Technical Features

May 2013
Combining GaN and Liquid Cooling for Greater Energy Efficiency in AI Data Centers

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Figure 1: Projected electricity consumption of data centers (2015 – 2030) [6]

The data center industry is at a crossroads, facing unprecedented transformation due to the surge in generative AI and other emerging technologies. This surge has massively increased the power consumption on servers, putting a strain on data centers around the world. Data centers already account for about 2 perce
Date:
04/30/2024
Automotive Forward Lighting Applications Demand  High Performance LED Drivers

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Figure 1. 2013 Honda Accord Touring/Hybrid LED DRL & Headlamp

The market size for high brightness (HB) LEDs is expected to reach $12 billion in 2012 and grow to $20.2 billion by 2015 with a 30.6% CAGR ramp (source: Strategies Unlimited). One of the key application
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Date:
05/21/2013
The no-load power crunch: 30 mW and beyond

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Figure 1. DOE proposed regulations vs. Level V performance for a 5V output EPS.

The need to reduce active-mode power consumption is somewhat obvious. What has not been so obvious is the need to minimize power drain in standby and no-load when products are essentially doing nothing.
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Date:
05/20/2013
USB power sensors in RF power measurement
In many of today's RF power measurement applications there is a need to make multiple power measurements simultaneously. Added complexities occur when the measurements need to be obtained from places
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Date:
05/20/2013
Advanced LED Drivers for Automotive Instrument Clusters
The usage of LEDs in automotive applications continues to grow due to their longer service life and lower power consumption. Simultaneously, the diversity and size of integrated state-of-the-art instrument
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Date:
05/17/2013
Integrated power management enables smaller machine vision systems
As the form factor of machine vision systems continues to get smaller while the processing power in these systems continues to increase rapidly. Power management is becoming a more important design
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Date:
05/17/2013
Wireless systems for Internet control of smart lighting
Electric lighting has been around since the first commercial incandescent lamps were sold in 1880. Since then, we have seen little widely adopted innovation - the introduction of the fluorescent in
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Date:
05/17/2013
Migrating from power-centric to space-sensing daylighting systems

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Figure 1: Daylight harvesting energy savings

Incumbent lighting installations today fail to address the most important energy saving "feature" a lighting system can implement, namely maintaining a user-defined amount of light that considers
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Date:
05/17/2013
Improving the reliability of MR16 LED lamps

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Figure 1. Forward operating mode of SBR structure

With their attractive low forward voltage drop and significant cost advantage, it's no surprise that Schottky diodes have become a defacto standard for AC bridge rectification in a myriad of different
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Date:
05/17/2013
Automobile lighting in the face of things to come
Going from lanterns to LEDs, in a nutshell, describes the course of development in automotive lighting since cars first came on the scene 100 years ago. What originally served only a functional purpose
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Date:
05/16/2013
Lighting Control - How much do you need?
Lighting controls are becoming ever more sophisticated with the capability to provide real-time data on system status, settings, light levels, energy consumption, etc. For some applications this level
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Date:
05/16/2013
Improving Appliance Safety: Designing for Protection
When it comes to home appliances, the overwhelming focus tends to be on advanced features and functionality. Nevertheless, design choices that enhance user safety and overcome possible malfunctions
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Date:
05/14/2013
What's shrinking AC-DC power supplies?
Power supply design trends are clear and dramatic: additional features, improved efficiency, and smaller size for the same power ratings, for both battery-powered portable units as well as larger,
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Date:
05/08/2013
Elegant step-down conversion for 24V industrial applications
Industrial power supplies need to have very high efficiency today and often times need to be highly compact. In combination with the typical 24V rail available, many solutions utilize a switching
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Date:
05/07/2013
Power interface module selection
A comparison of alternative on-board power solutions is rarely at the top of the agenda for a board designer. Often designers will use a previous solution because all available resources and time
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Date:
04/30/2013
Considering that almost 60 percent of total electric energy produced worldwide is used to run motors of every size, shape and efficiency, the adoption of variable speed drives can save as much as 70 percent of energy costs by controlling the speed of the load. New energy efficiency standards for compressors an
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Date:
04/15/2013
Many high power systems require the use of a hot-swap device to safely control of the inrush currents at powerup and provide fault protection. These circuits are commonly found in systems such as servers, network switches, redundant-array-of-independent-disk (RAID) storage, and other forms of communications infrastru
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Date:
04/15/2013
Using Uninterruptible Power Supplies in harsh environments

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When used in a controlled temperature environment ranging from 0?C to 40?C (32?F to 104?F) any domestically available on-line UPS should meet the requirement, as most have been tested and approved
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Date:
03/12/2013
eGaN FETs improve performance in industrial POL converters

Figure 1: Conventional vertical power loop PCB layout (a) Side view (b) MOSFET top view (c) eGaN FET top view

Designers of point of load (POL) converters used in 24 VDC systems traditionally have had to decide between the high cost of an isolated converter and the low frequency and efficiency of a buck
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Date:
03/12/2013
Manufacturers are increasingly focusing their efforts on energy conservation. This trend is reflected in the growing emphasis on both renewable energy and energy efficiency measures to reduce the
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Date:
03/12/2013
Measuring and sourcing DC transients and other DC test conditions

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1. Biasing with a static DC voltage and measuring current: This is the most basic application of DC power related bench instruments. Any power supply, so long as it has the right voltage and current
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Date:
03/09/2013
The power-semiconductor switches used in power supplies and inverters are based on two technologies, namely MOSFETs and IGBTs. MOSFETs can operate at relatively high switching frequencies significantly above 30 kHz but, unlike IGBTs, they have a very large chip surface area. A new generation of IGBT modules f
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Date:
02/15/2013
Measuring wireless-power charging systems for portable electronics

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Figure 1: Qi wireless-charging system simplified block diagram

Mobile electronics can be found everywhere—homes, hospitals, schools, purses, and pockets. With the explosion in portability, consumers have come to expect and demand long battery life. Energy-efficient
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Date:
02/13/2013
Hall-effect sensors deliver higher efficiency in brushless-DC motors

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Figure 1: Hall-effect sensors can mount in three locations: inside the motor, at the end of the motor's shaft, and around the rotor shaft's ring magnet.

As energy efficiency and cost savings become the biggest drivers in the design of electronic equipment, BLDC (brushless-DC) motor manufacturers must adapt to these new requirements, and deliver motors
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Date:
02/13/2013
Increasing efficiency in LED streetlight power supplies

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Figure 1: Shoot through due to drive-signal timing mismatch

Solid-state exterior lighting requires a regulated AC to DC power supply to drive LED loads which can vary in size from 1 W to over 500 W. To ensure a good return on investment, these power converters
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Date:
02/13/2013
Extend battery life with auxiliary charge-pump circuits

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Figure 1: Low-cost power supply providing a regulated 1.8 V and 2.5 V using a step-down converter and auxiliary charge pump

In many low-power battery-powered applications, cost is king. If the cost to produce a device is above a certain threshold, determined by the device's functionality and the market, that device simply
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Date:
02/13/2013
Two methods for increasing AC-distribution efficiency

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Figure 1: Transformers that utilize the auto-zigzag construction can perform the delta to wye transformation without the efficiency loss of an isolation transformer.

The most common options for increasing data-center energy efficiency, including elimination of the PDU (power-distribution unit) and converting to DC power, require disruptive, expensive, and time-consuming
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Date:
02/13/2013
Smart and efficient cities

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Figure 1: The SignalGuru application from MIT and Princeton, saves drivers an average of 20% fuel costs compared to those that had to stop at traffic lights.

A city by its very nature tends towards chaos. As the population of the world continues to grow, so does the population living in urban areas. The need to maintain all of the essential services
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Date:
02/13/2013
Flash corruption: software bug or supply-voltage fault?

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Figure 1: Typical CPU section and firmware memory map

Embedded systems commonly use Flash memory to store firmware. Occasionally, the firmware stored in the Flash memory in some systems is accidentally corrupted, preventing the system from booting up
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Date:
01/27/2013
Convert a buck regulator into a high-current LED driver

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Figure 1: Projected relative cost of LED Luminaire and percentage due to the cost of LEDs (Source: DOE SSL 2011 Manufacturing Roadmap)

LEDs promise to change the world, and few doubt that they will. However, a key limiter to more rapid adoption is the cost of the LEDs themselves. The cost breakdown of LED luminaires varies, but it
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Date:
01/26/2013
90-W plug-n-play Power over Ethernet over 100-m CAT-5e cable

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Figure 1: A typical PoE system

PoE (Power over Ethernet) has been increasing in popularity due to its flexible and cost-effective method of delivering both power and data over a single Ethernet cable. This allows equipment to be
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Date:
01/21/2013
Five considerations for deploying Ethernet in wind farms

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Figure 1: A network topology for wind-farm applications makes use of redundant devices and cabling to maximize system uptime and minimize the operational consequences of single points of failure.

Data is a key element to the successful operation of a wind farm. Real-time data access allows operators to monitor wind turbine uptime, performance, and power output—even from remote locations. This
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Date:
01/21/2013
Modeling and simulation for wind and solar energy

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Figure 1: Shading and current distribution inside the solar module

The market for green and renewable energy is growing, but also presents numerous new challenges when it comes to technology, environment, and acceptance. Concerning technology, these challenges require
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Date:
01/20/2013
Such a dense power grid however may not be as vulnerable to power outages as some experts fear. One might assume that it is much harder to synchronize the many generators and machines of consumers,
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Date:
01/20/2013
The smart grid surrounds us these days. In the U.S., approximately 36 million smart electricity meters have deployed since 2007 (reference 1). In Europe, both Italy and Sweden have each achieved complete
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Date:
01/19/2013
Renewable energy prices; weather driven and volatile

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Figure 1: Wholesale energy prices will be increasingly driven by the weather.

Pöyry Management Consulting has conducted a series of studies over the last two years to investigate how European energy markets would need to evolve in the face of the radical changes expected from
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Date:
01/19/2013
Optimizing output noise through low-noise power design

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Figure 1: Micrel's MIC94300 integrated design reduces the combined footprint of filter and load switch by as much as 65%.

The proliferation of portable connectivity devices over the last decade has seen most of us become more reliant on technology than ever before. At home and at work, as we embrace technology, we demand
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Date:
01/09/2013
Active network management offered as grid panacea

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Figure 1: Active Network Management creates a new layer of grid management.

The power industry faces some significant future challenges: to create a more visible and controllable electricity grid to deliver power more reliably, efficiently, and cost effectively and find smarter
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Date:
01/09/2013
Properly implemented, galvanic isolation is an effective defense against disturbances in the ground plane often referred to as ground loops, which occur as a result of varying electrical potentials. Physical limitations require that electrical components on a PCB connect to the ground plane at different physical
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Date:
01/03/2013
Power inductors and peak-current handling capability

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Figure 1: Inductor-current waveform

As high-tech electronic products and their power supplies continue to shrink in size, design engineers should look closely at the peak-current handling capability of power inductors. Design engineers
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Date:
12/23/2012
Thermal design considerations for thin power MOSFETs

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Figure 1: SOA (a) and ZthJC (b) charts for the BSC014N04LS

Thermal challenges accompany almost all advances in power-electronic designs. Load cases not covered under a datasheet's parameters are often particularly problematic. Each new MOSFET generation
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Date:
12/19/2012
String central inverter system

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Planners of photovoltaic power plants are no longer bound to string inverter concepts if multiple MMP(maximum power point)-trackers are required. Central inverter systems are, today, standard for
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Date:
12/18/2012
Designers of solar power—photo-voltaic or PV—generating systems face some of the same problems as their counterparts in any other power-related technology: the need to constantly improve performance, reliability, longevity, and—above all—efficiency. As with any engineering endeavour, improved performance re
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Date:
12/12/2012
Designing a DiSEqC-antenna phantom power-supply

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Figure 1: The DiSEqC application circuit

The DiSEqC (digital satellite equipment control) standard is a communication protocol developed by Eutelsat used between a satellite receiver (decoder), defined as the master, and satellite peripheral
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Date:
12/04/2012
New technology and acquisitions benefit wireless sensing

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Figure 1: Emerson Rosemount's 3051S series wireless instrumentation exemplifies the benefits WSN brings to industrial applications: It can reduce total installation costs by 45% and total deployment time by as much as 75%, eliminating design and installation time and cost associated with wiring, conduit, cable trays, and junction boxes.

Wireless sensing is the most important new technology in process measurement to appear in decades. For this reason alone, it has attracted the sustained attention of ARC Advisory Group and other industry
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Date:
11/27/2012
Making the switch to silicon carbide

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Table 1: SiC MOSFET and Si IGBT comparative specifications

To demonstrate the advantages of silicon-carbide MOSFETs versus silicon IGBTs (insulated-gate bipolar transistors) when used in high-power, high-frequency circuits, it is necessary to employ a test
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Date:
11/19/2012
Medical applications demand mixed-signal ICs for high reliability

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Table 1: The LTC2376 through 2380 pin-compatible family of differential, no-latency SAR ADCs are available in 16- and 18-bit versions.

Advances in medicine and medical treatment bring the promise of more-accurate diagnoses, new treatment methods, and more patient-friendly medical care. From high-resolution imaging systems to drug-delivery
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Date:
11/08/2012
Measure VSWR to quantify transmission-line imperfections

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Figure 1: Transmission line circuit illustrating the impedance mismatch boundary between the transmission line and the load. Reflections occur at the boundary designated by ?. The incident wave is V+ and the reflective wave is V-.

Impedance mismatches in an RF transmission line causes power loss and reflected energy. The VSWR (voltage standing-wave ratio) is a way to measure transmission line imperfections. In an RF electrical
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Date:
11/07/2012
Designing with digital power for optimum system performance

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Figure 1: Optimising transient response parameters via a digital-power GUI.

Digital power has emerged to satisfy the need for power supplies capable of handling the complex and rapidly changing power demands of high-performance computing subsystems. These include equipment
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Date:
11/01/2012
Enhancing medical-product usability with IEC 62366

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Figure 1: General usability-engineering design cycle

Manufacturers are required by the 3rd edition of IEC 60601-1 to avert the poor usability risks involved in identification, marking, and documents, which can be achieved by an "application of usability
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Date:
10/30/2012
Power management of an artificial hand

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Figure 1: Southampton hands. Across each palm can be seen a dc motor with a worm and wheel to rotate the thumb. Five other motors flex and extend the fingers and thumb. The fingertips have touch (force), slip/texture, and temperature sensors.

For an upper extremity amputee, mass is a main factor when choosing an artificial hand. A hand should be lightweight so that high pressure points do not develop inside the plastic socket that attaches
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Date:
10/25/2012
Optimize data rates in isolated SPI buses

Figure 1: The 8-bit data registers in the SPI Master and Slave devices link through the MISO and MOSI signals to form a 16-bit control register. (Click image to enlarge.)

The simple SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus is a popular serial interface commonly employed in automotive, industrial-control, and communication applications. To provide isolation and minimize
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Date:
10/21/2012
Reliability of copper wire bonding for power devices

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Table 1: Process-control measures

Though copper wire bonding developed nearly 30 years ago, it has only recently gained in popularity due to the rapid increase in the price of gold, which is now about 7,000 times that of copper (Reference
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Date:
10/19/2012
The 60-W TV

Figure 1: The local-dimming function saves 10 to 20% of power on edge-lit systems (left) and 20 to 30% of power on direct back-lit TVs (right).

TVs in households are regular companions for many people around the world. It is common that people have the TV on in a living room while preparing a meal in the kitchen. In many cases, the TV is
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Date:
10/18/2012
Reducing standby power consumption for LED Lighting
LEDs provide high-efficiency, environment-friendly characteristics, and a long life compared to conventional lighting sources. Therefore, they are becoming a primary light-source choice to reduce
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Date:
10/16/2012
Integrated Current Sensing
Competitive markets put pressure on OEMs to improve energy efficiency in their product designs. Accordingly, it is important to be able to monitor accurately currents through critical paths
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Date:
09/21/2012
Performance vs power in off-chip DDR SDRAM

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Figure 1: Relative active power

To deliver new features and higher performance in consumer-electronic products, SoC developers constantly look to integrate more functionality into their designs. SoCs with more features
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Date:
09/12/2012
How high-TJ TRIACs benefit your applications

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Figure 1a: Two TRIACs operating near their Tj(max): The BTB16-600CW standard TRIAC (a) and the T1635H-6T high-temperature TRIAC (b).

High-temperature TRIACs present several benefits particularly useful in applications demanding high current density or imposing high-temperature environments. These applications include
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Date:
09/12/2012
IEC 61850 increases grid reliability

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Figure 1: Redundant 8.46 kV lines power an industrial customer's facility.

A power industry consultant recently asked for assistance solving a reliability problem for a municipal utility. The utility had recently experienced disturbances on its system, negatively
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Date:
09/10/2012
Test today your PV inverter for tomorrow

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Figure 1: Micro-inverters convert direct current from individual solar panels into alternating current for the electric grid.

An increasing number of DERs (distributed energy resources), which include storage systems, are connecting to the grid by means of inverters. This is already evident in countries with dedicated
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Date:
09/10/2012
Securing the life cycle in the smart grid

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Figure 1: A conscientious life-cycle design will consider threats at every step of product development and manufacturing.

Investment in smart meters and smart-grid end equipment continues to grow worldwide as countries try to make their electric delivery systems more efficient. As critical as the electric delivery
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Date:
09/07/2012
Improving electric-motor testing techniques

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Figure 1: Each stage of embedded-software validation for electric-motor simulation introduces new challenges for test engineers such as high-speed processing and high-power signals.

The growing adoption of electric motors in the automotive industry creates new challenges for embedded-control-system developers and test engineers. Control algorithms for electric-drive
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Date:
09/05/2012
New power electronics based on GaN MISHEMPTs

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Figure 1: EpiGaN deposits a unique in-situ SiN capping layer, grown by MOCVD on top of HEMT epi wafers.

GaN appears to be a highly suitable material for power switching devices operating at high frequencies without suffering major losses. The Promise of GaN This is due to the drastically
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Date:
09/04/2012
Estimating bond wire current-carrying capacity
Semiconductor manufacturers use wire bonds extensively to connect a chip's I/O pads, including power, to its package's external pins. Wire bonding processes typically use gold wire because
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Date:
08/28/2012
High-side automotive battery monitoring

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Figure 1: Functional blocks for amsï½s two-chip sensor interface for high-side automotive battery current sensing.

Manufacturers are electrifying more functions within a car, reducing the mechanical load on the internal-combustion engine. These functions include water, oil, and fuel pumps; valve actuation;
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Date:
08/28/2012
Current sensing in an automotive environment

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Figure 1: An example of a shielded air-core open-loop current sensor from Raztec provides a strong combination of high performance in a small package and at low cost.

The Automotive industry has long been the ultimate test ground for electronic components. Few terrestrial environments present such a combination of demands as does the under-hood locale
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Date:
08/28/2012
Improving engine stop-start system design

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Figure 1: Integrated gate driver with external passive components.

Automatic engine stop-start is effective in helping reduce CO2 emissions from private cars. When integrated in an otherwise conventional combustion-engine power train, engine stop-start
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Date:
08/24/2012
Non-contact driver�s ECG monitoring system

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Figure 1: Block diagram of a typical EPIC sensor

EPIC (Electric Potential Integrated Circuit) is a very-high-impedance electric-field sensor that measures the ambient electric field with minimal disturbance. EPIC sensors are suitable for
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Date:
08/19/2012
Hall effect current sensing in HEVs and EVs

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Figure 1: Typical HEV system block diagram

Consumers are embracing environmentally friendly green cars due to the rising cost of fossil fuels and a growing concern for the health of the environment. Sales forecasts predict that green
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Date:
08/19/2012
Sleeping Conserves Energy

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Figure 1: CAN network with partial-networking controllers during the transmission of a message to ECU7 (without partial-networking support)

Minimizing energy consumption has become a major factor for any new product design in recent years. Hardly any industry can afford to disregard this issue in the definition, development,
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Date:
08/19/2012
Flexible power management for complex PCBs

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Figure 1: Communication line card primary ICs and power supply requirements

The number of power supplies on a board depends on the VLSI chip complement, the communication speed between them, and the number of other devices that require unique supplies. This
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Date:
08/18/2012
Designing with low-leakage tantalum and niobium oxide capacitors
DCL (direct current leakage) is an effect common to all capacitors. DCL values and behavior under varying electrical and environmental conditions relate to the capacitor's dielectric. The leakage
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Date:
08/13/2012
Battery-charger trends in portable power products
The first trend requires increased battery capacities. Unfortunately, users are often impatient and charge systems must recharge these increased capacities in a reasonable time, which leads to
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Date:
08/09/2012
Safety and reliability in home alternative-energy systems

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Figure 1: A typical AES design includes power sources sharing a common high-voltage DC Link, an inverter for generating AC, and a system controller ensuring coordinated operation.

Solar- and wind-power-based home AESs (alternative energy systems) are becoming more popular among consumers. To achieve the product lifetime that consumers demand and ensure user safety,
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Date:
07/25/2012
Consumer-Friendly Power Design

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Figure 1: Step-down converter efficiency used to power the main processor in a set top box

The intricacies of power design are not conversation pieces for electronic-product consumers. Nor should they be. Consumers care about visible signs of power design in the product, including the
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Date:
07/24/2012
Improving battery-fuel-gauge accuracy

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Figure 1: The principle of fuel gauging based on coulomb counting: The stored energy represents state of charge. A circuit measures the in- and out-flowing current.

For simplicity, you can imagine the battery as an energy storage device analogous to a fuel tank. However, measuring stored energy from an electrochemical device is far more complex than that comparison
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Date:
07/20/2012
Input-line-current synthesis in PFC control

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Figure 1: Converter input power vs. line current with a symmetric conduction angle, constant current peak and resistive load.

Traditionally, PFC (power-factor-correction) controls present a purely resistive behavior with respect to the power line. By means of multiplier or equivalent blocks, front-end converters draw
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Date:
07/13/2012
Smart Activation circuit protection in li-ion battery applications

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Figure 1: The activation steps of the MHP device

Li-ion technology with smaller, lighter-weight, and higher-power batteries is now replacing nickel-cadmium or lead-acid batteries in high-discharge-rate battery applications. Meanwhile,
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Date:
07/09/2012
Reduce stand-by power loss in ACDC supplies
Over the past decade, controller-IC manufacturers have worked to reduce so-called vampire or stand-by power consumption. Organizations such as Energy Star in the US, Blue Angel in Germany, and CNIS
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Date:
07/01/2012
Next-generation commercial building network-connected lighting systems

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Figure 1: Lighting controls for next generation lighting.

A significant percentage of a building's energy consumption is due to its lighting. Historically, lighting was a coarsely controlled power load, managed manually with a simple on-off switch. With
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Date:
05/21/2012
What to expect from your LED driver

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Figure 1: Incandescent light bulbs (blue curves) are purely resistive, LEDs (red curves) are not.

LEDs are gaining significant traction in the lighting market due to their long operating lifetime, low running cost, and ease of control for specific applications. However, in order to realize
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Date:
05/20/2012
LED-driver ICs lead to a broad spectrum of lighting

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Figure 1: The LT3791 Driving a 3 A LED Array at up to 100 W

Incandescent light bulbs waste 90% of the energy they consume in the form of heat. The light outputs from HB (high-brightness) LEDs have already exceeded the critical milestone of 100 lm/W. In fact,
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Date:
05/20/2012
Smart and simple sensor interfaces

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Figure 1: Modern robotic systems featuring sophisticated multi-axis arms are adding to factory productivity and safety. Simply picking up an object can require several sensors.

Automation is providing improvements in safety, accuracy, and convenience for many everyday applications. Consider the precision and advantages of computer-assisted surgery or the array of automation
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Date:
05/20/2012
High-power LED-lighting drivers

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Figure 1: Resonant driver for high-power LED-lighting applications.

Solid-state lighting applications such as streetlights and industrial lighting demand drivers that offer better efficiency than the traditional flyback topology in the 50—250 W power range. As
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Date:
05/19/2012
Flicker and dimmer challenges in LED-lamp design

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Figure 1: One-Stage Approach: The driver converts an AC-rectified line voltage to the necessary DC current through a flyback transformer and filter. Unfortunately, the rectified voltage contains ripple at twice the line frequency (100 or 120 Hz).

The SSL (solid-state lighting) industry is in a state of excitement mixed with trepidation. With the obvious need for lighting more efficient than traditional incandescents, key market drivers
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Date:
05/19/2012
Closed-loop voltage scaling

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Figure 1: Development of CNA ASICs

For some designs, reducing circuit-board power dissipation by 25% to 30% would just be a nice outcome. For other designs, it's an absolute necessity. Designers of products using the latest high-performance
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Date:
05/19/2012
MCU with FPU allows advanced Motor Control Solutions

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Table 1: Test comparison for PI Loops

Motor control algorithms for efficient motors often employ vector and sensorless vector control involving complex transformations and control loops for speed and position. Industrial applications
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Date:
04/24/2012
The Status of GaN based Power Device Development at International Rectifier

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Figure 1 : Measured efficiency of a high frequency 12 Vin to POL buck converter, including output filter losses, using low voltage GaN based power devices.

There are relatively few opportunities in one's career to participate in the development of a truly revolutionary technology in a chosen field. The past 8 years have been such an opportunity
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Date:
04/15/2012
Setting New Efficiency Benchmarks for Next Generation Motor Control Applications

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Figure 1: AMIS-30522 Functional Block Diagram

Electric motors are continuing to evolve, as market requirements grow for more compact, higher performance solutions which exhibit greater resilience to the often harsh environmental settings in
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Date:
04/15/2012
Sensors, Smart Sensors and Sensor Control Electronics

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Figure 1. Block Diagram of the ISL29028A ambient light and proximity sensor

For safety, accuracy and convenience, automation is providing improvements in everyday applications. Consider the precision and advantages of computer-assisted surgery or the array of automation
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Date:
04/15/2012
Easy to use Digital PFC

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Figure 1: Different PFC circuits

Many AC powered systems above a certain power consumption level require power factor correction (PFC). This is demanded by either utility companies or by governments. PFC sits right at the
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Date:
04/15/2012
Industrial Control

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Figure 1: Example PLD, with 12 inputs, 8 product terms and 4 macrocells
PLDs can have hundreds of macrocells with up to 16 product terms driving each macrocell. The AND and OR gates within the product terms can be interconnected to form highly flexible custom logic functions. The macrocells are typically clocked, and their outputs can be fed back into the product term array. This allows state machines to be created.

In most microcontroller architectures, there is a smart' CPU surrounded by a set of relatively dumb' peripherals. Peripherals have limited functions; converting data from one form to
. . . Learn More
Date:
04/15/2012
Saving Power Using Closed Loop Voltage Scaling Control

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Figure 1 - Development of Converged Network Adapter ASICs

Wouldn't it be nice to save 25% to 30%, or even more, in circuit board power dissipation in your next design? While for some designs such a savings would just be nice to have, for others it's
. . . Learn More
Date:
04/10/2012
Enabling More Effective Battery Charging Over USB Interconnects

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Figure 1: Difference between a DCP and SDP

Developed in the mid 1990s, USB has gone on to become the most widely used data interface on the planet. Its huge popularity has certain additional upshots which are also now being realised. Market
. . . Learn More
Date:
04/06/2012
Efficient Boost Conversion

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Figure 1: Typical application circuit, using 2 AA batteries and a regulator IC, the AS1337, to produce a 3.3V output

Small, battery-powered medical analysis equipment presents a challenge to the power circuit designer. In meeting this challenge an understanding of the way boost conversion is implemented
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Date:
04/04/2012
Flyback Controller Incorporates Active PFC into a Single Stage Converter

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Table 1. IEC 61000-3-2 Classifications

Any power system operating from the AC mains has an associated power factor defined as the way it draws current from the source. The power factor of an AC electric power system is defined as the ratio
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Date:
03/26/2012
Understanding Common-Mode Noise in Low-Power Offline Supplies

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Figure 1. A flyback converter's main common-mode noise sources and transfer paths.

Yet the ruggedness of the underlying technology makes the core designs attractive to a much wider audience, such as industrial users who need low-power supplies for DIN-rail and similar equipment.
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/16/2012
Inverter Efficiency

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At least two power reactors are needed for solar inverters: one in the boost converter (step-up chopper) and one at the ouput of the inverter for EMC filtering. Besides the IGBTs, the losses in the reactors are a major determining factor of the overall efficiency of the inverter

Low-loss and high saturation flux density core materials in reactors and transformers are a key determining factor for the efficiency of inverters. The new TDK PE90 ferrite is a cutting-edge
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/06/2012
Efficient Power Protection

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Figure 1: NetRiver desired a solution capable of easily scaling to match its unpredictable future growth.

NetRiver, the leading provider of collocation and interconnection services in the state of Washington, has been making data center managers green with envy — racking up hefty utility rebates, generating
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/06/2012
Wiring for Safety and Efficiency
This article describes a unique spacer cable system designed to power an industrial renewable energy plant pipeline. When the L'Anse Warden Electric Company in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
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Date:
03/06/2012
Multiphase DC/DC Converters

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Figure 1: High output current 1.5V/50A application schematic

The data centers' incremental overhead power consumption, due to inefficiencies and cooling systems is estimated to be equal to the amount of power that is consumed by servers, storage and networking. The
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/06/2012
Industrial Control

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Example PLD, with 12 inputs, 8 product terms and 4 macrocells
PLDs can have hundreds of macrocells with up to 16 product terms driving each macrocell. The AND and OR gates within the product terms can be interconnected to form highly flexible custom logic functions. The macrocells are typically clocked, and their outputs can be fed back into the product term array. This allows state machines to be created.

In most microcontroller architectures, there is a smart' CPU surrounded by a set of relatively dumb' peripherals. Peripherals have limited functions; converting data from one form to
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/05/2012
Industrial Applications Control

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Figure 1: With the new XMC4000 family - starting with the XMC4500 series - Infineon addresses three high-level trends for microcontrollers in industrial applications: higher energy efficiency, enhanced connectivity and reduced software complexity

Infineon has taken their wealth of know-how in microcontroller design for real-time critical control applications to combine it with all benefits of an industry standard core. The unique
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Date:
03/05/2012
The Power Output Stage

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Figure 1

Power electronics subsystems are often divided in a control and a power circuit, where the power output stage components strongly determine the characteristics of the whole application, like efficiency,
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Date:
03/05/2012
Safe System Operation

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Figure 1: Optocoupler Construction

Isolation components such as optocouplers that are used in applications that have user safety issues as a key aspect must not fail under continuous high-working-voltage bias conditions. Safety
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/03/2012
Simplified POL Design

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Figure 1: Five steps of working with the SupIRBuck® Online Design Tool

Fast and reliable design and evaluation of Point of Load (POL) circuits is a major factor to reduce the product development cost and time for electronics industry. Switching power supply
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/03/2012
Challenge of Automotive Audio

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Fig. 1 - The ON Semiconductor NCV47701 Current Sense Regulator Implementation

In the age of connectivity, increasingly demanding consumer expectations are driving the evolution of in-vehicle infotainment, resulting in greater demands on the infotainment system power supply.
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/02/2012
Powerful Ideas

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Figure 1. How intellectual property, intellectual assets and intellectual capital work together

An inventor caught up in the thrill of developing a new product, or an engineer trying to source parts from other companies to complete his new design, may understandably not have legal matters
. . . Learn More
Date:
03/02/2012
Digital Power

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Compared to traditional analog PWM controllers, Digital power controllers provide an extremely high level of flexibility and programmability over the serial interface bus. The designer
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Date:
02/03/2012
Efficient Utilization

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Figure 1: Harmonic Performance

As a designer and manufacturer of critical power systems used in airborne, shipboard and ground-based applications in the defense and commercial markets, Excelitas Technologies recognizes the
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/03/2012
Energy Saving

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Figure 1: Development of Converged Network Adapter ASICs

Wouldn't it be nice to save 25% to 30%, or even more, in circuit board power dissipation in your next design? While for some designs such a savings would just be nice to have, for
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/03/2012
High Power solutions

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Many applications in power management are based on buck topology. The purpose of this application note is to describe a technique to overcome the current limitation of these solutions. The
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Date:
02/03/2012
Energy Efficient Micros

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Figure 1: Power budget

Although power consumption is the product of operating voltage (Vcc) multiplied by the current consumption (Icc), current consumption is usually the only parameter considered when describing the power
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/03/2012
Innovative Drives

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Figure 1: Internal structure of the ITRIP and RCIN sections

The megatrends in consumer drive systems are unbroken: The numbers of units are growing and so are the number of comfort features and quality requirements for the drive. With Infineon's
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/03/2012
White Goods Efficiency

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Figure 1. CAPZero high-level functional diagram

Recent studies have indicated that standby power consumption can range as high as 10 percent of all domestic electricity usage. Over the last few years, multiple programs - including
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/03/2012
Circuit Protection Design

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Figure 1: Typical solar power system diagram

Increasing demand for clean electrical power has led to a focus on renewable energy sources such as solar power. Solar power systems are independent power generation systems meant to power
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/02/2012
Renewable Energy Parking

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A new solar carport transforms the parking space into a provider of green power that should delight designers and owners of electric cars alike. Fitted with innovative lightweight solar
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/02/2012
Optimized Design for High-Temp Operation

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Figure1: The test circuit used for all turn-off measurements Lcomm= 3.2 μH?Configuration 1: Cclamp = 10 μF, Rclamp = 0.625 ?, L? = 330 nH?Configuration 2: Cclamp = 20 μF, Rclamp = 0.37 ?, L? = 325 nH

A 4.5 kV IGCT (Integrated Gate Commutated Thyristor) with extraordinary high Safe Operating Area (SOA) at 140°C is presented. The improvements for the IGCT were achieved by optimizing the corrugated
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/02/2012
Monitoring the Energy

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National Wind Energy Centre

NEL is a world-class provider of technical consultancy, research, testing, flow measurement and programme management services to the energy, oil & gas manufacturing industries and government. The
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/01/2012
Inverter Efficiency

Click image to enlarge

At least two power reactors are needed for solar inverters: one in the boost converter (step-up chopper) and one at the ouput of the inverter for EMC filtering. Besides the IGBTs, the losses in the reactors are a major determining factor of the overall efficiency of the inverter

Low-loss and high saturation flux density core materials in reactors and transformers are a key determining factor for the efficiency of inverters. The new TDK PE90 ferrite is a cutting-edge
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/01/2012
Solar Battery Charger

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Figure 1: Typical off-grid PV system

Photovoltaic cell technology over the last few years has reached levels of cost and efficiency that enable its use in new markets. Due to the varying sunlight conditions, energy storage
. . . Learn More
Date:
02/01/2012
Smart Energy Metering Applications

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Figure 1: Single-phase anti-tamper smart meter

DC tolerant current transformers have long been used to sense ac currents in smart energy meters, but they have drawbacks and can be expensive. For some applications, resistive shunts make
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/31/2012
Cost-Optimized Solar

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Figure 1: Typical Solar Panel Output Current & Power vs. Output Voltage Curve

The influence of clouds, trees, dirt, on the solar cell panel and the rotation of the sun causes problematic fluctuations in the amount power generation. The typical output current and
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/31/2012
Power Module Mounting

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Figure 1a: State-of-the-art configurations

The mounting option for power modules has always been somewhat limited, meaning that the designer is constrained to a standard configuration. These new modules overcome this problem. Most
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Date:
01/31/2012
Miniaturized Modules

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Figure 1: A wireless handset may need to cover 13MHz to 6GHz in future - figures show the Murata estimate for the take-up of various technologies

Ceramic technologies are complementing semiconductor advances in enabling ever-more sophisticated and smaller wireless electronic systems. Improvements in ceramic materials technology have
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Date:
01/31/2012
Spoilt for Choice - Power Switch Technologies for Renewable Applications

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Figure 1: Offshore wind park ï½Lillgrundï½ in Sweden is connected to the main land via a 138kV high-voltage DC link (picture: Siemens)

With 7 billion human beings living on this planet, and at the same time, the energy consumed by human beings is shifting more and more from oil to electricity Improving power density
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/07/2012
Battery Management
Lithium Ion batteries are becoming the technology of choice for most portable applications requiring rechargeable batteries. The advantages include high energy density per volume and weight, high
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/01/2012
Challenging Charging
This article discusses the selection process for deciding the battery charging topology in portable, consumer applications. The article analyzes system and battery conditions under which the benefits
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Date:
01/01/2012
Digital Power Conversion

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Figure 1a: The effects of parallel connecting two power supplies without share control

Power supplies with digital control are gaining in popularity. However the term digital control' is commonly applied to two quite different meanings. The two main terms are; Digital power
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/01/2012
Digital Power Delivers Auto-Compensation

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Figure 1: GUI view of Auto Compensation page

Stability is a critical operational requirement for power supplies. In regulated power supplies, the stability is controlled, by a large part, by the characteristics of the feedback path.
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Date:
01/01/2012
Delivering Precision Performance

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Figure 1: Supplies are margined by changing the resistor connected to the Trim/FB node

Modern microprocessors, FPGAs and other complex ICs require accurate power supply voltages, often more accurate, in fact, than the tolerances provided by commodity low-dropout regulators (LDOs)
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/01/2012
USB Modem Design
With USB being a standard interface in PC peripherals, the number of applications that can be powered from a USB port is increasing at an exponential rate. The need for flexibility and continuous
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/01/2012
Keep on Running
These days, people can't live without cell phones. This is not a monumental revelation to anyone who has been at an airport, a shopping mall, or a park watching their children play. We close business
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/01/2012
Antenna Tuning Technology
Thinner form factors, mobile TV and the requirement for power efficiency are placing extreme demands on the antenna, requiring a new approach to keep calls on track and antennas inside the handset. Footprints
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/01/2012
Portable Efficiency
The handset world is seeing a burgeoning need for memory storage. This article discusses memory trends and different methods of powering SD Flash memory. The need for memory is being driven
. . . Learn More
Date:
01/01/2012
Low-Power Networked Solution

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Figure 1: JenNet-IP Stack build-up

All households and businesses are under pressure to fulfil the twin ideals of reduced energy consumption and reduced costs. There have been many advances in building technology such as double
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/20/2011
Communicated Adaptive Digital Control

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Figure 1: Auto-Control Adapts to Power Stage Variations

Real-Time Auto-Compensation Technique Enables More Versatile and More Efficient Power Systems while Reducing Design Overhead Experienced power supply design engineers know that specific power requirement
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/20/2011
PMBus Communications

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Figure 1: In a typical rack, the system host provides overall control for each board's power system via a Board Power Manager.

Digitally controlled power converters that embody power management subsystems and PMBus communications in telecoms applications makes it easy to assemble sophisticated hardware that suits a variety
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/19/2011
LTPoE++ Extends PoE

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Figure 1: Typical PoE system

Power over Ethernet, or PoE, is an increasingly popular way to deliver both power and data over existing Ethernet cable, thus freeing applications from the constraint of AC-power proximity. As
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/19/2011
UPS Sizing

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Choosing a UPS of the right capacity for a commercial or industrial application may appear as a simple task. In reality however, making the correct choice depends on knowledge and understanding
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/19/2011
Avoiding Coexistence Problems

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Figure 1: An example of the simplification of an RF design using an integrated front-end module

Applications for portable wireless data communications have been booming in the last few years. For designers, these applications pose the challenge of designing multiple high-efficiency, low-noise
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/19/2011
Managing the Power

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Figure 1: The Total Energy Management approach to design

Energy management techniques have emerged as competitive and differentiating features of electronic equipment. Traditional DC-DC Integrated Circuit (IC) point solutions have focused on optimizing
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Date:
11/18/2011
Telecom Central Office Datacenters have seen rapid evolution in terms of the architecture of their power supply arrangements; a number of different approaches have been used in relatively quick succession and, indeed, more than one approach may be found within a single installation This article considers a number
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/15/2011
Cost-Optimized Solar

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Figure 1: Typical Solar Panel Output Current & Power vs. Output Voltage Curve

The influence of clouds, trees, dirt, on the solar cell panel and the rotation of the sun causes problematic fluctuations in the amount power generation. Consistent with the movement towards
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/11/2011
Power Conditioning

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POWERVAR SecurityPlus product

In a two-year study involving customer projects around the world, POWERVAR, a power management systems company, examined how power quality technology can significantly reduce the service burden
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/29/2011
IEC60601 Medical Standards

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The internationally accepted IEC 60601-1 standard has been continuously developed to help alleviate safety issues relating to all manner of medical equipment. Engineers need to be aware
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/29/2011
Designing for Medical

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The vital selection process required for choosing the most suitable supplier for a medical power supply and to achieve requirements for EN60601 specifications Power supplies are a critical
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/29/2011
Information Fusion in Medical Systems

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Figure 1

As medical instrumentation acquires increased processing power, the amount of information that is gathered from a patient is growing exponentially. Whenever large amounts of data are presented
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/29/2011
Patient Protection

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LTM2881 2.5kVRMS isolated RS485 μModule transceiver

An important consideration when designing medical products is satisfying the IEC 60601-1 safety standard and the isolation ratings for products that come into contact with patients. One
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/29/2011
Medical Goes Mobile

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Figure 1

In the world of medical devices, smaller is more beautiful. The market has seen a plethora of product announcements that herald a new era in size and portability. While research teams
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/29/2011
Why Simulation Software?

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Analysis of insulator covered with water droplets

Using modelling software in this current economic market speeds up delivery time by increased accuracy at an early stage in the design process. The majority of engineering designers today
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/29/2011
Making the Most of Iron

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Figure 1: Broadband attenuation

In recent years, innovative soft magnetic materials have moved to the forefront of electrical engineering and electronics and led to the development of many advanced components. Today, VACUUMSCHMELZE
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/29/2011
Highly Efficient Flyback

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Table 1: Turns Ratios and Inductances

For industrial applications, power supplies with galvanic isolation in the range of 10 to 20W are often required. In general, a flyback converter is a good choice for this application. But
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/20/2011
Sensor-Driven Solid State Lighting

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Fig 1 LED Driver

Over 20% of the energy consumed in the US is in lighting; in fact, next to heating and air conditioning systems, lighting systems account for the greatest energy. Today, adequate daylight
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/19/2011
A new generation of low power, self-configuring network devices capable of remote management via a web connected smartphone or tablet PC are set to deliver the next healthcare revolution. The cost of providing healthcare to those recovering from illness or surgery has risen rapidly in recent years and there
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/14/2011
Ridley Universal Injector

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Figure 1: The RIDLEY UNIVERSAL INJECTOR offers extraordinary wideband operation with either large voltage drive, or high current drive.

A Brief History I have been working with frequency response analyzers for over 30 years. My first introduction was when working on switching power supplies during my undergraduate degree at
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/13/2011
Monitoring Transformers

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Implementation of a RightWon in a small distribution substation connecting IEDs, a meter and sensors located on the transformers within the substation

Transformers serve as a hub for collection and distribution of energy changing the voltage level at different locations of the Grid. They are a key component of the Smart Grid. These components
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/08/2011
Next Generation Small Cell Wireless Networks

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Figure 1: A typical small cell cabinet with power system and battery backup included (top left side)

The growth of the mobile Internet has been more dramatic than any pundit could have imagined. Fueled by the iPhone and other smartphones, enthusiastic mobile Internet users have turned to email,
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/08/2011
Smart Grid Security

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We have often seen reported the potential for data theft, either on an individual basis, or on a larger scale. The question is how to lessen the risk of the worst happening in smart grid metering. The
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/08/2011
Testing Photovoltaic Inverters

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Figure 1: Islanding

PV is becoming pervasive, but there are vital safety considerations that need to be adhered to - and tested thoroughly Introduction to islanding Islanding of photovoltaic systems
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/08/2011
Auto Battery Assist

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Figure 1

Supercapacitors, or Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors (EDLCs), were invented in the 1960's and introduced for use in back-up applications by NEC in 1979 for clocks in VCRs, radios and microwave
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/08/2011
Cutting Utility Bills

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Figure 1: Dimming ballast block diagram.

Legislation mandating adoption of energy-saving lighting, such as the EU Lighting Directive, can help governments meet CO2 reduction obligations while also helping reduce end users' utility bills. As
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/07/2011
Powerline Communications

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Figure 1: Scheme for PLC technology. In a TLACS system from Nyx Hemera Technologies a local controller integrates PLC to communicate with the network controller over the AC line and controls each lamp using a standard DALI interface

Street lighting in its many forms - roadway lighting, tunnel lighting, car park lighting and urban lighting - is a major consumer of grid electricity. All outdoor lighting is, in fact,
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/07/2011
Safe Photovoltaic Systems

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Future energy challenges are due to the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and urgent climate concerns. The new Power Grid will rely heavily on PV installations and their safety The photovoltaic
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/07/2011
Loads on the Grid

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Figure 1

There are many applications today where the prevailing brushed DC motors continue to represent high demand on the power grid. In most cases, these durable motors, based on proven technology,
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/07/2011
Smart Grid Progress

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The Smart Grid will bring massive changes to the way energy is delivered to homes. If the intent is to make everyone aware of and responsible for their personal energy usage, the Smart Grid is
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/07/2011
Reducing Industrial Energy Consumption

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Wi-LEM Schematic illustration

Today, as never before, the subject of energy efficiency is on everyone's agenda, at personal, corporate and national levels. It is no surprise, therefore, that there is scope in many manufacturing
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/07/2011
Notebook DC-DC Converter Design
In the competitive world of notebook computers, the key performance attributes are battery life, weight, and size (particularly height) for a given level of performance. Recent advances
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/28/2011
PCB Layout

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Figure 1: Switching frequency vs. switching transitions

Switch mode power supplies convert one voltage to another. Such supplies are generally very efficient and thus replace linear regulators in many applications. Switching frequency versus
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/28/2011
Selecting a Precision Op Amp

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Figure 1 - ISL28134: 0.1Hz to 10Hz Peak-to-Peak Noise Voltage

Choosing an op amp for high end sensor input projects can be especially challenging if the sensors or their design environments require ultra low-power, low-noise, zero-drift, rail-to-rail input
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/28/2011
Solar Inverter Reliability

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Figure 1: Single-Stage, Single-Phase Inverter Block Diagram

The modern power grid will feature photovoltaic (PV) power systems that offer a sustainable alternative to fossil-fueled power plants. PV power systems consist of multiple components such
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/28/2011
Video Security Benefits

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Figure 1: Traditional Approach of Remote Voltage Sensing

Even before the heightened awareness brought on by threats of terrorism, many public and private institutions had already began to incorporate video security into critical infrastructure. Video
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/27/2011
Smart Components for Smart Grids

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Smart Grids need to modern passive components

Energy efficiency with advanced magnetic alloys - the quality of smart grids starts with the quality of their materials The famous English social reformer John Ruskin (1849 - 1900) was
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/22/2011
PV Selection

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Typical high quality rooftop installation

When looking into either adding solar installation to your business, or want to know how to get the best deals, there are several factors to consider. Reliability is key; investigate the
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/13/2011
Auto Foundry Demands

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Figure 1: Automotive Electronics Forecast and Semiconductor Content per Vehicle (Source: Gartner - March 2011)

Automotive electronics has emerged as one of the most important applications for integrated circuits. The expanded use of automotive electronics and concomitant semiconductor content per vehicle
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/06/2011
EMC Compliance

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Figure 1: Supply lines - eliminate loops and decouple at local boundaries

International regulations regarding electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) affect many aspects of circuit and system design. However, there are numerous techniques that can be applied to reduce both
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/17/2011
Multi-domain Simulation

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Figure 1: Structure of the SaberRD environment

Electrification is driving the need for comprehensive multi-domain system simulation in hybrid-electric and electric vehicles. A vehicle's power electronic components, coupled with the overall
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/17/2011
System-on-Chip GNSS Solution

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Table 1: Teseo-II Urban Canyon Performance

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is the general term for satellite tracking systems and covers GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, QZSS and Compass constellations. Systems for urban canyon applications
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/16/2011
Power Packaging

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Figure 1: The Die Free package resistances of different power semiconductor packages

The 2011 automotive year started with the Detroit Auto show where the new Chrysler 300 was launched, its headline, a 3.6l V6 engine delivering a whopping 292 hp (218 kW), 41 hp (31 kW) more than
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/16/2011
Automotive Lighting - LEDS

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Figure 1: The new innovative body architecture allows a significant wire harness reduction in comparison to today's architecture

One of the latest automotive design trends is LED lighting. LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are used for tail lights, interior lights such as ambient lighting, and LED front lights. Front light
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/16/2011
Automotive Lighting - HID Applications

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Figure 1: Ballast-Igniter Circuit

High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps are superior replacements for conventional heated-filament headlamps that require about 25kV applied to the lamp electrodes to ionize the Xenon gas and
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/16/2011
EV/HEV Measurements

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Figure 1: Typical positioning of high-voltage vehicle components

Recent industry trends toward high-performance electric and hybrid vehicle (EHV) drives has created a whole new set of testing requirements. New Drive Technologies, New Safety Requirements New
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/16/2011
Automotive Protection

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Figure 1: Principle of Car Wiring Harness Pulse Immunity Test Using an ESD Simulator ("ESD Pulse Gun")

System-level tests for EMC pulse immunity have been established in order to test the immunity of an electronic device or module against strong electromagnetic fields such as a close AM or FM transmitter
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/15/2011
Power Design for Vital Auto Devices

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Figure 1: Boost Buck Structure

A main challenge for an automotive power system designer is to deal with the 12V car battery voltage fluctuations. The battery voltage can drop significantly during load crank. This voltage
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/15/2011
Auto Efficiency

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Figure 1: Typical LTC3859A Start/Stop Application Schematic

Many automotive manufactures have devised a clever way of saving fuel in automobiles by using a new concept called a "Start/Stop" system. This system automatically switches off the engine when
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/11/2011
Electric Vehicle Dynamics

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Figure 1: Spectrum of a 250A DC charger used for testing G3-PLC operation

Electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are building a viable market of mobile electrical energy consumers. New relationships between electricity providers (the utility
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/04/2011
Shunt Charger Systems

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Figure 1: LTC4070 Typical Application Circuit

Energy harvesting ICs can convert an appropriate transducer's output into an electric current for a battery charger device. Recent technology developments have pushed energy harvesting to the point
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Date:
06/29/2011
Solar IC Solutions

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Figure 1: National Semiconductor's diverse analog IC product offering for PV

To succeed in today's competitive solar market, system designers and OEMs require a system solution which may include energy-efficient analog ICs, tools, evaluation boards, and reference designs. As
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Date:
06/28/2011
Solar Power Optimization

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Efficiency Chart

Solar industry insiders have declared this "The Year for Power Optimization." Distributed electronics like maximum power point tracking (MPPT) power optimizers and microinverters are growing in
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Date:
06/27/2011
Solar Harvest

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Figure 1: Power-Voltage Curve of a photovoltaic cell for differing light levels

In the utilization of solar panels, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is the automatic adjustment of electrical load to achieve the greatest possible power harvest, during dynamic variations
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Date:
06/27/2011
Cooling the Circuits

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Figure 1

The need for forced-air cooling should be assessed at an early stage in system electronics enclosure design. The full range of implications needs to be considered in detail for a successful outcome. Typical
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Date:
06/27/2011
Keeping it Simple

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Figure 1: Method of implementing the smart grid which does support deregulation

Smart grid strategies have still to be finalized as countries strive to lower their greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency and ensure security of supply. A growing number of
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Date:
06/27/2011
Powerful Software Simulation

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Figure 1: By using software from ANSYS to predict maximum temperatures and temperature distribution within its new diesel particulate filter under diverse conditions, Cummins engineers can ensure that the manufactured component will have acceptable durability.

Cummins uses simulation software from ANSYS to reduce weight, improve fuel economy and reduce environmentally harmful emissions of engines The phrase "environmentally responsible" doesn't
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Date:
06/27/2011
Power Network Redundancy

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Ruggedized, Fast/Gigabit Ethernet rack-mount switches, such as this Hirschmann MACH1000, offer high port density and hundreds of copper/fiber media-mix options, excellent RFI/EMI shielding, and high performance - even in the harshest industrial environments and applications

Today's power grid receives energy from conventional, independent and alternative power source producers and distributes that power to industrial, commercial and residential customers. Providers
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Date:
06/18/2011
Renewable Energy

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Recognising, defining and dealing with renewable energy risks have never been more of a priority. Projects tend to be complex, innovative and often pioneering, which is why it pays to have insurance
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Date:
06/18/2011
High Power Modules

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Figure 1: Application range of high power modules. A different optimization of devices is required, indicated by the attributes "soft" and "fast"

A new technology for the vertical architecture of free wheeling diodes is introduced, which is optimized for applications with high switching frequencies. To minimize the turn off losses of the
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Date:
06/18/2011
Designing with LDOs

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Figure 1: The challenge of dynamic performance vs. current consumption has been addressed by introducing parts that are switchable between low power mode and high performance. A typical example is ON Semiconductor's NCP4587.
Looking at products that are currently sampling, it appears that products with noise in the 10 ?VRMS range and Quiescent current in the 10-15 μA range will be in production by the end of this year, giving cell phone designers the best of both worlds in selecting their LDOs.

Low drop-out Linear voltage regulators are a vital component in a wide range of applications; perhaps some of the most demanding conditions exist in the portable equipment (media players, digital
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Date:
06/18/2011
Customizing COTS Testing Systems

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By definition, the off-the-shelf modular instruments (VME, PXI, VXI, CompactPCI, PCI, etc.) used to create automated test and measurement systems are designed to be general purpose, programmable,
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Date:
06/18/2011
Design for Security

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Figure 1: LT3748 Flyback Converter with Primary-Side Output Voltage Sensing

Even before heightened awareness brought on by threats of terrorism, many public and private institutions had already began incorporating video security into critical infrastructure. Video
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Date:
06/18/2011
LED Lighting Solutions

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Available in serial or parallel wiring options, the new Molex array holder simplifies LED installation. Array holder is shown with and without optional Ingress Protection

Here follows an in-depth look into just how synergistic electronics, optical and lighting industries are yielding new and award-winning technologies to revolutionize the world of LED luminaires. LEDs
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Date:
06/13/2011
Driving LEDs

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Figure 1: N and P type doping of an LED

LEDs are fast replacing Fluorescent light bulbs and incandescent light bulbs in many lighting applications. In the past these sources could be driven directly from the mains voltage, but this is
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Date:
06/13/2011
Low ESR Tantalum Capacitors

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Figure 1: CAMEL Card validator and PCB detail

Fare collection and ticketing systems are an essential part of any public transport network. Systems combine software and hardware elements such as onboard computers and driver interfaces for automated
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Date:
06/13/2011
Offline LED Applications

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Table 1: Comparison of LEDs, CFL & Incandescent Light Sources

Most of the new LED lighting fixture applications will be required to run from existing AC offline power sources, generally 90VAC to 265VAC depending on the end application's geography. The ability
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Date:
06/11/2011
LED Street Lighting

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Figure 1: LED street lights

High brightness LED street lights are now being installed in pilot projects at many sites. In most cases these are replacing high intensity discharge (HID) and high pressure sodium (HPS) street
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Date:
06/08/2011
Video Transmission Solution

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Figure 1: Single Stage Equalizer for 300 meters of Cat 5 cable

Transmission cables have improved, but the challenge is always the same: get more messages down longer cables faster. It may sound simple, but the longer the cable, the greater the losses. These
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Date:
06/01/2011
Digital POL Improves Key Metrics

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Digital power conversion has moved on from being a novelty to widespread acceptance. Ericsson launched its BMR453 quarter-brick intermediate-bus converter in 2008 and followed with an eighth-brick
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Date:
05/26/2011
Direct Fuel Injection

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Figure 1: Estimated junction temperature rise for a given power pulse assuming an inductive load

There is a pressing need within the automotive industry for realizing greater degrees of fuel economy. This is being driven by rising oil prices through ongoing political uncertainty in many oil
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Date:
05/26/2011
Superior Assembly Technology

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Figure 1: Al Bondwire

Power module development is striving for higher power densities, not only in new but also in already established packages. Two main challenges for such kinds of upgrades are to meet the increased
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Date:
05/26/2011
SMD Cube Shrinks Footprint

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With their ability to drastically simplify provision of low-power isolated power rails that are commonly required in applications such as process control and industrial communications interfaces,
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Date:
05/26/2011
Pain Management in Power Optimization

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Figure 1: Benefit of In-Design Technology in IC Design

Power has always been an integral part of consumer electronics, but increasingly we can do more things with a single device. That trend, above all others, has moved power consumption from an afterthought
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Date:
05/26/2011
Increasing Efficiency

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The Intelligent Power Module, IPM, has been a mainstay in motor speed control designs. And with good reason: Such designs are relatively easy and cheap to implement. With onboard gate drivers,
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Date:
05/26/2011
Reliability in White Goods

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Figure 1: RX210 Block diagram

The demands being placed on designers for the next generation of domestic appliances are increasing drastically. Today we see many conflicting demands to use less power, less water and to create
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Date:
05/11/2011
Automated Control

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Figure 1 - Supplies are margined by changing the resistor connected to the Trim/FB node

Modern appliances and equipment which utilize microprocessors, FPGAs and other complex ICs require accurate power supply voltages, often more accurate, in fact, than the tolerances provided by
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Date:
05/11/2011
Cost Competitive SiC

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Figures 1 &2: Forward conduction characteristics comparison

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a compound semiconductor that is superior to silicon (Si) in several respects. These advantages stem from SiC's ~10x higher critical breakdown field, ~2.8x higher thermal
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Date:
05/11/2011
Integration in Embedded HMI

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Figure 1: Thermostat with resistive- and capacitive-touch technologies

HMI designs in embedded systems are evolving fast as the cost of manufacturing fashionable and more elegant interfaces continues to decrease. Some appliances are already combining touch-sensitive
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Date:
05/11/2011
Circuit Protection Considerations

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Figure 1: Typical circuit protection design for switch-mode power supplies

The power supplies, relays and other electronic components found in household and professional-grade appliances can benefit from the application of resettable overcurrent protection. Polymeric
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Date:
05/11/2011
White Goods Technology

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Figure 1: Simplified Block Diagram of Washing Machine

The rising cost of electricity will increase the consumer demand for home appliances that offer energy savings. However, this is only one consideration that consumers must consider when purchasing
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Date:
05/11/2011
PV Off-the-Roll

Photo by Solarion AG

Thin-film solar cells are developing into a rapidly growing market segment. If their commercial potential is to be fully exploited, the solar modules must be produced in a roll-to-roll manufacturing
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Date:
03/24/2011
Grounding Transformers

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Figure 1 - Typical wind farm configuration

The grounding transformer is an often neglected component of the wind farm - shunted off to a sidebar issue. However, those who neglect to adequately plan for grounding transformers do so at their
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Date:
03/24/2011
Surge Current Limitations

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Figure 1: I-V characteristics of 10ms half sine pulses at different peak currents. Curve (c) is slightly above, curve (d) is far above the destruction threshold.

The ability of silicon power diodes to withstand a rapid forward current load, described by its i2t-value, is an important criterion that has to be regarded in the selection of the proper devices
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Date:
03/24/2011
Effective Contact

ITT Interconnect Solutions' EVC series connectors

This advanced charging in electric vehicles (EV) requires highly efficient power contacts to provide flexible functionality, with minimal modifications, across a power range from a low of 15 amps/120
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Date:
03/24/2011
An engineer designing with FPGAs or Processors often has to provide some serious amount of power at high efficiency over load. Not only must the rails be regulated correctly and not overheat, but additional functionality may be required. Recent evaluation boards from Xilinx (ML605 and SP605) for Virtex-6 and Spart
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Date:
03/15/2011
Efficiency Cost & Compactness

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Figure 1: 65W demo board of the TEA1733

The current market of Switch Mode Power Supply IC's shows increasing demand on efficient and cost effective solutions that enable slim and compact design. The industry standard Energy Star Version
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Date:
01/19/2011
Power Management Purity

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Figure 1: Noise Rejection Utilities

Modern power systems feature high speed serial communication between load and voltage regulators (VR) to enable sophisticated power management operations. This communication is susceptible to
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Date:
01/17/2011
Integrated High-Power Converters

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Figure 1: 347W universal input PFC

Power supplies of up to1kW output power account for the majority of power supplies used in high-volume electronics applications. One obvious application that we use every day is the personal computer,
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Date:
01/15/2011
Secondary Thermal Protection
The growing demand for electronics that can operate in harsh environments such as under-hood automotive systems and rugged industrial applications is fueling a trend toward new materials and more
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Date:
01/15/2011
Designing for Efficiency

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Figure 1: Effect on efficiency of reducing component size by increasing switching frequency

Reducing the size and improving the efficiency of AC-DC power supplies are constant pressures. In addition, the requirement for portability in some equipment means that not only the size but also
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Date:
01/15/2011
Powering Flexibility and Reliability

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Figure 1a: The effects of parallel connecting two power supplies without share control

Flexibility is one of the major advantages of power supplies using digital power conversion, where customer specific optimisations can be achieved without the expense of changing the hardware.
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Date:
01/15/2011
High Efficiency Tuning

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Optimizing a power converter means making the right inductor choice. Choosing an inductor is a fairly simple proposition, with relatively few parameters to consider. Yet a solid understanding of
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Date:
01/15/2011
Comfort with Conservation

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Figure 1a: Application reference design for air-conditioning systems

The demand for energy in our world is increasing dramatically. A large portion of this demand comes from air-conditioning systems that are running over all the different climate zones. Energy saving
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Date:
01/15/2011
Supply Continuity

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With a recent survey reporting power outages as a common experience, and most users expecting the situation to worsen, UPS systems are now essential for business critical ICT equipment. The
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Date:
01/15/2011
Boosting Power System Efficiency

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Figure 2: Measured data for the Ericsson BMR450 20-Amp power module when varying input voltage from 4.5 to 14 volts and with load from zero to 20 Amps.

This case study presents the results of Ericsson's findings of using a novel algorithm to optimize intermediate bus voltage. This approach saves significant energy and cost, while increasing reliability. The
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Date:
01/14/2011
Ultralow Power High Speed ADC

Figure 1: Schematic of an op amp

High Speed ADCs are integral to low power applications such as wireless communication, medical instrumentation and data acquisition systems. Speed requirements of the ADCs vary from a few kHz to
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Date:
12/22/2010
The Energy Harvest

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Figure 1: LTC4070 application circuit operational modes

Shunt voltage references are simple to use; they have been around for many years and are in a myriad of products. However, they cannot effectively charge a battery, and to configure one to do such
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Date:
12/22/2010
Power Budgeting

Medicine and computers converge

TRaC is a test and certification company, providing comprehensive services with global reach through its worldwide partnerships. The organisation provides a streamlined approval process to meet
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Date:
12/22/2010
PV Inverter Trends

Figure 1: Voltage split forecast for the entry of compound semiconductor devices in PV inverters (Source: Yole Développement - November 2010)

Yole Développement announces its comprehensive analysis on the first standardization steps in the PV inverter industry. Yole Développement's analysts evaluate the market forecasts and positioning
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Date:
12/22/2010
Renewables at University

PV installation and control system at the University

A 3.3kWpk photovoltaic installation consisting of 64 amorphous silicon modules was connected to the power grid of the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV). The plant is located on
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Date:
12/22/2010
Pushing Power Capability

Figure 1: Sixpack Used as a Half Bridge

The increasing requirement in renewable energy systems and motor drive applications for ever-higher power levels is, as a consequence, driving the demand for power modules to provide higher levels
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Date:
12/22/2010
Renewable Energy & Energy Saving

Figure 1: VCE(on) comparison of FS (Red), and NPT (Green) IGBTs

The global economic recession of the last two years has had a profound impact on world energy demand, at least in the near term. As manufacturing and consumer demand for goods and services declined
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Date:
12/22/2010
Power from Renewables
This article describes a dual input two stage grid-tied PV inverter by using Mitsubishi Photovoltaic Intelligent Power Modules (PV-IPM) of type number PM50B6LA060. Dual circuit branches have independent
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Date:
12/22/2010
NTC Chips from Wafer Technology

Figure 1: Crack in Ceramic (for clarity a MLCC is shown)

The accuracy of the wafer coupled with assembly processes already commonly found in the manufacturing plants of IGBT modules, makes the chip form of NTC the ideal component for embedding into power
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Date:
12/22/2010
Li-ion Battery Circuit Protection
Technological advances in lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries have enabled high-power Li-ion cells with higher energy density and lighter weight to replace Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) batteries - and even
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Date:
12/22/2010
Solar electricity generation is becoming a viable alternative energy source, due to burgeoning energy costs. Up until 2007, the German solar market was the world’s largest solar market driven by a law encouraging the use of renewable energy through incentives (the “Energieeinspeisungsgesetz”). Generating electrici
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Date:
12/15/2010
Thermoelectric Energy

Figure 1: The design and optimization of a thermoelectric energy harvesting system is highly dependent on the relationships of these elements

Advances in distributed sensors and sensor networks have led to an increased interest in renewable and autonomous power sources. The use of waste heat is an attractive source of energy for many
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Date:
11/24/2010
Optimizing Power Modules

Figure 1: Circuit diagram of flowNPC 0 module FZ06NPA070FP with parallel switch (combination of MOSFET and IGBT) as outer switch

In a world where energy efficiency is king, engineers, managers and purchasing departments alike need to examine carefully the route their company takes in the development of new products. It is
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Date:
11/24/2010
Designers Perspective

Wafer storage facility in Santa Clara CA

It is estimated that 3% of the global pool of electronic components is made obsolete each month, and on a long term defence project, typically 50-70% of the semiconductor products incorporated
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Date:
11/23/2010
Powering Communications

Source: Ericsson

Since the origin of mobile communication, various techniques based on software and hardware have been implemented to optimize energy efficiency. In every telecommunication system there are DC/DC
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Date:
11/23/2010
Optimized Industrial-System PSUs
The universal drive to reduce power consumption that Energy Star and similar initiatives have so successfully promoted within consumer-level equipment is starting to take a real hold within industrial
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Date:
11/23/2010
Power Efficiency Breakthrough

Figure 1: Topology of a high-efficiency AC-DC power supply

With demand for high efficiency becoming part of product specification across the whole load range, design engineers are reviewing AC-DC power supply topologies with the specific aim of reducing power
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/23/2010
Communications Power Solutions

Figure 1: Talk time analysis of a 3G PA with and without FAN5902 under WCDMA signal modulation and 1000mAh Li-Ion battery. The power distribution function is DG09 and can be found in GSMA's white paper "Battery Life Measurement Technique, v4.7".

What is more annoying? Running out of battery or constantly needing to recharge it? With the proliferation of cellular mobile handsets, especially smartphones in the world today where people are
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Date:
11/22/2010
Comms Continuity

Figure 1: Traditional approach

The explosion in data traffic and the introduction of "Smart Phones" such as the Apple iPhone are fuelling the need for the rapid expansion of communications networks, not only at the Edge but
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Date:
11/21/2010
Designing For Telecoms

Figure1: Block schematic of the IBA

To reduce significant distribution losses due to high currents circulating on the Intermediate Bus in the Telecom/ Datacom distributed architecture, the value of this voltage (IBV) has been recently
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Date:
11/20/2010
Telecommunications Safety

Figure 1: Test data shows the capacitance effects of various overvoltage protection configurations

Telecommunications equipment must be able to survive surges and power faults as defined in the relevant standards. Survivability can be achieved by providing protection either remotely or at the
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/20/2010
Hidden Costs of Power Distribution

Figure 1: End-to-end efficiency in the traditional, 480V AC power distribution system

Data center energy costs as a percent of total revenue are at an all-time high - emerging as the second largest operating cost in the IT organization, behind labor. The five-year cost for
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/20/2010
Sigma Designs - Powering Entertainment and Control
On my recent trip to California, I had the opportunity to visit Sigma Designs Inc., a leading provider of system-on-chip (SoC) solutions used to deliver entertainment and control throughout the
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Date:
11/17/2010
Compact Isolated DC-DC Converter

Figure 1: PI3101 complete power system

System designers have struggled to determine the type of distributed power system to best meet the needs of the system while still retaining high efficiency, reliability, low cost and most of all,
. . . Learn More
Date:
11/17/2010
Lattice Launches Platform Manager
At the company's press launch in Munich, Germany, Gordon Hands, Director of Strategic Marketing for Lattice's Low Density and Mixed Signal Solutions, presented Lattice's next-generation programmable
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Date:
10/27/2010
Medical Compliance

A Quality Management System for the Delivery of Products or Services (Source: International Organization for Standardization)

When companies are certified by international standards or qualified by a regulatory body, it signals to customers that these companies are dedicated to producing a quality product consistently
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/22/2010
Solar Energy Harvesting
test
Date:
10/18/2010
Powering Medical Applications
Safety is paramount wherever power supplies are used, but nowhere more so than in medical applications where even small parasitic leakage currents may compromise safety. First published in 1977,
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Date:
10/01/2010
Smart Battery Management in Medical Devices
Technology advancements over the past few years have generated many new developments that have specifically benefitted the portable medical device market. The focus of such efforts has centered
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Date:
10/01/2010
Lowest Cost Medical and Beyond
Analog Devices products and technologies have made a significant contribution in healthcare designs - helping shape the future of diagnostics and monitoring equipment, as well as health and wellness
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/01/2010
Portable Ultrasound System Design
I had the great pleasure to talk with Suresh Ram, Director, Medical Key Market Segment at National Semiconductor Corporation. Suresh is responsible for driving the strategy and development of innovative
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/01/2010
Designing High Performance 4-Channel Audio
Whether it is automotive entertainment or home theater systems, consumers have been asking for more channels and speakers with the ability to handle higher audio power levels per channel. In addition
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Date:
10/01/2010
Medical Equipment Design
A stethoscope, whether acoustic or digital, is used mainly to listen to heart and lung sounds in the body as an aid to diagnosis. Listening, or auscultation, has been done with acoustic stethoscopes
. . . Learn More
Date:
10/01/2010
SEPIC Converter Design
Most isolated low-power AC/DC power supplies tend to use the flyback topology due to its simplicity and decent efficiency. Removing the isolation requirement allows other topologies to be used, such
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Date:
09/28/2010
Raising the Wireless Bar
In the next few years, the term "3G" will become the substandard mobile broadband connection as "4G" debuts across major US cellular network carriers. At a nominal data transfer rate of 100Mb/s,
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/28/2010
SuperCaps for UPS
The need to protect IT equipment from the effects of power transients, as well as to provide assured operation during power outages is evidenced by the steady growth in sales of uninterruptible
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/27/2010
UPS Protection
Companies often install uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to provide backup power if the main supply is lost. But power outage is relatively rare. Are we missing a trick by not looking at
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/25/2010
Dialog Powers Intel Atom Processor E6xx
For developers in a broad range of applications using the Intel Atom processor, particularly in portable designs such as found in the new wave of medical equipment, Dialog's companion chip is the
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/22/2010
Advances in global long-haul, high-powered transmission technologies and capacity create an imperative for renewable generation in the U.S. and beyond. It certainly is an interesting time in history to be involved with electricity.  The power industry is on the verge of the biggest breakthroughs in genera
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/10/2010
Driving Public Lighting
Increasingly, with the development and refurbishment of Power Grid systems, more efficient street and public lighting systems are becoming ever higher on a government's agenda. Over the last years,
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Power-Grid Monitoring Systems
Many advanced industrial applications use high-performance multichannel data acquisition systems (DASs) to manage real-time information from precision industrial sensors. These complex systems
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Lighting Control
With the International Energy Agency's first ever global survey of energy consumption for lighting estimating that around 19% of all electricity generated is used to keep mankind from the darkness—that's
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Grid Tie Inverter Design
In order to achieve higher efficiency in a grid tie inverter, the correct choice of power semiconductor devices becomes very important. For grid tie inverters, the bus voltage is in the order of
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Automotive on Test
Pickering Interfaces is a UK-based company manufacturing advanced switching and instrumentation equipment for the electronics industry. The company's products are used worldwide in applications
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Clamp Sizing Protection
AC-DC power supplies up to approximately 100W commonly utilize the flyback topology. Its low cost and ability to provide multiple tracking outputs with a single controller have made it a favorite
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
System-Level PA Solutions
Power amplifier (PA) efficiency is a key factor in wireless system design. Due to the inherent nonlinearity of the PA, a large signal would be distorted and its spectrum would be broadened to disturb
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
PLC for the Smart Grid
The evolution from the traditional electrical grid to the new smart grid introduces many challenges. One of these main challenges is the need for a good communication network to receive information
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Smart Grid Integrity
Every day we can read and see on news statements like: "A series of agreements to collaborate on four smart grid projects signed.", "International Smart Grid Action Network launched.", "Beyond the
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Power Optimization
All applications, which support the comfort in our daily life, are supposed to be invisible - or at least small, light weight, and silent. These applications are home appliances, such as vacuum cleaners,
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Designing with Power Modules
Engineers and designers on product deadlines need all the time they can get to focus on what matters most - the core architecture of a system design. Designing with an FPGA, DSP, or microprocessor
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Digital Power Supply Control
Control of switch mode power supplies (SMPSs) has traditionally been carried out with purely analog circuitry. The advent of low-cost, high-performance digital signal controllers (DSCs) provides a
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Automotive Energy Efficiency
With the ever increasing number of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles on the roads, the demand for fossil-fuels is rising steeply leading to increased CO2 emissions that are harmful to the
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Application-Specific ATE
Project managers within industries such as bio med, alternative energy, smart appliances, communications, consumer electronics and defense now increasingly look to custom designed and manufactured
. . . Learn More
Date:
09/01/2010
Charge pumps are often the best choice for powering a CAN-bus application that requires a combination of low-power, low-voltage operation and low cost. This article explains how to supply a high-speed CAN transceiver, via a charge pump, to achieve a 5V rail that is required for most transceivers to deliver ISO 11
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/16/2010
Digital Isolators
For more than four decades, optocouplers have been the "default" signal isolation device, but CMOS-based digital isolation technology has made available smaller, faster and more reliable solutions
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/01/2010
Integrated Driving
Its more than 10 years since the market introduction of Avago technologies first smart gate driver. At that time it was the world's first integrated IGBT gate driver optocoupler with inbuilt fault
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/01/2010
Current Sensing in HEVs
Consumers are embracing environmentally friendly "green cars" as a result of the rising cost of fossil fuels and a growing concern for the health of the environment. Sales forecasts have predicted
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/01/2010
Drive with Infineons EiceDRIVERs
In order to fulfil increasingly stringent requirements to improve fuel economy and to reduce emissions, the automotive industry is looking for innovative solutions. In the future, e-Mobility is expected
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/01/2010
Next Generation Automotive
With the recent upsurge in hybrid vehicle adoption and almost all major car OEMs now working on full electric vehicle projects, people often point out that this is old news. In many respects they
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/01/2010
Essential Multicell Monitoring
Rechargeable battery packs prematurely deteriorate in performance if any cells are allowed to over-discharge, for example, in hybrid automobiles or lower-cost products like portable tools and backup
. . . Learn More
Date:
08/01/2010
Swifter, Higher, Stronger
According to IMS Research the number of video capable automotive head units will grow from 8.5 Mu in 2006 to 26.6 Mu in 2015. In order to present the information to the driver with less distraction
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Date:
08/01/2010
Automotive Air-Con Made Easy
In most automotive HVAC systems, a continuous inflow of fresh air is conditioned and brought into the cabin. Typically the driver can select whether the fresh air supply needs to be interrupted (recirculation)
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Date:
08/01/2010
Shining Bright
In many high-power lighting applications such as street lights, high-bay stadium lighting and others, the trend is moving towards solid state lighting that uses LEDs as the lighting source. The reason
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Date:
08/01/2010
Power Electronics in Electric & Hybrid Vehicles
Here follows a paper submitted by Yole Développement, a market research and strategy consulting company, specialised in the MEMS fields as well as compound semiconductors, power electronics and photovoltaic.
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Date:
08/01/2010
Cool Running Autos
It has been forecast that by 2020 there will be upwards of 10 million passenger and light truck vehicles sold annually that are powered entirely or in part by electric motors. Starting with the leadership
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Date:
08/01/2010
Keeping Systems Running Cooler
Taming the heat is one of the biggest design challenges facing system architects and power supply manufactures today. Free air flow through the power supply is critical for improving performance
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Date:
06/01/2010
Isolate to Communicate
RS485 networks provide the backbone for communications in applications ranging from industrial control systems to roadside traffic message boards. In environments where high voltages are present,
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Date:
06/01/2010
Maximized Manufacturability
Customers of power electronics increasingly require new, easy connection and mounting technologies. PressFIT technology creates the possibility of solderless mounting combined with an improved
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Date:
06/01/2010
Custom Power
Despite the best intentions at the outset of an electronic product's design, it is commonplace for the power supply specification to evolve during the process and to only be finalized late on.
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Date:
06/01/2010
Contain the Heat
Over the past few years, several manufacturers have developed high-power handling general purpose chip resistors covering a wide resistance range. Most of these high-power chip resistors are extensions
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Date:
06/01/2010
LED Lighting Variants
A power-saving, environmentally friendly, long-life, compact and (above all) cost-effective light source - LEDs have created an entirely new generation of lamps. According to the International
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Date:
05/01/2010
Inductors for Illumination
A wide variety of driver circuits is needed to support new LED applications and the demands for high performance are challenging designers to be as creative as possible with new circuit techniques.
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Date:
05/01/2010
Power Factor Perfection
Most modern power supplies are required to contain the harmonic content of the current they absorb from the line. Practically, regulations request the line current to be nearly sinusoidal and in
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Date:
05/01/2010
LED Lighting Circuit Protection Strategies
As government agencies, industry and consumers look for ways to reduce energy costs, light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technology is expected to boom. LED technology has advanced rapidly, with
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Date:
05/01/2010
Cool Power from Danfoss
Modern wind turbines are being designed for a lifetime of 15-20 years. In the special case of wind power, the turbines are expected to run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year when the wind allows.
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Date:
04/01/2010
The Way Forward for Solar
PV modules, or panels, produce direct current (DC) electricity, typically with a peak output up to 250 Watts. With suitable control circuits, they can be used to charge a battery - which also generates
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Date:
04/01/2010
In the past two years of the recession, the power systems design industry has been in the very challenging position of fine-tuning solutions to address the ever-pressing issue of energy supply
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Date:
04/01/2010
Modular UPS Systems
A tailored and integrated approach to power protection, comprising modular UPS and fully-matched standby generators, is helping businesses sustain vital uptime and availability. Changes
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Date:
04/01/2010
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