Power Semiconductors Take the Floor at APEC
Feb 1, 2006
At the upcoming Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), which will be held March 19-23 in Dallas, several power semiconductor vendors...
Optimizing Accuracy of Hysteretic Control
Feb 1, 2006
In voltage-mode, hysteretic-controlled dc-dc
converters, output capacitor-induced ripple and
loop delay are the key sources of error in output
voltage regulation....
Is Your Job Going to China?
Feb 1, 2006
I talk to a lot of people in the United States in the power supply industry. These days, it seems, near the top of everyone's worry list is the question:...
Measuring Input Current of a Buck or Flyback Converter
Nov 1, 2005
When designing converters, it is often desirable to measure the dc current coming into the converter. This is particularly true when batteries are being...
PWM: From a Single Chip To a Giant Industry
Oct 1, 2005
A pulse-width modulation control chip invented
in 1975 spurred the development of switching
power supplies, leading to a power control IC
industry that today is measured in billions of
dollars....
Designing Single-Switch Forward Converters
Oct 1, 2005
Often used in dc-dc converter modules for power levels below 100 W, single-transistor, resonant reset forward converters are also useful for dc-dc converters with adjustable output voltages....
Improving the Performance of Flyback Power Supplies
Sep 1, 2005
Innovative MOSFETs and flyback controllers help designers meet challenging efficiency
and power density requirements, while also
satisfying demands for reliability and low cost....
Power Supply Redesign Raises EMC Issues
Sep 1, 2005
Because even modest design changes can cause a supply to fail FCC/CE tests for conducted and radiated noise, designers need to understand
where noise originates and how to reduce it to acceptable levels....
Environmental Testing Benefits Power Electronics
Jul 28, 2005
Integrating test and measurement with environmental testing can improve product robustness, product reliability and production processes, increasing yields and reducing warranty expenses and exposure....
Estimate Inductor Losses Easily in Power Supply Designs
Apr 1, 2005
Inductors dissipate power in the core and in the
windings. Although exact calculations of these
losses can be complex and difficult, they can be
readily estimated using data sheet parameters
available from magnetic component suppliers....
New Energy Standards Banish Linear Supplies
Mar 1, 2005
With the California Energy Commission mandating
minimum levels of efficiency for external
power supplies sold in the state, many linear
supplies will need to be redesigned using
switch-mode technology....
Buck Converter Losses Under the Microscope
Feb 1, 2005
The synchronous buck converter is the most popular topology in the PC market. The race between the top MOSFET companies is heating up with the rush to design new devices that are faster and better suited to meet the demands of the microprocessor makers....
Boosting Power Supply Efficiency for Desktop Computers
Feb 1, 2005
Adopting active PFC for harmonic-reduction while
making other architectural- and component-level
improvements can cost-effectively reduce losses
in ATX power supplies....
Biasing the TL431 for Improved Output Impedance
Jan 1, 2005
The TL431 is a well-known voltage reference integrated circuit used in Switch-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) feedback loops. Combining a reference voltage and...
