Technical Features

September 2022
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
Low Voltage Testing with Bias Power Supplies

Low-Voltage Solution for Load Variation Testing

­The use of semiconductors in devices has skyrocketed in past decades. This leads to a large growth in the demand for more semiconductor components and the need to develop new solutions to power each device. Compounded with this growth in the market is the drive for increased performance and efficiency for ea
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Date:
09/03/2022
Independent Testing Helps Solve Battery Temperature Issues

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Figure 1. Keysight 34980A data acquisition switch / measure unit (SMU)

­Large-scale applications typically use battery packs with modules wired in series and parallel connections. Thermal sensors placed strategically across a battery pack detect temperature variations. Large battery-pack thermal imbalance usually starts with the non-uniformities of battery cells affecting their charging and
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Date:
09/01/2022
Testing Times for Electric Vehicles

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Figure 1: Wireless charging is emerging as a solution to range anxiety

­With the growing awareness of the damage that can be caused by fossil fuels, electric vehicles are certainly having their moment in the sun. But are potential drivers and buyers of EVs convinced that these vehicles can give them what they need? To really allow the EV market to take off, consumers need to know th
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Date:
09/01/2022
MEMS Switches Speed Test Capability and System Productivity

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Figure 1: Eye diagram at 32Gbps (RF1 to RFC with reference trace, pattern used PRBS 215-1)

­The semiconductor market is evolving with higher speed and higher density interchip communications for advanced processors. Assuring quality amidst this increasing complexity and demand for increased throughput is a challenge for today’s ATE designers. One critical aspect is the increasing number of transmitter
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Date:
09/01/2022
When Selecting a DC Power Supply, Understand its Output Characteristic

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Figure 1: Output curve for an autoranging power supply compared with a power supply with a rectangular output. The autoranging supply provides higher output voltage, higher output current, and full power output at more V-I points.

­An important but overlooked aspect of power supply selection is the type of output characteristic that the power supply has. A typical power supply has a rectangular output in which maximum power is delivered only at the supply’s maximum rated voltage and maximum rated current. Another option is a power suppl
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Date:
09/01/2022
Current Sensing for Electric Vehicles

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Figure 1: 4p108s Battery Pack Configuration

­Electromobility in the form of electric bicycles or Electric Vehicles (EVs) has gained popularity as gasoline prices increase and the public becomes environmentally aware. These electromobility vehicles consist of an electric battery for energy storage, an electric motor for movement and a controller to manage th
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Date:
09/01/2022
Accurate Current Sensing for Next-Generation EV Designs

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Figure 1. Conventional Hall sensor in concentrator air gap

­Automotive manufacturers need to enhance the performance and capabilities of their electric vehicle (EV) models to differentiate and attract buyers to switch from conventional vehicles. Reliability, extended driving range, and safe fast-charging are important buying criteria that can be improved with precision cu
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Date:
09/01/2022
Pushing EVs Ahead of the Curve

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Figure 1: A bidirectional OBC enables new vehicle-to-everything use cases

­Electric vehicle (EV) on-board chargers (OBCs) can take several forms based on power level and functions. Charging powers vary from less than 2 kW in applications such as electric scooters to 22 kW in high-end EVs. Traditionally, charging power is unidirectional, but bi-directional charging is gaining traction. Why bidirectional OBC
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Date:
09/01/2022
GaN Drives Development of Next-Generation EVs

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Figure 1: Applications for GaN power semiconductors in EVs

­According to a recent report1 transportation generates around 8 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually, with passenger vehicles responsible for almost half the total. As we drive towards ‘net zero’, moving to electric vehicles (EVs) is being seen as a large part of the solution. However, there remains an
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Date:
09/01/2022
Qi Charging Gets a Much-Needed Security Boost

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Figure 1: Secure provisioning is mandated by the Qi 1.3 standard

­Qi inductive charging took a while to catch on because the emergence of the new technologies was hindered by opposing approaches. So, while Qi was first released in 2010 it took another five years before it emerged as preeminent. Since then, the Wireless Power Consortium has made significant enhancements to Qi
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Date:
09/01/2022
Understanding and Overcoming the Challenge of Powering AI in Data Centers

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Figure 1: 4:1 Zero-voltage switching (ZVS) switched capacitor (ZSC) topology

Introduction Today’s data centers typically contain a dual-CPU server connected to multiple hard drives. These server systems excel at storing large amounts of information while processing a limited amount of it. However, they are not optimized for number crunching the huge volumes of data that help keep us safe from hackers, answer questions about the universe, or even drive an auto
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Date:
09/01/2022
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