Notable & Newsworthy

September 2021
Metal Enclosed AC/DC Power Supplies from 18 to 960 Watt
TRACO POWER’s new TXLN line comprises a series of metal enclosed AC/DC power supplies ranging from 18 to 960 Watt (split into 12 different power levels) and is designed for a wide range of industrial applications. The TXLN is an active replacement of the older TXL line and is built on the same design principa
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Date:
09/29/2021
Multi-Channel Power Amplifier Reduces Idle Loss by 35%
Idle power consumption and overall efficiency were key concerns of innosonix GmBH when designing its latest high-end Maxx Series multi-channel power amplifier. By changing from traditional silicon FETs to EPC’s EPC2059 eGaN FET the company reduced idle loss by 35% and lowered the on resistance to increase th
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Date:
09/29/2021
High Voltage Precision Chip Resistors Offer 0.1% Tolerance
High-voltage applications frequently require high-voltage resistors with high accuracy for voltage division, monitoring and control. Some applications with more moderate working voltages may experience high voltage surges which may damage general purpose chip resistors.  For applications such as these,
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Date:
09/29/2021
Up to 25% Faster Wireless Charging with MEMS Timing Solution
SiTime Corporation introduced the SiT3901 µPower digitally controlled MEMS oscillator (DCXO) targeting power-sensitive and space-constrained mobile and IoT applications. The SiT3901 improves wireless charging speed by up to 25% while reducing the overall timing solution area by up to 90%. The MEMS os
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Date:
09/29/2021
C&K Expands Actuation Forces for Microminiature Tactile Switches
C&K has launched the microminiature RKC2 Series of tactile switches for devices where space efficiency is crucial. Expanding on the RK Series, the RKC2 features a low profile of only 1.7mm to allow the PCB to sit closer to the surface of the device and allow more space for other necessary components. With a small f
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Date:
09/28/2021
1kW Power Supplies w/ Active-PFC for Industrial Applications
ABSOPULSE Electronics introduces the PFHI 1K-FXW series of high input voltage, wide input range switched-mode power supplies with active power factor correction (PFC) designed for 1kW industrial applications. The power supplies operate over 180V to 480V AC-input range, 400Vac nominal input or custom. 
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Date:
09/28/2021
Highly Accurate Pressure Sensing for Automotive Applications
Renesas Electronics Corporation introduced the RAA2S425x Family of ICs for automotive pressure sensing systems. The new devices provide highly accurate amplification and sensor-specific correction of signals in automotive xEV/EV/FCEV pressure sensing braking, transmission and HVAC systems. The RAA2S425x Product Fami
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Date:
09/28/2021
Best-in-Class DC-DC Power Conversion w/ 30% Higher Power Density
Advanced Energy introduced the Artesyn LGA110D, a 110 amp-rated, non-isolated digital point-of-load DC-DC converter. The latest addition to the company’s LGA family, the LGA110D delivers a higher current rating at 30% higher power conversion density than any DC-DC converters in its class, making it
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Date:
09/28/2021
New IC Family Takes Battery Charging to the Next Level
Consumers are very demanding when it comes to electronic devices, such as mobile phones. They want the best screens, instant response and higher performance in smaller and smaller packages. The especially want it to function all day without charging, and if they do need it to charge, they want it done quickly.
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Date:
09/27/2021
OSRAM High-Power Infrared LASERS Available at TTI
TTI, Inc., is now stocking OSRAM’s SPL UL90 Series LASERs. These devices are state-of-the-art components designed to meet the stringent requirements of automotive applications and characterized by long life, high performance and first-class reliability. OSRAM is offering a new single-channel pulsed laser, th
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Date:
09/27/2021
Transformer Module Tech Maximizes Drive Time in Hybrids, EVs
Texas Instruments (TI) introduced the industry’s smallest and most accurate 1.5-W isolated DC/DC bias-supply module. The UCC14240-Q1 uses a proprietary integrated transformer technology to enable designers to cut their power solution size in half for use in high-voltage environments such as electric vehicles (EV
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Date:
09/27/2021
A Stealthy Predator’s Aeroacoustics for Jets, Choppers, Turbines…

Justin Jaworski, a professor of mechanical engineering at Lehigh University, has been elected by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as a member of its 2022 class of Associate Fellows.

A jet airliner roaring to the tarmac has more in common with an offshore wind farm than you may expect. The same can be said of an industrial HVAC system and a futuristic underwater vehicle. To Justin Jaworski, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Lehigh, it’s all just a lot of
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Date:
09/27/2021
Reduce Email Stress by Setting Response Expectations

Vanessa Bohns, associate professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and co-author of the new paper forthcoming in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

Email is a tremendous source of workplace stress, as the expectation that every message will be read and responded to as soon as it arrives in one’s inbox has become a workplace norm. People can limit the negative impact of email, not necessarily by sending less email, but by sending better emails th
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Date:
09/27/2021
New Ergonomic Photodetector for the Trillion-Sensor Era

Prof. Sung Hun Jin, Incheon National University, South Korea

The world is heading towards a trillion-sensor economy where billions of devices using multiple sensors will be connected under the umbrella of Internet-of-things. An important part of this economy is constituted of light/photo sensors, which are tiny semiconductor-based electronic components that detect light and
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Date:
09/27/2021
Creating Order by Mechanical Deformation in Dense Active Matter

A snapshot of the researchers’ simulation showing orientational ordering under steady shear deformation. Colours code the orientation of the self-propulsion forces, e.g. blue for downward and red for upward; neighbouring particles tend to be oriented in similar directions.

Living or biological systems cannot be easily understood using the standard laws of physics, such as thermodynamics, as scientists would for gases, liquids or solids. Living systems are active, demonstrating fascinating properties such as adapting to their environment or repairing themselves. Exploring the questions po
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Date:
09/27/2021
Dual-Band Wi-Fi Antennas for 2.4GHz, 5GHz Applications
AVX Corporation released a new series of IP67-rated, external, dual-band Wi-Fi antennas optimized for 2.4GHz and 5GHz applications. The new X9001748 Series external, dual-band Wi-Fi antennas have a standardized, ready-to-use, RoHS-compliant design with IP67 sealing for reliable outdoor operation an
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Date:
09/23/2021
A New Generation of MEMS Barometric Pressure Sensor Platform
TDK Corporation announces the worldwide availability of the InvenSense ICP-20100 platform, a new generation, feature-rich barometric pressure sensor, ideal for applications in smart phones, tablets, drones, and smart home appliances. With architectural innovations, ICP-20100 improves on the industry-leading ac
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Date:
09/23/2021
Infineon Opens Chip Factory for Power Electronics
At 1.6 billion euros, the investment made by the semiconductor group represents one of the largest such projects in the microelectronics sector in Europe. The Villach site is one of the world’s most modern fabs and was opened by Infineon CEO Reinhard Ploss, Infineon Austria CEO Sabine Herlitschka along with EU Com
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Date:
09/23/2021
ROHM’s New EMARMOUR Op Amp Series
The devices feature an improved EMI immunity for automotive and industrial equipment applications requiring high-speed sensing in harsh environments, such as vehicle engine control units and anomaly detection systems for factory automation equipment.   In recent years, advancements in electrification and mounting d
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Date:
09/23/2021
UnitedSiC launches FET-Jet CalculatorTM v2
This new version (v2) significantly streamlines the SiC FET and Schottky diode selection process and simplifies the analysis of all power related results. First launched in March, this simple, registration-free online tool facilitates the designer’s selection and performance comparison process, in different pow
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Date:
09/23/2021
Tigo Energy's Residential Inverter and Battery Storage Solution
Tigo Energy, Inc. announced that the company is taking orders for the Energy Intelligence (EI) Inverter and Battery product lines from residential installers in the United States. These new hardware solutions expand the Tigo product portfolio with a focus on ease-of-installation, more effic
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Date:
09/23/2021
Battery Resourcers Secures $70 Million in New Funding

Michael O’Kronley, CEO and director of Battery Resourcers

Battery Resourcers announced the closing of its latest mid-round funding totalling $70 million. The company will use this latest funding round to advance and expand the industry's most sustainable, cutting-edge closed loop material production technology that accepts mixed input of scrap batteri
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Date:
09/23/2021
NevadaNano, Emerson Develop Low Global Warming Refrigerant Gas Sensors
NevadaNano announced its partnership with Emerson to jointly develop refrigerant gas detector products that will provide a solution to the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry for refrigerant leak detection. “We are proud to partner with Emerson to develop essential so
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Date:
09/23/2021
Acopian Launches Wide-Input DC to DC Converter Line
Acopian launched their encapsulated wide input DC to DC Converter line of power supplies rated up to 60W. Wide-range DC inputs are set at 9-18 VDC, with output voltages ranging from 3.3 VDC to 48 VDC and up to 8A. Threaded mounting holes permit them to be mounted to a chassis, cabinet wall or
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Date:
09/21/2021
Expanded Performance Chiller Platform w/ Thermoelectric-based Unit
The Nextreme NRC400 Performance Chiller is an ideal cooling solution for research laboratories, analytical imaging, industrial laser systems, and test & measurement applications where precise temperature in a highly portable chiller is required.  Solid-state thermoelectric coolers utilize the Pelti
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Date:
09/21/2021
First Fully Configurable Digital Gate Driver for SiC MOSFETs
As demand for electric buses and other electrified heavy transport vehicles increases to meet lower emission targets, silicon carbide-based power management solutions are providing greater efficiencies in these transportation systems. To complement its broad portfolio of silicon carbide MOSFET discrete and module pr
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Date:
09/20/2021
Downscaling Transistors Could Advance Semiconductor Design

Purdue University engineer Tillmann Kubis has created CasFET, or cascade field effect transistor, technology. The key aspect is the superlattice perpendicular to the transistor’s transport direction, which allows for switchable cascade states.

An innovation by Purdue University researchers could help the semiconductor industry design transistors that are smaller, use less power and switch from on to off at smaller applied voltages. As a result, the innovation could lead to better and more powerful central processing unit generations, which can compute mo
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Date:
09/17/2021
World's First LoRa SoC is Making Farming Smarter
STMicroelectronics has announced a design win for STM32WLE5*, the world’s first LoRa System-on-Chip (SoC). The customer application, developed by automated rubber-tapping specialist CIHEVEA, uses the low-power networking to revolutionize the automation of extracting latex from rubber trees. CIHEVEA ha
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Date:
09/17/2021
Gowanda Electronics' New Non-Magnetic RF Inductor Series – 28MG
Gowanda Electronics announces the introduction of a new non-magnetic RF thru-hole (leaded) inductor series – 28MG. This series was designed to address the market need for non-magnetic inductors that could achieve inductance values of up to 18 µH. This series is ideal for use in medical imaging equipment
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Date:
09/17/2021
Development Begins on Oneida County Solar Arrays

Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO

Leading up to Climate Week next week, the Office of General Services (OGS) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) have selected a developer for several remote solar arrays that will provide Empire State Plaza in Albany with up to half of its electricity needs. The solar arrays, which will be in Oneida County, ar
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Date:
09/17/2021
ABB's 1st Rectifier Specifically Designed for Medical Applications
In the medical device space, safety and reliability are paramount. Using power supplies that meet the industry’s stringent standards is one of the core ways to help ensure these requirements are met. Helping to meet this need, ABB Power Conversion has introduced its new MPE2000AC48_200AC24 (MPE2000) rectifier, w
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Date:
09/17/2021
Versatile DDP/MDP1200 Series 1.2kW, Multi-purpose AC-DC PSU
Their clever design purposefully integrates high performance, versatility, interoperability and regulatory compliance to fulfil evermore demanding worldwide applications.   The built-in Digital Signal Processor (DSP) supports the PMBus open standard power management protocol, which enables diagnosti
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Date:
09/16/2021
LoRaWAN Wireless Solar Power System
A wired energy solution did not fit a rooftop solar power system due to higher hardware and installation costs as well as a higher level of ongoing required maintenance, particularly in rural areas of Vietnam where rodent damage to cabling is a particular issue. Cloud Energy’s wireless solar power system fea
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Date:
09/16/2021
Essential Guide to Designing EV Charging Systems
Against the background of a growing electric vehicle market, Versinetic provides an overview of the steps required to develop a smart EV charging system and network.   As the space for another off-the-shelf white box charger is limited, and charging systems are a significant investment, an innovativ
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Date:
09/16/2021
Packaging design avoids known flip-chip mounting challenges
The new resistor features a standoff construction that offers an improvement over regular flip chip technology.   The FRFS0402 is ideally suited for use in telecommunication network equipment (including 5G, downhole data center, or fiber optics), medical equipment (including pace makers or hearing-
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Date:
09/16/2021
Buy a Fluke thermal imager, get a free Fluke lens
The lenses provide greater flexibility across the range of applications for thermal imaging cameras by delivering increased accuracy and precise image quality. All lenses are interchangeable and compatible with Fluke’s range of thermal imaging cameras.   Thermal imaging applications Thermal im
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Date:
09/16/2021
Fluke’s cable tester trade-in offer gets customers ready for PoE
As people, processes, data and devices connect to the Internet and each other, demand for better network access with minimum disruption is leading to increased installations of PoE infrastructure and compatible devices across a wide range of industries and applications. Recent research conducted by Cisco revealed almo
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Date:
09/16/2021
Infineon enhances 1200 V EconoDUAL 3 portfolio with IGBT7
With the broad range of current classes from 300 A up to 900 A, the portfolio offers inverter designers a high degree of flexibility while also providing increased power density and performance. In addition to solar and drive applications, the portfolio is also tailored for commercial, construction and agricultural ve
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Date:
09/16/2021
Infineon 22 kW industrial motor drive reference design
The reference design is a general purpose motor drive which features a nominal power of 22 kW and can be operated directly on a 380 to 480 V three-phase grid. The design can be fully re-used for customization and allows customers to evaluate Infineon’s products under real operating conditions. It is suitable
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Date:
09/16/2021
200W Digital-Power Solution for LED Televisions
Based on ST’s STNRG011 digital PFC (power-factor correction) and resonant LLC converter, the STEVAL-NRG011TV combines a proven and reliable topology with the ability to configure and fine-tune the operating parameters for optimal performance. No coding is needed as the digital control algorithms are permanentl
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Date:
09/16/2021
Infineon and Panasonic accelerate GaN technology development
Gen2 offers higher efficiency and power density levels. The outstanding performance and reliability combined with the capability of 8-inch GaN-on-Si wafer production mark Infineon’s strategic outreach to the growing demand for GaN power semiconductors. In accordance with market requirements, Gen2 will be developed
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Date:
09/16/2021
IQRB-2 rubidium oscillator handbook available now summarising key test data
The handbook summarises tests undertaken: from temperature stability and short-term stability to supply pushing and more.   The IQRB-2 fills the gap between the IQRB-1 and the IQRB-3; the IQRB-1 delivers a superb price performance ratio, whereas the IQRB-3 offers an exceptional phase noise performa
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Date:
09/16/2021
Precision-Adjustable Current Limit Power Switch
Streamlining power system design and assuring ongoing reliability, this automotive-compliant device provides a controlled and protected power path. It is rated to handle continuous load currents of up to 1.5A. Key applications include protection of vehicle USB ports and ECU supply rails, and infotainment and telem
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Date:
09/16/2021
GaN Gate Driver Boosts Speed, Flexibility, and Integration
The output is closely matched between high-side and low-side outputs, to handle high-frequency switching of GaN enhancement-mode FETs.   Also suitable for driving N-channel silicon MOSFETs at up to 20V, the STDRIVEG600 allows the flexibility to apply up to 6V gate-source voltage (VGS) on GaN devices to e
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Date:
09/16/2021
Convection cooled power supplies with 200% peak-power
Designed for industrial applications requiring high levels of safety, the LHP150F and the LHP300F are certified according to EN62477-1 (OVC III). The products work over a wide universal input voltage range of 85 to264VAC and have a high typical efficiency rating of 93%. The LHP150F and LHP300F are available in
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Date:
09/16/2021
PXI/PXIe 5 Amp Power Relay Modules Double Switching Density
The 40/42-153 and 40/42-158 power relay modules are suitable for switching heavy AC or DC loads or for controlling large external relays, contactors and solenoids. They are available in multiple configurations up to 50 SPST (Single Pole Single Throw) relays (-153) or 32 SPDT (Single Pole Double Throw) relays (-158
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Date:
09/16/2021
Nanopower Primary Cell State-of-Health Monitor
The LTC3337 is designed to be placed in series with a primary battery with minimal associated series voltage drop. The patented infinite dynamic range coulomb counter tallies all accumulated battery discharge and stores it in an internal register accessible via an I2C interface. Quiescent current consumption is
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Date:
09/16/2021
Rutronik adds Infineon StrongIRFET 2 Power MOSFETs
They are suitable for both low and high switching frequencies. This new technology offers 40 percent improved RDS(on) and over 50 percent lower gate charge (Qg) compared to previous StrongIRFET™ devices. The higher power efficiency thus generated ensures improved overall system performance. The Infineon StrongI
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Date:
09/16/2021
Rectangular modular connector series is EN4165 compliant
The range is optimised for PCB and panel connection in harsh-environment, weight and space-constrained aerospace applications. Fully sealed and offering EMI protection, OPTIMUS connectors are also resistant to high vibration and shock, making them suitable for multiple further applications, including military vehicle
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Date:
09/16/2021
MagI³C-FDSM-36-V family extended with 12 V output voltage
The power module in a SIP-3 package represents a cost-effective solution to meet the requirements for the real-world voltage transients of a 24 V industrial power architecture. The new module operates from 16 to 36 VIN and generates a fixed output voltage of 12 V with current up to 1 A.   The FDSM
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Date:
09/16/2021
Hioki talks battery design in Farnell podcast
The podcast series investigates how test and measurement equipment supports innovation and new product development across a wide variety of real-world applications. Each episode in the series will provide valuable insights for buyers, engineers, and other industry professionals wanting to stay up to date with th
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Date:
09/16/2021
300W and 1,000W programmable electronic DC loads
The series comprises 300W and 1,000W power levels and either a 120V or 500V maximum rating. The SFL incorporates high-speed current feedback control to eliminate load current overshoot and oscillation to generate a stable and predictable load waveform during turn-on or dynamic operation. The unit is capable of ope
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Date:
09/16/2021
85-305VAC input AC-DC power supplies for 15W to 320W applications
The nine new series (LCW15, LCW25, LCW35, LCW50, LCW75, LCW100, LCW150, LCW200 and LCW320) offer power levels from 15W to 320W. All models meet EN 55032 Class B conducted and radiated emissions for easy and low-cost integration and feature an integrated connector cover to enhance safety once installed The i
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Date:
09/16/2021
onsemi Powers Every Node in Ramaxel Next Generation Servers
Power requirements are increasing in each successive processor generation. With their broad portfolio of high-performance, high-reliability cloud power solutions, onsemi is well positioned to deliver on such requirements.   “As an emerging leader in the fast-growing cloud market, we must have confidenc
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Date:
09/16/2021
Surface-mount package approved for automotive application
The test was passed by a leading Tier 1 supplier. Initially, it will be used in an engine control unit.   BLR provides a means of evaluating the robustness and reliability of semiconductor packages. The rigorous testing procedure is especially relevant in automotive applications, where safety and r
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Date:
09/16/2021
Gate Driver Improves EconoDUAL IGBT Module Performance by 20%
The new drivers improve the performance of multiple parallel EconoDUAL modules by 20%, allowing users to eliminate one of every six modules from power inverters and converter stacks. In addition to saving the cost of the driver and module, this reduces control complexity and costs related to modules, wiring, hardware,
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Date:
09/16/2021
Integrated 3-Phase MOSFET Gate Driver Maximizes Battery Life
The TMC6140-LA 3-phase MOSFET gate driver integrates all three bottom shunt amplifiers to provide a complete motor drive solution with 30-percent improved power efficiency, while simplifying design by reducing component count by half when compared to similar solutions.   The TMC6140-LA is optimized for performan
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Date:
09/16/2021
Bus Converter Delivers High Power Density for 48 V Data Center Apps
Flex Power Modules introduces the BMR310, a non-isolated switched capacitor intermediate bus converter (IBC) which provides high power density for data centers, thus improving board space utilization and freeing space for other components. Built on the proprietary Zero voltage switching Switched capacitor Co
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Date:
09/16/2021
New Thermopile-Based Detectors for CO2 Sensors
Renesas Electronics Corporation expanded its industry-leading environmental sensor portfolio with its first family of thermopile-based detectors with integrated optical filters for optical (NDIR) CO2 sensors. The four new single- and dual-channel analog detectors for CO2 gases deliver the industry’s best performance, qu
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Date:
09/16/2021
High-Temperature, Automotive-Grade Polymer Chip Capacitors
AVX Corporation released the new TCO Series high-temperature, automotive-grade polymer chip capacitors, which are rated for operating temperatures up to 150°C at category voltage and meet AEC-Q200 Stress Test Qualification for Passive Components requirements, which ensure stable performance at 85°C, 85
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Date:
09/16/2021
Wärtsilä Supports Decarbonisation of Aussie Mining Operations
The technology group Wärtsilä will supply a 9.2 MW / 8.7MWh energy storage system to Zenith Energy, an Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Australia. Zenith sells the electrical power it produces to some of the world’s largest mining companies with operations in Australia. The installed energy storage system wil
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Date:
09/15/2021
Integrated Reference Design For Automotive Camera Systems
Renesas Electronics Corporation and OmniVision Technologies, Inc., introduced an integrated reference design for a High Definition automotive camera system. The new design features Renesas’ recently introduced Automotive HD Link (AHL) technology that transmits high-definition video over low-cost cabl
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Date:
09/15/2021
Expanded DC/DC Converter Platform with 80W unit
COSEL Co, Ltd announced the addition of an 80W DC/DC converter to its value added STMGF platform. Available in two versions, the STMGFS80 covers all industrial voltages from 9V to 76V. Using COSEL’s efficient MGFS80 DC/DC converter assembled on a carrier board, the STMGFS80 series fits in the same footprint as its predecessor, which previously only delivered 30W. Ready to use out of the box, the STMGFS80 includes terminal blocks, output voltage potentiometer, input filter and extra capacitors. The series complies with safety standards UL62368-1 and C-UL EN62368-1. Battery powered industrial applications require very efficient
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Date:
09/15/2021
85-305VAC Input AC-DC Power Supplies for Embedded Applications
XP Power has announced the introduction of the LCW series of regulated output cased AC-DC power supplies that is ideal for embedded industrial electronics, technology and equipment requiring household approvals. The nine new series (LCW15, LCW25, LCW35, LCW50, LCW75, LCW100, LCW150, LCW200 and LCW320) offer po
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Date:
09/15/2021
300W, 1,000W Programmable DC Loads Offer Multiple Operating Modes
TDK Corporation announces the introduction of the TDK-Lambda brand SFL series of programmable electronic DC loads. The series comprises 300W and 1,000W power levels and either a 120V or 500V maximum rating. The SFL incorporates high-speed current feedback control to eliminate load current overshoot and oscillation to
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Date:
09/15/2021
Standard Lithium Initiates Arkansas Carbon Capture Project
Standard Lithium Ltd. announced that it is undertaking a pilot project in southern Arkansas to test a novel carbon capture technology. The pilot project will be undertaken in collaboration with the owner of the technology, Aqualung Carbon Capture AS (“Aqualung”), and will be installed at a natural gas pr
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Date:
09/15/2021
UnitedSiC Announces Industry-Best 6mohm SiC FET
UnitedSiC has responded to the power designer’s requests for higher-performance, higher-efficient SiC FETs with the announcement of the industry’s best 750V, 6mohm device. At a RDS(on) value of less than half the nearest SiC MOSFET competitor, the new 6mohm device also provides a robust short-circuit withstand ti
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Date:
09/15/2021
PSDcast – RF Wireless Tech Receives EU, UK Approvals w/ no Distance Limits

Ossia's CEO, Doug Stovall

Ossia has been making waves with its Cota over-the-air wireless technology, and just recently, they announced that they’ve successfully passed both EU and UK regulatory assessments for Cota-enabled products that send and receive power wirelessly without any distance limitation.
Date:
09/15/2021
Battery Management Systems For Auto, Industrial Applications
Sensata Technologies announced it will debut new Battery Management Systems (BMS) at the upcoming Battery Show North America in Novi, Michigan from September 14th to 16th in booth #2617.  In addition, Sensata will highlight its sensing and control solutions that help make energy systems
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Date:
09/13/2021
GaN Systems Signs Semiconductor Capacity Agreement with BMW

Jim Witham, CEO & Co-Founder, GaN Systems

GaN Systems announced the signing of a comprehensive Capacity Agreement with BMW Group for GaN Systems’ high-performance, automotive-grade GaN power transistors, which increase the efficiency and power density of critical applications in electric vehicles. GaN power semiconductors are a key ing
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Date:
09/13/2021
Research on Secure Wireless Powered Backscatter Communication

Kai Zeng, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Kai Zeng, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, is set to receive funding from the National Science Foundation for a project in which he and his collaborators are proposing novel techniques to secure wireless-powered backscatter communication (WPBC) for In
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Date:
09/13/2021
Do Alexa and Siri Make Kids Bossier?

A team led by University of Washington studied whether hanging out with conversational agents, such as Alexa or Siri, could affect the way children communicate with their fellow humans. In the study, a conversational agent (either a simple animated robot or cactus, screenshots shown here) taught 22 children between the ages of 5 and 10 to use the word "bungo" to ask it to speak more quickly.

Chatting with a robot is now part of many families' daily lives, thanks to conversational agents such as Apple's Siri or Amazon's Alexa. Recent research has shown that children are often delighted to find that they can ask Alexa to play their favorite songs or call Grandma.  But does hanging out w
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Date:
09/13/2021
Argonne Scientists Show they can Alter Material Properties

The Argonne National Laboratory

By confining the transport of electrons and ions in a patterned thin film, scientists find a way to potentially enhance material properties for design of next-generation electronics Like ripples in a pond, electrons travel like waves through materials, and when they collide and interact, they can give rise
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Date:
09/13/2021
New Tool for Analyzing Large Superconducting Circuits
The next generation of computing and information processing lies in the intriguing world of quantum mechanics. Quantum computers are expected to be capable of solving large, extremely complex problems that are beyond the capacity of today’s most powerful supercomputers. New research tools are
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Date:
09/13/2021
Single Plug-and-Play Gate Drivers for
Power Integrations announced SCALE-iFlex Single gate-drivers for the popular “New Dual” 100 mm x 140 mm IGBT modules. The compact new drivers support modules up to 3.3 kV and are available now for design-in. The SCALE-iFlex Single gate-drivers are ideal for light-rail, renewable energy generation an
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Date:
09/12/2021
Stray-Field Compensated Sensors with Redundancy Function
TDK Corporation expands its Micronas 3D HAL sensor portfolio with the Hall-sensors HAR 3900 and HAR 3930*. The products enable stray-field compensated position detection in automotive and industrial applications while addressing the need for ISO 26262 compliant developments. Samples are available on request. Th
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Date:
09/12/2021
High-Voltage Thick Film Chip Resistors Save Board Space
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced a new series of AEC-Q200 qualified thick film chip resistors with operating voltages up to 3 kV in the 2010 and 2512 case sizes.  With their high operating voltages, devices in the Vishay Draloric RCV-AT e3 series can be used in place of standard
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Date:
09/12/2021
Engineered E. Coli Could Make Carbs, Renewable Fuel, from CO2
Researchers from Newcastle University, UK have engineered Escherichia coli bacteria to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) using hydrogen gas (H2) to convert it into formic acid. The research, published today in Applied and Environmental  Microbiology raises the possibility of converting
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Date:
09/12/2021
Potential Method to Convert Food Waste into Batteries

Feng Lin and Haibo Huang discovered a potential method to convert food waste into batteries.

What do apple cores, spent grain, and walnut shells have in common? They could one day be used to power a data center. As the world works toward economically and environmentally friendly ways to power these devices, two Virginia Tech researchers investigate how food waste and its associated biomass can be co
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Date:
09/12/2021
Powercast Wins Sustainability Award for Reducing Battery Waste

Powercast's RF Wireless Power Technology Wins Global Sustainability Award for Reducing Battery Use, E-Waste

The Business Intelligence Group awarded Powercast with its Sustainability Initiative of the Year in the 2021 Sustainability Awards program. These awards honor those people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission.&nb
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Date:
09/08/2021
32-Bit MCUs Realize High Performance and Power Efficiency
Renesas Electronics Corporation introduced the RX671 group of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), adding a new high-performance, high-functionality single-chip solution with touch sensing and voice recognition capabilities for contactless operation to the popular RX Family. Part of Renesas’ mainstream RX600 Seri
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Date:
09/08/2021
Single Axis MEMS Accelerometers Offer Low-Noise Measurements
Silicon Designs, Inc. announced the immediate availability of stock quantities of its industry best-selling single axis Model 2210 series.   These low-noise, low-cost MEMS capacitive accelerometer modules offer accurate and repeatable measurements across a variety of lower-frequency vibration t
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Date:
09/08/2021
Optically Isolated Gate Driver w/ no Need for External Power Supply
Littelfuse, Inc. announced the first high-voltage optically-isolated MOSFET gate driver on the market that requires no external power supply, yet can provide fast load turn-on speeds in the order of tens of microseconds. The CPC1596 570V Optically Isolated Load-Biased Gate Driver is ideal for use in a wide range of power electronics applications including: Industrial controls, Automatic Test Equipment (ATE), HVAC controls, Medical devices, Intern
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Date:
09/08/2021
High-Current Designs Utilizing Paralleled MOSFETs in Motor Drive Applications

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Figure 1. 3-phase inverter with two MOSFETs in parallel per switch

In applications such as motor drives, the half-bridge topology (typically 3 phases) is used to generate an AC power signal that produces a positive or negative torque in an electric motor. High output currents can be achieved only by means of paralleling MOSFETs that form each of the functional switches.  When paralleli
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Date:
09/08/2021
PSDcast – Long-Term Outlook of the Global Chip Shortage

CEO of Almonty Industries, Lewis Black

One of the most lasting effects of Covid-19 for our industry – apart from the physical work environment – is the global semiconductor shortage. Almost everyone would agree that the coronavirus made semiconductors scarce, but the question is “To what degree?” Here to discuss that is our old friend from Al
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Date:
09/08/2021
Crowcon Integrates NevadaNano's MPS Flammable Gas Sensors
NevadaNano announced that Crowcon Detection Instruments Ltd.uses the Molecular Property Spectrometer (MPS) sensors in their new Gasman flammable gas detection products. The new systems allow employees to rely on a single device to identify and alert them to the presence of 19 potentially dangerous ga
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Date:
09/07/2021
The World's Smallest LED Light Engines For Augmented Reality
Building on its long history of delivering cutting edge AR light engines, Avegant announced its latest products -- the AG-30L 30º and AG-50L 50º LED light engines. Avegant's 30º AR light engine uses proprietary illumination technology to dramatically reduce engine volume and weight while preserving eff
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Date:
09/07/2021
High-Precision Resistor with First-of-its-Kind Construction
VPG Foil Resistors released the FRFS0402, its smallest ultra-high-precision Bulk Metal Foil technology resistor which features a standoff construction that offers an improvement over regular flip chip technology. VPG Foil Resistors is a brand of Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG). The FRFS0402 is ideally s
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Date:
09/07/2021
Thermal Power will Dominate Power Generation in Russia to 2030
Slow growth of renewable technology in Russia will mean the country will have to continue to significantly depend on thermal sources for power generation, according to GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that thermal power is expected to have the largest share in Russia’s power generation mi
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Date:
09/06/2021
Image Diagnosis Technology w/ a High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensor
Yokohama National University, a national university corporation (Yokohama-city, Kanagawa pref. President: Izuru Umehara, hereinafter “YNU”) and TDK Corporation (Tokyo, President: Shigenao Ishiguro, hereinafter “TDK”) have developed a prototype image diagnosis technology utilizing a high-sensitivity magnetic se
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Date:
09/06/2021
Sensor Eval Board for Rapid Prototyping Speeds Development
The newly launched Application Board 3.0 provides a versatile development solution that makes it quick and easy for engineers to work with all Bosch Sensortec sensors on one common platform. The new board simplifies the evaluation and prototyping of sensors for a wide range of applications, particularly in Industry 4.
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Date:
09/06/2021
A Novel Metal Where Electrons Flow with Fluid-Like Dynamics

A small crystal of the new material, a synthesis of Niobium and Germanium (NbGe2), is mounted on a device to examine the behavior of the new electron-phonon liquid. The inset shows the atomic arrangement in the material.

A team of researchers from Boston College has created a new metallic specimen where the motion of electrons flows in the same way water flows in a pipe -- fundamentally changing from particle-like to fluid-like dynamics, the team reports in Nature Communications. Working with colleagues from the Unive
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Date:
09/06/2021
Kit Simplifies Development Of Professional Robotics Applications
Renesas Electronics Corporation and eProsima announced that the Renesas EK-RA6M5 Evaluation Kit for RA MCUs is the official supported hardware platform of the micro-ROS development framework. micro-ROS is the industry’s robotics operating system for MCUs. Renesas teamed with eProsima, the main developer of
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Date:
09/03/2021
ABB Augments Reality with new Remote Support Technologies
ABB Electrification’s Service business has announced the launch of pioneering solutions to provide interactive remote support using immersive extended reality.  With increasing demand for remote assistance and more interactive customer experiences, the global augmented reality (AR) market is expected
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Date:
09/03/2021
How Methanogenic Microbes Manage Electrons

A 3-MDa complex shows a complex electron-transfer pathway in which a conformational change gates electron flow to and from the center of flavin-based electron bifurcation (FBEB). High-energy electrons from FBEB are directly transferred to the site of CO2 reduction. Hdr = Heterodisufide reductase, Fdh = Format dehydrohenase, Fmd= formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase.

Methanogenic archaea use sophisticated enzyme systems to live in energy-limited anoxic environments. A key mechanism for saving energy is electron bifurcation, a reaction that ‘splits’ the energy of a pair of electrons, making one more strongly reducing at the expense of the other. Researchers from the Max Pl
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Date:
09/03/2021
DOE Announces $25 Million Investment in Polymer Upcycling Research

Dr. Steve Binkley, Acting Director of DOE’s Office of Science

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $25 million in funding for 10 research projects to build the scientific foundations for new technology solutions that reuse discarded plastics to make valuable products and reduce plastics waste. “Polymer upcycling holds the promise of boosting reuse of
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Date:
09/03/2021
PSDcast – How High-Performance MCUs are Reshaping the Industry

Sonia Ghelani, Business Manager with TI’s Sitara MCUs

Automated factories and smart vehicles require advanced networking capabilities, real-time processing, analytics at the edge, and more advanced motor-control topologies, and that necessitates high-performance microcontrollers.
Date:
09/03/2021
Using Gold Film to Enhance Quantum Sensing with Qubits in a 2D Material

Tongcang Li and his team at Purdue University have developed ultrathin quantum sensors with 2D materials.

As recently as 2019, spin defects known as qubits were discovered in 2D materials (hexagonal boron nitride), which could amplify the field of ultrathin quantum sensing. These scientists hit a snag in their discovery that has unleashed a scientific race to resolve the issues. The sensitivity of spin qubits in he
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Date:
09/03/2021
Grants Help Students Take a Byte out of Data Science

Rebecca Napolitano leads national multidisciplinary research teams developing curricular framework for data science and workforce development that will be transferrable across engineering disciplines and institutes. Adapted from a modular construction graphic by James Provost, this image represents combining new lessons with existing engineering courses in a modular way and augmenting this with student organizations, industry guidance, and community engagement

All of the data produced or used in 2020 was estimated to be about 59 zettabytes, each of which equals a billion terabytes. If each terabyte represents a mile, 59 zettabytes would allow for almost 10 full round trips from Earth to Pluto.  Understanding and managing data requires strong critical thinking an
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Date:
09/03/2021
Actuator Discovery Outperforms Existing Technology

Mohammad Reza Abidian, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering, has announced a breakthrough with the development of an electrochemical actuator.

University of Houston researchers are reporting a breakthrough in the field of materials science and engineering with the development of an electrochemical actuator that uses specialized organic semiconductor nanotubes (OSNTs). Currently in the early stages of development, the actuator will become a key par
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Date:
09/03/2021
Substantial Energy Reductions to Prevent Blackouts in Northern California
During this record-breaking fire season in California, OhmConnect and its community of energy savers have stepped up to help prevent blackouts in Northern California. During the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, parts of the California - Oregon Intertie (Path 66), a vital electric line corr
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Date:
09/02/2021
World's 1st Li-ion Silicon-Dominant Cyclindrical Cell Prototype
StoreDot reveals its ground-breaking silicon-dominant technology applied in extreme fast charging (XFC) cylindrical cells. In a world-first, the company demonstrated the prototype 4680 form factor that is fully charged in just 10 minutes.  StoreDot’s extreme fast charging cylindrical cells utilize a
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Date:
09/02/2021
Volvo Takes Largest Order of Electric Trucks in North America
Performance Team – A Maersk Company, a warehousing and distribution company, has placed an order for 16 Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 trucks—the largest commercial order of the North American zero-tailpipe emission model to date. The VNR Electric model from Volvo Trucks North America is the first zero-tailpipe emissio
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Date:
09/02/2021
Students Win Gold at National Autonomous Boat Competition
Engineering students on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Maritime RobotX Team brought home a first-place award last week, winning the top prize in the Hardware and Systems Design category for their autonomous vessel system at the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (A
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Date:
09/02/2021
Source Measuring Units (SMUs): Adding Power and Flexibility to Test Equipment
The global test and measurement equipment market is expected to exceed $31 billion by 2025, according to a recent report from VNZ research. The major driver of this growth is the development of sophisticated modular test instrumentation. Not only does it have amazing networking and communications capabilities, th
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Date:
09/01/2021
IMU-Based Navigation Technologies for Autonomous Vehicles

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Figure 1. There are a wide variety of sensors and sensor types that can be used to capture and combine data to provide highly accurate navigation for autonomous vehicles

Sensing technologies for autonomous vehicles include perception sensors like Lidar, cameras, radar, and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), car to car communications, up-to-date maps delivered to the cars, as well as GNSS/GPS based navigation systems which utilize location information from satellites. In addition, rea
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Date:
09/01/2021
How Digital MEMS Sensor Technology Revolutionizes What Can Go Where

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Figure 1a. sensor chip in SMD package

One underappreciated benefit of MEMS technology is the ability it gives designers to partition systems in new ways to create much more flexible end products. In this article, we take a look at a common application for vacuum sensors — the portable vacuum gauge — to illustrate how digital MEMS sensor technology ca
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Date:
09/01/2021
High Density Resonant Converter in a ⅛th Brick Size using eGaN FETs

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Table 1: Converter specifications

This article addresses the power density demand by presenting a high efficiency, high power density LLC resonant based converter that meets the requirements of modern data center and server rack power delivery systems. This DC-to-DC converter connects the 48 V intermediate bus to a downstream 12 V bu
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Date:
09/01/2021
Fusion Energy Generation Takes a Step Closer to Reality
Renewable energy has come on leaps and bounds over the last two decades. From being promising technologies that generated dribs and drabs of electricity to becoming a major part of our power generation capabilities. Large scale solar and wind power facilities can be found all over the world. But, there is one pr
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Date:
09/01/2021
How was Tesla so Successful During the Global Pandemic?
Tesla doesn’t always play by the same rules as normal automakers, and nowhere was that more evident than the global pandemic. At this point, we all know the score – in 2020, the world shut down, with factories closed and entire industries on standby. And what does no one do when they’re afraid to leave
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Date:
09/01/2021
Separating and Mitigating Conducted Emissions

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Figure 1. The CM noise path and DM noise path in a buck converter

EMI from switching regulators is broken down into radiated and conducted emissions (CE). This article focuses on conducted emissions, which can be further classified into two categories: common-mode (CM) noise and differential-mode (DM) noise. Why the CM-DM distinction? EMI mitigation techniques tha tare effective for C
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Date:
09/01/2021
PQ, PI, and EMC

Click image to enlarge

Nearly all electronic mains connected hardware (PV, UPS, SMPS, PWM motor drives, LED drivers, AC/DC chargers, etc.) creates electromagnetic interference (EMI), which affect the performance of other devices in the surrounding area (even while sharing the same wall outlet) and can cause malfunctions. When designing equ
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Date:
09/01/2021
The Evolution of Power Components

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Figure 1. Power semiconductor technologies now address all existing and emerging applications

Electricity demand is only set to increase as the world middle class grows and automobiles, HVAC, and industrial drives become more electrified.  The efficiency that can be achieved at each power stage (generation, distribution, conversion and consumption) will determine the level of increased burden on
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Date:
09/01/2021
Power Conversion Safety Basics

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Table 1: Potential hazards from a power supply

No power supply should produce other hazards itself, which include fire, fumes, releasing dangerous chemicals, emitting harmful radiation and causing physical injury from sharp edges and falling/flying objects or burns from hot surfaces. In a power supply design, all these effects must be considered and evaluated by
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Date:
09/01/2021
SEPIC, Boost, Inverting, and Flyback Controller Solves the Voltage Drop Problem of High Impedance, Long Length Industrial Power Lines

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Figure 1. Electrical schematic of a LT8710 lithium-ion battery charger in high impedance input lines.

The LT8710 is a versatile dc-to-dc controller that supports boost, SEPIC, inverting, or flyback configurations, and is widely used in automotive and industrial systems. The LT8710 includes features that enable use in applications with high impedance power supplies, or where input currentmust be
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Date:
09/01/2021
Five Key Factors for Choosing Wireless IIoT Gateways for Energy Providers

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Figure 1. General IIoT Gateway Application Diagram

In industries that rely on distributed data acquisition in remote areas, such as renewable energy or oil and gas, wired infrastructure is often lacking or impractical. Although wireless computers provide an ideal solution for these applications, each scenario has different requirements for communication distance,
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Date:
09/01/2021
Tried and Tested
Once again, summer is over and we are heading towards the end of the year. There’s not much travelling happening because of the COVID pandemic, but hopefully you managed to get a nice summer break, even if it was closer to home than usual. I’ve been away days here and there and mainly enjoying Scotland’s ma
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Date:
09/01/2021
Sensing…a Change in the Air
“However long the night, the dawn will break.” - African Proverb To borrow a market term, it’s hard to know if we’ve leveled out from 2020’s lunacy or if we’re in the eye of a slightly different storm. Lineage B.1.617.2 (aka, the COVID-19 “Delta Variant”) has enabled a worldwide coronavirus resu
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Date:
09/01/2021
Improved Water Splitting Method: A Green Energy Innovation
A hydrogen economy is one way in which a carbon neutral world can thrive. At present, the simplest way to produce hydrogen fuel is electrochemical water splitting: running electricity through water in the presence of catalysts (reaction-enhancing substances) to yield hydrogen and oxygen. This reaction, however, is
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Date:
09/01/2021
RWE to Procure Battery Energy Storage from LG Energy Solution
RWE Renewables has signed contracts with LG Energy Solution to provide an integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) for two of RWE's upcoming projects with co-located solar PV facilities in the U.S. "We're delighted to join forces with LG Energy Solution to secure equipment helping us realize two importa
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Date:
09/01/2021
Expanded Oscillator Portfolio for High-Performance Communications
Renesas Electronics Corporation expanded its robust timing solutions portfolio with the ProXO+ family of compact, ultra-low noise, temperature-controlled clock oscillators. The high-accuracy, high-frequency, differential oscillators are best suited for fiber optic transceiver modules, accelerator cards, sm
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Date:
09/01/2021
Integration is What You Need

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Figure 1. WBG and silicon power switch Infineon brands positioning

Introduction Today’s switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) are smaller, more efficient, and lower-cost than ever. The key to their performance is the power switch technologies at their heart – but how should designers choose the right material for this and find the best component to meet their needs? While silicon is the most widely-known constituent of semiconductors, a new group of wide bandgap (WBG) materials is increasingly finding its way into applications. One example is gallium nitride (
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Date:
09/01/2021
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