Sine wave inverter voltage clipping – I’m in the process of building a sine wave inverter (MOSFET full-bridge and a low frequency transformer). I can’t manage to tune up the output filter (a series inductor in the transformer primary circuit and a capacitor across the secondary transformer). I have tried different inductor cores (E shape […]
Power Supplies
GaN components boost power density in supplies
by Eric Persson, Infineon Technologies To understand why gallium-nitride components shrink the size of power supplies, examine how they dissipate energy at high frequencies. Silicon power FETs have come a long way over the past 35 years. Modern high-voltage superjunction FETs have developed over the past 15 years to even exceed what was thought to […]
Test instruments help tame power factor and signal integrity
by Simran Nanda, Keysight Technologies Harmonic analysis helps design electronics that will behave well on the power grid. Electronics that include switch-mode power supplies (SMPSs) and VFDs depend on non-linear components to minimize size and cost. This approach, however, forces designers to note the impact non-linear current flows have on the signal integrity of the input […]
Compensating for temperature in high-frequency rectifier diodes
by Koji Ikeda, Sanken Electric Co. and K.C. Nishio, Allegro Micro Systems Over-temperature can be a problem in high-performance switching supplies. New power rectifier diodes build in safeguards to head off heat build-up. Pulse-width-modulated converter and amplifier designs tend to spend much of their time handling significant levels of electrical current. High currents tend to […]
A close look at the Level VI power supply spec
by Jeff Schnabel, CUI Inc. DOE power supply efficiency specifications target a broader array of power supplies to save energy and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Market enthusiasm for new high-tech devices is undiminished. The Consumer Electronics Association, in its July 2015 U.S. Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecasts report, predicted a total industry revenue rise of 2.4% […]
Wireless power transmitter IC handles 15 W in Qi wireless charging systems
Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)*, a committed leader that collaborates with technology companies to create breakthrough designs, today launched a compact and efficient wireless power transmitter IC with a power transmission capability of 15 watts (W). Combined with a host microcontroller, the TC7718FTG realizes a wireless power transmission system compliant with Qi v1.2, the […]
Basics of designing with permanent magnets
by Stan Trout, Owner/Metallurgist, Spontaneous Materials It can be tricky to correctly specify magnetic materials for power circuits and actuators. An understanding of definitions and common properties serves as a good starting point. Though magnetic materials are widely used in power components, engineers frequently have misunderstandings about their magnetic properties. For example, the energy product […]
Fear of Magnetics
by Leland Teschler, Executive Editor, @DW_LeeTeschler Does it really take a voodoo practitioner to design a switching power supply? You might think so judging by the “black art” label that’s often applied to this aspect of power electronics. The reputation for witchcraft here comes in large part from the role magnetic materials play in getting […]
New IO-Link power supplies
Power supplies are key components in automation but can easily be overlooked or last on the agenda. When a power supply fails, the sensors, actuators and the controller all come to a halt to figure out which part of the system has failed. It is up to the controller to figure out which part caused […]
2-kW Hot‑swap AC-DC supply delivers high DC output voltage from 100~410 Vac
CUI Inc has announced the addition of a 2000 W front-end ac-dc power supply to its power supply portfolio. The PFR-2100 series is a blind-mate rectifier with a programmable output voltage range of 100~410 Vdc. Key features include a hot‑swap blind-docking capability implemented through the use of a single connector that integrates ac, dc and […]