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Rohde & Schwarz is accelerating the development of the new automotive Ethernet variant 10BASE-T1S by offering compliance and trigger & decode options

10BASE-T1S (IEEE 802.3cg) is a type of Ethernet networking technology that is designed for use in automotive and industrial applications, and 10BASE-T1S E2B products from ADI enable highly optimized yet flexible hardware-based Ethernet edge node connectivity solutions. The new variant is not just introducing a new lower speed grade of 10 Mbps over distances of 25 meters and beyond but also adding novel capabilities such as multi-drop transmission, thus eliminating the need for a switch. By eliminating the need for microcontrollers at the edge nodes, ADI’s E2B solution enables the centralization of all software to help enable next-gen zonal architectures and software-defined vehicles. This technological advancement is particularly applicable for linking sensors and actuators throughout the car body, powertrain, and beyond to a domain or zonal controller.

On the R&S MXO series oscilloscopes, the decoded packets are displayed in a color-coded manner, thereby making it straightforward for ADI engineers to identify crucial protocol messages such as Beacon, Commit and MAC frames. This allows for more efficient test validation, thus helping to enable shorter time to market. The 10BASE-T1S takes advantage of the new PLCA technology, making it essential to verify the timing and performance of various nodes connected onto the network. The time alignment of all decoded frames with the captured waveform simplifies debugging and facilitates precise timing measurements. ADI engineers can switch between various data representations such as DME symbols, scrambled, or unscrambled, providing valuable insights into the captured network traffic.

10BASE-T1S Ethernet technology offers additional advantages by supporting a high number of nodes on a single network, making it ideal for complex systems. Its short reach and low data-rate make it energy efficient and cost-effective. ADI’s innovative approach to 10BASE-T1S ensures that SDVs can deliver true value to OEMs by reducing form factors, cutting costs at the edge, lowering boot times, and offering bounded low latency, power saving, timestamping, and timed actuation, so that all nodes in the system are synchronized and operate seamlessly.

Fionn Hurley from ADI remarked: “ADI uses Rohde & Schwarz oscilloscopes, delivering reliable and precise measurements for our industry leading 10BASE-T1S solution. This reinforces our commitment to offering high-quality, robust technology solutions to our customers. ADI takes a holistic approach to system design and understands the complexity of the challenges faced by our customers and helps them overcome these challenges. We’re helping to drive the automotive industry towards a smarter, more efficient future.”

With the R&S MXO series oscilloscope, engineers can further leverage its high-performance capability to debug their 10BASE-T1S communication link. Standard debug tool like the spectrum mode, zone triggers and fast acquisitions makes it easy to detect anomalies on the bus. Furthermore, using the MXO’s ability to make standards-compliant 10BASE-T1S measurements in accordance with the IEEE 802.3cg and OPEN Alliance TC14 specifications, enables the automotive industry to ensure performance and interoperability of this growing automotive network technology.

The post Rohde & Schwarz pioneers the future of automotive Ethernet using Analog Devices’ 10BASE-T1S solutions appeared first on ELE Times.

AquiSense Inc of Erlanger, KY, USA (which designs and makes UV-C LED water disinfection systems) has secured Series A investment led by Burnt Island Ventures, following a recent management buyout. Additional investment comes from a local Kentucky Capital Fund and returning private seed investors led by Randy Knapmeyer. Funds will be used to accelerate growth in a broad range of water treatment applications including beverage, pharmaceutical, oil & gas and municipal...

As semiconductor devices become smaller and more complex, the product development lifecycle grows increasingly intricate. So, from early builds to pre-qualification testing, firmware development and validation teams face escalating challenges in ensuring quality and performance. As a result, traditional root cause analysis (RCA) methods—performing manual checks, static rules, or post-mortem analysis—struggle to keep up with the complexity and velocity of modern firmware releases.

However, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are changing the game. These technologies empower firmware teams to detect, diagnose, and prevent failures at scale—across performance testing, qualification cycles, and system integration—ushering in a new era of intelligent RCA.

But first let’s take a closer look at RCA challenges in firmware development.

 

RCA challenges in firmware development

RCA in firmware development, particularly for SSDs, is like finding a needle in a moving haystack. Engineers face several key challenges:

• Vast amounts of telemetry and debug logs: Firmware systems generate massive telemetry and debug logs. Manually sifting through this data to identify the root cause can be time-consuming, delaying development cycles.
• Elusive, intermittent failures: Firmware failures can be sporadic and difficult to reproduce, especially under high-stress conditions like heavy I/O workloads, making diagnosis even harder.
• Invisible code behavior changes: Minor firmware updates can introduce subtle issues that conventional diagnostics miss, complicating the identification of new bugs.
• Noisy, inconsistent defect signals: Defects often produce erratic and inconsistent signals, making it difficult to pinpoint the true source of failure without extensive testing.

These issues impact product timelines and customer qualifications. AI, rather than replacing engineers, enhances their ability to detect anomalies, reduce troubleshooting time, and improve the overall RCA process, speeding up diagnosis and uncovering hidden issues.

AI-driven approaches in RCA

Below are the AI techniques that streamline the RCA process, speeding up identification of root causes and improving firmware reliability.

1. Anomaly detection: Unsupervised models like autoencoders and isolation forests detect abnormal patterns in real-time without requiring labeled failure data. These models learn normal behavior and flag deviations, helping to identify potential issues—like performance degradation—early in the process before they escalate.
2. Predictive modeling: Machine learning algorithms such as XGBoost and neural networks analyze trends in historical test and telemetry data to predict future issues, like bugs or regressions. These models allow engineers to act proactively, preventing failures by predicting them before they occur.
3. Correlation and pattern discovery: AI connects data across sources like test logs, code commits, and environmental factors to identify hidden relationships. It can pinpoint the root cause of issues faster by correlating failures with specific code changes, configurations, or conditions that traditional methods might overlook.

AI’s role in firmware validation

In firmware development—especially in NVMe devices and embedded systems—code changes can directly impact product stability and customer satisfaction. So, AI is now playing a critical role in this space.

• Monitoring I/O behavior: ML tracks latency, power, and throughput to flag regressions across firmware builds.
• Failure attribution: Historical test and return data are mined to correlate firmware changes with observed anomalies.
• Simulation: Generative models stress-test edge cases—such as power loss scenarios—to uncover potential flaws earlier in the cycle.

In an SSD development project, a firmware update intended to optimize memory management can cause subtle write workload failures during system integration. Traditional quality assurance (QA) can miss these failures, as they are intermittent and appear only under specific conditions.

However, Isolation Forest, an unsupervised machine learning model, is used to monitor real-time system behavior. The model detects timing anomalies tied to the firmware’s background garbage collection process by analyzing telemetry data, including latency and throughput. Isolation Forest identifies deviations from normal patterns, pinpointing the issues like delays introduced by changes in the garbage collection algorithm.

With these insights, engineers can root-cause and fix the issue within days, avoiding qualification delays. Without AI-based detection, there is a chance that this issue goes unnoticed, causing significant delays and customer qualification risks.

Benefits of AI-powered RCA

First and foremost, its speeds up the process by cutting debug time from weeks to hours. The AI-powered RCA also offers accuracy for multi-variable issues. Regarding scalability, it can monitor thousands of signals and logs continuously. Finally, the AI-powered RCA enables predictive action before issues reach customers.

Below is an outline of future directions for AI in RCA methods:

• Explainable AI for building trust in ML decisions.
• Multi-modal models for unifying logs, telemetry, images, and notes.
• Digital twins to simulate firmware behavior under varied scenarios.

AI is no longer optional; it’s becoming central to firmware development. On the other hand, root cause analysis is evolving into a fast, intelligent, and predictive practice. So, as firmware complexity grows, those who harness AI will lead in reliability and time-to-market.

For engineers, adopting AI isn’t about surrendering control—it’s about unlocking superhuman diagnostic capability.

Karan Puniani is a staff test engineer at Micron Technology.

Related Content

• 5 Tips for speeding firmware development
• Development tool evolution – hardware/firmware
• Use virtual machines to ease firmware development
• Will Generative AI Help or Harm Embedded Software Developers?
• No code: Passing Fad or Gaining Adoption for Embedded Development?

The post Firmware development: Redefining root cause analysis with AI appeared first on EDN.

At the Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion, Renewable Energy and Energy Management (PCIM 2025) Expo & Conference in Nuremberg (6–8 May), Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF of Freiburg, Germany is presenting results achieved as part of the three-year project ‘GaN4EmoBiL — GaN power semiconductors for electro-mobility and system integration through bidirectional charging’ launched in mid-2023 and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)...

• Provides advanced radar target generation and EW threat simulation solutions to strengthen NATO’s radar and electronic support measures capabilities across member nations

Keysight Technologies. Inc. has been awarded a contract with NATO’s Naval Forces Sensor and Weapons Accuracy Check Sites to modernize its testing capabilities for critical radar and electronic support measures systems. Under this agreement, Keysight will deliver Radar Target Generator and Electronic Warfare testing solutions to be deployed at NATO Navy bases, enabling the calibration and maintenance of NATO radar systems and the assessment of ESM effectiveness.

Modern military and naval forces depend heavily on the accuracy and reliability of their radar and ESM systems for maintaining situational awareness, effective targeting, and timely threat detection. In an era of increasingly complex and rapidly evolving electronic warfare threats, defense organizations require sophisticated, high-fidelity test environments. These environments must be capable of replicating real-world scenarios with dynamic multi-emitter signals, advanced threat modeling, and closed loop testing methodologies.

Keysight’s Radar Target Generator and EW solutions are designed to meet these demanding requirements, empowering NATO FORACS to rigorously assess and optimize the operational readiness of radar and ESM systems across all member nations. The contract encompasses the integration and delivery of next-generation Radar Target Generators and EW threat simulators. This will ensure enhanced accuracy verification and thorough system performance testing within complex electromagnetic environments. Notably, the Radar Target Generator leverages commercial-off-the-shelf Keysight components, featuring customized firmware and a graphical user interface developed entirely in Europe and tailored to meet NATO’s specific requirements.

The systems that Keysight will deliver to NATO is defined by several key factors, including:

• High-fidelity Radar Target Generation: Simulates precise radar returns, including Doppler shift, range, and cross-section variability, enabling accurate testing of radar tracking.
• Sophisticated EW threat simulation: Creates complex electromagnetic threat environments with multi-emitter interference, jamming, and deceptive techniques to evaluate ESM system effectiveness.
• Customizable, open-architecture design: The modular hardware and software framework allows for incremental system upgrades, ensuring adaptability to future mission requirements.
• Deployable and modular configuration: Designed for field and lab deployment, providing flexible testing capability across multiple NATO sites.

The NATO FORACS Office in NATO Headquarters in Brussels, reported: “The NATO FORACS Office is pleased to note the placement of this contract which will supply important equipment to restore NATO FORACS’ core radar and ESM testing capabilities in order to meet its users’ evolving demands.”

Thierry Locquette, EMEA VP and GM at Keysight, said: “NATO’s ability to verify and enhance the accuracy of its radar and ESM systems is critical to mission success in today’s contested electromagnetic spectrum environment. Keysight is proud to provide the cutting-edge solutions necessary to enable NATO FORACS to maintain the highest levels of sensor performance, ensuring operational superiority across allied forces. Our Radar Target Generator solution was developed in Europe, working closely with our local R&D and solution centers as well as with European technology partners to provide a highly realistic, flexible, and future-ready test capability for NATO’s evolving defense needs.”

The post Keysight Awarded NATO FORACS Contract to Enhance Operational Readiness appeared first on ELE Times.

The Cross-Compatible OBC Enables Flexible, Efficient, And Intelligent Power Systems Across Multiple Wide-Bandgap Platforms

Wise-integration, a pioneer in digital control for gallium nitride (GaN) and GaN IC-based power supplies, will break new ground at PCIM Europe 2025, May 6–8 in Nuremberg. In collaboration with Savoy International Group, the company will debut its digital controller of a silicon carbide (SiC) power demonstrator model, underscoring its expansion into complementary wide-bandgap technologies and showcasing its WiseWare digital controller’s universality and adaptability across those technologies.

This marks a new market entry for Wise-integration—in particular, targeting SiC-based high-voltage applications in automotive and industrial sectors—while reinforcing that WiseWare can serve as a common digital intelligence layer regardless of the underlying semiconductor material.

Building on Wise-integration’s Core GaN Expertise

The WiseWare 1 OBC SIC 7kW power demonstrator model builds on the company’s core expertise in GaN-based systems and digital control ICs, reinforcing its commitment to advancing the full spectrum of power semiconductor technologies. This cross-compatible, digital control solution for both GaN and SiC, enables flexible, efficient, and intelligent power systems across multiple WBG platforms.

“This demonstration of a silicon-carbide onboard charger marks an important step in Wise-integration’s journey toward the automotive market,” said CEO Thierry Bouchet. “By showing that WiseWare can reliably control high-voltage, high-power systems in an EV-relevant application, we’re validating our digital control platform as a strong candidate for next-generation onboard chargers. It’s a first step toward demonstrating that our technology is scalable, adaptable, and aligned with the needs of future EV platforms.”

The demonstrator is a prototype product for the company’s partner, Savoy International Group, a Tier 1 automotive supplier, whose e-mobility division collaborated with Wise-integration on a GaN charger embedded in e-bike batteries in 2023.

“This prototype has been developed specifically to support the electrification of Savoy’s innovative, light electric vehicles under the KILOW brand, as well as their broader ambition to promote fun, accessible, and sustainable mobility solutions,” Bouchet explained.

“Our previous collaboration with Wise-integration on the embedded GaN charger for our e-bike battery met all of our expectations for performance and helps us differentiate KILOW in a crowded field,” said Émile Allamand, CEO of Savoy Group. “The SiC onboard charger will enable us to diversify our EV offerings with a light, four-wheel vehicle under our KILOW brand.”

Major Differentiators of the WiseWare 1 OBC SIC 7kW Demonstrator:

• Technology-agnostic control:WiseWare works seamlessly with both GaN and SiC, allowing OEMs to keep control architecture constant, while optimizing the power stage for each use case (cost, power level, thermal profile, etc.).
• Digital-first approach:Unlike traditional analog control platforms, Wise-integration virtualizes control functions, enabling simplified designs, faster iterations, and more compact systems.
• Open and modular design philosophy:WiseWare is not tied to a proprietary microcontroller or switch brand. This flexibility makes it highly attractive to Tier 1s and system integrators seeking to reduce vendor lock-in.

SiC technology delivers excellent thermal performance and is highly efficient under heavy loads—making it ideal for high-power components like traction inverters and fast chargers. Its ruggedness and maturity also contribute to its reliability in the demanding automotive environment. WiseWare’s SiC demonstration shows that the company’s digital control platform is technology-agnostic, and can bring the same performance, modularity, and intelligence to SiC systems as it does to GaN systems.

The post Wise-integration to Present a SiC 7kW Demoboard for Onboard Charger For Electric Vehicles with WiseWare Digital Control at PCIM 2025 appeared first on ELE Times.

Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its latest solutions and advanced techniques for testing and analyzing power electronic systems and components at PCIM Expo 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany. At the company’s booth (hall 7, booth 166), the spotlight will be on solutions utilizing the company’s cutting-edge test instruments to address the challenges of debugging next generation wide bandgap semiconductors like GaN and SiC.

Rigorous testing and advanced characterization methods help design engineers enhance the performance, efficiency, and reliability of their power electronic designs based on SiC and GaN devices, used in pioneering industries like e-mobility, renewable energy or AI data centers. Rohde & Schwarz will bring a selection of its comprehensive T&M portfolio to booth 166 in hall 7 of PCIM Expo 2025, taking place from May 6 to 8 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center. The test solutions are tailored for power electronics applications where high efficiency, fast switching speeds, improved power density and high-temperature operation matter.

Wide bandgap analysis

At the center of the presented setups will be the R&S RT-ZISO isolated probing system from Rohde & Schwarz. This next generation isolated probe has set new standards with unprecedented accuracy, sensitivity, dynamic range and bandwidth for wide bandgap power designs with SiC and GaN. Rohde & Schwarz will showcase the advantage of the R&S RT-ZISO over single-ended probes in a setup to investigate the switching behavior of a GaN-MosFET.

Double pulse testing

Double pulse testing is a method for evaluating the switching performance of SiC and GaN based power devices. Rohde & Schwarz is collaborating with industry expert PE-Systems GmbH for a stable and accurate approach to double pulse testing using the MXO 5 next generation oscilloscope from Rohde & Schwarz with eight channels in combination with the R&S RT-ZISO. At PCIM, visitors can experience accurate, reliable and fast double pulse testing on 1200 V SiC devices from Wolfspeed, typically used as traction inverters in the automotive industry.

Automated loadjump testing 

Loadjump testing used to be a time-consuming manual process to verify a Buck converter’s load step response at varying input voltage levels, using only a few reference points. For this application, as well, Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with PE-Systems GmbH, who offers a test automation software. In combination with the MXO 5 oscilloscope and the R&S RT-ZISO isolated probing system, this solution not only reduces overall testing time but also maintains the same number of test points. At PCIM, the companies demonstrate automated loadjump testing of a Buck converter of Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. within a voltage range of 6V to 60V. The setup even allows for more reference points within the same timeframe and can be extended to include temperature control, facilitating the full automation of input voltage, load current, and temperature profile variations.

Component characterization

Rohde & Schwarz will also showcase its solutions for component characterization. The R&S LCX LCR meters with customized impedance measurement functions are suitable for all discrete passive components up to 10 MHz. Users can easily characterize the voltage dependence of capacitances in core components of power converters like MLCCs with the R&S LCX. Combined with a sweep software tool, users can perform comprehensive sweep measurements and display them in numerous charts. The MFIA impedance analyzer from Zurich Instruments AG is capable of impedance spectroscopy for both low impedance components such as shunt resistors and DC-link capacitors and high impedance systems. It offers measurement modes for impedance analysis over frequency and time as well as other features such as integrated oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer capabilities.

Dr. Philipp Weigell, Vice President of the Industry, Components, Research & University Market Segment at Rohde & Schwarz, explains: “PCIM Expo is an important venue for us to highlight our advancements in wide bandgap semiconductor testing. Testing plays a critical role to improve power efficiency, reduce size, and manage heat more effectively in power conversion applications used in AI data centers, for instance. Through collaboration with industry experts and with our advanced testing solutions we enable our customers to develop reliable and efficient systems that meet the rigorous demands of modern data processing applications.”

The post Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing and characterization at PCIM Expo 2025 appeared first on ELE Times.

SMA Solar Technology AG, a leading global specialist in photovoltaic and storage system technology, adopts Semikron Danfoss’ Module with ROHM’s latest 2kV SiC MOSFETs inside its new large scale solar system “Sunny Central FLEX”, a modular platform designed to streamline and enhance grid connections for large-scale photovoltaic installations, battery storage systems, and emerging technologies.

“ROHM’s new 2kV class SiC MOSFETs are designed to enable simple and highly efficient converter topologies for 1500V DC-links. It is developed with high reliability targets and cosmic radiation robustness – addressing the stringent conditions and extended converter lifetime requirements of the photovoltaic sector and beyond,” says Wolfram Harnack, President at ROHM Semiconductor GmbH. “The technology of our SiC device structure and integrated on-chip gate resistance eases device paralleling and simplifies high power module designs. The mass production has started,” adds Harnack.

Semikron Danfoss’ SEMITRANS 20 has designed for high power applications and fast-switching operations, it represents the next generation of power modules for large converters. SEMITRANS 20 with ROHM’s 2kV SiC MOSFETs is an integral part of SMA’s Sunny Central FLEX. “Semikron Danfoss and ROHM have collaborated for over a decade, focusing primarily on the implementation of silicon carbide (SiC) in power modules. More recently, we have teamed up to integrate silicon IGBTs as well”, says Peter Sontheimer, Senior Vice President of Semikron Danfoss’ Industry division.

“The new SEMITRANS 20 offers simple, efficient solutions for 1500VDC applications. These modules are ideal for solar and energy storage inverters. Upcoming high-power electric truck chargers, as well as wind converters, will also benefit,” adds Sontheimer.

“The cooperation between SMA, Semikron Danfoss and ROHM is proof of how the seamless integration of innovative technologies creates the conditions for future-oriented energy projects,” said Bernd Gessner, Product Manager Power Conversion Systems at SMA. “The demands on these solutions are higher than ever. SMA has decades of expertise and fulfills the highest requirements in terms of performance, reliability, durability and flexibility. The fact that Sunny Central FLEX meets these highest future-proof standards is also the result of the excellent cooperation with our partners who share the same commitment to excellence.”

The post Semikron Danfoss’ Module with ROHM’s latest 2kV SiC MOSFETs Integrated into SMA’s Large Scale Solar System appeared first on ELE Times.

This watch was created with love for those who want to wear a piece of history on their wrist - blending the charm of the past with the tech of the future. Featuring military-grade Nixie tubes and a unique design, it’s a true head-turner ! submitted by /u/BublikTechnologies [link] [comments]

For coverage of all the key business and technology developments in compound semiconductors and advanced silicon materials and devices over the last month, subscribe to Semiconductor Today magazine...

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has launched CoolSiC MOSFET 750V G2 technology, designed to deliver improved system efficiency and increased power density in automotive and industrial power conversion applications. The CoolSiC MOSFETs 750V G2 technology offers a granular portfolio with typical RDS(on) values up to 60mΩ at 25°C, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including on-board chargers (OBCs), DC-DC converters, auxiliaries for electric vehicles (xEVs) as well as industrial applications in EV charging, solar inverter, energy storage systems, telecom and SMPS...

South Korea-based Seoul Semiconductor Co Ltd says that the Local Division Paris of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), which has jurisdiction across 18 European countries, has issued a judgment that its affiliate’s core optical semiconductor patent was infringed by Laser Components SAS of Meudon, France, a global distributor offering electronic components across USA, Europe, and Canada...

Artificial intelligence (AI) makes a foray into the test and measurement world. An AI assistant trained across the NI software suite and built on Emerson’s secure cloud network can analyze code, offer suggestions for changes, and allow users to ask questions to employ correct tools across nearly 700 functions more quickly.

The Nigel AI Advisor will be integrated into LabVIEW and TestStand by July 2025 and will be available in most existing licenses at no extra cost. LabVIEW, a graphical programming environment, is primarily used by engineers for data acquisition, instrument control, and industrial automation. On the other hand, TestStand is management software that automates, accelerates, and standardizes the test process.

Figure 1 TestStand users can ask questions and get answers inside the window on right. Source: Emerson

Austin Hill, section manager of test software at Emerson, acknowledges that NI engineers have been working on integrating AI and machine learning into the company’s software for many years. “We are the software company, so we have been making critical investments in the capabilities of our software,” he said during an interview with EDN. “Our big focus this year is integration with AI, specifically generative AI.”

Nigel AI Advisor—unveiled during the NI Connect 2025 conference—promises users a step change in productivity. “This is just the beginning,” Hill added. “Nigel will keep getting smarter and better in years to come.” He told EDN that NI engineers are trying to thread the needle on how and where AI will change our industry.

“Besides large language models (LLMs), there are other pieces that we are trying to work around,” Hill said. “We have built hooks in LabVIEW and TestStand that allow us to update frequently, which enables us to work with the next generation of GPUs and compute.”

Figure 2 Here is what temperature monitoring looks like in LabVIEW with Nigel’s aid. Source: Emerson

Regarding Nigel’s capabilities, Hill calls it an AI experience that spans the software platform. “It’s going to help users onboard much faster, especially the new ones,” he said. “It’ll help users find out the functions they need, the suitable examples, and where they are getting errors.”

As users edit sequences or look at test reports, they can have Nigel in the window to ask questions. “That can turn a novice LabVIEW user into an expert LabVIEW user much faster,” Hill added.

Emerson will demonstrate Nigel AI capabilities at the NI Connect conference, which will be held from 28 to 30 April 2025 in Fort Woth, Texas.

Related Content

• The evolution of LabView
• LabVIEW Creator Talks its Past and Future
• National Instruments Releases Free Editions of LabVIEW
• NI’s Kevin Schultz: Embracing AI for Both Test and Design
• LabVIEW 7.1: Graphical Real-Time Development Leaps Ahead

The post LabVIEW gets an AI makeover with Nigel’s launch appeared first on EDN.

The TL431 has been around for nearly 50 years. During those decades, while primarily marketed as a precision adjustable shunt regulator, this legacy device also found its way into alternative applications. These include voltage comparators, audio amplifiers, current sources, overvoltage protectors, etc. Sadly, in almost every example from this mighty menagerie of circuits, the 431’s “anode” pin sinks to the same lowly fate. It gets grounded.

Wow the engineering world with your unique design: Design Ideas Submission Guide

Current sink regulation

The design idea presented here offers that poor persecuted pin a more buoyant role to play, Figure 1.

Figure 1 The floated anode serves as a sense pin for active current sink regulation. 

The Figure 1 block diagram shows how the 431 works at a conceptual level where: 

Sink current = Is = (Vc – 2.5v)/R1 = 0 to 1/R1 as Vc = 2.5v to 3.5v
Vs < 37v, Is < 100mA, Is(Vs – R1Is) < 500mW @ 50oC ambient

Series connection adds an internal 2.5-V precision reference to external voltage input on the ANODE pin. The op-amp subtracts this sum from the voltage input on the REF pin, then amplifies and applies the difference to the pass transistor. If the difference is positive (sum < REF), the transistor turns on and shunts current from CATHODE to ANODE. Otherwise (sum > REF), it turns off.

If the 431 is connected in the traditional fashion (REF connected to CATHODE and ANODE grounded). In that case, the scheme works like a shunt voltage regulator should, forcing CATHODE to a resistor-string-programmed multiple of the internal 2.5-V reference voltage. But what will happen if the REF pin is connected to a constant control voltage (Vc > 2.5 V); and the ANODE, instead of being grounded, floats freely on current sensing resistor R1?

What happens is the current gets regulated instead of the voltage. Because Vc is fixed and can’t be pulled down to make REF = ANODE + 2.5, ANODE must be pulled up until equality is achieved. For this to happen:

Is = (Vc – 2.5v)/R1 

Constant current sink regulation of 1/R1

Figure 2 illustrates how a fixed voltage divider might be used (assuming a 5-V rail that’s accurate enough) to use a floated-anode Z1 to regulate a constant sink current of:

Is = (3.5v – 2.5v)/R1 = 1/R1

It also illustrates adding a booster transistor Q1 to accommodate applications needing current or power beyond Z1’s modest TO92ish limits. Notice that Z1’s accuracy will be unimpaired because whatever fraction of Is that Q1 causes to bypass Z1 is summed back in before passing through R1.

Figure 2 Booster transistor Q1 can handle current and voltage beyond 431 max Ic and dissipation limits, while the 3.5-V voltage divider programs a constant Is.

Programming sink current with DAC

Figure 3 shows how Is might be digitally programmed with a 2.5-V DAC signal. Note the DAC signal is inverted (Is = max when Vx = 0) while Z2 provides the necessary level shift:

Is = (2.5v – Vx)/(2.5R1) = 0 to 1/R1 as Vx = 2.5v to 0

 Figure 3 DAC control of Is, the DAC signal is inverted, while Z2 provides the necessary level shift.

Programming sink current to Df/R1 with DAC

Figure 4 shows an alternate programming method using PWM with Is = Df /R1 where Df equals the 0 to 1 (0% to 100%) PWM duty factor:

Is = (2.5R2/(R3/Df))/R1 as Df = 0 to 1
Df = IsR1R3/(2.5R2)
Df = Is R1

Figure 4 PWM control of Is, where Is is the ratio of the PWM duty factor and R1.

The 8-bit PWM resolution and 10-kHz frequency are assumed. The R2C1 single-pole ripple filter has a time constant of approximately 64x the PWM period (10 kHz = 100 µs assumed) for 1-lsb peak-to-peak max ripple and 38-ms max settling time.

Speeding up settling time

One shortcoming of Figure 4 is the long settling time (~40 ms to 8 bits) imposed by the single-pole R1C1\2 ripple filter. If an extra resistor and capacitor won’t break the bank, that can be sped up by a factor of about 5 (~8 ms) with Figure 5’s R5C2 providing 2nd-order analog-subtraction filtration.

Figure 5 The addition of R5 and C2 provides faster settling times with a 2nd-order ripple filter.

Programmable current sink application circuit

Finally, Figure 6 shows the Figure 4 circuit combined with an inexpensive 24-W AC adapter and a 5-V regulator to power a small digital testing system. Be sure to adequately heatsink Q1.

Figure 6 The combined current sink and small system power supply where the max Is is 1 A, Max Vs is 20 V, and Is = Df.

Thanks for the implicit suggestion, Ashutosh!

Stephen Woodward’s relationship with EDN’s DI column goes back quite a long way. Over 100 submissions have been accepted since his first contribution back in 1974.

Related Content

• Cancel PWM DAC ripple with analog subtraction
• TL431 Model
• PWM-programmed LM317 constant current source
• A negative current source with PWM input and LM337 output
• A high-performance current source
• VCO using the TL431 reference

The post Precision programmable current sink appeared first on EDN.

П'єзоелектричні двигуни – створено в КПІ Інформація КП вт, 04/29/2025 - 16:44

Dear EDN Readers,

We’re thrilled to announce the successful expansion of our Design Ideas section. Thanks to your support, we now publish two new DIs every week!

We’re also excited to revitalize our Tales from the Cube column. This platform allows engineers to share their unique experiences in solving challenging design issues—whether they encountered a product failure, dealt with troublesome equipment, or tackled a persistent problem on a personal project.

We aim to regularly update this column with fresh content. With your contributions, we hope to gradually breathe new life into Tales from the Cube with new articles to feature in our Fun Friday newsletter.

Here are some FAQs to get you started:

What are Tales from the Cube articles?

Tales from the Cube are generally brief, focused narratives where engineers outline how they arrive at a solution to a specific design challenge or an innovative approach to a design task. This can relate to a personal project, a contract, or a corporate design dilemma. Here are some basic guidelines that might help you as you write out your article:

• 600-1000 words 
• 1-2 images
• One-sentence summary of your story that goes along with the title
• A short author bio

What technology areas are allowed?

We’re open to a wide range of technology areas, including (but not limited to) analog and digital circuits, RF and microwave, programmable logic, hardware-design languages, systems, programming tips, utilities, test equipment and techniques, power, and more. If you’re not sure about your topic, just email us at editors@aspencore.com.

Do I get paid for a Tales from the Cube article?

Yes! Monetary compensation for each Tales from the Cube article is $200 USD, not enough to keep the lights on, but it does offer you an avenue to tell your unique engineering story to tens of thousands of engineers globally and engage in some interesting conversations about your engineering remedy. 

How can I submit a Tales from the Cube article?

Feel free to email us at editors@aspencore.com with your questions, thoughts, or a completed article. So, Tell us your Tale!

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