Motor Drives, Robotics & Controls
April 2015
Tantalum surface mount capacitors with a solid electrolyte have been the favorite capacitor technology choice in many electronic devices for more than five decades, thanks to their stability, high reliability, and superior volumetric efficiency. The traditional manganese dioxide (MnO2) cathode material provides go
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Date:
04/30/2015
Electric motors collectively consume a substantial portion of global electricity. According to the research firm IHS Technology, 96% of a motor’s lifetime costs are represented by pure electricity costs. Regulators have imposed more stringent energy standards for them, and manufacturers are scrutinizing th
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Date:
04/30/2015
The use of power diodes and Thyristors in applications such as small and large appliances, such as UPS systems, AC/DC rectifiers, and variable speed motor drives is the primary source of harmonic distortion in AC grid or mains current. Due to the source impedance of the mains power, the harmonic load current cau
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Date:
04/30/2015
Like many steel mills throughout the world, a recent TMEIC customer in Tuscaloosa was searching for a solution to increase production at its facility. An aging steel rolling Steckel mill, powered by large DC motors and controlled by variable speed DC drives was limiting the full production potential of the mill. Fi
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Date:
04/30/2015
HCS family of resistors
Stackpole announces the expansion of the popular HCS family of resistors up to 5 milliohms in both the 2512 and the 3920 chip sizes. This allows the use of the HCS for an even wider range of applications where the HCSs low thermal resistance and self-heating are important. The HCS Series will typically run 15
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Date:
04/29/2015
Planar Magnetics Design Guide for Transformers & Inductors
Standex-Meder Electronics, a manufacturer of precise, reliable, and long-lasting miniature switches, sensors and relays, announced the availability of its new Planar Magnetics Design Guide for Transformers & Inductors. Under its “custom is standard” pledge, the new guide showcases a variety of standard si
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Date:
04/29/2015
60 V EPC2035 and 100 V EPC2036 eGaN power transistors
Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) announced the 60 V EPC2035 and 100 V EPC2036 eGaN power transistors designed to compete in price, while outperforming silicon. Price, the last barrier to widespread adoption of GaN transistors as silicon MOSFET replacements, has fallen. These products demonstrate th
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Date:
04/29/2015
Alex Lidow, Efficient Power Conversion
Enhancement-mode gallium nitride transistors have been commercially available for over five years. Commercially available gallium nitride (GaN) FETs are designed to be both higher performance and lower cost than state-of-the-art silicon-based power MOSFETs. This achievement marks the first time in 60
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Date:
04/29/2015
Kevin Parmenter, Contributing Editor
It is estimated that approximately half the electrical energy generated is consumed globally in driving motor loads in some fashion. Motors and motion control has also been around a while, and now the application of electronics has made the power conversion process from electrical energy to mechanical energy mo
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Date:
04/29/2015
Software is playing an increasingly prominent role in networking at a system architecture level, but it also has growing importance in the future in the delivery of power. Digital control, the use of power-optimization software algorithms and the concept of the Software Defined Power Architecture are all being se
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Date:
04/29/2015
Advances in multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) technology now offer designers a high-capacitance alternative to traditional electrolytic capacitors. New high-value MLCCs provide the advantages of lower equivalent series resistance (ESR) and inductance (ESL) than electrolytics, and demonstrated mean time to fa
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Date:
04/29/2015
The technique of paralleling power converters and phase shifting their outputs is not new, and “interleaving” (as it is known) has been used in a number of applications to reduce the size of input and output capacitors. These include the 42V/14V DC-DC converters found in dual-voltage vehicle electrical systems and
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Date:
04/29/2015
The LTC4234 20A Hot Swap controller with integrated MOSFET and current sensing
Linear Technology introduced the LTC4234, a 20A Hot Swap controller with integrated MOSFET and current sensing, providing a small footprint hot-plug solution for high density circuit boards. The LTC4234 ensures safe board insertion and removal from live 2.9V to 15V backplanes by controlling an internal N-channel po
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Date:
04/28/2015
Imagination Technologies announced a innovative offering as part of its Imagination University Programme (IUP) called MIPSfpga. Through MIPSfpga, Imagination is transforming CPU architecture education in universities around the globe by offering them free and open access to a fully-validated, current generation MI
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Date:
04/27/2015
Morgan’s piezoelectric ceramic multi-layer actuator
Morgan Advanced Materials is helping meet the growing global demand for precise, controllable and repeatable displacement devices in the micrometer and sub-micrometer range with its co-fired multi-layer ceramic piezoelectric actuators. The actuators multi-layer structure allows devices to generate large mechanical st
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Date:
04/24/2015
The Keysight 1kW (1U) and 2kW (2U) N6900 Series Advanced Power System models adds performance options to boost test-system versatility
Keysight Technologies introduced four performance options for its small, flexible and market-leading-fast Advanced Power System (APS) N6900 Series DC power supplies. In conjunction with the power supply’s VersaPower architecture, the new options boost test-system versatility and make it easy for test engineers to
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Date:
04/24/2015
RX23T MCUs
Renesas Electronics, a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, continues to develop embedded solutions that contribute to a reduced energy footprint. The company introduced the RX23T Group of microcontrollers (MCUs), designed to enable highly precise control of inverter circuits employed in energy-efficient el
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Date:
04/24/2015
Researchers have successfully realized a fully-integrated electric vehicle drivetrain without the need for costly rare earths in the permanent magnet synchronous motor
Researchers from one of Europe’s largest e-mobility projects have successfully realized a fully-integrated electric vehicle drivetrain without the need for costly rare earths in the permanent magnet synchronous motor. A prototype will be presented to the international coil winding and electrical manufacturing co
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Date:
04/24/2015
Leading smart factory expert professor Detlef Zühlke will use his seminar at CWIEME Berlin 2015 to explain the ‘Industry 4.0’ concept – with reference to his ground-breaking demo platform at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence in Kaiserslautern – and its opportunities for manufacturers in
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Date:
04/21/2015
Crouzet specifications guide
Crouzet Motors has released a 20-page specifications guide covering two series of its high performance DCmind Brushless Motors and gearmotors, all featuring integral electronic controls for industrial, medical, mass transportation and alternative energy applications. In addition to complete specifications and di
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Date:
04/21/2015
ON Semiconducto will be showcasing some of its latest advances at PCIM 2015
ON Semiconductor, driving energy efficient innovations, will be showcasing some of its latest advances in power management technology at PCIM 2015, including compact IPM, significant developments in GaN, and a sensor-less motor driver controller. Featured demonstrations include:
· Current-Mode LLC Power S
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Date:
04/20/2015
Analog Devices will demonstrate at PCIM 2015 a broad portfolio of innovative solutions that help engineers design safe, productive and energy efficient motor and power control systems. ADI will be in Hall 6 at Booth #317.
“From leading isolation technology that safeguards reliable operation, and h
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Date:
04/20/2015
Micrel, a leader in high-performance embedded solutions, introduced the MICRF229 and the MICRF230, low-power, 400MHz to 450MHz, super-heterodyne, image reject, OOK/ASK receivers. Both devices feature -112dBm sensitivity at a data rate of 1kbps and operate from 3.5V to 5.5V. They consume less than 6mA of current whe
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Date:
04/20/2015
By tailoring the properties of the paper to the differing insulation requirements of windings within the transformer, significant gains can be made in both cost and efficiency
A seminar at the forthcoming CWIEME Berlin exhibition will reveal how cellulose paper and mineral oil insulating systems in distribution transformers can still meet today’s ever-tightening cost and efficiency restrictions – thanks to a few smart modifications.
Proven and reliable, mineral oil-impregnated paper has
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Date:
04/16/2015
Dengrove Electronic Components has introduced the newly-launched RECOM 45W and 60W DIN-rail power supplies
Dengrove Electronic Components has introduced the newly-launched RECOM 45W and 60W DIN-rail power supplies, which allow versatile end or side mounting and come with an industry leading seven-year manufacturer’s warranty giving customers complete peace of mind.
The 45W Redin45 and 60W Redin60 mode
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Date:
04/16/2015
IEEE life fellow Jim Hendershot
A forthcoming CWIEME Berlin workshop by Motorsolver president and IEEE life fellow Jim Hendershot will delve into the pros and cons of hybrid and electric vehicle motor designs, encompassing performance, manufacturing methods and cost.
Amid concerns over the price, supply and hazardous extraction of rare e
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Date:
04/15/2015
The IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) announces a Call for Papers for the COBEP/SPEC conference to be held 29 November to 2 December 2015 at the Hotel Praia Centro, Fortaleza, Brazil. The 1st SPEC will be held from November 29th to December 2nd, 2015, along with the 13th Brazilian Power Electronics Conference –
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Date:
04/15/2015
The A1369 from Allegro MicroSystems
The A1369 from Allegro MicroSystems is a customer-programmable, high-accuracy linear Hall-effect-based current sensor IC packaged in a slimline 3-pin single-inline package which allows for easy integration with a magnetic core to create a highly accurate current sensing module.
The A1369 is designed for use w
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Date:
04/14/2015
Atmel, a leader in microcontroller and touch technology solutions, announced the company is the first to receive the PRIME (PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution) v1.4 Profile 2 certification for the Atmel | SMART SAM4CP16B and ATPL230A smart metering solutions. The certification extends Atmel’s leadership an
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Date:
04/14/2015
Industry 4.0 specialist IntelliSense.io will showcase the latest upgrades to their Intelligent Factory solution at Hannover Messe. IntelliSense.io specialises in delivering 'Optimisation as a Service' with rapid ROI and no upfront capital investment for process industries. IntelliSense.io solutions are used by E
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Date:
04/14/2015
Harwin PCB terminals
Harwin, the leading hi-rel connector and PCB hardware manufacturer, is announcing a wide range of PCB terminals (turrets). These simple, yet effective PCB hardware products are often overlooked, but can save assembly costs, improve build quality and increase design flexibility.
According to Product Manager P
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Date:
04/14/2015
The EPC2029 80 V, 31 A eGaN FET features a 1 mm ball pitch
Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) announced the introduction of an eGaN FET designed with a wider pitch connection layout. The first in a new family of “Relaxed Pitch” devices, the EPC2029 80 V, 31 A eGaN FET features a 1 mm ball pitch. The wider pitch allows for placement of additional and larger vias under th
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Date:
04/14/2015
Power Triple Lock connector
TE Connectivity introduced new wire-to-board headers as part of its Power Triple Lock connector product line; thereby expanding the family of connectors targeting appliances into a growing number of HVAC, automation and control, and automotive designs. The connectors’ combined attributes of higher-current ra
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Date:
04/08/2015
TDK-Lambda CUT75 series
TDK introduced the TDK-Lambda CUT75 series of 75W PCB type, triple output AC/DC power supplies – 64% smaller, lighter weight and more efficient than the earlier generation JWT75 series. With an efficiency of up to 85%, the CUT75 series reinforces TDK-Lambda‘s competitive advantage in the medical and general ind
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Date:
04/08/2015
In this episode of PSDtv Texas Instruments shows their new buck-boost controller IC to Power Systems Design at APEC 2015. The LM5175 manages input voltages from 3.5 V to 42 V and regulates output voltages from 0.8 V to 55 V. This flexibility enables the controller to deliver high-performance designs for in
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Date:
04/03/2015
Fairchild, a leading global supplier of high-performance power semiconductor solutions, is addressing the advanced needs of automakers and their parts suppliers with new automotive qualified SuperFET II MOSFET and High Voltage Rectifier product families, both of which enable cleaner and smarter vehicles overall an
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Date:
04/01/2015
