Measurements made on power analyzers may differ from those on another because different manufacturers employ different settings and wiring assumptions. KEN JOHNSON, TELEDYNE LECROY POWER ANALYZERS have been manufactured for many years and are used in a wide variety of applications. Often, the settings and preferences dialed in from the front panel can significantly impact […]
Prepare for IEC 62368-1, the new hazard-based safety standard
Get ready to evaluate safety measures in a different way. JEFF SCHNABEL, CUI THE FAMILIAR 60950-1 AND 60065 SAFETY STANDARDS for information and communication technology (ICT) and audio-visual (AV) equipment are being phased out in 2020, in favor of a single, harmonized standard based on a more modern approach to safety and testing. OEMs must […]
Transforming ac to dc without transformers
Substituting special capacitors for transformers helps realize ac-to-dc power supplies that are both efficient and compact. JEFF SORENSEN, HELIX SEMICONDUCTORS POWER SUPPLIES that convert ac to dc have been a part of nearly every electronics-based product since the popularization of the vacuum tube radio. While the voltage levels have changed, the conversion process has always […]
Finalists announced for prestigious power electronics LEAP Awards
Four finalists were announced Friday for the inaugural LEAP Awards’ Power Electronics Category, comprising a broad array of new advances in power semiconductor and power management technology. The competition was scored by a panel of independent technical/engineering judges. This year’s inaugural LEAP Awards competition honored ground-breaking new products that set a new standard for innovation. […]
SiC MOSFET structure reduces resistance and boosts energy efficiency in power devices
Hitachi Ltd. says it has developed a new kind of silicon-carbide-based MOSFET that has dramatically lower on resistance than comparable devices. The new MOSFET uses what Hitachi calls a TED-MOS structure, for Trench-etched DMOS-FET. Compared to conventional DMOS-FET (Double-diffused MOSFET) devices, the new structure is said to reduce electric field strength, an index of durability […]
A magnetic diode? Yes, there is such a thing
A diode that conducts and blocks electrical current magnetically, rather than through an interface between two semiconductors, has been developed at the University of Missouri. The development comes from a group of physicists led by Deepak K. Singh, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Missouri. The diode is comprised of a […]
Gallery: Cool tech demos at APEC2018, IEEE’s Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition
APEC is considered the premier forum for power electronics developments in the U.S. Recently concluded in San Antonio, Tex., the conference and exposition focused on the practical and applied aspects of the power electronics business. In the pages that follow are a few interesting displays that could be found on the exposition floor. NEXT PAGE: […]
Teardown: Leviton ground fault circuit interrupter
GFCIs detect hazardous current paths to ground and ground-to-neutral faults. A teardown reveals they are relatively simple but have circuit details that can be tricky to figure out. Bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms with access to water are required to employ ac outlets with ground-fault circuit protection. GFCIs disconnect the output if they sense a […]
Efficient cooling for EV battery packs thanks to CFD
Advanced 1D and 3D computational fluid dynamics simulation techniques can help analyze the thermal properties of battery cooling packs powering electric vehicles. Doug Kolak, Boris Marovic, Steve Streater | Mentor, A Siemens Business The cooling system for an electrical vehicle’s battery pack is slightly less complex than that for a hybrid. It is generally a […]
SiC transistors could run faster, cooler thanks to research effort
New research coming out of the University of Tokyo hints at silicon-carbide MOSFETs that will be more conductive thanks to a better understanding of their carrier mobility. In a paper to be delivered at the upcoming 2017 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), T. Iwamatsu, H. Amishiro, H. Watanabe, K. Kita from the Univeristy of […]
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