White Goods

October 2016
To read the November issue of PSDE, simply click here
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Date:
10/31/2016
The quest for energy efficiency has focused attention on those components of the power electronics that can connect hundreds of volts and amps in inverters with exceptional efficiency. We are talking about modern power switches – IGBTs and SIC-FETs – and how the voltage supplied to the respective gate drivers is
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Date:
10/30/2016
High-voltage IGBT-modules usually consist of two types of IC, an IGBT for the transistor and a diode for the freewheeling functionality. A device that combines both functions in a single die is known as a reverse conducting IGBT (RC-IGBT). These modules exhibit a lower thermal resistance when compared to an IG
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Date:
10/29/2016
People don’t think about engineers much, and in general engineers are looked upon in a positive light. Unless something goes wrong with something. In the marketplace, engineering is usually the first direction people point fingers when problems occur in a product. Unsafe and/or malfunctioning products are proble
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Date:
10/28/2016
Here we’ll look at how a rugged and flexible control can be rapidly implemented using an 8-bit microcontroller with analog blocks. For many custom power supplies, this provides an optimum combination of noise immunity, high performance, short development time, and digital flexibility. Analog PWM control circu
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Date:
10/28/2016
Equipment designs increasingly utilize advanced MCU, DSP and FPGA devices to deliver the functionality and performance demanded of them. With this sophistication comes the challenge of providing the multiple power rails these devices require. The use of carefully chosen power modules can significantly ease this ta
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Date:
10/28/2016
Sub-GHz wireless comm LSI optimized for applications requiring low power consumption

Sub-GHz wireless communication LSI

ROHM Group company LAPIS Semiconductor recently announced the availability of a sub-GHz wireless communication LSI optimized for applications requiring low power consumption over relatively long distances, such as smart-agriculture, gas/fire alarms, smart meters, and home/building security systems. In recent y
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Date:
10/27/2016
Qualcomm and NXP Semiconductors announced a definitive agreement, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, under which Qualcomm will acquire NXP. Pursuant to the agreement, a subsidiary of Qualcomm will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of
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Date:
10/27/2016
SMT resistors from TT Electronics withstand high surge conditions

PWC0603 and DSC0603 series resistors

TT Electronics, a provider of engineered electronics for performance critical applications, launched two new ranges of SMD thick film chip resistors designed to optimise performance under pulse and surge conditions. With a value range of 1R0 to 1M0, the resistors provide surge protection in compact circuits wh
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Date:
10/26/2016
Pulse' FluidWRITER printers put electronics on 3D surfaces

FluidWRITER IV

Pulse Electronics Corporation introduces a new generation of FluidWRITER printers that create printed electronics directly on 3D surfaces. FluidWRITERS incorporate innovative FluidANT print technology which enables the use of conductive ink to produce high-performance antennas, sensors, and electrical circuits on
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Date:
10/25/2016
Melexis unveils next-gen MEMS mid-range pressure sensors

MLX90819 sensor ICs

Melexis,  enabling future innovation through a philosophy of inspired engineering, continues to bring highly differentiated products to market through superior innovation, with the introduction of its MLX90819 sensor IC, targeted at measuring mid pressure (10-50bar) levels. Applying its proprietary micro-electro-mechanical sy
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Date:
10/20/2016
Allegro offers new package options for programmable two-wire, unipolar, Hall-effect switches

A119x/A119x-F (A1190, A1192, and A1193) family of two-wire, unipolar, Hall-effect switches

Allegro MicroSystems Europe has announced a new package option for their A119x/A119x-F (A1190, A1192, and A1193) family of two-wire, unipolar, Hall-effect switches, which can be trimmed by the user at end-of-line to optimise magnetic switch-point accuracy in the application. The A119x and A119x-F are produced on
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Date:
10/18/2016
Infineon's RC-E discrete IGBTs target induction cookers

RC-E IGBTs

Induction cooking appliances commonly make use of resonant topologies which allow bi-directional current flow. Additionally they demand a discrete IGBT that performs best at switching frequencies from 18 to 40 kHz and has low losses. Infineon Technologies launched a new family of discrete IGBTs to address these ne
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Date:
10/17/2016
PSDcast - Karl Fleischmann of TI on USB Type-C development

Karl Fleischmann of TI

In this PSDcast Karl Fleischmann of TI talks to Alix Paultre of Power Systems Design about USB Type-C development. Texas Instruments recently introduced a multiport USB Type-C and Power Delivery (PD) minidock reference design that provides audio, USB data, power and video support. This new TI Designs reference de
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Date:
10/12/2016
Oftentimes, designers of digital cameras, mobile devices and other consumer electronics choose to power their device from two, series-stacked, Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries, yet still desire the capability to charge from a 5-V universal serial bus (USB) port. Boosting a 5-V USB input to charge two series-stacked Li
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Date:
10/12/2016
A key consideration for wireless sensor nodes that will populate the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is battery lifetime. The sensor nodes, in many applications, will need to be installed in locations that are difficult to reach and, consequently, service. Because it is too costly and difficult to run power li
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Date:
10/12/2016
Continuing the old story-telling tone which began the issue, I would like to point your attention to the centuries-old proverb “For want of a nail” which describes a chain of events and their consequences from a small error snowballing into catastrophe. There are many lessons to draw from this, from the im
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Date:
10/11/2016
LGA package technology can deliver important advantages for the high-performance Point-Of-Load converters needed to feed power-hungry, fast-reacting data centers and network infrastructure. As the power demands of high-performance Cloud and telecom computing systems continue to increase, converter modules that of
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Date:
10/11/2016
Infineon's OptiMOS 5 boasts a breakthrough reduction in on-state resistance and reverse recovery charge

OptiMOS 5 150 V

Aiming at high efficiency designs and applications, Infineon Technologies introduces the OptiMOS 5 150 V portfolio. This product family further expands the industry leading OptiMOS 5 generation of power MOSFETs. The new 150 V product family is especially optimized for high performance applications which require lo
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Date:
10/11/2016
Having a good grasp of how measurement tools actually operate can provide valuable insight into how test methods can be improved. Setups can subsequently be made simpler and more effective, plus test performance parameters can be significantly raised. This is true for any sphere of technology that requires the ca
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Date:
10/11/2016
STMicroelectronics addresses board space with tiny micropower rail-to-rail comparator

TS985 comparator

Squeezed in a footprint smaller than 1mm2, STMicroelectronics’ new TS985 comparator combines battery-friendly micropower performance with enhanced dynamic range and high speed. The 0.8mm x 1.2mm x 0.52mm Chip-Scale Package (CSP) makes the device ideal for space-constrained applications such as smartphones, sm
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Date:
10/10/2016
Compact TVS diodes from Littelfuse protect sensitive electronics

SMF3.3 Series TVS Diodes

Littelfuse, a leader in circuit protection, has introduced a series of TVS Diodes designed specifically to protect sensitive portable and compact electronics from voltage transient events. The SMF3.3 Series TVS Diode combines 200W surge capability, low reverse standoff voltage (3.3V), and low clamping voltage (6
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Date:
10/10/2016
Here we’ll explore the analytical transfer function for the tightly-coupled Sepic converter. It is shown that the control-to-output function is just second-order, not fourth-order like the conventional Sepic converter [1]. The coupling capacitor of the converter has no effect on the control, and it can be ma
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Date:
10/10/2016
To read the October issue of PSDE, simply click here
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Date:
10/08/2016
To read the October issue of PSDNA, simply   click here  
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Date:
10/08/2016
Automated factories employ sensors and I/O modules to control their industrial processes. As they increase in sophistication and shrink in size, they are enabling the fourth industrial revolution, dubbed Industry 4.0. A single module (see Figure 1) can have up to 64 channels, and a typical factory floor may uti
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Date:
10/07/2016
Using EMC filters
EMC problems in frequency converters occur not only at the input, but also at the output. To ensure reliable elimination of any kind of interference at the output as well, companies like TDK, for example, offer a wide range of EPCOS filters and reactors. Frequency converters are used for regulating the speed
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Date:
10/07/2016
The role of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is simple in concept: provide a temporary power bridge to support the load between the loss of the utility and the transfer to diesel generators. Even though the task is easy to define, the best way to achieve the goal is often clouded in obscurity as the benefits be
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Date:
10/07/2016
Allegro's dual full-bridge PWM motor driver IC saves PCB space

Allegro’s A5995 device

        Allegro MicroSystems announced a new 40 V dual full-bridge driver capable of driving two DC motors with outputs rated up to 3.2 A. Allegro’s A5995 device includes fixed off-time pulse-width modulation (PWM) regulators for current control. Each DC motor can be controlle
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Date:
10/06/2016
PSDcast - Arrow's Anderson on Indiegogo, makers, and entrepreneurs

Matt Anderson of Arrow

In this PSDcast, Arrow's Chief Digital Officer Matt Anderson talks to Alix Paultre of Power Systems Design about their collaboration with Indiegogo, and the impact the maker movement and community collaboration have on design and development. Entrepreneurs can apply for certification on the Indiegogo platform, whe
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Date:
10/05/2016
AVX releases updated interconnect sample kit

AVX interconnect sample kit

AVX, a leading manufacturer of passive components and interconnect solutions, has released an innovative new sample kit that showcases a broad range of connectors ideal for use in consumer, medical, industrial, and IoT applications in which small size and high-reliability performance are mission critical. Available as
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Date:
10/05/2016
Industry 4.0, the latest industrial revolution, is changing the way manufacturing organizations think about production. The aim of Industry 4.0 is to make manufacturing more flexible and responsive to customer needs, providing the ability to make small batches that are tailored to individual customers. The quantity
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Date:
10/04/2016
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