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Power Tips: Trade-offs in designing a universal AC input power supply
The alternating current (AC) line voltage around the world varies in terms of voltage and frequency. The U.S. and Japan supply voltages are around 100V, while Europe and China use ~220V. The frequency...
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Rethinking server power architecture in a post-silicon world: Getting from 48...
This post was originally published on EPC's GaN Talk blog. Discover more about the LMG5200 and TI GaN solutions here. Alex Lidow, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder, EPC David Reusch, Ph.D., Executive Director...
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5 simple steps to powering an SoC
Example of PMIC powering an SoCAs more and more designs are surpassing the capabilities of simpler microcontrollers, today I’m going to walk you through the basic considerations for powering a system...
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USB Type-C version 1.2 – USB embraces a broader market
USB Type-C changed the USB ecosystem in a major way by making both ends of the USB cable interchangeable (not just flippable). This enables USB devices such as laptops or smartphones to have different...
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Step by step: How the series capacitor buck converter works
My cousin introduced me to the Texas two-step a couple years ago. I enjoyed swing dancing in college but had never tried two-step before. My first few attempts were quite abysmal. Fortunately, I was...
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How to protect your server from hot swap events
Need to replace your fan? Simply trade it out. Want to add more storage capacity? No problem – just exchange that 500GB SSD for 4TB. But have you ever worried during one of these activities that...
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How to reduce acoustic noise of MLCCs in power applications
Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are popular in power electronics designs compared to traditional polymer capacitors for many reasons:An MLCC provides:A small profile with relatively higher...
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Step by step: How the series capacitor buck converter works
My cousin introduced me to the Texas two-step a couple years ago. I enjoyed swing dancing in college but had never tried two-step before. My first few attempts were quite abysmal. Fortunately, I was...
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Enhance your home automation project with an LED driver
The smart home is no longer just for movie and millionaires. New products are hitting the market every day to connect you to every part of your house. There are products to turn on your lights from the...
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Staying cool, efficiently
Looking back at my childhood in one of coastal India’s cities, I remember dense humidity paired with tolerable heat in the low 90s – a classic equatorial climate. But when I visit now, I notice that...
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Power Tips: How GaN devices boost resonant converter efficiency
Wide-bandgap power devices such as gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) field effect transistors (FETs) have become commercially available in recent years. Compared with high-voltage (≥600V)...
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LED brightness adjustment: high-frequency PWM dimming
Figure 1: Automotive exterior lighting with LEDsIn one of my previous blog posts, I introduced different dimming methods for light-emitting diode (LED) drivers: analog and pulse-width modulation (PWM)...
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DC/DC converter datasheets: current limit - part one
The current-limit specification for a DC/DC converter can sometimes cause confusion for designers not familiar with this type of regulator. In this two-part series, I hope that I can help clear away...
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It’s time for the 2016 Power Supply Design Seminars
Whenever you have a job to do, it’s important you have the right stuff, whether it’s knowledge, tools, supplies or equipment are at the basic list. In addition to working in power-supply design, I do a...
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Find the "Goldilocks" voltage reference for your application
So you know you need a voltage reference, but you are not sure how to pick the best one for your application. You have come to the right place! In this post, I will discuss some of the key...
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DC/DC converter datasheets- current limit - part two
In part 1 of this two-part series, I talked about the maximum output current of a step-down or buck DC/DC converter. In this installment, I will look at the step-up or boost converter. Calculating the...
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Solving the biggest challenges when designing smart meter power supplies
Smart meters are next-generation meters that replace existing meters, which still use technology that was developed decades ago. Smart meters use a secure connection network to automatically and...
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Consider an application-specific PMIC in your system
If you think power-management integrated circuits (PMICs) only power a system’s processor, allow me to introduce the application-specific PMIC. Application-specific PMICs have the same great system...
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Design your power stage quite conveniently
Have you ever had to do the same calculations more than once? As an electrical/electronics engineer, I am pretty sure that you have. If you are doing calculations manually, it can be quite tedious and...
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Is PFC possible without input voltage sensing?
Power factor correction (PFC) forces the input current to follow the input voltage (VIN)so that any electrical load appears like a resistor. This action requires sensing the input voltage and...
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