Notable & Newsworthy

July 2021
Mahr Introduces New MarSurf WI White Light Interferometer
Mahr Inc., introduced its new MarSurf WI, a white light interferometer, developed in cooperation with NanoFocus, that enables high-resolution 3D measurement and maximum ease of use. The new system features evaluation technology based on artificial intelligence (AI), which allows the highest accuracy to
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Date:
07/29/2021
Tunable Linear ReDrivers for Superior Levels of Signal Integrity
Diodes Incorporated further reinforces its extensive linear ReDriver IC portfolio via the introduction of two new 3.3V-rated multi-lane active demux devices. These advanced ReDrivers address the demux needs now being set by the more graphically intense functions of mobile workstations, gaming PCs, and display do
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Date:
07/29/2021
C&K Acquisition Creates New Military/Aero Division
C&K has entered into an agreement to acquire E.I.S. Electronics, industry specialists in the design and manufacture of Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) for avionics, defense and aerospace applications.  In conjunction with this transaction, C&K announced the creation of a new div
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Date:
07/28/2021
TDK Expands its Range of Coupled Inductors
TDK Corporation has extended its range of coupled inductors to include the new EPCOS series B82472D6*. The nine series types cover an inductance range of 2 x 2.2 µH to 2 x 47 µH and are designed for maximum rated currents of 1.1 A to 4.3 A. The RoHS-compliant chokes are certified in line with AEC-Q200 and fe
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Date:
07/28/2021
60 V Rad Hard GaN Power Device for Demanding Space Applications
EPC Space announces the introduction of EPC7014UB, a 60 V radiation-hardened gallium nitride transistor that is lower in cost and is a more efficient solution than the nearest comparable radiation hardened (RH) silicon MOSFET. Utilizing GaN technology, the EPC7014UB outperforms RH silicon-based devices as
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Date:
07/28/2021
University of Sheffield Wins Formula Student Competition
A team of engineering students from University of Sheffield won the Formula Student 2021 racing car competition, beating off fierce competition from over 30 teams at event held at Silverstone Race Circuit at the weekend. The competition, which is organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, returned
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Date:
07/28/2021
Spin-sonics: Acoustic Wave gets the Electrons Spinning

Representation of the spin of a nanoscale acoustic wave. Credit: Maximilian Sonner, Institute of Physics at the University of Augsburg

Researchers have detected the rolling movement of a nano-acoustic wave predicted by the famous physicist and Nobel prize winner Lord Rayleigh in 1885. This phenomenon can find applications in acoustic quantum technologies or in so-called “phononic” components, which are used to control the propagation of ac
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Date:
07/28/2021
Rugged Silicon Carbide Power Solutions Available at 1700V
Today’s energy-efficient electric charging systems powering commercial vehicle propulsion, as well as auxiliary power systems, solar inverters, solid-state transformers and other transportation and industrial applications all rely on high-voltage switching power devices. To meet these requirements, Microchip Te
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Date:
07/27/2021
Sager Electronics Stocks Switchcraft Board Mount HDMI Receptacles
Sager Electronics is now stocking Switchcraft's board mount HDMI receptacles. Switchcraft’s new HDMI connectors are offered in four versatile designs. The robust receptacles are compatible with standard HDMI type A connectors. The vertically mounted styles – RAVHD19ETR and RAVHD19 – offer spa
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Date:
07/27/2021
Times Microwave Introduces new LMR-240 Kit
The LMR-240 Kit from Times Microwave Systems packs everything needed for low-loss, 50-Ω cable assemblies into one box. The kit contains cables, interconnect components, lubricant to facilitate connector assembly, and even cable cutting tools, including the easy-to-use model CCT-03 tool for exposing and preppin
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Date:
07/27/2021
PemTech Offers Fixed Gas Transmitter w/ NevadaNano’s Sensor Tech
NevadaNano announced that PemTech added NevadaNano’s Molecular Property Spectrometer (MPS) technology into its Ultra1000 Series Fixed Gas Sensors. PemTech is a US-based global gas monitor and detector manufacturer that started operations in 1989.  “PemTech has earned a global repu
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Date:
07/27/2021
US and German Collaboration to Produce Efficient Green Hydrogen

A new research project that aims to produce green hydrogen more efficiently brings together a multidisciplinary team comprising professors Hong Yang and Nicola Perry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Professor Andreas Klein at the Technical University of Darmstadt.

Through a new award program, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG) have joined forces to award the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Technical University of Darmstadt a three-year $720,000 research grant ($500,000 from NSF) to explore opportun
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Date:
07/27/2021
Meeting Climate Targets to Lead to 8 Million More Energy Jobs by 2050

The figure shows the changes in energy sector jobs by energy technology comparing different scenarios (see axis description) and across the different SSPs.

Researchers created a global dataset of job footprints in 50 countries and used a model to investigate how trying to meet the Paris Agreement global climate target of staying well below 2°C would affect energy sector jobs. They found that action to reach said target would increase net jobs by about 8 million by
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Date:
07/27/2021
Training the Next Generation of 'Cybercops'
Not so long ago, a strong password felt mighty enough to keep you safe and your computer data private. But we now live amid heightened risks in malware, phishing, spearphishing and denial-of-service attacks. Even scarier, it is possible for computer terrorists to wreak global havoc by commandeering your personal co
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Date:
07/27/2021
KHK USA Inc. Announces Extensive Line of Spur Gears
KHK USA Inc., announces its extensive line of metric spur gears. A large selection of off-the-shelf KHK Spur Gears are available in many materials, configurations, modules and numbers of teeth, and KHK quick customized products can ready within 5 business days. Spur gears are cylindrical disks which have invo
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Date:
07/27/2021
The World's Fastest and Lowest-Power IoT Face Detection
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. and Xailient Inc., announced that Maxim Integrated’s MAX78000 ultra-low power neural-network microcontroller detects and localizes faces in video and images using Xailient’s proprietary Detectum neural network. Xailient’s neural network draws 250x lower power (at just 28
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Date:
07/27/2021
Miniature Thermoelectric Coolers for High-Temp Optoelectronics
Laird Thermal Systems has launched the enhanced OptoTEC OTX/HTX Series of miniature thermoelectric coolers designed for high-temperature environments found in telecom, industrial, autonomous and photonics applications. Featuring next generation thermoelectric ma
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Date:
07/27/2021
Tweezers of Sound can Pick Objects up Without Physical Contact

A hemispherical array of ultrasound transducers with phase and amplitude control is driven to create an acoustic field which can trap and lift a polystyrene ball off a reflective surface.

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new technology which allows non-contact manipulation of small objects using sound waves. They used a hemispherical array of ultrasound transducers to generate a 3D acoustic fields which stably trapped and lifted a small polystyrene ball from a reflective su
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Date:
07/27/2021
IIoT Connectivity Solution for Floating Solar Plants
Over the past few years, countries that lack the land mass required for solar plants are turning their attention to the water-based alternative, floating solar islands. By placing solar panels on floating platforms in water bodies, valuable land is freed. As the cooling properties of water allow the panels to p
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Date:
07/23/2021
MEMS Oscillators Support Square Point-of-Sale Products
SiTime Corporation announced that Square is using the SiTime SiT8008 low-power, programmable MEMS oscillator for its Square Terminal and Square Register point-of-sale (POS) products. The SiT8008 is one of SiTime’s most popular devices and is used in over 50 applications across th
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Date:
07/23/2021
First Programmable USB Type-C hub for USB-PD Debug, Validation
USB Type-C, commonly called USB-C, promised standardized power and data delivery. Unfortunately, poorly tested devices in the market make USB-C systems unpredictable, expensive, and frustrating to consumers. Improving USB-C testing is critical to delivering on the “one connector to rule them all” promise of U
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Date:
07/21/2021
Hand-Held Camera Cube Reference Design Enables AI at the Edge
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. unveiled the MAXREFDES178# camera cube reference design, which demonstrates how Artificial intelligence (AI) applications previously limited to machines with large power and cost budgets can be embedded in space-constrained, battery-powered edge devices. The MAXREFDES178# en
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Date:
07/21/2021
Machine Learning Helps Photovoltaics Find its Place in the Sun

Integrating photovoltaic systems into existing power grids is not straightforward and requires accurate predictions of the power they will generate to allow for proper grid management.

With the looming threat of climate change, it is high time we embrace renewable energy sources on a larger scale. Photovoltaic systems, which generate electricity from the nearly limitless supply of sunlight energy, are one of the most promising ways of generating clean energy. However, integrating photovoltaic sys
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Date:
07/21/2021
Automotive Test Bench Supports Brake Hydraulic Pressure
MB Dynamics, Inc. announced the global market introduction of the Model BHP/EPB, a test bench for automotive brake hydraulic pressure (BHP) & electric parking brake (EPB) systems R&D.   The Model BHP/EPB test bench accurately measures and controls the hydraulic pressure and EPB power levels app
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Date:
07/20/2021
Low-Inductance Power Inductors for Automotive Power Circuits
TDK Corporation developed new HPL505032F1 power inductors for use in automotive circuits. The inductors enable level 5 ADAS applications for cameras by offering high-current and low-inductance for power circuits in central processing units and graphic processing units, such as advanced driver-assistance systems (A
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Date:
07/20/2021
Ethernet PHYs Enable Multidrop Bus Architecture
Smart manufacturing is driving efficiencies in automation as digital networks increasingly connect machines, production line equipment and robotics. Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) networks that are critical to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) rely on Ethernet for interoperability an
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Date:
07/20/2021
Fast Recovery Epitaxial Diodes Set Bar for Price, Performance
Taiwan Semiconductor announces the availability of the PU1xMx / PU2xMx families of fast recovery epitaxial diodes. These high-reliability (AEC-Q101 qualified) FREDs offer optimized switching speed vs. reverse recovery time. Their soft reverse recovery results in lower noise switchin
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Date:
07/20/2021
Benefits of Digital Switching in Programmable AC Power Sources

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1. Conventional AC power source topology

Programmable AC power sources have been widely used to implement and support numerous product test procedures over the years. They provide the test engineer with the ability to fully control voltage, frequency, and current to the unit under test (UUT). Products like these are used to simulate various power conditions an
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Date:
07/19/2021
Electrically Actuated Valves for Commercial Buildings
Warren Controls announces its ILEA 2900E Series of electrically actuated, industrial globe-control valves for commercial buildings applications.   The 2900E Series has a high quality, modulating, linear, industrial electric valve actuator and features a rugged cast-iron body with a variety of trim mat
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Date:
07/19/2021
THB-Rated DC Link Capacitors Offer 50% Greater Life
Green energy and electric transportation systems have pushed explosive growth in inverter markets. Many of these applications present harsh operating environments for power electronics circuitry. Often, these applications demand a high percentage of uptime, increasing the need for highly reliable components. In
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Date:
07/19/2021
General Electric Agrees to Net-Zero-by-2050 Target

Danielle Fugere, President & Chief Counsel, As You Sow

After a 98% shareholder vote on an As You Sow resolution on May 4, General Electric (GE) announced a major commitment to transition its business to address climate change by setting a target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This target not only encompasses GE’s operations but importantly includes its Scope 3 emissions from customers’ use of the products it sells, including power generation equipment, which account for a significant portion of the company’s emissions. This announcement marks an important shift in GE’s business plans as a major manufacturer of fossil fuel power generation technologies, including thermal power plants and jet engines. GE announced in late 2020 that it will exit the new build coal power market. As You Sow supports this major step
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Date:
07/15/2021
C&K Launches SAMXD Navigation Switch
C&K has developed a new navigation switch, the SAMXD (Seat Adjustment Module Dustproof). Ideal for automotive applications, the SAMXD has a multiple options for actuator position and shape. The SAMXD navigation switches are directly driving the electric motors, removing the need for relays, allowing fo
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Date:
07/15/2021
C&K's Mini Snap Acting Switch Reduces Required Component Count
C&K has developed a low to high power snap acting switch designed for automotive handles, HVAC, IoT and the medical market. The ZMV allows for actuation to occur from different angles onto the pin plunger version. This allows for less components to be used in an end product, while not sa
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Date:
07/15/2021
Murata Announces Latest SiCap Offering
Murata has announced its extended product offering for the mobile and high-performance computing (HPC) markets with the launch of its latest silicon process technology to fabricate silicon capacitors with a density of 1.3µF/mm². The devices’ extremely low ESL and ESR support the highest performances of
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Date:
07/14/2021
Industrial Secure Routers Protect Against Cyber Threats
Moxa Inc., has introduced the new EDR-G9010 Series. These industry-certified all-in-one firewall/NAT/VPN/switch/routers act as a robust first line of defense for industrial networks in diverse applications such as smart manufacturing and critical infrastructure. The routers offer 10-port GbE performance and defe
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Date:
07/14/2021
AMADA WELD TECH Announces Capacitive Discharge Welder
AMADA WELD TECH, INC., announces the release of the CD-A1000A, a 1000 watt-second advanced capacitive discharge welder, ideal for battery tab welding, honeycomb tacking, and welding of conductive terminals. This next generation CD welder is the latest in a long line of CD welders manufactured by AMADA WELD TE
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Date:
07/14/2021
Reference Design Accelerates Development of Qi Transmitter
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has recently released the Qi 1.3 specification that requires authentication for improved safety when transmitting up to 15W of power between a transmitter and a receiver. To meet the requirements of the specification, Microchip Technology Inc. announced a ne
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Date:
07/14/2021
8Gb SDRAM Offers 50% Reduction in Power Consumption
Alliance Memory announced that it has expanded its offering of high-speed CMOS mobile low-power SDRAMs with a new LPDDR4X device featuring on-chip ECC. Offering an extension to the company's fourth-generation LPDDR4 SDRAMs, the 8Gb AS4C256M32MD4V-062BAN offers ~50% lower power ratings in the 200-ball FBG
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Date:
07/14/2021
Miniature Optical Transceiver Offers Space and Power Savings
Yokowo has launched a miniature multimode fiber optic transceiver that simplifies the design of Industry 4.0 vision applications. Measuring one-third the size of traditional SFP+ transceiver modules, the Yokowo Type-B optical transceiver easily can be d
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Date:
07/14/2021
Sager Electronics Offers Power Partner's AC/DC Converters
Sager Electronics is now stocking Power Partners PPWAM150 series single output AC/DC converters.  The PPWAM150 series single output AC/DC converters come in a power dense 2”x 3” platform. Available in eight different standard output voltages that span most of the SELV range while offering a
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Date:
07/14/2021
AVX Launches New 3-D Interactive Interconnect Application
AVX Corporation has launched a new 3-D interactive interconnect application. Available on the AVX website and accessible via computer, tablet, or smartphone, the new 3-D interactive interconnect application provides users with several different intuitive ways to access a comprehensive and visually en
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Date:
07/14/2021
Renesas Solution For Automotive Cameras Enables HD Video
Renesas Electronics Corporation introduced its new Automotive HD Link (AHL) technology that enables automotive manufacturers to deliver high-definition video over low-cost cables and connectors that currently support standard-definition video. HD video is increasingly important in car safety systems for object re
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Date:
07/14/2021
Power Disconnect Solution for Faster and Safer DC Fast Charging
Sensata Technologies announced its new power disconnect solution has been chosen by several leading charging infrastructure OEMs to enable faster and safer DC fast charging. Sensata’s unique solution combines contactors and GigaFuses from its leading Gigavac product brand to provide customers with a value-added co
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Date:
07/14/2021
Crowley to Build, Operate First Fully Electric U.S. Tugboat
Crowley Maritime Corporation will lead the next generation of industry sustainability by building and operating eWolf, the first all-electric powered harbor tugboat that can complete a job without expending a drop of fuel. “The eWolf represents everything Crowley stands for: innovatio
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Date:
07/12/2021
Utility Paralleling Systems for Renewable Energy Installation
Russelectric, A Siemens Business, offers its Paralleling System, ideal for ensuring that critical loads experience no interruption when transferring between all power source assets in renewable energy installations. The System can be configured for peak shaving and utility-sponsored load curtailment programs. The Paralleling System also offers high resiliency, power continuity and security for critical renewable energy installations.  
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Date:
07/09/2021
PSDcast – Guidelines for High Power Server and Telecom Power Supplies

Dr. Gerald Deboy with Infineon

Our old friends at Infineon just completed a four-part article series with us on silicon and wide bandgap solutions, and today, we wanted to take a deeper dive into the last part on “Design Guidelines for High Power Server and Telecom Power Supplies Use-Cases”.
Date:
07/08/2021
Cirrus Logic, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire California-based Lion Semiconductor for $335 million in cash. This acquisition brings unique intellectual property and products for power applications in smartphones, laptops and other devices and accelerates growth of
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Date:
07/08/2021
Dynamometer Systems Help Test Efficiency of Electric Motors
SAKOR Technologies Inc. announces that it has developed a series of dynamometer systems ideal for customers required to test and verify the level of efficiency of electric motors in accordance with a variety of national and international standards, including IEC 60034-2-1; IEEE 112B; and Canadian standard C
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Date:
07/08/2021
Sager Electronics Ships Vox Power's Conduction-Cooled Power Supply
Sager Electronics is now stocking Vox Power’s VCCS300 series of conduction-cooled AC/DC power supplies. The silent 300W series produces continuous output power in just a 2”x 4” x 1.61” package. The all-in-one solution can be cooled using conduction, convection, or forced air cooling technique
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Date:
07/08/2021
Pressure is off + High Temperature Superconductivity Remains

Paul Chu (right) is Founding Director and Chief Scientist at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston (TcSUH). Liangzi Deng (left) is research assistant professor of physics at TcSUH.

In a critical next step toward room-temperature superconductivity at ambient pressure, Paul Chu, Founding Director and Chief Scientist at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston (TcSUH), Liangzi Deng, research assistant professor of physics at TcSUH, and their colleagues at TcSUH conc
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Date:
07/08/2021
Strong Kinship of Nickelate's Magnetism w/ Cuprate Superconductors

The first measurements of magnetic excitations rippling through a nickelate superconductor show it has a strong kinship with cuprate superconductors, like the one at left, as opposed to the more distant neighborly relationship depicted at right. The study by researchers at SLAC, Stanford and Diamond Light Source revealed important similarities and subtle differences between the two materials, which conduct electricity with no loss at relatively warm temperatures.

Ever since the 1986 discovery that copper oxide materials, or cuprates, could carry electrical current with no loss at unexpectedly high temperatures, scientists have been looking for other unconventional superconductors that could operate even closer to room temperature. This would allow for a host of everyday app
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Date:
07/08/2021
Advancing Understanding of new Solar Panel Technology

Joshua Stein, front, a Sandia National Laboratories engineer and director of a new Perovskite Photovoltaic Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies Center, and Charles Robinson, a Sandia technologist, examine a solar module. The new center will determine the best performance and reliability tests for perovskite solar modules.

The Department of Energy recently awarded $14 million to form a Sandia National Laboratories-led center to improve the understanding of perovskite-based photovoltaic technologies and determine the best tests to evaluate the new solar panels' lifetimes. The efficiency of perovskite-based solar cells has reached 25%
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Date:
07/08/2021
New Radio Receiver Opens Wider Window to Radio Universe

Distribution of CO isotopologues in the Orion molecular cloud observed simultaneously with the newly developed broadband receiver.

Researchers have used the latest wireless technology to develop a new radio receiver for astronomy. The receiver is capable of capturing radio waves at frequencies over a range several times wider than conventional ones, and can detect radio waves emitted by many types of molecules in space at once. This is expected to
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Date:
07/08/2021
IoT Development Platform Dramatically Reduces Time-to-Market
Renesas Electronics Corporation introduced an innovative new IoT system design platform that significantly eases the prototyping of IoT systems. The Renesas Quick-Connect IoT system consists of standardized boards and interfaces, enabling designers to quickly and easily connect a wide range of sensors to MCU de
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Date:
07/07/2021
Auto Backlight Driver Sustains Brightness of In-Car Displays
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. introduces the four-channel, low-voltage MAX25512 automotive LED backlight driver with integrated boost converter. It is the only integrated solution that retains full, constant brightness of in-car displays even during extreme cold crank conditions down to 3V input vo
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Date:
07/07/2021
Expanded Lineup of Load Switch ICs with Ideal Diode Function
Torex Semiconductor Ltd. has launched a load switch IC with ideal diode function – the XC8110/XC8111 series. The XC8110/XC8111 series are load switch ICs that reproduce ideal diodes, and equipped with functions including chip enable (CE), over current limit, inrush current limit,
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Date:
07/05/2021
Stress-Free Metallic Films Pave the way for Next-Gen Circuitry

(top left) An illustration of the HiPIMS process (top right) The energy distribution of tungsten ions arriving at the substrate over time. At short times, there are a large proportion of ions with high energy. (bottom) Stress-free tungsten films created with the selective pulsed bias technique. (a) Plan view transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of the film; (b) a higher resolution image; (c) reconstructions of the selected area in (b) based on inverse Fourier transforms, with two regions magnified.

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used high power impulse magnetron scattering (HiPIMS) to create thin films of tungsten with unprecedentedly low levels of film stress. By optimizing the timing of a "substrate bias pulse" with microsecond precision, they minimized impurities and defects to
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Date:
07/05/2021
Bologna and Robots: Smart City Robotics Challenge is coming up

Universita di Bologna

A horde of robots is about to invade Bologna, but fear not, they come in peace. Bologna will host the Smart City Robotics Challenge (SciRoc Challenge) from the 6th - 11th September 2021. This international competition will test the most recent and advanced robotics applications developed by firms and labs worldwi
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Date:
07/05/2021
Smart Technology is not Making us Dumber

Anthony Chemero is a 2019 UC Faculty Awards Distinguished Researcher award winner. His first book, "Radical Embodied Cognitive Science" earned praise as a landmark work in philosophy and cognitive science.

There are plenty of negatives associated with smart technology -- tech neck, texting and driving, blue light rays -- but there is also a positive: the digital age is not making us stupid, says University of Cincinnati social/behavioral expert Anthony Chemero.  "Despite the headlines, there is no scientifi
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Date:
07/05/2021
Würth Expands Popular Transformer Series
This series of parts can be used in a host of push-pull and pulse transformer applications, and is found on dozens of reference designs.   The four parts added to the MID-PPTI series include 750317828, 750317829, 750317830, and 750317331; all which are AEC-Q200 qualified, and include and isolation vol
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Date:
07/01/2021
Fully Integrated Doherty Power Amplifier Devices
Supplied in 50Ohm in/out packages with compact dimensions (measuring 7mm x 7mm), the company’s LGA series power amplifiers are capable of achieving industry-leading performance parameters. The high-gain devices in this series cover frequencies all the way from 700MHz through to 4.1GHz. Each features a 3-stage
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Date:
07/01/2021
Andre Tauber to become Head of Media Relations at Infineon
He reports to Susanne Kochs, who heads the Corporate Communications department.   Andre Tauber joins from the Stiftung Familienunternehmen where he was Head of Communications. He has more than 15 years of experience in public relations and economic journalism. As business correspondent for the nati
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Date:
07/01/2021
ROHM’s New 80V Withstand 5A Output Power Supply ICs
Recent years have seen evolving markets of battery-driven applications and advanced industrial equipment such as 5G base stations and factory automation systems equipped with new functions utilizing IoT. This demands power supply ICs that are not only compact and operate at high efficiency, but also deliver lar
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Date:
07/01/2021
TRENCHSTOP 5 WR6 family in TO-247-3-HCC housing
The family comes in a TO-247-3-HCC package and offers a broad portfolio comprising 20 A, 30 A, 40 A, 50 A, 60 A and 70 A current ratings. The devices can easily be used for replacing previous technologies like Infineon’s TRENCHSTOP 5 WR5 and HighSpeed 3 H3 as well as competitor technologies. The family is optimi
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Date:
07/01/2021
Active Rectifier Controller w/ Ultrafast Transient Response

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1. Rectification of input ripple

Automotive standards, such as ISO 16750 or LV124, specify that automotive electronic control units (ECUs) may face a supply with a superimposed ac ripple of up to 6 V p-p at up to 30 kHz. Devices such as the LT8672’s gate driver, which controls th
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Date:
07/01/2021
A Real Power Fusion
In this magazine, we tend to concentrate on renewable energy resources as that is when most modern innovation comes from. The companies I usually talk to also focus in that direction, for example, last week I talked to Infineon about the company’s newly developed CoolSiC module that accommodates both wind en
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Date:
07/01/2021
Global Semiconductor Shortage Underlines U.S. Domestic Manufacturing Woes
The recent process of buying a new car was a gloomy reminder of the semiconductor shortage, with lots so empty they could host Sunday Night Football. It’s a problem that could linger for awhile – or at least until we establish a domestic chip manufacturing base. A June White House report laid out our domestic woes, and coming on the heels of a global pandemic that produced h
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Date:
07/01/2021
Increasing Energy Storage: We Can’t Take Short Cuts
The need for energy storage is growing tremendously, and battery applications are everywhere – from cell phones to handheld power tools, to electric vehicles using grids tied to alternative energy. Meanwhile, the boundaries between storage cells and supercapacitors are getting blurred. Supercapacitors are ta
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Date:
07/01/2021
Low Voltage Battery Monitor Floats into High Voltage EVs

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1. Distributed EV BMS monitoring topology using LTC6811-1s and an LTC2949

For much of the automobile’s history, innovation has focused on improving the fuel burning efficiency of the ICE to clean up emissions. However, the vast majority of recent innovations in ICE automobiles are a direct result of advancements in electronics—improvements in chassis systems, power trains, autonomous an
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Date:
07/01/2021
It's All Downhill From Here

Click image to enlarge

Compared to fossil-based fuel, electricity is clean, easily stored, and much more renewable. It is also easier to make if you have the right equipment. As it turns out, electric motors also make great generators, so why not use the momentum of your vehicle to top up your battery? That’s exactly what regenerative br
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Date:
07/01/2021
Battery Management for Li-ion based Power Tools

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1 - Cordless tools must “feel” functionally the same as their corded counterparts

Battery management is a key design consideration for all products with batteries, but it’s especially important for products with rechargeable batteries or high power demands. One such application is lithium-ion based power tools. Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular type of battery for cordless power too
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Date:
07/01/2021
The Importance of Expanding the Supply Chain for Rare Earth Minerals

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1. Official execution and commencement of the road and river diversion project at the Sangdong Mine site in Korea

China produces 80% of the U.S. rare earths and has been doing so for quite some time. What makes things even worse is that over the past 12 to 18 months, a global pandemic has had a serious effect on the supply chain. People around the world rely on these rare materials in their everyday lives, and ma
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Date:
07/01/2021
New Wide Band-gap Semiconductor Technology Increases Power Conversion Efficiency

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Figure 1: Typical EV power conversion elements

Ask any power electronics designer what they strive for and top of the list is normally conversion efficiency. It’s not just for energy savings but also the knock-on benefits of smaller, lighter and cheaper products, with options opening up for better reliability and more functionality in space that’s freed-up. So
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Date:
07/01/2021
When a Visual Power-Fail Indication is Not Enough

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Figure 1: Typical factory communication system using Ethernet and Fieldbus

To meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 and smart production, digital communication between machines, sensors and host systems is essential.  Even simple applications need the ability to control and monitor the manufacturing process in real time using software and the internet. Standard power supplies wi
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Date:
07/01/2021
The Origins and Evolution of SiC FETs

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Figure 1: Si, SiC and GaN material characteristics

A basic building block in power conversion electronics is the semiconductor switch. The ideal is one with no static or dynamic losses that can withstand high voltage in the off state and with no leakage when on – but that is always just out of reach. One of the closest though is the wide band-gap technology Si
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Date:
07/01/2021
Why Power Supply Requirements Don't Need to Be a Design Restriction

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Figure 1: There are many choices when it comes to selecting the right plug for your external power adapter (Source: CUI)

New product features tend to have a direct impact on the total power needed, which may mean increasing the capacity of dc-dc converters or increasing the number of regulators distributed throughout the design. Ultimately, feature-creep will also put greater demand on the main source of power.  Engineers responsib
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Date:
07/01/2021
Using Old Semiconductor Structures to Advance the Low Power High Speed ESD Protection Market

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Figure 1. On the left is the TSPD functional model and, on the right, a TVS diode

With low-power, high-speed data systems, standard TVS diodes are commonly used in combination with low capacitance diodes to reduce the parasitic capacitance in applications like HDMI 2.0, USB 3.1, and Gigabit Ethernet. TVS diodes have offered the smallest form factors possible without sacrificing performance. Bu
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Date:
07/01/2021
Relax and Recharge
I know I talk a lot about exhibitions and conferences in this part of the magazine, but they really are the focal points of the industry. Large and small companies generally save their most interesting launches until those exhibitions to get the best possible exposure. International travel has started to open up
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Date:
07/01/2021
Reliable Energy Storage and Power Conversion Efficiency
It’s a happy coincidence that next month focuses on Electric & Hybrid Vehicles, because July’s slate of contributors went hard on the automotive front for our “Batteries & Other Storage Devices” focus. And it’s not hard to see why – despite the global semiconductor shortage (and its dispr
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Date:
07/01/2021
BLDC-Based Cordless Power Tools Offer Longer Run Times and a Better User Experience

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Figure 1. Three-phase BLDC motor drive overview

Introduction Cordless power tools are becoming increasingly popular in professional and DIY usage due to their ease of use, portability, and increased safety over mains-powered tools. With the inclusion of brushless DC (BLDC) motors, they are now suitable for most tasks. However, manufacturers are being chal
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Date:
07/01/2021
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