Texas Instruments (TI) introduced six new power modules aimed at enhancing power density, efficiency, and EMI reduction. These modules utilize TI’s MagPack integrated magnetic packaging technology, reducing size by up to 23% compared to competitors. These power modules leverage TI’s proprietary MagPack integrated magnetic packaging technology, shrinking their size by up to 23% compared to…

Texas Instruments, a global semiconductor design, and manufacturing company has unwrapped the company’s first robotics solution for middle and high school students rendering an enhanced experience of learning STEM subjects. Students will now be able to write programs on their IT graphing calculators that will get the Rover’s wheels turned. This would help their minds learn things in a fun, interactive way. The Rover connects to the TI-Innovator Hub and either a TI-84 Plus CE or TI-Nspire CX graphing calculator that many students already have. It will also drive their interest and curiosity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects. Those who don’t have any exposure to coding or robotics can get started by writing a simple program to make the Rover draw, dance, or even crash.

Texas Instruments has introduced the most affordable way for developers to implement high-performing DLP display technology with virtually any low-cost processor. The company has released the new 0.2-inch DLP2000 chipset and $99 DLP LightCrafter Display 2000 evaluation module (EVM).  This makes it easy to leverage DLP technology and design on-demand, free-form display applications like mobile smart TVs; pico projectors; digital signage; projection displays for smart homes; smartphones and tablets; control panels and Internet of Things (IoT) display solutions.

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.

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. 

Texas Instruments has announced a new family of Sitara AMIC SoCs, making it easy to attain cost-optimised industrial Ethernet communication. The AMIC110 SoC is a multiprotocol industrial communication processor that offers a read-to-use solution supporting over 10 Industrial Ethernet and fieldbus communication standards. The device leverages TI’s unified software platform, Processor SDK, and the programmability of TI’s industrial communications subsystem (PRU-ICSS) for industrial communication support in factory automation and control applications. The new SoC enables developers to convert existing non-networked designs like motor drives to networked systems by adding industrial Ethernet. 

Texas Instruments has announced the availability of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and phased-locked loop (PLL) with an integrated voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). These new offerings will deliver the widest bandwidth, lowest phase noise, and highest dynamic range in the industry. ADC12DJ3200 is the fastest 12-bit ADC wideband with a speed of up to 6.4 GSPS while the LMX2594 is the industry’s first wideband PLL solution that generates frequencies of up to 15 GHz without any internal frequency doubler. High-density phased-array radar systems, 5G systems, and satellite communications demand increased data throughput, higher bandwidth, and lower power- all in a smaller footprint. A multi-node synchronization reference design demonstrates how the ADC12DJ3200 and LMX2594 render accurate, time-stable synchronization for multi-node sampling systems.

Texas Instruments has recently introduced two new device families so as to reduce weight and size in motor drive applications. The DRV832x brushless DC (BLDC) gate drivers and CSD88584/99 NexFET Power Blocks need as little as 511 mm2, which is half the space used by competing solutions.  Talking about the features, the DRV832X BLDC gate drivers carry a smart gate-drive architecture eliminating up to 24 components traditionally used to set the gate drive current. It also enables designers to adjust field-effect transistor (FET) switching to optimize power loss and electromagnetic compliance.

Texas Instruments has introduced a new millimeter wave (mmWave) single-chip complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) portfolio. With this release, the company has brought an unprecedented degree of precision and intelligence to a wide variety of applications spanning the automotive, factory, and building automation, and medical markets.   The range includes 5 solutions across 2 families of 76- to 81-GHz sensors with a complete end-to-end development platform. The AWR1x and IWR1x sensor portfolio delivers up to 3 times more accurate sensing than the existing mmWave solutions on the market. This blend of sophisticated analog design techniques with digital signal processing enables designers to implement intelligent and contactless sensing in their systems. 

Texas Instruments has unveiled a new single-chip reinforced isolator featuring integrated power offering 80% higher efficiency than the existing integrated devices. The new isolator carries the industry’s most efficient power transfer, lowest radiated emissions, and highest immunity. Besides, it also supports reliable operation of industrial systems, such as automation, motor control, isolated power supplies, grid infrastructure, and test & measurement equipment. As compared to other discrete solutions, the ISOW7841 isolator integrates both isolated data and power, thereby enabling a smaller bill of materials (BOM) and reduced board space. This, in turn, leads to an easier and faster system certification. It carries a three forward/one backward channel configuration and is the first device in its family with multiple devices that are expected by the end of 2017.

Texas Instruments, a global semiconductor design, and manufacturing company has announced the release of industry’s first fully integrated multiphase bidirectional DC/DC current controller. It’s capable enough to transfer electric power greater than 500 W per phase between dual 48-V and 12-V automotive battery systems. The LM5170-Q1 highly integrated analog controller utilizes an innovative average current-mode control method that overcomes the challenges of the present high-component-count, full digital control schemes. The controller will be demonstrated at the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in Tampa, Florida to be held from 27th to 29th March 2017.

Texas Instruments has launched a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that integrates industry-leading precision performance with simpler power-supply design. It’s a 16-bit DAC8775 device that operates from a single, wide 12 to 36-V power rail. Owing to the presence of the integrated buck/boost converter, it generates all the required internal power supplies to save designers time, cost, and board space.  The 4-channel DAC8775 caters to the factory automation and process control equipment toward input/output (I/O) modules that are required to squeeze more channels within a small space. Usually, while designing these systems, engineers have to face the challenge of managing power dissipation in a small form factor. In order to counter this issue, the DAC8775 integrates a 4-20mA current and voltage driver with a precision reference and a buck/boost converter.