectrum of board-mounted products-both non-isolated and isolated DC-DC converters. DOSA offers OEM customers the benefit of true, independent second sources.

Products/Technology

Will the alternate sources provide identical product?

The Alliance will provide duplicate mechanical interface and controls to minimize alternate source qualification for customers. Because independent power supply companies are developing their own versions, some parametric product performance variability is expected. The customer is responsible for determining the benefit or adaptation required for the differences in competing products.

Will the Alliance assure the quality of all competitive products?

The Alliance will assure that products with the DOSA label are developed to meet the technical requirements set forth in the Alliance standard. As with any vendor, other attributes for being an acceptable alternative supplier will need to be judged and confirmed by the customer.

Will OEMs only have DOSA labeled products to select from for alternative sources?

DOSA standards will be shared with non-members and the public through early product announcements and details made available on the forthcoming DOSA web site. Suppliers wishing to provide DOSA compatible modules will have access to the technical details necessary to design such products. Customers purchasing these products will need to confirm their compatibility through proper qualification and testing.

Are there any proprietary or restrictive specifications that inhibit others from being a DOSA compatible alternate source?

No. The desire of the Alliance is to establish market standards that are available for adoption by fellow members and non-members.

Is there any licensing of technology among members?

No. It is expected that the independent development of product will yield unique technology from each manufacturer. There will be a limited amount of technology shared between Alliance members and licensing agreements may be established when necessary.

Do any of the Alliance members supply critical components for Alliance compliant products?

Alliance members do not offer critical components for Alliance branded products.

How will the Alliance affect the independent development of new product improvements?

It is expected that DOSA standards will accelerate the development of DC-DC modules. The independent development of standard modules by members and non-members, based upon Alliance published standards, will result in increased customer adoption rates, continued market competition and the advancement of technology and product performance. Each alliance member is free to pursue any course of product development and improvement.

DOSA Membership

Will the Alliance be open to accepting other DC/DC converter manufacturers as members?

Yes. Per the Alliance charter, founding members of the Alliance are open to accepting new members that will add value to the Alliance.

Will DOSA accept other alliance members?

Because this Alliance is based upon footprints that are industry standards, not a unique footprint promoted by a dominant member, and because this Alliance is of much broader scope than that of other recently announced alliances, it is anticipated that other alliance members will adopt our standards and may want to join DOSA. They will receive the same consideration as any other power manufacturer.

DOSA Standards

What are some examples of current and future products covered by the Alliance?

The initial product announcement will be the Lineage Power Corporation (formerly Tyco Electronics Power Systems) Austin SuperLynx II and SynQor's Ni Qor series of POL non-isolated devices. Future product announcements anticipated include sixteenth bricks as well as intermediate bus converters.

Will alliance compatible products function as true drop-in replacements?

Pin-for-pin compatibility and true, independent alternate sources are primary tenets of the Alliance. Drop-in replacement capability of power modules is determined at the application level. Because the Alliance products are independently designed and manufactured, some parametric differences will occur. Customers typically handle this through some minor adaptation at the board level to permit drop-in replacement.

DOSA Operations

How will decisions be made among alliance members?

Decisions will be made among alliance members by majority rule. The decisions will be based upon market requirements and optimum technical adaptation of those requirements. Strategic customer inputs will weigh heavily in all decision making. Members will discuss and debate the issues with supporting technical data.

How will customer feedback drive the direction of the Alliance?

This is a customer-centric alliance and customer feedback will be extremely important in the direction and final decisions of the Alliance.

Does the alliance comply with antitrust considerations?

Yes. Each party acknowledges that it has been advised by counsel of relevant antitrust laws and restrictions applicable to them in connection with their participation in the Alliance. The parties agree to comply with all US federal and state laws and specifically with the anti-trust laws.