Design Features
December 19, 2011
Extending the Life of Electronics
It’s time for a wake-up call regarding power and its role in electronics protection.
August 22, 2011
A New Accurate Method For Current Sensing
Measuring, controlling and optimising power is a basic need in electronic systems, and depends on accurate sensing of load currents to achieve goals such as maximising efficiency, prolonging battery life, and protecting system components in the event of a fault.
July 18, 2011
The Nation's Quest for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Adoptions in Net Zero Energy Buildings
The nation’s quest for Net Zero Energy Buildings is likely to change a great deal about the way we approach designing and constructing buildings in the future. From the use of a broadened integration team in early planning and the heightened use of BIM tools, to the consideration of a diverse pallet of energy efficient building solutions and site-based power generation and storage, the days of incremental improvement of older technologies may not meet the challenge.
May 6, 2011
Increasing Motor Efficiency With Power Factor Control
“Global Warming, Carbon Footprint, and Energy Efficiency” are becoming mantras for the industrial manufacturing sector. With energy costs constantly rising leading to increased overhead costs, the need to use electrical energy in a more efficient manner by reducing the amount is at the fundamental basis of this crisis.
February 23, 2011
Power Supplies Go Digital
The concept of “digital power” has received significant attention and promotion in the past few years, from both semiconductor suppliers and power supply manufacturers. There is a need to explain the concepts of digital power; explore the advantages and tradeoffs of digital techniques compared to analog approaches; discuss some of the standardization directions; and explore the possibilities for digital power.
February 4, 2011
An Interview With Alex Lidow on GaN Developments
Alex Lidow is Co-founder and CEO of Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC). EPC designs, develops, and produces Gallium-Nitride-on-Silicon transistors and integrated circuits used in power management. Prior to founding EPC, Dr. Lidow was the CEO of International Rectifier Corporation, a company he joined in 1977. A co-inventor of the HEXFET power MOSFET, Dr. Lidow holds many patents in power semiconductor technology and has authored numerous publications on related subjects.
August 25, 2010
Shaping Efficiency Using Digital Algorithms
The onslaught of efficiency requirements for multiphase dc-dc voltage regulators (VRs) has caused a major shift in VR solutions throughout the computing industry. While such computing industry specifications as Climate Savers or Energy Star® do not specify exact dc-dc efficiency requirements, they make it abundantly clear that efficiency from 20 to 100% load needs to constantly improve. Major OEM customers, especially in the server industry, are demanding even higher efficiency levels than industry forums are proposing.
July 20, 2010
Realizing the PoE+ Future
Power over Ethernet (PoE) has allowed communication and power infrastructure to be combined, significantly reducing hardware installation problems and curbing the required investment, as well as bringing greater functionality and improved flexibility to a plethora of different applications. The recent ratification of IEEE802.3at (PoE+) has the potential to progress this technology still further. ON Semiconductor’s Matt Tyler looks at the implications of this higher power standard, and details the size, cost and performance challenges that lie ahead.
May 25, 2010
SEPIC Converter Benefits from Leakage Inductance
The SEPIC converter’s popularity is due to its ability to operate from an input voltage that is greater or less than the regulated output voltage. This capability allows it to be used in many non-isolated applications such as automotive, medical, security systems, and LED lighting. Once the choice is made to use a SEPIC, you need to decide if you want to use a dual-winding inductor or two separate inductors. A single-coupled inductor is often selected due to its reduced component count and lower inductance requirement compared to using two single inductors. However, the limited selection of higher power off-the-shelf coupled inductors poses a problem for power supply designers. They can choose to design their own inductor, requiring all pertinent electrical parameters to be specified in the process. One parameter that is critical to the SEPIC’s operation is leakage inductance, but its role is often overlooked or misunderstood.
January 22, 2010
PMIC Digital Control Made Simple Using a Single Wire
Digital control has permeated all aspects of the integrated circuit business, including the analog power management sector. Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C), System Peripheral Interface (SPI), Power Management Bus (PMBus), and other interfaces have been adapted to the needs of power management chips (PMIC), at the expense of requiring at least three extra pins and a large chunk of die area to implement a digital bus that is in many cases overkill for a simple regulator chip. In many cases, simple power management ICs don’t require the read-write capability provided by these bi-directional data buses. A simple write-only protocol would be sufficient to program these devices without the need for read-back capability.
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Product Focus
January 16, 2012
Recapping Recent Energy Harvesting Developments
The past several months have witnessed significant new product releases, technological developments, and industry news related to the field of energy harvesting.
Design Features
December 19, 2011
Extending the Life of Electronics
It’s time for a wake-up call regarding power and its role in electronics protection.
Product Focus
November 18, 2011
Recaps of Recent Capacitor Developments
The past several months have witnessed significant new product releases and technological developments related to the field of capacitor technology.
In June, Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) introduced what it says is the industry’s first fully integrated Li-Ion battery management integrated circuit (IC) for super capacitor charge control. This single device provides comprehensive features for managing charge control; measuring capacitance and effective series resistance (ESR); and protecting either 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-series super capacitors with individual capacitor control, or up to 9-series capacitors with stack control.
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In 1899 and 1900, electric cars outsold all other types of cars in the United States, valued for their quiet and lack of fumes.