Microelectronics world news

Indium phosphide (InP)-based optical communications device developer and manufacturer HieFo Corp of Alhambra, CA, USA (formed from management buy-out of the chips business and wafer fabrication operations of Emcore Corp in May 2024) has launched multiple new high-efficiency continuous wave distributed feedback (DFB) InP lasers, designed to address the ever-increasing demands of silicon photonics-based optical transceivers....

Altum RF of Eindhoven, The Netherlands (which designs RF, microwave and millimeter-wave semiconductors) has opened a new and larger office for its Sydney Design Center. This expansion is driven by growing business demands and includes both increased office capacity and a state-of-the-art RF characterization laboratory...

As vehicle architectures transition to hybrid and electric models, conventional battery systems are increasingly being supplemented or replaced by 48 V power sources. This shift is expected to become the new standard for future electric vehicles, as 12 V and 24 V power net systems reach their limits. 48 V systems enable advanced features, enhance passenger comfort, and improve efficiency by reducing currents and simplifying wire harness complexity. Additionally, the electrification of both primary and secondary power distribution systems requires replacing conventional relays and fuses. To support this development, Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) is launching the Power PROFET + 24/48V switch family, developed for the requirements of modern vehicle power systems.

The Power PROFET + 24/48V switch family is housed in a compact, TO leadless package and includes two high-side switch variants: the BTH50030-1LUA with an RDS(ON) of 3.0 mΩ and the BTH50015-1LUA with an RDS(ON) of 1.5 mΩ, which enables minimal power losses in high-current applications. The devices are ideal for the demanding requirements of today’s automotive electrical systems and for commercial and hybrid vehicles, as well as the next generation of electric cars, where they enable a safer, greener and more comfortable driving experience.

One of the key benefits of the Power PROFET + 24/48V switch family is their efficiency and space-savings capabilities. The switches are highly integrated and offer resettable and diagnostic features. They are designed for optimal performance in demanding environments and offer a low on-resistance of just 1.5 mΩ. This makes them ideal for high-current applications and robust enough to withstand the conditions in hot cabin and engine compartments. With more than 1,000,000 switching cycles, the switches far exceed the average 200,000 cycles of conventional relays and offer excellent reliability.

Built-in protection and diagnostic functions such as short-circuit, over-current and over-temperature protection provide safety of the device. Diagnostic signals enable advanced fault detection and increase the reliability of the entire vehicle by preventing failure modes in the power supply network. The switches are housed in an 8-pin TO leadless package, reducing the footprint by 23 percent compared to, for example, D2PAK packages with similar thermal performance. The accuracy of the load current sense is ±5 percent after calibration and can be easily determined by reading an analog voltage at the IS pin. In addition, the switch family is PRO-SIL ISO switch 26262-ready and comes with a safety application note that supports the evaluation of hardware elements according to ISO 26262.

To enable seamless integration, the Power PROFET + 24/48V family is supported by the online simulation tool Infineon Automotive Power Explorer which is available in the Infineon Developer Center. The tool helps to calculate intrinsic fuse characteristics and visualize the sense current range for specific load currents, ensuring accurate and efficient implementation.

The post Power PROFET + 24/48V smart power switch family with lowest ohmic resistance optimizes automotive power distribution appeared first on ELE Times.

Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE in Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany is to supply a G10-AsP metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system to Nokia Corp, enabling it to produce 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafers. This marks a significant milestone in the evolution of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), says Aixtron...

Lumentum Holdings Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (which designs and makes optical and photonic products for optical networks and lasers for industrial and consumer markets) has announced limited sampling of its new 400/800G ZR+ L-band pluggable transceivers, along with general availability of its 800G ZR+ C-band module. Both products are being showcased in live demonstrations in booth #2119 at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference & Exposition (OFC 2025) in San Francisco (30 March–3 April)...

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Lumentum Holdings Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (which designs and makes optical and photonic products for optical networks and lasers for industrial and consumer markets) has announced new advancements in foundational indium phosphide (InP) photonic chip technologies designed to deliver higher bandwidth and more power-efficient connectivity for next-generation AI-driven data centers. Its latest InP innovations — enabling future 400Gbps-per-lane optical links, more efficient 200Gbps-per-lane optical links, and co-packaged optics — are being showcased in live demonstrations and a technical presentation in booth #2119 at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference & Exposition (OFC 2025) in San Francisco (1–3 April)...

Photonic application-specific integrated circuit (PASIC) chip designer and manufacturer OpenLight of Santa Barbara, CA, USA (which launched as an independent company in June 2022, introducing the first open silicon photonics platform with heterogeneously integrated III-V lasers) has announced a new ecosystem partnership with Suzhou TFC Optical Communication Co Ltd (TFC, a provider of optical sub-assembly integrated solutions and advanced optoelectronic package manufacturing services) aimed at advancing the silicon photonics back-end process...

In booth #2119 at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference & Exposition (OFC 2025) in San Francisco (1–3 April), Lumentum Holdings Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (which designs and makes optical and photonic products for optical networks and lasers for industrial and consumer markets) and data infrastructure semiconductor solutions provider Marvell Technology Inc of Santa Clara, CA, USA are giving an industry-first demonstration integrating Marvell 400G/per lane PAM4 technology operating at 225Gbaud with Lumentum’s indium phosphide (InP) monolithically integrated DFB–MZI optical transmitter, highlighting what is claimed to be a milestone in advancing next-generation, high-bandwidth and lower-power-per-bit optics for artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) and cloud infrastructure...

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As of the end of 2023, nearly 40 million people worldwide were living with HIV, including approximately 1.2 million in the United States.

Topic themes

Although in general I strive to cover a diversity of topics here in the blog, regular readers may have noticed that some amount of chronological theme-grouping still goes on. A few years back, for example, I wrote a fair bit about building PCs, both conceptually and in un-teardown (i.e., hands-on assembly) fashion. After that, there was a cluster of posts having to do with various still and video photography topics. And last year (extending into early this year) I talked a lot about lithium-based batteries, both in an absolute sense and relative to sealed lead-acid forebears, as well as the equipment containing them (and recharging them, i.e., solar cells).

Well, fair warning: this post is the kickoff of another common-topic cluster, having to do with audio. This isn’t a subject I’ve ignored to this point, mind you; consider just in recent times, for example, my posts on ambient noise suppression, interconnect schemes, lossy compression algorithms and listening gear (portable, too), microphones (plus on-PCB ones, tearing them down, and boosting their outputs) and exotic headphones, among others. But even more recently, I’ve obtained some “Chi-Fi” (i.e., built and often also directly sold by China-based suppliers) audio equipment—class D amplifiers and the like—along with audio gear from a US-based company that also does Stateside assembly, yet still effectively competes in the market.

What is a wall wart?

More on all of that in posts to come through the remainder of this year, likely also extending into the next. For now: what does all of this have to do with a wall wart? And what is a wall wart, for those of you not already familiar with the term? Here’s Wikipedia’s take on the topic:

An AC adapter or AC/DC adapter (also called a wall charger, power adapter, power brick, or wall wart) is a type of external power supply, often enclosed in a case similar to an AC plug. AC adapters deliver electric power to devices that lack internal components to draw voltage and power from mains power themselves. The internal circuitry of an external power supply is often very similar to the design that would be used for a built-in or internal supply.

Today’s victim arrived via a Micca PB42X powered speaker set, purchased from an eBay seller:

The story behind the teardown

They’d previously belonged to her son, who according to her never used them (more on that later), so she was offloading them to make some money. Problem was, although she’d sent me photos beforehand of the right speaker (fed by an RCA input connector set and containing the class D amplifier circuitry for both speakers; a conventional strand of speaker wire connects its output to its left-speaker sibling’s input) powered up, complete with a glowing red back panel LED, no AC adapter was accompanying it when it arrived at my front door.

After I messaged her, she sent me the “wall wart” you’ll see today, which not only was best-case underpowered compared to what it should have been—12V@500mA versus 18V@2A—but didn’t even work, outputting less than 200mV, sometimes measuring positive and other times negative voltage (in retrospect, I wish I would have also checked for any AC output voltage evidence before dissecting it):

She eventually agreed to provide a partial refund to cover my replacement-PSU cost, leaving me with a “dead” wall wart suitable only for the landfill. Although…I realized right before tossing it that I’d never actually taken one apart before. And this’d also give me a chance to test out the hypothesis of a hilariously narrated (watch it and listen for yourself) video I’d previously come across, proposing a method for getting inside equipment with an ultrasonic-welded enclosure:

Best video ever, right? The topic was of great interest, as I often came across such-sealed gear and my historical techniques for getting inside (a hacksaw, for example) also threatened to inadvertently mangle whatever was inside.

The teardown

I didn’t have the suggested wallpaper knife in my possession; instead, I got a paint scraper with a sharp edge and hammer-compatible other end:

And in the following overview shots, with the wall wart as-usual accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for size comparison purposes, you’ll notice (among other things) the ultrasonic welded joint around the circumference, to which I applied my pounding attention:

Complete with a closeup of the (in)famous Prop. 65 sticker…

How’d it work out? Well…I got inside, as you’ll see, but the break along the joint wasn’t exactly clean. I won’t be putting this wall wart back together again, not that I’d want to try in this case:

Maybe next time I’ll use a more lightweight hammer, and/or with wield it with a lighter touch

Anyhoo, with the damage done, the front portion of the enclosure lifts off straightaway:

Two things baffle me about the interior of the front case piece:

• What’s the point of the two glue dabs, which aren’t location-relevant to anything inside?
• And what if any functional use does that extra diagonal plastic piece serve?

That all said, this is what we’re most interested in, right?

The insides similarly lifted right out of the remaining piece(s) of the enclosure:

If you hadn’t already noticed, the heftier front of the case had survived its encounter with the paint scraper and sledge intact. The smaller back portion…not so much:

Here’s an overview of the now-exposed back of the wall wart’s guts. The transformer, which I’m sure you already noticed before, dominates the landscape:

Now continuing (and finishing) the rotation in 90° increments:

Let’s take a closer look at that PCB hanging off the bottom:

I am, as reader feedback regularly reminds me, not an analog or power electronics expert by any means, but what I believe we’re looking at here is visual evidence of a very rudimentary form of AC-to-DC conversion, the four-diode bridge rectifier:

A diode bridge is a bridge rectifier circuit of four diodes that is used in the process of converting alternating current (AC) from the input terminals to direct current (DC, i.e. fixed polarity) on the output terminals. Its function is to convert the negative voltage portions of the AC waveform to positive voltage, after which a low-pass filter can be used to smooth the result into DC.

 When used in its most common application, for conversion of an alternating-current (AC) input into a direct-current (DC) output, it is known as a bridge rectifier. A bridge rectifier provides full-wave rectification from a two-wire AC input, resulting in lower cost and weight as compared to a rectifier with a three-wire input from a transformer with a center-tapped secondary winding.

The low-pass filter mentioned in the definition is, of course, the capacitor on the PCB. And re the diodes, the manufacturer (presumably in aspiring to squeeze as much profit as possible out of the design) didn’t even bother going the (presumably more costly) integration route:

Prior to the availability of integrated circuits, a bridge rectifier was constructed from separate diodes. Since about 1950, a single four-terminal component containing the four diodes connected in a bridge configuration has been available and is now available with various voltage and current ratings.

Ironically, in looking back at Wikipedia’s “wall wart” page post-teardown, shortly before I began writing, I happened to notice this exact same approach showcased in one of the photos there:

A disassembled AC adapter showing a simple, unregulated linear DC supply circuit: a transformer, four diodes in a bridge rectifier, and a single electrolytic capacitor to smooth the waveform.

And it’s also documented in an interesting Reddit thread I found, which starts out this way:

Do inexpensive 12v wall warts usually use a transformer to step mains to about 12vac then bridge rectify and regulate to 12vdc?

Or

Do they use some minimal 1:1 transformer for isolation, rectify to dc then use a buck converter to drop to 12v?

Or some other standard clever design?

Look again at the PCB, though, specifically at the markings, and you might notice something curious. Let me move a couple of diodes out of the way to emphasize what I’m talking about:

Capacitor C5, the big one for output filtering, is obviously present. But why are there also markings for capacitors C1-C4 alongside the diodes…and why are they missing? The clue, I’ll suggest, appears in the last bit of Wikipedia’s diode bridge introductory section:

Diodes are also used in bridge topologies along with capacitors as voltage multipliers.

Once again to save cost, I think the manufacturer of this wall wart developed a PCB that could do double-duty. Populated solely with diodes, it (requoting Reddit) “uses a transformer to step mains to about 12vac then bridge rectify and regulate to 12vdc.” And for other wall wart product proliferations with other output DC voltages, you’ll find a mix of both diodes and capacitors soldered onto that same PCB.

Again, as I said before, I’m not an analog or power electronics expert by any means. So, at this point I’ll turn the microphone over to you for your thoughts in the comments. Am I at least in the ballpark with my theory (can you tell that MLB spring training just began as I’m writing this)? Or have I struck out swinging? And what else about this design did you find interesting?

—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Vision Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the company’s online newsletter.

 Related Content

• Wall wart + battery = small UPS: Good idea or not?
• When reliability hangs by a “wall wart” thread
• USB bus-powered devices put an end to Wall Warts
• Those AC/DC modules: my, how you have shrunk!
• Sorting out USB-C power supplies: Specification deceptions and confusing implementations

The post Taking apart a wall wart appeared first on EDN.

So I sort of bought all the resistors here by ordering 3 times and forgetting about the first 2 times. Atleast they are not all the same value. Altough i bought double the sets on 2w. Atleast i wont need too be buying resistors anytime soon. submitted by /u/Whyjustwhydothat [link] [comments]

So I wanted a nice and small proximity sensor module for my gesture-driven lights switch project, and found this nice device from ST: VL6180X proximity and ambient light sensor. There are newer sensors in VL53* family, but they lack ambient light part which is nice to have for a smart home device. I've purchased a couple of test modules from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/vl6180x/s?k=vl6180x) and shortly found that ALS (light) sensor produces garbage output no matter which software library is used. After many hours of debugging and online search I've found out the reason: many modules sold on Amazon, AliExpress, etc, marked as VL6180X are actually VL6180. Which is exactly the same device in terms of pinout, software interface, etc - but lacks the ALS sensor. The visual difference is prominent - VL6180X does have third large optical window in the center (which is the ALS sensor), while VL6180 does not. However, many many vendors sell cheaper VL6180 as VL6180X, as shown on the picture and on half of the modules on the Amazon link above. So if you also want a proximity/ambient light sensor - look carefully at what you buy. submitted by /u/kornerz [link] [comments]

Hitachi High-Tech Corporation (“Hitachi High-Tech”) is strengthening its analytical business through integrating and jointly operating its Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science Ltd. (“Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science”) and Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation (“Hitachi High-Tech Science”) businesses. As of April 1, 2025, Hitachi High-Tech Science will become Hitachi High-Tech Analysis Corporation as part of this re-structure.

By integrating the core technologies of both companies, we will be better equipped to address the increasingly complex processes involved in developing, manufacturing, and inspecting materials that our customers encounter. Bringing together X-ray fluorescence (XRF), optical emission spectroscopy (OES), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), thermal analysis (TA), liquid chromatography and spectrophotometers from Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science and Hitachi High-Tech Science will facilitate the development of new, innovative solutions.

Initiatives to create a safe and secure society, and reducing environmental impact are becoming increasingly important across a wide range of business fields including healthcare, semiconductors and electronic components, and batteries. The analytical division and beam technology division, which includes electron microscopes, are key to supporting Hitachi High-Tech Group’s Core Technology Solutions business. The Core Technology Solutions division leverages its expertise in Observation, Measurement, and Analysis to offer specialized solutions for measurement and inspection. These solutions support R&D, manufacturing, and quality control processes, helping to address both customer and societal challenges.

Whilst manufacturing processes are becoming more complex, waste reduction, circular economy, and preservation of raw materials are key to a more sustainable, global industry.

Hitachi High-Tech Group will use the “Power of Knowledge” it possesses to know accurately and leveraging deep understandings the genuine issues of society and customers, and we will contribute to create a sustainable society by solving these issues.

The post Strengthening Our Analytical Business to Solve Social Issues with Our Core Technologies appeared first on ELE Times.

Intel, long known for its acquisition misadventures, has finally reached a reality check. Its new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has announced spinning off the company’s non-core businesses to focus on core operations: CPU design and contract chip manufacturing. “These parts of Intel are no longer central to its future,” he said during his keynote at the Intel Vision conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It’s important to note that Intel has already been on this path since the final days of former CEO Pat Gelsinger. The Santa Clara, California-based semiconductor firm has already spun off FPGA maker Altera. Even before Gelsinger took charge of the top job at Intel in February 2021, the company had sold its NAND memory business to SK hynix for $8.85 billion in 2020.

Tan didn’t indicate whether Intel will divest or sell its non-core businesses. Source: Intel

The company also turned Intel Capital into a standalone investment fund early this year before Tan took the CEO job. While Intel will remain an anchor investor, the fund will help the company to reduce costs and streamline operations.

So, what does this mean when Tan vows to shed the company’s non-core businesses? Apparently, Intel will pursue this endeavor more aggressively now to focus its CPUs on artificial intelligence (AI) and data center applications, along with what Tan calls a Software 2.0 strategy. But will Intel’s rush to shed non-core assets lower their market value? Or will Intel divest these units instead of seeking buyouts? Time will tell.

Intel’s non-core businesses

Now let’s discuss Intel’s non-core businesses. Start with Mobileye, a developer of automotive driver-assist systems, which was listed on Nasdaq in 2022. Though Intel has denied the plan to divest a majority stake in Mobileye in the past, it will now be one of the easiest targets for Intel to handle.

Intel’s networking division could also be up for grabs. However, many industry watchers consider Intel’s Network and Edge (NEX) group a core business of Intel. It focuses on edge computing, networking, and AI solutions while developing modified versions of consumer and data center CPUs for telecom companies and similar entities.

It’s worth noting that Altera and Mobileye are worth approximately $17 billion to 20 billion. Intel can generate a huge amount of cash from those two entities, which, in turn, will bring financial stability to this once-mighty semiconductor outfit now attempting to reclaim its past glory.

Still, the elephant in the room is not the non-core assets but whether Intel will remain whole or split up its CPU and contract manufacturing businesses. At the same time, however, Intel’s decision to shed non-core assets will bring much-needed stability during the turnaround that Tan envisions for this chip industry pioneer.

Related Content

• Who will get Altera in 2025
• We Really Need to Talk about Mobileye
• Intel More Likely to Divest Units Than Seek Buyout
• Intel’s Embarrassment of Riches: Advanced Packaging
• How will Intel’s purchase of Altera affect embedded space?

The post Will Intel’s rush to shed non-core assets benefit potential buyers? appeared first on EDN.

High-power semiconductor laser designer Casela Technologies of Santa Clara, CA, USA has launched the ELSA-16, a pluggable 16-channel External Laser Source (ELS) platform designed to unlock new levels of performance, flexibility and scalability in co-packaged optics (CPO) and silicon photonics-based systems powering AI workloads...