Technical Features

August 2020
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
The Future of Automotive Sophistication

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Figure 1. Position sensor usage in automotive applications

In the past few years, Electric Vehicles (EV) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) have started to become a reality. Figures from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) confirm this; whereas in 2010 the worldwide EV market was negligible, by 2015 over 500,000 electric cars had been sold - and sa
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Date:
08/31/2020
Powering Next-Gen Systems with Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors
Global electrical energy demand is forecast to peak at 30 petawatts in 2020, and beyond that it’s set to increase further. The source might be fossil fuels or renewables–but regardless, the efficiency of power-conversion equipment is critical to minimize costs and energy lost to the environment. Industry consumes
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Date:
08/31/2020
Powering Datacenters with Digital Multi-Phase Controllers

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Table 1: MPS Digital Controller vs. Traditional Analog Controllers

The explosive growth of cloud services has driven major advances in datacenters, as well as networking and telecom equipment. Innovative demands impact the servers, storage, and networking switches that process these ever-increasing amounts of data. Infrastructure equipment is being pushed to its limits in terms of
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Date:
08/31/2020
Connecting the Future of HEV/EV Powertrains

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Figure 1. The floating contact system like the one found in Hirose’s FX26 Series board-to-board connector increases reliability by reducing the stress on solder joints caused by misaligned connectors. The floating design also enhances durability by preventing solder cracking.

The popularity of  hybrid vehicles (HEV) and electric vehicles (EV) continues to rapidly grow. This can be attributed to consumer demand for eco-friendly vehicles combined with increased confidence in the technology. Almost every automotive manufacturer has HEV and/or EV vehicles in future manufacturing pla
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Date:
08/31/2020
Silicon Carbide's Impact on Electrification

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Figure 1. Cree employees in the lab

The upcoming shift from silicon to silicon carbide in numerous power systems is the biggest transition in the power semiconductor industry since the move from bipolar to IGBTs in the 1980s. While that shift is occurring, many of the industries impacted are experiencing unusually transformative periods across th
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Date:
08/31/2020
Optical Sensors Help Create a Safer, Touch-Free World

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Figure 1: A matrix type of sensor such as Omron’s D6T 4x4 makes it easy to separate human and background temperatures

No-contact sensors provide the solid basis to solutions for access control and body temperature measurement – both of which provide countermeasures to the Covid-19 threat. Recent developments make these vital devices more dependable and reliable. Such sensors can also replace ‘touch-based’ switches to op
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Date:
08/31/2020
Bipolar Power Solutions for Test and Measurement Systems

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Figure 1. Power solution for a nonisolated bipolar supply system (±15 V and ±5 V) with low supply ripple

In these high-precision test and measurement applications, generating system supplies that are bipolar and/or isolated poses a challenge to system designers in terms of board area, switching ripple, EMI, and efficiency. Data acquisition systems and digital multimeters require low noise supplies in order to deliver the
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Date:
08/31/2020
Electrical Safety Testing of Cables and Connectors

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Figure 1. Voltage is applied to one conductor at a time while adjacent conductors are bundled. Resistance is calculated based on leakage current

Electrical safety (hipot) testing is critical in ensuring compliance with a host of electrical safety standards and in confirming the assembled product is free from electrical or mechanical defects. Hipot testers are used to measure leakage current and insulation resistance between components and connections, co
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Date:
08/31/2020
Hybrid and Electrical Vehicle Powertrain Testing

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Figure 1. A Hybrid Vehicle Component Stand

Over the past decade, most transportation markets, from automotive, to military, aircraft, and even space systems have seen a tremendous surge of interest in hybrid and electric vehicle technology. To gain the promised efficiency benefits and green profile of these vehicles, it is important to conduct driveline an
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Date:
08/31/2020
Letting Your Remote Sensor Have A Really Deep Sleep

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Figure 1. Remote Soil Moisture Monitor Used in Smart Agriculture

If you can identify with the feeling of “sleeping with one eye on the clock”, you will know how it prevents you from getting that deep sleep needed to maintain your energy levels, leaving you feeling drained for most of the following day. Key to achieving that all-important deep sleep state is emptying your mi
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Date:
08/31/2020
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