This simple, mechanically driven power source is nearly 200 years old and still has a well-defined, albeit limited, role in today’s systems. Most of the historical and present-day applications for magnetos are for spark-plug ignition systems. This part looks at that aspect in more detail. Q: What’s the structure and operation of a basic magneto-based […]
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FAQ on magnetos for power and ignition, Part 1
This simple, mechanically driven power source is nearly 200 years old and still has a well-defined, albeit limited, role in today’s systems. What or who is a magneto? No, a “magneto” is not only the powerful mutant who has the ability to generate and control magnetic fields and first appeared in the debut issue of […]
White paper and live evaluation video demonstrate AC Direct DC power delivery technology
Amber Semiconductor, Inc. announced the release of a Technology Solution Whitepaper on its AC Direct DC Enabler™. AmberSemi’s new power architecture extracts DC directly from AC Mains without the use of rectifier bridges, transformers, and high-voltage bulk capacitors. It addresses the needs of a wide range of global markets. The white paper and a companion […]
October 2023 Issue: Power & Energy Efficiency Handbook
Engineering a green mindset and sustainable future Growing up in the pre-2000s era with a power electronics engineer for a father, my family’s first introduction to power and energy efficiency efforts was primarily analog. The word “vampire” was associated with a TV show called Dark Shadows; it had nothing to do with standby power […]
Supervisory ICs tame power-up glitch headaches, Part 2
Power-on glitches and system malfunctions are a special challenge as rail voltages drop, but the right ICs can eliminate the problem. This glitch scenario outlined in the first part of this article becomes a major concern with the trend of low-power devices operating at lower voltages. Consider systems with three logic levels of 3.3 V, […]
Supervisory ICs tame power-up glitch headaches, Part 1
Power-on glitches and system malfunctions are a special challenge as rail voltages drop, but the right ICs eliminate the problem. Experienced engineers know that one of the riskiest times for a system is when power is applied. Depending on time constants and how smoothly and quickly the power rail comes up to nominal, the different […]
APEC 2024 now open for registration
Registration is now open for the 38th Annual Applied Power Electronics Conference. The APEC 2024 conference and exposition, running February 25-29 at the Long Beach Convention Center, continues its long-standing tradition of addressing issues of immediate and long-term interest to the practicing power electronics engineer. Providing a truly exceptional professional experience, full registration at APEC […]
What does power dissipation mean?
by James Davis, edukatronik.com Power dissipation is a crucial phenomenon in the field of electronics. It refers to the amount of energy that is transformed into heat during the operation of a device or circuit. This process is unavoidable and can be a significant concern, especially in applications where energy efficiency is paramount. That is […]
Bidirectional power for EVs: the practical and creative opportunities using power modules
Given the coexistence of 400 V and 800 V EVs on the road, what options are there to harmonize these two distinct architectures? We all know the race is on for electrification, whether through government mandates and incentives or consumers demanding green transportation solutions with higher performance, longer range, and more features. Car makers are […]
The fundamental advantages of D-Mode GaN in cascode configuration
Inarguably, GaN power semiconductors are a hot topic in power electronics. Two transistor variations prevail today: cascode GaN and e-mode GaN. When confronted with the choice, the debate at times inexplicably leans toward e-mode. In reality, cascode GaN proves to be a fundamentally superior platform in performance, reliability, versatility, manufacturability, and practical application. The reasoning […]