Are FinFETs coming to an end?
FinFETs redefined chip design when they came onto the scene more than a decade ago. While these nonplanar transistors are still the unofficial industry standard, they may be nearing the end of their life. So, electronics engineers may need to…
Aspinity strengthens AI-based automotive security
Aspinity has launched a dashcam evaluation kit and a suite of smart analogML algorithms for parked vehicle monitoring. The hardware/software offerings leverage the company’s always-on AML100 analog machine learning processor. The near-zero…
Buck-boost MOSFET meets USB PD 3.1 demands
Occupying a small footprint to ease PCB design, the AONZ66412 MOSFET from Alpha & Omega targets buck-boost converters in USB PD 3.1 EPR applications. While the 3.1 Extended Power Range specification enables power delivery up to 240 W over…
100-V Schottky rectifiers aid efficiency
Twenty-eight 100-V trench Schottky rectifiers from ST increase efficiency and power density in power converters operating at high switching frequencies. Target applications for the portfolio of devices include power supplies for telecom, server,…
Motor control MCUs pack ample flash memory
Toshiba has added eight devices to the M4K group of TXZ+ 32-bit MCUs offering extended flash memory and four different packaging options. Outfitted with 512 kbytes or 1 Mbyte of code flash memory, the MCUs address the need for large program…
Renesas builds RISC-V MCUs with own core
General-purpose 32-bit MCUs in the R9A02G021 group from Renesas employ an internally developed RISC-V CPU core. Renesas has designed and tested the new RISC-V core independently and implemented it in a commercial product that is available worldwide.
R9A02G021…
Single phase mains cycle skipping controller sans harmonics
In electrical heating applications, resistive heaters are powered through phase angle-controlled SCR/triac circuits to vary the applied voltage/power to maintain the required temperature.
Phase angle control produces a lot of harmonics leading…
Parsing PWM (DAC) performance: Part 4 – Groups of inhomogeneous duty cycles
Editor’s Note: This is a four-part series of DIs proposing improvements in the performance of a “traditional” PWM—one whose output is a duty cycle-variable rectangular pulse which requires filtering by a low-pass analog filter to produce…
Power Integrations’ gallium nitride (GaN) story
Gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors continue to push the boundaries of high-voltage electronics, as evident at this year’s Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in Long Beach, California. GaN devices are moving beyond fast chargers…
Who knew? Wearables can be excessive skin-heat sources, too.
You might think that a smart watch or fitness wearable would not be a thermal concern for users. After all, they only have small rechargeable batteries and sip that battery’s energy to extend operating time as much as possible, typically at…
Power Tips #127: Using advanced control methods to increase the power density of GaN-based PFC
Introduction
Modern electronic systems need small, lightweight, high-efficiency power supplies. These supplies require cost-effective methods to take power from the AC power distribution grid and convert it to a form that can run the necessary…
The advantages of coreless transformer-based isolators/drivers
Design options allow system designers to configure their system with the right performance, reliability, and safety considerations while meeting design cost and efficiency targets. The right design options can be even more important in high-voltage…
