Technical Features
February 2014
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Figure 1: Gate driver circuit diagram with a Bourns transformer
While gate driver-based converters deliver improved efficiency, speed and signal integrity, their high frequency switching features can produce elevated levels of conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI), posing challenges to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and overall system reliability. To solve this
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Date:
03/29/2026
Given the range of industrial applications is extremely diversified – from very small sensors powered by energy harvesting to mega processors used for process control and huge data computing capabilities required by some industrial equipment – the challenge for power designers remains the selection of
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Date:
02/18/2014
Delivering more than 200mA of output current can be a serious challenge for many high-voltage operational amplifiers. But for high voltage applications requiring as much as 1A of current, it is possible to meet this spec by pairing a current buffer with the op amp. What the current buffer brings to this arrangement is
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Date:
02/18/2014
Advances in system level goals of the Smart Grid to better manage electrical loads during high demand time of use or during a shortage of available resources have created a need for efficient methods of connecting and disconnecting loads from the grid. Load management systems have been available in the commercial an
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Date:
02/17/2014
Software security in the grid is becoming increasingly important. There have been reports of appliances hacked to send SPAM, and The Wall Street Journal claims that the Smart Grid already has been penetrated and infected with potentially disruptive software programs. There are even fears that terrorists may pe
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Date:
02/17/2014
Designers of power control devices and those that combine control with power FET functionality are finding that FIB circuit edit techniques proven at older process nodes are delivering even greater benefits when used at advanced technology nodes. It is also expected that FIB circuit edit techniques wi
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Date:
02/17/2014
Intermediate bus voltages from 24V to 28V (nominal) are commonplace in industrial, aerospace and defense systems, where series-connected batteries may be a backup power source and 12V bus architectures tend to be impractical due to distribution losses. The widening voltage gap between the system bus and the po
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Date:
02/17/2014
Substation expansions can become extremely complicated when space is limited. That’s when use of high voltage underground cable comes into its own as a viable option. What makes the option even more favorable is a turnkey approach, in which the high voltage underground cable provider provides the cable, terminations, an
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Date:
02/17/2014
In today’s information-driven business landscape, enterprises across the globe have become increasingly dependent on data centers as the foundation for successful operations. For mission critical environments, peak operating efficiency and reliability are necessities; if the data center falters, the business su
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Date:
02/17/2014
As the shift from discrete DC-DC converters to integrated power modules continues, more complex devices are being introduced into the market for applications in several fields like industrial and telecommunications. These both require programmable modules with small footprints and high power density that deliver mu
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Date:
02/17/2014
Digital power management has become more popular year over year, for multiple reasons. There are more semiconductors available to support digital power management, helping reduce the cost for such solutions. Another important reason for today’s success of digital power management however, is the increased tr
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Date:
02/17/2014
Packaging for power electronics has evolved from simple metal bending to advanced materials and thermo-mechanical design, and from freestanding supply to integrated power management. System-size reductions made possible by higher switching frequencies and semiconductor miniaturization drove the early part of th
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Date:
02/16/2014
Understanding wiring configurations and making proper connections is critical to performing power measurements. Although single-phase electricity is used to supply common domestic and office electrical appliances, three-phase alternating current systems are almost universally used to distribute electrical power an
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Date:
02/13/2014
The world is becoming increasingly reliant on consumption of huge quantities of power in order to satisfy a wide range of needs (with the European Union alone accountable for 2,858TW-hours annually). In many cases it now comes via decentralized renewable energy sources, such as wind, hydro-electric, geothermal an
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Date:
02/13/2014
Switching regulators are an excellent replacement for linear regulators in areas where low heat dissipation and high efficiency are valued. The switching regulator is typically the first active component on the input power bus line, and therefore has a significant impact on the EMI performance of the complete co
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Date:
02/11/2014
PFC circuits are finding their way into more and more electronic drives. Of course, the best choice of components will always depend on the given application - what's right for one may be wrong for another. And what's more, power semiconductors can also influence each other.
Demand for active PFC circuits in
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Date:
02/04/2014
In terms of performance requirements for a power device, a solar inverter is one of the most demanding industrial applications. First, for a grid tie inverter, efficiency directly relates to income generation, so device performance is paramount. Also a long and reliable life, on the order of 20 years or more, fo
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Date:
02/04/2014
Battery powered products are commonplace today. Whether it’s a pace maker, smoke detector, cell phone, or high-end computing device, battery life is a big concern. Electronic hardware has evolved to handle these low power needs. Processors have many different power modes depending on what is required. And RF
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Date:
02/04/2014
There are many kinds of oscilloscope probes on the market with differing functions and electrical/physical characteristics. Some suit low-frequency applications, while others function well at high frequencies or high voltages. In this article, we’ll go over some of the salient characteristics of common probe typ
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Date:
02/04/2014
The electronic devices used to test and analyze electric motors and other equipment have become much more powerful than in the past. Yet, in many instances these sophisticated devices have also introduced a high degree of complexity for users, requiring that highly trained and experienced personnel perform the te
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Date:
02/04/2014
The rapid growth of distributed energy resources (DER) is raising concerns over the viability and necessity of new transmission lines. ICF International’s review and analysis of case studies concludes that targeted DER programs will reduce the need for transmission and distribution (T&D) investments in ce
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Date:
02/03/2014
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