electronics in motion and conversion february 2011 · zkz 64717 02-11 issn: 1863-5598 electronics...

ZKZ 64717

02-11ISSN: 1863-5598

Electronics in Motion and Conversion February 2011

GvA Leistungselektronik GmbH | Boehringer Straße 10 - 12 | D-68307 Mannheim

Phone +49 (0) 621/7 89 92-0 | www.gva-leistungselektronik.de | [email protected]

SECURINGYOUR PROJECTSWelcome to the House of Competence.GvA is your expert in individual problem solutions for all sectors of power electronics – state of the art know how and profound experience as an engineering service provider, manufacturer and distributor.

Consulting – Design & Development – Production – Distribution

www.bodospower.com February 2011

Viewpoint

It´s Show Time! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

Blue Product of the Month

Precision Sensor Measurements in Automotive and Industrial Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Green Product of the Month

Industry’s First Commercial Silicon Carbide Power MOSFET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17

Product of the Month

Configurable Sensor AFE Products Simplify Design, Speed Time-to-Market . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Guest Editorial

With Power Comes Great Responsibility

By Oleg Khaykin President and Chief Executive Officer, International Rectifier . . . . . . . . . . 20

Market

Electronics Industry Digest

By Aubrey Dunford, Europartners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Market

Darnell's Report

By Linnea Brush, Senior Analyst, Darnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25

Cover Story

Scalable Solutions for Cost and Energy-Efficient Drives

By Dr. Stephan Zizala, Senior Director, Microcontrollers, Infineon Technologies AG . . . . 26-29

Capacitors

Reliability of Electrolytic Capacitors

By Dr. Arne Albertsen, Jinghai Europe GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-33

Communication Power

The Growth of Interconnection Power Budgets

By Richard F. Zarr, Technologist at National Semiconductor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35

Motion Control

Well-Rounded Drives & Motion Platform

By Andres Kammermann, Sales Director, Kontron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-38

Power Modules

Genesis – Let there be Chips!

By Klaus Schlund, Director Technical Marketing EBV Elektronik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-42

Protection

Circuit Protection Solutions Address Emerging Market Trends

By Faraz Hasan, Business Development Manager, Tyco Electronics Circuit Protection . 44-47

New Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48-56

2 Bodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.com

TThhee GGaalllleerryy

Low-Power technology is vital for the performance and operatingtime of grid-independent devices. But this is only one side of the coin. The other is the integration of a sustainable energy supply.The new Sharp Memory LCD in connection with a polycrystalline solar panel is the ideal combination for achieving maximum gridindependence with minimum energy consumption. Memory LCDs are available in sizes from 1.35 to 6.02 inches (3.4 to 15.3 cm). These reflective displays need only 1% of the energy requirements of conventional transmissive TFT-LCDs. The durable polycrystal-

line solar panels with thicknesses of only 0.8 mm excel with amaximum output rating of up to 300 mW at 5 V of current, provi-ding an efficiency of 12.8 percent! This “green” dream team is suitable for mobile applications, e.g. e-books, cell phones, mediaplayers, remote controls and sensor measuring units.

Our team would be pleased to advise you and keep youposted as to product size and design innovations.E-mail: [email protected]; Phone: +49 (0)180 507 35 07

The Dream Team of Low-Power Technology

Low-power technology meets photovoltaics

Visit us from 1-3 March in Hall 12, Booth 12-366 at our partner Arrow Electronics

Bodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.com

After the show is before the show and inno-

vation spawns from continual progress.

The Embedded World in Nuremberg will

showcase increasing attention to power and

energy management in all aspects of

embedded computer design. The APEC in

Fort Worth, in March, is the leading power

electronics event in the US and will be fol-

lowed shortly thereafter by the PCIM in

Nuremberg. In between, New Energy in

Husum, Germany, is devoted exclusively to

renewable energy. It is a busy time and we’ll

all be on our toes as important milestones in

semiconductor evolution are announced.

Silicon Carbide is maturing. Cree has

announced the availability of 1,200 Volt, 33

Amp, SiC MOSFETs. Parts for sampling are

already available. These N-channel

enhancement-mode devices will allow

designers to follow traditional MOSFET and

IGBT designs.

My thoughts go back to the 80’s, to Frank

Wheatley and to implementing the IGBT

(first called the COMFET by RCA) into

designs in place of silicon MOSFETs. The

reduction of losses in motion applications

was significant. The drives industry quickly

replaced MOSFETs with IGBTs in line volt-

age applications. Now, in 2011, the SiC

MOSFET with its “new” semiconductor mate-

rial has a similar capability to outperform

established silicon switches.

As with the IGBT milestone in the 80’s, SiC

MOSFETS now represent a new milestone.

Cree’s John Palmour assures me that devel-

opment has progressed to the point of sam-

ple availability and that a full product range

will be introduced shortly.

It is to be expected that the industry will put

SiC devices into line voltage applications

including variable-speed electric motor

drives, solar inverters and other applications

that benefit from incremental efficiency

improvement. The new landscape for semi-

conductor materials will likely be GaN for

lower voltages, as we saw at the Electroni-

ca, and SiC serving line voltages and higher.

Performance over time will be the deciding

factor, with device costs in relation to overall

system costs becoming secondary. Energy

savings are now so important that design

decisions in the future will be based on cost

calculations for long-term system usage. I

expect a faster transition today than what

was common when I was younger, twenty

years ago, with RCA IGBT devices.

My Green Power Tip for February:

The snow in front of my house is now gone

so no more shoveling, but cleaning up and

trimming trees and bushes is still great exer-

cise, and also saves a trip to the gym. I hope

this winter’s deep snow can be filed away in

the memory department, but then again, it is

still only February in Europe’s high North.

Looking forward to see you in Texas or

Nuremberg

Best Regards

Bodo

It’s Show Time!

V I E W P O I N T

4

A MediaKatzbek 17a

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Fax: +49 4343 42 17 89

[email protected]

www.bodospower.com

Publishing EditorBodo Arlt, [email protected]

Creative Direction & ProductionRepro Studio Peschke

[email protected]

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liability to any person for any loss or

damage by errors or omissions in the

material contained herein regardless of

whether such errors result from

negligence accident or any other cause

whatsoever.

Events

IPC Quality,

Budapest, Hungary,

February 22nd-24th

www.ipc.org/Budapest-Conference

Embedded World

Nuremberg, Ger.

March 1st-3rd

http://www.embedded-world.eu/

APEC 2011

Ft. Worth, TX, USA

March 6th-10th

http://www.apec-conf.org/

EMC2011,

Stuttgart/Ger.

March.15th–17th

www.mesago.de/de/EMV/home.htm

New Energy

Husum Ger.

March17th-20th

http://www.new-energy.de

SIMPLY SMARTER


N E W S

The 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhi-

bition (26th EU PVSEC) will take place in Hamburg, Germany, at the

CCH Congress Centre and International Fair Hamburg. The Confer-

ence extends over 5 days from 5 - 9 September 2011, the Exhibition

runs over 4 days from 5 - 8 September 2011. This event will consti-

tute the world’s leading science-to-science, business-to-business and

science-to-industry forum for the global PV solar sector.

Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, European Commission, Joint Research Centre

(JRC), is Conference General Chairman of this global PV confer-

ence. The nomination of Dr. Ossenbrink underlines the sustained

commitment of the European Commission to the further development

of PV technologies, its industries and markets in Europe and beyond.

Dr. Ossenbrink will be supported by the Technical Programme Chair-

man Dr. Arnulf Jäger-Waldau, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Euro-

pean Commission, and the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory

Group, Prof. Wim Sinke, ECN - Energy Research Centre of the

Netherlands, Petten, the Netherlands.

Furthermore the International Scientific Committee, made up of more

than 160 senior representatives from the global scientific community

will contribute to set-up the EU PVSEC Conference programme to

the highest scientific standards.

www.photovoltaic-exhibition.com

www.photovoltaic-conference.com

European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference

The Board of Directors has appointed Mr

Eugen Elmiger, 47 years, as the Chief

Executive Officer of maxon motor ag in

Sachseln with effect from January 1,

2011. The Board made this appointment

to ensure that the continuity of the com-

pany's management and long-term devel-

opment would be guaranteed in the best

way possible.

Mr. Elmiger has known the company for

many years, having worked at maxon

since 1991. He was a significant driving

force in the establishment and expansion of the sales network in Asia

at the end of the 1990s. He has been a member of the Executive

Board since 2006 in charge of International Sales & Marketing and

the Speaker of the Board since January 2010. He qualified as an

electrical engineer and studied further at the University of St. Gallen

and Stanford Business School. He has more than 20 years' interna-

tional sales experience.

“He is well regarded within the company and by customers who par-

ticularly appreciate his technical skills as well as his sales and mar-

keting experience” said majority shareholder Dr. Karl-Walter Braun.

www.maxonmotor.com

Chief Executive Officer

SBE Inc. hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the comple-

tion of their new high-volume manufacturing facility. Event speakers

included Governor Jim Douglas, Governor-elect Peter Shumlin, Lt.

Governor Brian Dubie, E.F. Wall President Bob Lord, and Sam

Andersen, the Executive Vice-President of the Central Vermont Eco-

nomic Development Corporation.

“It is an exciting day for SBE and those who helped bring this project

together,” said Ed Sawyer, President and CEO of SBE. “Thanks to

the help we have received from the Federal, State, and local govern-

ment, I am proud to say that Barre is open for business and we are

ready to meet the needs of the electric vehicle market.”

www.sbelectronics.com

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Elster announced the launch of the AS300

residential smart electricity meter for the

European market. This is the latest advance

in Elster's integrated solutions portfolio and

an innovative addition to the company's

global advanced metering infrastructure

(AMI) offerings.

Designed with a modern aesthetic for interior

residential deployments, which are common

across Europe, the AS300 will initially be

marketed to European utilities as they work

to comply with the EU's 2009/28/EC direc-

tive to install Smart Meters in 80 percent of

homes by 2020.

Elster's complete suite of Smart Metering

and Smart Grid solutions, including the

AS300, smart gas and water meters, meter

data management software and in-home dis-

play units, provides flexible and comprehen-

sive solutions for both dual and single fuel

applications.

The AS300 offers a modular design allowing

utilities the flexibility to quickly and easily

exchange communications technologies

throughout the life of the meter to protect

their investment as technology and regulato-

ry requirements evolve.

www.elster.com

Residential Smart Electricity Meter for Smart Grid


N E W S

The second edition of SPS – Industrial

Automation Fair Guangzhou will be held

from 9 – 11 March 2011 at the China Import

and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou,

China. The fair is expected to feature over

350 exhibitors coming from more than 14

countries and regions.

With the support of various industry associa-

tions and experts, a wide range of fringe pro-

grammes will be organised concurrently to

enhance technology and market intelligence

exchange.

The AMA Association for Sensor Technology

from Germany will host a seminar on Euro-

pean Sensor Technology Development,

while Mr. Daniel Jones, a Board Member of

the US based Motion Control Association will

lead a seminar on Motion and Drives Tech-

nology.

www.siaf-china.com

SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou 2011

Rogers signed a definitive agreement to

acquire 100% of the stock of Curamik Elec-

tronics GmbH, a manufacturer of power

electronic substrate products headquartered

in Eschenbach, Germany, for €116 million.

The acquisition will be financed through a

combination of borrowings under existing

bank credit facilities and cash and is expect-

ed to close first week of January 2011.

Curamik, founded in 1983, is the worldwide

leader for development and production of

direct copper bonded (DCB) ceramic sub-

strate products used in the design of intelli-

gent power management devices, such as

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)

modules. These devices enable a wide

range of products including highly efficient

industrial motor drives, wind and solar ener-

gy converters and hybrid electric vehicle

drive systems. Most of Curamik’s products

are manufactured using state-of-the-art auto-

mated processes in its facility located in

Eschenbach, Germany.

Robert C. Daigle, Rogers’ Senior Vice Presi-

dent and Chief Technology Officer comment-

ed; “This is an exciting acquisition for

Rogers. Curamik is a recognized market-

leader in power electronic substrate products

for the sustainable energy market. This

acquisition is a significant complement to our

existing power electronic product portfolio,

which includes our Power Distribution Sys-

tems and Thermal Management Solutions

businesses”.

Rogers' current strategy includes targeting

three key strategic markets to drive its future

success: sustainable energy, the internet,

and mass transit. This acquisition is part of

the Company’s plan to add new growth plat-

forms in these targeted strategic markets as

over 90% of Curamik’s sales serve these

markets with the majority in the high growth

sustainable energy market, primarily in

Europe. Rogers expects to be able to signifi-

cantly increase Curamik’s presence in both

North America and Asia through Rogers’

existing infrastructure.

www.rogerscorp.com

Rogers Announced Agreement to Acquire Curamik

CT-Concept Technologie AG, worldwide mar-

ket leader in IGBT gate drivers, is strength-

ening its local presence in one of the main

growth markets for power electronics. With

effect from January 1st, the CONCEPT office

in Shenzhen will start work to support local

customers with highly qualified technical

support.

“Within the scope of CONCEPT’s growth

strategy, our presence in China is an impor-

tant step toward realising our ambitious

sales targets. It not only does justice to our

most important existing market, but also to

the fact that China continues to record the

fastest growth rates in the power conversion

sector. The Chinese government’s new five

year plan forms a stable framework

for growth in this segment and

encourages us to invest consistently

in China,“ notes CEO Wolfgang

Ademmer.

Winson Wei, 28, has been appointed

by CONCEPT as Managing Director

of its technical office in Shenzhen.

He is completely familiar with the

high-performance electronics scene

in China, and was previously respon-

sible for technical support and train-

ing of the sales team at one of main distribu-

tors of power electronics. His experience

extends across the whole range of power

electronics systems, all the way from micro-

controllers, via IGBT drivers up to IGBT

modules.

“CONCEPT’s products enjoy an excellent

reputation in China. I look forward to consoli-

dating the brand and to building our busi-

ness up further with competent technical

support and best-in-class solutions. Our

main focus will be on the traction, HVDC and

renewable energies markets. By choosing

Shenzhen as a location, we have opted for

one of China’s three industrial nodes. Shen-

zhen is regarded as a boom-town and has

excellent logistical links,“ says Wei.

www.igbt-driver.com

CT-Concept Opens Sales Office in China

Inverters for the Canadian and US markets to be produced locally

KACO new energy, manufacturers of solar inverters worldwide, is

expanding its international activities. The company will soon open two

new plants in the US and Canada to serve the growing North Ameri-

can market. The additional production capacity will help KACO new

energy to significantly boost its share of the North American market.

The blueplanet 02 series of inverters will be manufactured at the new

plant in San Jose, California, starting January 2011. When the new

plant in London, Ontario is finished, KACO new energy will be able to

manufacture its complete product range for the North American mar-

ket locally. The XP series of central inverters will be made in Canada

and the company is well prepared for Canadian government regula-

tions that favour local solar anufacturers.

www.kako-newenergy.de

Two New Plants in North America

Best-in-class power density and reliabilityfor highest performance

Infineon‘s PrimePACK™ high power module family presents a new member with best in class power density. The 1400A/1700V half bridge module offers a specially optimized concept for integration in wind turbine converter and solar applications. The most important benefits are improved thermal properties, low stray inductance and longest lifetime. With the introduction of the PrimePACK™ housing, Infineon established a standard for high power IGBT modules world-wide. Under permanent load in daily demanding use of renewable energy appli-cations in rough environment with high humidity and salt content in the air the PrimePACK™ modules convince with their high reliability and robustness.

Key features:� Highest power density� Low stray inductance� Extended lifetime� Creepage and clearance distances made for 3.3kV modules� Complete portfolio with chopper and half bridge modules� RoHS compliant

[ www.infineon.com/highpower ]

10 Bodo´s Power Systems® January 2011 www.bodospower.comBodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.com

Time: 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm

State-Space Averaging: Past, Present, and Future

Dr. Slobodan Cuk, Founder and Chairman, TESLAcoThe State-Space Averaging Method was introduced 35 years ago and

is now accepted as a standard method for analysis of the present

conventional switching converters. The first part will describe how the

original goal of providing the general method for modeling and analy-

sis of then existing converters was surpassed as the method was

proven to apply even to converter topologies invented later.

This method is now extended to apply equally well to a new class of

switching converter topologies based on novel Hybrid Switching

Method, which results in performance advantages not heretofore

achievable in conventional converters such as Bridgeless AC-DC

conversion with Power Factor Correction and isolation in a single

power processing stage.

Time: 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Intergrid: A Future Electronic Energy Network?

Dr. Dushan Boroyevich, American Electric Power Professor of Electrical Engineering, Virginia TechIn today’s climate of enhanced apprehension about the clash

between energy and environment, it is becoming a conventional wis-

dom to expect that massively increased utilization of electricity in the

energy production, transfer, and consumption will provide the neces-

sary means for a sustainable future. Major energy savings and excit-

ing improvements in quality of life will be enabled simultaneously by

new electronic energy conversion systems in all energy consuming

devices, from pacemakers and home appliances to electric vehicles

and industrial waste processing plants. All alternative, sustainable,

and distributed energy sources, as well as energy storage systems,

will be connected to electric grid through agile and efficient power

electronics converters. The current electric grid will be hugely

expanded and made much “smarter” by equipping it with advanced

information collecting infrastructure.

Time: 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Adoptions

Brian Patterson, General Manager, New Business Development Arm-strong World IndustriesEmerge AllianceThe Nations quest for Net Zero Energy Buildings is likely to change a

great deal about the way we approach designing and constructing

buildings in the future, particularly with respect to a broadened con-

sideration of an increasingly diverse pallet of energy efficient building

solutions and site based power generation and storage. And although

utilities are working hard to “fix” our electrical energy distribution

problems, an effort we call the “Smart Grid”, nobody predicts this will

solve the underlying and growing shortage of “clean” electrical ener-

gy supply.

This presentation explores the application of Hybrid DC Microgrids at

the building and campus level to meet this challenge.

Time: 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

PSMA Power Technology Roadmap 2011 Summary

Aung Tu, Product Line Director, Fairchild SemiconductorEvery two years The Power Sources Manufacturers Association

(PSMA) forms a team of industry experts to compile the latest trends

shaping the power conversion technologies. From ac adapters to dc-

dc converters, and from micro inverters to high-power embedded

power supplies, the findings for key power conversion segments and

the application ramifications are then compiled in the Power Technol-

ogy Roadmap report which is published by the PSMA. This talk high-

lights some of the technology trends identified in the report that will

shape power conversion products for the next two to five years.

Time: 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Mobility in a Changing World: What does mobility look like in

the future?

Dr. Burkhard Huhnke, Director, Volkswagen of America, Inc.'s Elec-tronics Research Laboratory (VW-ERL)Beginning in 2007, more people have been living in cities than in the

country. According to the scenario “Mobility in a Changing World”

developed by Volkswagen strategic foresight in cooperation with

renowned experts, in 2030, the global energy requirement will prima-

rily be sustained by fossil fuels, but renewable energy sources will

also constitute a substantially larger share of the global energy mix

than today. The external costs of mobility and rising resource prices

will make mobility services more expensive to afford, but the demand

for mobility will continue to grow. Simultaneously, information and

communication technologies will improve the quality of mobility. The

spectrum of mobility services will develop into intelligent and efficient

mobility solutions, specifically designed for the expected growth in

short range travel in urban communities.

Time: 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm

The Application of GaN Based Power Devices to Power Electronics

Tim McDonald, Vice president of IR’s Emerging Technologies GroupInternational RectifierA survey is presented of the current and future prospects for GaN-

based power devices in power electronics application ranging from

microprocessor power supplies, to AC:DC PFC, to motor drives and

solar inverters. Advantages of this new technology include higher

energy efficiency, lower noise generation, smaller sizes and reduced

cooling requirements. The combination of superior technical perform-

ance and cost structures competitive to incumbent technologies pro-

vide a compelling value proposition which is expected to drive wide

adoption of GaN-based power devices over the next 5-10 years. The

status of International Rectifier’s GaNpowIR™ technology platform

and products will be discussed.

Time: 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

NASA’s Space Power Technologies: Past, Present, and Future

Anastacio Baez, NASA Glenn Research CenterA historical overview of Space Power Systems used in the U.S.

manned and unmanned spacecraft; the evolution of space power

systems to support the United States Space Program, and the chal-

lenges of future space exploration endeavors are presented. The

United States Space Program under NASA started in the late 1950’s

with an unmanned satellite and will continue well into the future with

manned space stations, deep space probes, and habitats capable of

supporting humans for long periods of time.

The NASA space flight program can be divided into manned and

unmanned programs with each contributing and ultimately setting the

stage for advanced space transportation systems, future space habi-

tats, and spacecrafts that can send humans deep into the solar sys-

tem. Most spacecraft used solar arrays for the main source of power

except for those that had relatively short flight duration, or for deep

space probes that were designed for very long flight duration.

www.apec-conf.org

APEC 2011 Planery Sessions Monday 7th of March

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Microchip’s new dsPIC33F ‘GS’ Series DSCs provide on-chip peripherals includinghigh-speed Pulse-Width-Modulators (PWMs), ADCs and analogue comparators,specifically designed for high performance, digital power supplies.

The powerful dsPIC33F ‘GS’ series is specifically aimed at power control applications and can beconfigured for a variety of topologies, giving power-supply designers the complete freedom tooptimise for specific product applications. Multiple independent power control channels enablean unprecedented number of completely independent digital control loops. The dsPIC33F ‘GS’series offers the optimal digital power solution supported by royalty free reference designs andadvanced power design tools.

Typical applications of the new ‘GS’ series DSC include: Lighting (HID, LED, fluorescent),uninterruptable power supplies, intelligent battery chargers, AC-DC and DC-DC powerconverters, solar and pure sine-wave inverters, induction cooking, and power factor correction.

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Intelligent Electronics start with Microchip

ECPE European Center for Power Electronics e.V., Landgrabenstr. 94, 90443 Nuremberg, Germanywww.ecpe.org - [email protected] - Tel. +49 (0)911 810 288 0 - FAX +49 (0)911 810 288 28

ECPE Calendar of Events 2011: Topics & Dates

Date Location Event Topic

10 - 11 Feb.2011

Bordeaux, France

ECPE Tutorial Reliability of Power Electronic Systems Course Instructor: Prof. E. Wolfgang (ECPE)

23 – 24 Feb. 2011

Berlin,Germany

ECPE Workshop Parasitic Effects in Power ElectronicsTechnical Chairman: Dr. E. Hoene (Fraunhofer IZM)

21 - 22 March 2011

Valencia,Spain

ECPE Workshop Power Electronics for Charging Electric VehiclesTechnical Chairman: Prof. E. Dede (Univ. of Valencia)

6 - 7 April 2011

Paris,France

Conference APE 2011 - 4th International Conference and Exhibition Automotive Power Electronics

May 2011 Lyon,France

ECPE Tutorial Power Electronics Packaging Course Instruct.: Prof. B. Allard (INSA Lyon), Dr. U. Scheuer-mann (Semikron), Dr. J. Popovic (TU Delft)

3 – 4 May2011

Hannover,Germany

ECPE Workshop eDrives: Interaction of Electrical Motors and the related Power Electronics Techn. Chairmen: Prof. A. Mertens, Prof. B. Ponick (Univ. ofHannover)

17 - 19 May2011

Nuremberg,Germany

Conference andExhibition

PCIM Europe 2011with ECPE Round Table (Conference),and ECPE Joint Stand (Exhibition)

9 – 10 June 2011

Aalborg,Denmark

ECPE Tutorial Reliability of Power Electronic Systems Course Instructor: Prof. E. Wolfgang (ECPE),

P. Rimmen (Danfoss)

June 2011 TBD ECPE Workshop Gate Drivers, Sensors & Control Techn. Chairman: TBD

June/July2011

Cambridge,UK

ECPE Tutorial Power Semiconductor Devices & TechnologiesCourse Instructors: Prof. F. Udrea (Univ. of Cambridge), Prof.P. Mawby (Univ. of Warwick), Prof. D. Silber (Univ. of Bremen)

July 2011 Erlangen,Germany

ECPE Tutorial Thermal Engineering of Power Electronic Systems – Part I (thermal design and verification) Course instructor: Dr. M. Maerz (Fraunhofer IISB)

30 Aug. - 1 Sept. 2011

Birmingham,UK

Conference EPE 2011 - 14th European Conference on PowerElectronics and Application

1 - 2 Sept. 2011

Birmingham, UK

ECPE Workshop ECPE SiC and GaN User Forum Technical Chairman: Prof. A. Lindemann (Univ. of Magdeburg)

Prof. P. Mawby (Univ. of Warwick)

28 - 29 Sept. 2011

Nuremberg,Germany

Conference EDPC 2011 – 1st International Conference on ElectricDrives Production Industrial Sessions co-organised by ECPE

Oct. 2011 Dusseldorf,Germany

ECPE Tutorial EMC in Power ElectronicsCourse Instructors: Dr. E. Hoene (Fraunhofer IZM)

Prof. J.-L. Schanen (G2ELab)

3 – 7 Oct. 2011

Bordeaux, France

Symposium ESREF 2011 - 22nd European Symposium on Reliabilityof Electron Devices, Failure Physics and Analysis

9 - 13 Oct. 2011

Amsterdam,The Netherlands

Conference INTELEC 2011 33rd Int. Telecommunications Energy Conf. with ECPE Session ‘Power density vs. energy efficiency in power supplies´

Oct. 2011 Nuremberg, Germany

ECPE Tutorial Thermal Engineering of Power Electronic Systems - Part II (thermal management and reliability) Course Instructor: Prof. E. Wolfgang (ECPE)

Nov. 2011 TBD ECPE Workshop Robustness Validation in Power ElectronicsTechn. Chairman: Prof. E. Wolfgang (ECPE)

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Bodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.com14

B L U E P R O D U C T O F T H E M O N T H

Intersil Corporation has expanded its popular family of dual output

integrated FET buck regulators, introducing a trio of new devices that

provide up to 95% power conversion efficiency and offer designers

greater flexibility.

The new ISL8022, ISL8033/A and ISL8036/A have quiescent currents

as low as 40uA and support an input voltage range of 2.85V to 6V,

making them ideal for single Li+ cell, three NiMH cell or 3V/5V DC

input voltage applications.

The ISL8033/A and ISL8036/A are dual output step-down DC/DC

regulators that can deliver up to 3A continuous output current per

channel. The ISL8022 provides similar functionality for lower current

applications, delivering up to 2A/1.7A continuous output current on its

two channels. All three families of devices feature a peak current

mode, fixed frequency control architecture that enables ultra-low duty

cycle operation, excellent loop stability and fast load transient

response. The fast load transient response reduces required output

capacitance and enables a smaller total solution size compared with

traditional voltage mode control architectures. The two channels in

the ISL8033/A, ISL8036/A and ISL8022 switch 180 degrees out-of-

phase, reducing the input ripple current and filter requirements. Inter-

nal loop compensation further reduces the external component count

and cost.

The ISL8033 and ISL8036 offer a fixed switching frequency of 1MHz,

while the ISL8033A and ISL8036A switch at 2.5MHz to significantly

reduce the overall DC/DC converter size. The ISL8033 and ISL8036

can also be synchronized to an external clock of up to 6MHz, further

reducing the overall solution size and eliminating beat frequencies in

multi-switcher designs. Independent enable and PGOOD pins for

both channels provide complete start-up control and inherent output

monitoring, eliminating the need for discrete sequencers and voltage

monitors.

In addition to sourcing 3A independently, both channels in the

ISL8036/A can be paralleled to create a single 6A output in current

sharing mode for higher power applications. The ISL8033/A provides

the user the flexibility to program the over-current trip threshold for

each channel, thereby allowing the IC to be configured in either a

3A/2A or a 2A/2A configuration to support various load profiles. The

internal power MOSFETs are optimized to support output voltages as

low as 0.8V while providing high efficiency.

The ISL8022 offers selectable forced-PWM mode or automatic

PWM/PFM mode to optimize battery life in portable and handheld

applications. The low 40uA quiescent current makes the ISL8022

ideal for battery powered and other “green power” applications.

The ISL8022 operates at a fixed switching frequency of 2.25MHz,

offering designers the ability to use small, cost-effective inductors

and capacitors. Similar to the ISL8033/36, the ISL8022 can also be

synchronized to an external clock up to 8MHz, further reducing the

overall solution size and eliminating beat frequencies in multi-switch-

er designs. The internal power MOSFETs are optimized to support

output voltages as low as 0.6V while providing high efficiency.

Pricing and Availability

The ISL8022 is available now in a space-saving 12-lead 4mm x 3mm

DFN package, with prices starting at $3.05 each in 1,000-piece quan-

tities. The ISL8033/A and ISL8036/A are available in 24-lead 4mm x

4mm QFN packages with prices starting at $3.71 each in 1,000-piece

quantities.

Intersil Corporation is a leader in the design and manufacture of high-

performance analog, mixed signal and power management semicon-

ductors. The Company’s products address some of the fastest grow-

ing markets within the communications, computing, consumer and

industrial industries. For more information about Intersil or to find out

how to become a member of our winning team, visit the Company’s

web site and career page at:

www.intersil.com

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SiC power MOSFET delivers 1200V blocking voltage with lowest

switching losses in its class.

In a move that heralds a performance revolution in energy efficient

power electronics, Cree, Inc. a market leader in silicon carbide (SiC)

power devices has introduced the industry’s first fully-qualified com-

mercial silicon carbide power MOSFET. This establishes a new

benchmark for energy efficient power switches and can enable

design engineers to develop high voltage circuits with extremely fast

switching speeds and ultralow switching losses.

The SiC MOSFET can be used today for solar inverters, high-voltage

power supplies and power conditioning in many industrial power

applications. Over the next several years, SiC power switches and

diodes could also expand into motor drive control, electric vehicles

and wind energy applications. The market for power semiconductors

in these applications is estimated at approximately $4 billion today,

reaching nearly $6 billion by 2015.

The addition of the SiC power MOSFET to Cree’s world-class silicon

carbide Schottky diode family enables power electronics design engi-

neers to develop “all-SiC” implementations of critical high power

switching circuits and systems with levels of energy efficiency, size

and weight reduction that are not achievable with any commercially

available silicon power devices of comparable ratings.

“This introduction of our SiC power MOSFET represents many years

of materials research, process development and device design,” said

John Palmour, Cree co-founder and chief technology officer, Power

and RF. “But the end result is that the industry’s first ‘ideal’ high volt-

age switching device is no longer a future technology – it is commer-

cially available and ready for design-in today. Together with our 600V,

650V, 1200V and 1700V SiC Schottky diodes, Cree Power has

established a new class of SiC power components that are destined

to lead the power semiconductor industry in the years to come, and

eventually replace silicon devices in the majority of critical power

electronics applications with breakdown voltage requirements of

1200V or higher.”

“Cree’s release of the SiC MOSFET represents a major step forward

in power technology and enables a new standard in performance and

reliability to be reached,” said Per Ranstad, Product Manager at

Alstom Power - Thermal Services in Sweden. “At Alstom, we have

been working with Cree to demonstrate the capabilities of this new

device, in particular seeing its impact on energy efficiency in power

systems, and we are definitely excited by the results we have

achieved to date.”

Cree’s SiC MOSFET, the CMF20120D , provides blocking voltages

up to 1200V with an on-state resistance (RDSon) of just 80mÙ at

25°C. Setting Cree’s SiC MOSFET apart from comparable silicon

devices, the RDSon remains below 100m? across its entire operating

temperature range. This consistency of performance characteristics

across operating conditions, along with a true MOSFET device archi-

tecture (normally-off), makes it ideal for power electronics switching

circuits. Compared to commercially available silicon MOSFET or

IGBT devices of similar ratings, in tests conducted by Cree the

CMF20120D had the lowest gate drive energy (QG <100nC) across

the recommended input voltage range. Conduction losses were mini-

mized with forward drop (VF) of <2V at a current of 20A.

The CMF20120D SiC MOSFET provides significant advantages over

silicon devices, enabling unprecedented system efficiency and/or

reduced system size, weight and cost through its higher frequency

operation. It can meet or beat silicon MOSFET switching speeds and

reduce switching losses in many applications by up to 50 percent.

G R E E N P R O D U C T O F T H E M O N T H

Industry’s First Commercial Silicon Carbide Power MOSFET

Destined to Replace Silicon Devices in High Voltage (≥ 1200V)Power Electronics

Compared to the best silicon IGBTs, the Cree device improves sys-

tem efficiency up to 2 percent and operates at 2-3 times the switch-

ing frequencies. Higher component efficiency also results in lower

operating temperatures. Combining these lower operating tempera-

tures with the CMF20120D’s ultra-low leakage current (<1ìA) adds

significantly to system reliability.

SiC MOSFET Applications in Power Electronics

Cree’s CMF20120D is ideal for high voltage applications where ener-

gy efficiency is critical. Solar inverters are an example where SiC

MOSFETs can be used in both the boost and inverter sections of the

DC-to-AC converters. Switching losses are decreased by more than

30 percent using SiC MOSFETs; and when combined with Cree’s SiC

Junction Barrier Schottky diodes, overall system efficiency has been

demonstrated at >99%.

Similar efficiency benefits can be achieved in other applications that

require high blocking voltages in combination with fast, efficient

switching, such as industrial motor drives, high power DC data center

power architectures, PFC (power factor correction), boost and high

frequency DC/DC conversion circuits in industrial, and computing and

communications power systems. In addition to potential efficiency

gains, the low switching losses of Cree’s SiC MOSFETs and diodes

can enable design optimization at switching frequencies up to three

times those built with commercially available silicon devices.

Cree’s Leadership in SiC Technology

“Silicon carbide technology is critical to developing the next genera-

tion of advanced, energy-efficient power electronic system designs,”

explained Cengiz Balkas, Cree vice-president and general manager,

Power and RF. “We believe that the addition of the industry’s first

commercial SiC MOSFET will speed the development of smaller,

faster, lighter and more efficient power devices in certain critical

power device applications, with the potential to reduce global electric

power consumption. This MOSFET is the first SiC MOSFET product

that Cree plans to release, drawing on our technology and patent

base.”

The CMF20120D power devices are fully qualified and released for

production. Samples are available now from Digi-Key.

www.cree.com/power

17www.bodospower.com February 2011 Bodo´s Power Systems®

G R E E N P R O D U C T O F T H E M O N T H

National Semiconductor introduced two configurable sensor analog

front-end (AFE) integrated circuits (ICs) with unique technology that

work together with new tools to fast-track signal path designs for a

variety of sensors from major global manufacturers.

The configurable sensor AFE ICs and WEBENCH® Sensor AFE

Designer enable the design engineer to select a sensor, design and

configure the solution and download configuration data to the sensor

AFE. A typical sensing application that today may require up to sev-

eral boards and up to 25 components is reduced to just one of

National’s ICs. Weeks or months to create a sensor system design is

reduced to just minutes using National’s new products and tools.

Sensor systems today are used in every major industry for critical

monitoring and control applications. These systems are shrinking in

size, must consume less power and have higher reliability.

“Sensor-based system designs are time-consuming and complicated

to develop, requiring an optimal design for each system,” said Anita

Ganti, Precision Systems Business Unit Director at National. “Until

now, designers have developed customized analog solutions that

took weeks or even months to develop, but we can now help them

get to market more quickly.”

The first in a family of products, National’s two configurable sensor

AFE products are each customized to a specific sensor application

and have a variety of features, including programmable current

sources, voltage reference options and adjustable sample rates. The

LMP91000 is the industry’s first fully configurable, low-power poten-

tiostat that provides a complete, integrated signal path solution

between a sensor and analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The

LMP90100 is the industry’s first multi-channel, low power, 24-bit sen-

sor AFE with true continuous background calibration and diagnostics

for high performance transmitter and transducer applications.

The WEBENCH Sensor AFE Designer includes technical specifica-

tions for hundreds of temperature, pressure and chemical sensors.

The database features products from Omega Engineering, Inc., Hon-

eywell Sensing & Control, Tempco Electric Heater Corp. and All Sen-

sors Corp.

National’s LMP90100 is the industry’s first multi-channel, low power,

24-bit sensor AFE with true continuous background calibration and

diagnostics for high performance transmitter and transducer applica-

tions. National’s patented continuous background calibration effec-

tively eliminates offset and gain error over time and temperature. Off-

set and gain error are determined without disturbing the measured

signal. The LMP90100 features a 24-bit sigma-delta ADC with a flexi-

ble input (mux) configuration to interface with any combination of dif-

ferential or single-ended inputs. Signal gains (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64

and 128), sample rate and diagnostics are programmable for each

sensor and two matched current drives are available to drive sen-

sors. The LMP90100 draws less than 0.7 mA on average and is

guaranteed over the entire -40 degrees C to 125 degrees C tempera-

ture range, making it ideal for temperature transmitter or 4 mA to 20

mA applications.

National’s LMP91000 is the industry’s first fully configurable, low-

power potentiostat that provides a complete, integrated signal path

solution between a sensor and ADC. The programmable AFE is well-

suited for use in micro-power chemical and gas sensing applications

such as three-electrode single gas and two-terminal oxygen sensors.

The LMP91000 measures current in a potentiostat that is proportional

to the gas concentration. It generates an output voltage proportional

to the cell current using a transimpedance amplifier. Transimpedance

gain is user programmable through an I²C compatible interface,

allowing the LMP91000 to support toxic gas sensitivities over a range

of 0.5 nA/ppm to 9.5 nA/ppm. Ultra-low power makes the LMP91000

optimal for battery-operated systems, as well as 4 mA to 20 mA

transmitter applications. The cell voltage and cell output gain are

user-selectable using on-board programmability. Together, they allow

the user to support a wide range of gases and gas concentrations

with a total current consumption for the device as low as 10 ìA on

average. The I2C interface allows the user to verify sensor perform-

ance and an embedded temperature sensor provides an additional

output to monitor temperature. The LMP91000 operates over a volt-

age range of 2.7V to 5.5V.

National’s new WEBENCH Sensor AFE Designer joins National’s

award-winning portfolio of online WEBENCH tools. A bench-top eval-

uation tool with a hardware interface is available to minimize engi-

neering design time and facilitate prototype evaluation. This system

allows the user to download configuration data from their design to

the sensor AFE, attach sensors and start their evaluation.

More information about National’s sensor AFE products, WEBENCH

Sensor AFE Designer and other support tools is available at:

www.national.com/sensorAFE

P R O D U C T O F T H E M O N T H


Configurable SensorAFE Products Simplify Design,

Speed Time-to-Market

[ www.infi neon.com/coolmos]

650V CoolMOS™ CFD2Introduction of new market leading 650V CoolMOS™ technology with integrated fast body diode

With the new 650V CoolMOS™ CFD2 Infineon launches its second generation of its market leading high voltage MOSFET´s with integrated fast body diode. This new outstanding product is planned to be the successor of 600V FCD with improved energy efficiency. The softer commutation behavior and therefore better EMI behavior gives this product a clear advantage in comparison with competitor parts.

Key features and benefits of Infineon’s 650V CoolMOS™ CFD2� First 650V technology with integrated fast body diode on the market � Limited voltage overshoot during hard commutation� Significant Qg reduction compared to C3 based CFD technology� Tighter Rdson max to rdson typ window� Easy to design in� Lower price compared to C3 based CFD technology

For further information please visit our website:


Next month sees

the arrival of APEC

2011 – a key event

in the calendar for

all of us actively

involved in the

power electronics

industry. This is

the 26th annual

Applied Power

Electronics Confer-

ence and Exposition and, with its compre-

hensive combination of technical papers,

development courses and exhibitors, it

promises to live up to its billing as the ‘lead-

ing conference for practicing power electron-

ics professionals’.

In the 25 years since APEC first opened its

doors at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans,

the development and manufacture of power

electronics has achieved an importance that

goes beyond the electronics industry itself.

Commercial, legislative and political impera-

tives to reduce environmental impact and to

conserve and to ensure the security of sup-

ply of valuable energy resources have

placed a great responsibility on engineers to

deliver ever-more efficient power electronics

designs. A quick look at the technical ses-

sions and presentations for APEC 2011, for

example, illustrates the focus on efficiency

and renewable energy, while many of the

more than 100 exhibitors will no doubt be

announcing developments that will help

designers and integrators to maximize power

efficiency while improving performance,

enhancing functionality and driving down

costs.

Industry showcase

International Rectifier has been an active

APEC participant for many years and previ-

ous events have typically provided the first

chance for many engineers to see and dis-

cuss some of the company’s own milestone

developments in the power semiconductor

arena. These include, for example, the

HEXFET® power MOSFET and the

DirectFET®: the world’s first dual-sided sur-

face mount MOSFET. Ten years ago saw the

launch of iPOWIR®, a suite of integrated

building blocks for DC-DC converters, while

two years later IR announced the

iMOTION™ platform. The latter, which com-

bines powerful digital, analogue and power

silicon together with algorithms, development

software and design tools, helps engineers

to speed the design and improve the effi-

ciency of motion control in applications rang-

ing from industrial automation to home appli-

ances. More recently, as well as the latest

evolutions of all of the above, APEC visitors

have been able to see the company’s AC-

DC Smart Rectifier™ products, SupIR-

Buck™ integrated voltage regulators and

application-specific devices including ICs for

automotive gate drive applications.

Delivering next-generation efficiency

As regular visitors to APEC will know, over

the years companies such as International

Rectifier have made considerable invest-

ments to continuously improve silicon-based

power semiconductors. However, as silicon

technology approaches maturity it is becom-

ing increasingly difficult to cost-effectively

achieve further improvements in terms of

either performance or efficiency. Because of

this, attention is turning to materials other

than silicon to realize the further advances in

power device performance demanded by

next-generation designs. Among the most

promising alternatives to silicon is gallium

nitride (GaN) and the latest GaN technolo-

gies will be a key focus of IR’s presence at

APEC 2011.

The result of over seven years of research

and development, the GaNPowIR™ platform

uses IR’s proprietary GaN-on-silicon tech-

nology with the potential to provide cus-

tomers with improvements in key application-

specific figures of merit (FOM) that are at

least an order of magnitude better than cur-

rent, state-of-the-art silicon devices. Last

year saw the launch of IR’s integrated power

stage device based on GaNPowIR™ tech-

nology for use in multiphase and point-of-

load (POL) applications such as servers,

routers, switches and general-purpose DC-

DC conversion. The iP2010 integrates an

ultra fast driver IC matched to a multi-switch

monolithic GaN-based power device in a flip

chip package platform. By taking advantage

of the inherent high frequency capabilities of

GaN, the iP2010 allows the industry to pro-

vide the world’s highest density solution with

little or no sacrifice in efficiency when com-

pared to traditional silicon solutions.

At APEC 2011, we will be demonstrating the

capabilities of IR’s 600 V GaN-based power

devices. These devices offer dramatic per-

formance improvement: Qrr has been meas-

ured 20x lower than for an equivalent pow-

ered IGBT Copak and greater than 200x less

than a Super Junction body diode while our

GaN-based switches achieve GaN Eoff (Off

switching loss) that is 72 percent less than

an IGBT.

Looking to the future

It is clear that the global demand for energy

will continue to increase driven – at least in

part - by the ongoing rise in global popula-

tion and the ever-increasing spending power

of individuals and organizations in emerging

countries. And this is taking place against a

backdrop where we need to significantly

reduce our reliance on natural resources and

minimize the contribution that human activi-

ties make to the changing climate. As a

result, power design is now firmly at the top

of the design agenda and the pressure on

OEMs to design, manufacture and market

ever-more power-efficient products is set to

increase further.

With this in mind, events such as APEC

have a vital role to play in allowing the engi-

neers who are responsible for achieving key

efficiency objectives to find out about new

and emerging power electronics and power

management technologies, learn about the

latest design techniques, and share their

knowledge with other industry professionals.

In conclusion, this year’s APEC is being held

in Fort Worth, Texas. Since the start of the

20th century this city has played a key role

in the oil trade, as well as being famous for

sitting atop the Barnett Shale, one of the

largest onshore natural gas fields in the

USA. To me it seems somehow appropriate

that an event that will focus so heavily on

technologies that can reduce the rate at

which we use up such valuable commodities

should take place in a city that is so inextri-

cably linked with them.

www.irf.com

G U E S T E D I T O R I A L

With Power Comes Great ResponsibilityAPEC 2011 reflects growing importance of power electronics

By Oleg Khaykin, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Rectifier


GENERAL

LCD TV shipments will rise

from 190 million in 2010 to

215 million in 2011,

although an increase in

the rate of ASP erosion

will lead to the first ever

revenue decline in the

LCD TV category, so DisplaySearch. Euro-

pean shipments have been fairly robust in

2010, but growth will fall from double-to sin-

gle-digit rates over the next few years.

SEMICONDUCTORS

Measured in Euro, European semiconductor

sales were € 2.534 billion in November

2010, up 0.6 percent on the previous month

and up 23.7 percent versus the same month

a year ago, so the WSTS. On a YTD basis

semiconductor sales increased by 35.4 per-

cent in 2010 versus the same period in the

year 2009. Measured in dollar, European

chip sales have increased for the fifth con-

secutive month.

Sony plans to invest approximately 100 bil-

lion yen in the fiscal year ending March 31,

2012, to increase the production capacity for

CMOS image sensors.

Microsoft announced at 2011 International

CES that the next version of Windows will

support System on Chip (SoC) architectures,

including ARM-based systems from partners

Nvidia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments.

On x86 architecture, Intel and AMD continue

their work on low-power SoC designs that

fully support Windows, including support for

native x86 applications.

Elmos Semiconductor sells the special pack-

aging business of its subsidiary Elmos

Advanced Packaging, Nijmegen, the Nether-

lands, to a Dutch investment company. Over

the last years, Elmos Advanced Packaging

has reached a technological leadership posi-

tion in the development and manufacturing

of special packages for semiconductors and

sensors. Third-party sales of the sold busi-

ness unit will be below € 10 M in 2010, gen-

erated with about 70 employees. The pur-

chase price is a low singledigit million Euro

amount.

Arkados, a powerline communication tech-

nology company, will sell its semiconductor

business to STMicroelectronics. ST will pay

Arkados $ 11 M under the agreement, out of

which it has already made an initial payment

of $ 7 M in exchange for a license from

Arkados. Arkados’ president and CEO Oleg

Logvinov and SVP of engineering Michael

Macaluso are transitioned to STMicroelec-

tronics as part of this agreement.

ON Semiconductor announced the comple-

tion of the acquisition of Sanyo Semiconduc-

tor. With the addition of Sanyo Semiconduc-

tor, ON Semiconductor expands its product

portfolio, adding new capabilities ranging

from microcontrollers and ASICs to integrat-

ed power modules and motor control devices

for the consumer, automotive and industrial

end-markets.

GE and Intel announced that Intel-GE Care

Innovations is the name of their healthcare

joint venture. Care Innovations will develop

technologies that support healthy, independ-

ent living at home and in senior housing

communities. The market segments for tele-

health and home health monitoring are pre-

dicted to grow to an estimated $ 7.7 billion

by 2012.

Fairchild Semiconductor will lay off 120

workers during the next nine months in a

restructuring effort, at the company’s plant in

South Portland, which now has 500 employ-

ees. As part of the restructuring, the compa-

ny will close a 6-inch production line.

OPTOELECTRONICS

After a six-month dip in large-area TFT LCD

panel shipments, the industry has recovered:

inventory levels are falling, panel prices are

stabilizing and shipments are increasing

gradually, so DisplaySearch. November

2010 shipments of large-area TFT LCD pan-

els were 61.4 million units, up 9 percent from

October, and revenues were 6.9 billion, up 6

percent M/M.

PASSIVE COMPONENTS

Pulse Electronics, a provider of electronic

components, has received a letter from Bel

Fuse indicating its intent to nominate three

candidates for election to the company’s

board of directors at the company’s 2011

annual meeting of shareholders.

OTHER COMPONENTS

Rogers, a global supplier in specialty materi-

als and components, has closed on a trans-

action to acquire Curamik Electronics, a Ger-

man manufacturer of power electronic sub-

strate products headquartered in Eschen-

bach, for € 116 M. Curamik, founded in

1983, is the worldwide leader for develop-

ment and production of direct copper bonded

(DCB) ceramic substrate products used in

the design of intelligent power management

devices, such as IGBT modules. These

devices enable a wide range of products

including industrial motor drives, wind and

solar energy converters and hybrid electric

vehicle drive systems. Rogers expects

Curamik to add $ 115 to $ 125 M in sales to

their results in 2011 and to provide signifi-

cant opportunities for future growth as the

markets Curamik participates in are project-

ed to grow at approximately a 15 percent

rate over the next several years.

The Gores Group has completed the sale of

Vincotech to Mitsubishi Electric. Financial

terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Vincotech specializes in low power modules

that are used in inverters for general indus-

trial applications and power conditioners for

solar power system applications. Vincotech

employs approximately 530 persons and

projects sales of € 57.3 M in 2010.

Rusnano and Russian Venture Company

have begun financing a project to set up pro-

duction in Russia of singleand multi-layered

substrates for LED assemblies and other

electronics items. The project will use

patented ALOX substrate technology devel-

oped by project applicant Micro Compo-

nents, an Israeli company.

Allied Motion Technologies, a US-based sup-

plier of precision and specialty motion con-

trol components and systems, has complet-

ed the purchase of Östergrens, headquar-

tered in Solna, Sweden.

Abletec, a Norwegian manufacturer of cus-

tomized power supplies to the demanding

international electronics market, has entered

into an agreement with Anaview, an audio-

electronics design firm based in Sweden, to

merge both organizations.

Advanced Battery Technologies, a manufac-

turer of rechargeable Polymer Lithium-Ion

batteries, has entered into an acquisition

agreement with Shenzhen Zhongqiang, a

manufacturer of lithium batteries for mobile

phones and MP3 and video game consoles

with a daily capacity of 70,000 battery cells.

This is the comprehensive power related

extract from the «Electronics Industry Digest»,

the successor of The Lennox Report. For a

full subscription of the report contact:

[email protected]

or by fax 44/1494 563503.

www.europartners.eu.com

M A R K E T

ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY DIGESTBy Aubrey Dunford, Europartners


Dc-dc converter sales in Europe are being driven by a number of fac-

tors, including applications, new powering architectures, advanced

materials and packaging, standards, and emerging markets. Although

many of these are shared with other regions of the world, Europe

presents some unique opportunities for both dc-dc module makers

and dc-dc converter IC companies.

Looking at applications, railway applications are a specialized sub-

segment of the Industrial market that has healthy sales in Europe.

Equipment includes braking systems; information displays; signaling;

and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which

addresses track segments. High-speed rail is “at the precipice of

huge growth,” according to the High Speed Rail World Europe con-

ference, which was held in November, 2010. Over 20 countries

across nearly all continents are exploring how high-speed rail will be

introduced in their countries.

For example, in November, 2010, the UK government announced a

raft of railway investment plans, including thousands of new car-

riages, a fleet of new trains and line electrification. The transport sec-

retary committed to £900 million of rail electrification projects in Eng-

land. The Department of Transport will buy 2,100 new carriages by

2019 to ease overcrowding.

Another proposal envisages a fleet of all-electric trains that could be

coupled to new diesel locomotives where the overhead electric power

lines end. The announcements follow £14 billion of funding for rail

maintenance and infrastructure over the next four years. If these proj-

ects are successful, they will provide opportunities for dc-dc convert-

er manufacturers, although the railway market is considered a “niche”

segment that is difficult to break into.

Recent trends in the military/aerospace market could present oppor-

tunities for companies focused on certain emerging technologies.

Combined with increased government defense spending and new

standards, this segment could be a bright spot in the current, flat-

spending economy. A recent report stated that, in the defense mar-

ket, “the rug was not being pulled from under R&D and procurement,”

and that the military market was “showing guaranteed profit with cost-

plus contracts.”

Still the industry is showing “recovery, not growth.” This means that

companies have to look for the right applications and provide the

value military applications expect. Exports could account for

increased sales, as well. Aircraft production and design work are

shifting to new places, such as Germany, Japan, Korea, Canada,

Mexico, France, China and Italy. Although the US leads in military

spending, international defense spending is “robust,” and there are

“great export opportunities with Asia and the Middle East.”

Unmanned aerial vehicles are an area in which European companies

are investing heavily in research and development, as well.

Finally, a number of “ground level” initiatives are taking place that will

shape power delivery in medical applications. To help bring down

electrical waste in healthcare/medical equipment among others, 18

European partner companies have formed the technology coopera-

tion, “SmartPM (Smart Power Management in Home and Health).”

The project is coordinated by Infineon Technologies and includes

companies and academic institutions from Belgium, France, Ger-

many, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Among the devices with the highest electrical energy savings poten-

tial are electrical motors and power supplies used in servers, desktop

and laptop computers, and battery chargers for mobile devices.

Turning to advanced materials, although very few commercial MOS-

FETs based on silicon-carbide (SiC) and gallium-nitride (GaN) exist,

these materials are influencing future dc-dc converter design. Cree

says that although SiC has primarily been used in diodes, there is

now a trend toward using it in switches. GaN, on the other hand, is

coming out in transistors, which is much more interesting as far as

power supply design is concerned. In the longer term, such new

devices promise to improve converter efficiencies and enable higher

operating frequencies and smaller converter sizes.

In October, 2010, the partners in a new publicly funded European

research project announced details of the multinational/multidiscipli-

nary program called LAST POWER (Large Area silicon carbide Sub-

strates and heTeroepitaxial GaN for POWER device applications).

The aim of this 42-month ENIAC (European Nanoelectronics Initiative

Advisory Council) project is to provide Europe with strategic inde-

pendence in the field of wide band gap (WBG) semiconductors. This

field is of major strategic importance as it involves the development

of highly energy-efficient systems for all applications that need power,

from telecommunications to automotive, from consumer electronics to

electrical household appliances, and from industrial applications to

home automation.

The consortium will develop European technology for the complete

production chain for semiconductor devices built with SiC and het-

eroepitaxial GaN on silicon wafers. According to STMicroelectronics,

this project, which targets secure strategic independence in the

emerging field of SiC and GaN technologies, will place Europe at the

forefront of energy-efficient devices. The overall objective of the proj-

ect is to develop a cost-effective and reliable integration of advanced

SiC and GaN semiconductors in the European power microelectron-

ics industry.

M A R K E T

New Technologies and MarketsDriving DC-DC Converter

Sales in EuropeBy Linnea Brush, Senior Research Analyst, Darnell

26 Bodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.comBodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.com

With its new XE16xL and XE16xU real-time signal controllers, Infi-

neon supports those customers in particular who extend their offer-

ings over a wider performance range, but who prefer not to have to

use multiple microcontroller platforms.

Electric motors play a key role in power consumption. According to a

2008 Study by the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Infor-

mation Technologies, industry alone in Germany accounts for 240

TWh/year of electrical energy consumption, households 140 TWh,

service companies 130 TWh and transportation 16 TWh. Electrical

drives used in industry and households alone account for 50% of the

total electrical energy consumed. According to VDE, more efficient

three-phase motors in the power range from 1.1 to 37 kW offer the

greatest potential for saving electrical energy. Of the some 100 mil-

lion household appliances operated by small electrical motors, most

have efficiencies of between 40% and 75%. VDE estimates however

that 85% would be possible. VDE puts the associated energy saving

potential at 8.2 TWh per annum. In Germany, there are also around

30 million heating pumps with an output of less than 200 W. They

consume around 3.5% of the total amount of electrical energy con-

sumed in Germany. New, electronically controlled heating pumps use

up to 50% less energy than standard pumps with asynchronous

motors and up to 70% less than fixed-speed pumps, as these can

still be found in many cases in buildings. The decisive factor here is

that the pumps always run with the optimum speed, since a pump

running at half speed requires only 1/8 of the energy compared with

when running at full speed.

Predestined for cost and energy-efficient drives

In many applications that involve the use of electrical motors, it is

necessary to process numerous external signals quickly. In other

words, high real-time performance is called for. With its low latency

times for the interrupt response and rapid context switching, the

XE166 family is optimised for precisely such applications as these.

The CPU core, peripheral event controller (PEC) and the peripheral

functions are designed accordingly for efficient interrupt handling.

Particularly in applications involving multiple motors, the advantages

in terms of a simple, rapid and energy-efficient implementation are

important. The efficient capture/compare (CCU6E) unit with two

timers for signal generation permits efficient designs, irrespective of

the type of motor to be driven and/or control algorithm.

The spectrum of applications addressed by the 16-bit MCUs of the

XE166 family (Figure 1) ranges from relatively simple control tasks in

pumps, fans, compressors and HVAC technology through to more

sophisticated solutions for servo drives, CNC machines, process con-

trols and robotics. A particularly important field of application for the

XE166 products is the efficient control of inverters. This allows highly

energy-saving solutions to be realised in the fields of transport (forklift

trucks, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, tramways,

etc.) as well as for renewable energies (photovoltaics, wind energy,

fuel cells, etc.).

The XE166 real-time signal controllers have been specifically

designed for the above-mentioned applications. In this respect, they

offer a scalable computing performance from 66 to 160 MIPS, 32 KB

up to 1.6 MB embedded flash memories, 12 to 138 KB RAM, PWM

units for up to four motors, A/D converters with 8, 10 and 12-bit reso-

C O V E R S T O R Y

Scalable Solutions for Cost andEnergy-Efficient Drives

XE166 real-time signal controllers

Numerous providers of electric drives think about extending their product portfolios. The reason for this is the trend towards improved energy efficiency which increases

demand for variable speed drives. This applies both to consumer solutions in the low-endsegment, where manufacturers can improve their margins with higher value drives, and toproviders in the high-end segment, who look to use their technological expertise to realise

innovative solutions for the low-end segment with correspondingly high volumes.

By Dr. Stephan Zizala, Senior Director, Microcontrollers, Industrial and Multimarket,Infineon Technologies

Figure 1: XE166 microcontrollers - complete, scalable 16-bit MCUportfolio for low-cost through to high-performance applications

27www.bodospower.com January 2011 Bodo´s Power Systems®

lutions, 10 to 30 channels, up to six CAN nodes and 2 to 10 soft-

ware-defined serial interfaces. The package options range from 38 to

176 pins, with the controllers being available both for industrial and

automotive temperature ranges of up to 125 °C ambient temperature.

Further integrated functions such as a voltage regulator, EEPROM

emulation with additional flash modules, oscillator, watchdog and

brown-out detection reduce the number of external components and,

as such, the system costs (BOM).

www.bodospower.com February 2011 Bodo´s Power Systems®

C O V E R S T O R Y

Figure 2: Block diagram of the XE166L series: Compared with theXE16xU series (Figure 3), it offers greater flash memory capacity(160 KB vs. 64 KB), more A/D converter channels (19 channels vs. 8 channels) and PWM units (2 vs. 1).

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The new XE16xU and XE16xL series

The new MCU series are aimed at cost-efficient motor control units

which, to date, have mostly been addressed by high-end 8-bit MCUs

or low-end DSPs. In this regard, they offer real-time performance and

high computing power at low cost. Key features include a high DSP

performance, a superfast 12-bit A/D converter with synchronisation

features, an efficient capture/compare unit and a high-speed PWM

unit with <12.5 ns. The new low-end series from the XE166 family

deliver a computing power of 66 MIPS, 32 to 160 KB embedded flash

and an optimised 12-bit SAR A/D converter with a conversion time of

just 600 ns. The package offering comprises versions with 38, 48 and

64 pins. Performance-wise, they extend Infineon’s 8-bit microcon-

troller family thanks to an efficient MAC unit for DSP operations. The

A/D conversion functionality and the established PWM unit (CCU6)

are retained via the MCU platform, such that the often most complex

of code for the peripherals can be easily ported. The new XE16xU

and XE16xL low-end variants are opcode and peripheral compatible

and thus permit simple scalability and the re-use of existing software.

The main differences between the XE16xL (L stands for low-end,

Figure 2) and XE16xU (U for ultra-low-end, Figure 3) series are the

capacity of the flash memory (160 KB compared with 64 KB), the 12

bit A/D converter (19 channels vs. 10 channels) and the PWM units

(two vs. one). What is more, the XE16xL microcontrollers feature a

high-speed MultiCAN module.

Efficient design

The XE166 family is supported by comprehensive development tools,

which include evaluations boards, debuggers, compilers and corre-

sponding documentation. For the initialisation, configuration and code

generation, DAvE (Digital Application virtual Engineer) is available.

Using the DAvE Drive auto-code generator (Figure 4), it is possible to

generate even the most complex motor control code automatically

and quickly. In conjunction with customised application kits, it is pos-

sible, for example, to generate the code for a sensorless field-orient-

ed control of a PMSM motor in just 15 minutes. Whereas experi-

enced users can simply re-use their existing code, newcomers enjoy

the benefits of being able to get started quickly in design.

Configuration tools such as DAvE help with the programming of the

microcontroller with the aid of smart wizards. DAvE automatically

generates C code with the correct driver functions for the peripheral

equipment integrated on the chip and the interrupt control – interact-

ing directly with the compiler in doing so. The tool generates com-

plete algorithms in source code (C or Assembler), which can then be

compiled and tested with the aid of standard development environ-

ments (e.g. Keil or Tasking).

Auto-code generators are an important point for quickly getting a

motor running efficiently. With DAvE Drive, the motor control code is

automatically generated via a GUI, instead of writing thousands of

program lines from scratch. What is more, the code generator uses

the full performance of the associated microcontrollers. In addition, a

complete reference system including an evaluation board and PMSM

motor is available. DAvE Drive supports both BLDC and PMSM

motors in addition to various control algorithms: block commutation

with Hall sensors and without, in addition to sensorless FOC (field-

oriented control). This enables designers to focus from an early stage

on the development of the application-specific software of drives and

accelerate prototype production significantly. Compared with other

configuration tools, the DAvE Drive software generates complete

algorithms and is not based on libraries. In addition, flexible code

C O V E R S T O R Y

Figure 5: The IO-Link kit permits the simple evaluation of the func-tionality of a complete IO-Link-based master device configuration onthe basis of the XE166 MCUs and XC800 devices (8 bit).

Figure 4: The XE166 family is supported by a complete design envi-ronment, which includes compilers, debuggers, operating systems,application kits in addition to configuration and auto-generator tools.The DAvE Drive auto-code generator permits the fast and simplerealisation of even the most complex of motor controls, e.g. sensor-less field-oriented control (FOC).

Figure 3: Block diagram of the XE166U series optimised for highlycost-critical applications

generation is also possible for customer-specific motors, as a result

of which the development time can be significantly reduced, whilst

the system differentiation is simplified.

The XE166 family comes with OCDS debugger support and also

supports the new single-pin debug interface. Some compilers also

feature a real-time kernel and simulator. Furthermore, in collaboration

with Infineon, Altium offers a free Tasking XE166 C compiler with a

renewable 12-month licence. The version of the Altium Tasking C166

compiler toolset specially developed for the XE166 family offers effi-

cient functions. The integrated development environment simplifies

access to the CrossView Pro source level

debugger, which in turn simplifies the connec-

tion to each XE166 EasyKit evaluation board.

Pre-installed and working design examples,

the step-by-step instructions and additional,

advanced tools such as an automatically gen-

erated start-up code facilitate getting started

in design.

Scalable solutions

Besides the performance and peripheral

equipment, there is another aspect with

regard to the scalability – namely, the integra-

tion into industrial networks. Networks such

as these have at least three levels: the field

level, the control level and the operations

level. Against this background, the XE166

family offers a wide range of interfaces and

customised solutions for the field and control

level. By way of example, for communication

with sensors and actuators, up to six serial

interfaces are available, e.g. SPI, UART and

I2C. In addition, Infineon offers an evaluation

kit for the development of communications

systems on the basis of the IO-Link V1.1

standard. The IO-Link kit (Figure 5) permits

the simple evaluation of the functionality of a

complete IO-Link-based master device config-

uration. Thanks to the real-time performance

of the XE166 MCUs (for the master side) and

the cost-effective XC800 modules (on the

device side), the first solution in the entire

industry is available with up to eight IO-Link

channels on the master and FIFO buffers for

each channel. A CANopen solution which can

use up to six CAN nodes of the XE166 con-

trollers is conceivable as an efficient connec-

tion on operations level.

Every percentage point is important

The new low-end series extend the scalability

of the XE166 family even further for a broad

spectrum of energy-efficient motor control

applications, from simple drives used in

pumps through to the most powerful servo

drives. In this regard, it is worth “teasing out”

every percentage point in energy efficiency,

since, as mentioned at the outset, electric

motors are the prime consumers of electrical

energy. And one final aspect of scalability is

time! Being focussed on industrial and auto-

motive markets, the product life cycles of Infi-

neon's microcontroller solutions are designed with the long-term

availability needs of the respective industries in mind.

Bibliography

1. VDE. VDE-Studie Effizienz- und Einsparpotentiale elektrischer

Energie. s.l. : VDE, 2008.

2. Die Antriebe für eine bessere Zukunft. Savolainen, Akseli. 2004/4,

s.l. : ABB, 2004, ABB Technik, pages 34-38.

www.infineon.com/xe166

C O V E R S T O R Y


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In many applications, lifetime and reliability of the electronics are

directly linked to the corresponding parameters of the electrolytics [4].

While a previous article of the author [1] elucidated the topic of life-

time estimation for electrolytic capacitors, this article focuses on the

reliability of electrolytics.

Construction and Manufacturing Process of Electrolytic Capacitors

Aluminum electrolytic capacitors combine voltage proofs ranging from

several volts to about 750 Volts and a wide capacitance range from

1μF to above 1F, while offering a compact size. A highly roughened

anode foil is being completely covered by a thin dielectric layer and

contacted by an exact fitting cathode, the electrolyte liquid. (Figure 1).

The manufacture process of e-caps comprises the following major

production steps:

Etching – high purity aluminum foils of thickness 20 ~ 100 μm are the

base material for the later anode- and cathode foils. The etching

enlarges the total surface area of the anode material up to a factor

of 140 (Figure 2), compared to their geometric surface.

Forming – the anode foil bears the dielectric layer of the e-cap and

consists of aluminum-oxide (Al2O3). It is deposited on top of the

roughened anode foil by an electrochemical process called anodic

oxidation or forming. The quality of the forming, i.e. the homoge-

neous and complete coverage of the surface area is essential for the

high reliability of the components during operation. The further the

forming voltage is above the rated voltage, the smaller becomes the

probability of dielectric breakdown. Typical values for the ratio of

forming voltage vs. rated voltage of Jianghai electrolytic range

between 1.25 (low voltage) and 1.60 (high voltage). The thickness of

the dielectric layer is approximately 1.4 nm/V; this amounts to about

900 nm for an e-cap with 450 V voltage proof (this is less than 1/100

of the thickness of a human hair).

• Slitting – the etched and formed foil comes on so-called mother

rolls of about 50 cm width. By slitting, the mother rolls are cut into

the widths needed for the anode and cathode material.

• Winding – attachment of electrical contact tabs to the foils (stitch-

ing, cold welding) and winding of anode, paper (spacer, multi-ply if

needed), and cathode foil.

• Impregnation – the pores of the spacer paper in the wound cell

and the complete surface area of the anode foil are covered by

electrolyte, the liquid cathode.

• Assembly of the capacitor wound cell into the can, electrical con-

nection between contact tabs and soldering or screw terminals and

riveting of the can for a tight seal.

• Post-forming („Burn-in“) to heal the cut edges of the foil.

100% in-line control of the vital electrical parameters (capacitance,

dissipation factor, and leakage current.

Figure 2 shows the electron micrograph of the surface of an etched

high voltage anode foil. The homogeneous distribution and the large

free diameter of the etched pits allow for good coverage by the oxide

layer and full access of the electrolyte to the complete surface are of

the anode foil. Already at this early stage of the production it is deter-

mined whether the resulting e-cap will be suitable for demanding,

professional industrial applications with high requirements to reliabili-

ty, ripple current capability, and long lifetime.

C A P A C I T O R S

Reliability of Electrolytic CapacitorsA carefully designed circuit is essential for obtaining

the required reliability level of a device

Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors („e-caps“, „electrolytics“) are vital to the function of many electronic devices. Ever-increasing requirements for energy-efficiency, theexpanding utilization of renewable energy, and the growth of electronic content in

modern automobiles have driven the spread of these components significantly over thepast decades.

By Dr. Arne Albertsen, Jianghai Europe GmbH

Figure 1: Construction of an aluminum electrolytic capacitor

Figure 2: Top view of the etched anode foil

www.bodospower.com

In particular, process steps 2 and 7 have great influence on the reli-

ability of e-caps under operation. Jianghai pursues the target of

maintaining a sufficiently high distance of the forming voltage from

the rated voltage and a reasonable dwell-time during post-forming to

ensure high reliability. As the forming voltage is commonly not indi-

cated in the datasheets, the final user of the components has a hard

time to use this parameter as a performance indicator. By asking the

e-cap supplier and by comparing the leakage current ratings, the

end user may draw his conclusions with respect to the design phi-

losophy of the e-cap manufacturer. In times of rising material and

energy prices, even some well-known manufacturers resort to low-

ering the forming voltages of running series. From a quality per-

spective, Jianghai considers these “cost-optimization measures”

being not acceptable.

Lifetime vs. Reliability

Electrochemical aging mechanisms limit the lifetime of e-caps to a

value that can be estimated depending on temperature, ripple cur-

rent and voltage during operation. During this lifetime, random fail-

ures may occur at any time. The absolute number of these failures

depends on the size of the observed total lot. The existence of ran-

dom failures is usually not related to the aging process, but it is

rather the consequence of hidden, internal weak spots (e.g., in the

spacer paper, the foil, or in the vicinity of the electrical connections).

Often, these failures happen without any pre-warning and end up in

a short circuit. Increased leakage currents as a result of a damaged

dielectric layer may lead to such a big formation (that goes along

with the buildup of hydrogen gas) that the overpressure opens the

safety vent. Then, the e-cap dries up and fails with low capacitance.

The 100% end measurement of capacitance, leakage current and

ESR on all produced components and the conduction of additional

tests on samples drawn from all mass production batches ensure

the high quality level of the products. Hence, early failures in the

application are a rarely observed exemption [2].

There exist many definitions of the term „reliability“ and depending

on whether you ask a statistician, mathematician or an engineer,

you may obtain a different answer. A common sense approach to

defining reliability could be: the probability of an electronic device for

satisfactorily fulfilling the requirements of its mission within a defined

time period.

The typical time course of reliability density for e-caps follows the

so-called “bathtub curve” [3]. The failure rate (“FIT rate”) λ desig-

nates the number of failures per unit time (failure density, measure-

ment unit FIT = “Failures in Time” in ).

The bathtub curve in Figure 3 shows three distinct consecutive seg-

ments:

The early failure period (“infant mortality”) with a decaying FIT rate λThe period within the normal lifetime has a constant FIT rate λ that

Figure 3: Failure Rate vs. Time – “Bathtub Curve”

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describes the occurrence of random failures

The final segment with increasing FIT rates λ that originate from

wear-out and changes beyond acceptable limits at the end or after

the end of the regular lifetime

The so-called „failure rate“ that is given in conjunction with the defini-

tion of the „useful life“ refers to the outlier percentage of components

that have parameters out of specification at the end of the lifetime

test and must not be confused with the failure rate for random fail-

ures.

Failure Modes and Mechanisms

The normal failure mode of a regularly aged e-cap is a parametric

failure due to low capacitance or increased ESR (Figure 4, light

green boxes).

The failure mechanisms shown in the overview (Figure 4) may origi-

nate from production or application related causes. In the field, pro-

duction-related failures are rarely observed, because the purity of the

base materials and the quality level of the mechanical production

processes have been continuously improved over the past years.

Often, failures can be traced back to arise from unfavorable operating

conditions, because an overload in the application (e.g., ambient

temperature, ripple current, operating voltage, vibration, mechanical

stress, …) could sometimes neither be predicted nor be prevented.

Estimation of Failure Rates

Even when using best materials and world-class manufacturing

processes in conjunction with an effective QA-system, random fail-

ures of components do exist in the field. In the context with the esti-

mation of failure rates, the MIL-HDBK-217F is often referred to in lit-

erature, even though the handbook relies on component reliability

data that has been devised some decades ago. The numerical val-

ues of the component failure rates found there often exceed the field

failure rates observed with current Jianghai series by a factor of 10 ~

100. Even in spite of these findings, the MIL-HDBK-217F data and

the calculation schemes found there provide some insight into the

dependency of failure rates on ambient temperature and actual oper-

ating voltage (Fig. 5). The failure rates are being normalized to oper-

ation at an ambient temperature of 40 °C and at 50 % of the rated

voltage.

In order to obtain trustable reliability data from laboratory trials, a

tremendous effort would be necessary. Experimentally gained test

data from billions of unithours would be required, i.e. some 1 million

e-caps should be tested at high labor cost. Jianghai rather uses the

information on actual field failures at customers together with the typ-

ical application information (temperature, ripple current, operating

voltage). Utilizing field data, the production data on quantities and

types by technology, and laboratory test results, FIT-rates can be

estimated at a reasonable effort. The order of magnitude for the esti-

mated field failure rates is 0.5 ~ 20 FIT.

From the FIT-Rates, the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) can

be easily calculated as its reciprocal: MTBF = 1 / FIT. Please note

that the MTBF figure does not constitute a guaranteed minimum time

until the first failure is observed, but rather indicates the mean time

when about 37 % of the initial e-cap population are alive (similar to

the radioactive decay, the distribution function for the failure of com-

ponents obeys an exponential distribution).

Factors affecting Reliability

Reliability (and also lifetime) of e-caps of any brand and type depend

in a non-linear way on temperature, ripple current and operating volt-

age. Small changes in any of these parameters show great impact on

the overall performance of these components. A carefully designed

circuit is essential for obtaining the required reliability level of a

device:

Complexity – reducing the component count enhances the reliability.

Stress – Temperature, ripple current and operating voltage, some-

times in combination with mechanical stress like vibration, requires

compromises with respect to cost and size. Whenever possible, the

thermal stress should be kept to the minimum: for each 10 K of tem-

perature increase, the failure rate of e-caps doubles!

Reliability of individual components – when selecting components,

their individual reliability should be considered taking into account

their cost. High reliable components are usually bearing a higher

price tag.


P R O T E C T I O N

Figure 5: Failure Rate Multiplying Factors (MIL HDBK-217F)

Figure 4: Failure Modes and Failure Mechanisms

Successful Application of Electrolytic Capacitors

The majority of field failures observed with e-caps are not related to

classical random failures. Beyond the scope of influence of the e-cap

manufacturer, the end user is obliged to safeguard proper operating

conditions by ensuring robust design, careful handling and manufac-

ture processes and moderate environmental influences. See the

below list for some hints on the successful application of e-caps:

Transport and Storage

E-cap cans (pure Aluminum) and e-cap seal (rubber) are soft and

elastic. Obviously damaged (indented) components should thus not

be utilized. Contamination by halines (in particular Bromide for steril-

izing oversea shipments) are regrettably often found. This applies

both to the shipment of individual components as well as to the trans-

port of finished goods.

Mounting and Assembly

Pushing, pulling or bending of the terminals (in particular with radial

e-caps) has to be avoided. Severe damage to the inner contacts of

anode or cathode foil may result.

Glue, molding compounds and lacquers must be free from halines. In

the vicinity of the e-cap’s seal, an opening to the ambient should be

maintained to prevent the build-up of a microclimate in a confined

space beneath (risk of corrosion). Conducting tracks shouldn’t be

routed below any e-cap. Electrolytics must never be used as a „han-

dle“ for a PCB.

Soldering

The soldering temperature limits specified by the manufacturer must

be kept to avoid damages (bulging, lifetime loss or thermal destruc-

tion of the electrolyte). This applies in particular to the processing of

SMT e-caps in a lead-free reflow process (higher temperature solder-

ing profiles).

Operation

When switching on or off, voltage transients from inductive loads

beyond the forming or reverse voltage may occur. Even if only

applied once, these type transients cause permanent damage to the

electrolytic capacitor and must be avoided by proper design.

Mechanical overstress during operation (e.g., self resonance) may

cause breaking of connecting tabs. Gluing the e-caps to the PCB or

placing them at a different location may solve the issue.

Any increase of ambient temperature by 10 K doubles the failure rate

and halves the lifetime. Placing e-caps away from heat sources (heat

sinks, power inductors,…) is thus beneficial.

Summary

By their individual reliability, aluminum electrolytic capacitors influ-

ence the reliability of the electronic devices they are mounted in. A

thorough knowledge of some of the key parameters of these compo-

nents are necessary to ensure the reliable design of electronic

devices.

The definition of reliability and the most important influence factors on

reliability are explained. A collection of practical hints helps as a

guideline to the successful application of electrolytic capacitors.

The applicability of the general guidelines depends on the specific

product type and the particular application. Consultations with the

supplier are essential to get guidance throughout the design project

and to confirm any estimates.

References

[1] Albertsen, A., Lebe lang und in Frieden! Hilfsmittel für eine prax-

isnahe Elko-Lebensdauerabschätzung, Elektronik Components

2009, 22-28 (2009)

[2] Both, J., Aluminium-Elektrolytkondensatoren, Teil 1 - Ripplestrom

und Teil 2- Lebensdauerberechnung, BC Components, February

10, 2000

[3] Stiny, L., Handbuch passiver elektronischer Bauelemente,

Franzis Verlag, Poing, 2007

[4] Venet, P., A. Lahyani, G. Grellet, A. Ah-Jaco, Influence of aging

on electrolytic capacitors function in static converters: Fault pre-

diction method, Eur. Phys. J. AP 5, 71-83 (1999)

www.jianghai-europe.com

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It wasn’t that long ago computers were interconnected with a local

area connection (LAN) that struggled to maintain 10 megabits per

second. Early 10BASE-T LANs used hubs which were ignorant of the

source or destination addresses of the packets and blindly repeated

the data to everyone. Ethernet has evolved a great deal since those

early days and now routinely and cost effectively transports data with

media speeds of a gigabit per second. Servers and high perform-

ance work stations can even have 10 gigabit per second Ethernet

connections to prevent bottle necks and to speed LAN performance.

The Reality of Speed

But all of this comes at a price. As bandwidth increases, the frequen-

cies of the semiconductor processes must also increase to meet the

performance requirements of the standard. The power dissipation in

bulk CMOS rises linearly with frequency so as the devices run faster,

the power increases proportionally in the same size geometry

process. Manufacturers of these devices continue to migrate to

smaller geometry processes to shrink the die size and reduce cost –

but there is another good reason to move. CMOS power dissipation

varies as the square of the supply voltage so the overall power dissi-

pation will be lower. It may appear at first that this shrinking is actu-

ally improving the power consumption since the square term is affect-

ing the total power more significantly – which is true. However, there

are other forces actually causing the energy consumption to increase

dramatically.

For example, a state-of-the-art gigabit network interface card (NIC) in

gigabit mode will consume roughly 3W of power when active. A 10

gigabit network adapter card will draw roughly 15W. If you examine

the energy per bit between these two adapters the power is actually

dropping quite quickly (the overall efficiency of moving the bits is

increasing). For the 1G adapter, the aggregate energy is roughly 3

micro-joules per bit transported and the 10G adapter is roughly 1.5

micro-joules per bit transported. So it could be easily argued that the

energy consumption of moving the bits is decreasing – which it obvi-

ously is. The problem is the number of nodes is also increasing and

aggregating into switches that aggregate into networks that connect

to the cloud. At a minimum if the number of nodes remains the same

the overall power will increase.

Consider a 1G interconnection draws 1W and a 10G connection

draws 10 watts (roughly). Now consider a small network of 96 nodes

aggregated into 4 switches with a fiber connection to a larger network

(see figure 1).

At 1G interconnection speed, the network connections (when all

active) will draw roughly 280W of power (2 * 96W plus 8 10G switch

interconnects at 10W each). When the network moves to 10G the

total power soars to over 1900W not including the now 100G switch

C O M M U N I C A T I O N P O W E R


The Growth of InterconnectionPower Budgets

Active cable technique is being applied to all kinds of interconnect standards

In the last 10 years the energy cost of interconnecting equipment has continued to growdue to increased bandwidth requirements. Since the rise of gigabit Ethernet, aggregatebandwidths have also continued to rise as switched fabrics run at 10 to 100 gigabits persecond and faster. All of this increased bandwidth comes at an energy price and moving

forward it will only continue to increase. In this article we will examine the trends forever increasing interconnect bandwidths and some common solutions helping to keep the

overall system level power in check.

By: Richard F Zarr, National Semiconductor Corporation

Figure 1 – 96 Node Example Network

www.bodospower.com February 2011

interconnects! Most of this newly consumed

energy will be dissipated as heat so the new

network will also dissipate roughly an addi-

tional 1600 watts of power.

Additional Issues

As power increases within the infrastructure,

problems start to appear where the network

aggregates – in the switches and networking

equipment. A server with a 10G Ethernet

card can easily accept the additional 9 watts

of power (minimal when compared to the

server’s power itself). But when all of the

switches are upgraded, then a concentration

of power dissipation can begin to cause

issues.

A typical 24 port gigabit switch will dissipate

around 100 watts, but a 10G switch is more

on the order of 300 watts meaning a rack full

of them (assuming 20 switches with 1U

spacing) will increase the power consump-

tion by 4 kilowatts most likely exceeding the

maximum rating for the rack itself. This

means an installation will either need to

rewire for higher power per rack or spread

the switches across multiple racks (a more

likely scenario).

The Standard Grows

The 802.3 Ethernet standards for 10G inter-

connect provide a very large number of vari-

ants which include everything from back

planes to LAN and wide area networks

(WAN). So far the references to 10G Ether-

net referred to the 802.3an-2006 specifica-

tion for unshielded or shielded twisted pair

and the familiar RJ-45 jack with transmission

characteristics now extended to 500MHz.

The extra power for this standard comes

from both the physical layer (driving 100

meters) and from automatically adapting to

variations of the cables plus backward com-

patibility with previous Base-T Ethernet stan-

dards.

In enterprise network applications it is rare to

find 10GBASE-T used for interconnection

due to the higher power from the physical

layer and the requirements for longer reach.

The original intent of the 10G 802.3ae speci-

fication was to provide network interconnects

using Ethernet framing over fiber optic cable.

The actual optical physical layers depend on

the application, so manufacturers of switch-

es use connections that provide for an exter-

nal module. Standards such as Small Form-

factor Pluggable (SFP, SFP+), Xenpak, X2

and XFP are all used for variations of Ether-

net over fiber. This allows enterprise net-

work operators to pick and choose which

modules they will need for each intercon-

nect.

10G modules will consume around 1W per

port which is considerably less than

10GBASE-T (802.3an-2006) ports, but are

very expensive since each port needs one.

In most cases, the interconnection of net-

work switches are less than a few meters, so

specialized passive cables are used that fit

the SFP+ or other connector standard. The

problem with passive cable is the size – fiber

optic cables have a very small diameter

which provides airflow around the back of

equipment. Once those are replaced with

the larger diameter passive cables, then air-

flow is affected and can result in equipment

overheating or premature failure. Passive

cables also suffer from limited reach but are

far less expensive than optical modules and

fiber.

Recently, a technology called Active Cable is

finding a mid-point between passive copper

wire and fiber. By placing the signal condi-

tioning in the connector of the cable (e.g.

inside the SFP shell), driving and equaliza-

tion functions can provide equivalent 10.3

gigabit performance to fiber optics over small

gauge wire (i.e. 32 AWG) for lengths up to

30 meters at lower power. Overall the bene-

fit is lower cost, similar mechanical bend and

cooling characteristics to fiber and reduced

interconnect power over optical equivalents.

The active cable technique is being applied

to all kinds of interconnect standards includ-

ing 40G/100G Ethernet, Infiniband, SAS and

SATA and many others as an alternative to

costly and power hungry optical fiber con-

nections.

Conclusions

With the rise of network interconnect speeds

designers will be continuously challenged to

move larger amounts of data at the lowest

power possible. Even if the energy per bit is

decreasing, the number of nodes is increas-

ing at a larger pace pushing more require-

ments back into the data center for faster

connections, lower latency and power. With

these growing requirements, solutions such

as active cable will allow high speed inter-

connect while keeping power in check.

www.national.com

The advantages that result from implementing drive controls with

FPGAs are already known to many developers. Servo drives with

digital control algorithms for improved intelligence increasingly rely on

floating point algorithms rather than fixed point algorithms, which

clearly simplifies the programming, although it also requires more

computing power and thus a changeover to x86 processors. In the

process, the trend for implementation of the interfaces toward dedi-

cated control electronics in proximity to the motor is calling ever more

for flexibility, for example with ASICs.¹ But development of ASICs

requires a comparatively large investment – so is suitable only for

mass providers. In addition, they mostly lag somewhat behind what is

feasible with the continuous further development of the technologies:

until a new ASIC is on the market, correspondingly large further

developments are required so that the initial costs of development

pay for themselves. Furthermore, motion control OEMs have the

problem of older ASIC components being discontinued. Also, once

completely developed, an ASIC can no longer be individually adapted

without alteration to the hardware. Then new development is again

required. Subsequent customizing of such solutions is thus no longer

feasible.

Things are quite different with FPGAs. These components are indeed

somewhat more expensive when produced compared to ASICs, but

they are reprogrammable and thus re-adaptable, even while in opera-

tion. That offers clear advantages when customizing, such as adapta-

tion of the motion control to the motor and field bus connection used

and also especially with constant further development of the motion

controller. It promotes the sustainability and thus long-term availability

of an application. For this reason, many developers are increasingly

oriented toward FPGAs and IPC technology and are thus implement-

ing, for example, closed-loop functionality with resolver or encoder

interfaces and activation of power electronics and other functions,

including fast field bus or industrial Ethernet connections of the drive

controllers.

The combination of FPGAs and IPC technology in a highly integrated

tandem opens up further options: compact controls with so-called

“soft drives” can thus be very efficiently implemented. This means the

control circuits can be freely programmable via the IPC, which

increases flexibility even further. A lot of intelligence can thus be

packed directly into the control. By using a fast field bus, for example,

even calculation of the path (trajectory) can be shifted away from the


Well-Rounded Drives & Motion Platform

PCIe/104 Module with Intel Atom Processor E6x5C

With the Kontron Microspace® MSMST, for the first time a PCIe/104 embedded single-boardcomputer is available which offers a processor of the Intel Atom E600 series with an Alterafield-programmable gate array (FPGA) on a single multi-chip module. Such a solution is

very attractive for drives & motion providers: they can now use a platform that is availableas a series product in a highly integrated fashion and is more quickly adaptable for

individual wishes than if a completely customized design had to be developed.

By Andres Kammermann, Sales Director, Kontron

servo regulator to the control and calculated there. However, the pre-

condition for this is fast industrial busses which, for example, are

already given with the availability of various industrial Ethernet vari-

ants. The various industrial Ethernet variants indeed require specific

processing mechanisms that can differ according to target applica-

tion. But even this challenge is easy to deal with by means of an

FPGA-based Ethernet connection. All industrial Ethernet protocols

can thus be supported with only one hardware unit and also long-

term, because the FPGA configuration required for the respective

protocol can also be easily and flexibly adapted to future protocol

developments by loading the software along with the suitable proto-

col stack into the FPGA.

Therefore, the future is: more highly integrated computing intelligence

creates a regulating control with noticeably reduced distributed intelli-

gence in the decentralized control which is in proximity to the motor,

and independence of the underlying network infrastructure through

use of FPGAs. This trend is comparable to that which is taking place

in the IT area with cloud computing: after the intelligence was initially

decentralized, due to the increasingly fast networks the potential

exists for shifting the intelligence to central servers in the cloud. Only

the computing power that has to be kept on site remains decentral-

ized. Thus there are also important development steps in the central

motion controllers or central control and regulation computers as well

as in network performance, which today can amount to 1 GB/s and

in the future 10 Gbps bandwidth and also facilitates central comput-

ing cycles with very high decentralized sampling rates.

Depending on the concept, the regulation can thus also perform cal-

culations to the point of the trajectory. The boundaries are also

blurred, for example, as to whether the fine interpolation, speed and

position control circuit are calculated in the regulator or in the control.

If FPGA and x86 technology are combined in a system, motion con-

trol providers have a solution with which all new state-of-the-art solu-

tions can be developed in a highly integrated fashion. And all this on

a footprint that is getting increasingly smaller. There are thus two

main application areas for the x86 board with FPGA: either as a

motion controller with field bus connection controlled “as needed” by

the FPGA or as an all-in-one system with the complete control tech-

nology needed for drive control.

Such a solution is now available as a series product, so that OEM

solutions can be brought onto the market much more quickly and reli-

ably. Motion OEMs profit additionally by being able to concentrate

totally on application development, because they can get the hard-

ware design directly from the embedded computer manufacturer, as

a finished series product or as an individually adapted solution. But in

the past there were no standard platforms that could be ordered from

manufacturers as series products. A tailor-made design was always

required and at least the interaction between processor and FPGA

had to be individually developed and validated. This effort has been

noticeably reduced with the availability of a multi-chip module which

combines an Intel Atom processor of the E600 series with an Altera

FPGA and is clearly made even easier with the availability of stan-

dard form factors such as PCIe/104.

The Kontron MSMST PCIe/104 SBC (see box) marks a new mile-

stone of this integration, because it is currently the only available

solution worldwide which has already implemented the highly inte-

grated multi-chip module. It offers an HSMC slot for high-speed mez-

zanine cards (HSMCs) for the customized I/Os. HSMCs physically

execute the desired interfaces of the FPGA. Thus, at the customer’s

M O T I O N C O N T R O L


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request, Kontron will support a multitude of field bus solutions such

as Profinet, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP and MODBUS TCP. If, for exam-

ple, compatible HSMCs are obtained directly from Altera, the suitable

IP cores are usually already part of the delivery. Thus the application

evaluation can quickly start after only a few steps and installation rou-

tines. After successful evaluation, Kontron then also takes over the

ready-for-production development and manufacture of the cus-

tomized platform, as needed. Already validated IP cores, for exam-

ple, are available for industrial I/Os such as CAN bus, serial inter-

faces (SPI Master / UART), PCI Express, I2C and GPIO. Other

industrial cores are in development or validation. The platform can

thus be quickly, easily and increasingly flexibly configured. OEMs

need only the required IP core and the corresponding high-speed

mezzanine cards (HSMCs) to execute the interfaces. If needed after

expanded functionality, Kontron also offers FPGA programming as a

service. This flexibility, paired with the new x86/FPGA ecosystem and

its IP cores and HSMCs, makes the Kontron PCIe/104 MICRO-

SPACE MSMST a highly attractive SBC for dedicated motion control

platforms.

Details on the PCIe/104 MICROSPACE MSMST embedded single-

board computer

Thanks to the integrated Altera Arria II GX FPGA, the Kontron

PCIe/104 MICROSPACE® MSMST embedded single-board comput-

er has a highly adaptable I/O design. OEMs need only the IP core

required for FPGA programming and the corresponding high-speed

mezzanine cards (HSMCs) which physically execute the desired

interfaces. Already validated IP cores, for example, are available for

industrial I/Os such as CAN bus, serial interfaces (SPI Master /

UART), PCI Express, I2C and GPIO. In addition, the Kontron SBC

was developed specifically for use in an expanded industrial temper-

ature range (-40°C to +85°C). This rugged design also expands the

range of possible areas where the new Kontron SBC can be used to

include areas with adverse ambient conditions.

On the hardware side, the Kontron PCIe/104 MICROSPACE®

MSMST is equipped with the Intel Atom E6x5C processor series, with

up to 1.3 GHz and 2 GB onboard DRAM. The performance-optimized

graphics media accelerator (Intel GMA 600), with up to 128 Mbytes,

18/24 bit LVDS and SDVO interface, is integrated in the processor.

als are displayed via optional media boards for VGA or DVI. High-

definition audio signals are optionally executed via SPDIF (out) and 2

x analog stereo for line-out and mic-in. Storage media are connected

via 2 x SATA300. 2 x USB 2.0 and optionally 1 x gigabit LAN are

available at other interfaces.

Integration of innumerable customized I/O options takes place via the

PCI Express bus of the PCIe/104-compatible module or via the

HSMC interface. The trusted platform module (TPM) provides for a

high level of safety and reliability due to the hardware-encryption of

all transmitted data.

www.kontron.de

M O T I O N C O N T R O L


Figure 3: High-speed mezzanine cards (HSMC) execute the inter-faces defined by the FPGA.

Figure 2: The Intel Atom E6x5C processor series unites the advan-tages of the Intel Atom E6x5 processor series with a field-program-mable gate array (FPGA) from Altera.

Figure 1: Kontron offers the first PCIe/104 embedded single-boardcomputer (SBC) worldwide which combines a processor of the IntelAtom E6x5 series with an Altera field-programmable gate array(FPGA) on a single multi-chip module and is suitable for use in theindustrial temperature range.

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The Genesis chip is an IGBT module, co-developed with and pro-

duced by Vishay for use in photovoltaic systems in private homes.

This IGBT module is used as the power unit in the inverters for con-

verting the DC voltage generated by the solar cells into AC voltage

that can be fed into the grid. The big players in the inverter industry

use patented technologies in the power unit, but there is also a mar-

ket with numerous not so large inverter manufacturers, who do not

use patented topologies. It was precisely these companies, who rely

on standard topologies, which constantly struggled in the past to

keep up with the big companies because it was extremely difficult for

them to meet the requirements of the market in terms of efficiency

and also to achieve a very high level of reliability at the same time.

The first EBVchip Genesis now enables these companies to compete

much better with the competition, with only minimal changes to the

software being required in order to integrate Genesis into an existing

solution. Since, in developing Genesis, EBV Elektronik had a solution

with high efficiency and utmost reliability in its sights from the outset,

Genesis employs a standard boost topology with a bridge configura-

tion. For the casing, EBV and Vishay consciously opted for a well-

proven technology in the form of the ECONO2 (Econopack 2).

Although cheaper casings than ECONO2 are available, which are

also used in some of the latest generation of inverters, there is

another important element that has to be factored into the equation,

namely that the Econo2 casing permits an exceptionally high level of

reliability. Since end customers base their calculations of the amorti-

sation period for their photovoltaic systems on a functional period of

over ten, often over 15 years, and sometimes even over 20 years, it

is unacceptable for them to have to exchange the inverter after only

five or six years.

Genesis: Its creation

The basic idea of Genesis involves offering the inverter developers a

solution that is extremely easy to use, which they can integrate into

their existing design within the scope of a migration path and without

major effort, and that works with a high level of efficiency and reliabil-

ity, whilst offering good electromagnetic compatibility. It is precisely

these requirements that Genesis satisfies, with the effect that the

over 50 prospective customers in Europe, who could use this RoHS-

compliant module, have already expressed serious interest in Gene-

sis: from Spain to Turkey and from Italy to Germany through to East-

ern Europe. EBV Elektronik defined the design initially with one key

account customer, whereas the subsequent fine tuning ensued in

close collaboration with several customers and developers from

Vishay.

EBV developed Genesis for designs in which six-pack modules are

already used. Many of these customers already had ideas as to what

they require, but, owing to the high NRE costs of a customer-specific

design, they have not implemented these ideas thus far. It is precise-

ly here that the performance of the EBVchips comes into play, which

Slobodan Puljarevic, President and CEO of EBV Elektronik phrased

very aptly when presenting the concept of EBVchips back in early

2010: “With EBVchips, we are now the extended arm of many thou-

sands of customers to the manufacturer.” Accordingly, Genesis is def-

initely not designed for one customer only and not just for one nation-

al market, but can be used the world over. Without the orientation to

vertical markets, the EBVchips also would not have even been possi-

ble.

In January 2010, EBV presented the EBVchips concept and, even

before electronica 2010, various customers had already received

working Genesis products. EBV will begin shipping Genesis in quan-

tities to customers as early as Q1 2011.

When, after the initial talks with customers, EBV began to look for a

suitable manufacturer for Genesis, the company first spoke with vari-

ous partners who, within the scope of the EBV line card, constituted

potential manufacturers, before finally opting in favour of Vishay.

With regard to the technical feasibility, EBV could in theory have also

implemented the Genesis project with other partners from its line

P O W E R M O D U L E S

Genesis – Let there be Chips!IGBT module for use in photovoltaic systems in private homes

The best-selling book in the world, the Bible, starts with the ‘Book of Genesis’, “because it is about the creation of the World …”, explains the ecumenical Bible

translation – and the word for ‘creation’ is ‘genesis’ in both Greek and Latin.

By Klaus Schlund, Director Technical Marketing EBV Elektronik

Figure 1: Econopack 2

Figure 2: Genesis Power Module

www.bodospower.com

card, but Vishay showed an exceptionally high degree of flexibility

and, from the very outset, expressed its readiness to lend the proj-

ect its full support and to implement it as quickly as possible. In

other cases, the decision for a specific manufacturer can also

depend solely on the technology.

The current variant of Genesis is already the third version of the

specification. The individual iterations were necessary because

new customer requests have constantly been incorporated into the

design. Without these additional iteration steps, EBV could have

launched the module even faster onto the market. Since the

experts at EBV spoke directly with the engineers in the factory with-

out all the usual bureaucratic rigmarole, it was possible to stream-

line this iterative fine tuning process.

EBV supplied the first samples without a built-in thermistor as a

means of thermal protection, since most customers did not want

this functionality. Nevertheless, EBV is capable of developing vari-

ants also with a built-in thermistor within the space of two months.

Since the responsible engineers at the Vishay and EBV factories

communicate with each other via a direct communication channel,

it is possible to make changes to the design in real-time.

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Genesis: The data

Genesis is a complete power unit integrated into one module for sin-

gle-phase inverters in photovoltaic applications. With its ratings of

600 V / 50 A (in continuous operation) for a conversion frequency of

4 to 30 kHz, Genesis is targeted precisely at applications in the resi-

dential sector, which mostly have a power rating of between 2.5 and

6 kVA. Even in the choice of semiconductor devices integrated into

the module, EBV had, from the very outset, an extremely high-quality

end product in mind. Thus for instance, the trench IGBTs, with their

low collector to emitter saturation voltage of just 1.65 V, constitute the

best compromise between conduction and switching losses, whilst

the silicon carbide diodes ensure particularly low switching losses

and, at the same time, exceptionally good EMC performance, since

the blocking interval recovery time of SiC diodes is zero, such that

the additional snubbing required can be significantly less than with

conventional solutions.

The FRED silicon diodes act in turn as a boost bypass in the case of

high input voltages, such that the module is provided with an effec-

tive means of protection also against reverse polarity of the solar

panels. As such, Genesis is ideally equipped for use in boost stages,

which implement the concept of ‘maximum power point tracking’ of

the photovoltaic modules with a downstream single-phase bridge for

DC/AC conversion.

The new module thus constitutes, as it were, an upgrade of existing

solutions. It is an additional item in the product range, which is not

available in this form from other manufacturers. Although comparable

modules do exist with silicon carbide in the boost stage, there is no

equivalent module prior to the market launch of Genesis that also

contains a SiC diode in the bridge circuits.

The FRED silicon diodes act in turn as a boost bypass in the case of

high input voltages, such that the module is provided with an effec-

tive means of protection also against reverse polarity of the solar

panels. As such, Genesis is ideally equipped for use in boost stages,

which implement the concept of ‘maximum power point tracking’ of

the photovoltaic modules with a downstream single-phase bridge for

DC/AC conversion.

The new module thus constitutes, as it were, an upgrade of existing

solutions. It is an additional item in the product range, which is not

available in this form from other manufacturers. Although comparable

modules do exist with silicon carbide in the boost stage, there is no

equivalent module prior to the market launch of Genesis that also

contains a SiC diode in the bridge circuits.

What is more, the modules that come closest to Genesis are not

housed in Econo2 casing, although these other casings can some-

times even be cheaper. In terms of all its electrical properties, the

Econo2 casing is however better than the module casings otherwise

used. What is more, many customers who are now looking to use

Genesis have thus far devised their solution discretely. Also from a

thermal aspect, having a base plate from solid copper makes Econo2

casing better than the solutions used to date. The low thermal resist-

ance between the chip and the casing improves the thermal perform-

ance, which is then further enhanced by being installed directly on

the heat sink. Furthermore, the installation of a module is much easi-

er than the installation of individual components, which boosts the

reliability, whilst the system production costs decrease at the same

time due to less time being required for the production.

Genesis from EBV is certainly not the cheapest, but is probably the

most cost-effective solution on the market. Although the belief pre-

vailed in the industry to date that a solution such as Genesis would

be too expensive, because, however, EBV customers finally achieve

their objectives with this admittedly expensive solution, they are also

prepared to bear the additional costs on account of the significantly

more expensive silicon carbide diodes.

Compared with the overall cost of the complete inverter, the costs of

the IGBT module are however not so high, meaning that a more effi-

cient and reliable solution in a better casing represents the cheaper

option at the end of the day. Due to the interplay of the increased effi-

ciency, higher reliability and lower system production costs, the total

cost of ownership (i.e. the total development costs) of the Genesis

modules is less expensive than with other possibly comparable solu-

tions. If a manufacturer has to exchange an inverter on account of a

fault during the warranty period, this decisively reduces the profitabili-

ty of this company. With Genesis, the manufacturers get the higher

efficiency as an additional sweetener so to speak. Consequently, this

is not a low-cost migration solution, but a migration towards higher

performance coupled with higher efficiency.

Genesis is just the beginning

The great thing about EBVchips is the fact that each chip is different,

which is why the experts at EBV need to constantly think anew as to

which approach and which semiconductor manufacturer they should

use to implement a project. At the same time, however, EBV is

acquiring more and more of a routine in defining specifications. In the

beginning, it took a lot of convincing, but comments from semicon-

ductor manufacturers have since been mounting up under the motto

“this project could also have been implemented very well with us as

partners”. Because the manufacturers can see that EBV is truly high-

ly committed and can produce initial products even after such a short

time, other manufacturers are also getting actively involved such that,

depending on the potential product, a certain competitive situation

can most definitely arise between the semiconductor manufacturers

for a corresponding project in the field of EBVchips.

A module such as Genesis can of course be implemented faster than

pure semiconductor designs, which normally take up to two years

from the idea to the finished chip. Depending on the project,

EBVchips are EBV-exclusive for 3 to 5 years and sometimes even

longer. Genesis, for example, will only be available from EBV.

Genesis is ‘just’ the beginning. In early 2010, EBV commenced active

discussions with customers and also acquired a great deal of addi-

tional knowledge at the same time. Thus, it is not only in the Bible

where Genesis comes at the start of an extremely long-lasting devel-

opment and story that constantly produces new highlights; whereby

in the case of EBVchips, it is perhaps better to say “will produce”.

www.ebv.com/genesis

www.avnet.eu

Figure 3: Genesis-circuit-configuration

P O W E R M O D U L E S

44 Bodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.comBodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.com

This article describes how the circuit protec-

tion business unit of

Tyco Electronics (TE) is addressing some of

the rapid changes in these markets. The

company’s approach has allowed it to make

customized products available for the devel-

opment of emerging technologies, and deliv-

er innovative, cost-effective solutions for

existing technology.

Existing Materials and Expertise

Since its inception 30 years ago as Ray-

chem Circuit Protection, TE has emphasized

collaboration with electronics equipment

designers coupled with forward-looking

research and development of advanced

materials. This approach has expanded the

company’s initial breakthroughs in PPTC

(polymeric positive temperature coefficient)

technology into an ever-wider range of

industries and applications. TE has also

advanced the reach of circuit protection

technology by integrating polymeric materi-

als with other protection technologies, such

as metal oxide varistors and Zener diodes to

provide coordinated overcurrent/overvoltage

protection. Figure 1 illustrates some signifi-

cant product advancements that specifically

address the evolving industry requirements.

New Approach to Li-Ion Battery Protection

The portable battery market is evolving from

traditional low-power portable applications to

much higher power applications. This trend

is seen in lithium ion (Li-ion) battery applica-

tions for power portables, such as power

tools, motive power (e.g., electric bikes) or

standby power (e.g., solar panel back up

systems). While Li-ion batteries can be more

powerful, lighter and more environmentally

friendly, they require more rigorous safety

designs than nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batter-

ies, and emerging safety standards that

address Li-ion battery designs for high

power applications will require new levels of

protection.

Currently there are few protection solutions

for high-rate-discharge battery applications

at ratings above 30VDC/30A, and many of

the conventional circuit protection techniques

are large, complex and/or expensive. One

approach can be to use a combination of ICs

and MOSFETS. Another design technique

may use a conventional

bimetal protector in DC power applications

requiring 30A+ hold current. However, the

contacts must be large enough to handle the

high current. Additionally, the number of

switching cycles must be limited due to con-

tact damage that may result from arcing

between the

contacts.

In November 2010, TE introduced the Metal

Hybrid PPTC (MHP). The MHP device

addresses the need for a cost-effective cir-

cuit protection device that can replace or

help reduce the number of discharge FETs

and accompanying heat sinks used in com-

plex IC/FET battery protection designs.

Essentially, the device offers space-

reduction, cost-reduction and protection-

enhancement benefits for emerging high-

rate-discharge Li-ion battery pack applica-

tions.

P R O T E C T I O N

Circuit Protection SolutionsAddress Emerging Market Trends

RTP device helps meet the reliability requirements of automotive power electronics systems

Electronic components manufacturers are perpetually challenged to keep pace with theevolution of the industry. In particular, the growth and density of electronic content inautomotive, industrial, consumer electronics and telecommunications applications has

been dizzying.

By Faraz Hasan, Global Strategic Marketing / Business Development Manager, Appliance / Industrial / Lighting, Tyco Electronics Circuit Protection Devices (CPD)

Figure 1: TE technology breakthroughs from 1980 to 2010

P R O T E C T I O N


This new hybrid device connects a bimetal

protector in parallel with

a PPTC device, providing resettable overcur-

rent protection while

utilizing the low resistance of the PPTC ele-

ment to help prevent

arcing in the bimetal protector at higher cur-

rents.

As shown in Figure 2, because contact

resistance is very low during normal opera-

tion, most of the current goes through the

bimetal. When an abnormal event occurs,

such as a rotor lock, higher current is gener-

ated in the circuit, causing the bimetal con-

tact to open and its contact resistance to

increase.

If the contact resistance is higher than the

PPTC device’s resistance most of the cur-

rent goes to the PPTC device and no — or

less — current remains on the contact,

therefore preventing arcing between the con-

tacts. When current shunts to the PPTC

device, its resistance rapidly increases to a

level much higher than the contact resist-

ance and the PPTC heats up. After the con-

tact opens, the PPTC device begins to heat

the bimetal and latches it until the overcur-

rent event ends or the power is turned off.

Addressing New Automotive Power Sys-

tem Trends

The automotive power electronics market

has grown quickly, with comfort and active

safety features becoming more common.

Some conventional mechanical functions

such as power steering and

electronic parking systems are migrating to

electronic applications.

In parallel, the communications market is

evolving. User demand for constant-connec-

tivity is leading to the increasing density of IT

server farms and telecom centers around the

world, along with higher power machines

and denser PCBs. These market trends

place greater demands on power electronic

systems, resulting in the potential for serious

thermal issues when power components,

such as powerFETs, capacitors, resistors or

ICs fail due to harsh environmental condi-

tions. This is also a concern in the industrial

market, which is evolving and expanding

globally.

In response to these trends, TE introduced

the Reflowable Thermal Protection (RTP)

device, also in November 2010. Developed

in collaboration with automotive power elec-

tronics designers, this secondary protection

device addresses the need for more robust

thermal protection in automotive electronics

systems. It also addresses

applications such as telecom power systems

and high-end test equipment.

This first-of-a-kind device helps prevent ther-

mal runaway events that can be generated

by multiple factors, including power compo-

nent failures or corrosion-induced heating.

The surface-mount device will open in the

event that it achieves its critical temperature

set at 200°C or below, remaining at higher

than normal operating temperatures but

lower than lead (Pb)-free solder melting lev-

els.

Automotive powerFETs have been shown to

be more prone to fatigue and failure than

devices that are installed in less demanding

applications. Although a powerFET may

pass initial testing, it has been demonstrated

that, given certain conditions, random weak

points in the device can result in field failure.

www.bodospower.com February 2011 Bodo´s Power Systems®

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Even in situations where the powerFET is

functioning within specified operating condi-

tions, random and unpredictable resistive

shorts at varying resistance values have

been reported.

The resistive mode failure is of particular

concern, not only for the powerFET but for

the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). As little as

10W may generate a localized hot spot of

more than 180ºC, well above the typical

PCB’s glass transition temperature of 135ºC,

damaging the board’s epoxy structure and

leading to a thermal event. Figure 3

describes a scenario where a failed power-

FET may not generate a hard short overcur-

rent condition but instead a resistive short,

producing potentially unsafe temperatures

through I2R heating. In this case the result-

ing current may not be high enough to blow

a standard fuse and stop thermal runaway

on the PCB.

As shown in Figure 4, when the RTP device

is mounted in close proximity to a powerFET

it tracks the FET temperature. If the FET

exceeds its normal operating temperature

limit and generates an overheating condition,

the RTP device activates and opens the

power source line.

The RTP device helps meet the reliability

requirements of automotive power electron-

ics systems such as cooling fan applications,

as well as ABS, power steering, PTC

heaters, etc. The RTP200 device’s 200°C

open temperature helps prevent false activa-

tions and improves system reliability since it

is a value above the normal operating win-

dow of most normally functioning electronics,

but below the melting point of typical Pb-free

solders. As a result, the RTP200 device will

not open if surrounding components are

operating in their target temperature range,

but it will open before a neighboring compo-

nent de-solders and creates the potential

risk of additional short circuits.

The surface mount device can be quickly

and easily installed using industry-standard

pick-and-place and Pb-free reflow equip-

ment, and can withstand multiple reflow

passes with peak temperatures exceeding

well over 200°C and yet, in the field, will

open when it detects temperatures above

200°C. (The 200°C value is the opening

temperature of the RTP200 device, the first

device introduced in a product family. Addi-

tional temperature options are scheduled for

future releases.)

Bodo´s Power Systems® February 2011 www.bodospower.com

P R O T E C T I O N

Figure 3: PowerFET failure in resistive mode can lead to overtemperature conditions

Figure 4: In a slow thermal runaway condition, the RTP200 device tracks the powerFET tem-perature until it opens the circuit at 200ºC

Figure 2: MHP device principle of operation

To allow it to open at 200°C in the field after going through standard

reflow installation, the RTP device utilizes a one-time electronic arm-

ing process to become thermally sensitive. Before the arming proce-

dure, it can withstand at least three Pb-free solder reflow steps with-

out opening. The arming procedure can be implemented to occur

automatically at system power up or during manufacturing end of line

system testing.

Continuing Innovation

The new MHP and RTP technologies demonstrate the company’s

commitment to providing leading-edge solutions to electronics equip-

ment manufacturers. These industry-first technologies also affirm

how long-term investment in material development and collaboration

with customers have allowed TE to push existing performance levels

into new, smaller, and more convenient packages.

These circuit protection devices are the initial offerings of two new

product families. Product line extensions for the MHP and RTP

devices are now being developed to target a broader spectrum of

application requirements; such as an MHP device for 400V/60A appli-

cations, and various resistance or opening temperatures for RTP

devices.

www.circuitprotection.com



N E W P R O D U C T S

Power Integrations announced a new reference design (RDK-251) for

a 5-watt offline LED driver that includes flicker-free TRIAC dimming

and single-stage power factor correction (PFC). The reference design

is based on Power Integrations’ LNK457DG, a member of the innova-

tive LinkSwitch-PL family of LED driver ICs optimized for compact,

non-isolated installations.

The reference design provides a single constant-current output of

350 mA at a nominal LED string voltage of 15 V. The output current

can be reduced using a standard AC mains TRIAC dimmer down to

1% (3 mA) without instability or flickering of the LED array. The sup-

ply is compatible with both low-cost, leading-edge dimmers and more

sophisticated trailing-edge dimmers. It operates over the universal

AC input range (85 VAC to 265 VAC, 47 Hz to 63 Hz) and can with-

stand an input range of 0 VAC to 300 VAC, improving field reliability

and lifetime during line sags and swells.

www.powerint.com

Reference Design for 5 W LED Lamps with PFC

Texas Instruments introduced a power man-

agement controller and driver for standard

and logic-level N-channel MOSFETs used

for low-voltage, secondary-side synchronous

rectification. The UCC24610 Green Rectifier

controller improves power supply efficiency

as much as five percent, and reduces pri-

mary-side power loss in 5-volt AC/DC

adapters and bias supplies.

The 600-kHz UCC24610 Green Rectifier

provides power-saving features and design

flexibility not available from traditional diode

rectifier solutions. Its micro-sleep current,

automatic light-load management and syn-

chronous wake-up features help maximize

efficiency. The UCC24610 uses drain-to-

source voltage sensing to support flyback

and LLC resonant converters, as well as

other power architectures, to give designers

greater flexibility.

www.ti.com

Green Rectifier Controller for 5-V Supplies

International Rectifier has expanded its offering of 40 V to 100 V

automotive qualified MOSFETs including a family of logic level

devices. The new MOSFETs are suitable for heavy load applications

used in traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) platforms and

micro and hybrid vehicle platforms.

The new automotive MOSFETs are optimized to deliver low on-state

resistance (RDS(on)) across a range of voltages from as low as 8

mohm at 55V. Additionally, the logic level MOSFET devices simplify

gate drive requirements while saving board space and component

count.

The new family of MOSFETs is built on the AU Gen 10.2 trench tech-

nology. All of IR’s automotive MOSFETs are subject to dynamic and

static part average testing combined with 100 percent automated

wafer level visual inspection as part of IR’s automotive quality initia-

tive targeting zero defects. AEC-Q101 qualification requires that there

is no more than a 20 percent change in RDS(on) after 1,000 temper-

ature cycles of testing. However, in extended testing IR’s new AU Bill

Of Materials exhibited a maximum RDS(on) shift of only 12% at

5,000 temperature cycles, demonstrating the strength and rugged-

ness of the Bill of Materials.

The new devices are qualified according to AEC-Q101 standards,

feature an environmentally friendly, lead-free and RoHS compliant bill

of materials. Datasheets and qualification standards are available on

the International Rectifier website and spice models are available on

request.

www.irf.com

Automotive Qualified MOSFETs

C O N T E N T S


Analog Devices is expanding its extensive portfolio of digital isolation

products with the industry’s smallest isolated dc-to-dc converter.

Offering a 5-kV root-mean square isolation rating in a 10-mm × 10-

mm package, the ADuM6000 is a 0.5 watt device that integrates

ADI’s proprietary iCoupler digital isolation technology and isoPower

dc-dc converter.

The digital isolator allows designers to free up valuable circuit-board

real estate while eliminating the time-consuming step of securing

medical or other safety approvals (such as IEC-60601-1), all at a

fraction of the cost of alternative devices, including optocouplers.

Safety is a key requirement in medical and industrial designs, and

the ADuM6000 protects the device and end users from exposure to

voltage levels that could compromise safety and reliability.

The ADuM6000 digital isolator enables designers to reduce the form

factor of their system module or to maintain the same form factor

even as they add more features and functions. With alternate solu-

tions, such as optocouplers and separate, isolated dc-to-dc convert-

ers, it may not be possible to add new functionality to existing system

modules.

www.analog.com/icoupler

Digital Isolation Device DC/DC Converter Technology

National Semiconductor marked the 20-year anniversary of its SIM-

PLE SWITCHER brand of products. Since 1990, electronic system

engineers around the world have created designs featuring National’s

SIMPLE SWITCHER products, with over 1.5 billion units shipped to

date. More than 100,000 engineers design power supplies with SIM-

PLE SWITCHER power modules, voltage regulators and controllers

each year, with end applications spanning the entire electronics

industry, from automotive to industrial.

National introduced its first generation of SIMPLE SWITCHER regu-

lators in 1990. Unique and unheard of at the time, the products were

created to enable any designer, even a novice, to easily and quickly

design a highly efficient switching power solution.

The LM257x family of four products featured a wide input voltage

range from 4V to 60V, supported currents up to 3A, operated at 52

kHz, and was offered in through-hole and surface mount packages.

A typical design delivered peak efficiencies up to 89 percent and

required just five components…simple.

Compared to the first generation, the latest SIMPLE SWITCHER

products, the LMZ1420x, LMZ1200x and LMZ1050x power modules,

deliver megahertz switching frequency, 96 percent efficiency, full cur-

rent operation above 100 degrees C, and EMI performance well

below CISPR 22 restrictive emission levels. Now, a single integrated

TO-PMOD package (similar to the industry-standard TO-263)

includes all the inductors, diodes, regulators, resistors and capaci-

tors…simpler today.

www.national.com/analog/power/simple_switcher

20 Years to Make Power Design Simple

Rogers Corporation has introduced its new

XT/duroid high performance thermoplastic

laminate materials, ideal for high frequency

multilayer circuits in the most demanding

operating environments. The XT/duroid prod-

uct line includes XT/duroid 8000 laminates

for multilayer designs with as many as five

layers and XT/duroid 8100 laminates for

constructions with six or more circuit layers.

Both laminates feature thin halogen-free

dielectrics and are available with low-profile

copper foil cladding for use in double-sided

and multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs).

Low profile copper bonded directly to the

dielectric without the use of adhesives

results in low insertion loss for these thin

materials.

The highly reliable, flame-retardant lami-

nates are thermally and chemically robust

with extremely high melting points, making

them well suited for rugged military and

aerospace applications, including airborne

lightning strike protection circuits, phased-

array antennas, and unmanned aerial vehi-

cles (UAVs). These materials exhibit low out-

gassing characteristics, required for use in

high-vacuum, deep-space applications.

Rogers’ new XT/duroid 8000 laminates fea-

ture a z-axis dielectric constant of 3.23 ±0.05

at 10 GHz and a dissipation factor of 0.0035

or less at 10 GHz. They deliver stable elec-

trical performance over wide frequency

ranges, with a low thermal coefficient of

dielectric constant of +7 ppm/°C from -50 to

+150°C. They also exhibit excellent thermal

conductivity of 0.35 W/m/°K.

XT/duroid 8000 laminates can withstand

extreme thermal conditions, with an estimat-

ed maximum operating temperature of

greater than +210°C and melt temperature

well beyond that of PTFE-based circuit

materials. XT/duroid 8000 circuit materials

are designed for ease of processing, and are

compatible with lead-free-solder assembly

methods.

For more complex multilayer circuit construc-

tions requiring excellent stability, XT/duroid

8100 laminates benefit from the additional

dimensional stability of a reinforced woven-

glass resin system. As a result, they can

support multilayer circuits of six and more

layers while providing the thermal and chem-

ical ruggedness, and outstanding electrical

performance, of XT/duroid 8000 laminates.

Both laminate materials are available with

dielectric thickness of 0.002 in. (0.0508 mm)

with 0.5-oz. low-profile electrodeposited cop-

per foil cladding. XT/duroid 8100 is also

available with dielectric thickness of 0.004 in.

(0.1016 mm)

www.rogerscorp.com

Multilayer Laminates Feature Thin Halogen-Free Dielectrics



www.apec-conf.orgwww.apec-conf.org

2011March 6–10, 2011

Ft. Worth, Texas

THE PREMIER

GLOBAL EVENT

IN POWER

ELECTRONICSTM

THE PREMIER

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ELECTRONICSTM

SPONSORED BY

Visit the Apec 2011

web site for the latest

information!

With today’s portable storage media, anyone can take their own

media library with them wherever they go – everything from the latest

album release by their favorite band to last summer’s vacation pho-

tos and even HD-quality movies that can be played back in an instant

on end-user equipment like televisions and laptop computers. The

better the picture and audio quality, though, the greater the quantity

of data to be transferred between the devices and the faster the

device interfaces need to be.

The Universal Serial Bus (USB), with its plug-and-play ease of use,

has asserted its primacy in portable storage. Supporting transfer

rates of up to 5 Gbit per second, USB 3.0 is around ten times faster

than the second-generation interfaces it succeeds and only con-

sumes around a third of the power. However, the new USB port

design is especially sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD). A

mere touch of the hand can be sufficient to induce an electric current,

and the energy generated by the discharge can damage the equip-

ment or even render it completely unserviceable. This is not just

annoying for equipment users, it can also become a costly problem

for manufacturers in case of product recalls and subsequent image

problems.

The ESD3v3u4ulc damping diode from Infineon absorbs energy

released through electrostatic discharge on a USB port to protect

equipment from damage. With the lowest clamping voltage and the

lowest dynamic resistance (0.23 ?) of any product on the market

today, the diode response is extremely effective in the event of an

electrostatic discharge. At 20 kV, its ability to absorb energy signifi-

cantly exceeds the 8 kV called for in the highest industry standard

IEC 61000-4-2. Even with the exceptional level of protection it

affords, the ESD3v3u4ulc has minimal impact on the signal quality of

the high-speed connection. With traditional solutions, effective protec-

tion comes at the expense of signal integrity, which leads to poor

quality of the high-speed signal.

Infineon has also married the ESD3v3u4ulc with its most recent

package technology: The TSLP-9-1 enables optimum PCB layouts,

with a single diode protecting up to four traces simultaneously. Partic-

ularly with high-speed interfaces, the right component package helps

to ensure that signals are transmitted fast, without a loss of quality.

www.infineon.com/USB3.0protection

Extremely Fast Diode Protects USB 3.0

www.bodospower.com

You don’t believein poltergeist...

Characterised by low dropout voltage and low quiescent current, the

latest linear regulators from Diodes Incorporated suit low power

handheld product design where extending battery life is a key design

criteria. Dual fixed output devices, the 150mA AP7312 and 300mA

AP7332 exhibit respective dropouts of 150mV and 300mV and typical

quiescent current ratings of only 60μA.

To enable full use of battery capacity down to 2V and to provide addi-

tional headroom for 5V sources, the low dropout regulators' input

voltage spectrum is wide, at 2V to a maximum of 6V. The dual out-

put devices provide designers with an extensive choice of 13 different

fixed output voltage combinations, from 1.0V/1.0V through to

3.3V/3.3V.

Integrating current limit, short circuit and thermal shutdown protec-

tion, the regulators do much to extend overall system reliability.

MCU-based circuit design and space requirements are also reduced,

with the regulators delivering two regulated output voltages for core

and I/O from the single SOT26 or DFN2018-6 package.

www.diodes.com

LDOs Extend Battery Life

Texas Instruments introduced the industry’s first Qi-certified wireless

power development kit, which enables design engineers to speed the

integration of wireless power technology in consumer electronics,

such as digital cameras, smartphones, MP3 players and global posi-

tioning systems, along with infrastructure applications such as furni-

ture and cars. The bqTELSA™ development kit includes a single-

channel transmitter, a direct-charge receiver and associated magnet-

ics for applications requiring 5 watts of power or less. No additional

software development is required, offering true plug-and-play func-

tionality. With the release of the kit, TI affirms its commitment to pro-

viding wireless power technology with high-level integration and func-

tionality, while minimizing size and cost.

www.ti.com/bqTESLA100LP-preu

Qi certified development tools

and chipset for wireless power



Toshiba Electronics Europe has expanded its range of ultra-compact

IC logic couplers with a device that supports typical data transmission

of 15Mbps and that offers guaranteed performance at temperatures

between -40°C and 125°C.

The TLP2418 photocoupler is ideal for industrial application and

other designs that require a combination of high data speeds, isola-

tion and consistent operation across extended temperatures. Target

applications include high-speed digital communication interfaces for

factory automation (FA) systems, measurement and control.

Supplied in an S08 package measuring just 6.0mm x 5.1mm x

2.6mm, the TLP2418 is a low-power device designed for a maximum

current consumption of no more than 5mA. The photocoupler oper-

ates from a supply voltage of between 4.5V and 5.5V, features an

open-collector inverter logic output and can deliver a peak output cur-

rent of 25mA.

Toshiba’s new photocoupler is built around a GaAlAs infrared LED

that is optically coupled to a high-gain, high-speed photodetector.

Minimum isolation voltage is rated at 3750Vrms, while the photode-

tector’s internal Faraday shield provides a guaranteed common-

mode transient immunity of +/-15kV/μs.

www.toshiba-components.com

Extended Temperature, High-Speed Logic Gate IC Coupler

MSC offers the 68DW15 series of 15 Watt

DC/DC converters from YDS. Key features

of these converters are 4:1 input voltage

ranges of 9-36 V and 18-75 V, single output

voltages of 3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V or 15 V and dual

output voltages of ±12 or ±15 V.

The 68DW15 DC/DC converters feature an

output accuracy of ±2%, a line regulation of

±0.5% and a load regulation of ±0.5%. Input

to output isolation is 1500 VDC. Important

characteristics are high efficiency of 84 85%

typical, full output power from -40 to +65°C,

±10% fine trim for the single output models

and remote on/off.

In addition, internal transient protection up to

50 V or 100 V respectively, an internal input

filter, low ripple and noise, 100% burn in and

full RoHS compliance are decisive advan-

tages for applications such as communica-

tion systems, distributed power supplies,

industrial controls, instruments, embedded

computers and similar equipment.

www.msc-ge.com

15 Watt DC/DC Converters with 4:1 Input Voltage Ranges

Gaia Converter, the specialist high reliability

power converter module supplier, announces

the availability of three EMI filter modules

providing state of the art electromagnetic

interference (EMI) protection for avionic and

military power systems. Those modules offer

a very compact, and very low dissipation

solution in application where space is critical

without need of any heatsink.

The FGDS-2A-50V is rated from 4-50W at

up to 2A input current, the FGDS-10A-50V

rated at 50-150W at up to 10A input current

and the FGDS-20A-50V rated at 150-300W

at up to 20A input current .

All filters meet the requirements of MIL-STD-

461parts D, E and F, with the FGDS-2A-50V

also meeting part C. All three filters are also

compliant to DO-160 parts C, D, E and F

and will withstand, without damage, the tran-

sient and spike requirements of MIL-STD-

704A and MIL-STD-1275B. The filters are

fully characterised for operation in all envi-

ronmental conditions including altitude,

humidity, atmosphere, temperature cycling

and shock as well as mechanical vibration,

bump and shock.

www.gaia-converter.com

EMI Filters for Aerospace and MIL Applications

www.bodospower.com

International Exhibitionwith Workshopson ElectromagneticCompatibility (EMC)15-17 March 2011Messe Stuttgart

EMV 2011Stuttgart

then visit theEMV 2011 in Stuttgart

register online: www.e-emc.com

Further Information: +49-711-61946-0 or [email protected]

wwwe-emc.com

National Semiconductor Corp. introduced three new SIMPLE

SWITCHER® power modules, the first to drive high output voltage

applications in a variety of markets including industrial, communica-

tions infrastructure and military. The easy-to-use LMZ14201H,

LMZ14202H and LMZ14203H power modules provide the efficiency

of a synchronous switching regulator with the simplicity of a linear

regulator, eliminating the external inductor and complex layout place-

ment challenges typical of switching regulator designs.

The LMZ14201H, LMZ14202H and LMZ14203H accept an input volt-

age rail between 6V and 42V and deliver an adjustable and highly

accurate output voltage up to 24V. A single resistor adjusts the

switching frequency to enable greater flexibility of design.

Pin-to-pin compatible with other family members, the modules inte-

grate a shielded inductor and feature efficiency up to 97 percent.

The integrated inductor alleviates EMI concerns as the modules com-

ply with both CISPR 22 Class B radiated and conducted emissions

standards.

www.national.com

SIMPLE SWITCHER with

High Output Voltage

Power engineers, especially those involved in All-In-One (AIO) PC

power, Slim Pack PC adapters, LCD TV and LED lighting designs,

require a dual switch flyback topology that provides the higher effi-

ciency and increased energy savings required by government regula-

tions – something that LLC or single flyback solutions cannot provide.

Developed to answer this need, Fairchild Semiconductor’s

FAN6920MR, an integrated critical mode PFC and quasi-resonant

current mode PWM controller, meets regulatory requirements by pro-

viding >90 percent efficiency and <300mW at no load for increased

power savings.

www.fairchildsemi.com

PFC/PWM Provides Higher

Efficiency in Dual-Switch Flyback



ABB Semi C3

APEC 52

Bicron 45

Bodo´s Power systems 51

CPS 37

CT Concept Technologie 13

CUI 29

Curamik 41

Danfoss Silicon Power 15

embedded 43

EMV 2011 53+55

Fuji 7

GVA C2

H2expo 41

Husum New Energy 39

Infineon 9+19+23

International Rectifier C4

Intersil 5

ITPR 27

ixys 47

Kcc 1

Lem 35

Microchip 11

Payton 27

PCIM 49

Powerex 25

Proton 17

Sharp 3

TDK-epcos 31

Toshiba 33

VMI 47

Würth Electronic 37

ADVERTISING INDEX

Silicon Laboratories Inc. announced its next-generation infrared (IR)

and ambient light sensors for human interface (HI) applications. The

new Si114x family, the latest addition to Silicon Labs’ QuickSense™

HI portfolio, features the industry’s most sensitive, power-efficient and

longest range proximity sensors. Available in a tiny 2 mm x 2 mm

package, the Si114x sensors enable sophisticated proximity sensing

and touchless interfaces for handsets, eReaders, netbooks, tablets,

personal media players, toys, office equipment, industrial controls,

security systems, point-of-sale stations and many other products.

A proximity sensor’s detection range and sensitivity is determined by

the system’s signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); the higher the SNR, the

longer the range. Numerous variables contribute to a system’s SNR

including ambient noise/light compensation, photo-diode sensitivity,

filtering and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) architecture. While

competing solutions may address one or two of these variables, the

patent-pending Si114x architecture addresses all of these parame-

ters to minimize noise and maximize performance. The Si114x fami-

ly’s combined architectural optimizations result in very high system

SNR, enabling the Si114x proximity sensors to achieve the industry’s

longest range, highest sensitivity and fastest data acquisition speed.

www.silabs.com/pr/QuickSense

Industry’s Most Sensitive, Power-Efficient Proximity Sensors

Renesas Electronics announced the availability of a new high-voltage

N-channel power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor

(MOSFET) product, the RJK60S5DPK, for power supply units. The

new power MOSFET delivers high efficiency and low power con-

sumption for PC servers, communication base stations, and solar

power generation systems.

The new RJK60S5DPK power MOSFET is ideal for use in the pri-

mary power switching circuit of a power supply unit, which converts

alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). It is the first product in

Renesas Electronics’ high-voltage power MOSFET series, which

employs a high-precision super junction structure to achieve a figure

of merit, a key overall performance index for power MOSFET

devices. The RJK60S5DPK delivers a performance improvement of

approximately 90 percent compared to the company’s existing power

MOSFET products.

Recently, demand has grown for improved efficiency in the power

supply circuits to reduce energy consumption. There is a particularly

strong demand for low power consumption though improved power

conversion efficiency in high-output switching power supplies for flat-

panel TVs, communication base stations, PC servers, and solar

power generation systems.

www.renesas.eu

High-Voltage Power MOSFET with 52 Percent Lower Loss

Innovation never stops

ABB Switzerland Ltd SemiconductorsTel: +41 58 586 1419www.abb.com/semiconductors

Power and productivityfor a better world™

Powerfulfrom SPT to SPT+

Part NumberV

DS

(V)

RDS(on)

Max.

VGS=10V

(mΩ)

ID

(A)

QG

(nC)Package

IRFS3004 40 1.75 195 160 D2PAK

IRFB3004 40 1.75 195 160 T0-220

IRFH5004 40 2.6 100 73 PQFN 5x6 mm

IRF7739L2 40 1 270 220 DirectFET-L8

IRFS3006-7 60 2.1 240 200 D2PAK-7

IRFS3006 60 2.5 195 200 D2PAK

IRFH5006 60 4.1 100 67 PQFN 5x6 mm

IRF7749L2 60 1.3 108 220 DirectFET-L8

IRFB3077 75 3.3 210 160 TO-220

IRFH5007 75 5.9 100 65 PQFN 5x6 mm

IRF7759L2 75 2.2 83 220 DirectFET-L8

IRFP4468 100 2.6 195 360 T0-247

IRFH5010 100 9 100 65 PQFN 5x6 mm

IRF7769L3 100 3.5 124 200 DirectFET-L8

IRFP4568 150 5.9 171 151 D2PAK

IRFH5015 150 31 56 33 PQFN 5x6 mm

IRF7799L3 150 11 67 97 DirectFET-L8

IRFP4668 200 9.7 130 161 T0-247

IRFH5020 200 59 41 36 PQFN 5x6 mm

IRFP4768 250 17.5 93 180 T0-247

IRFH5025 250 100 32 37 PQFN 5x6 mm

IRF7779L4 250 38 35 110 DirectFET-L8

Your FIRST CHOICE

for Performance

Features

• Low on resistance per silicon area

• Optimized for both fast switching and low gate charge

• Excellent gate, avalanche and dynamic dv/dt ruggedness

The IR Advantage

• Best die to footprint ratio

• Large range of packages

• Available from 40 V to 250 V

Applications

• DC Motor Drives

• Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)

• DC-DC Converters

• Power Tools

• Electric Bikes

For more information call +49 (0) 6102 884 311

or visit us at www.irf.com

Rugged, Reliable MOSFETs

for Industrial Applications

THE POWER MANAGEMENT LEADER

electronics in motion and conversion february 2011 · zkz 64717 02-11 issn: 1863-5598 electronics...

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