Modern tantalum capacitors and supercapacitors make it possible for compact energy harvesting systems to power IoT MCU applications. Ron Demcko, Daniel West, Ashley Stanziola • Kyocera AVX Advanced tantalum capacitors and supercapacitors are enabling advanced ICs to be powered by compact and low-cost energy harvesting and scavenging sources. These developments make possible maintenance-free control systems […]
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Selecting a gate driver for ASIL-certified systems
Several safety features now found in gate driver integrated circuits make it easier for automotive system designs to get ASIL certification. David Divins • Infineon Technologies The Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) is a risk classification system defined by the ISO 26262 standard for the functional safety of road vehicles. There are four ASIL safety […]
Vertical power delivery enables cutting-edge processing
New architectures deliver more efficient power for today’s unprecedented high-performance computing demands. Ajith Jain • Vicor Corp. High-performance artificial intelligence (AI) processor power levels continue to rise and core voltages are declining with advanced process nodes. These developments are challenging power system designers with managing ever-rising power delivery network (PDN) impedance voltage drops, voltage gradients […]
Industrial lithium batteries that power the IIoT
Industrial grade lithium batteries reduce the operating costs of remote wireless sensors. Sol Jacobs, Tadiran Batteries At the heart of the IIoT are lithium battery-operated remote wireless devices that bring digital connectivity to emerging and evolving technologies such as SCADA, process control, industrial robotics, asset tracking, safety systems, environmental monitoring, M2M, AI, and wireless mesh […]
Where depletion-mode power MOSFETs excel
Depletion-mode MOSFETs have qualities that let them work well in several kinds of power-handling circuits. Aalok Bhatt, José Padilla, Raymon Zhou • Littelfuse, Inc. Most MOSFETs are enhancement-mode (EM) devices: When their gate-source voltage is zero, they don’t conduct. When the need is for a switch that is normally on when there is no power […]
Calculations reveal the value of efficiency
A few back-of-the-envelope estimates show why it pays to maximize power supply efficiency. Chris Harman • Puls l.p. Engineers are becoming more sensitive to efficiency when selecting a power supply. Energy flows through the supply, and something less than 100% of that energy can be used because of inefficiencies of power supply components. The difference […]
Good luck selling a used EV
Leland Teschler • Executive Editor There were some interesting developments at the recent and aptly named Battery Show near Detroit for those who follow battery technology. One in particular came from the Michigan-based Our Next Energy (ONE). The firm released details about a 240-Ah prismatic cell battery it has designed and which is said to […]
Gallery: Sights and sounds at the Battery Show North America 2022
Billed as the most comprehensive battery manufacturing event, the Battery Show combined with the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo in Novi, Mich., featured over 750 exhibitors and 150 conference presenters, with crowded aisles playing host to over 10,000 attendees. Here are a few of the sights that caught our eye while checking out the […]
Protect cellular base stations from electrical hazards
The next generation of cellular communications, the 5G network, will help the IoT reach its full potential. IoT includes many devices and physical objects such as home appliances, vehicles, and “smart” cities. IoT connectivity depends on the advancements of the 5G network compared to the current 4G LTE networks. The download speed of up to […]
Modeling true MOSFET performance using electrothermal models
By, Andrew Berry, Principal Product Modelling Engineer, Nexperia Many manufacturer-provided simulation models are available for use when designing with discrete power MOSFETs. However, few (if any) accurately represent real-world performance, reducing their use when using tools such as SPICE to simulate practical applications. Temperature is always a factor in power design, and many models are […]
