Medical, Healthcare & Wellness

    January 2016
    Now that the first generation of mass-market consumer wearables are on the shelves, we can take a step back and analyze the issues that they have encountered and begin to architect a new generation that improves on their design. Key issues that are apparent are the need for greater battery autonomy – consu
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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
    Astute Electronics, a leading supplier of electronic components and value added services, has added switches to its ever-growing franchised distribution product portfolio with the signing of a deal with C&K Components covering the UK and Eire. C&K is a leader in interface and switch technology as well a
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    Date:
    01/28/2016
    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
    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
    RECOM's RKZ high-isolation DC/DC converters target high-end industrial, transport ,and medical apps

    RECOM RKZ DC-DC converters

    The latest RECOM RKZ DC-DC converters, available from Dengrove Electronic Components, introduce the option of a 24V input that completes the 2W RKZ series and scales easily from the package- and pin-compatible 1W RK and RH series converters. The new 24V models join the existing RKZ converters with 5V, 12V a
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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
    Graphene tech can mesh biophysics and semiconductors

    Neuromorphic chips consist of networks of transistors that interact the way neurons do

    Neuromorphic chips are the new hotness in semiconductor research. These chips consist of networks of transistors that interact the way neurons do, allowing them to process analog input, like visual information, faster and more accurately than silicon chips can. We’ve been inching our way closer to neurom
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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
    IBC taps retired U.S. Marine Corps. Major General David Heinz as COO

    Major General David Heinz

    IBC Advanced Alloys, a leading advanced alloys and precision castings company, has appointed Major General David Heinz as Chief Operating Officer of the Company. General Heinz has been a director of IBC since May 2011 and will remain on the board. As Chief Operating Officer, General Heinz is responsible fo
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    Date:
    01/20/2016
    Pulse introduces multi-mode satellite navigation system antenna

    Monarch Series multi-mode global navigation satellite system ceramic antennas

    Pulse Electronics' Monarch Series multi-mode global navigation satellite system ceramic antennas provide wireless signal reception for the four major global and regional satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou (Compass), and Galileo. The Monarch Series W3010 is a compact, low profile antenna that delivers high eff
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    Date:
    01/20/2016
    New hybrid electrolyte for solid-state lithium batteries found

    Berkeley Lab battery scientist Nitash Balsara

    Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a novel electrolyte for use in solid-state lithium batteries that overcomes many of the problems that plague other solid electrolytes while also showing signs of being compatible with next-generation ca
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    Date:
    01/20/2016
    MesoGlue unveils nanostructure conductive glue made of metal that sets at room temperature

    MesoGlue gives you the strength and thermal/electrical conductance of a metal bond, with the ease of attachment of glue or tape

    MesoGlue is a revolutionary joining solution that lets you attach items together with a metal bond, at room temperature. This is like welding or soldering, but without the heat. The patented process gives you the strength and thermal/electrical conductance of a metal bond, with the ease of attachment of glue or
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    Date:
    01/19/2016
    Parker Chomerics, a world leader in EMI shielding and thermal management, is excited to announce that its Compounds Business Unit has changed its name to Specialty Materials Business Unit effective immediately. This name change is to reflect the tremendous growth in a broader array of conductive materials in bo
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    Date:
    01/13/2016
    Renesas Electronics, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced new developments for the Renesas Synergy Platform, including the commercial release of the Renesas Synergy Software Package (SSP) version 1.0.0, mass production availability of the S7G2 Renesas Synergy Microcontrollers (MCUs), an
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    Date:
    01/13/2016
    Rutronik to focus on IoT at Embedded World

    Rutronik is focusing on the IoT at embedded world 2016 (booth 5.238)

    Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente is focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) at embedded world 2016 (booth 5.238): At RUTRONIK EMBEDDED visitors will find selected components from the areas of Wireless, Displays, Boards and Storage characterized by their durability, long-term availability and high integration ca
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    Date:
    01/13/2016
    Dynamic keynotes from the top executives at FitBit, NBCUniversal, Samsung and YouTube, along with tech policy sessions and top product awards rounded out Day Two and Three of CES 2016. The future of technology innovation stood center stage this week, with more than 3,600 companies launching products across more th
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    Date:
    01/11/2016
    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
    Toshiba's expanded TZ1000 application processors for wearables simplify low-power designs

    ApP Lite application processors

    Toshiba Electronics Europe has expanded its line up of ApP Lite application processors for wearable devices and the Internet of Things (IoT). The TZ1201XBG is the latest addition to the TZ1000 series, and is based on a high performance 32-bit ARM® Cortex®-M4F RISC processor capable of operating at frequencies of
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    Date:
    01/06/2016
    The ZigBee Alliance, a non-profit association of companies creating open, global standards that define the Internet of Things (IoT) for use in consumer, commercial and industrial applications, announced it is working with the Thread Group on an end-to-end solution for IP-based IoT networks. The solution will be
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    Date:
    01/05/2016
    Archive

    Power Systems Design

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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.