Blog

Benefits of Power System Telemetry Using PMBus

ctammann

Telemetry in power systems has been around for quite a while, however it usually just showed up in high power environments like server farms. Power system telemetry is the communication between your system processing and the power supply devices. Thi...
- 11 Oct 2017
Power topology choices for power-hungry devices

jarrodk

Are you having trouble choosing a power topology for your next project? I’ve recently written a blog covering how to choose a power topology for power hungry devices. The various types of topologies are presented and examined in relation to a s...
- 21 Sep 2017
AC/DC (power conversion not the band) – buy it or build it?

ctammann

At some point in the product chain, almost all electronics require conversion from an AC source to a DC one. Whether your product ships with an external adapter, battery charger, or if you design your own offline (AC/DC) converter, that originating s...
- 6 Sep 2017
Elon Musk Set to Bring the Largest Battery Pack in the World to South Australia

Catwell

Tesla Powerpack 2 system is scalable from 200 kWh to 100+ MWh. (Image credit Tesla) Last September, Australians living in the southern half of the country got to experience what it’s like to live on the sun. To add insult to injury, they were a...
- 7 Jul 2017
Logitech G Unveils Wireless Mouse That Charges Constantly and Performs Supremely

Catwell

Logitech is launching two new wireless technologies that complicate the debate of wired vs. wireless mouses due to its reported impeccable performance. The Logitech G wireless mouse and charging pad which is available as a hard or cloth pad. (Photo v...
- 16 Jun 2017
Regulation error: How to Design for Higher Accuracy Requirements

ctammann

IC’s typically specify an accuracy range requirement for their power rails. For a very long time 5% was the norm. In a lot of cases that still stands true, but with higher performance, higher accuracy or higher power devices this requirement has push...
- 15 Jun 2017
AirVolt Boasts First Wireless Smartphone Charger w/ 9 meter distance

Catwell

The wireless charging system featured on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo.com allows for greater ease and flexibility in the dreaded time spent charging phones. AirVolt’s wireless charging system uses radio waves and is comparable to wired-charging. (...
- 12 Jun 2017
OpEd: What India and Pittsburgh Have In Common

rscasny

I think we all live with some level of tunnel vision. We live locally and too often are unaware of what is going on in the wider world despite our access to the reportage of world events. I thought about my own tunnel vision of the wider world w...
- 3 Jun 2017
PMIC’s – Not just dedicated companion devices

rscasny

The term PMIC (Power Management IC) gets thrown around a lot when discussing power. In my experience it could mean anything from a dual output power regulator, to a full featured device with a dozen outputs, reset controllers, GPIO and more. So ...
- 25 May 2017
GaN Point of Load converter 48V to 1V 50A - part 2: Current Doubler

Jan Cumps

I'm reviewing a Gallium Nitrate step-down converter for Point of Load (PoL) high power conversion.This design is intended to deliver low voltage (0.5 - 1.5V) at a power hungry point of load. It can source 50A. With a switching frequency of 600 kH...
- 14 May 2017
GaN Point of Load converter 48V to 1V 50A - part 1: Design Overview

Jan Cumps

I'm reviewing a Gallium Nitrate step-down converter for Point of Load (PoL) high power conversion This design is intended to deliver low voltage (0.5 - 1.5V) at a power hungry point of load. It can source 50A. With a switching frequency of...
- 10 Feb 2017
France opens the world’s first solar powered road

Catwell

A small Normandy village spent $5.2 million to build a solar panel road that will help power the streetlights. The solar panel road will be used by 2,000 motorists a day (via Christophe Petit Tesson/EPA) Every year different towns and cities wor...
- 12 Jan 2017
The GaN BoosterPack Series: LMG5200 Evaluation Pack and Smart Instrument

Jan Cumps

This series of blogs describes the design of a GaN BoosterPack and its LabVIEW integration.The LMG5200 is a GaN Half Bridge that can manage 80V and 10A. This BoosterPack allows you to evaluate the performance of the device. You can change its operati...
- 13 Dec 2016
Low Voltage Step-Down Converter TPS54A20 - Series Capacitor

Jan Cumps

I'm reviewing an evaluation board for the TPS54A20 DC/DC converter from TI.This switcher is specific for low voltage designs. The output range is 0.5 - 2 V.That's a very narrow range. In that range it can deliver 10 A, with a typical input of...
- 23 Oct 2016
DiY Slip Rings: 5 Go-To Guides That Detail How To Make A Slip Ring

c.bates

How do you make your own slip ring? It’s actually a surprisingly common question. When you consider their multitude of uses, it’s easy to see why. For one, they help to power wind turbines, and support the ever advancing renewable energy initiat...
- 12 Sep 2016
Researchers develop new lithium-oxygen battery that may revolutionize electric car technology

Catwell

A concept of lithium and oxygen compounds encased in a lattice of cobalt oxide – the chemical energy generator that powers a novel lithium-oxygen electric car battery (MIT via Nature) Researchers at MIT, Argonne National Laboratory, and Peking Univer...
- 2 Aug 2016
Low Voltage Step-Down Converter TPS54A20 - First Check

Jan Cumps

I received an evaluation board for the TPS54A20 DC/DC converter from TI.This switcher is specific for low voltage designs. The output range is 0.5 - 2 V.That's a very narrow range. In that range it can deliver 10 A, with a typical input of 12 V.E...
- 2 Aug 2016
Santiago aims to have the first metro system run by solar power

Catwell

The new system will be mostly powered by solar energy and a nearby wind farm. The city hopes to have it all in place by 2017(Photo from Getty Images) If you've ever taken the subway you know that the subway is not all that sunny. So it sound...
- 13 Jun 2016
What Are Your Energy Efficiency Predictions for 2016?

rscasny

Energy consumption is the issue of the 21st century. The gyrations in the price of oil on the world markets to the global uncertainty stoked by the prospect of peak oil and the end of the quality of life as we know it all feed into the importance of ...
- 23 May 2016
University of California research points to new ever-lasting nanowire battery

Catwell

Could our phone batteries get new life? Batteries have lots of issues which make them prone to lose capacity, break, and fail. UC researchers have created a nanowire battery that seems to solve all of these issues and last virtually forever even afte...
- 18 May 2016
The Energy Efficiency Manifesto

spannerspencer

Around the element14 offices, we've been chatting a lot lately about energy efficiency and this has prompted us to begin collecting our thoughts on the subject. As always, an important part of this process is gaining your opinions on the matter to cl...
- 12 May 2016
The battery of the future? This mini-fuel cell could power your phone for a week

Catwell

Our phones could stay powered for over a week with whole new approach to batteries. Korean researchers have created a battery that can replace lithium-ion batteries altogether. The new fuel cell battery is scalable and can be used in everything from ...
- 11 Apr 2016
GE Creates a Battery to Recycle CO2

Catwell

In an attempt to save the planet, GE researchers have devised a way to recycle existing CO2 by capturing it in a battery-like cell. The cell makes solar power plants up to 50% more efficient, and the cell itself can reuse up to 68% of its own CO2 emi...
- 25 Mar 2016
Can artificial trees swaying in the wind generate enough energy to power homes?

Catwell

Could this be what the next energy farm looks like? Researchers are testing if mechanical energy produced by the wind shaking artificial trees can generate renewable energy. This new study is created due to new research that shows promising vibration...
- 24 Feb 2016
New type of incandescent light bulbs feeds off own heat, saves energy

Catwell

This bulb uses photonic crystals and tungsten sheets to recycle heat. Researchers from MIT have developed a new incandescent bulb that's more energy efficient (via MIT, Photo from Nature) As our society becomes more energy-conscious more and...
- 5 Feb 2016