Motor Drives, Robotics & Controls

    January 2016
    Exacting demands are currently being placed onto the manufacturers of white goods, in what is an increasingly competitive market. Pressures are intensifying to implement design concepts which enable major energy savings while also supporting more streamlined form factors that will attract consumers and offering re
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    Date:
    01/29/2016
    The sub-28 nanometer Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) now available feature the in-dustry’s only hard floating-point digital signal processing (DSP) blocks with speeds up to 1,500 Gbps floating-point operations. Built on sub-28 nm process technology, these FPGAs provide up to 17.4 Gbps for long-reach ba
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    Date:
    01/29/2016
    Current-mode control has been around in one form or another for almost 50 years now, but it is still a topic that creates much confusion in the minds of many engineers and researchers. In this series of articles, Dr. Ridley shows historical reasons for the confusion, and presents for the first time the source of
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    Date:
    01/29/2016
    China’s predicted stumble

    Ray Zinn, Founder of Micrel

    You have likely heard the news that despite economic stimulus, the Shanghai stock exchange dropped over 7% before “circuit breakers” kicked in. Had those government-mandated panic aversion tools not triggered, the one day drop would rival long-term market corrections. None of this, aside from the exact timing, wa
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    Date:
    01/29/2016
    Bring back IrDA

    Alix Paultre, Editorial Director, PSD

    With all the buzz around optical data transfer technology development lately, especially in light of the push to empower small, low-power intelligent devices for the Internet of Things (IoT). What many forget is that there was and is a technology that is well-suited for final-feet connection between intelligent de
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    Date:
    01/29/2016
    Flash in the pan

    Alix Paultre, Editorial Director, PSD

    One of the beautiful things about being a wordsmith is that one finds all kinds of history, culture, and advice in many of the quaint and poetic turns of phrase that exist in the (American) English language. One such turn of phrase is “flash in the pan” which is so good at describing a situation that its us
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    Date:
    01/29/2016
    Wuerth Elektronik ICS awards licence for SKEDD-technology to Diehl Metal Applications

    Wuerth Elektronik ICS awards license to Diehl Metal Applications

    The Diehl Metal Applications (DMA) company is expanding its product portfolio to include SKEDD, the new innovative direct-connect technology from Wuerth Elektronik ICS. With SKEDD-technology, Wuerth Elektronik ICS has developed a simple and dependable alternative to solder and press-fit technology. SKEDD rea
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    Date:
    01/29/2016
    Most systems require multiple different voltage rails. Voltages below the system ground voltage, or zero voltage, are considered to be negative voltages. Such voltages are needed in many different applications. In power electronics, some switch types may not reliably be turned off if ground voltage is applied to
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    Date:
    01/27/2016
    As electronic systems continue to become more compact, temperature plays an increasingly important role in system reliability and power efficiency. Many engineers are already familiar with how temperature can affect reliability; if a system becomes too hot, device operation can become unpredictable. Using a si
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    Date:
    01/27/2016
    From cellphones to electric vehicles and smart grid energy storage, the use of rechargeable batteries is dramatically increasing. Engineers that design products that use these rechargeable batteries must be able to characterize the battery performance in their designs. Programmable bidirectional DC power supplies an
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    Date:
    01/27/2016
    Key criteria for designing power supplies units (PSU) for consumer applications are low cost, high efficiency, good thermal performance and low Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI). Starting with an optimal power conversion topology assists the design process. Flyback topology is optimal for low and mid power PS
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    Date:
    01/27/2016
    Visit Rigol at Embedded World 2016

    Visit Rigol at Embedded World at Hall 4, Stand 4-528

    Rigol Technologies will present their complete product portfolio at the Embedded World exhibition in Nuremberg. Besides their well-known Oscilloscope series MSO/DS2000A and MSO/DS4000 with 50 MHz up to 1 GHz bandwidth, Rigol will show the new MSO-Ready Mixed Signal Oscilloscope series DS1000Z Plus with 70 a
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    Date:
    01/26/2016
    ElectroCraft launches RPX series BLDC motor family

    ElectroCraft RPX Brushless DC Motors

    ElectroCraft, a leading fractional horsepower motor and motion solutions provider, has expanded their Brushless DC Motor offering with the RPX22 and RPX32. These compact yet remarkably powerful 22mm and 32mm diameter motors are the first in a complete line of BLDC motors and gear motors planned for release. St
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    Date:
    01/26/2016
    The emergence of commercially available and cost-effective gallium nitride (GaN) power transistors begins a new age in power electronics. There are significant benefits in using enhancement-mode gallium nitride FET (eGaN FET) devices in power converters for existing data center and telecommunications architectures ce
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    Date:
    01/25/2016
    element14, a leading electronic design community, launched its first Grand Design Challenge of 2016 – the Make Life Accessible Design Challenge. Sponsored by NXP, element14 will challenge 15 community members to use motor-control technology to create innovative mobility solutions that will improve the lives an
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    Date:
    01/25/2016
    The Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) and the IEEE Power Electronics Society (IEEE PELS) are jointly sponsoring an all-day workshop titled “Power Magnetics at High Frequency – Solving the Black Magic.” The workshop will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2016, prior to the start of APEC 2016 at th
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    Date:
    01/21/2016
    Molex debuts high-speed solutions, processes, and partnership at DesignCon 2016

    Molex exhibited their solutions at DesignCon 2016

    Molex showcased its extensive technical expertise and broad product portfolio at DesignCon 2016 Expo and Conference, held January 20-21 at the Santa Clara Conference Center in Santa Clara, CA. Demonstrations at Molex booth 817 highlighted products that meet growing demand for increased network bandwidth and adva
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    Date:
    01/21/2016
    Stockpile's high-current shunts available In 0.2 Milliohm values

    HCS high-current SMD shunt resistors

    Stackpole’s HCS high-current SMD shunt resistors are now available in a 0.2 milliohm resistance value in chip sizes of 3920 and 5930. The HCS has an all metal welded construction with a raised resistance element. This provides more efficient thermal conduction, allowing the HCS to handle higher currents with lo
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    Date:
    01/21/2016
    Fuji Electric has added a new lineup of power semiconductors to its product portfolio with the "High-Speed W" Series of high-speed discrete IGBTs. The new product series utilizes a thinner IGBT chip for miniaturization, thereby reducing power loss (turnoff loss) in switching operation by approximately 40
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    Date:
    01/21/2016
    Fairview Microwave launches high-rel electromechanical switches in compact SMT packages

    Electromechanical SPDT switches

    Fairview Microwave Inc., a supplier of on-demand microwave and RF components, announces a brand new line of high-reliability SPDT surface mount electromechanical RF switches that cover broadband frequencies from DC to 8 GHz. These new RF switches offer exceptional reliability and repeatable performance which ma
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    Date:
    01/19/2016
    Cornell Dubilier's hybrid polymer-aluminum electrolytics handle 30g with very low ESR

    SMT Hybrid Polymer-Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors

    Cornell Dubilier Electronics has announced ruggedized versions of their SMT Hybrid Polymer-Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors, now able to withstand continuous vibrations of up to 30g of stress. This rating has been accomplished through electrical and mechanical redesign. Hybrid polymer-aluminum electrolytic capacitors co
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    Date:
    01/19/2016
    MicroPower Direct unveils the MPM-05SV series of miniature, single output 5W AC/DC power supplies

    The MPM-05SV series

    Available now from MicroPower Direct, the MPM-05SV series is a family of miniature, single output 5W AC/DC power supplies. They are part of a series of products that range from 5W to 25W. These units are specifically designed to allow use in industrial power systems requiring 277 VAC operation. Six standard m
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    Date:
    01/15/2016
    Molex offers fully-harnessed cables for heavy industrial applications

    Fully customisable cable assemblies and harnesses for use in harsh environments

    Molex offers fully customisable cable assemblies and harnesses for use in harsh environments, such as those found in industrial automation and robotics applications. By combining its modular D-Sub mixed layout and Heavy Duty Connector families with Flamar cables, Molex cable assembly and harnessing service helps OE
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    Date:
    01/13/2016
    Rutronik becomes worldwide distributor for Sensirion

    From right to left:
    Solience Ngansso, Product Sales Manager Analog & Sensors at Rutronik
    Martin Grimmer, Senior Marketing Manager Analog & Sensors at Rutronik
    Christian Constantin, Distribution Channel Manager at Sensirion
    Hartmut Welte, Area Sales Manager DACH / International Sales at Sensirion

    With effect from 1st of November 2015, Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente will be serving as a global distributor for Sensirion. In doing so, Rutronik is further developing its extensive sensor portfolio and supporting Sensirion in its global sales and support operations for high-quality sensors and sensor solutions.
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    Date:
    01/11/2016
    Pacific Crest Transformers announces that it has added to its factory capacity here in Medford, doubling the size of its largest transformer. PCT will now be able manufacture transformers up to 30 MVA. “This represents another very significant step in growth of Pacific Crest Transformers,” said Jack Robe
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    Date:
    01/11/2016
    The Technical Program Committee is excited to announce that the 8th Annual IEEE Energy Conversion Congress & Expositions (ECCE’2016) submission window is NOW OPEN. Jan 15, 2016 – paper digests Feb 01, 2016 – tutorial proposal Mar 31, 2016 – special session proposal Whether is it power converters, moto
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    Date:
    01/11/2016
    RS Components' latest SSRs boost channel capacity in space-constrained applications

    RS Components' SSR

    RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents, has revealed a new own-brand range of highly miniaturised solid-state relays (SSRs), which enable small panels or cabinets to support extremely high channel count. The RS-branded SSRs http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/solid-state-relays/8886861/ have the industry's
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    Date:
    01/07/2016
    Linear Technology introduced the LTC3643, a bidirectional, high-voltage boost capacitor charger that automatically converts to a buck regulator for system backup. The proprietary, single-inductor topology with integrated PowerPath functionality does the work of two separate switching regulators, reducing size, co
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    Date:
    01/06/2016
    Fuji Electric introduces HVAC combination variable-frequency drives in North America

    FRENIC-HVAC Combination Variable Frequency Drive

    Fuji Electric of America has announced that they have begun manufacturing their FRENIC-HVAC Combination Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) in the company's new factory in Roanoke, VA in order to reduce turnaround time and customize panels to suit customers' individual applications. The complete series includes 208V
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    Date:
    01/06/2016
    Group CBS, with interests in electrical supply, field service, and engineering companies across North America, is pleased to introduce a new company, Advanced Electrical & Motor Controls. The company will combine the strengths of two previously existing Group CBS companies, Astro Controls and Advanced Motor Co
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    Date:
    01/05/2016
    Allegro MicroSystems announced a new 360° contactless high-resolution programmable magnetic angle position sensor IC that has been designed for digital systems. Allegro’s A1335 device has a system-on-chip (SoC) architecture with a front-end based on Circular Vertical Hall (CVH) technology, programmable microprocessor-based si
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    Date:
    01/04/2016
    Archive

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    Power Systems Design

    Power Systems Design is a leading global media platform serving the power electronics design engineering community. It delivers in-depth technical content, industry news, and product insights to engineers and decision-makers developing advanced power systems and technologies.

    Published 12× per year across North America and Europe, Power Systems Design is distributed through online and fully digital editions, complemented by eNewsletters, webinars, and multimedia content. The platform covers key areas including power conversion, semiconductors, renewable energy, automotive electrification, AI power systems, and industrial applications—supporting innovation across the global electronics industry.