Apple’s MagSafe technology: Sticky, both literally and metaphorically
My brief mention in the teardown that I just submitted (and you’ll either have already read or will read soon, depending on EDN’s publication order preference), of MagSafe wireless support in the charging dock for the Lenovo Smart Clock…
Beyond lithium-ion: Exploring next-gen battery technologies
Electronics design engineers are well aware of lithium-ion’s shortcomings. So, the upcoming battery revolution revolves around experimental materials in novel applications to reduce price, resource scarcity, and environmental impact.
Which…
Renesas’ Transphorm acquisition points to GaN writing on the wall
Less than a year after Infineon snapped GAN Systems to bolster its gallium nitride (GaN) technology roadmap, another GaN semiconductor specialist is becoming part of a bigger semiconductor company’s product portfolio. Renesas is acquiring…
6-DoF inertial sensor improves machine control
The SCH16T-K01 inertial sensor from Murata combines an XYZ-axis gyroscope and XYZ-axis accelerometer in a robust SOIC package. Based on the company’s capacitive 3D-MEMS process, the device achieves centimeter-level accuracy in machine dynamics…
Wi-Fi 7 SoCs garner Wi-Fi Alliance certification
MaxLinear’s Wi-Fi 7 SoC with integrated triband access point has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance and selected as a Wi-Fi Certified 7 test bed device. Certification ensures that devices interoperate seamlessly and deliver the high-performance…
Quectel unveils low-latency Wi-Fi 7 modules
The first entries in Quectel’s Wi-Fi 7 module family, the FGE576Q and FGE573Q, deliver fast data rates and low latency for real-time response. Both modules offer Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity for use in a diverse range of applications,…
UWB RF switch aids automotive connectivity
A 50-Ω SPDT RF switch from pSemi, the automotive-grade PE423211, covers bandwidths ranging from 300 MHz to 10.6 GHz. The part can be used in Bluetooth LE, ultra-wideband (UWB), ISM, and WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax applications. Its suitability…
ATE system tests wireless BMS
Rhode & Schwarz, with technology from Analog Devices, has developed an automated test system for wireless battery management systems (wBMS). The collaboration aims to help the automotive industry adopt wBMS technology and realize its many…
The 2024 CES: It’s “AI everywhere”, if you hadn’t already guessed
This year’s CES officially runs from today (as I write these words), Tuesday, January 9 through Friday, January 12. So why, you might ask, am I committing my coverage to cyber-paper on Day 1, only halfway through it, in fact? That’s because…
More gated 555 astable multivibrators hit the ground running
Adding the long-first-pulse malady in less traditional 555 astable topologies including CMOS- and bipolar-based oscillators that generate 50:50 symmetrical square waves.
A previous Design Idea, “Gated 555 astable hits the ground running”…
CES 2024: Creating a frugal code in embedded software
At CES 2024, a French startup is presenting the notion of frugal code in embedded software by identifying and quantifying the optimization potential of the code. WedoLow, a spinoff from three research laboratories—IETR, INSA, and Inria in…
Power Tips #124: How to improve the power factor of a PFC
Introduction
In Power Tips #116, I talked about how to reduce the total harmonic distortion (THD) of a power factor correction (PFC). In this power tip, I will talk about another important criterion to evaluate PFC performance: the power factor,…
