Modern tantalum capacitors and supercapacitors make it possible for compact energy harvesting systems to power IoT MCU applications. Ron Demcko, Daniel West, Ashley Stanziola • Kyocera AVX Advanced tantalum capacitors and supercapacitors are enabling advanced ICs to be powered by compact and low-cost energy harvesting and scavenging sources. These developments make possible maintenance-free control systems […]
FAQ
Vertical power delivery enables cutting-edge processing
New architectures deliver more efficient power for today’s unprecedented high-performance computing demands. Ajith Jain • Vicor Corp. High-performance artificial intelligence (AI) processor power levels continue to rise and core voltages are declining with advanced process nodes. These developments are challenging power system designers with managing ever-rising power delivery network (PDN) impedance voltage drops, voltage gradients […]
Industrial lithium batteries that power the IIoT
Industrial grade lithium batteries reduce the operating costs of remote wireless sensors. Sol Jacobs, Tadiran Batteries At the heart of the IIoT are lithium battery-operated remote wireless devices that bring digital connectivity to emerging and evolving technologies such as SCADA, process control, industrial robotics, asset tracking, safety systems, environmental monitoring, M2M, AI, and wireless mesh […]
Where depletion-mode power MOSFETs excel
Depletion-mode MOSFETs have qualities that let them work well in several kinds of power-handling circuits. Aalok Bhatt, José Padilla, Raymon Zhou • Littelfuse, Inc. Most MOSFETs are enhancement-mode (EM) devices: When their gate-source voltage is zero, they don’t conduct. When the need is for a switch that is normally on when there is no power […]
Calculations reveal the value of efficiency
A few back-of-the-envelope estimates show why it pays to maximize power supply efficiency. Chris Harman • Puls l.p. Engineers are becoming more sensitive to efficiency when selecting a power supply. Energy flows through the supply, and something less than 100% of that energy can be used because of inefficiencies of power supply components. The difference […]
Modeling true MOSFET performance using electrothermal models
By, Andrew Berry, Principal Product Modelling Engineer, Nexperia Many manufacturer-provided simulation models are available for use when designing with discrete power MOSFETs. However, few (if any) accurately represent real-world performance, reducing their use when using tools such as SPICE to simulate practical applications. Temperature is always a factor in power design, and many models are […]
What are triacs, diacs and quadracs good for?
Triacs, diacs, and quadracs are ac power control semiconductor devices used in line frequency applications such as lighting control, motor speed control, and temperature modulation. They can be found in consumer and industrial settings. Triacs are a member of the thyristor family and have a four-layer structure. Diacs (DIode AC switch) are used to trigger […]
What’s the difference between Shockley and Schottky diodes?
Neither a Shockley diode nor a Schottky diode are single p-n junction devices. A Shockley diode has a four-layer thyristor structure with a typical forward drop of 800 mV. It’s called a diode because it has two leads. A Shockley diode is essentially a SCR with the gate not connected. In a Schottky diode a […]
Design tips for high-voltage protection in EVs and hybrids
The primary goal of EV protective circuits: Keep vehicle occupants safe day-to-day and first-responders protected if the worst happens. Michael Zimmermann, Littelfuse, Inc. The 12-V automotive battery may become a relic of the past as electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid cars gain market share. EVs and hybrid vehicles use battery packs of at least 500-V […]
How do phase control, bidirectional, and bypass thyristors work?
Thyristors are four-layer semiconductor switches with alternating layers of P- and N-type materials. While all thyristors share the same basic structure, the details of their implementation and packaging can be modified to meet the needs of specific applications. This FAQ reviews basic phase control thyristor (PCT) operation, then looks at the use of bidirectional controlled […]
