Demand continues to rapidly grow for Silicon Carbide (SiC)-based systems to maximize efficiency and reduce size and weight, allowing engineers to create innovative power solutions. Applications leveraging SiC technology range from electric vehicles and charging stations to smart power grids and industrial and aircraft power systems. Microchip Technology Inc. announced its expanded portfolio of smaller, lighter […]
PoE chipset delivers 90 W over Ethernet cable
As the industry adopts the latest generation of PoE technology for managing data and power over a single Ethernet cable, users face the challenge of making pre-standard powered devices (PDs) work alongside new IEEE 802.3bt-2018-compliant PDs in an existing Ethernet infrastructure. Many proprietary solutions were brought to market through 2018 that support specifications such as […]
Achtung! Power technology on display at PCIM Nuremberg
PCIM Europe is billed as the world’s leading exhibition and conference for power electronics, intelligent motion, renewable energy, and energy management. Recently wrapping up in Nuremberg, the exhibition portion of PCIM featured over 500 booths. Here are some of the more notable technology displays we saw in touring the event. NEXT PAGE: Smaller inverters for […]
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: […]
What’s all this stuff about capacitive power supplies for LEDs?
A while back a viewer of our 60-W LED bulb teardowns posted a comment about the complexity of the power supplies found in the bases of these bulbs. We talked about some of the reasons these bulbs contain switching supplies in a previous article. But our latest post elicited this comment from another reader: Well, […]
Controller handles dual dc/dc switching circuits simultaneously
A new Digitally Enhanced Power Analog (DEPA) product for DC-DC power conversion is now available from Microchip Technology Inc. The single-chip solution controls DC-DC converters and is capable of accepting a high voltage input (up to 42V) while simultaneously regulating a wide output voltage range (300 mV to several hundred volts, depending on topology). The […]
Top power electronics threads on EDAboard.com – February
(editor’s note: Intrigued by these power electronics problems? Have a question or another solution? Then click the “Read more” link and follow the conversation on EDAboard.com or log in to EDAboard and participate in the power electronics forum thread.) Circuit to detect 240 or 380 V AC – I need to make a circuit that can […]
Advanced motor-control tool includes auto tuning and self-commissioning capability
An advanced motor control software plug-in for Microchip’s MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) with auto tuning and self-commissioning capability is now available from Microchip Technology Inc. The plug-in, called motorBench™ Development Suite, is a Graphical User Interface (GUI)-based tool with automatic tuning of feedback control gains and offline accurate measurement of critical motor parameters […]
The tough problems in power design
Leland Teschler, Executive Editor lteschler@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @DW_LeeTeschler An annual ritual takes place in the upper echelons of the power electronics world. At the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), considered a premier forum for applied power electronics, researchers present new ideas for power converters. Typically, these ideas are neither straightforward nor easy to understand. And […]
Bumpless control for power factor correction
It can be difficult to correct for power factor in converters that have different conduction modes. A special technique can make corrections smoothly. JOEL STEENIS, ALEX DUMAIS MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY, INC. DESIGNERS of power factor correction (PFC) circuits will invariably notice distortion as the input current approaches zero. The distortion problem becomes progressively worse at light […]
