Technical Features

    April 2016
    Transformer Design Comparisons for Mitigating EMI in Gate Driver Circuits

    Click image to enlarge

    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
    Date:
    03/29/2026
    Transformers can often provide an inexpensive solution for a variety of applications. The purpose of the transformer is to isolate the secondary side of the circuit from the primary power source, transfer power efficiently from the electrical source to the target load and protect users from hazards like electric sh
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    Date:
    04/17/2016
    Beginning February 10, 2016 power supplies for medical equipment must comply with the new U.S. DoE energy efficiency standards (LEVEL VI). They also must meet the more stringent electromagnetic immunity and other requirements dictated by the new 4th Edition IEC/EC/UL60601-1-2 released in 2014 which becomes effective on A
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    Date:
    04/17/2016
    LEDs are increasingly used in 24VAC and 12VAC lighting systems as a robust, energy efficient and high performance alternative to halogen lamps. Power converters that drive the LEDs should have a high power factor (above 90% in order to meet generally-accepted green standards), should be efficient, use a minimal nu
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    Date:
    04/17/2016
    The buzz around a concept called The Internet of Things has been around for a few years, and it’s not going away anytime soon. In fact, it might be bigger than anyone ever imagined. And all that added connectivity brings with it a great deal more control. The industry is becoming excited about the evol
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    Date:
    04/17/2016
    LED technology has developed over recent years, and is now the obvious choice for many applications from energy-efficiency architectural lighting to outdoor displays. These applications tend to vary considerably, each requiring a different number, type, color and configuration of the LEDs, which means that driver ci
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    Date:
    04/17/2016
    An effective method for filtering high-frequency power supply noise and cleanly sharing similar voltage supply rails (i.e. analog and digital rails for mixed-signal ICs) while preserving high-frequency isolation between the shared rails is the use of ferrite beads.  A ferrite bead is a passive device that fi
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    Date:
    04/15/2016
    The phone Martin Cooper used was the prototype Motorola DynaTAC, and it could only be used for 20 minutes before the battery died. Battery life has continued to cause concern for manufacturers. Bluetooth introduced its low-energy feature in 2010 with Bluetooth 4.0 with energy efficiency as the prime goal, achieved in
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    Date:
    04/15/2016
    The Internet of Things (IoT) is providing increasing levels of transparency in our everyday energy usage, be it for connected factory equipment or small appliances or in exciting new market segments including wearables and drones.  Advanced Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) designs have implemented sw
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    Date:
    04/15/2016
    The desire for ever higher image quality has seen frame rates in high-end televisions increase to 240 frames per second (fps) simply to ensure that the fast moving action in sports programs or movies does not suffer from smearing or multiple images. Display panels for PCs similarly need to support high frame ra
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    Date:
    04/14/2016
    Archive

    Transformer Design Comparisons for Mitigating EMI in Gate Driver Circuits

    Mar 29,2026
    Matthew Russell, Master’s student at University College Cork, and a student engineer at Bourns Electronics Ireland

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