Ally Winning, European Editor, PSD
Welcome to the March edition of Power Systems Design Europe. The longer days and brighter weather always gives me a lift at this time of year after what has been a long winter. It is looking like an exciting year for the industry and there will be lots of innovative new products coming to market if the quality of the product launches that I’ve seen so far carries on for the rest of the year. The biggest launches are usually held back for big exhibitions like electronica and PCIM, so there should be plenty to write about in the coming months. The best places to hear about these launches are in these pages and our newsletters, so please make sure you are subscribed.
The featured subject in our Special Report this month is power supplies. Power supplies are the workhorse of the industry and are used in numerous applications. In the Special Report we will have three articles that concentrate on different aspects of power supplies. The first article in this month’s report comes from XP Power and it focusses on power supplies for medical applications. The medical area has some of the tightest regulation of any industry in order to keep both patients and medical staff safe. In the article, Hafiz Khalid, Product Marketing Director at XP Power runs us through five of the most important design considerations for medical power supplies, including how to assess the risks and deal with EMI.
The second article in the Special Report was submitted by Analog Devices and it looks at switch-mode power supplies, and more specifically how to choose the correct inductor. The inductor is vital to the operation of the SMPS for energy storage, and selecting an inductor that is too large, too small, or not saturated correctly can be detrimental to the efficiency of the supply. It can also lead to overheating and damage to other components situated nearby. The article details the causes and effects of inductor violations and suggests how to choose the right inductor for any SMPS.
In the final article in the Special Report, Perry Schugart from Microchip talks about SiC. The wide-bandgap material has quickly made inroads into the high power market. In the article, Schugart looks at the applications that are most suitable for the unique properties of Microchip’s SiC solutions. The company prides itself in the ruggedness of its SiC products, which is an essential trait for the high voltages and fast switching that is required in the applications where they are used. The article will go into more detail how they have been designed to be as robust as possible.
As well as the articles in the Special Report, there will also be general power articles in our Tech Focus section, as well as the latest news and views from the industry.
Best Regards
Ally Winning
European Editor, PSD
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