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Designing actual schematics for the device took a while. It appears to require 56 distinct components and 101 in total (see repository - condevtion/i2c-pps-hw). Which is actually a huge project for me. A lot of useful information was there in the controller’s datasheet (obviously). But it isn’t really possible to get the design right without complimentary schematic checklist which can be found in the FAQ page. And some insides can be peeked from the evaluation board user guide. Still there are some mysteries to figure out in practice. The first picture shows the controller and power stage block. Besides what name implies it shows components which should be placed near to the controller. The evaluation board guide mentions snubber networks for MOSFETs. For now they remain DNP as their values can be figured out only for particular PCB impedance which only can be obtained from measuring actual ringing. Also I left zero resisters here in case dv/dt requires adjustments (if the whole thing works, at the end of the day). The second picture shows input and output filters and sensors. As I limited myself to 4-6V input and 5A max current (comparing to 20A the controller capability) I also relaxed requirements for the components here accordingly (while indeed 5A is still a hell of ambitions). In the other hand it’s probably better to have generally the same input and output components (obviously most capable) to have less number of distinct components to order. The next picture contains the master switch itself, and a protection circuit. The protection includes a resectable fuse, a TVS diode for overvoltage, and a Schottky diode for polarity. I’m looking forward to see how hot the latest gets at max current. The switch itself is a high side P-channel MOSFET controlled by a PNP transistor making a host device (RPI) to hold a pin high making the device in its turn work. If the host dies and drops its pin low the switch should turn off the device. The last one shows the digital I/O and programming circuits. The I/O contains its very own low power regulator to be independent on the host system. I2C lines use solder jumpers to disconnect pull-ups if they are somewhere else (when several I2C devices connected to the bus). I just thought, I’d add several more LEDs to indicate presence of input, output, and other signals and make the thing more RGB. The programming set of resistors just defines all adjustable controller parameters - switching frequency (250kHz), mode (buck-boost), and voltage/current limits. Curiously, the checklist and the evaluation board design show RC filters around IIN and IOUT resistors but don’t mention them or requirements for them anywhere. All set to finalize the BOM with market-available parts and proceed with PCB design. submitted by /u/WeekSpender [link] [comments]

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Про підсумки фінансово-господарської діяльності КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського за 2025 рік та деякі завдання на 2026 рік Інформація КП пт, 02/27/2026 - 20:37

submitted by /u/adkio [link] [comments]

18 pair cable from a Toshiba CT scanners got cut... somehow... submitted by /u/antek_g_animations [link] [comments]

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has expanded its CoolGaN portfolio with the CoolGaN Drive HB 600V G5 product family. The four new devices – IGI60L1111B1M, IGI60L1414B1M, IGI60L2727B1M, and IGI60L5050B1M – integrate two 600V GaN switches in a half-bridge configuration together with integrated high- and low-side gate drivers and a bootstrap diode, delivering a compact, thermally optimized power stage that further reduces design complexity. By bringing key functions into one optimized package, the family lowers external component count, eases PCB layout challenges typically associated with fast-switching GaN, and helps designers to shorten development cycles while achieving the core advantages of GaN technology: higher switching frequencies, lower switching and conduction losses, and greater power density...

University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) electrical and computer engineering professor James Buckwalter has been inducted as a senior member of the US National Academy of Inventors (NAI) for his work advancing the high-speed and high-frequency integrated circuit technologies that underpin modern wireless communication systems, citing his “remarkable achievements as an academic inventor and a rising leader in his field”...

📰 Газета "Київський політехнік" № 7-8 за 2026 (.pdf) Інформація КП пт, 02/27/2026 - 15:15

I’ve recently been doing some detailed research and studying related to the USB Type-C connector and the associated USB Power Delivery (PD) specification. At first, both seemed like such a good idea, but now I am not so sure – especially about the USB PD part.

First, a little background. Like many people, I have a drawer full of AC/DC charger units I no longer use but can’t bear to toss, Figure 1. These units are often derisively called wall warts; many also function as power sources in addition to chargers, to be used with or without batteries in their target unit.

Figure 1 If you have used electronic devices, toys, or smartphones over the past decades, you likely have a drawer or box stuffed with chargers that are no longer needed, but you can’t bear to toss out. Source: Google

These chargers come in a wide range of voltage and current ratings, each specific to the product with which they came. They also have a wide range of frustratingly incompatible coaxial (barrel) connectors (“coaxial” in their physical structure, and unrelated to RF coaxial-cable connectors), and both polarity orientations, Figure 2.

Figure 2 Barrel connectors come in a wide range of inner and outer diameter pairings, presumably to key the connectors to their voltage and current, but actually a source of confusion and waste. Sources: Bid or Buy/South Africa; Same Sky

As a consequence, it is almost impossible to use one AC/DC unit as a replacement for a misplaced or defunct one. While I have resorted to repurposing one with the needed rating but wrong connector by swapping and soldering the correct connector from another unit, the average person can’t do this.

Now, USB-C and USB-PD

Then came smartphone charging and a drive towards more uniformity in USB-based charging, using either the Apple Lightning connector, a USB Type A connector, or others. “Hey,” I thought, “we’re making progress.”

Now, we have the USB Type-C connector, which is mandated by the European Union for all suitable products, including smartphones and, by extension, driving its adoption outside the EU, Figure 3. So it looks like barrel connectors are history, and other USB connectors are falling behind, as USB-C is the way to go. So far, so good.

Figure 3 The USB Type-C connector is poised to dominate due to its capabilities and the EU mandate to be used wherever technically feasible. Source: CNET

Then I started looking into the USB Power Delivery (PD) standard in more detail. It dramatically increases the available voltage, current, and power levels, Figure 4.

Figure 4 The progression of power-delivery capabilities offered by the various USB connectors is impressive. Source: Texas Instruments

USB-PD offers three power-delivery modes:

• Sink: a port, most often a device, that consumes power from VBUS when attached.
• Source: a port that provides power over VBUS when attached,
• Dual-role power (DRP): a port that can operate as either a sink or source, and may even alternate between these two states.

It gets messy

This makes it all sound so simple and effective, but USB PD is not like peeling an onion, where every layer you peel back reveals only one other one. Instead, it’s more like nuclear fission, where each action or state change can lead to multiple new ones.

I won’t try to describe all the ins and outs of USB PD. There are many good overviews as well as detailed dives into the standard (see References). To sum it all up: it’s very complicated, starting with a back-and-forth initialization-negotiation dialogue between the two sides of the connection to decide who can do what to whom, Figure 5. An added complication is that USB PD allows for multiple loads to be charged at the same time, each with different requirements.

Figure 5 Once the USB-C connector is connected, the two cable ends begin a sophisticated negotiation about what needs to be done and what can be done. Source: Acroname Inc.

USB PD has many cases, exceptions, state diagrams, timing diagrams, conditional rules…it’s a long list. With all this comes the need for a very smart embedded controller to implement it.

At first, I thought the entire USB-C/PD scenario was the best thing to happen. After all, what could be better than a “universal” charging setup? It promises to handle anything up to the specified maximum, with no action on the part of the user, and no incompatibilities. What’s not to like?

However, the more I looked into USB PD, the more concerned I became. In the attempt to be a solution to just about any charging situation (and let’s ignore the data-connection interface aspect), it tries to do an awful lot. Yet history shows that such overarching objectives, however laudable and well-intentioned, can become a swamp.

That’s where I started to worry. Who can actually grasp the totality and subtleties of USB PD, especially if there’s a problem? Can the controller really be tested to 100% certainty that it properly implements all the rules and cases correctly? Are there corner cases in the real world that will only show up months or years later, with frustrated users as the test subjects?

This isn’t the only example

Whatever happened to the engineering mandate to “keep it simple”? I’ll cite an automotive parallel. Volkswagen recently introduced the 2026 Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo, which uses a list of engineering approaches to squeeze 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque out of a modest two-liter, four-cylinder engine.

To do this, they use forced induction turbocharging, where one turbine spins in the engine exhaust, with temperatures around 1,000 degrees, and its momentum is transferred to a paired turbine spinning at speeds above 150,000 rpm to pressurize the air-intake charge. It also employs variable inlet geometry that instantly and precisely meters boost, air charge, and bypass, reducing throttle latency and increasing efficiency. The super-high compression ratio of 10.5:1 relies on higher pressure in the direct fuel-injection system (from 350 to 500 bar) as well as a forged steel fuel rail to carry it.

But why stop there? In a classic example of inevitable follow-on consequences, the higher forces require thicker piston crowns, shortened connecting rods and thicker wrist pins. The need for cooling meant redesigning the combustion chamber itself, and incorporating a new air-to-water heat exchanger. The big turbo-edition comes with oil-cooled pistons and a nitrided crankshaft. Finally, the hydraulic intake cam adjuster replaces two pairs of cam pieces with double actuators and instead substitutes four separate cam pieces with eight adjusters.

 So I have to wonder: what will the reliability and maintenance of this engineered complexity and sophistication be in a mass-produced car?

In some ways, USB PD is the latest iteration of the belief that a universal solution is possible and that “this time, we’ll get it all right.” However, sometimes having just one more-tightly focused objective is a better idea long term, as there are fewer unexpected and unpleasant surprises.

Will I miss the cheap AC/DC charger that does one thing, with its proliferation of power ratings and barrel connectors? No, I won’t. Do I welcome the USB-C and PD standard and implementation? Let’s just say I am cautiously optimistic, as I recognize that it’s a complicated system and not merely an A-to-B power source. My personal jury is out on this question!

What are your thoughts on the complexity and ambitious reach of this power-delivery standard?

Bill Schweber is an EE who has written three textbooks, hundreds of technical articles, opinion columns, and product features.

Related Content

• How does a USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) design work
• Power Tips #130: Migrating from a barrel jack to USB Type-C PD
• USB Type-C protection switch improves safety
• Controllers simplify USB-C dual-role power delivery

References

• USB-C, USB PD, and Coaxial Connectors
• USB Implementers Forum, “USB Power Delivery”
• Embedded, “USB Type-C and power delivery 101 – Power delivery protocol”
• Texas Instruments. “A Primer on USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery Applications and Requirements”
• Simplexity, “Build Better Devices: USB Power Delivery Explained”
• Same Sky (formerly CUI Devices), “How to Select a DC Power Connector”

EU and USB Type-C regulation

• The Verge, “EU proposes mandatory USB-C on all devices, including iPhones”
• NPR, “The European Union Wants A Universal Charger For Cell Phones And Other Devices”
• BBC, “EU rules to force USB-C chargers for all phones”
• Forbes, “EU Proposes Universal Charger—A Blow To Apple”
• Tech Crunch, “Europe will finally legislate for a common charger for mobiles”
• CNET, “USB-C power upgrade to 240W could banish some of your proprietary chargers”
• European Union, “EU common charger rules: Power all your devices with a single charger”

The post USB-C and Power Delivery: Too much of a good thing? appeared first on EDN.

Viasat and Rohde & Schwarz are set to collaborate to boost testing for Narrowband Non-terrestrial Networks (NB-NTN) IoT devices connecting via satellite. By thoroughly validating devices and confirming interoperability with Viasat’s network, the collaboration aims to help ensure uninterrupted connectivity for a wide range of satellite-based Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Visitors to MWC Barcelona 2026 can experience the test plan in action.

The collaboration aims to ensure that chipsets, modules and devices interoperate seamlessly with Viasat’s satellite network and comply with 3GPP Release 17 standards.

Deploying advanced testing methodologies upholds the highest standards of quality, performance and reliability for Viasat’s connectivity services: delivering ubiquitous IoT applications in areas without terrestrial network coverage.

The certification test plan with Viasat entails protocol, performance and RF test scenarios. It is based on the CMX500 one-box signalling tester from Rohde & Schwarz, a versatile solution designed for testing various NTN technologies, including New Radio (NR-NTN) and NB-NTN. In a single instrument, the CMX500 covers R&D through certification and carrier acceptance tests, guaranteeing reliable and repeatable results. It empowers engineers to accelerate development, ensure quality and confidently deploy reliable NTN services, safeguarding that the whole ecosystem can achieve the highest levels of performance.

The post R&S and Viasat collaborate on NB-NTN IoT test plan for connectivity via satellite at MWC Barcelona 2026 appeared first on ELE Times.

Japan-based ROHM Semiconductor has decided to integrate its own development and manufacturing technologies for GaN power devices with the process technology of foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (TSMC), with which ROHM has an ongoing partnership, to establish an end-to-end production system within the ROHM Group. Licensing TSMC GaN technology will strengthen its supply capability to meet growing demand for GaN in applications such as AI servers and electric vehicles, ROHM reckons...

Keysight Technologies, Inc. will demonstrate lab-based validation of new radio non-terrestrial networks (NR-NTN) devices at Mobile World Congress 2026 in collaboration with Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Business. The demo will showcase testing capabilities aligned with planned Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite deployments, including Starlink Direct to Cell.

As satellite connectivity becomes integral to 5G evolution and future 6G networks, chipset and device vendors must validate NR-NTN performance well in advance of large-scale deployment. Satellite systems in LEO introduce new challenges, including rapid motion, frequent handovers, dynamic link conditions, and stringent positioning requirements. Without access to live satellite networks during early development, organisations need accurate laboratory-based methods to assess mobility, service continuity, and throughput performance under realistic operating conditions in a laboratory.

Keysight’s NTN Network Emulator Solutions recreate LEO satellite characteristics in a controlled laboratory environment. The MWC demonstration integrates Keysight’s 5G Network Emulator with a Samsung NR-NTN modem to validate satellite and device mobility, service continuity, and higher-throughput Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) configurations under parameters aligned with Starlink deployment scenarios.

The demonstration also showcases Keysight’s positioning emulation capabilities, enhanced through its recent Spirent acquisition. PNT Xe enables accurate global navigation satellite system-based positioning as part of an end-to-end validation workflow.

Jungwon Lee, Executive Vice President of System LSI Modem Development Team at Samsung Electronics, said: “NR-NTN introduces new technical challenges for modem design, particularly around mobility, handover, and link adaptation in LEO environments. This demonstration with Keysight allows us to validate NR-NTN modem performance under representative satellite conditions, helping ensure readiness for future satellite-based 5G services.”

Peng Cao, Vice President and General Manager, Keysight’s Wireless Test Group, said: “Direct-to-device satellite connectivity is moving from concept to deployment, making early end-to-end NR-NTN validation essential. Our lab-based, live-application testing gives the ecosystem a repeatable way to prove interoperability and performance, cutting risk and time-to-market while keeping users connected beyond terrestrial coverage.”

The post Keysight to Demonstrate NR-NTN devices Mobility Testing at MWC 2026 in Collaboration with Samsung appeared first on ELE Times.

submitted by /u/TheCorruptedEngineer [link] [comments]

Was at the Super Bowl (a bit drunk ngl) and the hole for the RF control was to the left of the actual LEDs, I can’t stop wondering if I could turn it back on if I had the right equipment. The LEDs also looked a bit strange, not like the normal ones I see. submitted by /u/scoobertsonville [link] [comments]

Keysight’s XR8 real-time oscilloscope accelerates high-speed interface debug and compliance validation with powerful parallel, multicore analysis. A newly designed frontend ASIC combined with an integrated 12-bit ADC and DSP engine preserves signal integrity, enhances timing accuracy, and delivers consistent, repeatable measurements across high-speed serial, memory, and mixed-signal designs.

Powered by Infiniium 2026 software, the XR8 streamlines workflows with flexible waveform windows and productivity tools including drag-and-drop functionality and an integrated SCPI recorder. Intrinsic jitter as low as 13 fs rms and noise below 130 µV at 8-GHz bandwidth maintain compliance margin for high-speed interfaces including USB4v2, DisplayPort 2.1, and DDR5. The integrated ADC/DSP engine increases acquisition, analysis, and reporting throughput by up to 3×, helping engineers complete high-speed interface validation faster and more efficiently.

The XR8’s redesigned mechanical architecture reduces power consumption, improves thermal efficiency, and minimizes acoustic noise in a compact footprint. This smaller, quieter platform can be deployed in space-constrained labs or positioned closer to the device under test for stable, low-noise operation.

For more information about the XR8 4-channel, 8-GHz to 33-GHz bandwidth oscilloscope, click the product page link below.

XR8 product page

Keysight Technologies 

The post Scope boosts high-speed interface validation appeared first on EDN.

MasterGaN6 from ST integrates two 650-V enhancement-mode GaN transistors with typical RDS(on) of 140 mΩ in a half-bridge configuration, delivering a compact, efficient power stage. This power system-in-package also integrates a high-voltage gate driver and linear regulators for both high-side and low-side supplies to further reduce external components.

As the second generation of the MasterGaN half-bridge family, MasterGaN6 adds dedicated fault and standby pins to enable enhanced system monitoring and power management. Integrated LDOs and a bootstrap diode ensure reliable, optimized gate driving for improved efficiency and performance in high-density power applications.

MasterGaN6 handles output currents up to 10 A, with an overall driver propagation delay of 45 ns and a minimum pulse width of 35 ns. Its 3.3-V to 15-V logic-compatible inputs feature hysteresis and an integrated pull-down for robust noise immunity. A comprehensive protection set includes cross-conduction prevention, thermal shutdown, and undervoltage lockout to ensure safe and reliable operation.

Prices for the MasterGaN6 half-bridge in a 9×9-mm QFN package start at $4.14 in lots of 1000 units.

MasterGaN6 product page 

STMicroelectronics

The post GaN half-bridge simplifies 650-V power stages appeared first on EDN.

Kyocera AVX has expanded its 550/560 series of ultra-broadband MLCCs to support high-speed, high-bandwidth optical communication systems. The capacitors provide reliable, repeatable RF/microwave performance from 7 kHz to 110 GHz and exhibit low insertion loss and flat frequency response. Depending on case size and capacitance value, typical insertion loss remains below 0.5 dB through 40–70 GHz and below 1 dB through 70–110 GHz.

The four new devices are available in 0402-size cases with capacitance values of 1 nF, 10 nF, 25 nF, and 47 nF and maximum working voltage ratings from 16 V to 100 V. With these additions, the 550/560 series offers a total of 15 devices in 01005, 0201, and 0402 case sizes with capacitance values spanning 1 nF to 220 nF. All of the capacitors operate over a temperature range of -55°C to +125°C.

The 550/560 lineup features a rugged one-piece construction with tin- or gold-plated nickel barrier terminations compatible with reflow soldering. These terminations are designed to prevent base metallization from leaching into the solder and forming brittle intermetallic compounds, which could cause cracking and solderability issues.

Visit the 550/560 series product page to download the datasheet, which includes S-parameter data and S2P Touchstone files for RF and microwave simulation. The four new part numbers will be stocked this November and available for order at DigiKey and Mouser Electronics.

550/560 series product page

Kyocera AVX 

The post Low-loss MLCCs deliver wideband RF performance appeared first on EDN.