Figure 1: The new Vicor BCM6135 enables the size and weight of an active suspension system to be reduced by half and provide symmetrical bidirectional power for highly efficiency energy recuperation.
Chris Levasseur, Automotive Research Assistant, Vicor
Picture this. You are taking a trip to the city with some friends in your economy car, and you encounter an atrocious stretch of road. As you endure the bumpiest ride you have ever faced, you are passed by a sleek sedan, easily going twice your speed. ‘That can’t be comfortable’ you think to yourself, bu
As automobiles continue to add an ever increasing number of electronic systems to enhance safety, comfort, efficiency and performance while minimizing harmful exhaust emissions, it comes as no surprise that they require physically smaller power solutions with dramatically higher power levels. Additionally, with th
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The automotive industry is under significant societal pressure to address global warming. Electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) are expected to lead the way in CO2 reduction, relying on their internal inverter systems to control high electric power in the limited space available. Due to these sp
For many years, engineers have used calculation tools to optimize a switch mode power supply design. In the early years, power supply engineers would program their own tools or use spreadsheets they generated themselves with the required formulas underlying a certain power supply topology. While this helped tr
Tantalum surface mount capacitors with a solid electrolyte have been the favorite capacitor technology choice in many electronic devices for more than five decades, thanks to their stability, high reliability, and superior volumetric efficiency. The traditional manganese dioxide (MnO2) cathode material provides go
Today’s power supply designers must strive to meet increasingly tough environmental legislation governing standby power and average efficiency. On the other hand, they must also ensure designs comply with relevant technical requirements.
Wall adapters for charging smartphones, for example, must meet revi
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There’s a large element of irony in the design of today’s cars. They are increasingly energy efficient, yet they also have many more electrical demands being placed on them. These demands range from an array of safety-related functions to numerous in-cabin convenience, connectivity, and entertainment features, su
The automotive powertrain semiconductor market grew 8.3 percent in 2014, with increasing volumes of new vehicles and the need for fuel-efficient vehicle technologies the main drivers contributing to it. IHS forecasts that revenues related to powertrain semiconductors will increase with a compound annual growth ra
