Technical Features

September 2021
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
High-Current Designs Utilizing Paralleled MOSFETs in Motor Drive Applications

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Figure 1. 3-phase inverter with two MOSFETs in parallel per switch

In applications such as motor drives, the half-bridge topology (typically 3 phases) is used to generate an AC power signal that produces a positive or negative torque in an electric motor. High output currents can be achieved only by means of paralleling MOSFETs that form each of the functional switches.  When paralleli
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Date:
09/08/2021
IMU-Based Navigation Technologies for Autonomous Vehicles

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Figure 1. There are a wide variety of sensors and sensor types that can be used to capture and combine data to provide highly accurate navigation for autonomous vehicles

Sensing technologies for autonomous vehicles include perception sensors like Lidar, cameras, radar, and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), car to car communications, up-to-date maps delivered to the cars, as well as GNSS/GPS based navigation systems which utilize location information from satellites. In addition, rea
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Date:
09/01/2021
How Digital MEMS Sensor Technology Revolutionizes What Can Go Where

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Figure 1a. sensor chip in SMD package

One underappreciated benefit of MEMS technology is the ability it gives designers to partition systems in new ways to create much more flexible end products. In this article, we take a look at a common application for vacuum sensors — the portable vacuum gauge — to illustrate how digital MEMS sensor technology ca
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Date:
09/01/2021
High Density Resonant Converter in a ⅛th Brick Size using eGaN FETs

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Table 1: Converter specifications

This article addresses the power density demand by presenting a high efficiency, high power density LLC resonant based converter that meets the requirements of modern data center and server rack power delivery systems. This DC-to-DC converter connects the 48 V intermediate bus to a downstream 12 V bu
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Date:
09/01/2021
Separating and Mitigating Conducted Emissions

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Figure 1. The CM noise path and DM noise path in a buck converter

EMI from switching regulators is broken down into radiated and conducted emissions (CE). This article focuses on conducted emissions, which can be further classified into two categories: common-mode (CM) noise and differential-mode (DM) noise. Why the CM-DM distinction? EMI mitigation techniques tha tare effective for C
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Date:
09/01/2021
PQ, PI, and EMC

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Nearly all electronic mains connected hardware (PV, UPS, SMPS, PWM motor drives, LED drivers, AC/DC chargers, etc.) creates electromagnetic interference (EMI), which affect the performance of other devices in the surrounding area (even while sharing the same wall outlet) and can cause malfunctions. When designing equ
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Date:
09/01/2021
The Evolution of Power Components

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Figure 1. Power semiconductor technologies now address all existing and emerging applications

Electricity demand is only set to increase as the world middle class grows and automobiles, HVAC, and industrial drives become more electrified.  The efficiency that can be achieved at each power stage (generation, distribution, conversion and consumption) will determine the level of increased burden on
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Date:
09/01/2021
Power Conversion Safety Basics

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Table 1: Potential hazards from a power supply

No power supply should produce other hazards itself, which include fire, fumes, releasing dangerous chemicals, emitting harmful radiation and causing physical injury from sharp edges and falling/flying objects or burns from hot surfaces. In a power supply design, all these effects must be considered and evaluated by
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Date:
09/01/2021
Five Key Factors for Choosing Wireless IIoT Gateways for Energy Providers

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Figure 1. General IIoT Gateway Application Diagram

In industries that rely on distributed data acquisition in remote areas, such as renewable energy or oil and gas, wired infrastructure is often lacking or impractical. Although wireless computers provide an ideal solution for these applications, each scenario has different requirements for communication distance,
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Date:
09/01/2021
Integration is What You Need

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Figure 1. WBG and silicon power switch Infineon brands positioning

Introduction Today’s switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) are smaller, more efficient, and lower-cost than ever. The key to their performance is the power switch technologies at their heart – but how should designers choose the right material for this and find the best component to meet their needs? While silicon is the most widely-known constituent of semiconductors, a new group of wide bandgap (WBG) materials is increasingly finding its way into applications. One example is gallium nitride (
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Date:
09/01/2021
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