Technical Features

February 2024

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Figure 1: MOSFET channel punch-through showing outputs from previous SPICE simulators vs. QSPICE

QSPICE: A Mission to Get SPICE Right

Siddharth Mohan, design engineer, Qorvo

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

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Date:

11/29/2024

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Figure 1: Electric vehicle stock by mode in the Announced Pledges Scenario, 2022-2030 IEA Global EV Outlook 2023

CoolSiC™ MOSFET 750 V G1 from Infineon Make Onboard Chargers Smaller, Lighter and More Efficient

Mario Zotes - Product Marketing Director; Rafael Garcia - System Architect; Nico Fontana - Principal Product Definition Engineer; Daniel Makus - Application Marketing Manager; and Giulia Civiletto - Product Marketing Specialist; all at Infineon Technologi

The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that by 2030, 60 percent of the automobile market will consist of electric vehicles (EV), resulting in over 200 million electric powertrains on the road (Figure 1). In addition to this rapid growth, the automotive industry must integrate various other trends, su

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Date:

02/29/2024

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Figure 1: An electric vehicle's battery pack. (Source: Nissan)

An Engineer’s Guide to EV Battery Management Systems

Mark Patrick, Mouser Electronics

An EV's primary energy source is a battery pack (Figure 1). A pack is typically designed to fit on the vehicle's underside, between the front and back wheels, and occupies the space usually reserved for a transmission tunnel, exhaust, and fuel tank in an internal combustion vehicle. Keeping the pack as low as poss

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Date:

02/06/2024

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Figure 1: Doped silicon transistor cross section compared to GaN HEMT

High Voltage GaN Transistors for Speed and Efficiency

Kengo Ohmori, Technical Product Marketing Manager, ROHM Semiconductors USA

The high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) is a relative newcomer in the world of mass-produced power switching devices. Unlike its traditional doped Silicon counterpart, HEMTs are heterojunction devices built using two semiconductor materials with distinct bandgap voltages. First demonstrated in the late 19

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Date:

02/04/2024

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Figure 1. Typical GaN PA control system

Power Supply Management of GaN MMIC Power Amplifiers

David Bennett and Richard DiAngelo, Analog Devices

Systems that incorporate highly integrated and highly sophisticated, high power radio frequency (RF) GaN power amplifiers (PAs), such as pulsed radar applications, are a constant challenge for today’s digital control and management systems to keep up with these ever-increasing levels of sophistication.These co

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Date:

02/01/2024

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Table 1: GaN (EPC2071) vs. Silicon Comparison

The Ascent of GaN

Alex Lidow, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC)

The adoption of gallium nitride (GaN) in power devices has seen significant growth in recent years. In this article the various factors impacting the adoption of GaN are examined as well as how these challenges are being addressed and overcome. With over 14 years of volume production experience, EPC has id

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Date:

02/01/2024

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Figure 1. Share of xEV in percentage

Separating Charging and Load Requirements in EVs

Dirk Geiger, Infineon Technologies

The high-voltage energy stored in the EV battery is converted by HV-LV DCDC conversion systems into a low voltage that can be used by the vehicle's electrical and electronic systems. This conversion is critical to the intended operation of the vehicle as it contributes to maintaining the power supply to vital systems

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Date:

02/01/2024

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Figure 1: Micromobility

The Benefits of Magnetically Geared Drives and Motors

Gary Rodgers, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Magnomatics

Quieter, cleaner and in the case of lightweight electric vehicles (LEVs) much smaller, today’s electric, hybrid and micromobility vehicles offer real potential to mitigate many of the problems associated with the UK’s noisy, congested and polluting traffic. What’s more, as the technology used in these vehi

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Date:

02/01/2024

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Figure 1: Personal use electric aircraft are being developed by many companies around the world, most powered by multiple permanent magnet motors

Taking Aerospace and Defense to New Heights

David Farnia and Aaron Williams, Arnold Magnetic Technologies

High-performance permanent magnet motors are propelling major technological progress in the aerospace and defense sectors. These mission-critical applications include propulsion and power generation systems in military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, drones, portable munitions, and armored vehicles. Furth

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Date:

02/01/2024

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Figure 1: If the charging infrastructure and power grid are connected by a bidirectional converter, the charging hub functions as a source of power that can support the grid as necessary

Say Hello to Bidirectional Topologies in EV Charging

Gopal Mitra, Industrial Segment Leader, OmniOn Power

The average gas station fill-up for vehicles only takes two minutes. With more electric vehicles (EVs) hitting the road every day, drivers’ expectations of similar conveniences remain unequivocally strong, driving the need for DC fast charging capabilities and infrastructure. To facilitate this paramount and

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Date:

02/01/2024

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How Wolfspeed Power Modules are Revolutionizing 3-Phase Industrial Low Voltage Motor Drives

Pranjal Srivastava, Strategic Market Development (Global), Wolfspeed

Based on the most conservative estimates, electric motors account for more than 50% of all industrial electricity used globally, and 45% of all global electricity. Making industrial motor drive systems even a fraction more efficient would significantly impact global energy consumption and reduce environmental im

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Date:

02/01/2024