The power management IC (PMIC) is often a vital part of the lower-voltage DC subsystem, as circuits have multiple power rails with tight individual specifications as well as mandated relationships among them. It’s one thing to develop needed low-voltage DC rails via DC/DC converters or regulators, but there’s also a need to manage these power […]
FAQ
GaN FETs boost efficiency in electric vehicle chargers
The role gallium-nitride FETs play in the design of an EV charging circuit help illustrate how these wide-bandgap semiconductors facilitate energy efficiency. FENG QI, TRANSPHORM THE PHASE-SHIFT FULL BRIDGE (PSFB) is a classic topology for applications that must accommodate a wide range of operating voltages, as with battery chargers. A PSFB converter generally uses four […]
Don’t be led astray on three-phase power measurements
Measurements made on power analyzers may differ from those on another because different manufacturers employ different settings and wiring assumptions. KEN JOHNSON, TELEDYNE LECROY POWER ANALYZERS have been manufactured for many years and are used in a wide variety of applications. Often, the settings and preferences dialed in from the front panel can significantly impact […]
Optimizing the energy efficiency of converters and controllers
Here’s how to evaluate energy efficiency associated with components that make up widely used power conversion circuitry. FRANK DE STASI, MATHEW JACOB, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. IN SOME WAYS, selecting a module, converter or controller for power conversion resembles deciding whether to take a flight, board a train, or drive from point A to B. Once […]
Evaluating options for USB Type-C connections
Port controllers, transceivers, and special dc/dc converters now simplify the task of adding USB Type-C functions. DANIEL LEIH, MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC. CONSIDER THE VIRTUES of the USB-C connector. In addition to its 10 Gbit/sec (Gbps) bandwidth and Alt Mode video capabilities, two attributes, in particular, make this form factor incredibly valuable: a reversible plug and […]
Capacitors in renewable energy
It pays to know the distinguishing features of electrolytic, film, and super capacitors when planning applications where energy efficiency is important. MORRIE GOLDMAN, ILLINOIS CAPACITOR INC. RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS all have a common need for high-efficiency power circuits. Whether the original source of energy is light, heat, or mechanical motion, ancillary circuitry will probably either […]
Maximizing efficiency and safety with rechargeable batteries
Some rechargeable lithium battery chemistries need more TLC than others when it comes to safety precautions. TOM BLAHA, MEMORY PROTECTION DEVICES RECHARGEABLE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY has come a long way, continually boosting performance with fewer annoying memory effects that severely limited the useful operating life of earlier generation cells. The most common rechargeable battery chemistries commercially […]
How long can a battery really last?
It pays to know how a testing regime can reveal whether specific types of lithium batteries will last as long as an application demands. SOL JACOBS, TADIRAN BATTERIES DESIGNERS MUST UNDERSTAND how their end device will consume power before they can choose a battery. Will the battery be depleted in a matter of hours, as […]
Prepare for IEC 62368-1, the new hazard-based safety standard
Get ready to evaluate safety measures in a different way. JEFF SCHNABEL, CUI THE FAMILIAR 60950-1 AND 60065 SAFETY STANDARDS for information and communication technology (ICT) and audio-visual (AV) equipment are being phased out in 2020, in favor of a single, harmonized standard based on a more modern approach to safety and testing. OEMs must […]
Transforming ac to dc without transformers
Substituting special capacitors for transformers helps realize ac-to-dc power supplies that are both efficient and compact. JEFF SORENSEN, HELIX SEMICONDUCTORS POWER SUPPLIES that convert ac to dc have been a part of nearly every electronics-based product since the popularization of the vacuum tube radio. While the voltage levels have changed, the conversion process has always […]
