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 […]
Power operating limits: How to choose the right power supply
Not all power supplies react to over and under-voltages and currents in the same way. It pays to know the tradeoffs of different approaches to protection. Ron Stull | CUI Inc. Power supplies can experience operating conditions outside normal specified limits, such as input under- or over-voltage, or variations in load and ambient temperature. These […]
Where SiC outperforms GaN
Silicon carbide and gallium nitride transistors both have their niche, but it pays to understand the applications in which each excels. Zhongda Li, United Silicon Carbide Inc. Wide band-gap (WBG) devices such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are the hot topics of the moment, promising anything from universal wireless charging to power […]
Measuring current with shunt resistors
Here are a few tips for selecting resistors that will accurately gauge current. Bert Weiss, Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH Today, practically every control and monitoring circuit uses shunt-based current measurements as an alternative to sensors. To make these measurements accurately, it is useful to understand how shunts work. Because the method is categorized as a […]
Designing with bricks – baseplate-cooled converter modules
Power converter modules can simplify equipment design, but engineers may still need to look at EMC emissions and input-surge filtering. Gary Bocock, XP Power Baseplate cooled power converter modules, also known as bricks, provide building-blocks for integrating power conversion into end equipment. These high-density power modules find use in outdoor sealed enclosures, transportation and defense […]
Bearing trade-offs for cooling fans
The life of most fans is set by the shaft bearings. Simple comparisons show why different bearing technologies can exhibit widely varying MTBF figures. Jeff Smoot, CUI Inc. Cooling fans are critical to many of the devices we rely on every day. A key criterion that affects fan life is the shaft bearing. This crucial […]
Tough terminology: Why working voltage matters in safety approvals
Organizations that test power circuits for safety have specific definitions of working voltage and other parameters that bear heavily on how products get safety certifications permitting their sale. Dylan Howes, MINMAX Power, Inc. Safety approval agencies have been evaluating both industrial and consumer products for well over a century. The need for approval by such […]
Electrolytic capacitors go svelte
The traditional cylindrical packages that have characterized electrolytic caps are giving way to flat packs optimized for small spaces. Mario Dipietro, Flatpack Div., Cornell Dubilier Electronics, Inc. The first reported developments of electrolytic “condensers” were in the 1880s, with significant advances in the mid 1920s. In 1948, etched-foil technology developed by Illinois Condenser (today’s Illinois […]
Five challenges in power supply design
Sometimes the best way of handling specialized power needs is through custom equipment optimized for the situation at hand. Alex Karapetian, Acopian Technical Co. Electronic system designers, engineers, program managers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must address numerous challenges in the selection or development of an appropriate power supply for their systems. In some cases, […]
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