Power
Moving to the mass market
Wireless charging is still predominantly the domain of the high volume mobile handset manufacturer, but IDT is hoping to change that with a simpler solution, as Philip Ling reports.
Harvested energy enables Place and Forget nodes
Will wireless sensor nodes prove to be fertile ground for energy harvesting solutions, or will reliability and continuity of supply demand a battery-based implementation? Philip Ling takes a look at one option that could challenge perception.
Blowing in the wind
Steve Rogerson looks at how electricity suppliers are handling the growth of renewable energy and still managing to balance supply versus demand.
Helping users to better understand their UPS needs
Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) has announced the launch of a free kVA load calculator to help end users, consultants and electrical contractors identify and better understand their UPS needs. The bespoke, algorithm-based tool features a series of easy to answer questions, which once completed, provide an accurate estimate of the user’s load requirements.
15Ms/s SAR ADC offers 20dB SNR improvement
Linear introduces the LTC2387-18, an ultrafast 15Ms/s, 18-bit SAR ADC with no cycle latency and no pipeline delay. The LTC2387-18 digitises wideband analogue signals up to the Nyquist frequency with very low distortion. Applications that traditionally utilise fast throughput pipelined ADCs can now achieve 20dB SNR improvement compared to pipelined ADC architectures.
LLC resonant controller features synchronous rectification
Claimed to provide best-in-class efficiency for isolated DC/DC converters, Fairchild Semiconductor has launched an advanced LLC resonant controller with Synchronous Rectification (SR). The unique features and superior efficiency of the FAN7688 enables manufacturers to improve the reliability and efficiency of the power supplies for server, telecomms, industrial, PC and TV applications.
Surface-mount SiC MOSFET provides 1.7kV blocking voltage
Wolfspeed, A Cree company, continues its innovation in SiC power device technology and packaging with the introduction of the industry’s first 1,700V SiC MOSFET offered in an optimised surface mount package designed for commercial use in auxiliary power supplies in high voltage power inverter systems.
Wireless charging platform offers scalable power
Semtech Corporation has announced its TS80K wireless charging design platform, which includes the TS80000 transmitter, the TS81000 receiver, a complete set of new power management ICs and reference design kits, to address the increasing need for wireless charging in the consumer, mobile, industrial and embedded solution markets. The platform offers scalable power, flexible design capability and supports evolving industry standards.
SiC epitaxial wafers feature low defect density
Showa Denko (SDK) has developed a new grade of SiC epitaxial wafers for power devices with very low defect density. This month, SDK will start commercial shipments of the recent grade, in 4 and 6" in diameter, under the trade name of 'High-Grade Epi' (HGE). When compared with the mainstream Si-based semiconductors, SiC-based power devices can operate under high temperature, voltage and current conditions, while substantially reducing energy loss.
1250W converters target extreme environmental conditions
The C3700 series of 1250 Watt DC/DC and AC/DC converter modules and battery charger has been released by Schaefer. Utilising industrial grade components, the compact and robust 6U design provides a highly efficient, space-saving solution for the most extreme environments in industries such as rail and transit for railway controls and communications equipment.