Microgrids are a great way to power locations where grid connections are unreliable, though it can be tricky to control them in robust ways. Daniel Zammit, Dept. of Industrial Electrical Power Conversion, University of Malta Microgrids get a fair amount of press coverage these days thanks to their role in distributed power generation. A typical […]
Power Electronic Tips
A better way to handle dc-dc converter hold-up times
Converters with built-in holdup circuitry reduce the size and requirements for input capacitors. Dr. André Buffing, L. Dinkelmann, Traco Power DC/DC converters are generally designed to maintain their output despite brief interruptions of their input power. The duration of this output hold-up often is set by the value of an external capacitor connected across the […]
Teardown: IOGEAR Smart USB-C 100-W GaN fast charger
YouTube has several videos featuring really bad designs for fast phone chargers. YouTubers doing these videos often point to problems such as transformers with chintzy insulation, line capacitors that lack the correct safety rating, and even chargers with plastic cases that heat up so much that they actually melt when there’s a heavy load. Fortunately, […]
Batteries for energy storage apps can provide 60 kWh
Growatt has released the one-fits-all APX HV Battery with leading innovations in performance, operation, protection, and installation. Integrated with the novel soft-switching parallel connection technology, the new battery solution contributes more energy by eliminating the effect of the energy mismatch between packs, allowing each module to fully charge and discharge independently. In addition, the innovation […]
High-efficiency 20-V N-channel MOSFET optimized for switching in small, thin devices
ROHM Semiconductor announced they have developed a compact, high-efficiency 20V N-channel MOSFET (RA1C030LD), optimized for switching in small, thin devices, including smartphones and wearables such as wireless earbuds and other hearable equipment. In recent years, the increasing sophistication and power requirements of compact devices have resulted in larger batteries that reduce the space available for […]
Power MOSFETs include PQFN dual-side cooled 25-150 V devices
The design of future power electronic systems is continuously pushed to improve state-of-the-art performance and power density. Supporting this trend, Infineon Technologies AG launches a new Source-Down 3.3 x 3.3 mm² PQFN product family in the 25-150 V classes with Bottom-Side (BSC) and Dual-Side Cooling (DSC) variants. The new product family provides significant enhancements on […]
GaN FETs feature low on resistance with 150/200-V ratings
EPC introduces the 150 V, 3 mΩ EPC2305 and the 200 V, 5 mΩ EPC2304 GaN FETs in a thermally enhanced QFN package with an exposed top and tiny 3 mm x 5 mm footprint. These devices are the lowest on-resistance (RDS(on)) FETs in the market at 150 V and 200 V in a size that […]
Encapsulated 100/150-W dc-dc converters feature efficiency levels up to 91.5%
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. introduced two rugged DC/ DC converters optimized for demanding railway and other mass transportation applications. The ERM100 and ERM150 series extend the company’s Artesyn product line with compact quarter-brick, fully encapsulated 100 W and 150 W options with efficiency levels of up to 91.5%. With reinforced insulation and high EMC immunity, […]
Power shunt resistors come in pint-sized 0508 package
Rohm Semiconductor announces the LTR10L series of wide terminal shunt resistors, optimized for a variety of applications in the automotive, industrial, and consumer sectors. ROHM has also strengthened their considerable lineup with two updated general-purpose MCR series shunt resistors (MCR10L and MCR18L). In recent years, high-efficiency operation has been required from the viewpoint of energy conservation – not […]
AEC-Q101 qualified GaN FETs target 48-12 V dc-dc conversion, infotainment, LidAR apps
Efficient Power Conversion Corporation expands the selection of automotive, off-the-shelf gallium nitride transistors with the introduction of 80 V, 6 mΩ EPC2204A that delivers 125 A pulsed current in a 2.5 mm x 1.5 mm footprint and the 80 V, 3.2 mΩ EPC2218A that delivers 231 A pulsed current is a 3.5 mm x 1.95 […]