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. […]
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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, […]
Power Electronics Top Talks in February 2019 on EDABoard.com forums
Peer-to-peer, engineer-to-engineer questions and answers from the EDABoard.com engineering community around power electronics. Click the “Read more” link and follow the entire conversation and maybe add your two cents by logging in to EDAboard.com Voltage single-phase active front end rectifier – In OrCad 16.6, I used PI regulator and PWM, but my simulation is making errors… […]
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 […]
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) […]
Power supply designers take a hard look at soft magnetics
The promise of high efficiency and small size brought by super-fast switching power supplies could be delayed by a lack of magnetic materials that are up to the task. Leland Teschler | Executive Editor Eyeball the schedule for APEC, considered the premier technical conference for power electronics, and you’ll notice a number of sessions devoted […]
Now or later? No time for time-of-use energy savings
Leland Teschler, Executive Editor One of the big justifications for smart home electronics and internet-of-things pipe dreams is a concept called time-of-use electricity billing. Long used for industrial concerns, the plan is to bring TOU billing to households, so they’ll be charged more for electricity they use during periods of peak use, less for juice […]
Linear vs. switching power supplies: Not always an easy choice
There are some uses that demand the low noise and fast response only available through traditional linear supplies. ALEX KARAPETIAN | ACOPIAN TECHNICAL CO. ASK almost any engineer about linear power supplies and the likely instinctive reaction will be, “Sorry, I can’t use them — they’re too inefficient.” Any possibility of using a linear supply […]