EDN Network
Reference design trio covers EV chargers
Microchip has released three flexible and scalable EV charger reference designs for residential and commercial charging applications. These reference designs include a single-phase AC residential model, a three-phase AC commercial model that uses the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) and a Wi-Fi SoC, and a three-phase AC commercial model with OCPP and a display.
The reference designs offer complete hardware design files and source code with software stacks that are tested and compliant with communication protocols, such as OCPP. OCPP provides a standard protocol for communication between charging stations and central systems, ensuring interoperability across networks and vendors.
Most of the active components for the reference designs, including the MCU, analog front-end, memory, connectivity, and power conversion, are available from Microchip. This streamlines integration and accelerates time to market for new EV charging systems.
The residential reference design is intended for home charging with a single-phase supply. It supports power up to 7.4 kW with an on-board relay and driver. The design also features an energy metering device with automatic calibration and two Bluetooth LE stacks.
The three-phase commercial reference design, aimed at high-end residential and commercial stations, integrates an OCPP 1.6 stack for network communication and a Wi-Fi SoC for remote management. It supports power up to 22 kW.
Catering to commercial and public stations, the three-phase commercial reference design with OCPP and a TFT touch-screen display supports bidirectional charging up to 22 kW.
To learn more about Microchip’s EV charger reference designs, click here.
Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.
The post Reference design trio covers EV chargers appeared first on EDN.
Infineon expands GaN transistor portfolio
Infineon has launched the CoolGaN Drive family, featuring single switches and half-bridges with integrated drivers for compact, efficient designs. The family includes CoolGaN Drive 700-V G5 single switches, which integrate a transistor and gate driver in PQFN 5×6 and PQFN 6×8 packages. It also offers CoolGaN Drive HB 600-V G5 devices, which combine two transistors with high-side and low-side gate drivers in a LGA 6×8 package.
Depending on the product group, CoolGaN Drive components include a bootstrap diode, loss-free current measurement, and adjustable dV/dt. They also provide overcurrent, overtemperature, and short-circuit protection.
These devices support higher switching frequencies, leading to smaller, more efficient systems with reduced BoM, lower weight, and a smaller carbon footprint. The GaN HEMTs are suitable for longer-range e-bikes, portable power tools, and lighter-weight household appliances, such as vacuums, fans, and hairdryers.
Samples of the half-bridge devices are available now. Single-switch samples will be available starting Q4 2024. For more information about Infineon’s GaN HEMT lineup, click here.
Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.
The post Infineon expands GaN transistor portfolio appeared first on EDN.
5G-enabled SBC packs AI accelerator
Tachyon, a Snapdragon-powered single-board computer (SBC) from Particle, boasts 5G connectivity and an NPU for AI/ML workloads. This credit-card-sized board provides the compute power and connectivity of a midrange smartphone in a Raspberry Pi form factor, supported by Particle’s edge-to-cloud IoT infrastructure.
At the heart of Tachyon is the Qualcomm Snapdragon QCM6490 SoC, featuring an octa-core Kryo CPU, Adreno 643 GPU, and an NPU for AI acceleration at a rate of up to 12 TOPS. The chipset also provides upstream Linux support, as well as support for Android 13 and Windows 11. Wireless connectivity includes 5G cellular and Wi-Fi 6E with on-device antennas. Ample storage is provided by 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of flash memory.
Tachyon has two USB-C 3.1 connectors. One of these supports Display Port Alt Mode, which allows the connection of a USB-C capable monitor (up to 4K). Particle also offers a USB-C hub to add USB ports, HDMI, and a gigabit Ethernet port. The computer board includes a Raspberry PI-compatible 40-pin connector and support for cameras, displays, and PCIe peripherals connected via ribbon cables.
Tachyon is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter. Early bird prices start at $149. Shipments are expected to begin in January 2025. To learn more about the Tachyon SBC, click here.
Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.
The post 5G-enabled SBC packs AI accelerator appeared first on EDN.
AI tweaks presence sensor accuracy
Joining Aqara’s smart home sensor lineup is the FP1E, which combines mmWave technology and AI algorithms to enable precise human sensing. The FP1E, which supports Zigbee and Matter, detects human presence, even when the person is sitting or lying still.
Useful for various home automation scenarios, the FP1E detects presence up to 6 meters away and monitors rooms up to 50 square meters when ceiling-mounted. It can detect when someone leaves a room within seconds, automatically triggering actions such as turning off the lights or air conditioner.
The FP1E sensor uses AI algorithms to distinguish between relevant movements and false triggers, eliminating interference from small pets, reflections, and electronics to reduce unnecessary alerts. AI learning capabilities enhance detection accuracy through continuous learning, adapting to the user’s home environment over time.
The FP1E presence sensor is now available from Aqara’s Amazon brand stores for $50, as well as from select Aqara retailers worldwide. An Aqara hub, sold separately, is required for operation.
Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.
The post AI tweaks presence sensor accuracy appeared first on EDN.
Keep Dpot pseudologarithmic gain control on a leash
A Microchip Inc datasheet covering the MCP4xxx family of digital potentiometers (Dpot) includes an interesting application circuit on datasheet page 15. See Figure 1 for a (somewhat edited) version of their Figure 4-5.
Figure 1 Amplifier with Dpot pseudologarithmic gain control that runs away at zero and 28. Source: Microchip
Wow the engineering world with your unique design: Design Ideas Submission Guide
As explained in the Microchip accompanying text, the gain range implemented by this circuit begins to change radically when the control setting of the pot approaches 0 or 256. See Figure 2.
Figure 2 Pseudologarithmic gain goes off the chart for codes below 24 and above 232.
As the datasheet puts it: As the wiper approaches either terminal, the step size in the gain calculation increases dramatically. This circuit is recommended for gains between 0.1 and 10 V/V.
This is a sound recommendation. Unfortunately, it involves effectively throwing away some 48 of the 256 8-bit pot settings, amounting to nearly 20% of available resolution. Figure 3 suggests another solution.
Figure 3 Add two fixed resistors to bound the gain range to the recommended limits while keeping full 8-bit resolution.
If we add two fixed resistors, each equal to 1/9th of the pot’s resistance, gain will be limited to the recommended two decades without throwing away any codes or resolution to do so.
The red curve in Figure 4 shows the result.
Figure 4 Two added resistors limits gain to recommended 0.1 to 10 range without sacrificing resolution. The red curve shows the result.
Note that none of this has to do with wiper resistance.
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
- Synthesize precision Dpot resistances that aren’t in the catalog
- Reducing error of digital potentiometers
- Adjust op-amp gain from -30 dB to +60 dB with one linear pot
- Op-amp wipes out DPOT wiper resistance
The post Keep Dpot pseudologarithmic gain control on a leash appeared first on EDN.
Pages
