25 results found for Power Design, displaying items 1 - 20
October 14, 2009
Energy Storage Industry Needs Novel Circuits And Semiconductors
Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), better known as ultracapacitors or supercapacitors, are now a primary energy storage option for design engineers. During the past 10 years, we have seen the emergence of this technology, especially with the move toward “green” and more energy-efficient options. These devices have an advantage over batteries, particularly in applications requiring long life or operation in low temperatures.
—
Bobby Maher
October 8, 2009
Load-Sharing Power Converters Tackle Higher Output Power And Fault Tolerance
Designers parallel their power supplies to increase system power output or to provide fault tolerance. Paralleling also improves system performance. When both power supplies are load sharing, for example, the two supplies share the dissipated heat, improving reliability. Furthermore, if one power supply goes offline, the other one is coming from an already loaded state, so the perturbation on the output is not significant.
—
Tom Curatolo
September 30, 2009
Batteries Present A Great Hope For U.S. Manufacturing
The battery industry is being lauded as the great hope for domestic manufacturing and job creation. Much of the economic stimulus package has been directed toward the fabrication and recycling of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in the United States. The $790 billion economic stimulus legislation includes tens of billions of dollars in loans, grants, and tax incentives for advanced battery research and manufacturing.
—
Robin Tichy
October 1, 2009 Fixed DC-DC Regulator Output Uses A Digitally Controlled Potentiometer
Digitally controlled potentiometers (DCPs) have become very popular in a wide variety of applications, including control, parameter adjustment, and signal processing. The digital pots replace mechanical potentiometers and provide advantages such as remote operation and programmability, higher resolution, a much smaller form factor, increased reliability, the ability to store multiple wiper positions, and lower total system cost. A...
—
Yuriy Kurtsevoy
, et al.
September 9, 2009
LED Illumination Provides Constant (Current) Opportunities
What do ac-dc power supplies, lighting ballasts, and driver ICs have in common? They all represent immediate growth opportunities for new designs based on current regulation, specifically for various applications in LED lighting. If you look toward signs, billboards, and specialty applications for color lighting, you’ll see growing markets for LEDs.
—
Jeff Shepard
August 5, 2009
DC-DC Converter Architectures: What Are People Talking About?
Applications engineers are in a unique position with respect to dc-dc converter architectures. In the lab, in the field, or on the telephone, they hear a lot. In fact, the centralized control architecture (CCA), which coexists with and adds capability to other power architectures, and the factorized power architecture (FPA) have been getting a lot of press recently.
—
Tom Curatolo
July 29, 2009
Keep An Eye On Temperature Trends During Li-ion Battery Charge And Discharge Cycles
Lithium-chemistry batteries are replacing sealed lead-acid (SLA) and nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) types in many fixed and portable applications due to their higher energy storage density relative to both weight and volume. As larger lithium-chemistry batteries are designed, managing the waste heat generated by the ever-higher charge and discharge currents becomes an increasing challenge.
—
David Gunderson
July 15, 2009
PODCAST: Designing An Energy-Efficient Future
While consumers and businesses have a growing appetite for new technologies, energy sources are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. In an interview with Electronic Design Contributing Editor John Edwards, Analog Devices' Jon Perzow discusses today's low-power design challenges and what the semiconductor industry is doing to help companies introduce more energy-efficient products.
—
John Edwards
July 8, 2009
Use Cell Balancing To Enable Large-Scale Li-ion Batteries
Many applications need lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery packs with high cell counts. Large-scale arrays based on Li-ion batteries can provide the high voltage, current, and capacity required by many emerging markets. Yet designers of larger battery packs face many problems, including the issues around cell imbalance.
—
Robin Tichy
April 20, 2009
DC-DC Footprints On The Sands Of Time
The footprint of a dc-dc converter is, to me, an interesting topic. There is a certain amount of history to it that’s kind of fascinating. Also, it really plays heavily into the decisions power designers make about what solution they’re going to use and whether, for example, another vendor is actually a true second source. Over time, the dc-dc converter footprint has, in general, experienced some changes. You might also say it has changed the industry to some degree.
—
Tom Curatolo
April 9, 2009 Changes To IEEE 1625 Establish A High Bar For Battery Design
Several years ago, some laptop fires scared the public and prompted widespread recalls by some of the most reputable lithium- ion (Li-ion) cell manufacturers. The long-lasting repercussions in the battery industry ranged from cell supply shortages to public misconception about the safety of portable electronics. Individual companies have taken many steps to ensure that these events do not recur, and the industry has joined forces to unify safety...
—
Robin Tichy
March 12, 2009 The Many Faces Of Custom Power
Under the pressures of product performance, price, and the need to increasingly reduce their time-to-market, many OEMs don’t have the luxury of spending a lot of time on the power solution. Consequently, they look to power providers that can expeditiously accomplish their power requirements as they need them. However, “as they need them” is the key. Suppliers can make an innovative power product. But in the end, if it isn’t in a form factor or served...
—
Tom Curatolo
February 6, 2009
Solid-State Triac Devices Replace Mechanical Relays In Power Switching Applications
Mechanical relays, contactors, and switches control the flow of electricity by the mechanical action of two conducting elements. The physical contact of two conducting elements creates a path for electricity. Remove that physical contact, and the electrical pathway is broken. Mechanical relays, contactors, and switches operate in this manner. However, solid-state triac devices may be used to interrupt the flow of electricity in a manner that is synchronous with the ac current waveform.
—
Paul Nickelsberg
December 11, 2008 The Industry Migrates To 48-V Input DC-DC Conversion
In my previous column (“Applications Drive Component Power Designs,” Sept. 11, 2008, p. 18, ED Online 19486), I contended that the application drives the selection of a specific power component—or it even forces the creation of a custom component. But, it must be admitted, there is another side of the coin. Many price-sensitive engineers see value in changing their ...
—
Tom Curatolo
October 23, 2008 The Dangers Of Counterfeit Battery Packs: Answers To Reader Questions
The continuing growth of portable handheld devices has spawned a healthy selection of aftermarket battery pack suppliers. Yet aftermarket vendors may resort to activities that compromise the end-user experience or safety to make the battery packs inexpensive and attractive to those placing purchase orders for replacements. An analysis of several counterfeit batteries revealed a variety of manufacturing and design problems, and we can use these examples to answer...
—
Robin Tichy
October 10, 2008
WHITE PAPER: The Dangers of Counterfeit Battery Packs
In an analysis of several counterfeit batteries, Micro Power's experts found safety violations ranging from insufficient safety circuitry to poor manufacturing quality. This paper details some of the safety issues observed in counterfeit battery packs and discusses your options to implement a prevention program to control the aftermarket ecosystem.
—
Staff
September 11, 2008 Applications Drive Component Power Designs
Power designers often prefer particular power products or manufacturers. Some designers try to drive these preferences into every application. That’s not surprising. Such choices are usually based on successful relationships with specific manufacturers. The designers already know the products, or they can rely on a level of reliability, on-time delivery, or good prices. Many suppliers of dc-dc converters offer common input and output voltages, power levels, and features....
—
Tom Curatolo
July 10, 2008 Protect Yourself From The Dangers Of Knockoff Battery Packs
In recent years, the news of individual battery incidents such as cell-phone and laptop fires has been eclipsed by factory fires and large recalls of lithium-ion (Liion) cells. Several large, well-known Li-ion cell suppliers have been affected. The most notable event was the recall of Sony batteries in 2005. Panasonic and, more recently, LG Chemical have had fires affecting their Li-ion manufacturing volume as well. While these factors present challenges for...
—
Robin Tichy
prev. page
[1]
