In this article, we’ll explain how an inverter or emergency bulb operates. An inverter bulb is an emergency LED bulb. However, the term is confusing because there’s no conversion process (from dc to ac or vice versa) in the circuits where these bulbs are applied. The technology lets the bulbs automatically light during a power…

LoRa (long-range) technology ensures reliable long-range communication between a node and gateway, making it well-suited for a range of Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. The purpose of building a LoRa node is to reduce costs while ensuring long-term, low-power use for devices. LoRa’s low power is affected by several features, covered below. Features Smart programming. The written…

An electric bike, or e-bike, is a popular, eco-friendly option for daily commutes. These bicycles are equipped with an electric motor to assist users in pedaling. E-bikes have next-to-no running costs, requiring little maintenance. They also let riders avoid gasoline costs, vehicle traffic congestion, and parking fees.  Most users buy assembled models, but it’s also possible…

As digitalization, urbanization, and the rise of electro-mobility continue to shape the rapidly evolving world, the demand for power consumption is reaching unprecedented levels. Acknowledging energy efficiency as an important concern, Infineon Technologies addresses these megatrends with its silicon carbide (SiC) CoolSiC MOSFET 650 V in TO leadless (TOLL) packaging. The new SiC MOSFETs are…

Nexperia, an expert in semiconductors, introduced the NBM7100 and NBM5100,  innovative battery-life boosting ICs designed to extend the life of a typical non-rechargeable lithium coin-cell battery by up to 10x (compared to competing solutions). They also increase peak output current capability by up to 25x compared to what a typical coin cell can deliver without…

A single cell is not sufficient for some devices. To achieve the desired voltage, the cells are connected in series to add the voltage of cells. To achieve the desired capacity, the cells are connected in parallel to get high capacity by adding ampere-hour (Ah). This combination of cells is called a battery. Sometimes battery…

For the third consecutive year, Infineon Technologies has successfully defended its position as a MEMS microphone supplier. Moreover, Infineon’s market share rose to a staggering 45% as bare die microphone manufacturer in 2021 — according to recent research published by technology expert Omdia. This positive development is due to Infineon’s long-term experience in MEMS microphone…

Long-lasting music playback performance that comes in compact, cost-effective, and power-efficient designs, is indispensable for battery-powered applications. Infineon Technologies recently introduced its latest generation of MERUS multilevel Class D audio amplifiers. Several ecosystem partners of Infineon are now ready to support interested customers with their design-in efforts. Partnering with the experts, the company aims to…

The design of future power-electronic systems is continuously pushed to improve state-of-the-art performance and power density. Supporting this trend, Infineon Technologies has launched a new Source-Down 3.3 x 3.3 mm² PQFN product family in the 25-150 V classes with Bottom-Side (BSC) and Dual-Side Cooling (DSC) variants. The new product family provides significant enhancements on the…

Networking applications consume a lot of power. If such applications are battery-powered, there’s a risk the battery will exhaust because of the high power demands of networking functions. Frequently, power is also wasted in non-essential microcontroller activities. For example, the power might remain on for various built-in peripherals irrespective of their use or relevance in…

Infineon Technologies is introducing its battery-powered Smart Alarm System (SAS). The technology platform achieves high accuracy and low-power operation using sensor fusion based on artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML). This technology combined with low-power wake-on acoustic event-detection provides remarkable performance. The compact design exceeds the detection accuracy of acoustic-only alarm systems used today in smart buildings…

The STMicroelectronics‘ TSV772 dual-operational amplifier (op amp) combines high accuracy, low power consumption, and the option of an extremely small 2.0 x 2.0mm DFN8 package. Extending ST’s high-performance 5V op-amp family, the TSV772 has rail-to-rail inputs and outputs, 20MHz gain-bandwidth (GBW), and is unity-gain stable. With a slew rate of 13V/µs, 7nV/√Hz input noise density,…

Tata Elxsi, a global provider of design and technology services, and Renesas Electronics Corporation, a supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, have announced their collaboration on a state-of-the-art design center in Bangalore that will develop targeted solutions for electric vehicles (EV). The new Next-Generation EV Innovation Center (NEVIC) was opened in January of this year. EVs…

Several important metrics and considerations are important when evaluating battery performance: Cell, module, and pack level: It is important to consider whether the data refers to an individual cell or a complete battery pack when comparing energy and power densities. Cells will always have the highest energy and power for a given size or weight.…

Designers can now extend battery life and reduce size in space-constrained internet of things (IoT) devices with two nanoPower modules with built-in inductors from Analog Devices. Both products are part of Analog Devices’ Essential Analog family of efficient power ICs. The MAXM38643 1.8 to 5.5V input, 330nA quiescent current (IQ), 600mA buck module, and the MAXM17225…

Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced the smallest 24-bit wideband analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which delivers signal-measurement precision at wider bandwidths than competing ADCs. The ADS127L11, the newest product in TI’s portfolio of precision wideband ADCs, achieves ultra-precise data acquisition in a 50-percent smaller package — significantly optimizing power consumption, resolution, and measurement bandwidth for a range…

Renesas Electronics Corporation, a supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, has introduced a new family of multi-cell full battery front-end (BFE) ICs for battery management systems (BMS). They are built for the larger, high-voltage battery packs that power e-scooters, energy storage, high-voltage power tools, and other high-voltage equipment. The new ICs provide fast, flexible, cell balancing…

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) announced that the British performance brand, Lotus Cars, is planning to incorporate ADI’s wireless battery-management system (wBMS) in its next-generation electric vehicle (EV) architecture. ADI’s wBMS was selected for its increased design flexibility, battery repairability, and lighter weight. The engineering collaboration will enable Lotus to safely propel its future EV fleet…

In the previous article, we discussed different types of power supplies. For prototyping and testing circuits, the linear regulated power supply is the most economical and feasible do-it-yourself solution. The power output from a linear regulated supply can also be adjusted with the help of a variable resistor. Electronics hobbyists and beginners who do not…

TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG, now part of Maxim Integrated Products, recently introduced the fully integrated TMC6140-LA 3-phase MOSFET gate driver that simplifies design and maximizes battery life of brushless direct-current (DC) motor drives. The TMC6140-LA 3-phase MOSFET gate driver integrates all three bottom shunt amplifiers to provide a complete motor drive solution…