333 results found, displaying items 141 - 160

A switch-mode converter circuit uses a controlled power semiconductor switching technique along with an inductor, transformer, or capacitor as an energy-storage element to transfer dc power from its input to its output. In a basic switch-mode converter, a dc-to-pulse-width converter IC accepts a dc input and produces square waves applied to a power semiconductor switch.

Nearly all designs at advanced process nodes need some sort of power-saving strategy. As more designs employ advanced low-power techniques, design teams are discovering huge implementation hurdles that affect cost, performance, and time to market.

The bad news is that today’s power grid is wasteful, costly, inefficient, and dumb, according to Lux Research. In other words, it’s ill-equipped to address many pressing energy issues, from the need to focus on climate change and carbon cost, to the demand for high reliability.

Concern about the potential safety hazards of shipping large quantities of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries has prompted the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) to adopt new hazardous materials regulations covering the batteries. The rules took effect on October 1 and will impact the cell-phone recycling industry and consumers who want to ship their wireless handsets for recycling.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided that its Energy Star telephony “no-load” rules do no apply to telephony products such as cordless phones, answering machines, and combination cordless phones and answering machines.

GM’s top designers are taking the Chevy Volt on tour, stopping last week to show the extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) in New York City. Scheduled to roll off the production lines and hit showrooms in November 2010, the Volt promises 40 miles of all-electric driving before its 1.3-liter, 3-cylinder gas engine kicks in.

Spectrum Control, Inc. has expanded its line of standard barrier Strip terminal blocks to include a terminal block capable of 30-A current rating. This EMI-filtered barrier strip delivers its current rating without the expense expected from higher-current blocks, according to Spectrum Control.

Ever drive by a power plant, gaze at its obtrusive cooling towers and think, “There goes a monument to wasted thermal energy?” Well, RTI International is heading a project to push the fold in thermo-electric power conversion and turn the ecosystem’s frown upside down.

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.

The Universal Powerline Association (UPA) is issuing two advanced market requirement documents (MRDs) for Powerline communication-based Smart Grid and Command and Control (C&C) applications. The MRDs share three fundamental principles...

Perhaps in response to GM’s announcement of its production-ready Volt electric car last week, Chrysler has unveiled plans to use similar electric-drive technology in three of its vehicles.

The much-talked-about Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle has moved from concept car to production model. As part of General Motors’ centennial celebration, Chevrolet lifted the curtain on the production version Volt, which delivers 40 miles of gasoline- and emissions-free electric driving and has extended-range capability of hundreds of additional miles.

A new gallium nitride (GaN)-based power device technology platform can provide customers with improvements in key application-specific figures of merit of up to a factor of 10, compared to state-of-the-art silicon-based technology platforms, according to International Rectifier Corp.

Joint ventures and technology deals have been the theme for some of Europe’s biggest chip makers this Olympic summer, with Munich-based Infineon taking the gold medal and STMicroelectronics (ST) coming in a close second with silver. ULIS and Renesas Technology Europe also placed well, with their own advances in sensors and power MOSFETs, respectively.

Power.org has released the Power Architecture Physical Connection for High-Speed Serial Trace Specification. The organization, which promotes and develops standards for Power Architecture technology, also announced web-based training tools, regional training programs, and its newest member, LSI Corp.

Runtime and battery capacity are the most important factors in selecting battery chemistry and technology in portable products, according to an engineering and marketing survey conducted by Nexergy Inc. The manufacturer of battery packs and chargers said the survey also indicated a lack of familiarity and understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the many battery chemistries available on the market today.

A recent CNN story called “Converting Gas-Powered Cars to Electric” sparked a round of e-mails among us Electronic Design editors. The story specifically described a man who ripped the engine out of his Chevy S-10 pickup and installed an electric motor, reminding me of a conversation I had yesterday with Dave, my barber. Dave drives this brobdinagian pickup camper, and we were talking about what’s under its hood.

Hybrids and electric cars may get all the buzz these days, but what if you could leave the grid entirely? That may not be as far-fetched as you think, based on the results of the 2008 North American Solar Challenge. Last month, 15 teams and their sun-powered cars charged 2400 miles across the continent to test the technology’s viability.

“The meter’s running backwards!” I wrote that line in August 2006, quoting my wife Vicky, who was entranced by the most visible manifestation of what our just completed rooftop grid-connected solar system was achieving (“A Solar Story,” ED Online 13242). While that column covered the technical details of its installation, this story is about the economic advantages we’ve seen since then.

Chinese automobile manufacturer ChangAn Inc. has equipped a number of its vehicles in the Jiexun series with a mild-hybrid engine, using Infineon Technologies’ power electronics. The hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) will be used as taxis for athletes and spectators during the Olympic Games in Beijing.

• Build A Smart Battery Charger Using A Single-Transistor Circuit
• Efficient DC-To-AC Inverters Charge Equipment Racks
• DC-AC inverter targets electroluminescent applications
• Easy-To-Build AC Power Meter
• Voltage-To-Current Converter Works From A Single-Supply Rail