Congatec- a leading technology company for embedded computer modules, single board computers, and embedded design and manufacturing services- has launched the new COM Express Type 7 quick starter set as the fundamental basis for OEM’s modular micro server designs. The new quick starter set simplifies the evaluation of the first server-on-modules designed in accordance to PICMG’s COM Express Type 7 standard, poised to be globally deployed in cloud, edge, and fog server applications. Moreover, engineers have to put less effort in validating their own carrier board layouts as they can re-use the proposed best practice components and PCB design schematics for their own dedicated next-gen modular micro servers.

CUI’s Power Group has expanded its portfolio of external medical power supplies by introducing a new line of wall plug-in power adapters. The SWM6, SWM6-USB, SWM12, and SWM30 series can be availed with either North American or European input blades. Besides, these are all certifies to the medical 60601-1 edition 3.1 safety standards for 2x MOPP applications and 4th edition EMC requirements. These AC-DC power supplies feature high efficiency, class II construction, and no-load power consumption as low as 0.075 W. With the introduction of this series, CUI aims to offer customers the most efficient global power solutions for medical, dental, and home healthcare equipment.

Renesas Electronics, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, has announced that it has come up with a development kit for its R-Car that is fitted with an “emotion engine”. It’s an artificial sensibility and intelligence technology pioneered by cocoro SB Corp., a SoftBank Group Company.The new kit allows cars to sense the drivers’ emotions and optimally respond to their needs depending upon their emotional state. It includes cocoro SB’s emotion engine developed by leveraging its sensibility technology to recognize emotional states like confidence or uncertainty based on the driver’s speed.

Texas Instruments, a global semiconductor design, and manufacturing company, has officially released a pair of highly flexible, single-chip buck-boost battery charge controllers for one-to four-cell (1S to 4S) designs. The synchronous charge controllers namely bq25703A and bq25700A support efficient charging through USB Type-C and other USB ports in end equipment. These include notebooks, tablets, power banks, drones, smart home applications and so on.  Supporting both I2C and SMBus interfaces, these devices feature a new advanced battery algorithm allowing power output by adding intelligence to battery charging by making use of maximum power point tracking technology. The unique algorithm referred to as input current optimization (ICO), automatically detects the full capacity of input power to optimize current.

Littlefuse Inc., the global leader in circuit protection, has unveiled a series of Schottky Barrier Rectifiers. These devices have been designed to outperform conventional switching diodes in commercial, industrial, as well as, automotive applications. The series combines ultra-forward voltage drop, high current handling, high junction temperature capability, and low leakage performance in a compact TO-277B surface mount package. As far as the automotive applications are concerned, for up to 10 A, it offers an equal level of performance seen in D-PAK packaging, with a footprint that’s one-third of the size. Moving on, some typical applications for these Rectifiers include high-frequency switch-mode power supplies (SMPSs) and DC-DC converters found in automotive applications.

Yamaichi Electronics, a market leader for Test & Burn-In sockets, connectors, and connect on systems, has released a new connector. It has been developed for the recent CFP8 specification for 400 Gbps applications. Complying with the CFP MSA Multi-Source Agreement, this device is one of the few connectors in the world market that can achieve 400 Gbps of the transmission rate. Carrying the same size as the CFP2, the CFP8 has a 4 times higher performance so as to achieve 400 Gbps instead of limiting to 100 Gbps. Besides, it supports configurations like 25 Gbps x 16 channels, 50 Gbps x 8 channels, or 100 Gbps x 4 channels. The pin count is 124 pins whereas the narrow pitch measures just 0.5 mm which is one of the most challenging achievements of Yamaichi Electronics.

CUI’s Power Group has introduced four new series to the non-isolated DC switching regulators lineup. The lineup now includes next-gen models in the series namely VX78-500, VX078-500, VX78-1000, and VX078-1000. These are extremely efficient, typically up to 96% and balance maximizing economy while delivering a high level of performance as a direct alternative to using linear regulators.  Owing to the switching technology, these models are footprint compatible with TO-220 package LM78XX and LM79XX model regulators. Unlike the linear regulators, these don’t require a heat sink and hence these are ideal for portable devices, battery-fed equipment, and embedded designs where energy efficiency is a prime concern.

Littlefuse Inc., the global leader in circuit protection, has rolled out a series of 40A standard high-temperature silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) Thyristors ideally suitable to be used as rectifier switches and phase control applications including a voltage regulator, heating, and motor speed controls. The new SJxx40x Series is the first SCR Thyristor from Littlefuse that can handle 600V, 40Arms and junction temperature of up to 150°C. It prevents the overheating, as well as thermal runaway problems SCRs, experience due to the limited cooling capability or occasional overload situation. The aim is to trigger with just a few milliamps of current at less than 1.5CV potential.

Intersil, a subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corporation, has announced the TW8844 LCD video processor that interfaces with the latest generation of automotive SoCs. It’s highly integrated first high-definition 1080p LCD processor with analog video decoder along with 2 scalers and MIPI-CSI2 SoC interface.  It offers the reliability needed by automakers to ensure that the rearview camera systems comply with the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS-111) for preventing injury or death caused by backover accidents. The sensor also allows migration from analog to digital camera systems and supports a variety of video interfaces and LCD panel resolutions up to full HD 1920 x 1080.

Littlefuse Inc., the global leader in circuit protection, has introduced a series of TVS Diode Arrays i.e. SPA® Diodes. These are optimised to protect DC powerlines for PoweredUSB interfaces from damaging electrostatic discharges (EDs). SP11xx Series TVS Diode Arrays employ Zener diodes fabricated in a proprietary silicon avalanche technology to protect each I/O pin in the interface.  These robust devices render high surge tolerance with the highest surge density per square millimeter of any TVS Diode Array offered by the company. Furthermore, it also provides extremely low dynamic resistance across all of the relevant voltage levels for PoweredUSB Interfaces.

Silego Technology Inc has introduced SLG46580 in order to expand the GreenPAK (GPAK) family of Programmable Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuits (CMICs). The aim is to support the power systems in wearable and handheld market segments. The device is highly integrated as well as flexible and provides a rich set of features. The key features include- Voltage Monitoring, Power Sequencing, Rest Functions, and Low Dropout Regulators. All of these functions anre configurable in settings and interconnect. Besides, the device is the second in the series of parts designed to create “Flexible Power Islands” (FPI). In the modern age of mobile devices, users want light-weight devices with a long battery life which pose a challenge for the power system designers. To resolve this issue, Silego has come up with the concept of FPIs. 

CUI’s Power Group has recently expanded its low power dc-dc converters profile with the addition of a new 3W isolated units. The PQME3 Series is packed in a compact, industry standard 14 pin surface mount package measuring 0.76 x 0.71 x 0.40 in i.e. 19.20 x 18.10 x 10.16 mm. It provides a rugged, low power solution for a wide array of industrial, test and measurement, and telecommunication application, owing to its encapsulated design. The 3W series is ideally suitable for converting and isolating fluctuating DC voltages. Further, it features 4:1 input ratio ranges of 9 to 36 Vdc and 18 to 75 Vdc, single regulated outputs of 3.3, 5, 9, 12, 15, and 24 Vdc, remote on/off control, as well as 1500 Vdc input to output isolation. 

Texas Instruments has introduced an innovative 3-phase, gallium nitride (GaN)-based inverter reference design. This would aid engineers to build 200-V, 2-kW AC servo motor drives and next-gen industrial robotics with fast-current-loop control, higher efficiency, more accurate speed, and torque control.  The innovative reference design features TI’s newest LMG3410 600-V, 12-A GaN power module with an integrated FET, gate driver and protection, announced last year. The GaN module enables the design to switch up to 5 times faster than silicon FETs while achieving efficiency levels greater than 98% at 100 kHz and higher than 99% at 24 kHz pulse width modulation (PWM) frequency. 

Texas Instruments has introduced DesignDRIVE Fast Current Loop Software that makes C2000 microcontrollers (MCUs) to push current loop-performance below 1 microsecond. The combination of TI’s C2000 MCU portfolio and DesignDRIVE software delivers system-on-chip (SOC) functionality that simplifies drive control system development. New DesignDRIVE Fast Current Loop Software outperforms traditional microcontroller (MCU) based current-loop solutions and can simplify designs by eliminating the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) typically used for external current-loop control. 

Epson, a global technology leader known for its compact and precision technologies, has developed and begun shipping for its S1C17M33 in production volumes. It’s a low-power 16-bit microcontroller with on-chip Flash memory that is ideal for LCDs on remote control panels for home appliances like air conditioners.  The company has also started the volume production of other microcontroller units in the series like S1C17M30, S1C17M31, S1C17M32, and S1C17M34. The plan is to produce 2,00,000 units of each model per month. Epson has expanded and enhanced its S1C17 family of 16-bit MCUs with Flash Memory. These MCUs carry advanced functions and enable larger, high-resolution LCD screens with extended battery life through its low power technology.

Microchip Technology Inc. has officially announced the expansion of its eXtreme Low Power (XLP) PIC32MM microcontroller family with the introduction of new “GPM” MCUs. These devices feature large memory in small packages offering ample battery life or space-constrained applications.  The latest offering carries several connectivity options, Core Independent Peripherals, and feature-rich development boards. These MCUs are ideally suitable for digital audio applications, gaming/entertainment devices, Internet of Things (IoT) sensor nodes and portable medical devices.