Driving Automotive Power Supplies to Higher Frequencies
Sep 1, 2006
If protected against load dumps and other transients, switching regulators with relatively low voltage ratings can be configured to operate efficiently at high switching frequencies....
MOV and PPTC Devices Enable IEC 61000-4-5 Compliance
Jul 1, 2006
Coordinating overcurrent and overvoltage protection at the ac mains input can help designers comply with safety agency requirements, minimize component count and cost...
New Products
Jun 1, 2006
Web-Based Simulator Microchip Technology's Mindi is a web-based simulation tool that aids in the design of several circuits useful for power-management...
High-Side Current Amplifier Forms 28-V Circuit Breaker
Jun 1, 2006
The latching-comparator output (COUT1) on the MAX4373, a high-side current amplifier with comparator and voltage reference, makes possible a circuit-breaker...
Filling the Gaps in Surge Protection
May 1, 2006
Major equipment manufacturers, in fields as diverse as industrial automation, medical electronics and consumer electronics, are seeing 30% to 50% of their...
New Products
May 1, 2006
PWM Controller The IR3624 from International Rectifier is a 600-kHz single-phase synchronous buck PWM controller IC designed for high-density, 10-A nonisolated...
PolySwitch Device Enhances Overcurrent Protection
Apr 1, 2006
Where resettable overcurrent protection is a requirement, PolySwitch polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) devices offer a highly effective...
Latched Overcurrent Fault Detector Has Fast Response Time
Oct 1, 2005
OVERCURRENT DETECTOR - the circuit introduced here is a simple and fast-responding overcurrent detector for protection of low-voltage applications. Unlike dedicated hot-swap controllers that impose a long startup delay initiated by undervoltage, this circuit provides protection only 150 µs after the input supply rises above 2.7 V. It also possesses a measure of inrush current limiting during power up, by virtue of the limited gate voltage on an external p-channel switch....
Then and Now
Sep 1, 2005
As we continue our Then and Now series, we once again will look at three products selected from a 1975 edition of Solid-State Power Conversion, the predecessor...
Active Adapter Protects Against Transients
Jun 1, 2005
An active-adapter integrated circuit inserted between an accessory charger and a battery-powered consumer product prevents voltage transients from damaging the product during
charging....
ICs Protect IGBTs and Sense Currents in Motor Drives
Apr 1, 2005
In industrial and appliance motor-drive applications,
high-voltage ICs can provide full IGBT protection
in the inverters and sensorless measurement
of motor currents at low cost....
Controllers Guard Against Arc Faults
Nov 1, 2004
Solid-state power controllers (SSPCs) are designed to replace mechanical circuit breakers, which work by tripping when the temperature of their internal...
Overpower Compensation for Current-Mode Supplies
Sep 1, 2004
A current-mode power supply works by observing the peak current circulating in an inductance. By adjusting the peak current setpoint at which the power...
Magnetic Solutions: Solving Inrush at the Source
Apr 1, 2004
A simple approach based on original research attacks inrush currents at the source - the power transformer. The use of special core materials and transformer design/construction techniques overcomes the limitations of common inrush control solutions....
PPTC Offers New Option for Circuit Protection
Jul 1, 2003
Polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) devices that are rated for line voltages of 120Vac and 240Vac provide cost-effective alternatives for circuit protection....
