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 […]
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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 […]
Charging electric vehicles, Part 2: The connections
Part 1 introduced some of the issues related to charging of electric vehicles. Part 2 continues with a look at the hardware (which also involves software, of course). Q: What about the electrical and physical connections? A: There are three connection situations, called “cases”: Case A has the charger connected to the AC mains, and […]
Charging electric vehicles, Part 1: The numbers
It’s nice to envision that recharging an electric vehicle is as straightforward as filling up an internal combustion vehicle, but it’s not: there are multiple charging, power, and connector options as well as limitations. You’re driving your internal-combustion (IC) car, and the gauge indicates it’s time to get “gas” (of course, it’s actually gasoline). So […]
GaN power devices, Part 1: Principles
Power devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) are rapidly becoming a viable, higher-performance alternative to silicon MOSFETs due to their higher efficiency and other favorable attributes. In recent years, discrete power-switching and power-handling devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) material have become practical and available, and these devices are now found in many power supplies […]
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 […]
