Technical Features

October 2022
Molded Power Inductors

Figure 1a here

Figure 1a: Saturation current (Isat) comparison between a hard saturation ferrite power inductor (orange color) and soft saturation powdered alloy power inductor (blue color) at different ambient temperatures displayed by REDEXPERT. Saturation at an ambient temperature of 20ºC

Higher power requirements and miniaturization expose passives to rising temperatures, increasing the probability of thermal aging. This article explores how to select molded high-current power inductors, which are exposed to high temperatures for an extended time. The constant market demand to increase power density
Date:
09/28/2024
Achieving High Power Density in a Regulated IBC for Data Center Applications

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Figure 1: 48 V server architecture in a typical data center

Introduction Approximately half of the energy consumed in a typical data center is wasted, either during power conversion or through cooling. Given the increasingly urgent requirement to reduce CO2 emissions, this undesirable situation required addressing at both system and converter levels. Research [1] indicates that using 48 V power distribution at the rack level would help to reduce power los
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Date:
10/01/2022
Leveraging High-Z Technology to Cut Solution Power and Size

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Figure 1. A signal chain with a traditional muxed SAR ADC

­Muxed SAR ADCs are commonly used in applications where there is a need to constantly monitor multiple critical variables in the system. In optical communications applications, laser biasing could be monitored via optical power measurement, while EEG/ECG signals from electrodes could be monitored in VSM applications. The
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Date:
10/01/2022
Making Garbage Management Operations Smarter

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Figure 1: IoT-enabled sensor technology is set to revolutionise waste management

­Waste collection is an essential service that municipal bodies need to perform on a regular basis. EU figures (published in 2020) show that each citizen resident in one of its member states on average generated 505kg of garbage waste each year. When applied to the entire population, that clearly constitutes a
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Date:
10/01/2022
IT/OT Convergence, Industry 4.0, and the IIoT

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Figure 1. IT solutions collect and analyze information to generate awareness and regulate business processes, while OT solutions collect and analyze information to control physical equipment processes

­Information technology (IT) generates, collects, stores, manipulates, analyzes, and delivers data within and between organizations via computing, networking, and storage technologies. IT is characterized by the ability to be programmed and reprogrammed to meet the needs of various users, applications, and ne
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Date:
10/01/2022
Relays Race to Help Bridge the Gap in EV Charging Capacity

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Figure 1: layout of a typical Mode 4 charger

­Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) highlights a huge asymmetry between demand for electric vehicles and the provision of reliable charging facilities. To meet CO2 targets, sales of electric vehicles will need to pick up massively in all EU countries. A recent study shows th
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Date:
10/01/2022
Powering the Stadium and Fan Experience

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­Stadiums and arenas are now some of the most technologically sophisticated environments on the planet. Once little more than big piles of concrete, steel beams and benches, arenas are now replete with digital signage, advanced wireless communications networks, and the latest security systems, with more technology on
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Date:
10/01/2022
Increasing Power Electronics Efficiency Using Current Sense Resistors

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Figure 1: Current sense resistors detect and convert current to voltage

­For circuit designers and systems operators, understanding what level of current is flowing through a circuit and being delivered is often a key requirement in many applications. Maximizing the operating performance of a battery, controlling motor speeds, and the ability to hot swap server units are examples of
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Date:
10/01/2022
Selecting a Low-lq Voltage Reference to Minimize Power Consumption

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Figure 1: A basic analog-to-digital signal chain

­As electronic circuits improve, they become smaller, more precise and more accurate. For a variety of reasons, designers of applications such as industrial automation and medical are under even more pressure to deliver a circuit that is both accurate and has low power consumption. Many applications with thes
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Date:
10/01/2022
Driving Wide Bandgap Devices

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­In power electronics, semiconductor transistors with a wide bandgap, such as silicon carbide or gallium nitride, are becoming increasingly popular. Higher switching speeds promise higher efficiency and higher power densities. Two reference designs from Würth Elektronik show how an isolated 6 W auxiliary power suppl
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Date:
10/01/2022
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