Researchers from NASA, the DoE’s Renewable Lab, and the EU are getting insights into why lithium-ion cells fail thanks to the use of a device that induces short circuits inside the battery itself. The device researchers came up with can induce an internal short circuit on-demand and at a pre-determined location inside commercially available spiral-wound […]
What’s all this stuff about capacitive power supplies for LEDs?
A while back a viewer of our 60-W LED bulb teardowns posted a comment about the complexity of the power supplies found in the bases of these bulbs. We talked about some of the reasons these bulbs contain switching supplies in a previous article. But our latest post elicited this comment from another reader: Well, […]
New power-backup source for data centers: Supercapacitors
Price points for supercapacitor technology are declining and the standards for backup times in data centers are dropping, says power systems manufacturer Inventus Power in Woodridge, Ill. So it makes sense for supercapacitors to become an alternative technology to Lithium-ion and lead acid batteries, the company says. Consequently, Inventus Power is has developed supercapacitor products […]
Fully automated test suite for OIF-CEI-56G VSR/MR/LR PAM4 specs runs on real-time oscilloscopes
The PAM4 test suites now include 400G electrical compliance testing for OIF-CEI-56G VSR/MR/LR PAM4 standards. The new 400G-TXE software package from Tektronix runs on high-performance DPO70000SX Real-Time Oscilloscopes; a lineup of models which go up to 70 GHz in bandwidth. The automated turnkey solution performs PAM4 compliance test sweeps in a single pass for shorter […]
Handheld RF analyzer software helps solve base-station interference problems
OBSAI RF Analyzer software runs on handheld analyzers to help identify interference sources on the radio uplink from the ground, reducing the need to climb base station towers. The new OBSAI Analyzer allows users to conduct RF-based measurements over a fiber optic link to locate interference affecting an RF module (RFM) by tapping into the […]
Laptop power adaptor hits 94% efficiency, squeezes into 3.19 in.3 space
A reference design for a tiny, 65-W, 94% efficient ac/dc power adaptor for laptops measures just 3.19 in.3 and has a power density of 20 W/in3. This high efficiency means that the device runs cooler than standard ac/dc adapters. At the core of this adapter is a synchronous rectifier circuit using 150-V, 7-mΩ EPC2033 eGaN […]
Mid-range oscilloscope sports capacitive touch screen, up to eight analog, 64 digital channels
The new 5 Series MSO mixed-signal oscilloscope is said to be the first to allow 4, 6 or 8 analog channels and up to 64 digital channels, integrated protocol analysis and signal generator, a new 12-bit signal acquisition system, a massive high-definition capacitive touch display, and a highly intuitive Direct Access user interface. Developed by […]
OSAT alliance program aims to streamline IC high-density advanced packaging design and manufacturing
The Mentor OSAT (Outsourced Assembly And Test) Alliance Program is being launched by Mentor, a Siemens company, to help drive ecosystem capabilities in support of new High-Density Advanced Packaging (HDAP) technologies like 2.5D IC, 3D IC and Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging (FOWLP) for customer IC designs. In launching the Alliance, Mentor says it will work with […]
Software addresses high-density advanced chip and board packaging flow
New software addresses the steps involved in advanced IC package design from rapid prototyping to GDS signoff. Developed by Mentor, a Siemens business, the Xpedition High-Density Advanced Packaging (HDAP) flow combines the Mentor Xpedition, HyperLynx, and Calibre technologies. The new Mentor IC package design flow is said to deliver faster, higher-quality results compared to existing […]
44-GHz bandwidth ATE Socket handles QFN48 packages
A new QFN socket design uses high-performance elastomer capable of 44 GHz, has low inductance, high endurance, and wide temperature applications. Developed by Ironwood Electronics, the SMP-QFN-8019 socket is designed for 9.1×14-mm packages and operates at bandwidths up to 44 GHz with less than 1 dB of insertion loss. The contact resistance is typically 15 […]