Technical Features

    September 2018
    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
    The Power and Evolution of GaN - Part 1

    Figure 3: LiDAR car

    Gallium nitride(GaN)-on-silicon low voltage power devices have enabled many new applications since commercial availability began in 2010. New markets, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), envelope tracking, and wireless power, emerged due to the superior switching speed of GaN. These new applications ha
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    Date:
    09/29/2018
    Comm Equip Makers Demand High Power Output & Small Footprint

    Figure1. LTM4622(A) Can Be Mounted on the Underside of a PCB

    Many communications systems are powered via a 48V backplane. This voltage is normally stepped down to a lower intermediate bus voltage, typically to either 12V, 5V or even lower, in order to power the racks of boards within the system. However, most of the sub-circuits or ICs on these boards are required to op
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    Date:
    09/29/2018
    Forward Error Correction (FEC) – Implementation and Test

    Figure 1. Logic “0” to logic “1”, then back to logic “0”

    In modern communication systems, information is digitised, coded to logic levels “1” and “0” and often further encoded into complex modulation schemes such as Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) or Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM).  Integrity of the information at the received end can be critical, so
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    Date:
    09/04/2018
    How to Easily Test a DC-DC Converter

    Figure 1: DC/DC converter connection.

    The power system technologies of modern electronic equipment are facing extreme challenges due to the need for an increase in the power efficiency of the systems, especially devices powered by a battery. The main system block involved in power conversion and delivery is the DC-DC converter, which converts DC po
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    Date:
    09/04/2018
    Considerations When Selecting a Power Supply for Test Equipment

    Figure 1: IEC61000 Selection Descriptions

    When choosing a power supply, if an engineer had only to consider volts and amps, cooling requirements, size, and regulatory certifications, their job would be easy as there are many available options from which to choose. However, designers of test and measurement equipment must consider other important parameters. El
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    Date:
    09/04/2018
    End of an Era for Silicone Transformer Fluids?
    Silicone oil has been used to cool transformers since PCBs were found to be harmful to humans and the environment, but are there better alternatives now? Glancing back to the 1970s, those of us in the power sector can remember when Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)were the cooling liquid of choice for trans
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    Date:
    09/04/2018
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