Texas Instruments introduced a new 40-A SWIFTTM DC/DC buck converter, offering first-of-its-kind stackability of up to four integrated circuits (ICs). The TPS546D24A PMBus buck converter can deliver up to 160 A of output current at an 85°C ambient temperature – four times more current than competing power ICs. The TPS546D24A has the highest efficiency of any 40-A DC/DC converter, […]
Tiny 36-V, 4-A power module comes in a QFN package
Texas Instruments introduced the industry’s smallest 36-V, 4-A power module in a quad flat no-lead (QFN) package. The TPSM53604 DC/DC buck module’s 5-mm-by-5.5-mm footprint enables engineers to shrink the size of their power supply by 30% while reducing power loss by 50% when compared to similar competing modules. The new power module comes with a […]
Tiny linear thermistors offer 50% higher accuracy, high sensitivity, single-point calibration
Texas Instruments expanded its temperature sensing portfolio to include linear thermistors that deliver up to 50% higher accuracy than negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors. The higher accuracy of TI’s thermistors enables operation closer to the thermal limits of the other components and the overall system, helping engineers maximize performance while reducing bill-of-materials (BOM) and total […]
Power IC with integrated transformer reduces power supply volumes by up to 80%
Texas Instruments introduced the first integrated circuit (IC) developed with a new proprietary integrated transformer technology: a 500-mW high-efficiency isolated DC/DC converter with the industry’s lowest electromagnetic interference (EMI), the UCC12050. Its 2.65-mm height enables designers to reduce their solution volume by as much as 80% compared to discrete solutions and 60% compared to power […]
Worst-case error analysis and calibration in temperature sensing systems using NTC and PTC thermistors
by Hadi Ebrahimi-Darkhaneh, Texas Instruments For applications that employ temperature monitoring systems, measurement accuracy is a prime concern. Temperature sensors are affected by a variety of factors, including environmental conditions, manufacturing process variations, poor assembly, and nonideal biasing components. External components connected to temperature sensors (such as the power supply, an analog-to-digital converter [ADC] and […]
Error analysis in temperature sensing with NTC and silicon-based PTC thermistors: Comparing the Ratiometric and Absolute methods
by Hadi Ebrahimi-Darkhaneh, Texas Instruments A thermistor is a resistive device specifically designed to vary resistance with thermal change, and therefore follows Ohm’s law. According to Ohm’s law, a current passing through a resistive component will produce a voltage drop across that component. This voltage is proportional to the magnitude of the component resistance and […]
Flyback power converters, Part 2: Enhancements and ICs
Power supplies and converters tend to be simple in principle, yet their actual design – including overcoming the subtle issues which degrade and impede their performance – is the real challenge. In Part 1, we looked at the flyback design and some distinct advantages along with unique idiosyncrasies. This FAQ looks at some of these […]
Flyback power converters, Part 1: Basic principles
Among the many available topologies used for power-supply converters, the flyback design offers some distinct advantages along with unique idiosyncrasies. There’s a wide and diverse array of power-supply converter topologies among which to choose, each with tradeoffs in their various performance attributes and cost. The flyback design is a converter approach which has been used […]
Optimizing the energy efficiency of converters and controllers
Here’s how to evaluate energy efficiency associated with components that make up widely used power conversion circuitry. FRANK DE STASI, MATHEW JACOB, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. IN SOME WAYS, selecting a module, converter or controller for power conversion resembles deciding whether to take a flight, board a train, or drive from point A to B. Once […]
Better high-frequency power design through EM simulation
Here’s how a 3D EM simulation can be used to accurately gauge gate-driver trace inductance. JOHN RICE | TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. HIGH ELECTRON MOBILITY TRANSISTORS (HEMTS) were first introduced in the early 1980s and are touted for their exceptional switching qualities. These so-called heterojunction, field effect transistors (FETs) were originally developed for high-frequency RF power […]
