Power

Würth Elektronik has created a smart CAN-bus controlled power distribution box, with multiple analogue and digital inputs for measurement. Called CAN Box 8FR6, it is a system building block for vehicle, industrial and commercial uses that includes has various diagnostic options and is supported by two software tools: WEcontrol Designer and WE Flasher – more of these later. Intelligence in ...

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor has announced USB Type-C Power Delivery sink protection switches using ideal diodes for reverse current protection. There are two: AOZ13984DI-02 and AOZ13987DI-02, both in 3 x 3mm thermally-enhanced DFN packaging, designed to be used in devices that are charged through a USB connector, to prevent current flowing back out of the device through the Vbus pin. Inside is ...

REO’s BWD158 range of aluminium-clad water-cooled resistors are built to dissipate up to 60kW continuously. They are sealed to IP65 in an anodised aluminium housing and all connections and fixings are either stainless steel or anodised aluminium to protect against corrosion. Resistances between 2 and 850Ω are available, and different sizes have power ratings from 1kW up to 60kW. Voltae ratign ...

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor has introduced a dual output dc-dc controller powering processors, ASICs or FPGAs that meets Intel’s VR13 specification. Intended to work from 12V intermediate power rails, AOZ97774 controls three phases of power switching for one output and a single phase for the other output (VR13 3+1 configuration), with all parameters programmable through a r1.2 PMBus interface. Automatic dynamic phase ...

STMicroelectronics has agreed to buy a further $300m worth of bare and epitaxial 150mm silicon carbide wafers from Cree, bringing the total of the multi-year supply agreement to $800m. “We are very pleased that STMicroelectronics will continue to leverage Wolfspeed [brand] silicon carbide materials as part of their supply strategy for the next several years,” said Cree CEO Gregg Lowe. ...

Maxim has designed a multi-phase dc-dc converter evaluation kit that can deliver 1.8V at over 800A. Called MAX16602CL8EVKIT#, it combines the company’s MAX16602 controller IC with eight MAX20790 smart power-stage ICs. The design is intended to power Intel VR13.HC server CPUs or AI cores from a 12V intermediate bus. “Hyperscale data centre designers grapple with increasing peak power and related higher thermal ...

Cincon Electronics of Taiwan is aiming at railway applications with a 20W dc-dc converter that can run from between 10V and 160V. The series is suited for all kinds of voltage parameters in different regions because of its ultra-wide input voltage,” according to the company. “Since rail traffic will be exposed to a harsh environment for a long time, this ...

Silver sintering, as opposed to traditional soldering, is being adopted by leading manufacturers, says Anup Bhalla of UnitedSiC. As well as reducing thermal resistance and increasing reliability, silver sintering can also be applied to older silicon-based technologies for wider system benefits. Minimising the thermal resistance from a power semiconductor die to its case is increasingly important. As technology advances with ...

Silanna Semiconductor has designed an active clamp fly-back controller to reduce the operational, no-load and stand-by power consumption chargers and adapters. Called SZ1131, it has an integrated clamp mosfet and a driver for an external fly-back mosfet. Efficiencies up to 95% across 90 – 265Vac input voltages and varying loads are possible, according to the company. No-load power can be ...

Panasonic has installed a 185kW solar array on its headquarters building in Ottobrunn near Munich. Constructed by Vispiron Energy, the array consists of 570 Panasonic HIT N 325 photovoltaic modules, each rated at 325W and installed east-west at 10° elevation. Total area is 900m2. 13 tonnes of material were applied to the roof, including mountings from K2 Systems, producing ~20kg/m2 loading which ...