Technical Features

January 2013

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Figure 1: Half-cell diagrams of the N-Channel SJMOSFET (a) and N-Channel VDMOSFET (b)

New Rad Hard MOSFET Technology Drives Higher Power Efficiency and Reliability in Space

Jackson Heun, Product Applications Engineer, Infineon IR HiRel Products

When designing a robust and high-density power architecture for space systems like satellites, engineers must grapple with a variety of design complexities, including limited board space, power dissipation requirements, and damaging radiation effects. To address these challenges and reach peak operational per

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Date:

02/28/2025

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Figure 1: Typical CPU section and firmware memory map

Flash corruption: software bug or supply-voltage fault?

Shyam Chandra, Lattice Semiconductor

Embedded systems commonly use Flash memory to store firmware. Occasionally, the firmware stored in the Flash memory in some systems is accidentally corrupted, preventing the system from booting up

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Date:

01/27/2013

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Figure 1: Projected relative cost of LED Luminaire and percentage due to the cost of LEDs (Source: DOE SSL 2011 Manufacturing Roadmap)

Convert a buck regulator into a high-current LED driver

Jon Kraft, Applications Engineer, Analog Devices

LEDs promise to change the world, and few doubt that they will. However, a key limiter to more rapid adoption is the cost of the LEDs themselves. The cost breakdown of LED luminaires varies, but it

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Date:

01/26/2013

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Figure 1: A typical PoE system

90-W plug-n-play Power over Ethernet over 100-m CAT-5e cable

Alison Steer, Product Marketing Manager, Mixed-Signal Products, Linear Technology

PoE (Power over Ethernet) has been increasing in popularity due to its flexible and cost-effective method of delivering both power and data over a single Ethernet cable. This allows equipment to be

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Date:

01/21/2013

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Figure 1: A network topology for wind-farm applications makes use of redundant devices and cabling to maximize system uptime and minimize the operational consequences of single points of failure.

Five considerations for deploying Ethernet in wind farms

Diane Davis, Director of Product Management, Ethernet Networking, Red Lion Controls

Data is a key element to the successful operation of a wind farm. Real-time data access allows operators to monitor wind turbine uptime, performance, and power output—even from remote locations. This

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Date:

01/21/2013

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Figure 1: Shading and current distribution inside the solar module

Modeling and simulation for wind and solar energy

Dr Peter van Duijsen, Technical Director, Simulation Research

The market for green and renewable energy is growing, but also presents numerous new challenges when it comes to technology, environment, and acceptance. Concerning technology, these challenges require

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Date:

01/20/2013

Solar and wind energy may stabilise the grid

Dirk Witthaut and Marc Timme, Dynamics Group Researchers, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization

Such a dense power grid however may not be as vulnerable to power outages as some experts fear. One might assume that it is much harder to synchronize the many generators and machines of consumers,

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Date:

01/20/2013

Smart-grid security: history demonstrates need

Dave Andeen, Strategic Segment Manager for Energy, Maxim Integrated

The smart grid surrounds us these days. In the U.S., approximately 36 million smart electricity meters have deployed since 2007 (reference 1). In Europe, both Italy and Sweden have each achieved complete

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Date:

01/19/2013

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Figure 1: Wholesale energy prices will be increasingly driven by the weather.

Renewable energy prices; weather driven and volatile

James Cox, Head of Market Analysis, Pöyry Management Consulting

Pöyry Management Consulting has conducted a series of studies over the last two years to investigate how European energy markets would need to evolve in the face of the radical changes expected from

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Date:

01/19/2013

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Figure 1: Micrel's MIC94300 integrated design reduces the combined footprint of filter and load switch by as much as 65%.

Optimizing output noise through low-noise power design

Brian Huffman, Sr. Strategic Application Engineer and Roel van Ettinger, Analogue Design Engineering Manager, Micrel

The proliferation of portable connectivity devices over the last decade has seen most of us become more reliant on technology than ever before. At home and at work, as we embrace technology, we demand

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Date:

01/09/2013

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Figure 1: Active Network Management creates a new layer of grid management.

Active network management offered as grid panacea

Alan Gooding, Managing Director, Smarter Grid Solutions

The power industry faces some significant future challenges: to create a more visible and controllable electricity grid to deliver power more reliably, efficiently, and cost effectively and find smarter

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Date:

01/09/2013

Isolated uModule Power Converter

Willie Chan Sr. Product Marketing Engineer Linear Technology

Properly implemented, galvanic isolation is an effective defense against disturbances in the ground plane often referred to as ground loops, which occur as a result of varying electrical potentials. Physical limitations require that electrical components on a PCB connect to the ground plane at different physical

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Date:

01/03/2013