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Моделюють ризики, вивчають наслідки, прогнозують майбутнє Інформація КП чт, 12/05/2024 - 13:11

NeoCortec extended its exhibition outside of its Embedded World booth by installing wireless mesh network nodes across two halls.

For your next chip design, should you select a design-services provider with the ability to create custom fundamental IP blocks, including standard cells and libraries? This article will help you answer this question.

The challenge of improving analog/digital accuracy by preventing amplifier saturation in systems supplied with only a single logic-level power rail has been receiving a lot of activity and design creativity recently. Voltage inverters generating negative rails for keeping RRIO amplifier output circuitry “live” at zero have received most of the attention. But frequent and ingenious contributor Christopher Paul points out that precision rail-to-rail analog signals need similar extension of the positive side for exactly the same reason. He presents several interesting and innovative circuits to achieve this in his design idea “Parsing PWM (DAC) performance: Part 2—Rail-to-rail outputs”.

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

The design idea presented here addresses the same topic but offers a variation on the theme. It regulates inverter output through momentary (on the order of tens of microseconds) digital shutdown of the capacitive current pumps instead of post-pump linear regulation of pump output. This yields a very low quiescent, no-load current draw (<50 µA) and achieves good current efficiency  (~95% at 1 mA load current, 99% at 5 mA)

Figure 1 shows how it works.

Figure 1 Direct charge pump control yields efficient generation and regulation of bipolar beyond-the-rails voltages.

Schmidt trigger oscillator U1a provides a continuous ~100 kHz clock signal to charge pump drivers U1b (positive rail pump) and U1c (negative rail). When enabled, these drivers can supply up to 24 mA of output current via the corresponding capacitor-diode charge pumps and associated filters: C4 + C5 for the positive rail, C7 + C8 for the negative. Peak-to-peak output ripple is ~10 mV.

Output regulation is provided by the charge pump control from the temperature compensated discrete transistor comparator Q1:Q2 for U1c on the negative rail and Q3:Q4 for U1b on the positive. Average current draw of each comparator is ~4 µA, which helps achieve those low power consumption figures mentioned earlier. Comparator voltage gain is ~40 dB = 100:1.

The comparators set beyond-the-rails voltage setpoint ∆s in ratio to +5 V of:

–∆ = -5 V*R4/R5 for the negative rail = -250 mV for values shown
+∆ = 5 V*R2/R5 for the positive = +250 mV for values shown

Note that the output of the Q1:Q2 comparator is opposite to the logic polarity required for correct U1c control. Said problem being fixed by handy inverter U1d.

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

• Parsing PWM (DAC) performance: Part 2—Rail-to-rail outputs
• Turn negative regulator “upside-down” to create bipolar supply from single source
• Parsing PWM (DAC) performance: Part 1—Mitigating errors
• Parsing PWM (DAC) performance: Part 3—PWM Analog Filters
• Parsing PWM (DAC) performance: Part 4 – Groups of inhomogeneous duty cycles
• Dual RRIO op amp makes buffered and adjustable triangles and square waves

The post Efficient digitally regulated bipolar voltage rail booster appeared first on EDN.

Загинув випускник КПІ Богдан Красіцький medialab чт, 04/18/2024 - 16:27

Infineon designed its newest MCU family to build developers' trust in AI models.

The demand for more efficient power semiconductors is on the rise as businesses adapt to a low-carbon future. Minimizing the overall cost and footprint of the system while enhancing efficiency is a crucial objective that needs to be considered while developing power semiconductor solutions. Intelligent power modules (IPMs) are one such solution that has gained significant attention in the heat pump market. These compact and highly integrated modules provide high power density and advanced control and monitoring capabilities, making them an ideal choice for heat pumps.

The Importance of Heat Pumps

According to Eurostat data, about 50% of all energy consumed in the European Union (EU) is used for heating and cooling, and more than 70% still comes from fossil fuels (mostly natural gas). In the residential sector, around 80% of the final energy consumption is used for space and water heating.

Heat pumps (Figure 1) can deliver heating, cooling, and dehumidification needs and are a proven and sustainable solution for heating powered by electricity. They are an environmentally friendly option for your home and office, helping us move away from fossil fuels to more renewable energy technologies. With global concerns about energy security and climate commitments, heat pumps are emerging as the primary tool for decarbonization in space and water heating systems.

The number of heat pumps installations globally will rise from 180 million in 2020 to around 600 million in 2030, according to the International Energy Association (IEA). At least three times more efficient than traditional fossil fuel boilers, heat pumps are preferred and its installation in individual buildings is forecasted to rise from 1.5 million per month currently to around 5 million by 2030 (Source: IEA). In the U.S., the Inflation Reduction Act includes tax credits and rebates that can cover up to 100% of the costs, depending on household eligibility.

Figure 1: How Heat Pumps Work The Role of IPMs in Heat Pump Efficiency

Intelligent power modules (IPMs) are crucial in controlling the power flow to inverter compressors and fans in heat pump systems. (Figure 2) These modules adjust the frequency and voltage of power supplied to three-phase motors and contribute to achieving higher energy efficiency standards for compressors and pumps. For example, coolers using IPMs for their inverter systems reduce power by 30% compared to non-inverter systems.

IPMs are prevalent in various applications and systems. Owing to their high level of integration, whether in the power stage, drivers, or protections, IPMs allow for shorter development phases.

Figure 2: Three Phase Heat Pump Block Diagram

onsemi has recently unveiled a new family of 1200 V SPM31 IPMs, setting a new standard for three-phase inverter applications. This groundbreaking technology not only addresses the growing need for energy efficiency but also focuses on reducing system costs and improving overall performance. With new and improved features, the SPM31 IPMs are a game-changer in the heat pump market.

Figure 3: 1200 V SPM 31 IPMs Enhanced Efficiency and Power Density

The SPM31 IPMs incorporate the latest 7th generation of IGBT Field Stop (FS7) technology, making them highly efficient and robust. The well-optimized active cell design and buffer profile, coupled with narrow electrical parameter distribution, eliminates short circuit oscillation in both single and parallel device operations. This technology uses a submicron trench gate cell pitch that increases channel density to reduce the conduction losses. The gate capacitance is optimized for smooth switching waveforms and low switching losses. On the emitter side, multiple FS layers enhance blocking capability and reduce drift layer thickness, resulting in lower conduction and switching energy losses. The FS7 IGBT development focuses on optimizing both Vcesat and Eoff to achieve state-of-the-art device performance.

This technology results in minimized EMI, up to 10% a remarkable reduction in power losses, up to 9% increase in power density, and a 20% size reduction in IGBT chip die size compared to previous generation products. As a result of the improved power density, designers can use a simplified layout to free up valuable space in the heat pump system while improving efficiency. The SPM31 IPMs are available in multiple current rating line-ups ranging from 15 to 35 Amps (A).

Figure 4: SPM 31 IPMs Size Advanced Features for Reliable Operation

onsemi’s SPM31 IPMs come equipped with an array of advanced features to ensure reliable operation. The modules include gate driver ICs and various on-module protection features, such as:

• Under-Voltage Lockouts: The SPM31 IPMs protect against low voltage conditions that can cause unpredictable operation or even damage to the system.
• Over-Current Shutdown: This feature provides protection against excessive current flow, which can cause permanent damage to the system.
• Thermal Monitoring: The SPM31 IPMs can accurately sense temperature, allowing for proper thermal management and preventing overheating.
• Fault Reporting: The modules can detect and report various faults to the system, providing early warning signs for potential issues.

Additionally, the SPM31 IPMs use a direct bond copper substrate (Figure 5), providing superior thermal performance. These features enhance the robustness of the modules and contribute to their suitability for a wide range of applications. The versatility of the SPM31 IPMs makes them an ideal choice for various inverter drive applications including HVAC, heat pumps, variable frequency drives (VFD), industrial pumps and fans, and servo motors.

Figure 5: SPM 31 IPM Cross Section

Alongside the SPM31, onsemi has a versatile IPM product portfolio. (Figure 6)

Figure 6: IPM Applications

The adaptability of these modules showcases their potential to revolutionize multiple industries by providing efficient and compact solutions.

A Leap Forward for Heat Pump Applications

The SPM31 IPMs are a significant advancement for heat pumps. The IPMs provide a compact, high-performance solution that helps engineers design more efficient, reliable, and cost-efficient systems for industrial applications.

The post How Intelligent Power Modules Are Making Heat Pumps Smarter appeared first on ELE Times.

Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) has announced the successful evaluation of the submitted semiconductor pilot line proposals and has started negotiations with four consortia, targeting the signing of corresponding agreements later this year. The step aims to catalyse innovation in the region and reinforce Europe’s technological leadership on the global stage...

Vishay Intertechnology Inc of Malvern, PA, USA has introduced new blue and true green surface-mount LEDs in the ultra-compact MiniLED package. Measuring 2.2mm x 1.3mm x 1.4mm, the Vishay Semiconductors VLMB2332T1U2-08 blue and VLMTG2332ABCA-08 true green LEDs utilize the latest ultra-bright indium gallium nitride (InGaN)-on-sapphire chip technology to achieve typical luminous intensities at 20mA of 440mcd and 2300mcd, respectively, which is up to four times higher than previous-generation solutions in PLCC-2 packages...

Singulus Technologies AG of Kahl am Main, Germany (which makes production equipment for the optical disc and solar sectors) has introduced the TIMARIS STM modular high-vacuum sputtering system, which is said to offer significant progress in micro-LED manufacturing. The first TIMARIS STM system has already been sold and delivered...

A new electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer aims to open the technology to a larger pool of scientists by making it cheaper, lighter, and easier to use without needing an experienced operator. Its control software—designed to be intuitive with several automated features—makes the set-up straightforward and doesn’t require an expert in EPR spectroscopy to obtain results.

EPR or electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, while quite similar to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, examines the nature of unpaired electrons instead of nuclei such as protons. It’s commonly used in chemistry, biology, material science, and physics to study the electronic structure of metal complexes or organic radicals.

Figure 1 The new EPR spectrometer is modular in design and is smaller, lighter, and cheaper than traditional solutions. Source: Spectrum Instrumentation

However, EPR spectrometers are commonly built around massive electromagnets, so they can weigh over a ton and are usually placed in basements. Bridge12, a startup located near Boston, Massachusetts, claims to have produced an EPR spectrometer that is about half the cost of current instruments and a tenth of the size and weight so that it can be placed on any floor of a building (Figure 1).

The new EPR spectrometer is built around two basic building blocks: an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) to generate the pulses and a digitizer to capture the returning signal. These building blocks are implemented as cards supplied by German firm Spectrum Instrumentation, making the design modular and flexible for end users.

First, an AWG generates 10 to 100-ns long pulses in the 200 to 500 MHz range as required by the experiment, which are then first up-converted to 10-GHz X band range using an RF I/Q mixer and then up-converted to the Q band range. The microwave pulses are then fed into a 100-W solid-state amplifier before being sent to the EPR resonator.

Next, the reflected signal is down-converted to an IF frequency in the 200 to 500 MHz range and sent to the digitizer. Unlike the traditional EPR spectroscopy, where the signal is down-converted to DC, this new approach drastically reduces noise and artifacts.

Figure 2 shows an example of AWG-generated pulses used in an EPR experiment. See WURST (Wideband, Uniform Rate, Smooth Truncation) pulses, which are broadband microwave pulses with an excitation bandwidth and profile that exceeds that of a simple rectangular pulse by far. These pulses facilitate broadband excitation in EPR spectroscopy while heavily relying on the performance of the AWG.

Figure 2 The AWG-generated WURST pulses are displayed in an EPR spectroscopy experiment. Source: Spectrum Instrumentation

The modular design of this EPR spectrometer built around AWG and digitizer cards is integrated into Netboxes, which can be connected to a PC through Ethernet. So, a compact PC can replace a system that is big enough to insert cards, which inevitably leads to a bulky rack solution. As a result, it’s much easier to service EPR spectrometer and replace components in the field.

Another noteworthy design feature of this new EPR spectrometer relates to the much smaller, super-conducting magnet to produce the required magnetic field strength. EPR spectrometers usually use huge, heavy electromagnets to generate intense magnetic fields in the order of 1 to 1.5 Tesla.

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The post EPR spectrometer and its AWG and digitizer building blocks appeared first on EDN.

At Embedded World 2024, STMicroelectronics showed off a 4 mm x 4 mm NFC reader that balances performance, cost, and power consumption.

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Bench submitted by /u/Part_salvager616 [link] [comments]

We analyze a Ruthroff 1:4 transformer's performance at high frequencies, then learn how to improve its bandwidth using equal-delay networks and how to redesign the circuit for higher impedance transformation ratios.

A collaboration between TriEye Ltd of Tel Aviv, Israel and Vertilas GmbH of Garching bei München, Germany has led to the development of a joint technology demonstrator that integrates TriEye’s Raven short-wave infrared (SWIR) image sensor with Vertilas’ indium phosphide (InP) vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology. Adopting high-volume, scalable manufacturing strategies, the technologies are said to provide cost-effective solutions for both consumer and industrial markets...

Automotive ethernet is increasingly utilized for in-vehicle electronics to transmit high speed serial data between interconnected devices and components. Due to the relatively fast data rates, and the complexity and variation of the networked devices, signal integrity issues can often arise. This article outlines several real-world challenges and provides insight into how to identify and debug automotive ethernet physical layer signal integrity problems using an oscilloscope. The following is a case study of automotive ethernet debugging performed at Inspectron, a company that designs and manufactures borescopes, embedded Linux systems, and camera inspection tools.

Automotive ethernet hardware debug configuration

The automotive ethernet signal path is bi-directional (full duplex on a single twisted pair), so hardware transceivers must be able to discern incoming data by subtracting their own outbound data contributions from the composite signal. If one were to directly probe an automotive ethernet data line, a jumbled superposition resembling a bus collision would be acquired. To make sense of the individual signals being sent, bi-directional couplers can be used.

Figure 1 shows the hardware configuration used to debug an automotive ethernet setup. The two automotive ethernet devices under test (DUTs) are a ROCAM mini-HD display and a Raspberry Pi (with a 100Base-TX to 100Base-T1 bridge). The Raspberry Pi is used to simulate an ethernet camera. The twisted pairs from the DUTs are attached to adapter boards which break out the single 100 Ω differential pair into two 50 Ω single-ended SMA connectors. Each DUT has its pair of SMA cables connected to a calibrated active breakout fixture (Teledyne LeCroy TF-AUTO-ENET). The breakout fixture maintains an uninterrupted communication link, while two calibrated and software-enhanced hardware directional couplers tap off the traffic from each direction into separate streams which isolate the automotive ethernet traffic from each direction for analysis on the oscilloscope.

Figure 1 (a) The hardware configuration used to debug an automotive ethernet setup involves two DUTs, passive fixtures to adapt from automotive ethernet to SMA, and a calibrated active breakout fixture with bi-directional couplers to isolate traffic from each direction. The oscilloscope will analyze both upstream and downstream traffic. (b) The block diagram of the test setup. Source: Teledyne LeCroy

Identifying where signal loss occurs

Intermittent signal loss occurred between the ROCAM mini-HD display and the Raspberry Pi. One method to capture an intermittent loss of data transmission is a hardware Dropout trigger. In Figure 2, a Dropout trigger is armed to trigger the oscilloscope if no signal edge crosses the threshold voltage within 200 nanoseconds (ns). The two Zoom traces scaled at 200 ns/div show the trigger point one division to the right of the previous automotive ethernet edge. A loss of signal occurred for approximately 800 ns before data transmission recommenced. Note that since automotive ethernet 100Base-T1 is a three-intensity level (+1, 0, -1) PAM3 signal, the eye pattern with over 192,000 bits in the eye still shows good signal integrity (data dropout blends in with “0” symbols), but the Zoom traces at the Dropout trigger location reveal the location of signal loss.

Figure 2 The eye pattern shows a clean automotive ethernet 100Base-T1 signal, while the Dropout trigger identifies and locates a signal loss event. Source: Teledyne LeCroy

Amplitude modulation of serial data

Anomalous amplitude modulation or baseline wander issues can often be caught by triggering at a high threshold, slightly above the logic +1 voltage level (for the non-inverting input from the split differential signal). Intermittent anomalous amplitude modulation occurred on the automotive ethernet signal, and an instance was captured with the edge trigger set slightly above the highest expected voltage level, shown in Figure 3. The red histogram with three peaks, taken from a vertical slice through the eye diagram in the center of the symbol slot, show an asymmetry in the statistical distribution of the lowest and highest of the three voltage levels; this is due to the intermittent anomalous amplitude modulation of the signal. There is also an asymmetry of the eye width between the upper and lower eyes, identified in the eye measurement parameter table below the waveforms.

Figure 3 The three red histograms in the lower right grid show an asymmetry in the eye pattern due to intermittent anomalous amplitude modulation. The edge trigger raised to a high voltage threshold, catches an instance of the anomalous amplitude modulation. Source: Teledyne LeCroy

Intermittent amplitude reduction of signal

During the debug process, a malfunction was detected in which the amplitude of the signal would drop to 50% of the expected level. This problem was initially detected with the eye pattern, in which there was a collapse of the eye. In order to detect the location in time where the problem occurred, a dropout trigger was set with a threshold level at approximately 80% of the amplitude of the automotive ethernet signal. When the signal dropped to half amplitude, the Dropout trigger caught the event, showing the amplitude reduction at the point of occurrence. Zoom traces superimposed over the original waveform captures shows poor signal integrity in the time domain traces, which is also indicated in the collapsed eye.

Figure 4 The location of occurrence of the automotive ethernet amplitude reduction is caught using the Dropout trigger with a threshold set to approximately 80% of the waveform amplitude. The poor signal integrity of the reduced amplitude signal is shown in both the eye pattern and in the time synchronized Zoom traces. Source: Teledyne LeCroy

Addressing real-world automotive ethernet scenarios

Physical layer problems in automotive ethernet designs can be elusive and difficult to detect. This article outlined several real-world scenarios which occurred during the implementation of an automotive ethernet network with specific techniques used to identify each type of problem and where in time it occurred. This was accomplished using a combination of triggering, Zooms, eye patterns, statistical distributions, and measurement parameters.

Dave Van Kainen is a Founding Partner of Superior Measurement Solutions and holds a BSEE from Lawrence Tech.

Mike Hertz is a Field Applications Engineer at Teledyne LeCroy and holds a BSEE from Iowa State and an MSEE from Univ. Arizona.

Patrick Caputo is Chief Product Architect at Inspectron, Inc., and holds dual BSs in EE and Physics and an MS in ECE from Georgia Tech.

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• Calibrate voltage drops and interrupts before testing
• Proper oscilloscope setup yields correct ESD measurements
• Oscilloscopes detect ECU disturbances from EMI

The post Practical tips for automotive ethernet physical layer debug appeared first on EDN.

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany is supplying its power semiconductor devices to inverter and energy storage system maker FOXESS of Shanghai, China (founded in 2019). Specifically, Infineon will provide CoolSiC MOSFETs 1200V, which will be used with EiceDRIVER gate drivers for industrial energy storage applications. At the same time, FOXESS’ string photovoltaic (PV) inverters will use Infineon’s IGBT7 H7 1200V power semiconductor devices...

Засідання організаційного комітету з проведення виборів ректора [16.04.2024] kpi ср, 04/17/2024 - 16:35