Power
What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013?
January 21, 2013 11:30 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe question of, "What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013?" begins in part I of the February Brainstorm series as experts take on the question of what will be popular in consumer electronics and the consumer technology space in the next 12 months.
CR2032 battery holder with cover offers off-board mounting
January 21, 2013 9:42 am | Memory Protection Devices, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMPD offers a category of lithium coin cell battery holders for the “off board” mounting of lithium coin cell batteries. These holders offer designers the flexibility to locate lithium coin cell batteries anywhere there is physical room. No soldering tools, chemicals, reflow/wave processing, circuit board required.
Would you steal energy?
January 18, 2013 2:14 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWhile stealing is generally frowned upon in most societies, there is a new type of thieving that might just change that.Dennis Siegel, a Digital Media student from the University of the Arts in Germany has designed a harvester that takes advantage of unused energy in electromagnetic fields.
300V power MOSFETs offer benchmark Rds(on) to improve system efficiency in industrial applications
January 18, 2013 10:04 am | International Rectifier | Product Releases | CommentsInternational Rectifier announced the introduction of a family of 300V devices featuring IR’s latest power MOSFET silicon that deliver benchmark on-state resistance (Rds(on)) for a wide range of high efficiency industrial applications such 110-120 VAC line conditioners and 110-120 VAC power supplies, and DC to AC inverters including solar inverters and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS).
Miniature SMT mountable 5W DC/DC converters combine high performance features
January 17, 2013 10:35 am | MicroPower Direct, LLC | Product Releases | CommentsNow available from MicroPower Direct, the LF500RU series is a family of miniature SMT mountable 5W DC/DC converters. These converters combine high performance features such as a wide 4:1 input range, tight line/load regulation and low noise operation with a compact SMT package.
Resolution rises to become banner spec for oscilloscopes
January 16, 2013 11:03 am | by David Maliniak, Technical Marketing Communications Specialist, Teledyne LeCroy | Articles | CommentsSince its invention in the 1980s, the digital oscilloscope represented a more modern approach to the visualization of waveforms compared with the analog instruments it replaced. Analog oscilloscopes displayed waveforms directly, but digital oscilloscopes use high-speed analog-to-digital converters....
How to get more than 8 bits from your 8-bit scope
January 16, 2013 10:54 am | by Joel Woodward, Agilent Technologies | Agilent Technologies | Articles | CommentsMeasurements are key to all scientific and engineering disciplines. For the electronics industry, oscilloscopes provide a number of critical measurements required by engineers to conduct real-world testing and gain needed insight. The majority of today’s oscilloscopes are designed with 8-bit ADCs (analog-to-digital converters).
Power supply series provide up to 150mA of load current
January 15, 2013 4:14 pm | Wurth Electronics Midcom, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsWurth Electronics Midcom Inc. introduces a tiny series of surface mount transformers developed with Texas Instruments to be used with the SN6501 Transformer Driver for Isolated Power Supplies. This new series enables tiny power supplies with very low part count to be developed for a host of applications up to 150mA of load current.
Front-end power supplies achieve up to 92% efficiency
January 15, 2013 2:32 pm | Tdk Corporation Of America | Product Releases | CommentsTDK Corporation announces the expansion of its TDK-Lambda HFE1600 range of 1.6kW high-density, front end power supplies with the addition of a 32V model. Particularly well-suited for use in broadcast applications, the HFE1600-32 operates from a universal 85 to 265Vac input, and the high efficiency of up to 92% minimizes heat dissipation....
Comparators ideal for 3V or 5V single-supply applications
January 14, 2013 9:56 am | Product Releases | CommentsTouchstone Semiconductor announced the TSM921-TSM924, TSM931-TSM934, TSM971-TSM973 and the TSM982/TSM984 series of low voltage, low-power analog comparators. Eleven of the 13 analog comparators feature an integrated 1.182V voltage reference with either ±1% (TSM92x/TSM97x) or ±2% (TSM93x/TSM98x) initial accuracy.
What to look for in your next power supply
January 14, 2013 8:58 am | by Lorenzo Cividino, Director Field Technical Support, SL Power Electronics | SL Power Electronics Corporation | Articles | CommentsChoosing the right power supply design is imperative for an overall successful product. With the ongoing goal of increased density, reliability and efficiencies, power ratings need to be reviewed carefully. Product life, temperature, input voltage, load and cooling are vital considerations as is meeting standards for safety, EMC and regulatory environmental impact compliance.
How to treat heat like light
January 11, 2013 12:24 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsAn MIT researcher has developed a technique that provides a new way of manipulating heat, allowing it to be controlled much as light waves can be manipulated by lenses and mirrors. The approach relies on engineered materials consisting of nanostructured semiconductor alloy crystals. Heat is a vibration of matter —
Gadget Watch: Smart watch lets you know your iPhone is getting a call, no need for charging
January 11, 2013 12:14 pm | by PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer | News | Comments"Smart" watches that talk to cellphones have been around for some time, but they've been hampered by their high battery drain - usually needing recharging every few days. At this week's International CES electronics trade show in Las Vegas, a startup launched a smart watch, the Cookoo, that runs for a year on a standard button cell.
HGMM simplifies AC-DC power supply designs
January 11, 2013 11:47 am | Gaia Converters | Product Releases | CommentsNeed an Avionic AC-DC power supply? Look no further, Gaia Converter the High Rel Power modules specialist, has extended its HGMM AC-DC Front-end module offering with the 150W ½ brick. For all power needs from 35 to 350W or more, Gaia Converter’s state of the art 35W, 150W & 350W PFC modules comply with with the latests standards DO-160E, ABD100, AMD-24, or MIL-STD-704F.
Lithium coin cell battery holders designed for the “off board” mounting
January 10, 2013 4:49 pm | Memory Protection Devices, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsNow designers have the flexibility to locate lithium coin cell batteries anywhere there is physical room. No soldering tools, chemicals, reflow/wave processing, circuit board required. The two power terminals feature an opening to accept wire leads and double as male connectors mating with common quick connect terminals.
AC-DC power supplies designed for LED lighting applications
January 9, 2013 9:25 am | Product Releases | CommentsPower Sources Unlimited, Inc. announces the ruggedly compact XL375LED Series of 375 watt AC-DC switching power supplies that are designed specifically for today's LED lighting applications. The XL375LED models offer single outputs of 12, 24, 28, 36, 40, 48 or 56VDC, along with a 12V/1A auxiliary output and a 5V/1A standby output.
High-voltage Battery Simulator and Test Systems Critical for Hybrid Vehicle Development
January 8, 2013 3:03 pm | by Randall Beattie, SAKOR | Articles | CommentsHigh voltage battery simulator and test systems are essential for conducting testing of the high voltage DC power systems that are such a critical element of electric (EV) and hybrid/electric (HEV) vehicles. To accurately test a high voltage hybrid
Concentrated solar power with thermal energy storage can help utilities' bottom line, study shows
January 8, 2013 2:07 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsThe storage capacity of concentrating solar power (CSP) can add significant value to a utility company's optimal mix of energy sources, a new report by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) suggests.
Capacitor features low resistance, stable temperature characteristics
January 8, 2013 1:57 pm | Murata Power Solutions Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMurata Americas introduced its DMF series, a high peak current electrical double-layer capacitor (EDLC). The newest EDLC offering from Murata also features low resistance (40mΩ to 60mΩ) and stable temperature characteristics, enabling it to be charged and discharged frequently over the operating range of -30°C to +70°C
New path to more efficient organic solar cells uncovered at Berkeley Lab's advanced light source
January 8, 2013 8:53 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsWhy are efficient and affordable solar cells so highly coveted? Volume. The amount of solar energy lighting up Earth's land mass every year is nearly 3,000 times the total amount of annual human energy use. But to compete with energy from fossil fuels, photovoltaic devices must convert sunlight to electricity
Pecan Street demonstrates the potential of smart grid technology
January 7, 2013 11:33 am | by Melissa Barnes, Associate Editor, PD&D | Articles | CommentsWhen I first learned of Pecan Street, Inc. and the Smart Grid Demonstration Project, I knew little of the consortium’s mission. I had heard of smart grids before, but I was curious to know more about what the Pecan Street’s project was and how it was significant to the advancement of “green” technology.
Network framework allows for integration of variants into single overall architechture
January 7, 2013 10:35 am | Product Releases | CommentsGreenPeak Technologies announces the GP690, adding ZigBee PRO to its product portfolio and offering full support for its Open Smart Home Framework, integrating all three ZigBee networking variants Green Power, RF4CE and PRO into a single overall architecture defining the “second wireless network for the home”.
Superconductors for efficient wind power plants
January 7, 2013 9:02 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsWind power will make a major contribution to the energy turnaround. Efficient power generation by means of offshore power plants requires powerful, reliable generators that do not cause disproportionately high logistic efforts and do not require complex foundations
Biofuels cause pollution, not as green as thought - study
January 7, 2013 8:59 am | by Environment Correspondent Alister Doyle | News | CommentsGreen schemes to fight climate change by producing more bio-fuels could actually worsen a little-known type of air pollution and cause almost 1,400 premature deaths a year in Europe by 2020, a study showed on Sunday. The report said trees grown to produce wood fuel - seen as a cleaner
Four pillars of power management to consider when selecting your next PDU
January 4, 2013 1:43 pm | by Dave Proli, Director of Engineering, Marway Power Solutions | Marway Power Solutions | Articles | CommentsAs consumer, commercial and industrial electronic systems become more advanced; they require more precise and reliable power sources to function at optimum levels. System integrators and designers are turning to more sophisticated power distribution units (PDUs) with customized specifications to better tackle power hurdles.
