Notable & Newsworthy

December 2018
The Power and Evolution of GaN – Part 4

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Figure 1: Brushless DC (BLDC) motor

(Source: Globalsources.com)

Bringing Precision Control to Surgical Robots with eGaN® FETs and ICs In this series, how the superior switching speed of gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon low voltage power devices have enabled many new applications is being discussed.  These applications are transforming industries such as lig
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Date:
12/31/2018
Spin-based quantum computers have the potential to tackle difficult mathematical problems that cannot be solved using ordinary computers, but many problems remain in making these machines scalable. Now, an international group of researchers led by the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science have crafted a new ar
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Date:
12/28/2018
The World's Fastest Write Speed for Embedded Memory

(a) Mock-up image of 128Mbit-density STT-MRAM (b) Shmoo plot for write speed versus supply voltage, which shows the measured operation bit rate at each speed and voltage in color gradation.

A research team, led by Professor Tetsuo Endoh at Tohoku University, has successfully developed 128Mb-density STT-MRAM (spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory) with a write speed of 14 ns for use in embedded memory applications, such as cache in IOT and AI. This is currently the world's fastest wri
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Date:
12/28/2018
Prospects for Creating Photonic Integrated Circuits

Fig. 1. (a) Illustration of a surface plasmon propagating along a graphene sheet at ?<0t<0. (b) Time dependence of the graphene carrier density.

(c) Dispersion diagram showing the frequency transformation of the initial plasmon when the carrier density decreases from ?1N1 to ?2N2.

The transition from electronic integrated circuits to faster, more energy-efficient and interference-free optical circuits is one of the most important goals in the development of photon technologies. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are already used today for transmitting and processing signals in optical ne
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Date:
12/28/2018
Making 'Smart' Safe -- When Every Millisecond Matters

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"We're enriching the toolbox of CPS architects and engineers and making it possible for them to rigorously develop networked cyber physical systems with hard-real-time performance guarantees for applications in which every millisecond matters," says Dr. Liang Cheng, an associate professor of computer science and engineering at Lehigh University's P.C Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. Cheng, who is a member of the Leadership Council of Lehigh's new Institute for Cyber Physical Infrastructure and Energy (I-CPIE), was recently awarded nearly $500,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation's Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) program.

A driver behind the wheel of a luxury sedan spills a cup of hot coffee and, in a moment of distraction, suddenly faces a life-shattering crash. But in a split second--cue the dramatic pause--the vehicle's automatic breaking or crash avoidance technology engages the car's brakes. A time-critical intervention that av
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Date:
12/27/2018
A new Energy-Efficient Mechanism Using the Rashba Effect

First-principles prediction of one-dimensional giant Rashba splittings.

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology proposed new quasi-1D materials for potential spintronic applications, an upcoming technology that exploits the spin of electrons. They performed simulations to demonstrate the spin properties of these materials and explained the mechanisms behind their behavior. Conventional electroni
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Date:
12/27/2018
PoE Injectors Meet DOE VI Efficiency Regulations
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Sager Electronics is now stocking Phihong’s POEA30U 30W Single-Port PoE Injector power supplies. The POEA30U 30W Single-Port Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) Injectors are IEEE802.3at mid-spans that meet DOE VI efficiency regulations for external power supplies. Phihong POEA30U injecto
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Date:
12/27/2018
New Hydraulic Actuator Will Make Robots Tougher

This figure shows a seven-axis hydraulic robot arm breaking concrete slabs, each 30 mm thick. This is a prototype for comparison with a four-legged robot also being developed in this project by Waseda University, Meiji University, and others, produced at approximately the same size. It consists of seven of the new hydraulic motors.

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have developed a hydraulic actuator[1] that will allow tough robots to operate in disaster sites and other harsh environments. Tokyo Tech Venture H-MUSCLE Corporation?has been established to pursue applications for the actuator, and shipping of product sa
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Date:
12/27/2018
Increasing the Capacity of Lithium-Ion Batteries by 15%

The efficiency was increased by adding a solid electrolyte to the battery's cathode.

Lithium-ion batteries are used in different areas - from mobile phones and laptops to cardiac pacemakers and electric vehicles. Currently, scientists are trying to increase battery power while reducing its size. The team of researchers from Russia and China in collaboration with an industrial partner managed to
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Date:
12/26/2018
Electrolyte Design is a Game-Changer for Magnesium Batteries

University of Houston researchers Yan Yao, left, Hui Dong and Yanliang Leonard Liang led a project to improve the performance of magnesium batteries.

Researchers from the University of Houston and the Toyota Research Institute of America have discovered a promising new version of high-energy magnesium batteries, with potential applications ranging from electric vehicles to battery storage for renewable energy systems. The battery, reported Dec. 21 in Jou
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Date:
12/23/2018
Droughts Boost Emissions as Hydropower Dries up

This photo is an aerial view of Folsom Dam and Lake in Sacramento County shows low water levels in January 2014.

When hydropower runs low in a drought, western states tend to ramp up power generation - and emissions - from fossil fuels. According to a new study from Stanford University, droughts caused about 10 percent of the average annual carbon dioxide emissions from power generation in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washingt
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Date:
12/23/2018
Plug-and-Play Gate Drivers Speed Development
San Jose, Calif. – Power Integrations announced a new plug-and-play gate driver for use with Infineon’s PrimePACK 3+ and Fuji-equivalent IGBT modules for 2-level and 3-level applications. The SCALE-2 2SP0430T2XX gate-driver board suits industrial, traction, UPS and renewable-energy applications, and provides reinfo
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Date:
12/21/2018
MEMS Sensor Chip with Ultra-High Quality Diamond Cantilevers

Micrographs of the diamond MEMS chip developed through this research and one of the diamond cantilevers integrated into the chip

A NIMS-led research group succeeded in developing a high-quality diamond cantilever with among the highest quality (Q) factor values at room temperature ever achieved. The group also succeeded for the first time in the world in developing a single crystal diamond microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor ch
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Date:
12/20/2018
2.5 Million Euros for Developing Innovative Electrolytic Cell
Working together with external partners, chemists, materials scientists and chemical engineers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have developed an innovative microcell for water electrolysis. They hope to replace standard plate electrodes used to split water into oxygen and hydrogen wi
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Date:
12/20/2018
Building a Sustainable Future, one Brick at a Time

An international team of scientists, led by King's College London, have developed a thermogalvanic brick that generates electricity as long as the two faces of the brick are at different temperatures.

This is due to balanced 'electrochemical' reduction and oxidation processes occurring inside the brick at the two faces. As long as electrodes at these faces are at different temperatures, the electrochemical reactions occur and electricity is generated. The compounds inside are not consumed, do not run out and
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Date:
12/20/2018
Screwless Terminal Block Reduces Maintenance by up to 40%
DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS -- Hirose has developed a screwless terminal block series that significantly reduces the electrical wiring time and maintenance workload compared to conventional terminal blocks. The Zero ScrewTM EF2 Series features a unique single-action connection design that requires the user to simply pu
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Date:
12/20/2018
Demo Showcases Mobile Payments Via PIN-on-Glass Technology
The demonstration, which also features technologies from Amadis and Quanta Computer, offers an expedient path for design engineers to develop a secure PIN-on-glass payment system with a pre-certified EMV acceptance stack. PIN-on-glass technology is anticipated to change consumer mobile devices into full-featured
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Date:
12/19/2018
Saft and Socomec develop state-of-the-art backup power system
Total’s supercomputer is a unique decision-support tool used for oil & gas exploration and field management. It allows to improve the accuracy of subsurface imaging, optimize the development and production of Total’s fields as well as save time, by shortening the duration of studies. To protect critical
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Date:
12/19/2018
Omron launches ultra subminiature 5A switch
Andries De Bruin, Senior European Product Marketing Manager, Omron said, “The D2F-5 microswitch will push designers to minimize their application size. With a rating of 5A, these subminiature switches are ideal for high current applications and have a minimum durability of 10,000 actions.” The new D2F-5 switch o
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Date:
12/19/2018
UnitedSiC introduces Kelvin connection parts into UF3C “FAST” FET series
Based on an efficient cascode configuration, this new series provides designers with very fast switching, high-power devices in a package capable of high-power dissipation. The Kelvin package avoids gate ringing and false triggering which would otherwise require slowing of switching speeds to manage the large co
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Date:
12/19/2018
Ultra slim, low cost DIN rail power supplies from XP Power
These versatile supplies provide reliable power with a 150% peak load capability in a slimline DIN rail mount metal case. Competitively priced, the DSR’s ultra slim, space saving design features a width of just 1.26” for 75W and 120W models, and 1.77” for 240W models, making them the slimmest profiles
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Date:
12/19/2018
Low profile buck-boost regulator with six-sided shielding
The converter is ideal for equipment such as USB voltage regenerators, 3.3V-to-5V converters, and supercapacitor or Li-Ion battery regulators. The all-round shielding enhances thermal performance as well as preventing electromagnetic interference. This non-isolated power module can supply up to 4A at 5V nominal output vo
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Date:
12/19/2018
THN 15/20/30WI new model extension

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THN 15/20/30WI new model extension

The latest 5 VDC model additions to the THN 15/20/30WI series enable an optimal operation of any 5 Vout LDO (Low Drop-out) linear regulator. This is achieved by an extended trim function up to 6 VDC ensuring it’s correct operation. The LDO will then eliminate almost all ripple & noise components and provide a cl
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Date:
12/19/2018
RS Components stocks high-density capacitors from Vishay
Designed for energy storage in industrial, renewable energy and automotive environments, MAL2225 polarised electrostatic double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) combine high capacity and energy density with fast charge and discharge rates. MAL2225 capacitors are the industry’s first to offer a useful life of 2000 ho
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Date:
12/19/2018
3.00mm Pitch Power Connectors with 10A Current Capacity
The units can be accompanied by a variety of cable assembly options (with lengths from 150mm to 450mm supplied). Thanks to the patented 4-finger contact design employed, which relies on a Beryllium Copper alloy construction, connection integrity is always maintained – even when these connectors are subjected
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Date:
12/19/2018
RS Components adds signal transformers for battery monitoring

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The Bourns SM91501AL and SM91502AL are shipping from RS in the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.

The new SM91501AL and SM91502AL are dual- and single-channel isolation transformer modules, respectively, with both devices offering common-mode chokes for noise rejection in BMS applications. Offering compliance with the AEC-Q200 standard for automotive applications, the modules are also implemented in reference de
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Date:
12/19/2018
Drop-in Replacements for Obsolete Power Supplies
A recent example involved the recommissioning of an ion implant system used in semiconductor device fabrication. Replacing the over 20-year-old power supplies without the need to modify the system chassis or control systems required a custom designed power supply. The replacement product supplied made use of a moder
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Date:
12/19/2018
Custom Capabilities Catalog Features New Packages
This catalog offers customers over 110 packages as the foundation for a custom design. Five new bobbin packages, including extended rail RM6 and RM10 packages, in addition to EPQ13, EPW15, and EE20/10/6 packages, are featured this year. This catalog also includes two new toroid headers, TOR-6P-HT4-SFTY and TOR-9P
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Date:
12/19/2018
MACOM Introduces New Switch Drivers
Lowell, Massachusetts – MACOM Technology Solutions Inc. (“MACOM”) announced two new negative voltage drivers designed for use with a broad range of MACOM’s AlGaAs and HMIC PIN diode switches. The new MADR-011020 and MADR-011022 drivers enable integration that complements the industry-leading performance of MACO
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Date:
12/19/2018
Driving Range Lighting from Access Fixtures
WORCESTER, Mass. -- Work on your golf game later with custom driving range lighting from Access Fixtures. LED driving range lighting solutions allow golf courses, country clubs, and other outdoor golf facilities to stay open after dark. Since driving ranges are not designed in one particular length or size, li
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Date:
12/19/2018
Disordered Crystals are Promising for Future Batteries
Tiny, disordered particles of magnesium chromium oxide may hold the key to new magnesium battery energy storage technology, which could possess increased capacity compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, find UCL and University of Illinois at Chicago researchers. The study, published today in Nanosc
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Date:
12/19/2018
Powder Could Help cut CO2 Emissions
Scientists at the University of Waterloo have created a powder that can capture CO2 from factories and power plants. The powder, created in the lab of Zhongwei Chen, a chemical engineering professor at Waterloo, can filter and remove CO2 at facilities powered by fossil fuels before it is released into the
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Date:
12/19/2018
RPC Pulse Withstanding Chip Resistors Adds 0402 Size
RALEIGH, NC -- The RPC Series from Stackpole is an anti-surge chip resistor with superior pulse handling performance compared to standard thick film chips. Stackpole has recently added an 0402 chip size rated at 0.2W and featuring values from 1 ohm to 1M in tolerances as low as ±0.5% and TCR as low as ±100 p
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Date:
12/19/2018
TTI Stocks Honeywell MicroSwitch Sealed Switches
Fort Worth, Texas –  TTI, Inc. stocks a broad range of industry-leading Honeywell MICROSWITCH Sealed Switches. Capable of withstanding rapid changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature, the sealed switches provide maximum strength and repeatability for military and aerospace applications. With a broad range of
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Date:
12/19/2018
Flex Servo-Drive for Direct Control of Electric Motors
PLANO, TX – Rutronik has announced that TDK-Micronas’ HVC 4223F Flex Servo-Drive for direct control of electric motors is available at www.Rutronik24.com. The flex servo-drive from TDK-Micronas, a TDK group company and leading German manufacturer of magnetic Hall-effect sensors, enables cost-effective real
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Date:
12/19/2018
MACOM Debuts New Ultra Low Phase Noise Amplifier
Lowell, Massachusetts– MACOM Technology Solutions Inc. (“MACOM”) announced the first entries in its new portfolio of wideband, ultra low phase noise amplifiers. Available in 2.8 x 1.73 x 0.1 mm bare-die and 5x5mm, 32-lead AQFN packaged formats, the new MAAL-011151 is ideally suited for use as a low phase
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Date:
12/19/2018
A Silver Bullet to fix Waste Energy Issues
A team of researchers led by Osaka University developed an inexpensive large-scale flexible thermoelectric generator (FlexTEG) module with high mechanical reliability for highly efficient power generation. Through a change in direction of the top electrodes at the two sides of the module and the use of high de
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Date:
12/18/2018
A Brush with the Future of Wind Power Technology

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Figure 1. A brush box with OEM-style single pocket ground brush holders

Although a relative newcomer to the energy market, wind power is growing rapidly as the global demand for clean, efficient and sustainable energy rises. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the sector grew 25 per cent each year between 2002 and 2007. It’s now estimated that the Global Wind Energy Market wi
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Date:
12/18/2018
PSDcast - Preventing Catastrophic Damage to Wind Turbines
In this episode of the PSDcast, we're discussing wind power and solving one of the most common problems associated with the turbine generators ...
Date:
12/18/2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In microelectronic devices, the bandgap is a major factor determining the electrical conductivity of the underlying materials. Substances with large bandgaps are generally insulators that do not conduct electricity well, and those with smaller bandgaps are semiconductors. A more recent class of
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Date:
12/18/2018
Class-leading isolated DC-DC converter
The new BMR481 DC-DC converter has an input range of 40-60V targeting 48-54V nominal supplies, and a programmable 0.5-1.35V output. The 12 x 27.7mm footprint ‘main’ module provides a maximum output current of 70A and also incorporates a digital interface for monitoring, configuration and control purposes.
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Date:
12/18/2018
Wearable MAXREFDES101 Health Sensor Platform 2.0 from Mouser
The MAXREFDES101 incorporates a comprehensive range of Maxim products to provide a rapid prototyping, evaluation, and development platform for medical applications, providing accurate monitoring of body temperature, heart rate, and electrocardiogram (ECG). The Maxim MAXREFDES101 Health Sensor Platform 2.0, a
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Date:
12/18/2018
HARTING and Haug Group supply connector for StreetScooter
The project was successfully completed within a few short weeks by the Haug Group, an electronic component solution provider, and HARTING, one of the leading providers of electronic connectors. The two companies involved recently met at the "electronica" trade fair in Munich to exchange experiences.
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Date:
12/18/2018
USB Type-C/PD Controller IC Enables 3A Current Delivery
The FT4233H is an advanced bridge IC with USB Type-C connectivity and USB power delivery (PD) Rev. 3.0 controller capabilities - supporting applications up to 100W. Through use of the FT4233H, it will be possible for currents of reaching 3A to be provided to connected hardware (power tools, lights, household appl
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Date:
12/18/2018
98.5%-Efficient High Voltage BLDC Motor Driver IC Family
BridgeSwitch ICs feature high- and low-side advanced FREDFETs (Fast Recovery Diode Field Effect Transistors) with integrated lossless current sensing, resulting in inverter conversion efficiency of up to 98.5% in brushless DC (BLDC) motor drive applications to 300 W. Superior efficiency along with the distri
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Date:
12/18/2018
New 1700V SiC Power Module
The module is optimized for outdoor power generation systems, such as inverters for solar power and converters for industrial high-power supplies. In recent years, due to its energy-saving benefits, SiC is seeing greater adoption in 1200V applications such as electric vehicles and industrial equipment. The
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Date:
12/18/2018
Energy Harvesting Bluetooth Low Energy Switch
The platform demonstrates how the RSL10 System-in-Package (SIP) can enable Bluetooth 5 devices that are battery-less and entirely self-powered, requiring no additional energy source. Application examples include wall and lighting control, building automation, and asset tracking. The Energy Harvesting Blueto
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Date:
12/18/2018
Low-Power SOTB Process Technology Eliminates Batteries
Renesas unveiled an innovative energy-harvesting embedded controller that can eliminate the need to use or replace batteries in IoT devices. Developed based on Renesas' breakthrough SOTB (silicon-on-thin-buried-oxide) process technology, the new embedded controller achieves extreme reduction in both active and standby
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Date:
12/18/2018
New 2-channel isolated gate-driver IC family from Infineon
The new gate-driver IC family is ideally suited for high-voltage PFC and DC-DC stages as well as for synchronous rectification stages in server, telco and industrial switching mode power supplies (SMPS). Further applications are 48 V to 12 V DC-DC converters, battery and electrical vehicle charging stations as well
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Date:
12/18/2018
3D position Hall sensor series with stray field compensation
TDK Corporation expands its Micronas position sensor portfolio with the Hall-sensor family HAL 39xy featuring stray-field compensation capability. The series is built on the highly flexible architecture for multidimensional magnetic-field measurements marketed under the trademark masterHAL. The sensors
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Date:
12/18/2018
TI’s LMG3410R070 GaN Power Stage, Now at Mouser
Boasting ultra-low input and output capacitance, the LMG3410R070 supports new requirements for high-power-density electric motor applications, including industrial and consumer power supplies. The high-performance GaN power stage supports higher currents, temperatures, voltages, and switching frequencies than silicon
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Date:
12/18/2018
Space-saving DIN-Rail power supplies
The slim fitting enclosure sizes range from 22.5mm to 60mm with optional brackets for panel mounting. All models are CE marked, have UL and TUV safety approvals and are RoHS compliant. Key features include 5 Year Warranty, spring up connection terminals, 6 mounting orientation options, operating temperatur
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Date:
12/18/2018
Smallest 3 phase Book Style EMC filter
These innovative filters are not only optimised to best serve the requirements of machine tool and machinery equipment but will find wider application areas. Small is not just beautiful, but also very powerful. When developed with appropriately sized EMC filters during the start of the design-in phase, machines and
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Date:
12/18/2018
Artificial Intelligence Meets Materials Science

A Texas A&M Engineering research team harnesses the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to create an open source software package that autonomously discovers new materials.

A Texas A&M engineering research team is harnessing the power of machine learning, data science and the domain knowledge of experts to autonomously discover new materials. The team developed and demonstrated an autonomous and efficient framework capable of optimally exploring a materials design space (th
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Date:
12/18/2018
AEC-Qualified Circuit Protection Components
TEMPE, Ariz. – ProTek Devices introduced two automotive circuit protection devices that are AEC-Q101 qualified to guard against electrostatic discharge and electrical fast transients in critical automotive systems. The PAM1IVN27 and PAM2IVN24 devices are ideal for CANBus, LINBus, FlexRay, and SENT in-vehicl
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Date:
12/17/2018
Data Storage Using Individual Molecules

Graphic animation of a possible data memory on the atomic scale: A data storage element -- consisting of only 6 xenon atoms -- is liquefied by a voltage pulse.

Researchers from the University of Basel have reported a new method that allows the physical state of just a few atoms or molecules within a network to be controlled. It is based on the spontaneous self-organization of molecules into extensive networks with pores about one nanometer in size. In the journal 'small', the physicist
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Date:
12/17/2018
PSDcast - EcoCAR and the Future of Automotive Technology
In this episode of the PSDcast, we're discussing one of the coolest platforms for alternative energy vehicles ...
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Date:
12/17/2018
New Low-Energy Nanolaser That Shines in all Directions

It contains ten patches that each have their own silver nanoparticle pattern. The colors on the sample are not the laser light (the laser is not on) but reflections, similar to the colors that can be seen on the surface of a compact disk.

Researchers in Eindhoven have developed a new type of low-energy, nanoscale laser that shines in all directions. The key to its omnidirectional light emission is the introduction of something that is usually highly undesirable in nanotechnology: irregularities in the materials. The researchers foresee a vast ra
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Date:
12/17/2018
AC/DC Power Supplies Designed for Cost-Critical Applications
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Sager Electronics is now stocking Traco Power’s TXM 200 series compact 200 Watt power supplies. The TXM 200 series is a family of 200 Watt encased AC/DC power supplies designed for cost-critical applications. It extends the existing TXM series which ranged from 15 to 150 Watt with
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Date:
12/17/2018
TTI Introduces Ohmite Metal Foil Current Sense Resistors
Fort Worth, Texas – TTI, Inc., a leading distributor of electronic components introduces Ohmite FCSL Series Metal Foil Current Sense Resistors. Ohmite’s FSCL series incorporates metal foil technology and an effective combination of low and stable TCRs, available in a wide selection of low ohmic values. The FCSL series is d
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Date:
12/16/2018
EPC to Display GaN-Enabled Wireless Systems at CES 2019
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — EPC will be demonstrating the power of eGaN technology to enhance two game-changing consumer applications – wireless power and LiDAR for self-driving cars – at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 8th through the 11th.   In the EPC Palazzo hospitalit
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Date:
12/14/2018
Maximizing the Effectiveness of Platinum in Fuel Cells

Argonne chemist Lina Chong (foreground) holds a sample catalyst while Argonne chemist Di-Jia Liu looks on.

In the journal Science, Argonne chemists have identified a new catalyst that maximizes the effectiveness of platinum. Platinum is a precious metal more rare than silver or gold. Renowned in the fuel cell community for its effectiveness in converting hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity, plati
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Date:
12/14/2018
TTI Stocks TT Electronics Surface-Mount Infrared LED Emitter
Fort Worth, Texas – TTI, Inc. introduces TT Electronics Surface-Mount Infrared LED Emitters (OP207CL) for encoder applications, industrial automation, robotics, and more. The compact, infrared LED emitter features the industry’s largest spot diameter of 7mm for reliable optical sensing and position encoder a
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Date:
12/14/2018
Birth of a Hybrid Material

This is Anna Poznyak, head of the project and researcher at the NUST MISIS Department of Functional Nanosystems and High-Temperature Materials.

Materials scientists from NUST MISIS and the Merzhanov Institute of Structural Macrokinetics & Materials Science have developed a new method for producing bulk MAX-phases -- layered materials which simultaneously possess the properties of metals and ceramics. By combining the methods of self-propagating hi
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Date:
12/14/2018
TTI Stocks Amphenol SV SMPM Connector Series
Fort Worth, Texas – TTI, Inc. stocks a complete line of Amphenol SV SMPM Connectors for high-density, high-frequency applications. Offering microwave performance through 65 GHz and less than .140-inch center-to-center spacing, the connectors are ideal when minimum board separation width is needed. SMPM Connectors are a
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Date:
12/13/2018
Current Sense Chips Offer Tolerances as Tight as 0.5%
RALEIGH, NC – Stackpole’s ultra precision current sensing chip resistors, the CSS Series, offers precision tolerances as tight as 0.5% and TCR as low as 15 ppm. Recently, Stackpole extended the value range for the 0603 size adding a 4 milliohm value and the 0805 size adding a 3 milliohm value. Lower resistan
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Date:
12/13/2018
Chip Resistors Deliver Industry-Leading TCR Characteristics
Kyoto and Santa Clara, Calif. –  ROHM announced the availability of a new lineup of high power wide terminal thick-film chip resistors (10-910mΩ), LTR50 series, ideal for current detection in a variety of applications, including inverters, AC, and energy-efficient appliances. A thorough review of the re
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Date:
12/13/2018
Osram's OSLON Square LEDs Now Available from Rutronik
PLANO, TX – Rutronik, Inc. has announced the availability of Osram’s OSLON Square Series LEDs, a family of compact high-power LEDs that deliver superior performance in a wide range of high-density lighting applications.   Designed for both indoor and outdoor general lighting applications, the OSLON
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Date:
12/13/2018
Computer Chip Vulnerabilities Discovered by WSU Researchers

This is Partha Pande, Boeing Centennial Chair, left, and Janardhan Rao Doppa, assistant professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

PULLMAN, Wash. - A Washington State University research team has uncovered significant and previously unknown vulnerabilities in high-performance computer chips that could lead to failures in modern electronics. The researchers found they could damage the on-chip communications system and shorten the lifet
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Date:
12/13/2018
High-Efficiency Discovery Drives Low-Power Computing
EDMONTON-- Challenge any modern human to go a day without a phone or computer, and you'd be hard pressed to get any takers. Our collective obsession with all things electronic is driving a dramatic daily drain on the world's power. In fact, according to studies from the Semiconductor Research Corporation, if we continue on pace with o
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Date:
12/13/2018
Pressure Gauges Accommodate Pressures up to 150,000 psi
Erie, PA - High Pressure Equipment Company (HiP) has added the full line of ASTRAGAUGE high pressure gauges, ROTASEAL high pressure swivels and high pressure Gauge Snubbers to their product offering through its acquisition of ASTRAGAUGE. ASTRAGAUGE has a long established reputation for producing highly accurate an
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Date:
12/12/2018
MALVERN, Pa. — The Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced a new fully integrated automotive-grade proximity and ambient light sensor with four different slave address options. Featuring Filtron technology, the Vishay Semiconductors VCNL4030X01 combines photo detectors for proximity and a
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Date:
12/12/2018
New Insulator to Industry's Only 2.55mm-Profile IDC Series
FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. – AVX Corporation has added a new insulator to its 9176-800 Series low-profile insulation displacement connectors (IDCs) — the first and currently only industrial IDCs available in a 2.55mm profile — to accommodate an additional wire gauge and further expand application suitability. No
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Date:
12/12/2018
Rohde & Schwarz Displays New Generation of Value Instruments
COLUMBIA, MAR — Rohde & Schwarz highlighted a portfolio of value class instruments, spotlighting five key technologies. The value instruments portfolio features more than 100 products and 300 accessories including the R&S RTB2000 Oscilloscope, the R&S RTM3000 Oscilloscope, the R&S RTA4000 Oscilloscope, th
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Date:
12/11/2018
Princeton, New Jersey: UnitedSiC expands its UF3C FAST Series product offering by introducing an additional range of 650 V and 1200 V high-performance silicon carbide FETs in a TO-247-4L 4-pin Kelvin Sense package option. Based on an efficient cascode configuration, this new series provides designers with very
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Date:
12/11/2018
A Bluetooth Sensor for Intelligent Lighting Control
Salt Lake City, UT/Las Vegas, NV – At CES 2019 in Las Vegas (January 8-11, 2019), EnOcean will be launching a new ceiling-mounted solar-powered occupancy sensor (PIR) for Bluetooth lighting control systems communicating via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). It will be the first self-powered Bluetooth occupancy sensor on
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Date:
12/11/2018
BEA Lasers Expands MIL Series with Laser Alignment Modules
Elk Grove Village, IL - BEA Lasers introduces two new additions to their MIL Series of Laser Diode Modules for alignment applications. Both new MIL RA Alignment Modules feature a low profile 3/8” rugged laser housing, fitted with a M12 connector.  A PVC jacketed cable 2 meters long, integrated power supp
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Date:
12/11/2018
An Alternative to the Alternator

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1. The Bel Power Solutions 350DNC40 is a 4 kW DC/DC Converter that creates DC voltages in hybrid and electric vehicles suitable to power low voltage accessories. Features include very high efficiency, high reliability, low output voltage noise and excellent dynamic response to load/input changes.

With innovative manufacturers developing and expanding their range of solutions, engineers have more reasons than ever to replace alternators with DC-DC converters in road transport applications. Today’s eMobility and hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturers emphasize the efficiency, reliability and pract
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Date:
12/11/2018
Simple Battery Charger ICs for Any Chemistry

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Figure 1. Typical Application Circuit for the LTC4162-L

It is common for many battery-powered devices to require a wide variety of charging sources, battery chemistries, voltages and currents. For example, industrial, high-end feature-rich consumer, medical and automotive battery charger circuits demand higher voltages and currents as newer large-battery packs are em
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Date:
12/11/2018
Surface-Mount Fuse Tech Steps up to EV Reliability Demands

Figure 1: Damage resulting from two conventional wire-in-are fuses subjected to extreme overload conditions - simulating a catastrophic EV battery short circuit

Electronic systems for automotive applications are subjected to among the harshest of environments – wide temperature variations, shock and vibration, exposure to humidity, water chemicals and salt. Traditionally, blade-type automotive fuses have provided the necessary fault protection, but as cars get “smart” an
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Date:
12/11/2018
Challenges of SiC for Automotive Applications

Figure 1. IGBT’s and Discrete Diodes

(Be sure to check out our PSDcast with ROHM on the same topic here: https://www.powersystemsdesign.com/articles/psdcast-the-formula-e-electric-racing-series/35/13290) Two of the biggest challenges that are preventing widespread adoption of Silicon Carbide (SiC) diodes and MOSFET devices for traction inverters ar
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Date:
12/11/2018
IPM, Battery Chemistry, & Charging Algorithms for Wearables

Figure 1: A block diagram for Microchip’s PIC16F18446, which features high resolution Intelligent Analog peripherals such as an integrated 12-bit ADC2

The greatest challenge faced by both new battery chemistry and charging algorithm developers is obtaining an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) design. Without silicon, new batteries and new charging algorithms have no way to acquire customers, and without customers – or at least potential customer -
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Date:
12/11/2018
New StudioPro DMX Digital Decoders Simplify DMX
SAN DIEGO -- Environmental Lights announced the launch of their new line of StudioPro DMX Digital Decoders. StudioPro DMX Digital Decoders take DMX to the next level by simplifying DMX while providing enhanced performance and greater functionality in a high-quality decoder. The StudioPro DMX Digital Deco
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Date:
12/11/2018
Hudson MA – Protek Power North America is pleased to announce its new PMP250 Series of 220-250 Watt, medical ac/dc switching external power supplies.    The PMP250 Series delivers between 220 and 250 watts of continuous output power with a choice of Class I or Class II AC inlets, allowing compat
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Date:
12/11/2018
IoT Devices Are Hot, But They Still Need Thermal Protection

Figure 1. Devices like these Low Rho SMD Series PPTCs have long been used for over-current and over-temperature protection in USB connectors

Of all the “hot” electronics markets, none is hotter than the market for devices designed to interact with the Internet of Things (IoT). Currently, more than seven billion IoT devices are in use worldwide, and the number of active IoT devices is expected to grow to 22 billion by 2025. Virtually all of those de
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Date:
12/11/2018
The Basics & Benefits of Tantalum & Ceramic Capacitors

Figure 1: The dielectric surface area of a tantalum capacitor anode compared to its finished size

Tantalum (Ta) capacitors and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are two widely accepted capacitor technologies that can be employed in a wide range of electronics applications. Although both technologies perform the same basic function, they are very diff
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Date:
12/11/2018
Powering, Protecting, and Augmenting EVs and HEVs
It’s fitting that last month covered the Internet of Things, since the greatest beneficiary of a functional IoT is the automotive sector, which is the topic du jour for December. And a voluminous topic it is, with subsets ranging from replacing alternators with DC-DC converters to battery charger ICs, surface-mount fu
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Date:
12/11/2018
ESRF Puts its Shining Light in Standby Mode

This is a picture of the ESRF's third generation storage ring to be dismantled.

Grenoble - "No beam for a while. Restart in about 20 months". Early this morning, operators of the ESRF Control room turned off the beam, ending 26 years of very successful operation of the European Synchrotron, the world's most powerful synchrotron light source. 2018, is a key date in the history of
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Date:
12/10/2018
New Test Equipment May Not Need a High Initial Outlay
Innovation comes in many shapes and forms. Mostly when we think of innovation, we think of component specifications, or unique ways to use components in a new product. But, sometimes innovation comes in other forms, such as business practices. I was reminded of that a few weeks ago when I attended an event hosted by
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Date:
12/10/2018
Mild Hybrid Vehicle Solutions Address Emissions Challenge

Figure 1. A Typical 48V Mild Hybrid System Electrical Topology

With the very recent reassertion by scientists that the current trajectory for reducing the rate of global temperature increases is simply not good enough, there is now even greater pressure to reduce vehicle emissions of CO2 gasses. The best way of achieving this is through a reduction of the average vehicle’s f
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Date:
12/10/2018
Overcoming Poor Power Quality in Small Spaces
For years, the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has been marred by a slow diffusion of innovation among consumers. Probably the most obvious problem is that buyers have been apprehensive of the high initial cost of buying EVs, as well as the total cost of owning an electric vehicle over the course of its li
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Date:
12/10/2018
Ultra-Compact Secondary Automotive Buck DC/DC Converters

Figure 1: Example System Configuration

ROHM has recently launched the BD9S series of secondary synchronous Buck DC/DC converters qualified to AEC-Q100 for automotive applications. These offer high reliability and low power consumption in a compact form factor. This makes them very suitable for applications like radars, cameras and sensors which can be
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Date:
12/10/2018
Enhancing EV Ecosystems Through Efficient Power Conversion

Click image to enlarge

EV charging

Today’s hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs) are still in the early stages of the iterative process of innovation. Several generations of hybrid vehicles have been introduced to market and improved through a combination of technology advances and user feedback. A number of vendors now market competent EV
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Date:
12/10/2018
When Configurable Power Supplies are the Best Solution

Figure 1: Typical configurable power supply architecture

It is often assumed that in any product design, if you can use a standard ‘off-the-shelf’ power supply it will be the lowest cost option compared with a full custom or configurable part. It’s true that with today’s fast-paced product launches and upgrades, if a custom part is commissioned, the Non-Recurring En
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Date:
12/10/2018
On the Road to Success for Electric Vehicles
This year seems to have gone faster than a Tesla in ludicrous mode. We all wondered when the year started if this would be the year that SiC and GaN technologies made the breakthrough into the mainstream, and turned out that, yes it was. GaN especially looks to have taken a major leap forward and we’ll hopefully se
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Date:
12/10/2018
Trump Wants to Pump the Brakes on Auto Emissions Standards
President Trump wants to freeze Obama-era CAFE standards, potentially setting up a major clash for the 2020 elections. Obama’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, enacted in 2012, mandated fleetwide fuel efficiencies of 39 MPG by 2020 and 50 MPG in 2025. The Trump administration wants to pump
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Date:
12/10/2018
SMT Inductors Feature Temperature Rating up to 155°C
SAN DIEGO ― Pulse Electronics’ Power Business Unit has introduced the new PM220X Series SMT Inductors.  Designed for automotive and industrial applications, the PM220X series offers the same quality performance as the recently released PA500X series for commercial applications with the addition of
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Date:
12/07/2018
VALENCIA, CA - H2scan announced the Gen 5 System, a first of its kind hydrogen sensor package that offers the high accuracy, small size, and low cost needed to help utilities monitor and protect their distribution transformers. Electronics for the Gen 5 System are consolidated onto a 4.7 x 4.7 1.2-million-tr
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Date:
12/07/2018
Montreal, Canada – December 5, 2018 – Future Electronics, a global leading distributor of electronic components, is featuring Liquid Tight Strain Reliefs from Altech in the latest edition of THE EDGE. Altech’s full line of Liquid Tight Strain Reliefs (Cord Grips) are used to seal cable entries, keep contaminants from entering enclosures, provide strain relief and thus reduce stress on componen
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Date:
12/07/2018
Supercomputers Without Waste Heat

This is a scanning tunnelling microscope installed in a helium cooling device seen from below (with the sample stage removed). The mechanism for positioning the microscope tip above the sample surface is visible (center of image).

Generally speaking, magnetism and the lossless flow of electrical current ("superconductivity") are competing phenomena that cannot coexist in the same sample. However, for building supercomputers, synergetically combining both states comes with major advantages as compared to today's semiconductor tec
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Date:
12/07/2018
Photocathodes With High Quantum Efficiency

Photocathode after its production in the preparatory system.

Teams from the accelerator physics and the SRF groups at HZB are developing a superconducting linear accelerator featuring energy recovery (Energy Recovery Linac) as part of the bERLinPro project. It accelerates an intense electron beam that can then be used for various applications - such as generating brilliant sy
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Date:
12/07/2018
Combo Buck-Boost Battery Charger for Mobile Computing
TOKYO, Japan – Renesas Electronics Corporation introduced the industry’s first USB-C buck-boost battery charger to support both Narrow Voltage Direct Charging (NVDC) and Hybrid Power Buck-Boost (HPBB) charging for notebooks, ultrabooks, tablets, and power banks using the reversible USB Type-C connector cable. Th
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Date:
12/06/2018
Helping Broaden Participation of Minorities in STEM Fields

A graduate student gains hands-on experience with state-of-the-art nanotechnology equipment in the Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization Teaching Cleanroom.

Traditionally, minority students have been underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs -- and in the STEM marketplace. And as the U.S. innovation economy continues to grow, there comes an increasing requirement for skilled STEM workers to maintain the nation's status as
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Date:
12/06/2018
The main trend in the development of hardware components for digital and analog electronic equipment is to reduce the size of the active regions of diode and transistor structures. This can be achieved by improving the performance characteristics of micro- and nanoelectronics devices (increasing their speed an
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Date:
12/06/2018
Fighting Smog Supports Solar Power

Milky, gray smog shrouds many of the valleys and lowlands of eastern China in January 2017. The orange star marks the location of Beijing.

The air in Beijing is often very bad. The city sinks under a brown cover made of exhaust gases from industry, cars and coal fires, which blow a lot of harmful particulate matter, soot, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air. The dirty air causes massive damage to human health. According to the World
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Date:
12/06/2018
High-Voltage GaN Exhibits 33 Percent More Power Output
GOLETA, Calif. — Transphorm Inc., along with solar energy innovator Inergy and design partner Telcodium Inc., announced that the upcoming Inergy Kodiak Extreme uses high-voltage GaN to reimagine what’s possible with portable power generators. The soon-to-be-released Kodiak Extreme utilizes a photovoltai
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Date:
12/05/2018
RICHARDSON, TX – Eltek, a Delta Group Company, announced it has completed the transition of its popular Compact DC Power System to High Efficiency (HE) rectifiers. Eltek’s HE technology offers industry standard 96 percent AC-DC power conversion efficiency. HE-based rectifiers reduce wasted electricity resulting in
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Date:
12/05/2018
RISC-V SoC FPGA Architecture Brings Real-Time to Linux
RISC-V Summit, SANTA CLARA, Calif.—In a new era of computing driven by the convergence of 5G, machine learning and the internet of things (IoT), embedded developers need the richness of Linux-based operating systems. These must meet deterministic system requirements in ever lower power, thermally constrained design
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Date:
12/05/2018
A Step Closer to Fusion Energy

Researchers have moved a step closer to harnessing fusion energy by showing how imaging enables better testing of components for devices.

Harnessing nuclear fusion, which powers the sun and stars, to help meet earth's energy needs, is a step closer after researchers showed that using two types of imaging can help them assess the safety and reliability of parts used in a fusion energy device. Scientists from Swansea University, Culham Centre for
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Date:
12/05/2018
Blast to the Future

Principal investigator Subramanian Sankaranarayanan (left), and co-principal investigators Mathew Cherukara (center), Henry Chan (right) and Badri Narayanan (not pictured) are developing a new machine learning based software that will enable industry to more quickly and efficiently perform the molecular dynamics simulations they need to vet the performance of new materials for their products.

Discovering and designing new materials is frequently an expensive and time-intensive process. To speed it up and create new materials for everything from aeronautics to wind turbines, scientists have begun to rely on complex modeling and simulation platforms. Thanks to a new grant from the U.S. Department of Energy
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Date:
12/05/2018
Artificial Synapses Made From Nanowires

Image captured by an electron microscope of a single nanowire memristor (highlighted in colour to distinguish it from other nanowires in the background image). Blue: silver electrode, orange: nanowire, yellow: platinum electrode. Blue bubbles are dispersed over the nanowire. They are made up of silver ions and form a bridge between the electrodes which increases the resistance.

Scientists from Jülich together with colleagues from Aachen and Turin have produced a memristive element made from nanowires that functions in much the same way as a biological nerve cell. The component is able to both save and process information, as well as receive numerous signals in parallel. The resistive sw
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Date:
12/05/2018
The next-generation mobile network and fast data transmission solutions can be used to collect a huge amount of data on vehicles on the road. The information can be used, for example, to provide road weather services, carry out road maintenance and control self-driving cars. Ultimately the aim is to reduce accidents. VTT's 5G-Safe pr
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Date:
12/05/2018
PMICs Shrink Power Regulator Size in Half for IoT Devices
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Designers of small, battery-powered electronics can enhance the user experience by extending battery life and further shrinking device size with six new low-power power-management integrated circuits (PMICs) from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. The MAX17270, MAX77278, MAX77640/MAX77641 and MAX
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Date:
12/04/2018
Graphene Unlocks New Potential For 'Smart Textiles'

Graphene unlocks new potential for 'smart textiles.'

The quest to create affordable, durable and mass-produced 'smart textiles' has been given fresh impetus through the use of the wonder material Graphene. An international team of scientists, led by Professor Monica Craciun from the University of Exeter Engineering department, has pioneered a new technique to create f
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Date:
12/04/2018
Full of Energy

(Left to right) University of Utah electrical and computer engineering assistant professor Sriram Krishnamoorthy, associate professor Mike Scarpulla, and assistant professor Berardi Sensale-Rodriguez have received a $1.88 million grant to study the properties of gallium oxide as a semiconductor for more efficient power converters. The material could prove to be much more efficient, losing less heat and providing longer power to devices such as drones or all-electric planes, trains and buses.

Electricity as a form of energy is not exactly efficient because much of it is lost as heat. Or as University of Utah electrical and computer engineering associate professor Mike Scarpulla says: "Heat is the universe's garbage can for energy." Inside power systems, converters and electronic switches c
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Date:
12/04/2018
A bit of a Stretch ... Material That Thickens as it's Pulled

Liquid crystal elastomer with auxetic capabilities, showing its flexibility and high optical quality.

Scientists have discovered the first synthetic material that becomes thicker - at the molecular level - as it is stretched. Researchers led by Dr Devesh Mistry from the University of Leeds discovered a new non-porous material that has unique and inherent "auxetic" stretching properties. Their fin
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Date:
12/04/2018
Aluminum Nitride to Extend Life of Solar Power Plants

NUST MISIS scientists together with their colleagues from the Central Metallurgical R&D Institute (Cairo, Egypt) have developed a composite material which will extend the life of solar towers -- installations for collecting Solar thermal energy -- from 2-3 to 5 years. The research article has been published in the Renewable Energy journal.

Today, solar power plants (SPP) are becoming increasingly popular, making it possible to collect and process solar energy on an industrial scale. So-called solar towers are among the most promising types of SPPs. This is a special structure that is a high tower with a water tank and a turbine system inside. Th
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Date:
12/04/2018
Multi-Wavelength Emitters, Detectors, and LEDs for Wearables
Latham, NY, USA –  Marktech Optoelectronics, Inc. announced its dedicated offerings for wearables.   Marktech’s standard and custom emitters and detectors, in both multi-wavelength and hybrid designs and in UV, visible, infrared, and SWIR ranges, are routinely specified within consumer- an
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Date:
12/03/2018
The Power and Evolution of GaN - Part 3

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Overview of a typical LIDAR system

How to Build an Ultra-Fast High-Power Laser Driver using eGaN® FETs - That Sees Farther, Better, and at a Lower Cost! In the first article in this series, how gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon low voltage power devices have enabled many new applications, such as light detection and ranging (Li
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Date:
12/02/2018
Precision Power Analysis

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Measuring power-train efficiency in an electric vehicle, showing four DC measurements (1 to 4) with the corresponding mechanical power measurements (M1 to M4)



In the rapidly evolving area of power electronics, the need for reliable testing to enhance safety, efficiency and performance has never been greater. In sectors as diverse as renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy-efficient technologies, changing application needs and evolving industry standards call fo
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Date:
12/01/2018
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