Technical Features

March 2023
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
Isolated Power Supply Modules

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Figure 1: Structure of the isolated MicroModule 1769205132 of the FIMM series. It comprises a semiconductor IC, rectifier diodes, input and output capacitors and a transformer

­Industrial environments typically require reliable and interference-free power supplies. Usually, the different components of an industrial plant are powered by DC bus systems. This article explains how such a low-interference bipolar supply in the low-voltage range can be realized. Typical industrial plant
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Date:
03/31/2023
SiC Delivers Next-Generation Efficiency and Sustainability

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Figure 1: SiC devices offer superior properties to legacy silicon, including higher efficiency, faster switching speeds, and exceptional thermal dissipation

­Silicon carbide (SiC) is a critically important technology as high-power, high-speed applications test the limits of conventional silicon. Next-generation systems not only continue to push the boundaries of performance and capability, but also disrupt and replace systems that burn fossil fuels (e.g. transportation, el
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Date:
03/01/2023
PCB Design Considerations with SiC FETs

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Figure 1: The loop from switch to DC link capacitor can be long and have significant inductance

­Optimising PCB layout in a power converter design is a complex task at the best of times, but there can be extra challenges when you have to allow for the ultra-fast voltage and current edge rates seen with wide band-gap devices such as a SiC FET, a normally-off, cascode combination of a SiC JFET and Si-MOSFET.  Th
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Date:
03/01/2023
GaN-Based Design of a 2 kW 48 V/12 V Bi-Directional Power Module for 48 V Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles

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Figure 1: Simplified schematic diagram of the bi-directional converter

­The hybrid vehicle market has more than doubled from 2017 from 2.0% to 5.1% and by 2025, one of every 10 vehicles sold worldwide is projected to be a 48 V mild hybrid. 48 V systems boost fuel efficiency, deliver four times the power without increasing engine size, and reduce carbon-dioxide emissions without in
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Date:
03/01/2023
EtherCAT Measurement Terminals in Wind Farm Monitoring

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Figure 1: A diagram of the circuit showing the distributed I/O to place accelerometers and full bridge strain gauges terminated close to the measurement locations

­The UK aims to build enough wind farms to power every household by 2030. The potential of wind power was demonstrated by a recent record, when on a single day in January wind farms produced 19,835 megawatts, which is enough to cover more than half of England’s electricity needs. The increased investment in
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Date:
03/01/2023
Innovations in Laser Power Solutions for Medical Applications

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Figure 1: Multi-function laser / IPL systems have complex power needs

­According to a report by Straits Research, the market for aesthetic lasers and energy devices was valued at USD 4.46 billion in 2021, with a projection that it will exceed USD 10 billion by 2030 – a growth of over 10% PA. Developments in the laser technology have created new laser-based treatments such as r
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Date:
03/01/2023
Pushing the Power Density Envelope in DC/DC Conversion

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Figure 1a

­One of the biggest challenges in enabling Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing is the increase of processing power in a fixed converter footprint. As a consequence, such intense power demands are shifting rack power levels above the 30-kW range. The “Open Compute Project” (OCP) attempts to address these ch
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Date:
03/01/2023
Meeting Narrow-band Power Line Communication Requirements in Smart Grid Infrastructure Designs

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Figure 1: As more renewable energy sources have been added to the grid, it has been become largely de-centralized where power comes from a variety of local sources

­Today’s smart energy grids must be able to access real-time data collection through sophisticated communication, monitoring and control capabilities giving operators the ability to manage increasingly decentralized power generation and remedy any outage situations. Adding renewables and energy storage to th
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Date:
03/01/2023
The Importance of Being Direct and Concise in Communication Protocols

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Figure 1: Comparative wire-overhead analysis for key protocol messages

­When it comes to communication protocols, it is far more important to focus on conciseness and directness — as anything that is not strictly necessary to convey information is just a waste of time and energy.  In other terms, if we think in terms of information theory when communicating, then we w
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Date:
03/01/2023
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