Infineon Technologies AG has launched a 650 V CoolSiC Hybrid IGBT portfolio in a discrete package with 650 V blocking voltage. The CoolSiC hybrid product family combines the key benefits of the 650 V TRENCHSTOP 5 IGBT technology and the unipolar structure of co-packed Schottky barrier CoolSiC diodes. With superior switching frequencies and reduced switching […]
Power Electronic Tips
What is a “Joule Thief” dc/dc converter?
In some applications, it can be useful to drain almost all of the energy of a single cell battery, well below the voltage where the battery is usually considered fully discharged or “dead.” That’s when a Joule Thief dc/dc converter can be attractive. The name implies that the dc/dc converter is stealing Joules of energy […]
Maximizing the performance of SiC through gate drive techniques
New gate drivers simplify the task of deploying silicon-carbide FETs to shrink the size and boost the efficiency of power inverters. Charlie Ice Silicon Labs The electric vehicle revolution is upon us. Automotive companies search desperately for a technological edge, investors see EV companies as more valuable than traditional automakers, and governments press ahead with […]
Fundamentals of fast chargers for phones and notebook PCs
Overlapping protocols and competing standards have created a confusing landscape for USB chargers. Here are the important differences and similarities of most interest to designers. Masashi Nogawa, Staff Systems Engineer Qorvo The first standard for charging via USB connections allowed power delivery at a 7.5-W maximum. Recently the USB standard jumped up to support 100 […]
No zapping! How to design safe and reliable wireless charging systems
Smart use of protection components can help give consumers a trouble-free charge. Todd Phillips Littelfuse Inc. The convenience that wireless charging systems provide has made them increasingly popular for use with consumer goods and appliances. But the development of wireless charging devices creates a number of challenges for designers. Most wireless applications are characterized by […]
How to boost output hold-up time in power supplies
Many supplies have outputs that don’t stay up long enough in the event of a power loss. Here are some ways to remedy the problem. TDK-Lambda Americas An ac-dc power supply’s input voltage can be interrupted during circumstances such as a brown out condition or a brief power failure. When this happens, the dc output […]
The advantages of Generation-Four SiC FETs
New silicon-carbide FETs perform better than previous versions and can replace silicon MOSFETs with relative ease. Anup Bhalla, VP Engineering UnitedSiC Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors are now accepted as the future of high-efficiency power conversion. The reason: they provide lower conduction and switching losses than otherwise-comparable silicon-based IGBTs or MOSFETs. Since the introduction of WBG silicon […]
The changing maze of power supply standards
Brexit altered the landscape of standards for power supply products. Here’s an update on the latest revisions. Ron Stull CUI Inc. The usual way of choosing a power supply is to search on the electrical performance parameters the application demands. But today, it is actually more efficient to start with the national or international standards […]
Titanium-Efficiency 3.2 kW supplies optimized for server intermediate-bus architectures
Bel Power Solutions announced the expansion of their portfolio to include the TET3200-12-069RA, a 3200 W Titanium efficient AC-DC front-end power supply that can convert up to 277 VAC into the main output of 12 VDC for powering intermediate bus architectures (IBA) in high performance and high-reliability servers, routers and network switches and applications. The […]
Compact transformers for DC/DC converters
TDK Corporation presents the EPCOS E10 EM series, a new range of insulated SMT transformers that are suitable for various DC/DC converter topologies and gate driver circuits in e-mobility and industrial electronics. There are four models in the series, with basic winding insulation of a working voltage of 500 VRMS and reinforced insulation of 300 […]