Isolation has been considered a necessary burden by designers. It is necessary because it makes electronics safe for anyone to use. It is a burden because it limits communication speed and consumes a lot of power and board space. Old-technology optocouplers and even many, newer digital isolators co
One question a lot of people are asking in the wake of the Malaysia Airline Flight 370 tragedy (yet to be resolved as I write this), and the resulting mystery as to its fate, is why don’t flight data recorders (called “black boxes”), have bigger batteries? In many cases a crashed aircraft can be relatively ea
There have been many dramatic changes in power supply development over the last 20 years, but loop gain measurements remain the key to rugged and aggressive system performance. Understanding how to read a loop gain is important.
Loop gain measurements in modern systems
Quite a few years ago, I emerged from c
Miniaturization and a low profile are demanded of the semiconductors and electronic components used in portable devices such as smartphones and tablets. Accompanying the lower voltages and larger currents used in semiconductors in devices, DC/DC converters, which have a higher conversion efficiency than linear reg
AVX, a leading manufacturer of advanced passive components and interconnect solutions, will deliver two presentations about its high reliability base metal electrode (BME) and tantalum capacitor technologies at the 43rd annual Space Parts Working Group, which will take place April 22-23, 2014 in Torrance, Calif. Sp
Linear Technology announces their latest high-reliability H-grade and military MP-grade versions of the LTC3612, a high efficiency, 4MHz synchronous buck regulator that incorporates a constant frequency, current mode architecture. The device can deliver up to 3A of continuous output current at output voltages as
CDM Electronics, a premier authorized distributor of electronic connectors and cables, announced a significant expansion of their MIL-DTL-55116 (part #M55116) audio frequency connectors and MIL-DTL-55181 (part #M55181) mid-range power connectors. CDM is an authorized stocking distributor for the complete line of
TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity, is presenting its advanced solutions for in-flight connectivity at the 2014 Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hall B6, Booth # 6C19, April 8-10, 2014, in Hamburg Messe, Germany. TE announces the industry’s new standard connector for aircraft equipment and cabin sy
In this third article about power supply failures, the magnetics are examined for their contribution to the failure rate. These are usually the least understood of all components, and poor magnetics design can lead to many different failure mechanisms in power supplies.
Power Supply Failure Survey
The LinkedIn sit
The flyback is the simplest and most commonly used isolated power-converter topology, able to step voltage up or down while providing galvanic isolation from the ac mains in off-line applications. It is the most cost-effective topology for powering many kinds of electronic equipment, having acceptable ef
A novel IGBT structure was developed with reverse-blocking capabilities comparable to the forward voltage rating of the IGBT. This new device, known as the RB-IGBT, was used to create a 3 level advanced neutral point clamping power converter that shows better loss characteristics than standard 3 level converters.
The results o
Typical switched-mode power converters today include circuitry for monitoring the current flowing through a switching power MOSFET or IGBT for regulating or limiting peak current levels. This is necessary to protect the switch against high peak currents that can damage components or saturate inductors. A low-ohmic re
