Power
Vicor Factorized Power Demo
February 26, 2010 12:02 pm | Videos | CommentsHere is a demo of the Vicor Factorized Power Architecture at APEC 2010 .
SMT Current Sense Resistors Deliver Desirable Thermal Performance
February 25, 2010 7:21 am | Product Releases | CommentsFor power electronics design engineers looking for high current devices capable of providing current-sense and surge protection functions in high temperature environments, TT electronics IRC offers a series of open-air current sense resistors. The OARS-3 Series surface mount metal alloy strip resistors feature
National Semiconductor APEC demo
February 25, 2010 5:17 am | Videos | CommentsJim McDonald of National Semiconductor shows off what they present as the first PM-Bus power control and managment IC for server blades.
Intersil Digital Power Controller demo
February 25, 2010 4:44 am | Videos | CommentsChris Young of Intersil Demonstrates their new ZL6105 Digital Power Controller with Auto Compensation.
Mini Power Transformers Suit Interface Card Applications
February 24, 2010 11:51 am | Product Releases | CommentsMPS Industries has developed a series of mini power transformers with reinforced isolation for interface card applications. The M6201 Series is constructed per IEC60950 reinforced isolation requirements and are designed to be used for
Debut of promising fuel-cell tech light on details
February 24, 2010 11:06 am | News | CommentsA richly funded Silicon Valley clean-energy startup is keeping critical parts of its business plan secret as it launches its first product to international attention. The company, Bloom Energy, didn't offer many new details Wednesday about how it plans to make its promising fuel-cell technology affordable enough for regular people to buy for their homes.
IMAPS Gives Details of MicroTech Conference
February 23, 2010 9:10 am | News | CommentsThe International Microelectronics And Packaging Society is pleased to announce details of the forthcoming MicroTech-2010 Conference featuring “Disruptive Technologies” APM featuring “Advanced Polymer, Organic & Inorganic Materials” being held at the well known Cambridge University Møller Centre. The location is ideally placed near many of the forward thrusting new and established companies as well as at a great historic city.
Imec and Holst Centre achieve breakthrough in battery-less radios
February 22, 2010 11:24 am | News | CommentsAt the International Solid State Circuit Conference, imec and Holst Centre reported a 2.4GHz/915MHz wake-up receiver which consumes only 51µW power.
Bluetooth low energy module employs Nordic µBlue chip
February 22, 2010 11:10 am | News | CommentsUltra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic Semiconductor ASA announced that further to the Bluetooth SIG's official adoption of Bluetooth® low energy (as part of the latest Bluetooth Version 4.0 Core Specification), French multi-die system-in-package (SiP) design specialists, Insight SiP, has released the world's first drop-in single mode Bluetooth low energy SiP module.
LED Backlight Costs Falling Faster than Conventional LCD Backlights
February 22, 2010 9:35 am | News | CommentsMost LCD panel and set makers are focusing on development of LED (light emitting diode) backlight units for improved visual performance, thinner form factor, and lower power consumption. The key issue has been reducing cost, in absolute terms and relative to the conventional CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent) backlights. The newly-released DisplaySearch Quarterly LED & CCFL Backlight Cost Report, which is the only report to analyze and forecast the cost structure of CCFL and LED backlight costs, disclosed that the average cost of 40” edge LED backlight unit in Q1’10 is $118, and will fall to $100 by Q4’10 (see Figure 1). Cost reduction is driven by increasing production volumes, which affects LED and material costs, and by improvement in LED luminous intensity, which enables the use of fewer LED chips.
Zigbee Offers More Options
February 22, 2010 9:22 am | News | CommentsThe ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, residential, commercial and consumer electronics applications, today announced it is now offering certification for ZigBee platforms designed to operate in the regional sub-1 GHz unlicensed frequencies. The move ensures original equipment manufacturers a source of tested platforms for use in sub-1 GHz applications.
Power Modules Address Power Supply Challenges
February 12, 2010 9:09 am | Product Releases | CommentsIntersil Corporation announced the ISL8204M and ISL8206M, the newest members of its family of compact power modules. The ISL8204M and ISL8206M are complete switch-mode power supplies in a single compact surface-mount package. Included within the module is a
Instrument Measures Voltages From 200 mV to 800 V
February 12, 2010 6:33 am | Product Releases | CommentsTiePie Engineering’s Handyprobe HP3 is a USB oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, voltmeter and data logger with a differential input capable of measuring voltages from 200 mV full scale up to 800 V DC (566 V AC), 10 bit resolution, a high
80 V Schottky Rectifiers Offer Current Ratings From 10 A to 30 A
February 11, 2010 5:40 am | Product Releases | CommentsVishay Intertechnology introduced six single- and dual-chip 80-V TMBS Trench MOS Barrier Schottky rectifiers in four power package options that feature a range of current ratings from 10 A to 30 A. The devices include the single-chip V(B,F,I)T1080S, V(B,F,I)T2080S, and V(B,F,I)T3080S, and the
Transient Response Options for Power Designers
February 10, 2010 7:20 am | by Robert Marchetti, Sr. Manager, BBU Product Marketing, Vicor Corporation | Articles | CommentsFor DC-DC converters, fast transient response has become ever more critical because of the increasingly higher speeds of contemporary devices.
New Low-Power Heart Sensor Produced
February 9, 2010 9:30 am | Product Releases | CommentsAt today’s International Solid State Circuit Conference, imec and Holst Centre report an analog-signal processor ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) – in short ASP - that reduces the overall power consumption of an ambulatory heart activity signal monitoring systems by more than 5 times. This is a major step towards autonomous wireless sensor systems powered, which constantly monitor the patient’s health for diagnosis or chronic illness.
RECOM offers new miniature converter
February 9, 2010 9:13 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe new miniature SMD-Converters RSx/R2x from RECOM offer 1 resp. 2 Watts power rating, are RoHS6/6 compliant and therefore absolutely lead-free. They can operate at ambient temperatures up to +100°C with convection cooling and without derating, are EN60601 and UL60950 certified and pin compatible with industry standard converters. Their unusual “Enclosed Open Frame” Design has been laid out for fully automatic manufacturing processes. Temperatures of +245°C, as are usual during vapor soldering, and are handled without problems.
Speeding Things Along
February 9, 2010 3:59 am | by M Simon | Blogs | CommentsIBM has announced a really fast power transistor. Of course power is a relative thing. At the frequencies involved power is a relative thing. I'd say they would be doing good if they could get between 1 and 10 watts out of the device.
Energy-Storing Soccer Ball Scores Big in Off-Grid Villages
February 9, 2010 3:37 am | by Jeff Salton | News | CommentsWhat kid doesn’t like kicking around a soccer ball? Imagine if this fun activity could also provide enough energy to power something useful in a modest off-grid African village...
Utilities To Bolster Smart Grid Cybersecurity
February 8, 2010 3:48 am | by Elizabeth Montalbano | News | CommentsUtility companies will invest more than $21 billion on cybersecurity over the next five years to protect the world's electrical grids, according to a new report.
Synchronous 2.5 A Step-Down Regulator Comes in a 3 mm x 3 mm QFN
February 5, 2010 1:56 pm | 3M Electronics Solutions Division | Product Releases | CommentsLinear Technology’s LTC3604 high efficiency, 4 MHz synchronous buck regulator incorporates a unique constant frequency/controlled on-time, current mode architecture. It can deliver up to 2.5 A of continuous output current at output voltages as low as 0.6 V from a 3mm x 3 mm QFN or MSOP-16E package. Its current mode operation offers
Frequency Converter Delivers Pure Sine Wave Output Voltage
February 5, 2010 1:43 pm | Product Releases | CommentsAbsopulse Electronics’ FTT 3K Series modular AC/AC frequency converter system uses microprocessor controlled, high frequency PWM technology to deliver 3-Phase, 3000VA continuous sine-wave output power, from a 3-phase input. Standard versions of the FTT 3K system provide
Module Solves Power Supply Challenges
February 3, 2010 11:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsIntersil Corporation announced the ISL8200M, a compact, scalable power module. This flexible new module provides designers an easy-to-use general-purpose power solution that satisfies a wide range of point-of-load (POL) power requirements. The ISL8200M is a
External Switching Power Supplies are Factory-configurable
February 2, 2010 12:52 pm | Product Releases | CommentsBEAR Power Supplies has introduced its BE Series external AC/DC power adapters. The units are Energy Star qualified and factory-configurable for commercial, industrial and medical instruments. The BE Series includes wall-mount converters from 5 W to 30 W, and desktop converters from 15 W to 60 W. All have
Snap-in Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors Offer 3,000-hour Life
February 1, 2010 12:48 pm | Product Releases | CommentsCornell Dubilier introduced two snap-in aluminum electrolytic capacitor series with extended voltage rating up to 450 VDC. Designated the Type SLP (105°C) and SLPX (85°C) Series, the capacitors are targeted for next generation
