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Don't forget the gate driver: it’s the muscle
Remember the blog with an interesting analogy between power factor correction (PFC) and beer earlier this year? I think it is brilliant! In that case, the beer in a glass represented the “real power”...
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Measure output dynamic response on power supplies: oscilloscope ground issues
Measuring on an oscilloscope output ripple and dynamic response on low voltage (~1V) / high current (30-150A) power supplies has been a challenge with each new setup creating its own set of errors....
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Waveform audit: is your inductor saturated?
Inductors are key components in switched-mode power supplies (SMPSs). Inductor selection is an important design step in power-supply design, but can often pose challenges. These challenges are...
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USB chargers then and now: Type-C meets energy efficiency standards
While planning to write this post, I typed “type-C” into Google Trends. Interest in the term has been rising since 2015 shown in Figure 1.Figure 1. Interest over time on Google Trends (Keywords:...
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SOIC-8 stands the test of time
As a millennial, it’s all about having the newest phones and gadgets, not to mention playing the newest games (Pokémon Go anyone?). But does newer always equal better? Personally, I’d rather stick with...
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Laying out an inverting buck-boost converter for success
It is common knowledge in the DC/DC converter domain that a buck converter or regulator integrated circuit (IC), such as the LM5017 family, can create a negative VOUT from a positive VIN. At first...
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The difference between hysteretic-mode converters and traditional regulators
When designing a power circuit, many of the selections available on the market, such as traditional voltage and current-mode regulators, look similar. You know it will do a certain job - for example,...
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Why should you count squares?
When I studied electrical engineering at the university, math was extremely important. My math professor was so diligent that he would attend other classes to see if the lessons involved math that he...
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USB Type-C: charging a new world
USB Type-C™ is upon us, representing the most significant change to USB that most consumers will notice to date. On top of a new reversible connector, the maximum power has increased to 15W. Higher...
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Power Tips: Where to connect frequency analyzer reference leads for Bode plot...
Whenever a system incorporates a negative feedback loop, the loop gain, T, becomes an important performance parameter to measure and optimize for stability, output regulation and transient-response...
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Is integrated GaN changing the conventional wisdom?
As a power electronics engineer, there is a saying that no success is made without the lessons learned from power devices blowing up. This seemed true during my years of experience debugging...
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How to design a limited power source industrial AC/DC power supply with...
DIN rail power supplies in industrial equipment.In this two-part series, I’ll explain the basic details of limited power source (LPS) requirements and how you can optimize the feedback loop with the...
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Thermal good – quite a hot topic
Looking back on DC/DC power supplies, the power-good (PG) function has been well-known for many years. The PG pin is an open-drain output that requires a pull-up resistor connected to the output...
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Understanding Voltage References: Simple Current Sink
As discussed in the previous posts in this voltage reference series, generating DC currents of arbitrary magnitude is a simple and straightforward process using operational amplifier feedback and a...
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Selecting voltage detectors, supervisors, and reset ICs for system safety:...
Power-supply voltages in telecom, industrial and avionics applications can vary for many reasons, such as line and load transients; power outages; or a low battery. Voltage detectors and...
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Keeping DC/DC solutions (super) simple for cost-sensitive applications
Keeping DC/DC solutions (super) simple for cost-sensitive applicationsHave you recently upgraded your TV to one with a larger screen and ultra-high-definition resolution? Have you installed a new...
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Before digital control, there were general-purpose PWMs
For those of you who don’t know me, let me get the formalities out of the way. I absolutely love digital control! You know, stuff like z-transforms, Kalman filters, nonlinear control, adaptive control...
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It’s hip to be square
All power stage designers like to see a perfect square waveform at the switch-node. Fast rising/falling edge reduces switching losses, and low overshoot and ringing minimizes voltage stresses on the...
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Selecting voltage detectors, supervisors, and reset ICs for system safety:...
In the first installment of this series, I defined voltage detectors and supervisors/reset ICs and explained different output types, along with some basic devices. As designs become more complex, more...
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USB PD 3.0 fast role swap switching considerations
The introduction of USB Type-C™ and USB Power Delivery (PD) will forever change the way we interact with our notebooks/tablets/smartphones and accessories A single cable provides both power and data,...
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