Most consumer devices that transfer power over wireless links follow the Qi standard. The construction of these power transfer systems is simpler thanks to the availability of new reference designs. Contributed by IDT Inc. Examine the wireless charging setup used in the passenger compartment of most vehicles and you are likely to find a system […]
FAQ
Flyback power converters, Part 1: basic principles
Among the many available topologies used for power-supply converters, the flyback design offers some distinct advantages along with unique idiosyncrasies. There’s a wide and diverse array of power-supply converter topologies among which to choose, each with tradeoffs in their various performance attributes and cost. The flyback design is a converter approach that has been used […]
Working with higher voltages, Part 2: Voltage multipliers
In part 1 of the FAQ, we looked at techniques for a modest amount of boosting of lower voltages, as well as for increasing a voltage to a much higher value. The techniques discussed thus far boost and thus multiply the voltage, but what are called voltage “multipliers” usually give push voltages to much-higher values. […]
Working with higher voltages, Part 1: Voltage boosters
Whether for efficiency or due to the device physics, many applications require voltages ranging in the tens, hundreds, or even thousands of volts; the circuits which produce these voltages start with basic charge pumps and extend to voltage multipliers with simple schematics but many subtleties. Lower-voltage circuitry is the trend, with ICs and designs operating […]
What you need to know about buzzers – reviewing the basic types and technologies
Bruce Rose, Principal Applications Engineer, CUI Inc A buzzer can provide a cost-effective yet intuitive aspect to the user interface of a wide variety of products, such as a home appliance, security panel, door-entry system or computer peripheral. Usually, the choice is between either a magnetic or piezoelectric type. It should be an easy decision, […]
Powering graphics processors from a 48-V bus
New converter topologies and power transistors promise to reduce the size and boost the efficiency of supplies that will run next-generation AI platforms. Alex Lidow | Efficient Power Conversion Artificial Intelligence (AI), gaming, cloud computing, and autonomous vehicles all employ the latest generation of graphics processors (GPUs) in lieu of CPUs. The reasoning is that […]
Key factors in power supply selection
It pays to understand a few important electrical parameters that can dictate the kind of applications specific power supplies can handle. Florian Haas | Traco Power Group A few basic factors go into the selection of low-voltage dc/dc and ac/dc power supplies for OEM use. At the risk of stating the obvious, the key objective […]
Switchers say bye-bye to EMI
Electromagnetic interference can emanate from high di/dt loops found in some switch-mode supply topologies. New controllers overcome these difficulties by integrating key components inside the chip package. Tony Armstrong | Power by Linear, Analog Devices Inc. It goes without saying that PCB layout sets functional, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and thermal behavior of every power supply […]
Power operating limits: How to choose the right power supply
Not all power supplies react to over and under-voltages and currents in the same way. It pays to know the tradeoffs of different approaches to protection. Ron Stull | CUI Inc. Power supplies can experience operating conditions outside normal specified limits, such as input under- or over-voltage, or variations in load and ambient temperature. These […]
Why wide bandgap HEMTs excel at efficient power conversion
High electron mobility transistors reduce power supply size thanks to special make-up that eliminates sources of energy loss. Andrea Bricconi | Wei Deng, Infineon Technologies AG It is an exciting time for power supply designers. We are learning how devices based on wide bandgap (WBG) materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) […]