29 January 2020
Power Electronics / Power Management
A common DC-DC converter problem is generating a regulated voltage when the input voltage can be above, below, or equal to the output - that is, the converter must perform both step-up and step-down functions. This scenario is typical when powering vehicle electronics from a nominal 12 V battery, which can vary from engine cold crank (down to 3 V) and load dump (up to 100 V), or a reverse battery voltage from operator error.
There are several DC-DC converter topologies that can perform both step-up and step-down operations, from SEPIC to 4-switch topologies, but none of these solutions passes the input voltage directly to the output without actively switching.
By contrast, the LT8210 from Analog Devices is a synchronous buck-boost controller that can operate in ‘Pass-Thru’ mode, which eliminates EMI and switching losses, and maximises efficiency (up to 99,9%). Pass-Thru operation passes the input directly to the output when the input voltage is within a user programmable window.
The LT8210 operates over an input voltage range of 2,8 V to 100 V, allowing it to regulate from the minimum input voltage during cold crank to the peak amplitude of an unsuppressed load dump. The LT8210 can operate as a conventional buck-boost controller with pin-selectable continuous conduction mode (CCM), pulse skipping, or ‘Burst Mode’ operation, or in the new Pass-Thru mode in which the output voltage is regulated to a programmed window. When the input voltage resides in this window it is passed directly to the output without actively switching the FETs, resulting in ultralow IQ operation and the elimination of switching noise.
Schneider Electric partners with Drakenstein Municipality Schneider Electric South Africa
Power Electronics / Power Management
Drakenstein Municipality, situated in Paarl in the Western Cape, is one of the first distribution utilities globally to implement Schneider Electric’s green, SF6-free RM AirSeT switchgear with pure air technology and native digital connectivity.
Read more...Wi-Fi 6/BLE module enables rapid development Altron Arrow
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Telit Cinterion has announced the WE310K6, a fully integrated, low-power module featuring dual-band, dual-stream Wi-Fi 6, and dual-mode Bluetooth/BLE.
Read more...E-Mobility: navigate safety, interoperability and conformance Concilium Technologies
Power Electronics / Power Management
Although the concept of electric vehicles is not a new one, the market remains in its infancy, and is not well-regulated or fully operational. This presents a number of challenges for manufacturers throughout the EV and EVSE ecosystem.
Read more...Webinar: Decarbonise with industrial drives
Power Electronics / Power Management
Infineon's TRENCHSTOP IGBT7 and CoolSiC technologies increase the efficiency of your industrial drive design, ultimately resulting in cost savings for you, and a more sustainable future for all.
Read more...Analysis of switch-mode power supply: inductor violations Altron Arrow
Editor's Choice Power Electronics / Power Management
Common switch-mode power supply (SMPS) design errors are discussed, and their appropriate rectification is specified, with details on complications that arise with the power stage design of DC-DC switching regulators.
Read more...Microsoft Windows IoT on ARM Altron Arrow
Computer/Embedded Technology
This expansion means that the Windows IoT ecosystem can now harness the power of ARM processors, known for their energy efficiency and versatility.
Read more...Microchip introduces ECC608 TrustMANAGER Altron Arrow
Circuit & System Protection
To increase security on IoT products and facilitate easier setup and management, Microchip Technology has added the ECC608 TrustMANAGER with Kudelski IoT keySTREAM, Software as a Service (SaaS) to its Trust Platform portfolio of devices, services and tools.
Read more...SolidRun unveils new SoM Altron Arrow
AI & ML
SolidRun and Hailo has unveiled a game-changer for engineers and AI product developers with the launch of their market-ready SoM, which packs the cutting-edge capabilities of the Hailo-15H SoC.