Determining the durability and reliability of power electronics starts with strategies for estimating the lifespan. In mechanics, it is obvious that moving parts wear under friction, and the countermeasure is also clear: lubrication. Lubrication reduces friction and thus wear, or vice versa, extending service life. Power electronic components are also subject to wear. Since this […]
FAQ
Trends for GaN adoption in xEV and clean energy power systems
Gate drivers hold the key for efficient wide bandgap semiconductor adoption on the road to sustainability. Innovative companies are developing disruptive new technologies that move the world towards a safer and more sustainable future. Wide bandgap semiconductors, notably GaN and SiC transistors, are a present-day example of a rapidly emerging and disruptive technology that dramatically […]
What are edge-based and OOK digital isolator architectures?
Edge-based and on-off-keying (OOK) are common communication architectures used in digital isolators. The choice between the two involves tradeoffs, mostly in data rates versus power consumption. Depending on the implementation, there can also be tradeoffs related to noise and transient response and common mode transient immunity (CMTI). This FAQ reviews how edge-based and OOK architecture […]
A nuclear-powered cardiac pacemaker? Yes, but…. (Part 3)
Long-life pacemakers powered by plutonium-based thermal decay were implanted beginning in the 1970s, but better battery technology, safety concerns, and regulatory issues made them obsolete within a few decades. The long-term implications Q: Assuming the RTG version works well, what happens when the patient passes away? A: That’s when the RTG saga gets even more […]
A nuclear-powered cardiac pacemaker? Yes, but…. (Part 2)
Long-life pacemakers powered by plutonium-based thermal decay were implanted beginning in the 1970s, but better battery technology, safety concerns, and regulatory issues made them obsolete within a few decades. The technology Q: What did the nuclear pacemaker look like? How is it identified? A: The unit’s electronics are embedded in epoxy, with the plutonium power […]
How does digital isolation contribute to sustainability?
In general, digital isolation can be implemented using capacitive, giant magneto restrictive (GMR), and magnetic technologies. The digitally isolated gate drivers used to drive silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) devices plus silicon power MOSFETs and IGBTs in green energy systems like electric vehicles (EVs) and solar inverters mostly rely on magnetic isolation techniques, […]
FAQ on creepage and clearance: Part 3
Regulatory creepage and clearance requirements are increasingly affecting mainstream designs; understanding and meeting them is a complicated, multifaceted process. The final part of this article looks at an IC pair specifically designed for an enhanced creepage and clearance value, tools for helping with design, and also provides some “pre-electronics” perspective on the subject. Q: Are […]
What’s a digitally isolated transceiver?
Digitally isolated transceivers are available for industrial applications, electric vehicles, satellites, communications, data processing, and medical systems. They are available for specific protocols like control area network (CAN), RS485, RS422, and RS232, serial peripheral interface (SPI), I2C, low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS), and others. Some support multiple protocols. They can have a single channel or multiple […]
A nuclear-powered cardiac pacemaker? Yes, but…. (Part 1)
Long-life pacemakers powered by plutonium-based thermal decay were implanted beginning in the 1970s, but better battery technology, safety concerns, and regulatory issues made them obsolete within a few decades. Recently, I was surfing through my free over-the-air (OTA) TV channels and stumbled across a show from the 1970s called “To Tell the Truth” (there is […]
What technologies are used for digital isolators?
There are three main technologies used for digital isolators, capacitive, magnetic, and giant magnetoresistive (GMR). This FAQ briefly looks at capacitive designs (they are covered in more detail in “What is a capacitive digital isolator”), then digs deeper into magnetic and GMR devices. Capacitive digital isolators use two CMOS dies connected with a capacitive isolation […]
