Physical artificial intelligence (PAI) is enabling robotics to venture from the relatively safe and predictable operating environments of assembly lines and enter the unpredictable and dynamic world of humanoid robotics. Power presents a primary bottleneck for the proliferation of humanoid robotics. Energy availability and delivery systems, including power conversion and energy storage, are gating factors […]
AI
How does the IEEE MagNet Challenge use AI for power magnetics modeling?
The IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) Google-Tesla MagNet Challenge is an annual competition. It’s designed to accelerate innovation in magnetic modeling using artificial intelligence (AI). This article reviews some of the highlights from the first two MagNet Challenges in 2023 and 2024. The first installment ran from February to December 2023, with the winners announced […]
How do ML and AI work in power conversion: part 2
This article digs into how machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) contribute to the optimization of green energy systems and electric vehicles (EVs). It looks at a few of the ways ML/AI enable designers to deploy dynamic models that learn from experience, and handle non-linearities and changing, complex conditions better than fixed algorithms. Part […]
How do ML and AI work in power conversion? part 1
The use of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) in power converters represents the latest development in the field of digital power. They are being used in advanced converter control schemes, performance monitors of electrolytic capacitors to support preventative maintenance, and power management systems to improve efficiency and enhance reliability. Part 2 will look […]
The difference between physical AI and machine learning in power electronics
Physical artificial intelligence (PAI) is the application of AI and machine learning (ML) algorithms to enable autonomous systems to interact with the physical world. ML is an internal software technique that allows systems to learn from data, while PAI refers to the external physical implementation of that intelligence. Traditional machine control (automation) follows fixed, pre-programmed […]
Renesas expands GaN portfolio to cover 1 V to 650 V+ range with EPC technology license
Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) has entered a licensing agreement with Renesas Electronics for EPC’s low-voltage enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) technology. Renesas will establish internal wafer fabrication for these devices and second-source select EPC GaN products currently in mass production. The agreement addresses supply-chain concerns by creating an additional qualified manufacturer for existing EPC devices. Over […]
Ultralow ESL and ESR support high-speed PDN requirements
The EC2005P, EC2025P and EC2006P ECAPs™ from Empower Semiconductor are embedded silicon capacitors designed to support power integrity requirements in AI and high-performance computing processors. The devices provide capacitance values of 9.34 µF in a 2 mm x 2 mm package, 18.68 µF in a 4 mm x 2 mm package and 36.8 µF in […]
Stackable power modules deliver up to 200 A vertical power
The FS1525 µPOL from TDK Corporation is a low-profile non-isolated DC-DC point-of-load power module delivering up to 25 A in a 7.65 x 6.80 mm footprint and just 3.82 mm height, designed for vertical power delivery directly beneath FPGA, SoC or ASIC devices. Based on 3D chip-embedded packaging, it integrates controller, MOSFETs, inductor and passives, […]
Vertical power delivery reduces losses in AI processor designs
GPUs, ASICs, and other AI processors require enormous amounts of power delivered at low voltages and high currents. Moving point-of-load DC-DC converters underneath those processors wastes less energy and provides cleaner power than having power components placed alongside loads. The semiconductor industry is approaching a transformative inflection point driven by the explosive growth of artificial […]
150 A quad-channel IVR targets AI accelerator power rails
Endura Technologies has introduced the ET21324X, a quad-channel integrated voltage regulator intended for high-current point-of-load conversion in AI and high-performance compute platforms. The device is specified to deliver 150 A continuous output current with 220 A instantaneous capability and targets power rails that must hold regulation under rapid load steps from processors and accelerators. The […]
