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Market research firm TrendForce reports that global smartphone production grew 9.2% quarter-to-quarter to 334.5 million units in fourth-quarter 2024, driven by Apple’s peak production season and consumer subsidies from local Chinese governments. While Apple expanded production with the launch of new models, Samsung faced production declines due to intensified competition in emerging markets...

Gallium nitride (GaN) power IC and silicon carbide (SiC) technology firm Navitas Semiconductor Corp of Torrance, CA, USA has announced the first production-released 650V bi-directional GaNFast ICs and high-speed isolated gate-drivers, creating a paradigm shift in power with single-stage BDS converters, which enables the transition from two-stage to single-stage topologies. Targeted applications range widely and opens up multi-billion dollar market opportunities across electric vehicle (EV) charging (on-board chargers (OBC) and roadside), solar inverters, energy storage and motor drives...

Many industrial applications are transitioning to higher power levels with minimized power losses, which can be achieved by increasing the DC link voltage. Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany is hence addressing this market trend with the CoolSiC Schottky diode 2000V G5 product family, which are claimed to be the first discrete silicon carbide diodes with a breakdown voltage of 2000V, introduced in September 2024...

As network demands grow more complex, Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) is to showcase interoperability breakthroughs with live demonstrations and expert discussions at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference & Exposition (OFC 2025) in San Francisco, CA, USA (1–3 April)...

Зустріч представників КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського з Нобелевськими лауреатами kpi пт, 03/14/2025 - 11:07

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Printed circuit boards (PCBs) have come a long way over the years. Electronics design engineers must stay aware of the latest developments to understand how they might soon incorporate them into their work.

For instance, as more products require PCBs and the demand continues rising, so have concerns about reducing e-waste. Fortunately, promising ideas have recently emerged, showing the exciting possibilities.

Biodegradable substrates

Some people take inspiration from nature when figuring out how to reduce waste. That was the case for a university team that uses leaves’ natural structure to create biodegradable substrates that could change PCB designs.

Conventional PCB substrates contain glass fiber-reinforced epoxy resin. They are typically not recyclable, making people eager to find a more sustainable solution. These researchers discovered it through quasi-fractal lignocellulose structures, which act as scaffolds for leaves’ living cells. The group realized they could also bind solution-processable polymers. Tests showed this alternative can tolerate soldered circuitry manufacturing and supports innovative thin-film devices.

Additionally, once the PCB substrate is no longer usable, users can sustainably dispose it by allowing it to break down in soil or processing the component in biogas plants to recover some of its precious metals for reuse.

In another effort to tackle e-waste, researchers developed a PCB that people can recycle several times with virtually no material loss. Their experiment showed it performed as well as those made from traditional materials.

The group developed a solvent that turns a class of sustainable polymers into a jelly-like substance without harming the solid components left behind. Users can then pick them out for recycling. This approach allows them to recover 98% of the polymers, 91% of the recycling solvent, and all the glass fiber.

Moving ahead with flexible PCBs

Electronics designers and others are also interested in moving away from rigid PCBs and prioritizing flexible ones when possible. This improvement enables better application versatility and helps users produce smaller, more complex devices.

Next, mechanical engineers have developed a pioneering way to create the circuits necessary for electronic connections inside devices from wearable health trackers to robots. Those working on this project believe progress with soft circuits could revolutionize how engineers use and create electronic devices. Additionally, currently available flexible PCBs require few or no wires, reducing connection failures.

This team created a production process that uses liquid-metal microdroplets to make a stair-like structure when adding vias and planar interconnects. The method allows them to enable electrical connections across layers without physically drilling into the material, as previous options required.

Experiments suggested engineers could use the microdroplet application technique on several materials or build multiple layers to suit individual device specifications. This method is also efficient; researchers were able to make several vias in less than a minute. In one case, they made a dual-layer soft circuit with nine LEDs on the top and nine connected sensors on the bottom. This component had 21 liquid-metal connectors and was only as thick as a sheet of paper.

PCBs will continue evolving

These are some of the many examples of engineers’ ongoing efforts to make PCBs more aligned with today’s devices and the industry’s priorities. Electronics design engineers should remain aware of these innovations and continually explore how they might implement these possibilities into future projects.

Ellie Gabel is a freelance writer as well as an associate editor at Revolutionized.

 

 

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• PCB design basics
• PCB Design Considerations and Tools
• Tool makes high-end PCB design affordable
• Trends and Challenges in PCB Manufacturing
• The history and evolution of printed circuit board (PCB) designs

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The Renesas RZ/V2N quad-core MPU integrates an AI accelerator, achieving up to 15 TOPS of AI inference using pruning technology. Pruning reduces memory usage and increases computing efficiency by removing parts of the AI inference process. The MPU also includes an image signal processor and two MIPI CSI-2 camera interfaces for enabling endpoint vision AI.

With the RZ/V2N, the RZ/V series expands to cover markets from the low-end RZ/V2L (0.5 TOPS) to the high-end RZ/V2H (up to 80 TOPS). At just 15 mm², the RZ/V2N is significantly smaller than the high-end RZ/V2H, reducing the mounting area by 38%. It also delivers a power efficiency of 10 TOPS/W.

Along with the DRP-AI3 accelerator, the RZ/V2N features four Arm Cortex-A55 cores, a Cortex-M33 core, and an Arm Mali-C55 image signal processor (ISP). Its dual MIPI CSI-2 interfaces support two cameras, enabling double-angle image capture for improved spatial recognition, precise human motion analysis, and fall detection. A dual-camera setup can also capture images from different locations, allowing a single chip to count cars in a parking lot and recognize license plates.

The RZ/V2N microprocessor will be available from Renesas and its authorized distributors starting March 19, 2025.

RZ/V2N product page

Renesas Electronics 

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An indirect time-of-flight sensor, the AF0130 from onsemi offers long-distance measurements and 3D imaging of fast-moving objects. It features a depth processing ASIC beneath its pixel area, which rapidly calculates depth, confidence, and intensity maps from laser modulated exposures.

The AF0130, part of the Hyperlux ID sensor family, combines global shutter and iToF technology for precise, high-speed depth sensing. It measures phase shifts in reflected VCSEL light, capturing four light phases in one exposure for enhanced accuracy. A global shutter reduces ambient IR noise, while onboard depth processing and memory enable real-time results without external memory or a high-performance processor.

onsemi states that the AF0130 enables depth sensing up to 30 meters—four times the range of standard iToF sensors. The 1.2-Mpixel CMOS sensor features 3.5-µm BSI pixels in a 1/3.2-in. optical format. A variant, the AF0131, delivers the same performance but excludes on-chip depth processing for manufacturers preferring off-chip depth calculation.

Availability for the AF0130 and AF0131 sensors was not provided at the time of this announcement.

AF013X product page

onsemi

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Kinetic’s KTB4800 2.4-MHz, 3-A buck regulator delivers fast transient response with precise switching frequency. Its OptiComp adaptive on-time PWM control scheme maintains a nearly constant switching frequency despite input and output voltage variations.

Compared to typical current-mode PWM schemes, OptiComp enables quick response to line and load transients while ensuring excellent stability and wide bandwidth. This reduces output voltage droop and overshoot for dynamic loads, even with minimal output capacitance.

The KTB4800 buck regulator supports a range of applications, including CPU and GPU cores, DSPs, DDR memory, I/O power, and sensor/analog supplies. Its output voltage is I²C-programmable from 0.6 V to 3.345 V. The regulator features soft-start and dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) with multiple programmable ramp rates, along with selectable forced-PWM and auto-skip modes for light-load efficiency.

The KTB8400 OptiComp switching regulator is available now for order from Mouser Electronics and other distributors.

KTB8400 product page

Kinetic Technologies

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Housed in a small SO8L package, Toshiba’s TLP5814H gate driver photocoupler provides an active Miller clamp for driving SiC MOSFETs. Its built-in clamp circuit directs Miller current from the gate to ground, preventing short circuits without requiring a negative voltage. This enhances system safety while reducing external circuitry for a more compact design.

The TLP5814H delivers a peak output current of +6.8 A/-4.8 A, with the Miller clamp providing a typical channel resistance of 0.69 Ω and a peak sinking current of +6.8 A. Its -40°C to +125°C operating range is achieved by enhancing the infrared LED’s optical output and optimizing the photodetector design for better optical coupling efficiency. This makes the device well-suited for industrial equipment with strict thermal requirements, such as PV inverters and uninterruptible power supplies.

Key specifications for the TLP5814H include:

The TLP5814H’s compact 5.85×10×2.1-mm package enhances layout flexibility while providing an 8.0-mm creepage distance for high-insulation applications.

Toshiba has begun volume shipments.

TLP5814H product page

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage

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Microchip’s PIC32A 32-bit MCUs feature an FPU coprocessor that performs both 32-bit and 64-bit operations for math-intensive tasks. Operating at 200 MHz, they also integrate high-speed analog peripherals to minimize external component requirements.

Two 12-bit ADCs, with conversion rates up to 40 Msamples/s, are complemented by three 5-ns analog comparators and 12-bit pulse density modulation DACs. The MCUs also include three rail-to-rail 100-MHz op amps with a slew rate of 100 V/µs. These features enable cost-effective edge sensing and control, making the PIC32A series well-suited for automotive, industrial, consumer, AI/ML, and medical applications.

To ensure safe software execution in embedded control systems, the PIC32A MCUs offer a range of hardware safety and security features. These include ECC on flash and RAM, Memory Built-In Self-Test (MBIST), I/O integrity monitors, fail-safe clock monitor, immutable secure boot, and flash access control.

Prices for the PIC32A microcontrollers start at less than $1 each in volume quantities.

PIC32A product page

Microchip Technology

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In booth 2039 at the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference & Exposition (APEC 2025) in the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA, USA (16–20 March), fabless firm Cambridge GaN Devices Ltd (CGD) — which was spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016 to design, develop and commercialize power transistors and ICs that use GaN-on-silicon substrates — is demonstrating that its ICeGaN gallium nitride ICs can now satisfy a broad range of applications with higher power requirements, such as servers, data centers, inverters, industrial power supplies and, very soon, automotive electric vehicles (EVs) to over 100kW...