On the final day of Electronica 2010, International Rectifier (IR) presented a roadmap for the commercialization of GaN power switches that included both low-voltage (20-40V) and high-voltage (600V) devices. The first 20-40V devices are being targeted at low-voltage dc-dc converter applications while the initial 600V devices are expected to find use in power factor correction […]
Power Electronic Tips
XsunX Reaches 15.1 Percent Conversion Efficiency with its CIGS Thin-film Solar Technology
XsunX, Inc. (XSNX)announced it has further enhanced the conversion efficiency levels of its cell devices to 15.1 percent based upon the Company’s CIGSolar(TM) technology. With other market-ready thin-film technologies functioning within the range of 8-11 percent for solar modules, the CIGSolar(TM) technology illustrates conversion efficiency that may soon lead to gains over current technology. “The […]
American Superconductor Announces Public Offering of Common Stock
American Superconductor Corp. announced that it has commenced an underwritten registered public offering of 4.6 million shares of its common stock. AMSC intends to grant the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 15% percent of the shares sold to cover over-allotments, if any. Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. […]
Delta PowerSystems Forms Alliance With Mister Sparky for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Solutions
Delta PowerSystems has announced a new alliance with Mister Sparky, a franchisor based in Sarasota, Fla., that focuses on residential electrical contracting. This business venture will allow Delta PowerSystems and Mister Sparky to be at the forefront of EVSE installation, a new technology driven field created by the introduction of electric vehicles like the Chevy […]
NXP Semiconductors Announces Third Quarter 2010 Results
NXP Semiconductors N.V. reported financial results for its third quarter 2010, and provided guidance for the fourth quarter. “The third quarter represented our sixth consecutive quarter of growth and significant operational improvement, as we continue to execute on our High Performance Mixed Signal solutions strategy,” said Richard Clemmer, NXP Chief Executive Officer. “Compared to the […]
Microchip Technology Announces Record Sales and EPS
Microchip Technology Inc. reported results for the three months ended September 30, 2010. “Microchip acquired Silicon Storage Technology Inc. (SST) on April 8, 2010. At the time of the acquisition the Company determined that it would hold SST’s SuperFlash Memory and RF businesses as assets held for sale, in addition to other businesses that Microchip […]
Fairchild CEO Briefs Electronica on Company Strategy
Mark Thompson, the President and CEO of Fairchild Semiconductor, briefed an audience at the 2010 Electronica Electronics Fair on the company’s strategy and focus for 2011 and beyond. Thompson noted that the company’s power module sales are growing rapidly in the appliance, industrial and automotive segments. He said that strong industrial and consumer demand is […]
FirstEnergy and Ballard Begin Demonstration of 1MW Mobile Fuel Cell System
FirstEnergy Corp. and Ballard Power Systems are testing what they describe as an innovative utility-scale fuel cell system designed to produce one megawatt of electricity – enough to power more than 600 homes. The demonstration is being conducted at the FirstEnergy plant in Eastlake, Ohio. Considered the world’s largest proton exchange membrane hydrogen-powered fuel cell […]
Watteco Develops Ultra-Low-Power IP Smart Grid Communications Solutions Using TI Microcontroller
Watteco, a French System-on-Chip (SoC) manufacturer of “no new wire” Power Line Communication (PLC) modems for energy efficiency and intelligent home control applications, today announced it is collaborating with Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) on an ultra-low-power, intelligent communications solution that will enable the next generation of connected appliances. Designed for Smart Grid applications, the system […]
Several Major Product Launches Highlight Tuesday at Electronica
The Electronica 2010 global electronics fair in Munich served as the international stage for new product launches from ON Semiconductor, Power Integrations, AVX Corp., Emerson Network Power, and VPT Inc. on Tuesday. ON Semiconductor announced two important new products specifically targeted at the industrial market sector. The new AMIS-30523 integrates a stepper motor driver and […]