Technical Features

February 2023

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Figure 1: Replacing conventional, discrete power conversion with power modules throughout the vehicle provides significant cost and weight savings in EVs

High-Density Power Modules Simplify and Downsize EV Power System Design

Greg Green, Director of Automotive Marketing, Vicor

The electrification of the automobile is presenting new challenges for power system designers in achieving the highest power density at the lowest weight possible, eliminating compromises in vehicle range and overall performance. Designers of power delivery networks (PDNs) are also tasked with designing safe, effici

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Date:

10/31/2024

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Figure 1: Infineon’s four-step qualification plan for CoolGaN™ devices

Developing a New Approach to Predicting the Behavior of GaN Devices

Oliver Haeberlen, Fellow Power Semiconductor Devices & Technologies, and Tim McDonald, Senior Consulting Advisor to the CoolGaN™ Development Program, both at Infineon Technologies

Introduction Silicon semiconductor technology has evolved considerably over the past 50 years, during which time, multiple failure modes affecting device reliability have been discovered, researched, and addressed. This has led to the development of models and equations for failure modes like time-de

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Date:

02/24/2023

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Figure 1: Test equipment for partial discharge testing with test chamber, partial discharge tester, and computer with measurement software

Testing the Quality of Low Power Transformers

Jochen Neller, Rutronik, and Shreyankh Krishnamurthy, Pulse

During their extensive service life, low-power transformers are subjected to a wide variety of stress. The electrical insulation, which is essential for fault-free operation, can be damaged as a result. Despite taking the utmost care, small defects, cavities, cracks, inclusions in the dielectric, or inhomogeneities in

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Date:

02/01/2023

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Figure 1. A 48 V, 10 A electronic fuse with an LTC4381

Electronic Fuse Protects 48 V Supplies

Pinkesh Sachdev, Senior Applications Engineer, Analog Devices

Traditional overcurrent protection (OCP) relies on fuses, but they suffer frombulky size, slow response, wide tolerance, and requiring replacement after one or a few trips. Integrated circuit OCP solutions for DC power supplies, known as electronic circuit breakers or electronic fuses, overcome these fuse di

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Date:

02/01/2023

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Figure 1: Multiple outputs using non-isolated DC-DC converters with fixed polarity outputs

Multiple Output Power Supplies – Are There Benefits to Having Isolation Between the Output Voltages?

Rob Hutton, Product Manager, TDK-Lambda EMEA

The outputs for multiple output power supplies could be fixed at +5V, +12V and -12V for example, sharing a common 0V terminal with no isolation between the outputs. Other types of power supplies, on the other hand, may have one, two, or all three of the outputs isolated from each other. But are there any benefits of

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Date:

02/01/2023

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Figure 1. The use of renewable diesel in existing generators can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%

Decarbonizing Mission-Critical Power

Beth Splittgerber, product manager for the small diesel product line, Kohler Power Systems, North America

Back-up power plays a central role in the mission-critical systems that support our essential infrastructure such as data centers, smart grids, hospitals, utilities and airports. But we also need to drastically cut carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases as part of the ongoing fight against climate ch

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Date:

02/01/2023

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Figure 1: A typical schematic for output filter capacitors

Output Filter Capacitor Characteristics and Performance in Miniature Switched-Mode Power Supplies

Ron Demcko, Senior Fellow, and Slavomir Pala, Technical Product Marketing Manager, KYOCERA AVX

Switched-mode power supplies can introduce conducted or radiated noise into a system, which is a potentially significant disadvantage. Noise control is increasingly achieved with streamlined designs that use of one or two chipsets, have matched performance, and are designed to provide simple, proven integrati

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Date:

02/01/2023

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Figure 1: Modern Data Centre

Preserving Information Security at Data Centres

Paul Currie, Director, MPE Ltd

Countermeasures are designed to preventing eavesdropping on data radiated as signals via conducting lines such as power, telephone or control line cables. In defence parlance, the countermeasures applied to prevent intelligence interception are known as hardening, and TEMPEST hardening represents one aspec

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Date:

02/01/2023

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Figure 1: The basic electrical implementation of air conditioning units and heat pumps

Wolfspeed – SiC and Energy Efficiency

Mark Patrick, Mouser Electronics

With energy prices climbing significantly over the past twelve months, businesses and consumers are starting to feel the pinch. In Europe, gas prices rose by 47% between 2020 and 2021. Countries like Germany rely on gas for a sixth of their electricity generation and, in the US, two-fifths of electricity is ge

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Date:

02/01/2023

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Figure 1: Wireless charging of mobile robots on a factory floor

Harnessing Electromagnetic Induction to Power the Wireless Charging of Industry 4.0 Mobile Robots

Pramit Nandy, product market manager, MCU-16 business and Vijay Bapu, product market manager of MCU-16 business, both at Microchip Technology, Inc.

Advances in wireless charging have been critical for keeping these robots running, but solutions must be optimized for the specific cost and safety requirements of Industry 4.0 applications. These challenges can be overcome through the proper combination of component selection, coil design and board layout. Role and Benef

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Date:

02/01/2023

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Figure 1: EV charging systems are rapidly maturing, leveraging DC fast charging with the latest in electrical protection solutions

Advanced Electrical Protection Trends for DC Fast Charging

Jinsong Dai, Product Marketing Director, Clean Energy Solutions at Sensata Technologies

Now that the latest Electric Vehicles (EVs) are exhibiting operational ranges that are more acceptable consumers, the attention has shifted to battery charging times. These EVs are using the latest in wide-bandgap semiconductor solutions and power topologies, with system voltages often well over several hundred vo

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Date:

02/01/2023