Hiroshima University researchers say Ultraviolet-C light with a wavelength of 222 nm effectively kills SARS-CoV-2. Other studies involving 222-nm UV-C have so far only examined how well it kills seasonal coronaviruses structurally similar to the SARS-CoV-2 but not on the COVID-19-causing virus itself. Operation at 222 nm is said to be safer than emitting light […]
Applications
GaN-powered LED drivers target compact smart-lighting designs
Power Integrations announced a new member of the LYTSwitch-6 family of safety-isolated LED drivers for smart lighting applications – the LYT6078C. This new LYTSwitch-6 IC uses Power Integrations’ PowiGaN™ gallium nitride (GaN) technology to deliver efficiency and performance benefits, demonstrated by the new design example report (DER-920) the company is also announcing today. The PowiGaN-based LYT6078C […]
Higher contrast, better resolution: Automotive display full-array local dimming
By Logan Cummins, Infotainment Systems Engineer, Texas Instruments A local dimming backlight technology individually adjusts LEDs in an LCD panel to save power and improve contrast ratios in automotive displays. Compared to globally dimmed displays and organic LEDs (OLEDs), local dimming with LEDs is a more practical design choice because it can withstand the extreme […]
A better automotive display from pixel to picture with local dimming
By Logan Cummins, Infotainment Systems Engineer, Texas Instruments Automotive specifications and environmental conditions have caused the automotive display market to lag behind the consumer display industry in contrast ratio, black levels, resolution, curvature, and form factor. Automakers try to differentiate their infotainment human-machine interface (HMI) displays and catch up to the technological advances now common […]
LED driver ICs handle TV backlighting
MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation announced the launch of two new LED Driver ICs for UHD TV BLU (Back Light Unit). The two new models are 1-channel and 2-channel products developed for mid-range UHD TVs. An essential component of LED display panels, a BLU LED Driver IC is a power semiconductor device that delivers consistent lighting across […]
UV-C LED modules designed for sterilization
Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. (SETi) and Seoul Viosys have started mass production of a UV LED module designed to sterilize 99.9% of the coronavirus in three seconds using “Violeds,” a UV LED technology developed by Seoul. Seoul Viosys is also developing a “Photon Shower” device that applies the UV LED technology to contribute to the […]
MWCT controller enables multi-device wireless charging
NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced that the first multi-device vehicle wireless charging solution driven by a single MWCT controller is now available in production vehicles. NXP has expanded its offerings to the new 15W wireless power standard, enabling faster charging. The new solution helps carmakers offer a differentiated in-car experience to their customers by enabling the […]
CMOS LED ICs are drop-in replacements for bipolar drivers
Taiwan Semiconductor announces the availability of the TSCR4 family of linear CMOS LED driver ICs, providing a much-improved performance drop-in replacement for legacy bipolar drivers. These constant current drivers provide stable LED current over a wide range of conditions including source voltage variations, changes in load or temperature variations. Compared to legacy bipolar LED drivers, […]
Shedding light on how much UV-C you need for disinfection
The idea of using UV-C light to kill the COVID-19 virus by disrupting its RNA has captured the imagination of many in the technical community. Unfortunately, important application details about factors such as necessary exposure time and intensity levels may be hard to discern, particularly for those who are new to the technology. A complicating […]
Buck-boost controller and charger combo simplify USB-C, power-delivery designs
As portable devices add new technologies such as 5G connectivity and 4K video, many are changing from single-cell to two-series (2S) cell architectures. With this change comes the need for higher power delivery via USB-C PD and higher-power charging (25W or higher). Maxim Integrated Products has released the MAX77958 USB-C PD controller and the MAX77962 […]
