Electronic Design Auto Electronics Microwaves & RF Power Electronics Technology Source ESB Mobile Dev & Design Engineering TV
View this week's entry ad Subscribe Contact Register Sign In
Search
Twitter Logo Facebook logo RSS Feed Logo Newsletter Logo
Part Inventory
Go
powered by:
 
powered by:

 

Author Articles

  • Power-Management Chip Takes Charge In Handhelds

    By David G. Morrison, February 02, 2004

    Offering the longest runtimes among the popular rechargeable chemistries, single-cell lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries can be found in many handheld devices. But multiple charging sources, multiple supply voltages within the product, demands for...

  • Power ICs Migrate To Open-Frame Packaging

    By David G. Morrison, January 19, 2004

    Long known for building high-power IC amplifiers in hybrid packaging, Apex Microtechnology is now offering products in open-frame packages. The new packages, which resemble open-frame dc-dc converters, cost significantly less than the hybrids, are...

  • Power-Supply News

    By David G. Morrison, January 19, 2004

    Output current ratings of non-isolated point-of-load converters continue to rise. The latest example of this trend is the SIL40C from Artesyn Technologies, which delivers 40 A in a 2.4- by 1.25-in. horizontally mounted package. A vertical-mount...

  • Energy-Metering ICs Simplify Reactive-Energy Measurement

    By David G. Morrison, January 19, 2004

    Thanks to an on-chip DSP, the ADE7753 and ADE7758 energy-metering ICs facilitate the measurement of reactive energy. Existing energy-metering chips require a microcontroller (MCU) or external DSP to compute reactive power. But in the AD7753/7758,...

  • Power-Supply ICs Propel Switchers Into Non-Isolated Applications

    By David G. Morrison, January 19, 2004

    Offline switching ICs have reached such high levels of integration that switching power supplies can now supplant low-cost linear supplies, even in low-power applications requiring just a few watts. However, most of these chips were developed with...

  • DC-DC Converters
    Sponsored by: DATEL

    By David G. Morrison, January 12, 2004

    The Black Box. Put succinctly, dc-dc converter modules make it easier to implement on-board voltage conversion.They integrate all required power-conversion circuitry into a compact package that can be placed onto the board—often with no...

  • Power> DC-DC Converters

    By David G. Morrison, January 12, 2004

    During 2003, the focus in dc-dc converters shifted from the actual converters to the distributed-power architectures using these devices. Sure, many announcements heralded better dc-dc converter performance. But even greater attention was paid to...

  • Power> Supplies And Batteries

    By David G. Morrison, January 12, 2004

    While walking through the exhibits at a power industry trade show last fall, I was struck by the number of vendors showing off flywheel power systems. These flywheels formed the heart of uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), which were intended to...

  • Power> Management And Semiconductors

    By David G. Morrison, January 12, 2004

    The word "simplify" might just be the battle cry for current-generation power-management ICs. So many of today's components are crafted with the intention of making it easier to perform power conversion, distribution, protection, or control....

  • Power> Overview

    By David G. Morrison, January 12, 2004

    In both good and bad economic times, certain factors will always remain steadfast. In the digital realm, Moore's Law has been more or less a constant for the past few decades. In the power electronics realm, a host of trends follow from Moore's Law....

  • Analog/Mixed-Signal> ADCs

    By David G. Morrison, January 12, 2004

    Analog-to-digital-converter (ADC) architectures vary greatly in their performance capabilities. ADC application needs are even more diverse. So it should come as no surprise that the development of ADC chips is moving simultaneously in multiple...

  • Analog/Mixed-Signal> Overview

    By David G. Morrison, January 12, 2004

    Developers of analog and mixed-signal ICs have many options at hand to enhance the value of their products. They can soup up key ac and dc performance specifications. They can shrink device size or add more functionality to a given-sized device. Or,...

  • Analog/Mixed-Signal> DACs

    By David G. Morrison, January 12, 2004

    Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) don't always garner the attention of their analog-to-digital converter (ADC) counterparts because DAC performance isn't a limiting factor in many applications. Nevertheless, monolithic DACs still play an important...

  • Electronic Design UPDATE: December 29, 2003

    By John Novellino, December 29, 2003

    Editor's View -- Just In Time For Never: A Bigger And Longer Holiday Wish List For The Electronics Industry by David G. Morrison, Analog/Power Editor. Holiday shopping is just behind us now, but with the boxes and wrapping paper still lying about....

  • Tiny Analog Switches Are The Seeds Of Invention

    By David G. Morrison, December 04, 2003

    Three analog-switch ICs from Fairchild Semiconductor come with an unusual warning: Keep away from poppy-seed bagels. Housed in 1.45- by 1.2-mm MicroPak packages, the FSA4157, FSA4156, and FSA1157 could easily get lost among any stray poppy-seed...

  • Chip Merges Power-Management Functions For Handhelds

    By David G. Morrison, December 04, 2003

    The DA9031 Power-Management Controller IC targets multimedia applications in PDAs and wireless handsets based on Intel's Bulverde processor. Packaged in a 196-pin ball-grid array (BGA), it features a myriad of voltage regulators; LED,...

  • Power-Supply News: Nonisolated, Surface-Mount DC-DC Converters

    By David G. Morrison, December 04, 2003

    The Austin Lynx II Series of nonisolated, surface-mount dc-dc converters is pin-compatible with the Austin Lynx series while offering a wider input-voltage range and flexible output-voltage sequencing. The series includes the 16-A SuperLynx II, the...

  • Power-Supply News: Customizable, 35-W High-Voltage DC-DC Converter

    By David G. Morrison, December 04, 2003

    Designers can customize a 35-W high-voltage DC-DC converter from Beta Dyne. This 2- by 2- by 0.5-in. device provides isolated output voltages ranging from 48 V (±24 V) up to 450 V (±225 V). It has a 2:1 input-voltage range with nominal...

  • Multiphase Controllers Embrace Single-Cycle Current Balancing

    By David G. Morrison, December 04, 2003

    The TPS4009x family of multiphase synchronous buck controllers from Texas Instruments implements stepdown power converters that deliver 40 to 120 A. The controllers also use TI's technique for single-cycle current balancing, which is accurate to...

  • Fuel Cells Promise To Power Future Battlefield Weapons

    By David G. Morrison, November 24, 2003

    Fuel cells could replace the batteries and diesel generators the American military now uses to power its battlefield equipment, according to "Military Fuel Cell Markets: Market Potential in a New Era of Military Applications," a study from...