Technical Features

October 2012
Transformer Insulation Requirements

Figure 1: Clearance is the line-of-sight distance between conductors in space

­New power electronic developments are bringing the hazards of electrical energy closer to users than ever before. There are developing applications like electrified vehicles with 400 v or 800 v batteries, data centers with +/- 400 v racks, and faster switching devices with 650 v or higher ratings. These innova
Date:
04/29/2025
Enhancing medical-product usability with IEC 62366

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Figure 1: General usability-engineering design cycle

Manufacturers are required by the 3rd edition of IEC 60601-1 to avert the poor usability risks involved in identification, marking, and documents, which can be achieved by an "application of usability
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Date:
10/30/2012
Power management of an artificial hand

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Figure 1: Southampton hands. Across each palm can be seen a dc motor with a worm and wheel to rotate the thumb. Five other motors flex and extend the fingers and thumb. The fingertips have touch (force), slip/texture, and temperature sensors.

For an upper extremity amputee, mass is a main factor when choosing an artificial hand. A hand should be lightweight so that high pressure points do not develop inside the plastic socket that attaches
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Date:
10/25/2012
Optimize data rates in isolated SPI buses

Figure 1: The 8-bit data registers in the SPI Master and Slave devices link through the MISO and MOSI signals to form a 16-bit control register. (Click image to enlarge.)

The simple SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus is a popular serial interface commonly employed in automotive, industrial-control, and communication applications. To provide isolation and minimize
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Date:
10/21/2012
Reliability of copper wire bonding for power devices

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Table 1: Process-control measures

Though copper wire bonding developed nearly 30 years ago, it has only recently gained in popularity due to the rapid increase in the price of gold, which is now about 7,000 times that of copper (Reference
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Date:
10/19/2012
The 60-W TV

Figure 1: The local-dimming function saves 10 to 20% of power on edge-lit systems (left) and 20 to 30% of power on direct back-lit TVs (right).

TVs in households are regular companions for many people around the world. It is common that people have the TV on in a living room while preparing a meal in the kitchen. In many cases, the TV is
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Date:
10/18/2012
Reducing standby power consumption for LED Lighting
LEDs provide high-efficiency, environment-friendly characteristics, and a long life compared to conventional lighting sources. Therefore, they are becoming a primary light-source choice to reduce
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Date:
10/16/2012
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