The conceptually simple idea to determine current by measuring voltage across a known resistor shows the subtle nature of design tradeoffs. Part 1 of this article looked at one important aspect of the choice of resistor value in current-sensing applications, but it was only the electrical impact. However, the thermal impact related to resistor I2R […]
Power Components
A tradeoff case study: Sizing the current-sense resistor, Part 1
The conceptually simple idea to determine current by measuring voltage across a known resistor shows the subtle nature of design tradeoffs. There’s probably no phrase that misrepresents the realities of engineering design other than “hey, that should be no big deal.” Even simple-looking design decisions are often not so simple. The reality is that a […]
20-W dc-dc converter sits in 1-in-sq metal can
TRACO POWER announces their new THN 20WIR series of 20-watt high-density DC/DC Converters in the industry-standard 1” x 1” footprint which has been qualified for railway and rugged industrial applications with EN 50155 and EN 61373 certifications and IEC /EN /UL 62368-1 approval. The THN 20WIR series of ruggedized 20 Watt DC/DC converters offer high-reliability […]
80 V RETs feature overhead to handle spikes and pulses
Nexperia announced the industry’s first 80 V RET (Resistor-Equipped Transistor) family. These new RETs or ‘digital transistors’ provide enough headroom for use in 48 V automotive board net (e.g. mild hybrid and EV cars) and other higher voltage circuits which are often subject to large spikes and pulses that previous 50 V parts cannot handle. […]
Half-bridge PCBs help evaluate GaN drivers, transistors
GaN Systems announced the release of two 650V half-bridge daughter cards (30A and 60A), which provide an ultra-versatile platform to evaluate GaN drivers and transistors. The evaluation cards are available in two power levels, up to 3kW (GS-EVB-HB-66508B-RN) and up to 6kW (GS-EVB-HB-66516T-RN), and include the Renesas RAA226110 low-side GaN FET driver. These cards are the industry’s […]
Fast-recovery diodes feature up to 1 kV reverse voltage
The RS2x family of 2A-rated fast recovery rectifiers are available with reverse voltage ratings of 200 V and 1 KV, each available in either SOD-128 or Thin SMA package. These two surface-mount packages align with standard pc-board solder pads facilitating interchangeability, with the Thin SMA offering a lower profile and the SOD-128 improved thermal dissipation. […]
SiPs combine two GaN HEMTs, high-voltage gate drivers
Building upon the advantages of STMicroelectronics’ MasterGaN platform, MasterGaN2 is the first in the new family to contain two asymmetric gallium-nitride (GaN) transistors, delivering an integrated GaN solution suited to soft-switching and active-rectification converter topologies. The 650V normally-off GaN transistors have on-resistance (RDS(on)) of 150mΩ and 225mΩ. Each is combined with an optimized gate driver, making GaN […]
Reference design lets secondary MCU control primary power
In modern offline AC-DC power solutions, programmability and adaptive control offer the flexibility and intelligence needed by smart home devices to better interface with their power systems. In these systems, a secondary side microcontroller (MCU) is typically not capable of starting a system without the use of a separate bias power supply. A new reference […]
High-temperature snubberless triacs reduce heat sink needs
STMicroelectronics’ 800V 8H Triacs operate at full rated current up to the maximum junction temperature of 150°C, allowing heatsinks in drives for AC loads to be up to 50% smaller to combine compact dimensions with high reliability. Suited to industrial, personal care, smart-home, and smart-building applications, the new Triacs leverage ST’s latest Snubberless high-temperature technology […]
Forced air cooling keeps cool with fans and blowers
Natural convection cooling is often inadequate to meet the thermal management needs of electronic systems. In those cases, fans and blowers can move more air and keep the system within a safe operating temperature range. As well as being available in both ac and dc configurations, fans are generally categorized by the way the air […]
