Technical Features

January 2019
QSPICE: A Mission to Get SPICE Right

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Figure 1: MOSFET channel punch-through showing outputs from previous SPICE simulators vs. QSPICE

Qorvo’s QSPICE™ simulator for analog and mixed-signal simulation provides power designers with the tools to confidently evaluate their designs. Free to use, QSPICE improves SPICE basics, supports large amounts of digital logic without performance penalties, and delivers the speed and accuracy needed for rel
Date:
11/29/2024
In this series, how the superior switching speed of gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon low voltage power devices have enabled many new applications is being discussed.  These new applications are transforming industries such as light detection and ranging (lidar) for autonomous vehicles, envelope tracking for 4G and 5G communications
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Date:
01/23/2019
It is no surprise that analysts have predicted continued growth in the usage of Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery cells for energy storage and automotive applications through 2025 with growth rates of up to 30 percent forecasted to support China’s transportation market alone. In various forms of mobility applications, Ba
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Date:
01/18/2019
Is There a Charge Pump IC in Your Product’s Future?

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Figure 1: Simple flying capacitor circuit

Charge pump topologies and the precursors to charge pumps have been around for over 100 years.  In the drive to make products smaller and more efficient, it may be the time to dust off the old flying capacitor and see what it might be able to do for you.  A “flying capacitor” is simply a capacit
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Date:
01/16/2019
New Advances in TMR Sensors

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Figure 1. Principle of TMR

As the magnetization directions of the pin layer and free layer are parallel, the resistance becomes small and current flows with little resistance. When the magnetization directions of the pin layer and free layer are not parallel, resistance increases which limits current flows.

Tunnel-magnetoresistance (TMR) elements for sensors has become increasingly popular over the past few years. This is
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Date:
01/16/2019
Impedance Matching and the Selection of Transformers

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Figure 1. Audio Applications Photo Montage

Many electronic circuits in audio applications, data networks, communications and others require transmitting an AC signal from a source to a load while minimizing distortion and maximizing power transfer (Fig 1). To ensure optimal performance, these systems rely on a process called, “impedance matching
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Date:
01/16/2019
Jumpstarting IEEE 802.3bt's PoE++

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Figure 1. Power over Ethernet block diagram.

Five years in development and set to finalize in late 2018, IEEE’s next Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard, also known as PoE++, has power sourcing equipment (PSE) and powered device (PD) developers scrambling for the latest hardware, and rightfully so as PoE++ delivers up to 71.3W to the PD, nearly tripling th
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Date:
01/16/2019
Improve Asset Efficiency with Predictive Maintenance

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Figure 1: Predictive Maintenance Market Share 2017-2022

Equipment manufacturers, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies, and power and process plant owners and operators commonly face the challenge of keeping their fleet, machinery, and other assets working efficiently, while also reducing the cost of maintenance and time-sensitive repairs. Considering the aggre
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Date:
01/16/2019
Battery Management for Sensing Resistors

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Figure 1. Battery Management Block Diagram

With end products ranging from laptop computers and other consumer electronics to industrial infrastructure UPS systems, solar power storage, and hybrid vehicles, battery management is a rapidly growing market segment for sensing resistors. Understanding the basic structure for battery management circuits and th
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Date:
01/16/2019
Infineon Breaking Boundaries with Infineon’s New GaN Solution

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Figure 1 Cross section of a 600 V CoolGaN™ ™ power transistor [1]

Today’s demand for high-performance, low-cost power conversion products is driven by consumer expectation for longer battery life, faster charging for their phones, electric vehicles (EVs) or power tools. And consumers want faster data communication along with powerful artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, de
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Date:
01/15/2019
New Energy Upkeep Standards for External Power Supplies

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Figure 1: AC-DC, Basic Voltage External Power Supply

External power supplies (EPSs) are contained in a separate housing from the devices they are powering and contribute substantially to total global electricity consumption. As governments strive to address their ongoing environmental responsibilities, resolving the inefficiencies of power conversion has become a
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Date:
01/15/2019
Isolated MagI³C Power Module Masters the 24V Industry Bus

Figure 1: Typical application for an isolated power module

Every industry control circuit needs a supply voltage. But as the industry control circuit is only a small part in a bigger electrical environment, a lot of specification parameters have to be considered to choose the proper supply device. During the design of a DC/DC converter, the designer needs to know the inp
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Date:
01/15/2019
On Board Charger - Quo Vadis?

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Figure 1: Conventional two-stage topology for a single-phase, electrically isolated on-board charger consisting of power factor correction circuit (PFC) and resonant DC/DC converter (LLC)

BMW, Tesla, or Volkswagen - every car manufacturer uses an increasing number of electrical systems in its latest models. Whether for safety, driving assistance, comfort or entertainment, the electrical energy demand in cars is constantly growing. This is accompanied by an evolution of power supply systems in cars
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Date:
01/15/2019
Ready-to-Use Motor Control with Application Flexibility

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Figure 1: Growth rate of variable speed drives

With a further growing population, the global demand for electrical energy is continuously increasing. In terms of the generation of electrical energy, the trend is clearly towards the use of renewable energies, while on the other side there is a strong push for the increasingly efficient use of electrical energy. Th
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Date:
01/15/2019
Fighting Thermal Runaway in Electric Vehicle Batteries
It’s no secret that the electric and hybrid vehicle market is experiencing a high level of growth, particularly as consumers become more aware of global sustainability issues. Cultures are changing, with people willing to do their bit to safeguard the future generation, including considering the switch from co
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Date:
01/15/2019
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