White Goods

    February 2017
    TDK's PiezoHapt thin actuator touts low driving voltage

    PiezoHapt actuator

    TDK has expanded its portfolio of haptic components with the new ultra-thin PiezoHapt actuator featuring a very short response time of just 4 ms. PiezoHapt has a unimorph design consisting of a multilayer piezo element bonded to one side of a vibration plate. With a thickness of a mere 0.35 mm the new haptic ac
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    Date:
    02/28/2017
    Current market requirements are trending towards further downsizing and increased efficiency of power conversion systems. For this reason, enhanced power density of the power modules will be critical in order to respond to the evolving needs of the market. In order to increase the power density, All-SiC modules wi
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    Date:
    02/28/2017
    AT&S advances PCB, module and packaging tech

    11 key European actors are collaborating on the GaNonCMOS project

     For years, AT&S has worked at the forefront of process and technology development to meet the challenges of continued miniaturization and the demand for better energy efficiency. In this context, the company is involved in various research and development programmes. One current example is the Horizon 2020 EU
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    Date:
    02/28/2017
    Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies are working with Vodafone to test 5G interoperability and conduct an over-the-air field trial based on 5G New Radio (NR) specifications being developed in 3GPP. The trial intends to drive the mobile ecosystem towards validation of 5G NR technologies, which will enable operators to
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    Date:
    02/27/2017
    The PSMA Magnetics Committee and IEEE PELS will hold the second workshop “Power Magnetics @ High Frequency – Transforming the Black Magic to Engineering” on Saturday, March 25, 2017 - the day before and in the same venue as APEC 2017 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, FL. The successful inaugural wo
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    Date:
    02/27/2017
    Microsemi, a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, and Arrow Electronics announced Arrow’s upcoming training sessions for the new Everest Evaluation Board designed specifically for Microsemi’s recently launched PolarFire mid-range field pr
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    Date:
    02/21/2017
    Microchip's latest PIC MCUs offer more core-independent peripherals

    PIC16F15386 block diagram

    The PIC16F15386 family, a powerful launching point into the 8-bit PIC microcontroller (MCU) portfolio, is now available from Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions. In addition to our current Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs), th
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    Date:
    02/21/2017
    German chipmaker Infineon Technologies and U.S. LED lighting maker Cree warned on Wednesday that Cree's agreed $850 million sale of its Wolfspeed Power unit to Infineon might not go ahead, citing U.S. government security concerns. The deal's woes underscore a drive by the United States to prevent the transfer of w
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    Date:
    02/17/2017
    Panasonic's box type metalized polypropylene film caps boast low loss and excellent frequency characteristics

    ECWFE series capacitors

    Panasonic Automotive & Industrial Systems Europe is introducing a new range of small size metalized polypropylene film capacitors featuring low loss and excellent frequency characteristics for active filter circuits as well as high frequency and high current circuits. The ECWFE capacitors have been designed wi
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    Date:
    02/17/2017
    Microsemi claims lowest-power cost-optimized FPGA product family

    PolarFire FPGA

    Microsemi, a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, today announced the availability of its new cost-optimized PolarFire field programmable gate array (FPGA) product family, delivering the industry’s lowest power at mid-range densities with 12
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    Date:
    02/14/2017
    Intersil claims smallest isolated RS-485 transceiver for industrial IoT

    ISL32704E isolated RS-485 transceiver

    Intersil, a leading provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions, announced the industry’s smallest isolated RS-485 differential bus transceiver designed to provide 4Mbps bidirectional data transmission for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks. The high-speed ISL32704E delivers in
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    Date:
    02/13/2017
    Microchip unveils zigbee PRO green power certified platform

    Solution enables cross-functional device support and will be backward-compatible with existing zigbee certified products

    The industry’s first zigbee alliance certified zigbee platform with zigbee PRO and Green Power features (formerly known as zigbee 3.0) from a semiconductor company, is now available from Microchip Technology, a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions. With greater interoperability an
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    Date:
    02/13/2017
    ITO challenged as a transparent conductor by novel technologies

    (Left): An example of the hybrid process for manufacturing metal mesh. (Right) examples of O-Film metal mesh TCFs.

    The transparent conductive film (TCF) industry has witnessed upheaval in recent years. On the one hand, multiple technologies have been developed as alternatives to the incumbent solution, whilst the incumbent suppliers slashed their prices to protect their share in sluggish markets. Our report Transparent Conductiv
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    Date:
    02/13/2017
    SMC Diode offers SMB rectifier in low-profile DO-214AA Package

    SD560B SMD rectifier

    SMC Diode Solutions, a leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of discrete semiconductors, voltage regulators, and die and wafer devices, announced the availability a general-purpose high voltage SMD rectifier in low-profile (DO-214AA) size format. The SD560B rectifier uniquely combines a compact footprint an
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    Date:
    02/10/2017
    PSDcast - Frans Scheper of Nexperia talks discretes, logic, and MOSFETs

    Frans Scheper of Nexperia

    In this PSDcast, Nexperia CEO Frans Scheper, formerly EVP and GM of NXP's Standard Products Business Unit, talks to Alix Paultre from Power Systems Design about the spinoff of Nexperia from NXP. Nexperia, which will produce around 85 billion devices a year and in 2016 had revenues exceeding US$1.1B, add
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    Date:
    02/10/2017
    Linear's 100V no-opto flyback regulator delivers 5W in SOT-23 package

    LT8303H isolated monolithic flyback regulator

    Linear Technology announced the H-grade version of the LT8303, a monolithic flyback regulator with guaranteed operation for junction temperatures as high as 150°C. By sampling the isolated output voltage directly from the primary-side flyback waveform, the part requires no opto-isolator or third winding for re
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    Date:
    02/09/2017
    Nexperia, the former Standard Products division of NXP, announced the formal completion of its launch as a separate entity. Headquartered in Nijmegen, Netherlands and backed by a consortium of financial investors consisting of Beijing Jianguang Asset Management and Wise Road Capital, Nexperia is a stand-alone, wo
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    Date:
    02/08/2017
    SPS IPC Drives 2016 – the 27th edition of this electrical automation industry exhibition – once again proved to be one of the year’s highlights for exhibitors and attendees alike. Along with the facts and figures produced by a detailed analysis of the event, a survey conducted among all those on hand affirmed th
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    Date:
    02/07/2017
    Murata to exhibit cutting-edge tech and cheerleaders at CeBIT

    Murata booth at CEBIT

    Murata will exhibit at CeBIT, the world’s largest trade show for IT solutions from March 20-24 2017. The event, which will take place at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds, Hannover, Germany is expected to see 200,000 visitors through the doors. Booths from 3,300 companies from 70 countries will showcase business fi
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    Date:
    02/06/2017
    Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) and TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) today announced the completion of the previously announced joint venture under the name RF360 Holdings Singapore PTE. Ltd. (RF360 Holdings). The joint venture will enable Qualcomm’s RFFE Business Unit to deliver RF front-end (RFFE) modules an
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    Date:
    02/06/2017
    Small tunable-white LED light engine with BLE interface serves smart lighting apps

    LuxiTune2.3 tunable white light engine

    Combining a compact form factor with the latest platform features, the LuxiTune2.3 tunable white light engine announced by LED Engin, Inc., a leader in high flux density LED products, targets the same track-lighting and small down-lighting applications as its Gen 2.0 products, while delivering the added performance an
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    Date:
    02/02/2017
    MicroPower Direct's new 1W DC/DC converter family offers 96 models

    MD100x 1W DC/DC converters

    Available now from MicroPower Direct, the MD100x is a family of low cost, 1W DC/DC converters packaged in a miniature SIP package. Ninety six models provide a wide selection of single & dual output models with I/O isolation levels ranging from 1 kVDC to 6 kVDC. Models operate from 3.3, 5, 12, 15, 24 and
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    Date:
    02/02/2017
    The use of batteries in everyday devices is getting more ubiquitous.  In many of these products, a charging connector is difficult or impossible to use. For example, some products require sealed enclosures to protect sensitive electronics from harsh environments and to enable for convenient cleaning or st
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    Date:
    02/01/2017
    Let’s continue the thought we began with at the front of the issue, as simply saying that it’s good to have a lot of product development, even if some of it is on stuff that is a little crazy, leaves a lot to be said. How does a laundry-folding robot help humanity? Will having a toothbrush that sends me em
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    Date:
    02/01/2017
    Archive

    Power Systems Design

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    Power Systems Design

    Power Systems Design is a leading global media platform serving the power electronics design engineering community. It delivers in-depth technical content, industry news, and product insights to engineers and decision-makers developing advanced power systems and technologies.

    Published 12× per year across North America and Europe, Power Systems Design is distributed through online and fully digital editions, complemented by eNewsletters, webinars, and multimedia content. The platform covers key areas including power conversion, semiconductors, renewable energy, automotive electrification, AI power systems, and industrial applications—supporting innovation across the global electronics industry.