The Infrastructure Behind AI Data Centers

In this episode of Inside Electronics, host Alix Paultre interviews Karthik Vasanth, vice president and general manager for data converters and clocks at Texas Instruments, about the technologies supporting rapidly evolving data centers. Vasanth explains how rising GPU and CPU performance increases demands on power delivery, cooling, communications, and reliability. The conversation explores optical networking, efficient power conversion, and the transition from air cooling to liquid cooling. Vasanth describes how high-voltage DC architectures could simplify power delivery while introducing safety challenges. Precision sensing and fast control help operators manage power budgets, monitor processor health, detect leaks, and respond immediately to dangerous conditions. He also outlines Texas Instruments’ shift from supplying individual components toward providing integrated reference designs and software that accelerate customer development. Both speakers emphasize that power efficiency, thermal management, and reliability are interconnected. Vasanth concludes that suppliers must evolve quickly as computing advances push infrastructure requirements and development timelines at an unprecedented pace.