by Aijaz Fatima, Mentor, a Siemens business We live in a shrinking world, and like so much else, the size of ICs is shrinking too. The small size of an IC has many advantages, but it increases the power density of the IC, which leads to many concerns. An IC with a high power density […]
Charging electric vehicles, Part 2: The connections
Part 1 introduced some of the issues related to charging of electric vehicles. Part 2 continues with a look at the hardware (which also involves software, of course). Q: What about the electrical and physical connections? A: There are three connection situations, called “cases”: Case A has the charger connected to the AC mains, and […]
Charging electric vehicles, Part 1: The numbers
It’s nice to envision that recharging an electric vehicle is as straightforward as filling up an internal combustion vehicle, but it’s not: there are multiple charging, power, and connector options as well as limitations. You’re driving your internal-combustion (IC) car, and the gauge indicates it’s time to get “gas” (of course, it’s actually gasoline). So […]
Why it’s tough to characterize SiC power MOSFETs
Switching transients and parasitics can combine to thwart the accurate measurement of important MOSFET operating parameters. Levi Gant, Xuning Zhang, Ph.D., Littelfuse, Inc. Silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs get a lot of attention because they can switch fast while maintaining high blocking voltages. But their superior switching qualities also have potential drawbacks. Parasitic inductances caused […]
GaN power devices, Part 2: Application
Part 1 of this FAQ explored the basics of GaN switching transistors at the device and physics level. This part will look at driving and applying GaN devices. Q: What do I need to know to use a GaN device? A: There are three functional blocks associated with power switching: the power-device driver, the power […]
GaN power devices, Part 1: Principles
Power devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) are rapidly becoming a viable, higher-performance alternative to silicon MOSFETs due to their higher efficiency and other favorable attributes. In recent years, discrete power-switching and power-handling devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) material have become practical and available, and these devices are now found in many power supplies […]
Specialized diodes, Part 2: Varactor, Gunn, and PIN diodes
Part 1 of this FAQ reviewed the standard PN semiconductor diode, and looked at some specialized variations called the tunnel, Zener/avalanche, and Schottky diodes. Part 2 briefly explores the varactor, Gunn, and PIN diodes. Q: What about the varactor diode? A: The varactor diode (Figure 1), also called a voltage variable capacitor (VVC) or varicap […]
Specialized diodes, Part 1: Tunnel, Zener/Avalanche, and Schottky diodes
There are diode varieties which do much more than just block current flow in one direction and allow it in the other; some of these special diodes have favorable attributes while others are essential in modern electronics. Every electronic engineer is familiar with the diode: it’s a basic, widely used, two-terminal semiconductor device. The diode’s […]
Teardown: Simple approach characterizes modern LED bulbs
LED bulbs we examined are often simpler than those made four years ago, sometimes employing discrete transistors to handle tasks once done via chips. Leland Teschler, Executive Editor Back in 2015, we examined LED bulbs putting out the equivalent of 60-W incandescent bulbs. We recently obtained several new LED bulbs to see how things have […]
Flyback power converters, Part 2: Enhancements and ICs
Power supplies and converters tend to be simple in principle, yet their actual design – including overcoming the subtle issues which degrade and impede their performance – is the real challenge. In Part 1, we looked at the flyback design and some distinct advantages along with unique idiosyncrasies. This FAQ looks at some of these […]
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