Charge pump halves voltage to double current “efficiency”
Capacitor type charge pumps are a well-known, simple, efficient, cost-effective (and therefore popular!) method for inverting and multiplying voltage supply rails. Perhaps less well known, however, is that they also work just as well for dividing…
Singaporean chiplet specialist plans new fabrication site in Italy
Silicon Box, an advanced packaging upstart focused on chiplets, is moving to Italy after setting up a $2 billion packaging facility in Singapore in July 2023. The chiplet specialist has announced to set up another manufacturing facility in Northern…
The TiVo RA2400 Stream 4K: A decent idea, plagued by usage delay
I’ve torn down a lot of streaming multimedia receiver devices over the years, most recently both HD (1080p) and 4K variants of Google’s Chromecast with Google TV. The list of victims also includes a bunch of Rokus in both “box” and “stick”…
Comparison of 3 step-down converters to predict EMC issues
Step-down converters’ switch-node voltage waveform defines the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) behavior for automotive CISPR 25 Class 5 measurements. The ringing frequency in the switch-node waveform is an important signal on the EMC receiver,…
System emulates hundreds of AI accelerators
Keysight’s AI Data Center Test Platform aims to fast-track the design and deployment of artificial intelligence network infrastructure. According to the company, the system speeds validation and optimization of AI network fabric and improves…
Low-voltage analog switches ease system design
The digital control pins of Nexperia’s NMUX130x series of 1.5-V to 5.5-V analog switches are compatible with 1.8-V logic thresholds across the entire supply range. Since the control pins operate independently of the VCC range, no additional…
Infineon hones SiC MOSFET trench technology
Infineon’s 650-V and 1200-V CoolSiC G2 MOSFETs improve stored energy and charges by up to 20% compared to the previous generation. This second generation of CoolSiC trench MOSFETs continues to harness the performance attributes of silicon…
Octal high-side switches minimize footprint
Two 8-channel high-side switches from ST combine smart features with typical on-resistance of just 110 mΩ/channel to preserve system efficiency. Housed in tiny 8×6-mm packages, the IPS8200HQ and IPS8200HQ-1 provide output current of 0.7 A…
Multichannel driver controls automotive LEDs
A PWM linear LED driver, the AL1783Q from Diodes, provides independent control of brightness and color on all three of its channels. Used for automotive interior and exterior lighting, the AL1783Q delivers 250 mA per channel to support higher…
Supersized log-scale audio meter
At the end of the DI for a Simple log-scale audio meter, I promised to show how to upgrade it to work better. With these fixes, it now has near-digital performance, with faster response and smoother operation. Even this supersized version comes…
Sorting out USB-C power supplies: Specification deceptions and confusing implementations
Upfront in late November 2023’s most recent edition of the “Holiday Shopping Guide for Engineers” series was my recommendation to pick up a recently-introduced Raspberry Pi 5. But here we are, two months later as I write these words, and…
Cadence taps into structural analysis by acquiring BETA CAE
Soon after Synopsys snapped up multiphysics simulation toolmaker Ansys, Cadence has responded by announcing the acquisition of engineering simulation supplier BETA CAE Systems International AG for approximately $1.24 billion. BETA CAE, which…
