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Test & Measurement Tools FPGAs, PLDs, and ASICs Mechatronics

Elect ronic
MARCH 2011
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 CONTENTS Vol. 53, No. 10 MARCH 2011

78
Product 11
70
PRODUCT
UPDATE
Roundup: OUTLOOK Resistors and
Wire and cable Silicon wires capacitors

COVER STORY DEPARTMENTS

POWER SPECIAL 6 Viewpoint:

35 Researching research
This Special features a variety of contributed articles
examining some of the hot topics and trends in military
and cutting-edge battery technology, low-noise circuits, 8 Product of the Year: Story Behind the Story
power MOSFETs, and digital power modules. The PanelPilot
Cover Photograph Photographs courtesy of Saft America (Valdese, NC), GlobTek (Northvale, NJ), Recom Power (Brooklyn, NY), Emerson Network Power (Waseca, MN),

Shielded-gate MOSFETs lower conduction

37 losses
11 OUTLOOK (Technology News)
◾ Team proves new way to produce silicon wires
◾ HP Labs looks at future computing systems
40 What is the best type of battery? ◾ Microwave advances produce key Li-ion
Lithium cell balancing: When is enough, battery materials
46 enough? ◾ Controlled clusters could be key to safer
nanoparticles
Ultra-low-V conversion for energy
52 harvesting 81 Product Application: RF/Microwave
Thin-film filters for high-frequency apps
Designing an ultra-low-noise supply for
58 analog circuits
78 Product Roundup:
Wire and cable
62 Power supplies evolve to meet military needs
70 Product Update:
66 Digital power modules deliver for advanced apps Resistors and capacitors

FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS

Test & Measurement Tools 87 Power Sources
16 Why care about a scope’s update rate?
93 Test & Measurement
FPGAs, PLDs, and ASICs
22 Design-lite leverages engineering partners 94 Integrated Circuits

Mechatronics 97 Packaging & Interconnections

26
and XP Power (Sunnyvale, CA). Digital imagery by Don Wilber.

Learning mechatronic design

100 Boards, Computers, & Peripherals
Wireless & Networking
30 Measuring the phase of beamforming systems 101 Optoelectronics

ENERGY-SAVING INITIATIVE SERIES 103 Components & Subassemblies

74 Bringing PV indoors — again

what’s ONLINE... electronicproducts.com

Product Teardown: Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t netbook First SiC power MOSFET targets Si devices in HV apps
Sensor AFE IC and design tool enable design of Cree, Durham, NC
sensor systems LED arrays deliver over 8,000 lm, high CRI
National Semiconductor, Santa Clara, CA Bridgelux, Livermore, CA
Want to see what the Editors are thinking? www2.electronicproducts.com/ElectronicProductsBlogs.aspx

Electronic Products Magazine (USPS 539490) (ISSN 0013-4953)—Published monthly by Hearst Business Communications Inc./UTP Division, 50 Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Suite 100, Uniondale, NY 11553. Pe-
riodicals postage paid Uniondale, NY and additional mailing offices. Electronic Products is distributed at no charge to qualified persons actively engaged in the application, selection or procurement of elec-
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ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 5

VIEWPOINT

Researching research
I have a lot more work Christmas tree lights, traffic lights, and automobile head-
lights and brake lights, not the white SSL bulbs that are
to do before I can coming to markets as replacements for eco-hostile incan-
descent lighting in general-purpose illumination.
fully understand The release went on to say that low-intensity red
LEDs in particular contained “a high content of arse-
why this research nic and lead.” Some red LEDs are made with GaAlAs
and GaAs; could that be the source of the arsenic?
differs so greatly As to the lead, I’d like to know what kind of solder
was used in the fabrication of these lights. I sus-
from what pect that, for other-colored LEDs, the offending
substances — for example, white LEDs were
I’ve been told said to contain high amounts of nickel —
were not in the actual light-emitting di-
previously. odes themselves, but in the other parts of
the light product.
The announcement occurred just

I
was taken aback when I saw the before deadline, and so I have a lot
headline on the University of Cali- more work to do before I can fully
fornia, Irvine’s press release — understand why this research dif-
“LED products billed as eco- fers so greatly from what I’ve been
friendly contain toxic metals, told previously. I’ll have to find
study finds.” I had believed out who manufactured the specific
that LEDs were environmen- LED products, how old or new the
tally safe, and it wasn’t a be- products were, what standards they
lief I’d come to without some were built to meet, what quantities of
research. Most, if not all, of the the materials were found, and more.
LED products I’ve written about But I am seeing this information al-
have been RoHS compatible, ready move into the mainstream me-
meaning they complied with Eu- dia, in a very superficial way, and I’m
ropean restrictions on the use of concerned about its potential impact
hazardous substances such as on solid-state lighting’s future. Will
lead, mercury, cadmium, hexava- the general public take the time to
lent chromium, polybrominated fully investigate and understand the
biphenyls, and polybrominated study, or will they mentally paint all
diphenyl ether. LEDs products with a skull and cross-
Further, I’d spoken to a number bones?
of technologists involved in the design Now more than ever, it is the re-
and manufacture of LEDs, and asked sponsibility of both scientists and
them point-blank if there were any material-safety issue journalists to accurately present in-
with respect to LED lighting. The topic had come up be- formation, and to do so in such a way as to
cause compact-fluorescent bulbs are known to contain avoid creating false impressions in the minds of
mercury, and so must be disposed of in special ways to be their audience. After all, while it may be tempting to sen-
sure they don’t contaminate the environment. sationalize, is it really ever in the public’s best interest to
Once my shock wore off, I was able to read deeper into do so?
the announcement to find that the study’s “LED products,” Richard Comerford
referred to as “alternatives to traditional lightbulbs,” were rcomerford@hearst.com

6 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Electronic
PRODUCTS
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
EDITORIAL STAFF
516-227-1300 FAX: 516-227-1444
Director of Content Patrick Mannion
516-227-1381 • pmannion@hearst.com
Managing Editor
516-227-1379 • bdeluca@hearst.com
Bryan DeLuca
The PanelPilot
Senior Editor Paul O’Shea
Power Sources, Power Management, An interview with
Discrete Semiconductors, Circuit Protection,
Cooling Devices
Rod Piwowarski,
941-359-8684 • poshea@hearst.com Group Chief Executive,
Editor Christina Nickolas Lascar Electronics
Analog/Mixed-Signal ICs, Analog EDA Software,
Oscillators, Electromechanical Switches,

“
Prototyping Tools, Microwave Components
The PanelPilot concept wasn’t
516-227-1459 • cnickolas@hearst.com really one of those lightbulb
Technical Editor Jim Harrison moments in a new product de-
Digital ICs, Boards & Peripherals, Development velopment meeting, but rather an
Tools, Motors & Controls
415-456-1404 • jpharrison@hearst.com
idea that just gradually gathered
more and more momentum. In a
Editor Richard Comerford
Test & Measurement, Optoelectronics, Sensors & mature and competitive market like
Transducers, Enclosures, Cabinets, Chassis ours, you’re always looking for the
516-227-1433 • rcomerford@hearst.com
next big thing. And while I’d love to
Assistant Editor Christina D’Airo
claim all the glory at Lascar, the real-
Passive Components, Interconnections,
Wire and Cable, Materials ity is that ideas like PanelPilot are
516-227-1383 • cdairo@hearst.com inspired by a combination of things.
Chief Copy Editor Leonard Schiefer For us, we knew that use of the tradi-
Custom Media Editor Beth Croteau tional panel meter, our bread and
Directory Coordinator Fran Panzica butter for 30 years, was on the de- the complexity and made sure that if
Art Director Don Wilber
cline and that the graphics market you knew how to use a computer and
Artist Estelle Zagaria
Group Production Manager Thomas Young
— particularly touchscreen devices were familiar with Windows, then
Advertising Specialist Melani Benedetto — were the new interface between you could program our logger. And
Client Services Coordinator Marisa Giordano humans and machines, be it an OEM that’s the same thought process that
Audience Development Director Carolyn Giroux medical device, a control panel, or went into PanelPilot.
Subscriber Service 1-866-813-3752
even a phone. Let’s face it, when “Yes, we want color graphics and
your three-year-old knows his way touchscreen functionality and the
Group Publisher Steve Cholas around your iPhone, then clearly ability for users to program and cus-
Electronics Group
times are changing. Couple the ex- tomize that device. But we don’t
Director of Online Sales Robert McIntosh
and Operations pectation our smartphone world has want users to have to sweat for
created with the supply of low-cost months over complex graphics com-
Published by graphics displays and ICs, and an munication language or to have to
Hearst Business Communications, Inc. idea like PanelPilot begins to take meet some high minimum order
UTP Division
shape. quantity imposed by display manu-
A Unit of The Hearst Corporation
“But simply identifying the need facturers used to dealing with mo-
50 Charles Lindbergh Blvd.,
Suite 100 Uniondale, NY 11553
to update the traditional panel me- bile phone manufacturers. And that
TEL: (516) 227-1300 • FAX: (516) 227-1901 ter and touchscreen was really just was really it. An easy Windows based
Robert D. Wilbanks the beginning. The other side of our software platform that enabled users
Treasurer business — datalogging — had taken to communicate with a contempo-
Catherine Bostron us into the software market 10 years rary panel meter that matched the
Secretary
ago, when we’d started to develop expectations of a 21st century mar-
William Barron
Vice President, Publishing Director, configuration software for our new ket. What’s exciting is really where
Electronics Group loggers. It was a bit of a shaky start, we can take this product. Download-
Adriana Marzovilla and while we knew software was the able apps for an improved panel me-
Business Manager
key to easy programming, we learnt ter are really just the beginning. The
THE HEARST CORPORATION
the hard way that overly complex technology to create amazing user
George R. Hearst, Jr.
software for a user base that wasn’t interfaces is here; perhaps the only
Chairman all electronic engineers wasn’t a thing limit is our imagination.”
Frank A. Bennack, Jr. good thing. So we stripped out all Richard Comerford
Vice Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
HEARST BUSINESS MEDIA
Richard P. Malloch
President & Group Head
Robert D. Wilbanks
Group Controller

8 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

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OUTLOOK News about Products... Product Technology... Product Applications

Team proves new way

to produce silicon wires
A simple, inexpensive method enables the production of
solar cells, batteries, and sensors

R
esearchers at MIT and Penn State have announced lets on the surface. Then, it gets placed in an atmosphere
a simple, inexpensive way to produce silicon of silicon tetrachloride gas, in which the silicon microw-
wires in quantity in a highly controlled way that ires begin to grow outward wherever there is a copper
could be scaled up to an industrial-scale process — droplet on the surface.
promising to enable novel sensor, bat- The silicon in the gas dissolves into
tery, and solar-cell applications. For ex- these molten droplets and then begins
ample, silicon microwires can be used to precipitate out at the bottom of the
for the production of solar cells that drop to gradually build up as silicon mi-
can harvest much more sunlight for a crowire. This build up gradually elon-
given amount of material than a tradi- gates to form microwires each at about
tional solar cell made from a thin wafer 10 to 20 micrometers across, growing up
of silicon crystal. from the surface. “The whole process
However, there are other methods can be carried out repeatedly on an in-
used today for making such wires in dustrial manufacturing scale, or even
which solar-cell prototypes have be could potentially be adapted to a con-
made by several researchers. But, ac- Molten droplets of copper, at top, tinuous process,” Buonassisi said.
cording to Tonio Buonassisi, mechani- dissolve silicon out of the surrounding Space between wires is controlled by
silicon tetrachloride gas, in which the
cal engineering professor at MIT, “these silicon precipitates out at the bottom of textures created on the surface, and the
methods have serious limitations.” Most the drop and silicon microwires begin size of the wires is controlled by the tem-
require several extra manufacturing to grow. This microscope image has peratures used for the diffusion stage of
color added for clarity. (Image courtesy
steps, provide little control over the ex- of Tonio Buanassisi at MIT.) the process, unlike other methods today
act sizes and spacing of the wires, and that allow the size and spacing of the
only work on flat surfaces. By contrast, the new process wires to be controlled independently of each other. Ac-
is simple, yet allows precise control over the wire di- cording to Buonassisi, “The work done so far is just a proof
mensions and spacing, and could theoretically be done of principle, and more work remains to be done to fi nd
on any kind of curved, 3-D surface. the best combinations of temperature profiles, copper
The researchers found that by heating and intention- concentrations and surface patterning for various appli-
ally contaminating the surface of a silicon wafer with cations, since the process allows for orders-of-magnitude
copper, the copper diffuses into the silicon. When the differences in the size of the wires.”
silicon cools down, the metal diffuses out, forming drop- Christina Nickolas

HP Labs looks at
future computing systems
R
esearcher Parthasarathy Ranganathan, a distin-
guished technologist at HP Labs in Palo Alto, CA,
has been wondering what future computing sys-
tems will look like. One important clue to this may be
that the amount of data being created is exploding, grow-
ing significantly faster than Moore’s Law. For example,
the amount of online data indexed by Google is estimated
to have increased from 5 exabytes (exabyte = million tril-
lion) in 2002 to 280 exabytes in 2009—a 56-fold increase
in seven years. In contrast, an equivalent Moore’s law
growth in computing for the corresponding time would
deliver a 16-fold increase. And, a recent estimate indicates
that 24 hours of video are uploaded on YouTube every
minute. At HD rates of 2 to 5 Mbits/s, that is 45 to 75
Tbytes of data per day.
Ranganathan sees current trends suggesting that tech-

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 11

OUTLOOK
nologies like phase-change memory tion necessity and technology trends. single-level NV memory datastore
(PCM) and memristors — especially “Nanostores” refers to duality of the that replaces traditional disk and
when viewed in the context of ad- evolution to nanotechnology and DRAM layers—disk use is relegated
vances like 3D die stacking, multi- the emphasis on data instead of com- to archival backups.
cores, and improved networking — pute. For example, a single nanostore
can induce fundamental The key property of nanostores is chip would consist of multiple 3D-
architectural changes for data-inten- the colocation of processors with stacked layers of dense silicon NV
sive computing. What his team calls nonvolatile storage, eliminating memories such as PCMs or memris-
“nanostores” offer one such way to many intervening levels of the stor- tors, with a top layer of power-effi-
leverage this confluence of applica- age hierarchy. All data is stored in a cient compute cores. Through-sili-
con vias are used to provide wide,
low-energy datapaths between the
processors and the datastores. Each
nanostore can act as a full-fledged
system with a network interface. In-
dividual such nanostores are net-
worked through onboard connectors
to form a large-scale distributed sys-
tem or cluster akin to current large-
scale clusters for data-centric com-
puting. The system can support
different network topologies, includ-
ing traditional fat trees or recent pro-
posals like HyperX. “From our re-
search, we see such nanostore-based
future designs being a real disruptor
with potential for an order of magni-
tude or higher performance gain at
better energy efficiency for future
smarter, faster, smaller data-centric workloads,” said Dr.
Ranganathan.
At CUI, our approach is to develop smarter, faster, smaller power modules.
Whether it’s an embedded ac-dc power supply, a board level dc-dc converter, For more information see the
or a level V external adapter, we continuously strive to keep our power line, that white paper “From Microprocessors
ranges from 0.25 W to 2400 W, ahead of the curve. to Nanostores: Rethinking Data-Cen-
tric Systems.” You can find it at www.
hpl.hp.com/news/2011_IEEEComputer_
nanostores.pdf.
Check out the latest addition to CUI’s power line: Jim Harrison
Novum digital dc-dc power POL modules

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R
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important materials have been
synthesized through micro-
wave-enhanced solid-state synthesis
cui.com/power routes. These routes were investigat-
ed for lithium battery materials syn-
thesis. Initial process development

12 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

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OUTLOOK
trials were carried out in an advanced programmable in-
dustrial-type microwave furnace.
Special microwave-enhanced solid-state synthesis
technology was developed for LiFePO4 and Li4Ti5O12
material. It was discovered that resulting phase purity
could be improved by time-temperature-microwave
power profi le programming and variations of other pa-
rameters. The best time-variable profi le obtained in the
batch system could be suitably adapted and trans-
formed into a space-variable profi le in a recently com-
missioned advanced microwave pusher system for con-
tinuous processing, to achieve industrial production
throughput levels.
LiFePO4 is a cathode material for lithium-ion batter-
ies. Conventional processing routes take tens of hours for
synthesis of the required lithium phase. Faster, greener,
and more economical methods of synthesis are needed by
manufacturing to make it competitive. A microwave-en-
hanced solid-state chemical synthesis approach using an
advanced multimode industrial microwave furnace was
used for LiFePO4 cathode material.
Trials have shown that through a microwave-enhanced
synthesis route, this material can be synthesized in min-
utes, instead of hours as in the conventional route. The
time-temperature-microwave power programming facili-
ty of the advanced microwave furnace system together
with judicious variation of other process parameters have
shown the suppression of unwanted phases and an in-
crease of the required phase purity in the reaction prod-
uct. For more information, call 602-218-9292 or go to
www.SphericTech.com.
Paul O’Shea

Controlled clusters could be key to

safer nanoparticles
A
team of researchers at the National Institute of chael E. Newman at 301-975-3025, or e-mail michael.
Standards and Technology (www.nist.gov) has intro- newman@nist.gov.
duced a breakthrough method for controlling the Christina D’Airo
size of engineered nanoparticle clusters.
The team discovered that nanoparticles
have a tendency to clump when placed
in a cell culture medium. Using this
technique, the researchers found a way
to pause cluster growth and that the
nanoparticles will remain stable long
enough to study the toxicity effects of
the nanoparticles on human cells [1],
addressing the concern that nanoparti-
cles will have a long-term impact on en-
vironmental health and safety (EHS)
when used in medical and biological re-
search.
The NIST team tested nanoparticle
samples made of gold, silver, cerium ox-
ide, and positively-charged polystyrene
by suspending them, separately, in the
cell culture medium until clumping oc-
curred in each. The clumping was ceased
with the addition of a protein — in this
case, bovine serum albium (BSA). The
researchers found that the longer the
Transmission electron micrograph of gold nanoparticles clustering in solution. The distance
nanoparticles were allowed to clump to- between the two red arrows is approximately 280 nanometers, some 200 times smaller than
gether, the larger the size of the result- the diameter of a human hair. The individual nanoparticles are approximately 15 nm in
ing cluster. They also found that ceasing diameter, about the distance across 40 side-by-side sodium atoms. (Courtesy: A. Keene, U.S.
Food and Drug Administration.)
cluster growth at the same time in all
samples yielded consistent sizes in all four types. The
1. J.M. Zook, R.I. MacCuspie, L.E. Locascio, M.D.
BSA-controlled dispersions remained stable for up to three
Halter, and J.T. Elliott, “Stable nanoparticle aggre-
days, which is ample time for toxicity studies.
gates/agglomerates of different sizes and the effect
The NIST team plans to continue testing on different
of their size on hemolytic cytotoxicity,: Nanotoxicol-
cluster sizes and apply the results to study the impact on
ogy, published online Dec. 13, 2010 (DOI:10.3109/1
cytotoxicity of coatings (such as polymers) on nanopar-
7435390.2010.536615).
ticles. For more information, visit www.nist.gov, call Mi-

14 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 Test & Measurement Tools

Why care about

a scope’s update rate?
While there is no standard definition for oscilloscope update
rate, users are at risk if they don’t understand its impact
BY MATT HOLCOMB
System Architect,
InfiniiVision oscilloscopes
Agilent Technologies
www.agilent.com

T
echnology in today’s digital os-
cilloscopes enable them to pro-
cess more triggers per second
than even the highest-end analog os-
cilloscopes. The industry buzz phrase
for this is “update rate” — but what Fig. 1: As a signal moves from probe tip to the oscilloscope display, there are two signal
anomalies that are not captured because they happen during the blind, or dead, time. The
does that really mean? Since there faster the waveform update rate, the lesser the blind time, giving a higher probability of
isn’t an IEEE standard definition of capturing such events.

“update rate” for an oscilloscope, this

article explains what it is and what

USB Data Acquisition the benefit are to the scope user.

Complete Specs. 5-Day Delivery. Update rate defined

In the infancy of digital sampling os-
cilloscopes (DSO), update rate was
measured in the number of “dots per
second” drawn on the display. Each
“dot” was one A/D converter sample.
The more dots lit up, the more A/D
samples getting to the screen.

There’s more
to waveform
display than
lighting up pixels
as fast as the
ECONseries — Low Cost architecture allows.
Starting at $255
But that’s only half the story. If a
There are over 150 models to choose from, neatly arranged in an easy-to-use chart. scope collects billions of samples per
Our performance will exceed your expectations. trigger, and then takes dozens of sec-
onds to get them on the screen, just
800-525-8528 how many additional triggers are
WWW.DATATRANSLATION.COM missed? Is your device-under-test po-
litely waiting for your scope to finish

16 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 Support Across The Board.
From Design to Delivery
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©Avnet, Inc. 2011. All rights reserved. AVNET is a registered trademark of Avnet, Inc. www.twitter.com/avnetdesignwire
Test & Measurement Tools

Fig. 2: With intensity gradation, the brighter

areas are where points occurs statistically more
often than in the dimmer portions. The screen
photo at left, taken from an InfiniiVision 3000

MEASUREMENT COMPUTING X-Series with an update rate > 1,000,000

waveforms/s, intensity gradation shows
Infrequent glitches and signal jitter captured

is lowering the cost of after 1 s. Even after 40 s, the screen at from

another oscilloscope at right never sees the
glitches and shows limited signal jitter due to a
much slower update rate.

DAQ before generating the next glitch?

Probably not.
So, another metric for update rate
could be “how many triggers per sec-
ond does the oscilloscope draw on
the screen?” The goal is to choose just

✓ 150 products under $500

enough samples to plot per trigger, so
that by the time you get to the right
edge of the display, you’re ready to

✓ Drivers for Windows , Linux , Mac

start the next set. The length of time
the acquisition side of the scope needs
® ® ®

All too often,

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specifications on
oscilloscope

✓ OEM Options
products focus on
one of two aspects
of update rate
The USB-7000 Series boards combine a small stackable
form factor with bus-powered USB hardware, and the
developer-friendly DAQFlex software framework.
while neglecting
the other.
For over 20 years Measurement Computing has offered quality
DAQ solutions that are not only priced right, but are engineered to wait for the display side is referred
to exceed the needs and expectations of our customers. to as “blind time.” Not surprisingly,
less waiting time is better. But if you’re
only getting a few samples per trigger
MCC Product Selection Guide - mccdaq.com/selguide
sent to the display, you can be sure
that your glitch is hiding between
Contact us these samples (see Fig. 1).
(800) 234 -4232 All too often, banner specifica-
The Value Leader in Data Acquisition tions on oscilloscope products focus
©2011 Measurement Computing Corporation, 10 Commerce Way, Norton, MA 02766 • info@mccdaq.com
on one of these two aspects of up-
date rate while neglecting the other.
The highest fidelity displays, how-

18 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 Why care about a scope’s update rate?

ever, are achieved in systems which
combine a high number of triggers
per second with a high number of
points per waveform. In the best of
all possible worlds, scopes would
provide this performance all the
time, in every mode.
There’s more to waveform display
than lighting up pixels as fast as the
architecture allow. All modern oscil-
loscopes use a gray-scale canvas to
paint their pictures. Areas on the
screen that are brighter should repre-
sent where the input signal statisti-
cally spent more time. This is re-
ferred to as “intensity gradation.”
the signal you’re measuring? Is it
noisy? Is it stable? Is it a high more
often than a low? How much more
often? Do you recognize the interfer-
ence pattern in the baseline noise?
In an instant, you make the analysis
in your mind, then a judgment, and
then move on to the next signal.
It’s in this mode — the transfer
of information from the probe tip
to the display to your brain — where
update rate is critically important.
If your scope is rendering this infor-
mation poorly, due to slow wave-
form update rate, then it’s blind to
you during a long portion of the
time you are debugging. In addition
to what an oscilloscope with slow
update rate will miss due to its blind
time, a fast plotter provides a really
smooth “feel” to the scope. As trac-
es are moved around on the display

NEW
The input signal isn’t a collection of
discrete samples — it’s a continuous
waveform.
Dots were viewed as a necessary
condescension of yesterday’s digital
DC Source/Calibrator...
oscilloscope. But today, the A/D sam-
ples on your scope shouldn’t be drawn
a Legacy of Trust!
on the screen as dots: they should be
drawn as connected lines, or vectors.
Data is processed and rendered as line
segments, not as discrete points. And
these vectors (which connect equally
spaced samples of the input) are of
varying lengths. [One example of scopes
designed as vector processors is Agilent’s
new InfiniiVision X-Series, which plots Made in U.S.A.
over a million waveforms/s. See page 93
of this issue for a description of these • DC Voltage: up to ±110V • Compliance Voltage: 100V
scopes. — ED] • DC Current: up to ±110mA • 2/4-Wire Output
Statistically speaking, the longer • Accuracy: 20ppm • Low Noise
vectors — the ones with the higher • Resolution: 6.5 Digits • Pass Thru Zero Operation
slew rates — indicate where the in- • Stability: 5ppm • Manual/Remote Control
put signal didn’t spend as much • Settling Time: 2ms • Complete remote programming
time, and so should be drawn on the • Settable Voltage/Current Limits Protocol with Krohn-Hite Model
display more dimly than the shorter • 110mA Current in Volts Mode 522 and Analogic Model 8200.
vectors. Consequently, each line seg-
ment has a brightness, as well as The NEW Krohn-Hite Model 526 DC Source/Calibrator is a continuation
length and location (see Fig. 2). of over 60 years of performance, reliability and low cost. It provides
accurate and stable voltages/currents for use in production line testing,
Update rate’s importance calibration labs, QC departments, and as an imbedded standard, refer-
If you happen to probe a signal, and ence or simulator in applications that require a stable dc source.
there was a “glitch” wandering
around on that signal, you’d want to The 526 provides microprocessor decade control, allowing continual
use of one decade with full borrow and carry capability to and from
see it. But more than likely, you’re
more significant decades, for ease of use and convenient manual
looking at, say, a particular trace on
operation. Non-volatile memory for 32 output settings is provided that
your printed-circuit board to make can be recalled for later use.
some sort of measurement. Maybe
you’re interested in the high and low
voltage levels, what the rise time is, Visit www.krohn-hite.com/htm/calibrators/model526.htm
or how much timing margin your to view specifications or call today at (508) 580-1660.
signal has. Automatic measurements
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“Quality” in
Test and Measurement 15 Jonathan Drive, Unit 4, Brockton, MA 02301-5566
an unquantifiable way, you take a Since 1949 Tel: (508) 580-1660; Fax: (508) 583-8989
look at your signal and observe the sales@krohn-hite.com; www.krohn-hite.com
signal fidelity — just how “good” is

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 19


Test & Measurement Tools
and you need to change the time
base or make additional changes to
the scope, you will not have to wait
for the scope to respond. Some os-
cilloscopes with slow update rate
take seconds to respond. In that
time, you are not sure if the instru-
ment has locked up or if it is captur-
ing data anymore.
Beware the ‘special’ mode
Maybe you want to filter away, or per-
haps emphasize, certain aspects of
your input signal. You provide this
hint to your scope by the mode you
set it in. If you really want the rare
events drawn more brightly (and not
miss any of them, if the scope needs
to decimate away data), you probably
want to turn on “peak detect” mode.
If you really don’t care about the
high-frequency fuzz on the signal,
but rather want to see how it’s trend-
ing, you probably turn on some sort
of averaging mode (sometimes called
“high-resolution” mode).
Additionally, you might want to
use some of the scopes advanced
USB to dc power Slim line (white/black) Locking style
analysis features (automatic mea-
surements, mask testing, and so on)
to help you evaluate your signal’s
quality. Perhaps you’ve turned on
your mixed-signal oscilloscope’s log-
ic channels, for additional context of
what’s going on, or to help you trig-
The hallmark
of a genuinely useful
“signal visualization
instrument” is that
it continues to do
the job you bought
it for regardless of
how you set it up.
gering precisely where you want.
Does enabling these “bonus fea-
tures” reduce the update rate of your
oscilloscope? In other words, how
much information transfer do you
where will you find it?
A simple cable is the least of your design worries...Until your line is
down or your product release is delayed. Find all the simple, off-
the-shelf cables, slightly custom cables, or complex cables for your
applications at Tensility.
Find these and other dc, audio,
and USB cables at tensility.com
OR find them at
Why care about a scope’s update rate?
lose when actually try to use your
scope versus when it’s set at the spec-
ification listed by the asterisk in the
datasheet.
The hallmark of a genuinely use-
ful “signal visualization instrument”
is that it continues to do the job you
bought it for regardless of how you set
it up. This can’t be emphasized
enough. Any feature is of no use to
you if you don’t (or can’t) use it when
viewing your input signals. Do you
disable your scope’s deep memory be-
cause it cripples the plot rate? Does
turning on a measurement turn off
fast-plotting? Are performance trad-
eoffs common, evident, and painful?
Once you’re confident that your
scope will be there with you during
your debugging needs, you’re on a
journey of a long and lasting bench-
top friendship. It is important to
evaluate an oscilloscope before you
make a purchase. Choosing one
with the highest update rate could
save you weeks of debug time be-
cause you will see more of your sig-
nal more of the time. ■
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 FPGAs, PLDs and ASICs
Design-lite leverages
engineering
partners
A new strategy allows companies to
focus their engineering teams on the
places where they add the most value
BY COLIN BALDWIN
Director of Marketing
Open-Silicon, Milpitas, CA
www.open-silicon.com
T
he rise of the ASIC model revolu-
tionized the way ICs were devel-
oped in the 1980s. One of the
most historically interesting changes
was in the separation of functional
definition from physical design. The
shift to an RTL/SDC-based definition
for “what an IC does” also rippled
through and changed the business of
chip development. Many companies
took advantage of the opportunity to
shift their focus away from physical
design and concentrate on designing
product features that command value
in the market.
In another part of these companies,
another revolution was taking place:
Silicon manufacturing was migrating
from captive plants to third-party wa-
fer foundries. As a result, the term
22 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011
“fab-lite” came into vogue and both
fab-lite and fabless models spread
through the industry. These models
benefit from lowered fixed costs and
effective management of the varia-
tions in demand.
Design lite
Today, the semiconductor industry is
emerging from the recent global eco-
nomic slowdown. Similarly to the
fab-lite/fabless evolution, IC manu-
facturers are rethinking their strate-
gy for IC development and are tak-
Fig. 1: A design partner
enables derivatives and
shrinks.
ing a closer look at how to leverage
engineering partners to bring more
products to market. As collaborating
with a design partner allows build-
ing more products with fewer in-
house staff, the term “design-lite”
was coined to describe the new trend,
and to draw a parallel to the fab-lite
change that came before it.
One of the big advantages of de-
“How can I tell if a power supply is reliable?”
© 2010 Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Agilent and our
Distributor Network
Right Instrument.
Right Expertise.
Delivered Right Now.
There’s an indicator on the front.
It says “Agilent.” With a typical MTBF of 40,000 hours, over half-a-
century of experience, and with more than 250 models to choose from,
Agilent’s power supplies are the ones you can count on. In fact the array
of our power supplies is so extensive, it wouldn’t fit on this page. For
clean, low-noise, programmable power to countless DUTs, there’s an
Agilent power supply with your name on it. Actually, it’s our name on it,
but you know what we mean.
For free measurement tips and the
Agilent Power Products brochure go to
866-436-0887
www.metrictest.com/agilent www.metrictest.com/agilent/power.jsp
 Our vertical
integration gives
you custom specialty
connectors FAST!
“ Our specialty connector team is committed to producing
custom EMI filtered and unfiltered connectors with the
industry’s shortest lead times. We make our own planar
and tubular capacitors, connector shells, shields, seals and
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method means you’ll get a higher performing connector, 100%
tested for critical electrical parameters. Give me a call to see
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 Design-lite leverages engineering partners
FPGAs, PLDs and ASICs

investors require compa- Just as successful fab-lite models are

Fig. 2: An enablement model for design-lite.
sign-lite is that a development com-
pany’s fixed costs become variable
costs, allowing the company en-
hanced flexibility to adjust operat-
ing expenses in line with the current
financial goals and performance.
The model also allows the same
fixed costs to produce expanded
product lines, potentially growing
both revenues and margins.
Also, innovation is enhanced as in-
nies to demonstrate how
they can extend the re-
turn on investment
through programs like de-
rivatives that can increase
profit growth. By allow-
ing design partners such
as Open-Silicon to focus
on derivatives and/or
shrinks (see Fig. 1), com-
panies can narrow the fo-
cus of their engineering
teams to the places where
they add the most value
— those functions that
are unique and command
margin in the market-
place. This changing
model also impacts what
design-lite engineering
partners need to be able to do. Figure
2 highlights the new partner engi-
neering capabilities.
The combination of fab-lite manu-
facturing with a foundry partner and
design-lite engineering with a design
partner is paving the way for a new
enablement model for derivatives. this decade.
PowerFilmAd-EP_Layout 1 2/14/11 11:33 AM Page 1
developed by fostering strategic long-
term partnerships with a foundry
across multiple technology genera-
tions; a successful design-lite model
will depend on long-term relation-
ships with the design partner.
Flexibility
In essence, design-lite allows chip-
makers to add revenue to an existing
IC product line through modifica-
tions to that design without pulling
the engineering team from its next
generation core product roadmap fo-
cus. It also provides them the flexi-
bility to select the right resources —
from both a job role and number
perspective – for the project at hand.
The net result is a greater return on
the overall product line investment.
Just as the fab-lite and fabless models
fueled the semiconductor revenue
growth for last decade, derivative de-
signs with the design-lite model can
decrease the costs of new semicon-
ductor product development and
lead to industry revenue growth for
■

Power Film
ternal design teams stay focused on
core product roadmap development
and distractions like existing product

Design Tasks Capacitors

and Teams
Derivative Tasks Team High Performance Designs
Old design handoff Internal design for Military and Commercial
team
Power Applications
Updated Internal design
specification and team + design • Latest film technology for max. capacitance
architecture partner density – up to 1000µF standard
RTL design and Design partner • High performance: ruggedized,
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low ESR and low DF with a
Physical design Design partner
high peak withstanding voltage
Software drivers Design partner
• Wide range of dielectrics:
Production Foundry partner Polypropylene, Polyester (Mylar),
Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS)
maintenance are offloaded to the part-
• Variety of terminations: radial or
ner. Similarly, customer customization
axial leads, machined, stamped,
requirements can be addressed with- lugs, PCB mount threaded, inserts
out directly impacting the core prod-
• Sizes from: less than an inch to several cubic feet
uct schedules. Finally, companies can
better meet time-to-market pressures • 250 to 20,000 VDC, ripple currents up to 400 Arms,
with a variable-design resource team. 150°C operation

Give us a call at 888.267.1195

Collaboration or visit SpecEMC.com
Creating a new IC requires such a
significant capital investment that

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 25


Learning
mechatronic design
Whether you’re a toddler or dodderer, there’s never been a
better time to learn mechatronics, and have fun in the process
BY RICHARD COMERFORD
Editor
Electronic Products
T
here have never been more ways
to learn about mechatronics and
the design of robotic systems
than there are today. No matter what
stage of your career, or life, you are in,
there’s a way for you to become edu-
cated about the discipline, in a practi-
cal, hands-on way that is both fun and
educational. And learn-
ing about this complex
topic can begin at a
very early age.
Fig. 1:
Lego’s
WeDo kits introduce
youngsters to mechatronic
design starting at about seven
years of age.
Starting early
Lego Education (legoeducation.com,
part of the Lego Group) has been en-
couraging youth to learn about me-
chatronics and robotics for over a de-
cade. And since you have to learn to
walk before you can run, Lego begins
the adventure into mechatronics with
the mechanical side of the discipline.
The company provides hardware
for five-year-olds and up, in the form
of the 9656 Early Simple Machines Set.
The set includes gears, levers, pulleys,
wheels, and axles, as well as a plastic
26 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
Mechatronics
punch-out sheet with eyes, sails,
scales, and wings. It comes with eight
double-sided, full-color building in-
structions, but to get the best use of
the hardware, there is the 2009656
Activity Pack for Early Simple Ma-
chines Set: a CD ROM which includes
eight 45-minute lessons, each with
extension activities of up to 20 min-
utes, and four additional open-ended
problem-solving activities.
Lego brings
electronics and
software into the
picture with the
9580 WeDo Con-
struction Set (see
Fig. 1), which en-
ables seven-year-
olds to build and pro-
gram simple Lego
models that are plugged
into a computer. The set
contains more than 150 ele-
ments, including a motor, motion
and tilt sensors, and the Lego USB
Hub. Like the Early Machine Set,
WeDo can be combined the 2000097
WeDo Software v.1.2 and Activity Pack
to carry out 12 theme-based activities.
Based on National Instruments’ Lab-
VIEW, the drag-and-drop software is
icon based and provides an intuitive
programming environment.
The pack’s CD provides a “Getting
Started” section with building tips
and programming examples. Activi-
ties are divided into four themes:
Amazing Mechanisms, Wild Animals,
MARCH 2011
Play Soccer, and Adventure Stories
and provide up to 24 hours of instruc-
tion and project-based learning.
Teacher notes, glossary, and building
instructions are also included.
Elementary education
When kids get to be eight years old
or so, they are ready to begin experi-
menting with more advanced me-
chatronic design, in the form of the
Lego Mindstorms system. The starter
kit, the 9797 Mindstorms Base Set,
includes the NXT Brick, a program-
mable controller that allows on-
board programming for robotic con-
trol and data logging.
Powered by six AA batteries or a
rechargeable lithium battery pack,
the brick has a 32-bit ARM7 micro-
processor and flash memory, plus
support for Bluetooth and USB 2.0.
Up to three NXT Bricks can be con-
nected at the same time, but you can
only communicate with one NXT
Brick at a time.
The kit also has three interactive
servo motors; ultrasonic, sound, light,
and two touch sensors; a rechargeable
battery; and con-
necting cables;
along with build-
Fig. 2: Mindstorms kits allow students to
create more sophisticated electromechanical
systems using a wide variety of sensors and
LabVIEW-based programming software.
 Worldwide Engineering.
Innovative power solutions
in Medical applications.
Ultra low noise outputs with or without synchronization
Medical isolation, low leakage current and Class B EMI
Power Factor Correction for main and auxillary power
Highly efficent topologies
Single/Multiple Outputs

ISO 9001:2000 registered

Tel. number: 310.542.8561
Web: www.martekpower.com
Email: sales@martekpower.com

Mechatronics
ing instructions (see Fig. 2).
Battery chargers are sold sepa-
rately.
For programming the brick
and logging data, the 2000080
NXT Software V.2.1 is also
based on NI’s LabVIEW. It in-
corporates a digital user man-
ual with 46 step-by-step tuto-
rials, from beginner to
advanced levels. Data logging
functions, including graph
viewer, simplify collection
and analysis of sensor data.
The basic kit is expandable,
so the technology can be ap-
plied to different areas. For
example, there is a kit with a
solar panel, turbine blades, a
motor/generator, LED lights,
an extension wire, and an en-
Fig. 3: VEX Robotics Classroom Lab Kits encourage students to work
ergy meter so students can as teams to develop robots that can be controlled wirelessly and/or in June 2003, Frank Klassner
learn about renewable energy act autonomously.
sources. And for children 10
years and older, there’s a pneumatic
add-on kit with pumps, tubes, cylin-
ders, valves, an air tank, and a ma-
nometer.
Moving up
As students get older, they may want
to move onto more advanced proj-
ects. VEX Robotics Design System
(www.vexrobotics.com) offers them a
platform for learning about science,
technology, engineering and math
(STEM) in middle schools, high
schools, and university labs. The
project kits encourage teamwork,
leadership, and problem solving
among groups, and let educators cus-
tomize projects to meet the level of
students’ abilities.
A basic kit from the company, the
276-2231 Protobot Robot Kit, con-
tains over 300 parts and pieces that
can be used to build the standard ro-
bots ( the Protobot or the Tumbler,
for which full plans are included), or
a custom design. The kit includes
structural metal, fasteners, wheels,
gears, motors and motor controllers.
The resultant robot is controlled
by the 276-2170 PIC microcontroller
V0.5, which coordinates the flow of
information and power on the robot.
All other electronic system compo-
nents must interface to the microcon-
troller. The controller has a 75-MHz
receiver and transmitter for wireless
communications, eight motor ports;
16 analog-in, digital I/O ports; six in-
28 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
terrupts; and a serial port. It can be
programmed with easyC, ROBOTC,
or MPLAB.
Perhaps the easiest way to start off
is with a classroom lab kit, which is
suitable for two to five students, and
then add Expansion Kits for addi-
tional sensors, drive systems, and
pneumatics.
The 275-1268 Classroom Lab Kits
with PIC (see Fig. 3) includes both the
Protobot Robot Kit and PIC microcon-
troller V0.5, as well as a wire-
less control-panel (transmit/
receive) kit, a servo, bumper-
switch and limit-switch kits,
7.2-V 2000-mAh NiMH robot bat-
tery, and more. Also included is the
Autodesk VEX Curriculum, which is
designed to help secondary-school
students learn the fundamentals of ro-
botics and the engineering design pro-
cess. It is meant to be used in conjunc-
tion with Autodesk Inventor design
software, which is sold separately by
Autodesk.
In addition to robot building kits,
VEX Robotics offers kits to encourage
healthy design competition. For ex-
ample, the 278-1004 Classroom Com-
petition Field Kit provides an 8 x 8-ft
field perimeter with a dividing walls
with two goals that cuts the field into
two 4 x 8-ft areas. Included in the kit
are 12 orange foam footballs and 24
green foam soccer balls, half of which
are placed in each area. The goal of the
competition is to have your robot
MARCH 2011
Learning mechatronic design
dump all the balls in your area
into your opponents area or goal
(see Fig. 4).
VEX Robotics promotes nu-
merous robotic competitions on
its own and in cooperation with
the nonprofit Technology Stu-
dents Association (www.tsaweb.
org). Information about partici-
pating in these competitions
can be found on the VEX Robot-
ics website.
To college and beyond
Both the Lego and VEX Robotics
kits have found their way into
institutions of higher learning.
In their paper “LEGO Mind-
Storms: Not Just for K-12 Any-
more” published in the IEEE’s
Robotics & Automation Magazine
and Scott D. Anderson note that,
“When talking with other liber-
al-arts college instructors, we were
struck by how often they cited the
MindStorms kit as a great source for
pieces to build a robot chassis. ...” The
authors go on to describe some of the
basic MindStorms kit’s strengths and
weaknesses, and discuss third-party
software tools that address some of the
platform’s weaknesses, describing a set
of programming environments and
Fig. 4. VEX’s
competition kits
provide a prefabricated
arena in which robot builders can test the
performance capabilities of their designs
against those of other teams.
tools in C++, Java, and Common Lisp
that they developed for college-level
computer science projects.
The number of colleges offering
mechatronics courses has mush-
roomed, to the point where it is of-
fered as part of the curriculum in
most, if not all, major universities.
And if you are past the point where
you can spend a considerable part of
you day on campus, mechatronics
courses are now part of continuing
offerings in many cities. ■
 Wireless & Networking
Measuring the phase of
beamforming systems
Here’s how to increase base station coverage and capacity
BY PATRICK WIERS
Analog Devices, Norwood, MA
www.analog.com
B
ase station transmitter beam-
forming and beamsteering are
effective methods of increas-
ing base station coverage and capac-
ity. These techniques require multi-
ple transceivers and the baseband
processor must compensate for un-
desired phase offsets of each signal
path. Further, this compensation
must persist over time. This article
describes a method of measuring
the phase differences among multi-
ple transmitters at factory test and
during operation so that a baseband
processor can compensate for these
offsets.
Multiple antennas for high
performance
Personal communication devices
such as smart phones increasingly de-
mand higher data throughput to sup-
port new applications.[1] Improving
throughput in a given bandwidth
and coverage area requires a higher
signal to noise ratio (SNR) which im-
plies that the power increases, the
noise decreases, or both. Using a
higher output power amplifier (PA) is
one method of increasing the signal
level but it can significantly
increase the operational
costs of the bases tation and
it can result in increased in-
terference with neighboring
cells.[2] Decreasing the re-
ceiver system noise is also
possible but can require he-
roic efforts to obtain more
than a couple dB of im-
provement over an already-
optimized system.
Using multiple signal
paths and an antenna array
allows the aggregate radia-
30 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
tion pattern from the array to have
higher gain in the direction of the in-
tended receiver and much lower gain
in other directions. Higher transmit-
ter gain in the direction of the in-
Fig. 1: A four-
antenna system.
Fig. 2: A four-antenna response relative to
single antenna response (dB).
Fig. 3: A four-
antenna
system with
beamsteering/ ing requires the BBP alter
beamforming.
MARCH 2011
tended receiver increases the signal
level at the receiver but only increases
interference with other receivers that
happen to lie within the narrow beam
of the transmitter. A narrow, high
gain receive pattern directed at
the transmitter decreases inter-
ference at the receiver from
neighboring base stations and
mobile devices. Both of these ef-
fects improve the SNR at the re-
ceiver.
Figure 1 shows a block diagram
of a system architecture in which
four antennas share the same sig-
nal. The conductors feeding the
center antennas are convoluted
to emphasize that all antenna
cable lengths must be equal.
Figure 2 shows a simulated re-
sponse of this system assuming that
the antennas are omnidirectional. The
antennas lie on the axis through 180°
and 0°. The radial axis of the polar plot
is gain in dB relative to the gain of a
single omnidirectional antenna.
Beamforming and
beamsteering
The architecture in Fig. 1 is useful in
many current applications but maxi-
mizing the benefits of a narrow-
beam system requires dynamic
beamsteering (moving the main
beam), or beamforming
(moving the main beam
and the nulls). Beamsteer-
ing requires the baseband
processor (BBP) alter the
phase of each antenna
signal while beamform-
the phase and amplitude
of each antenna signal.[3]
Unless otherwise speci-
fied, “beamforming” in
this article refers to both
beamsteering and beam-
forming. Figure 3 shows a
 Measuring the phase of beamforming systems

signal (resulting in: antenna 1 = - BBP applies a correction factor to

0.51λ, antenna 2 = -0.17λ, antenna 3
= 0.17λ and antenna 4 = 0.51λ, the re-
sult is shown in Fig. 5.
Measuring the phase
Clearly, the ability of the system to
measure the relative phase offset of
each transmitter output is mandato-
ry for beamforming. After calculat-
ing the relative phase offsets, the
each signal path in addition to the
phase and amplitude coefficients
that will steer the beam.
Figure 6 shows a common method
for determining the relative phase
offsets by using an extra receiver in
the system. The curved paths again
emphasize that the path lengths
from each RF front end to the RF
switch must be equal. Downconvert-

Fig. 4: A steered four-antenna response

relative to single antenna response.

system that implements beamform-

ing. Here, only the transmit paths
are shown for clarity.
Some multiuser protocols such as
LTE are designed for beamforming.
In LTE, the BBP can adjust the ampli-
tude and phase of resource blocks
(RBs) individually, allowing for user-
specific beams even during a mul-
tiuser subframe[4].
The radiation pattern in Fig. 4 re-
sults if the BBP shifts the data for an-
tenna 1 by –0.375λ, antenna 2 by –
0.125λ, antenna 4 by 0.125λ, and
antenna 4 by 0.375λ. In this beam-
steering example, the BBP only ap-
plies phase corrections to the data.
The figure also shows two lobes mov-
ing in concert. In cases where this is
not desirable, an array of directional
antennas can eliminate the unde-
sired lobe and provide extra gain for
the desired lobe.
The plots presented in Figs. 2 and
4 are ideal, assuming that the signals
arrive at each antenna exactly as de-
sired. In practice, however, varia-
tions result in undesired phase shifts
unique to each transmit path. These
phase shifts can change each time
the system is powered up and they
can vary with component tempera-
ture changes. This is especially true
if the transmitters use different local
oscillators or if the path of the local
oscillator as it travels to each trans-
mitter block is different.
Undesired phase offsets due to un-
equal path lengths, temperature drift,
and local oscillator (LO) phase differ-
ences among the transmitter paths
can severely degrade system perfor-
mance by changing the radiation pat-
tern. For example, if an error of just
five degrees is added to each antenna

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 31

Wireless & Networking
ing, filtering, and digitizing the
transmit signal and then computing
the phase as Tan-1 (Q/I) yields phase
offsets for each path. The BBP then
applies these correction factors to
the beamforming coefficients.
The downconversion process re-
quires a fully featured receiver sub-
system with the exception that the
maximum gain of the receive path
does not need to be as high as it does
32 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
for a normal receiver. Such a solution
adds cost but this is outweighed by
the beamforming benefits.
Using integration to cut cost
Increasing the level of integration re-
duces the cost of the implementation
of Fig. 6 while maintaining the bene-
fits of beamforming. There are several
levels of increasing integration. For
example, using a single IC for the en-
Fig. 5: Steered four-antenna response with
undesired phase shifts.
tire receiver subsystem or for a trans-
mitter subsystem reduces cost. Fur-
ther integration such as integrating
multiple transmitters and receivers
into a single IC yields a solution with
the least cost while retaining beam-
forming functionality.
Combining the receivers and
transmitters into the same IC package
provides additional benefits for time
division duplex (TDD) systems. In
that case, the receivers and transmit-
ters are not used at the same time,
which allows the receivers to be re-
tasked such that they measure the
phases of the transmitter outputs dur-
ing transmit subframes. Such an ar-
chitecture is shown in Fig. 7. This fig-
ure shows the situation during a
transmit subframe. The blocks labeled
Fig. 6: A four-element beamforming system
with Tx path phase detection.
“Tx Monitor” are the re-tasked receiv-
ers that measure the power at the cou-
pler and provide I/Q data outputs
during the transmit subframe. For the
receive subframe, the receiver circuit-
ry disconnects the Tx Monitor input
MARCH 2011
 Measuring the phase of beamforming systems

Report 06-23-2010, Department of

Electrical & Computer Engineer-
ing, Rice University, Houston, TX.
Fig. 7:
[3] Haynes, Toby, “A Primer on
Integrated Digital Beamforming,” Spectrum Sig-
beamforming nal Processing, March 26, 1998.
system. [4] Agilent Application Note,
“MIMO in LTE Operation and Mea-
surement—Excerpts on LTE Test,”
5990-4760EN, January 2010.

and operates as a normal receiver.

The first 2 x 2 transceiver uses an
internal LO for the transmit and mon-
itor paths. The second 2 x 2 transceiver
uses a different LO for its transmit and
monitor paths. The frequencies of the
LOs are the same but a phase delta
may exist and may change each time
the transceivers power up.
In Fig. 7, the phase of the output of
Tx Monitor 2 will equal ΦAnt1 (the de-
lay from LO 1 in the transmit path to
the coupler) plus ΦTxMon2 (the delay
of the Tx Monitor path back to LO 1).
This is referred to as Φ(det) in the fig-
ure. If the two bold traces are matched,
then the output of Tx Monitor 3 will
be the same Φ(det) plus ΦAnt2 plus
ΦLO 2 minus ΦLO 1. Subtracting
Φ(det) from this value results in the
phase difference between Ant1 and
Ant2. The phase differences of the
other antenna paths are derived in a
similar manner.
Beamforming is a practical method
of increasing coverage area while de-
creasing interference with other cells.
Of critical importance in beamform-
ing is the ability of the system to mea-
sure the relative phase of each signal
near its associated antenna. A receiver
subsystem can perform this function
but integrated components can reduce
the cost significantly while retaining
the benefits of beamforming. Compo-
nents such as the Analog Devices
AD9356 or AD9357 2 x 2 transceivers
reduce cost even further and combine
two receivers, two Tx Monitors, and
two transmitters on the same die. ■

References
[1] Kapustka, Paul, “4G killer
apps: A top five” www.pcworld.idg.
com.au/article/345816/4g_killer_apps_
top_five
[2] Zhong, Hang Yu and Sabhar-
wal, Ashutosh, “Beamsteering on
Mobile Devices: Network Capacity
and Client Efficiency,” Technical

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 33

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 MARCH 2011

Elect ronic PRODUCTS

electronicproducts.com
Power
Special
Shielded-gate
MOSFETs lower
conduction
losses............... 37

What is the
best type of
battery? ........... 40

Lithium cell
balancing: When
is enough,
enough?............ 46

Ultra-low-V
conversion for
energy
harvesting......... 52

Designing an
ultra-low-noise
supply for
analog circuits ... 58

Power supplies
evolve to meet
military needs .... 62

Digital power
modules deliver
for advanced
apps ................. 66
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 SPECIAL
POWER

Shielded-gate MOSFETs
lower conduction losses
The shielded-gate MOSFET can now provide the answer for
designers of dc/dc power supplies in the 40 to 200-V range
BY MIKE SPEED, JOE YEDINAK, cusses the advantages of the shield-
and H.L. LIN ed-gate MOSFET in the 40 to 300-V
Fairchild Semiconductor range.
www.fairchildsemi.com
Power design challenges

R
egulatory bodies as well as end
customers find themselves
striving for higher efficiency
in dc/dc power supplies. New designs
require lower specific on-resistance
while not sacrificing unclamped In-
ductive switching (UIS) capability or
increasing switching losses.
The shielded-gate MOSFET can
provide the answer for designers of
dc/dc power supplies in the 30 to
Fig. 1: Components of RDS(on) for conventional
trench designs benefit >100-V designs.
200-V range. R DS(on) reductions of
50% or greater have been realized
with improved switching perfor-
mance leading to higher efficiencies
and opening the door for higher-fre-
quency operation. This article dis-
Designers are continually facing the
challenge of designing higher-power-
density dc/dc designs with increased
efficiency. Advancements in power
MOSFET technology has helped to
keep this initiative possible.
The power MOSFET designer must
consider the tradeoffs between R DS(on)
and QG as reducing one typically in-
creases the other. A new trench MOS-

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ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 37

SPECIAL Shielded-gate MOSFETs lower conduction losses
POWER

a conventional and a shielded- takes to transition from the off to the

Fig. 2: Compares (a) conventional vs (b) shielded-gate
charge balance trench structure.
FET process allows for a reduction in
R DS(on) without incurring a Qg penal-
ty. This shielded-gate technology en-
ables reduction of the epi-re-
sistance associated with
achieving the BV DSS, the key
component of R DS(on), in mid-
voltage MOSFETs. As shown
in Fig 1, this technology has
particular benefits in the
>100-V area.
Figure 1 shows the R DS(on)
components comparing a 30-
V with a 100-V rated conven-
tional trench MOSFET. The
R DS(on) contribution from the
epitaxial is much larger per-
centage for the 100 V. Using a
charge balance technique like
the shielded gate, this epitaxi- Fig. 3: Compares the capacitive components for conventional and
al resistance can be reduced by shielded-gate trench with equivalent 20 A, 5.7-mΩ RDS(on).
gate trench device. By incorpo-
rating a shield electrode for charge particular, reducing the QGD, as show
balancing, the resistance and
length of the region supporting
the voltage is reduced and a sig-
nificant reduction in RDS(on) can be tion of voltage and current.
realized.
Further, the shield electrode
resides below the gate electrode
converting most of the gate to
drain capacitance (CGD or CRSS)
at the bottom of the conven-
tional trench MOSFET to gate
to source capacitance (CGS).
Hence, the shield-electrode
shields the gate electrode from
the drain potential.
Figure 3 compares the capacitive
on state or the on to the off state. In
in Fig. 4, reduces the switching ener-
gy losses by minimizing the time the
device has the simultaneous applica-
Further, the shield and its resis-
tance act as a built in snubbing resis-
tance (R SHIELD) and capacitance (CD-
SHIELD
) network depicted as component
of the COSS in Fig. 3. This snubbing
network slows down the transition
of the switching from low to high
voltage. This feature of the shielded
gate helps reduce EMI, dv/dt induced
turn-on, and avalanching during
switching transitions.
Performance
improvements in
1/16 brick modules
The Fairchild FDMS86252
150-V shielded-gate MOS-
FET was compared against
competitive MOSFETs in
the primary of a 48-V in-
put and 3.3-V output iso-
lated dc/dc converter op-
erating at 400 kHz over
the current range of 10 to
20 A. In Fig. 5, the
FDMS86252 shows a
minimum of 0.4% im-
provement in efficiency
with shielded gate. That
translates to at least a

Fig. 4: Compares Qg curves at 20 A and 50 V for conventional and Fig. 5: Compares Fairchild FDMS86252 150-V shielded-gate MOSFET with
shielded-gate trench with equivalent 20 A, 5.7-mΩ RDS(on). a competitor’s device in a 48-V VIN; 3.3-V VOUT, isolated dc/dc converter
operated at 400 kHz.

more than half without increasing
the total QG or the QGD component.
Charge balance technique
Figure 2 compares the cross-sections of
components of the conventional and
the shielded-gate trench MOSFET
having equivalent R DS(on). By reduc-
ing the CRSS the switching losses are
minimized by shortening the time it
0.32-W power improvement that
seems small but is crucial in dc/dc
design where every percentage point
is crucial when trying to meet regu-
latory requirements. ■

38 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 SPECIAL
POWER

What is the best type

of battery?
Here’s help figuring out which battery fast and simple charge, even after
prolonged storage.
type is right for your design • Long life. Nickel-cadmium has a
high number of charge/discharge
BY KERRY LANZA for example. Nickel-cadmium does cycles and five-year storage is pos-
Palladium Energy not like to be sitting in chargers for ex- sible.
www.palladiumenergy.com tended times and being used for short • Good load performance. Nickel-

B
atteries are everywhere, and they periods. A periodic full discharge is so cadmium allows recharging at
play a large role in making our important that, if omitted, large crys- low temperatures.
modern life possible. Every day, tals will form on the cell plates (also • Wide variety. NiCd is available in
new battery chemistries and designs referred to as memory) and the nickel- a wide range of sizes and perfor-
are announced that offer very high en- cadmium will gradually lose its per- mance options.
ergy densities, deliver 1,000 charge/dis- formance. Limitations
charge cycles and are paper-thin. These NiCd remains a popular choice for • Environmentally unfriendly. NiCd
attributes are indeed achievable, but two-way radios, emergency medical contains toxic metals.
not at the same time and not using the equipment and power tools. There is • Relatively high self-discharge. Nickel
same battery. shift towards batteries with higher en- cadmium needs recharging after
A battery may be designed for small ergy densities and less toxic metals but storage.
size and long runtime, but has a lim-
ited cycle life. Another may be built NiCd NiMH
Lead
Li-Ion
Li-Ion Reusable
for durability and is big and bulky. A Acid Polymer Alkaline
third may have high energy density Energy Density (Wh/kg) 45-80 60-120 30-50 110-160 100-130 80 (initial)
and long durability, but is made for a
Cycle Life (to 80% of 1,500 300 to 200 to 500 to 300 to 50
special application and is too expen- initial capacity) 500 300 1,000 500 (to 50%)
sive for the average consumer.
Fast Charge Time 1 hour 2-4 8-16 2-4 2-4 2-3 hours
Battery manufacturers are aware of
typ hours hours hours hours
customer needs and offer battery packs
that best suit the application. The mo- Self-discharge / Month 20% 30% 5% 10% ~10% 0.3%
(room tempurature)
bile phone industry is a good example
of this change. Here, small size and Cell Voltage (nominal) 1.25 V 1.25 V 2V 3V 3.6 V 1.5 V
high energy density are favored over Operating -40° to -20° to -20° to -20° to 0° to 0° to 60°C
longevity. Although energy density is Temperature 60°C 60°C 60°C 60°C 60°C
the main concern, other important at- (discharge only)
tributes include service life, load char- Maintenance 30 to 60 to 3 to 6 not req. not req. not req.
acteristics, maintenance requirements, Requirement 60 days 90 days months
self-discharge, cost, and safety. Nickel- Typical Battery Cost $50 $60 $25 $100 $100 $5
cadmium was the first rechargeable (Reference only) (7.2 V) (7.2 V) (6 V) (7.2 V) (7.2 V) (9 V)
battery in small format and forms a Cost per Cycle $0.04 $0.12 $0.10 $0.14 $0.29 $0.10-
standard against which other chemis- $0.50
tries are commonly compared. Today Table 1. Battery types and typical specifications
however, the most popular designs are
lithium-based systems. See Table 1 for alternative chemistries cannot always • Low energy density. NiCd batteries
comparison data of six different bat- match the superior durability and low are larger and heavier than alter-
tery types. cost of nickel-cadmium. natives.
Here is a summary of the advantages • Memory effect. NiCd must periodi-
Nickel-cadmium battery and limitations of NiCd batteries. cally be exercised.
Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) prefers fast Advantages
charge to slow charge and pulse charge • Simple storage and transportation. Nickel-metal-hydride battery
to DC charge. It is a strong worker and Most airlines accept nickel-cadmi- The success of nickel-metal hydride
hard work poses little problem. In fact, um without special conditions. (NiMH) has been driven by high ener-
nickel-cadmium is the only battery • Forgiving if abused. NiCd is rugged. gy density and the use of environmen-
type that performs well under rigor- • Good value. NiCd batteries are ec- tally friendly metals. The modern
ous working conditions – power tools onomically priced, and have a NiMH offers up to 40% higher energy

40 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 Vi AP h #
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tu C 8
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SPECIAL
POWER
density compared to the standard
nickel-cadmium. There is potential for
yet higher capacities, but not without
some negative side effects.
NiMH is less durable than NiCd.
Cycling under heavy load and storage
at high temperature reduces service
life. NiMH experiences high self-dis-
charge, more than that of NiCd. Most
shortcomings resemble nickel-based
technology and are shared with NiCd.
It is widely accepted that NiMH is an
interim step to lithium-based battery
technology.
Advantages
• Simple storage and transportation.
Transport is not subject to regula-
tory control.
• Environmentally friendly. NiMH
contains only mild toxins.
• High capacity. NiMH has a 30%
to40% higher capacity than NiCd.
• Less prone to memory. NiMH does
not always need to be totally
drained before recharging.
Limitations
• More complex charge algorithm
needed.
• High self-discharge. NiMH dis-
charge rate is typically 50% high-
42 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
er than NiCd.
• Heat sensitive. Performance of
NiMH degrades if stored at high
temperatures.
• Limited service life. The perfor-
mance starts to deteriorate after
200 to 300 cycles if repeatedly
deeply cycled.
• Short shelf life. NiMH has a relative-
ly short storage of three years.
• Limited discharge current. Although
NiMH is capable of delivering high
discharge currents, heavy load re-
duces the battery’s cycle life.
• High maintenance. Nickel-metal hy-
dride requires regular full discharge
to prevent crystalline formation.
Lithium-ion battery
The energy density of lithium-ion is
typically twice that of the standard
NiCd. The high cell voltage of 3.6 -
4.2 volts allows battery pack designs
with only one cell. Most of today’s
mobile phones run on a single cell. A
nickel-based pack would require
three 1.2-V cells connected in series.
Lithium-ion is a low maintenance
battery, an advantage that most oth-
er chemistries cannot claim. There is
MARCH 2011
What is the best type of battery?
no memory and no scheduled cy-
cling is required to prolong the bat-
tery’s life. In addition, the self-dis-
charge is less than half compared to
nickel-cadmium, making lithium-
ion well suited for modern fuel gauge
applications. Lithium-ion cells also
cause little harm when disposed.
Despite its overall advantages, lith-
ium-ion has its drawbacks. It is deli-
cate and requires a protection circuit
to maintain safe operation. The built-
in protection circuit limits the peak
voltage of each cell during charge and
prevents the cell voltage from drop-
ping too low on discharge. Also, the
cell temperature is monitored to pre-
vent temperature extremes. The max-
imum charge and discharge current
on most packs is limited to between
1C and 2C. These precautions virtu-
ally eliminate metallic lithium plat-
ing due to overcharge.
Manufacturers recommend stor-
age temperatures of 15°C (59°F), be-
cause storage in a cool place slows
the aging process of lithium-ion (and
other chemistries). Manufacturers of
lithium cells recommend a 40%
charge level for storage.
SPECIAL What is the best type of battery?
POWER

Advantages
• Low maintenance. No periodic dis-
charge is needed; there is no memory.
• Variety of use. Specialty cells can
provide very high current to ap-
plications such as power tools.
• High energy density. There is poten-
tial for even higher capacities.
• Relatively low self-discharge. Self-
discharge is less than half that of
nickel-based batteries.
Limitations
• Safety issues. Lithium-ion requires
protection circuit to maintain volt-
age and current within safe limits.
• Subject to aging. Aging occurs even
when the battery is not in use,
but storage in a cool place at 40%
charge reduces the effect.
• Transportation limitations. Ship-
ment of larger quantities may be
subject to regulatory control.
• Expensive to manufacture. Lithi-
um-ion costs are about 40% high-
er than NiCd.
Lithium-polymer battery
Lithium-polymer uses a different elec-
trolyte than a conventional battery.
This electrolyte resembles a plastic-like
film that does not conduct electricity
but allows ions to exchange. The poly-
mer electrolyte replaces the traditional
porous separator, which is soaked with
electrolyte. The commercial lithium-
ion polymer cells are very similar in
chemistry and materials to their liquid
electrolyte counter parts.
Lithium-polymer has not caught on
as quickly as some analysts had expect-
ed. Low manufacturing costs, for ex-
ample, have not been totally realized.
Because lithium-polymer cells are easi-
er to deform and damage than stan-
dard lithium-ion cells, more consider-
ation has to be given in the device
design and on how the user will access,
use, and replace the battery. Neverthe-
less, lithium-polymer has found its
market niche in thin geometries.
Advantages
• Lightweight. Lithium polymer,
with its high charge density,
weighs less than the equivalent
energy density of nickel-based
and lithium-ion batteries.
• Improved safety. Lithium-polymer
is more resistant to overcharge,
so there is less chance for electro-
lyte leakage.
• Very low profile. Batteries resem-
bling the profile of a credit card
are feasible.
• Flexible form factor. Manufactur-
ers are not bound by standard
cell formats.
Limitations
• Different safety concerns. Many de-
vice designers who use lithium-
polymer have found it safer to
make the battery pack nonre-
placeable in order to prevent po-
tential consumer damage to the
more fragile battery pack.
• Lower energy density and decreased
cycle count compared to lithium-
ion. Lithium polymer cells are
smaller for an equivalent output
and can be charged-discharged
more frequently.
• Expensive to manufacture. Lithium
polymer technology is complex
and manufacturing costs are
higher than other technologies.
• No standard sizes. Most cells are
produced for high volume con-
sumer markets.
• Expensive. There is a higher cost-
to-energy ratio than with lithi-
um-ion. ■

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Lithium cell balancing:
When is enough, enough?
Cell balancing, ultimately, needs to be matched to the cells
and to the way the cells are to be used
BY STEVE CARKNER
Panacis
www.panacis.com
W
hen designing, specifying,
or purchasing a lithium
based rechargeable battery
pack, a question that should always
come up is cell balancing as it re-
lates to safety and long-life for the
battery pack. A number of different
types of balancing technologies are
available, but precious little to actu-
ally identify when they should be
used and how much cell balancing
is really enough. Cell balancing, ul-
timately, needs to be matched to
both the cells and to the way the
cells are going to be used.
Thermal mismatch is just one of a
variety of factors that influence the
amount of balancing required. Figure
1 demonstrates how self-discharge
rises drastically as a cell is heated. Fig-
ure 2 shows how a battery pack can
experience differences in tempera-
ture that cause the cells near the
equipment to run much hotter than
those on the outside of the pack. Fig-
ure 3 shows how the individual cells
state-of-charge can be impacted by
even a short amount of use in such an
imbalanced situation.
The table shows some other
sources of imbalance and generally
how imbalance will affect the over-
all balancing requirements.
The type of balancing to use is driv-
en by the amount of current you re-
quire. How much cell-balancing cur-
rent do you really need to take care of
initial pack imbalance? Look at it from
a milliampere-hours point of view.
Consider as an example a 10-Ah pack
with 1-hour charging that you want to
balance in 30 days at one cycle per day
and 7% initial imbalance.
46 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
SPECIAL
POWER
Fig. 1: Self-
discharge rates
about double
for every 10°C-
rise in
temperature.
• How large is the battery pack (C)? since the initial imbalance (p) factor
• How long is an average charge would, hopefully, be balanced out.
cycle (t)? This can be done with passive or ac-
• How long (days) am I willing to tive cell balancing techniques.
wait for the pack to balance (T)?
• How many charge cycles per day
will this pack see (n)?
• What is the expected initial im-
balance percentage (p)?
• What is the self-discharge imbal-
ance per month (i)?
Let’s also assume that this pack is
used with a 20° thermal imbalance
so 4% self-discharge variation per
month, but all other factors such as
discharge rate, etc. being normal:
Balance Current = C(p+i) / ntT = Fig. 2: A battery pack can experience
(10 x (0.07 + 0.04)) / (1 x 1 x 30) = 36 differences in temperature that cause the
cells near the equipment to run much hotter
mA or just 0.4% balancing. This than those on the outside of the pack.
would then drop after the first month,
Fig. 3: The
individual
cells state-of-
charge can
be impacted
by even a
short amount
of use.
MARCH 2011
SPECIAL Lithium cell balancing: When is enough, enough?
POWER

Balancing Less Balancing Required More Balancing Required

Factor

Thermal Equipment is only hot when the Larger battery packs with high thermal differential across the cells
Mismatch battery is being used, or battery for long period of time
doesn’t get hot, or battery is
evenly hot.

Impedance Pack is charged and discharged at Pack is used at high (>5C) or very high (>20C) currents with
Mismatch low currents (typically 0.5C or less) rapid charging (>5C)

Cell Quality Good quality cells with Cheaper cells or cells with less history to rely upon
appropriate levels of
manufacturer data showing initial
capacity match and capacity
spread over time.

Rate of Cycling Medium number of Many cycles – indicates shorter balance time and faster wear out.
cycles, perhaps 1 per day
Less cycles – indicates longer self discharge periods
to 1 per week.

Desired Cycles Application only requires a few Application wants to get as many cycles as possible out of pack
hundred cycles before wear-out

Pack Capacity Application does not need full Application wants to squeeze every milliamp hour out of the pack
pack capacity

Number of Cells Few cells in pack Many cells in pack

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48 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

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SPECIAL
POWER
But, If the pack is only recharged
twice per month (one cycle every 15
days or 0.067), this changes drastically:
Balance Current = (10 x (0.07 +
0.04)) / (0.067 x 1 x 30) = 550 mA or
about 6% balancing current. This
level of current is generally only done
with active balancing techniques.
With active cell balancing you get
an added advantage if it is used dur-
ing discharge. Consider a 10-Ah new
pack with eight cells where one cell
has only 8-Ah capacity. This pack
would normally only be able to sup-
ply 8 Ah of capacity (equal to the
weakest cell). But with active balanc-
ing during discharge, the balancer
could transfer charge from the high-
est cells in the pack to the lowest cell.
For the eight-cell pack, this would
take about 250 mAh from the seven
other cells and transfer it to the low-
est cell. The result, the pack would ap-
pear to have 9.75-Ah capacity, it
would therefore still be in service, ex-
tending the operating life of the pack
for potentially hundreds of recharge
cycles. For this to work the active bal-
ancing needs to be powerful enough
to keep up with the pack’s load.
50 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
Lithium cell balancing: When is enough, enough?
These calculations do not by any
means take into account all balancing
factors. It is generally better to overspec-
ify the amount of balancing current. If
too much current is used, the cost of the
protection circuitry may go up a little
bit, but the safety of the pack will not be
harmed and the balancing circuit itself
simply won’t operate as often.
There is also no substitute for real-
life testing. Once a rate has been cho-
sen and packs assembled, they should
be subjected to the worst-case condi-
tions and monitored to ensure the
balancing system is keeping up. Ad-
ditional secondary protection circuits
should be used to ensure that when
balancing can’t keep up (and eventu-
ally even the best balancing circuit is
going to lose the battle against cell
wear-out), you want to ensure that
the pack fails gracefully.
Panacis has completed many bat-
tery pack designs ranging from single-
cell packs at 1 W-h, to packs operating
at over 800 V with tens of thousands
of watt-hour capacity. The cell-balanc-
ing level chosen on each of our packs
is different with the smallest balanc-
ing currents being around 10 mA for a
MARCH 2011
700-mAhr pack (1.4%) and the largest
balancing currents on our Aviation
batteries exceeding 30 A for a 32-Ah
pack (nearly 100%).
The Panacis Aviation batteries are
used in engine start applications
where they are subject to very high
engine starts (exceeding 1,000 A) fol-
lowed by short 100+-A recharges.
Most of the batteries’ operational life
is spent floating on a power bus, of-
ten with extreme temperature chang-
es that stress the cells on the outside
of the pack more than those on the
inside. The patented active cell bal-
ancing system used by Panacis is
based on multiphase molded core
transformers, which allows balancing
on charge and discharge at rates simi-
lar to the expected emergency backup
power requirements for the aircraft.
This ensures that in an emergency,
the maximum amount of energy can
be taken from the battery with the
highest-capacity cells transferring
significant energy to the lower capac-
ity cells in order to keep the aircraft
power bus up and running ■
Visit www2.electronicproducts.com/....
for the full version of this article.
 SPECIAL
POWER

Ultra-low-V conversion
for energy harvesting
The world is in love with portable wireless technology.
The question is, how do we power it?
BY JERRY W. FLEMING ment technology. collected from any energy-harvesting
Luna Innovations Applications requiring modular, device into a usable form. In this arti-
www.lunainnovations.com low-power, and extended maintenance cle, we outline a portable recharging

A
mbient energy harvesting is
gaining acceptance as a compli-
mentary power source for porta-
ble low-power commercial and military
applications. The need to reduce the
dependence on batteries for example,
has created a niche market for emerg-
ing energy-harvesting technologies.
Historically, the ability to harvest
and convert trace amounts of ambient
energy has been impractical due to in-
efficient power conversion and har-
vesting technology material cost. Re-
cent developments in ultra-low-voltage
power conversion technologies have
opened up a new trade space for man-
ufacturers of harvesting device tech-
nologies. This novel boost
technology is well suited
for thermoelectric device
manufacturers to convert
the thermoelectric genera-
tor (TEG) output voltage
into a usable form.
Luna Innovations devel-
oped a novel dc/dc boost
converter that operates
with subthreshold input Fig. 1: The system block
diagram for energy
voltages of 20 mV with over harvesting requires several
90% conversion efficiency. well-thought-out parts.
The converter topology is
based on a synchronous charge pump
that is intelligently controlled by an
ultra-low-power microprocessor. This
intelligent topology provides load
matching in a deterministic manner
to maximize efficiency over a wide
range of operating conditions. The
output is precisely regulated and con-
trolled to charge a single lithium-ion
cell. The converter operates over a
wide range of harvesting conditions.
Such conversion techniques are ideal-
ly suited for thermoelectric energy
harvesting. A patent is pending for
this novel supply and power manage-
cycles, such as wireless sensor networks
could significantly benefit from the ul-
tra-low-power conversion and harvest-
ing techniques presented here.
The need for energy
harvesting
With the ever-growing number of por-
table electronic device applications
such as mobile phones, handheld
computing devices, and wireless sen-
sor applications, properly managing
rechargeable batteries remains one of
the most challenging design issues for
engineers. There are numerous indus-
trial applications where battery re-
placement is economically and logisti-
cally impractical, laborious and
potentially dangerous.
Collecting and storing power from
ambient energy-harvesting devices
remains a very desirable approach to
extend battery life. Designers have
struggled, however, to incorporate
energy-harvesting methods into their
designs due to the relatively low pow-
er available from many scavenging
technologies.
In order to bridge this gap, Luna has
developed an intelligent high-efficien-
cy boost power conversion solution to
convert the trace amounts of energy
system based on the principals of ther-
moelectric energy harvesting, a novel
intelligent dc/dc boost converter, and a
power management solution.
The challenge
Creating a reliable ultra-low-voltage
boost power supply requires extreme
care in the device selection and design
implementation. Selecting the power
supply topology usually results in a se-
ries of tradeoffs after carefully review-
ing the stringent system requirements.
The operating conditions, toler-
ances, efficiency, EMI emissions, pow-
er quality, form factor, and cost limita-
tions all must be given serious
consideration. Designing
boost power converter cir-
cuitry for ambient energy
harvesting presents several
challenges to the design en-
gineer. The unknown start-
up and ever-changing oper-
ating conditions dictate the
need for a continuous boot
strap supply for the power
management functionality.
The system
architecture
The ultra-low-power boost converter
topology consists of an extreme low-
power microprocessor controlling a
16X charge pump array (See Fig. 1).
Collectively, the microprocessor is op-
erating under software control creat-
ing an intelligent, adaptable digital
power manager to track the energy-
harvesting operating conditions.
Software algorithms intelligently
control the charge-pump during the
charge and transfer periods. Proprie-
tary algorithms match the thermo-
electric device output impedance to
the boost converter interface electron-

52 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

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 SPECIAL Ultra-low-V conversion for energy harvesting
POWER

Fig. 2: The 16x charge-pump temperature while increasing the out-

helps boost the output to the put voltage. For example, placing four
required voltage.
thermoelectric devices in series pro-
viding 308-mV input to the boost con-
verter. The output voltage is then
boosted to 4.92 V. Luna’s laboratory
testing achieved greater than 90%
conversion efficiency with 100-mW
loading conditions. The charge-pump
boost output is outlined in Fig. 2.

The power management

ics to maximize the energy transfer
and efficiency. An on-board analog to
digital converter samples the harvest-
ing device voltage to determine the
mode of operation. During unfavor-
able harvesting conditions, the micro-
processor is placed into deep-sleep
mode and the quiescent current is less
than 2 μA.
The TEG harvesting device
Thermoelectric generator (TEG) output
characteristics typically have modest
output currents with low output volt-
age when exposed to a small thermal
gradient. One of the most desirable
goals of thermoelectric harvesting is to
operate with lowest Δ temperatures
possible to accommodate a wide range
of harvesting conditions.
The boost converter operates with
input voltages on the order of 20 mV.
The output characteristics of a single
thermoelectric device operating with a
ΔT of 25-K gradient are 26 mW, (0.077
V at 0.336 A). It is not uncommon to
put in series several thermal electric
modules to lower the º operational
architecture
Managing the startup sequence of ana-
log circuits requires thorough design
consideration. Typical modern power
supply circuits implement a soft start
cycle that limits the inrush current re-
quired to charge capacitors and power
up each circuit in the supply topology
in a graceful deterministic manner. In a
worst case scenario applying a voltage to
a device input before the device is pow-
ered can cause latch-up conditions or
result in excessive current drain through
the device input protection diodes.
Since ultra-low-power operation is
paramount, methodologies are de-
ployed to minimize switching cur-
rents, such as those required to charge

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• Improve time to market

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unique configuration flexibility, high power density,
high reliability, and quick time to market at prices
not usually found in custom solutions. Vicor's unique
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Stay protected...

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SPECIAL
POWER
large capacitive loads. The charge and
discharge of the charge-pump is care-
fully controlled during startup for soft
start control to minimize inrush cur-
rent. The power management is per-
formed in a deterministic manner
with synchronous control of the
charge-pump and active load control.
Real-world examples
Portable wireless instrumentation has
become very popular in industrial and
manufacturing applications. Simple
instrumentation applications can be
very expensive to properly install and
maintain. When considering the man-
power and cabling cost to instrument
any precision monitoring application,
a business case can easily be made for
wireless instrumentation. While there
are numerous industrial monitoring
applications that would benefit from
wireless instrumentation, wireless in-
strumentation has not been widely
deployed due to the limited battery
life and total cost of ownership in-
curred from battery costs, battery stor-
age requirements, and scheduled bat-
tery maintenance.
Total cost of ownership and system
56 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
considerations make designers skepti-
cal of the feasibility of cost effective
ambient energy harvesting. Many of
the manufacturing materials for ener-
gy-harvesting devices are expensive
and the harsh harvesting environ-
ment present technical challenges.
Two recent advancements in tech-
nologies have opened up a new trade
space for designers. The first advance-
ment is extremely-low-power device
technologies. The ability to architect
intelligent control systems or building
blocks in a cost effective manner
opens up an unlimited trade space in
intelligent ultra-low-power technolo-
gies. The second advancement is cost
effectiveness and reliable harvesting
device technologies. Never before have
designers been able to address difficult
design challenges such as complex
thermal management issues or real
time applications with a reasonable
cost budget.
Luna developed an innovative ultra-
low-power dc/dc energy conversion and
management technique that can be ap-
plied in multidiscipline energy-harvest-
ing applications. Its ultra-low-power dc/
dc energy conversion and management
MARCH 2011
Ultra-low-V conversion for energy harvesting
technique is an enabling technology
that bridges the gap between low-power
energy harvesting and low-power elec-
tronic devices. This novel technology is
anticipated to deliver a singular, univer-
sal solution — regardless of the type of
energy-harvesting methodology em-
ployed by a designer.
The creation of a universal low-
power dc/dc conversion technique
would fundamentally alter a design
proposition of energy harvesting from
the selection of the best energy-har-
vesting technique to the inclusion of
every energy-harvesting technique.
Low-power applications requiring
modular, low-power, and extended
maintenance cycles would benefit
from the inclusion of an energy-har-
vesting device to replenish or replace
batteries. Future low-power applica-
tions — wireless sensors for military or
industrial process monitoring applica-
tions, consumer electronics, mobile
phones, video games, handheld com-
puting, and portable medical devices
could be designed to operate below
subthreshold voltage levels, creating
an entirely new class of self-powered
electronics. ■
 ADVERTISEMENT
SPECIAL
POWER

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2.75W adapter (5V output), at just
2.29 x 1.69 x .83 inches. Compliant
with ENERGY STAR® External Power
Supply (EPS) Version 2.0 requirements
as well as the United States’ Federal
Energy Independence and Security
Act of 2007 (EISA) and the 5-Star
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charger’s small size makes it ideal for
wireless communications, peripherals,
networking, and portable and mobile
equipment.
For details on Phihong’s PSM03X, visit:
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simple technique to generate clean
voltage rails.
bipolar amplifiers, etc. It is an on-
going design challenge to simply
generate clean and stable positive
and negative voltage rails for pow-
ering noise-sensitive analog com-
ponents.
The usual solution is a positive
buck or boost switching power sup-
ply that generates the positive rail,
which then is post-regulated with a
requires the designer’s time to cal-
culate the LC filter for accuracy and
long-term stability.
The reference design illustrated
in Fig. 1, using the TPS54x60 for ex-
ample, shows a simpler technique
to generate clean voltage rails. With
this circuit, the positive and nega-
tive voltage rails are created using a
switching converter. It is post-regu-

58 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

SPECIAL
POWER

lated with two high-power supply
rejection ratio (PSRR)/low-noise
LDOs to remove switching noise.
The LDO’s noise performance elimi-
nates the need for LC output filters.
To create this reference design,
use a +60-V switching converter in
a buck-boost configuration to gen-
erate a balanced ± output voltage.
The switcher’s positive and nega-
tive voltage outputs are post-regu-
lated with the low-noise, high-PSRR the ground pin is referenced to the
LDOs, such as with the TPS7A30 –18-V rail, and the maximum V IN is
and TPS7A49. In Fig. 2, the switch- 30 V. In this configuration the
ing regulator’s voltage ripple is maximum voltage the switching
around 40 mV on the –18-V rail, converter must withstand is 48 V.
and 20 mV on the +18-V rail. By us- Choose the LDOs for their wide in-
ing the LDOs to post regulate the put voltage, low-output nose, and
output from the 300-kHz switch- high PSRR.
ing regulator, the voltage ripple is
greatly attenuated. We used the 60- Table 1
V switching converter here because Data Converter Accuracy
# Bits 5 V FSR / 10 V FSR /
1 LSB 1 LSB
8 20 mV 40 mV
12 1.2 mV 2.4 mV
14 0.3 mV 0.6 mV

AC POWER! Switch
16 76 μV 152 μV
20 4.8 μV 9.6 μV
24 0.3 μV 0.6 μV

In today’s medical, test and mea-

surement, and industrial control
markets, the need for increased
noise performance becomes ever
more critical as the data converter
resolution increases, or as the full-
scale range of the signal decreases.
Table 1 shows that as the data con-
verter’s resolution increases, the

50Arms @ TC=25
=25ººC voltage step for 1 LSB decreases. Or,

When a simpler
20Arms With 5º
5ºC/W Heat Sink solution is needed for
generating very low-
5Arms With No Heat Sink noise stable positive
and negative voltage
Blocking Voltage: 800VP rails for powering
A/D converters,
RTJC = 0.35º
0.35ºC/W D/A converters, and
2500Vrms Electrical Isolation bi-polar amplifiers,
consider the refer-
Optically Isolated
Zero-Cross Switching ence design in Fig.1.

Clare, an IXYS Company as the magnitude of the full-scale

78 Cherry Hill Drive ZC voltage swing decreases, the volt-
Beverly, MA 01915 age step for 1-LSB decreases. As the
978-524-6768
value of the 1-LSB voltage decreas-
1 2 3 4 es, the effect of the noise generated
AC Load + LED – LED
by the power supply increases. The
noise injected from the power sup-
www.clare.com/Products/SSRACSwitch.htm ply increases the signal-to-noise ra-
tio (SNR), which deceases the effec-

60 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 Designing an ultra-low-noise supply for analog circuits

converter tool to modify the switch-

tive resolution of the data converter.
For example, a 16-bit data convert-
er can behave like a 14-bit data con-
verter due to excessive noise gener-
ated by the power supply. The
decision is up to you, the design
engineer, to consider the noise and
accuracy trade-off.
A simple way to recreate this de-
sign is to use the same evaluation
Fig. 2:
Oscilloscope
screen shot
shows LDO
PSRR
performance.
boards we used: the TPS54060EVM-
590 for the switcher circuit; and the
TPS7A30-49REVM-567 for the LDOs.
Simply connect the output of the
switching regulator evaluation mod-
ule (EVM) to the input of the LDO
EVM — and start the evaluation. If
this solution does not match the
systems voltage requirements, down
load this point-of-load (POL) dc/dc
er circuit to your specifications.
If a different output voltage is
required from the LDO board,
modify the feedback resistors using
the LDO data sheets to calculate
the values required for the desired
output voltage. Using this ap-
proach, the positive and negative
voltage rails can be generated from
an input voltage of 12 V to as high
as 30 V with the output ranging
from ±2.5 to ±15 V.
When a simpler solution is need-
ed for generating very low-noise
stable positive and negative voltage
rails for powering A/D converters,
D/A converters, and bi-polar ampli-
fiers, consider the reference design
in Fig. 1. Evaluate available tools
and applications support that make
it easy to create, evaluate and mod-
ify a positive and negative voltage
supply. Now you can quickly create
the power section and spend more
valuable design time on the data
conversion circuits that are critical
for differentiating your application
from the competition. ■

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Power supplies evolve
to meet military needs
Power supplies are a critical component impacting size, cooling
and mobility for computing density in military systems
BY GORDON SMITH
and MIKE SOUTHWORTH
Parvus
www.parvus.com
M
ilitary electronics are con-
tinually pushing the bound-
aries of electrical design as
these specialized components must
prove reliable amidst harsh condi-
tions. To ensure electronics deployed
onboard a military platform, albeit
airborne, ground or shipboard meet
the military’s rigorous demands, for-
mal military standards are imple-
mented to ensure the safety and ef-
Fig. 1: MIL-STD-1275 Envelope of spikes in normal operating mode of
28-Vdc systems.
fectiveness of equipment deployed in
tactical operations.
One electrical component that
must particularly keep pace with
these growing demands is the sub-
system power supply. Tasked with
ensuring consistent reliable power to
military computing devices – includ-
ing mission computers and commu-
nications gear — the power supply
must meet MIL standard and appli-
cation requirements, not to mention
size, weight, and power (SWaP) con-
straints and cost considerations.
Military Standards 1275 and 704
62 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
SPECIAL
POWER
(MIL-STD-1275 / MIL-STD-704) are
of particular interest to vehicle elec-
tronics (vetronics) and aircraft engi-
neers, respectively, when onboard
subsystems are powered by a 24-V
battery or 28-V generator. This arti-
cle highlights aspects from these and
related MIL standards with particu-
lar emphasis on the 1275 standard.
Meeting military standards
MIL-STD-1275 covers the characteris-
tics of 28-Vdc electrical systems in
military vehicles and provides detailed
requirements for military ground plat-
form electrical sys-
tems, including
electromagnetic
compatibilit y
(EMC), starting
mode, normal op-
erating mode, gen-
erator-only mode
operation, and their
associated spikes,
surges and operat- Fig. 2: MIL-STD-1275 Envelope of surges in generator-only mode for
ing limits. 28-Vdc systems.
It goes without
saying that to ensure reliable system
operation, a MIL-1275 compliant
power supply needs to withstand
voltage transients as specified within
the standard without causing compo-
nent damage to itself or the electron-
ics powered by it. In addition to with-
standing the spikes (see Fig. 1) and
surges (see Fig. 2) without damage, it
MARCH 2011
also should continue to supply clean,
well regulated power to its load(s)
while “riding through” these spikes
and surges.
In ground vehicles, the chance of
input voltage being reversed is signifi-
cant, a condition often caused by
jumper cables being reversed when
jumping a dead battery. As a result,
protection against reversed polarity
on the power leads needs to be incor-
porated. Using a diode for polarity
protection is common, but wasteful
in the amount of power lost in the
forward biased diode. If a shunt-diode
is incorporated, there may be a dan-
ger of blowing a fuse or circuit break-
er. Some MIL supplies therefore use a
FET to act as a series diode that is
turned on in the presence of voltage.
This can result in less heat generated
onboard.
Note: the limits stated in MIL-STD-
1275 are typically determined while
operating at an ambient air tempera-
ture range of –32° to 52°C – or what-
ever the appropriate authority speci-
fies. Many military-qualified supplies
operate well beyond that at –40° to
85°C ambient air temperature during
full or partial/no load conditions.
 SPECIAL
POWER
Electromagnetic
compatibility
In a military environment,
computers must coexist with
all other equipment, includ-
ing powerful radio, radar, and
microwave transmitters as
well as highly sensitive receiv-
ers. For that reason, MIL-STD-
1275 embeds requirements
from the military EMI/EMC
standard MIL-STD-461, which
governs radiated and con-
ducted emissions and suscep-
tibility. In this way, electrical
systems are limited to the
Fig. 3: MIL-STD-461 CE102 conducted emissions limit for all
amount of noise they can applications.
generate and what types and
levels of interference they tolerate.
There is a very narrow range for
permissible conducted EMI for a MIL-
STD-461-approved device (see Fig. 3).
There is also a limit specified on the
amount of line-to-ground capaci-
tance to limit the currents through a
vehicle’s ground system — a major
cause of potential interference.
MIL-STD-461 susceptibility re-
quirements dictate the amount of con-
• Contactless for nearly unlimited life cycles
• Superior 12 bit resolution
• Absolute linearity ±0.1%
• Qualified to RTCA/DO-160F aircraft standards
• Dramatically outperforms competitive sensors
• Available in 1/2” (12.7 mm),
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• Custom options include:
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• Sensors can be tailored to your exact requirements
ducted RF energy the device must be
able to withstand and still operate
properly. For example, from 30 Hz to 5
kHz, the device must be able to with-
stand 126 dBμV (about 2 Vrms) added
on top of the dc supply voltage.
Radiated emissions levels (from 30
Hz to 40 GHz) are also specified in
MIL-STD-461. Given that shields cov-
ering signal lines are allowed, but
none are generally allowed over the
power leads, the largest source
of radiated emissions can be
the power leads.
Form factors and
modularity
While many power supplies are
customized for application-
specific requirements, com-
mercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)
dc/dc converters come in all
shapes and sizes, including
those pre-qualified to meet
military requirements. Me-
chanical form factors range
from high density enclosed
brick modules to various cus-
tom or standards-based board
formats for stackable or backplane-
based subsystems. An increasingly
popular choice for space-constrained
embedded vehicle applications is the
modular PC/104 format.
Where size and weight are key
considerations, PC/104 has become
the COTS form factor of choice for
an increasing number of military
uses due to its compactness (3.550 x
3.775-in.) and inherent ruggedness
 Power supplies evolve to meet military needs

V galvanic isolation. This is done by Keeping pace with military

transferring the energy across the iso-
lation boundary using the onboard
transformer. This allows the systems
designer to flexibly select where the
reference to ground is placed. Al-
though not a common practice with
commercial power supplies, galvanic
isolation is a necessary step for ensur-
ing advanced electrical performance
for military devices.
demands
With computing density a primary
consideration, power supplies are a
critical component as they directly
impact the size, cooling and mobility
of a system. By implementing creative
engineering solutions, today’s highly
efficient, compact power supplies are
well equipped to help the military ac-
complish its objectives. ■

Fig. 4: Parvus ACS-5180 PC/104-Plus modular

MIL-STD-1275 / MIL-STD-704 power supply.

against vibration and shock. Auto-

motive-grade, stackable PC/104 dc/
dc converters provide system archi-
tects with a wide range of choices for
input voltage, output voltage and
power level, while remaining sensi-
tive to cost. Generally, these supplies
have not conformed to MIL-STD-704
or MIL-STD-1275, however, so sepa-
rate pre-filters or in-line power con-
ditioners have been used in tandem
to ensure voltage input protections
and appropriate EMI levels.
SWaP-constrained vehicle applica-
tions will generally prefer a more inte-
grated solution that keeps physical size
to a minimum and eliminates the sepa-
rate filter circuitry. The new ACS-5180
power supply (see Fig. 4) from Parvus is
a good example of a stand-alone
PC/104-Plus board that does just that.
It includes all the necessary input filter-
ing and conditioning circuitry to meet
both military ground and aircraft pow-
er conditions (MIL-STD-1275, MIL-
STD-704), as well as MIL-STD-461 EMI
and MIL-STD-810 environmental re-
quirements, making it ready to drop
into small form-factor unmanned and
manned vehicle applications.

Electrical isolation for

military apps
Electrical (galvanic) isolation for pow-
er supplies is another important sys-
tem design consideration. Galvanic
isolation, where the return path for
power is not necessarily the same as
for signals, allows system designers to
avoid ground loops. Ground loops in
systems can be difficult to find and
have been the cause of many sleepless
nights troubleshooting the cause and
cure of spurious electrical noises.
To mitigate this concern in the
ACS-5180, Parvus designed in 1,500-

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 65

 SPECIAL
POWER

Digital power modules

deliver for advanced apps
Encapsulated digital power module technology combine next-gen
package technology and digital power management
BY JOSH BROLINE
Intersil
www.intersil.com/powermodules

M
ore and more industrial
and communications ap-
plications can finally take
advantage of the benefits of noniso-
lated dc/dc power supply modules,
including higher reliability and
smaller form factors, which can help
shorten total end-product time to
market and reduce the need for
manufacturers to develop power de-
sign expertise. The dc/dc power
modules can increase a design’s por-
tability, while reducing its size. The Fig. 1: Benefits of the heat-spreading effect in encapsulated module.

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 Digital power modules deliver for advanced apps

module can deliver a complete, inte- Enhanced fully encapsulated digital module is versatile enough to
grated solution, incorporating pas- packaging provides large thermal meet a fairly wide range of applica-
sives, inductors, MOSFET, and con- pads on the bottom of the package tion requirements.
troller. It also offers a complete for enhanced thermal capability and One of the major advantages of
range of current and voltages in rug- exposed leads around the edge of the an encapsulated digital power mod-
ged, standard packaging at a reason- package for ideal solder joint inspect- ule is superior power density enabled
able cost. ability. With the ability to run off by improving package thermal per-
The power module combines 3.3-, 5-, and 12-V bias rails and out- formance. Power density and ther-
most or all of the components need- put a voltage from 0.54 to 4 V, with a mal resistivity of the package go
ed to deliver a plug-and-play solu- single resistor setting, and up to 12-A hand in hand, especially when con-
tion that can replace up to 40 differ- output current, a fully encapsulated sidering a high power solution, de-
ent components. This integration
simplifies and speeds designs. It also
significantly reduces the total power
management footprint. The mod-
ules can be placed on the printed-
circuit board close to the circuits
they power, which aids in voltage
regulation. Placement becomes even
more critical as subsystems operate
at higher currents, lower voltages,
and higher clock frequencies.
In evaluating the different module
options, engineers must compare their
specific application requirements with
a module’s electrical and thermal per-
formance, physical dimensions, and
reliability specifications available from
traditional and emerging, higher-pow-
er-density options with optimal ther-
mal resistivity.
The most common of the noniso-
lated dc/dc power modules are single
in-line packages (SIP), open-frame
solutions that can simplify design.
But they typically are useful for low-
er frequency systems, for example,
in the 600-kHz range and below.
Also, their power density is not opti-
mal, particularly in comparison with
dc/dc encapsulated modules.

Fully encapsulated modules

The newest form of the power mod-
ule is the fully encapsulated dc/dc
PoL digital power module supply,
which delivers the ultimate combi-
nation of advantages provided by a
digital power solution via the PMBus
and encapsulated module packaging.
Enabled by the internal digital con-
troller, the PMBus can be used to
configure a wide variety of parame-
ters to quickly adapt to specific ap-
plication needs.
Various parameters can be moni-
tored and stored in on-board non-
volatile memory, and as with most
advanced modules, almost all dis-
crete components are integrated. Ad-
vantages can include reduced time to
market, minimized BOM on the PCB,
and increased long-term reliability.

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 67

SPECIAL
POWER
fined as greater than 10 W. There has
been a race to improve density/inte-
gration for decades in the semicon-
ductor industry.
The motivation is that systems
are growing in functionality, which
can require more components while
the overall system size is being re-
duced to stay competitive. So com-
ponent/solution size is a key part of
this trend, which means higher-
power-density or smaller-form-factor
solutions can help designers fit more
content or a higher/larger power pro-
cessor, for example, on a PCB.
The lower the thermal resistivity,
the higher the possible power densi-
ty -- some encapsulated module solu-
tions struggle to meet higher power
levels due to their package thermal
resistivity. Also, the more thermally
efficient the solution is, the less a
user needs to be concerned with or
design around the solution con-
straints, such as ensuring there is a
specific amount of air flow, or add-
ing a heat sink. Optimal thermal
performance is enabled by the en-
hanced encapsulated QFN package
68 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
with the large pads on the bottom of
the package and the thermally en-
hanced package overmold material
that spreads the heat.
Very low package thermal resistiv-
ity can be demonstrated by a package
theta junction-to-ambient of 11.5 C/
W and bottom of the package theta
junction-to-case of 2.2 C/W. As a re-
sult, a higher-power solution can be
designed in a smaller form factor. Be-
cause the theta JC on the backside of
the package is so low, the majority of
the heat is dissipated through the bot-
tom of the package (see Fig. 1).
In contrast to an open-framed
module, no air flow is required to
run at full load over the industrial
ambient temperature range in most
operating conditions. The thermal
capability of a module package has a
major influence in achieving a high-
er power density versus more tradi-
tional open-framed modules or dis-
crete power solutions, and makes the
encapsulated module a solid choice
to replace either.
Figure 1 shows the infared ther-
mal images of a non-encapsulated
MARCH 2011
module (left) and fully encapsulated
module (right) mounted on equiva-
lent PCB boards. The plastic molding
around the internal components in
the right-hand picture acts as a heat
spreader and effectively reduces the
internal temperature of the compo-
nents. Since open-framed modules
or discrete solutions do not have an
overmold material, there is a higher
level of power dissipation to the sur-
rounding environment and often air
flow is required to dissipate that heat
similar to what the encapsulated ma-
terial is doing in this example.
Encapsulated module solutions
help drive toward higher reliability
and manufacturability, due to their
mechanical structure. For example,
since all the components are fully
encapsulated, there is better electri-
cal isolation from the outside world,
fewer solder joints that can open or
short over time, and a lower chance
of stresses in a given application
causing package cracks Also, im-
proved manufacturability can be re-
alized since the encapsulated pack-
age is more conducive to traditional
 Digital power modules deliver for advanced apps

pick-and-place equipment versus a on the market, the ZL9101M has a Encapsulated digital power mod-
non-planar open framed solutions. power density of 38 W/cm3 versus ule technology offers an advanta-
Another advantage of this kind 8.6 W/cm3, over three times higher geous combination of next- genera-
of module comes in the ability to than this equivalent open-framed tion package technology and easily
configure and monitor digital pow- module at the equivalent output implemented digital power manage-
er management using the PMBus power level of 30 W. There is also a ment that will simplify PoL power
and I 2C interface. The best way to significant difference in the foot- supply design with minimal external
achieve these benefits is through a print of the two solutions, 2.2 cm 2 components, improved reliability
simple graphical user interface that versus 3 cm 2, a 30% difference, over traditional open framed mod-
lets designers adjust various operat- which is critical when board space is ules or discrete solutions, and en-
ing parameters such as soft start at a premium. hanced design cycle time. ■
ramp time, output voltage margin-
ing, voltage tracking and power-
good threshold. No external circuit-
ry is required using this method,
and it is designed to be flexible
enough to meet current and future
design requirements.
Various parameters can be moni-
tored during the system develop-
ment stage and after the system is
deployed out to the field. For exam-
ple, the output conditions — volt-
age and current — can be monitored
and stored in the internal nonvola-
tile memory with a date stamp on a
regular basis and read back exter-
nally as needed. This enhances sys-
tem design by speeding up debug-
ging time and increases long-term
system reliability by insuring nor-
mal operation at all times or en-
hancing failure analysis if a system
is returned. Once a configuration is
finalized for a specific application,
the config file is produced by using
the configuration program.

Significant advances
in power density
As an example of the newest dc/dc
encapsulated power module, the
ZL9101MIRZ from Intersil offers a
very unique combination of next
generation package technology and
easy to use digital power manage-
ment that will simplify sophisticat-
ed PoL power supply design due to
minimal external components, im-
prove reliability over traditional
open framed modules or discrete so-
lutions, and improve design cycle
time or time to market. It applies a
system called PowerNavigator with
the PMBus and a GUI to simplify
and optimize configuration and
monitoring.
Encapsulated modules in some
cases can have four times higher
power density. For example, com-
paring the Intersil ZL9101MIRZ to
an equivalent open-frame module

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 69

PRODUCT Resistors and capacitors
UPDATE
The devices also exhibit low ESR, and
Chip termination 50-V tantalum suit continuous operation with only a
operates to 40 GHz polymer caps ±20% voltage derating. Available in
13 case sizes, the capacitors operate in
Part of the N Series, the NDX-0505SG suit dc/dc temperatures from –55° to 125°C. (1-
0505-size chip termination resistor is
rated at 25 W, characterized for dc to converter apps μF B case, $0.620 ea/10,000 — 8 weeks
ARO.)
40 GHz operation. The terminations The TCJ series capacitors includes AVX
are offered on 0.015-, 0.025-, and the industry’s first 1-μF/50-V and 10- Greenville, SC
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and operating temperatures from –55° LCD TVs, base stations, rectifiers, By storing charge at the surface of the
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gle wrap with ground plane and full tors and new LED-technology TVs. Gen1h snap-in hybrid capacitor offers
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The hybrid capacitor can deliver a
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Sales 607-433-9011
sales@ioxus.com
www.ioxus.com

NTC thermistors
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quickly
The NTCLE305E4xxxSB series micro-
chip negative temperature coefficient
(NTC) thermistors offer a maximum

70 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011


Quality1
AT KOA SPEER IT’S A WAY OF LIFE
You expect product quality from any component
that makes it into one of your designs. But in today’s
competitive global marketplace, there’s so much more
to the quality equation. At KOA Speer, we’ve launched
our Quality 1st initiative to reinforce our organization
wide focus on serving you at the highest possible level.
And our commitment to quality in everything we do is
paying off…in the past two years we’ve received ten
major customer quality awards.
KOA Speer’s Quality 1st initiative has three main tenets:
Manufacturing – Our manufacturing programs redefine
industry standards with defect levels measured in parts per
billion. This organization-wide focus on quality resulted in
our receiving ISO 9000:2000 certification and TS-16949,
st
enabling tier one supplier status to the automotive industry.
Solutions – Our engineers will work with your design team
to find the ideal component to help you increase clock
speeds, improve circuit protection, reduce component
size – whatever your requirement.
Service/Delivery – Customized EDI, dock-to-stock and
JIT along with an inventory of billions of components
and shipments of millions a day set the standard
for excellence.
Discover what KOA Speer’s Quality 1st
can do for you, call 814-362-5536 or visit
koaspeer.com

RK73H1F – 01005 SR731H – 0201 Size HV73 – High CN1H – 0201 Size WK73 – Wide TLRH – New Metal
Size Precision Flat Current Sense Voltage Thick Film Chip Resistor Array Terminal Flat Foil Current
Chip Resistor Chip Resistor Chip Resistor Chip Resistor Sense Resistor

CERTIFIED
PRODUCT
UPDATE
body-sensing diameter of
1.6 mm and response
times of ≤3 s in air and
≤0.7 s in oil. The devices
provide accuracy of
±0.5°C from 25° to 85°C
and ±1.0°C between –40°
and 125°C.
The NTCLE305E4202SB, NT-
CLE305E4502SB, and NTCLE305E4
Resistors and capacitors
103SB feature an R at units and battery packs. ($0.30 — 10
25°C of 2,060, 5,000, weeks ARO.)
and 10,000 Ω, respec- Vishay Intertechnology
tively. AEC-Q200-quali- Malvern, PA
fied thermistors also of- Andrew Post 610-251-5287
fer thermal shock andrew.post@vishay.com
resistance up to 2,000 www.vishay.com
cycles, and suit temperature-sensing
circuits in products such as automo-
tive temperature probes and control 75-μF filter
capacitors for
power converters
or drives
The B3279* se-
ries MKP AC
capacitors are
output filter
capacitors fea-
turing a value
range of 2 to 75
μF. The series offers capacitor types
for voltages up to 400 Vac, and can
be used in a range of output filter
modules for three-phase power con-
verters or drives.
The devices have radial terminals
for PCB mounting and operate in
temperatures to 105°C. The B3279*
series complements the existing
B3292*E/F series of X2 capacitors.
(Contact company for pricing and
availability.)
EPCOS, Munich, Germany
Marketing
Fax +49 89 636-22471
marketing.communications@epcos.com
www.epcos.com

Chip resistors
offer low
tolerances
The RCP series thick-film high-pulse-
withstanding chip resistors are now
available with tolerances down to 1%.
The lower tolerance is available with
minor effects on pulse handling.
The series is available in standard
case sizes from 0603 to 2512, a range
of tolerances from 1% to 5% with a
TCR of 200 ppm, and a wide range of
resistance values. (From $0.04 to
$0.18 each in full reel quantities —
available now.)
Stackpole Electronics, Raleigh, NC
Marketing 919-850-9500
marketing@seielect.com
www.seielect.com

72 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

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ENERGY-SAVING
INITIATIVE
Bringing PV indoors —
again
Indoor conditions for energy harvesting suggest that DSSC
solar cells are better than Si and OPV
T
BY NAGARAJAN SRIDHAR oday’s solar cell market is
and DAVE FREEMAN dominated by crystalline
Texas Instruments silicon solar cells. These
www.ti.com cells are widely used in out-
door applications due to their
coverage of the solar spectrum. However, for indoor ap-
plications, the spectrum is different so other cell types
may have higher photo efficiency and provide more
power. This photo efficiency is the ratio of the solar cell
peak output power divided by the incident power on
the solar cell. The photo efficiency is dependent on the
lighting source, which, for many indoor cases, is fluo-
rescent lighting.
A significant portion of the spectrum under outdoor
light conditions is in the red region of visible light. It
turns out that crystalline silicon has a much stronger
spectral response in this region compared to shorter
wavelengths. On the other hand, indoor conditions un-
der fluorescent lighting have a greater portion of the
spectrum in the 600-nm range and below. Additionally,
solar cells based on amorphous silicon (a-Si), organic solar
materials (OPV), and dye sensitized materials (DSSC) fit
this regime very well. Hence, they are thought to be more
suitable for indoor applications.
Indoor measurement setup
In general indoor lighting falls into three categories: fluo-
rescent, incandescent, and daylight whose color tempera-
tures are 4,200K, 2,700K, and 5,500K respectively. Day-
light or full-spectrum lights can be fluorescent or
incandescent. For this article, we will focus on fluores-
cent lighting, 4,200K, due to its popular use in home,
business, and warehouses.
All solar cell performance measurements are made in-
side a Pantone color viewing light box that has three
sources: fluorescent, incandescent and daylight. The ex-
periments are conducted in a controlled manner in a light
box. Care is taken to ensure that there is no stray light
affecting the measurements. This study is done with the
solar cell in a horizontal position (parallel to the light
source).
A lux meter is used to measure illuminance values. Dif-
ferent illuminance values are obtained using combina-
tions of neutral density filters. Lux is a typical unit for
measuring indoor lighting. Outdoors, irradiance is mea-
74 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
an electronic products special series
sured in W/m2.
The key difference between illuminance and irradi-
ance is the weighting of the spectral response. The key
difference is that irradiance includes the power from all
wavelengths weighted equally, whereas illuminance
weights the power from each wavelength in proportion to
the sensitivity of the human eye. The human eye is most
sensitive to green light.
Most studies that characterize solar cells are reported
under outdoor or sunlight conditions. The peak output is
reported at standard test conditions (STC) conditions
with intensities of 1,000 W/m2. Table 1 shows typical in-
door lighting conditions. We measured these values in
various zones of an office environment.
Table 1: Indoor lighting conditions as measured in an office environment.
Extensions to the lower limit of the office environ-
ment may include a conference room where lighting was
turned down during projected presentations, that is 50 to
100 lux. For bright indoor lighting such as a studio, as-
sembly areas and warehouse lighting, the higher limit
may extend to 3,000 lux.
Based on the empirical relationship between lux and
W/m2, it turns out that the average indoor lighting is ap-
proximately 1 to 2 W/m2, less than 500 times lower than
outdoor conditions. As a result, all of our measurements
and analysis are done using lux values.
The solar cell open and short circuit values, as well as
the maximum power parameters of the solar cell, are
measured by performing IV measurements using a
Keithley 2400 source meter. Current and power are nor-
malized to one square centimeter to perform comparative
studies among the various solar cells.
Correlations between the cell and maximum power
point parameters are done. This is helpful for battery-
charging applications.
MARCH 2010
ENERGY-SAVING
INITIATIVE
method is useful to understand the applicability
for a given solar cell for a given light condition.
Further drill down analysis of the three cells
indicates that DSSC shows higher power density
across indoor conditions relative to a-Si and
(OPV) solar cells.

Cell and max power parameters

Fig. 1: Windowing of solar cells as a function of indoor illumination.
Behavior under indoor lighting conditions
Figure 1 shows the solar cell’s maximum power density
(mW/cm2) as determined from the IV scan for different
illuminance conditions at room temperature. The data is
further categorized as shown in Table 1. This windowing
It is well known that cell parameters and the
maximum power parameters strongly predict
the efficiency of the solar cell. As mentioned be-
fore, most studies focused on STC conditions or
primarily outdoor conditions. However, under-
standing the behavior under low-light (indoor)
conditions is vital. The primary goal of an opti-
mal maximum power point (MPP) algorithm is
to maintain or stay at MPP under varying condi-
tions such as illuminance change due to source
distance, angle of incidence, or temperature
change. An additional goal is to develop an MPP
algorithm that needs the least amount of re-
sources or circuits.
Detailed investigation for all three cells reveals that the
short circuit and maximum current are strongly linear
with illuminance. Similarly, the open-circuit voltage and
the maximum voltage show linearity on a logarithmic
scale of illuminance. It is interesting to note that the cor-
relation coefficients for the current
plots as a function of illuminance are
approximately one; whereas, those of
the voltage plots as a function of the
log of illuminance shows correlation

Downsize without
values close to one. Figure 2 shows an
• Inductors example of such a plot of V MAX versus

Compromise
• Ferrite Beads log illuminance for the DSSC cell.
• Capacitors
• Choke Coils MPP algorithms
The strong correlations open the
door to design simple cost-effective
MPP algorithms for controllers asso-
ciated with these solar cells for in-
door applications where cost is a pri-
ority for commercial feasibility.
Equation 1 can be used to estimate
the maximum power point voltage
(V MAX) after finding the open circuit
voltage (Voc). Equation 2 estimates
the maximum power point current
Taiyo Yuden is your connection to (I MAX) based on the short circuit cur-
smaller components for consumer rent (ISC). Figure 2 shows a simple
electronics. Utilizing less space, our algorithm that corrects the maxi-
products provide you with more mum power point voltage for chang-
design flexibility and freedom. To es in illumination. The following
find out about how to optimize relationships are simple MPP algo-
performance as you downsize your rithms for indoor applications of a
devices, give us a call. DSSC cell.

Fractional voltage method:

800-348-2496 • www.t-yuden.com V MAX = V MPP = 0.74*VOC (1)

Fractional current method:

76 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2010

 Bringing PV indoors — again

Equation 3 can be implemented as an

iterative method to find V MPP. The refer-
ence is changed so that the target voltage
from the solar cell is met. The corre-
sponding cell current is then used to cal-
culate the new target V MPP. The iteration
continues until the cell current reaches a
steady value of I MPP and the cell voltage
reaches V MPP. An initial target value can
be the manufacturer’s V MPP value.
The choice of these MPP methods is
dependent on the circuit and the appli-
cation as well as the practical choice of
measuring the cell parameter of interest,
Fig. 2: VMAX plotted as a function of the illuminance on a logarithmic scale. that is, VOC or ISC.

I MAX = I MPP = 0.93*ISC (2) Application to battery management

Fractional voltage and cell current method:
V MAX = 0.0286*Ln(IPV) + 0.5036
(3)
V MAX and V MPP (likewise for I MAX and I MPP) are the same
at the maximum power point.
Equations 1 and 2 are simple algorithms that are adapt-
ed as most viable candidates considering their spectral
response and their ability to conform to the application.
Most energy harvesting systems employ a storage element
that accumulates and buffers harvested power to the load.
This is necessary because of the intermittent nature of
power from the solar panel. Sizing is a key requirement
for the solar cell to meet the peak power requirements of
the load. TI has power management circuits that help per-
form the function of power conversion and energy man-
agement for low-to-medium-power solar applications,
such as the bq24650 (focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/
bq24650.html) ■

Wise use
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ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2010 77

 ADVERTISEMENT
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For more information please visit
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TwinMezz™ Mezzanine Connector
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FCI’s TwinMezz™ connector system provides
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AirMax VS® High-Speed Connectors
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www.fciconnect.com/airmax
78 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
PRODUCT
ROUNDUP
M
anufacturers in the wire
and cable market have the
daunting task of keeping
wired connections simple and fast
for a spectrum of applications. Read
on for a few of the latest products for
high speed connections, and more.
For applications requiring USB
connectivity, L-Com (www.l-com) of-
fers a line of USB 3.0-compliant as-
semblies for computers and periph-
erals, including the USB 3.0 Type A
male/female extension cables. The
cables provide data transfer rates up
to 4.8 Gbit/s and feature a Type A
male on one end and a Type A female
on the other. Fully shielded for EMI/
RFI protection, they are and avail-
able in lengths of 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 m.
The Armored LL142 Series low-
loss RF cable assemblies from Crys-
tek Microwave (www.crystek.com) are
housed in spiraled stainless-steel cas-
ings and Neoprene jackets for heavy-
duty adhesive strain relief, to elimi-
nate failures due to cable flexion and
compression. The 18-GHz assemblies
are available in standard lengths of
24, 36, 48, and 60 in., with SMA-
male-to-SMA-male connectors. The
assemblies offer attenuation of 0.36
dB/ft, VSWR characteristics of ≤1.3
MARCH 2011
Wire & Cable
and shielding effectiveness of ≥–110
dB in temperatures of –55° to 85°C
(extended range of –55° to 125°C also
available). The cables have rugged
stainless-steel solder-clamp construc-
tion and a 1.5-in. minimum bend
radius with minimal spring-back.
For pulsed laser applications that
requires the transmission of high-
power pulses at low impedance, Al-
pha-Core (www.alphacoredirect.com)
offers the BM Pulse cable series flat
power cables. The cables feature two
ribbon-shaped conductors enclosed
in a microthin, high-grade polymer
film. Typical pulse lengths range
from 100 to 200 ns with repetition
rates in the kilohertz range. The ca-
bles have short pulse currents to 100
A and are available in standard mod-
els with characteristic impedance
values of 1.0, 1.7, 2.5, and 4 Ω.
The Gore High Flex Flat Cables
from W.L. Gore & Associates (www.
gore.com) feature a PTFE (polytetra-
fluoroethylene) composite jacket
material. Suited for high-flex appli-
cations, the PTFE material offers a
flex life greater than 20 million cy-
cles at 50-mm bend radius, and a low
coefficient of friction. The material
is also flexible enough to allow the
flat cables to be stacked on top of
each other without needing dividers
and shelves.
Christina D’Airo
 Visit these FCI micro sites for
complete product specifications
and technical information about
connectors and copper or optical
cable assemblies.

fciconnect.com/highspeed fciconnect.com/powersolutions

www.fciconnect.com
PRODUCT RF/Microwave
APPLICATION
Thin-film filters for
high-frequency apps
Here’s help choosing the right filter for your design
BY RON DEMCKO
AVX
www.avx.com

T
he IEEE 802.16 and 802.11
families of standards specify
broadband and high data rate
wireless connectivity. The higher
the data rate of a transmitted sig-
nal, the higher the signal-to-noise Fig. 1: A multistage LPF.
ratio required for the system. Emis-
sion regulations may also require
additional filtering. Applying thin-film technology to the manufacture
Filter basic design of LPF’s has enabled the development of
Designing an optimal multistage
Tchebysheff filter with high har-
components where both electrical and physical
monics rejection is challenging due properties can be tightly controlled.
to size and cost limitations.
In order to minimize physical
size, manufacturers such as AVX A
use a limited number of stages with
the addition of elliptical elements
to improve high frequency rejec-
tion. The design of miniature band-
pass filters (BPFs) is even more chal-
lenging. Manufacturers apply
proprietary RFAP technology to
build BPFs based on high Q-factor
resonators.
B
Applications
Filters used in a standard architec-
ture must reject unwanted signals.
In order to improve this rejection
for specific high harmonics, an ad-
ditional LPF with low insertion loss
may be included. In order to com-
Fig. 2: An example of additional filtering in Rx path (a) and in Tx path (b)
ply with emission regulations, LPFs
can be added after the power am-
plifier (see Fig. 2). at up to 5.2 GHz, parasitic signals of harmonics, intermodes and pre-
In multiband transceivers, which may form in the main channel, venting unwanted signals from
operate at several frequencies, LPF’s lowering the receiver sensitivity. creeping into the system.
are used as additional decoupling Most high-frequency low-pass
elements in both the receiving and LPF realization using filters are based on fired ceramic
the transmitting channels. When thin-film technology technology. Layers of ceramic di-
several RF systems work simultane- Thin-film low-pass filters with electric material and metal alloy
ously, e.g. WCDMA at 1.9 GHz and passbands from dc to 5.5 GHz. electrodes are interleaved and then
WiMAX/WLAN range accessories These filters are ideal for rejection sintered at high temperature. This

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 81

 PRODUCT
V-Lock IEC Connectors APPLICATION
and Cordsets Thin-film filters for high-frequency apps

Fig. 3: LPF for 3.5 and 5.5 GHz.

Fig. 4: LPF with LGA termination Left to right: LPF 0402; LPF
0603; LGA schematic.

Schurter’s new V-Lock cord retaining solution for

appliance inlets and outlets provides an attractive
and cost effective alternative to bulky wire bale or
clamp accessories.
The cord connector latches into the appliance
connector to prevent unintentional disconnection of
the cordset. The mechanism easily releases by
depressing the sliding lever.
- available for Schurter inlets, outlets and power
entry modules according to IEC 60320 in styles
C13, C14, C19, and C20
- rated 10/15 A @ 250 VAC and 16/20 A @ 250 VAC
- various Nema and international destination plugs Fig. 5: BPF for 5.2 GHz.
- ideal for use in medical, IT and audio equipment
- cUL and ENEC approved
technology exhibits component variability in dielectric
www.schurter.com/new_pems properties (losses, dielectric constant, and insulation
resistance) as well as variability in electrode conductiv-
ity and physical size.
The low-pass filters can virtually eliminate these
variances. Thin-film technology is commonly used for

82 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

PRODUCT
APPLICATION
producing semiconductor devices.
Applying this technology to the
manufacture of LPF’s has enabled
the development of components
where both electrical and physical
properties can be tightly controlled.
Typical S11 and S21 curves are pre-
sented in Fig. 3.
The main features of thin-film
low-pass filters can be summarized
Thin-film filters for high-frequency apps
as follows: unit and from lot to lot.
• Very low insertion loss, typically 0.2 • Standard 0402 and 0603 sizes.
– 0.3 dB for W-LAN and WiMAX LPF’s with LGA-type terminations
frequencies. (see Fig. 4). This termination is char-
• High rejection ~35 dB of second acterized by low parasitics, reduces
harmonics. component thickness and is suitable
• Temperature stability: identical per- for standard industrial assembly.
formance within a wide tempera-
ture range. BPF realization using
• Excellent repeatability from unit to thin-film technology
Thin-film technology allows manu-
facturing of high-quality miniature
0402 size BPF’s .
Figure 5 shows typical perfor-
Fully Assembled and mance of an AVX bandpass filter.
Ready to Use The main features of miniature
BPFs are as follows:
• Low insertion loss, typically 1.7-1.8 dB.
• High rejection, typically 40 dB at 0.5
Fo and 1.5 Fo.
• Temperature stability and repeatable
performance.

References:
1. G. Matthaei, L. Young, and
E.M.T. Jones. Microwave Filters, Im-
pedance-Matching Networks, and

Engineering Design Kits Coupling Structures. Artech House

Books. 1980.
components from authorized suppliers
bl e
Authorized Stocking Distributor A v aila
Kits t Related articles
u s tom l Garret
C C a l “Heart-rate/fitness monitors
go wireless,” By John Di Cristina,
Maxim Integrated Products, http://
www2.electronicproducts.com/Heart_
rate_fitness_monitors_go_wireless-arti-
cle-facn_maxim_feb2011-html.aspx

“Microwave and fiber drive

future of wireless backhaul,”
BCC
Dale By Mark W. Andrews, TriQuint
Siliconix
Sprague Semiconductor, http://www2.electron
icproducts.com/Microwave_and_fiber_
drive_future_of_wireless_backhaul-arti-
*Ceramic Capacitors *Transistors cle-FAJH_TriQuint_Dec2010-html.aspx
*Tantalum Capacitors *Diodes
*Thick-film Resistors “GPS-based time and frequen-
*Fuses
*Thin-film Resistors cy solutions,” By Dave Jahr, Ken
*Trimming Potentiometers
*Inductors Hartman, and Keith Loiselle, Con-
*Varistors
*Resistor Arrays nor-Winfield, http://www2.electronic-
*Ferrite Beads Certified
small business ISO-9001:2008 products.com/GPS_based_time_and_
frequency_solutions-article-facn_con
800 767 0081 nor_feb2011-html.aspx

Garrett
email sales@garrettelec.com
fax 805 922 3643 “Measuring RF in circuits,” In-
tersil, http://www2.electronicproducts.
www.garrettelec.com
com/Measuring_RF_in_Circuits-video-
Electronics Corp. 90646260001.aspx
1320 W. McCoy Lane Santa Maria CA 93455

84 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

NEW
ADVERTISEMENT

Power
PRODUCTS Sources
edited by paulo’shea
See our online archive at http://electronicproducts.com/ps

Adapter meets Energy
Star, EU requirements
The PSM03K is a 2.75-W adapter that
measures 42 x 43 x 21 mm and
weighs 80 g. It is compliant with the
Energy Star EPS ver-
sion 2.0 require-
ments as well as the
European Union’s
Ecodesign Directive
2009/125/EC for
energ y-related-
products level 2 An-
nex 1b and the 5-Star Standby Power
standard.
The adapter suits MP3 players,
PDAs, digital cameras, and mobile
phones. It provides a fully regulated
5-Vdc output and a maximum no-
load power consumption of <0.03 W.
The device is IEEE1725-certified for
charging batteries in mobile phones.
This USB mobile charger features a
constant-current/constant-voltage
circuit for quick charging on lithi-
um-ion batteries. ($3.31 ea/1,000 —
available now.)
Phihong USA, Fremont, CA
Glenn Morton 510-445-0100
usasales@phihongusa.com
www.phihongusa.com
Encapsulated 15-W
supply suits rugged apps
The PC15 series ac/dc switching
power supply offers 15-W output
power in an encapsulated case, mak-
ing it suitable for ruggedized back-
plane applications. The optional
DIN-rail mount
and accessible ter-
minal blocks en-
able it to be used
for many applica-
tions.
The supply op-
erates from 85 to
265 Vac at 47 to
440 Hz. Single-output models are
available with outputs from 5 to 48
Vdc. Dual- and triple-output versions
are also available. The supplies in-
clude output overvoltage protection
and short-circuit protection. The
units are encapsulated with a ther-
mally conductive potting compound
in a plastic resin and fiberglass case
GlobTek’s ex-
panded power line
that meets UL 94V-0. The enclosed now includes mul-
case has external terminal blocks for tiple families of
ease of connection and is chassis
Wall Plug-in &
Desktop Level V
mountable. A base plate is available Power Supplies.
to convert the chassis mount case to Designs have reg-
a standard DIN-rail-mount supply. ulated outputs
(From $30.25 each — available voltage from: 3.3-
now.) 48 Vdc in 0.1V increments, up to 90W. Features:
O.C., S.C., O.V., Thermal Protection; meets mul-
ConTech, Concord, CA tiple International Safety Agency for ITE &
Information 877-302-4411 Medical applications. All Models carry agencies’
sales@contech-us.com logos and CE-Mark. GlobTek offers a 5-year
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GlobTek, Inc., N.J.
Sales 201.784.1000
60-W supplies meet sales@globtek.com
Level V requirements http://www.globtek.com
The GT-41132 series of desktop-style
power supplies with IEC 60320/ c6 or
C8 inlets have double-enforced insu-
GlobTek’s series of “Smart” Li-On chargers
lation mechanical configurations,
offers a compact &cost effective, solution for
regulated outputs voltage from 12 to charging GlobTek* Lithium-Ion and Lithium
24 Vdc in 0.1- Polymer battery
V increments, packs. Features:
and up to 60- single or multiple
W continuous bay cradle, custom
output power. charging schemes,
battery condition
The enclosed before bulk charg-
power supplies ing, programmable
are housed in impact resistant non- charge timer back-
vented polycarbonate case that mea- up, charge status
sures 50 x 116 x 31 mm. LEDs. Multiple bay chargers have the option of
The desktop power supply fea- an MCU incorporated for battery identification,
status & temperature using HDQ from
tures a regulated output and provides BQ27000. *or equal
over current, short-circuit, and over- GlobTek, Inc., N.J.
voltage built-in protection features. Sales 201.784.1000
It accepts 90 to 264-Vac input and sales@globtek.com
meets UL /cUL and IEC/EN60950 re- http://www.globtek.com
quirements. The supply complies
with EMI/RFI regulations and EMC
Directives/ CE and FCC Class B for GlobTek’s Li-On Battery Packs are comprised
ITE applications and offers a five- of single or multiple cells rated 3.7V up to
5200 mAh each. Cells can be packaged with
year warranty. (($6 ea/prod qty — Seiko S-8232AKFT-T2 control chip protec-
available now.) tion & TI
GlobTek, Northvale, NJ BQ27000 based
Sales 201-784-1000 fuel gauge circuitry
sales@globtek.com included. Addi-
www.globtek.com tional features:
protection from
Short Circuit, Over
Ac regenerators power voltage, Over cur-
rent, Under Voltage, Overcharge, Over dis-
AV equipment charge, Over Temperature. The packs are a
The PerfectWave Power Plant 5 and Polycarbonate/ABS mixture frame or case,
PerfectWave Power Plant 10 power contacts made of nickel & frames designs are
sealed in an ET label material. Modified and
management stations regenerate per- Custom Designs are also available on all of
fect sine waves with low distortion the above.
ac to connected audio-visual compo- GlobTek, Inc., N.J.
nents. They are based on the princi- Sales 201.784.1000
ple of power regeneration, as op- sales@globtek.com
posed to conditioning or filtering, to http://www.globtek.com

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 87

NEW
PRODUCTS
protect AV devices from standard
electrical power. The
power stations suit HDT-
Vs, receivers and Blu Ray
players.
The Power Plant 10
delivers up to 1,250-W continuous
power and 70-A instantaneous cur-
rent. The Power Plant 5 delivers
88 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
1,000-W continuous power and 50-A THD meter and oscilloscope visually
of instantaneous current. display and compare the ac power
Both regenerators produce from the wall to the regenerated ac
100x lower output imped- produced by the units. (Power Plant
ance than previous units. 10, $4,499.99 domestically, $4,999.99
The Power Plant 10 fea- internationally; Power Plant 5,
tures five programmable IsoZones, $2,999.99 domestically, $3,499.99
providing separate differential mode internationally — available now.)
filters and heat sinks. An onboard PS Audio International
Boulder, CO
Information 720-406-8946
www.psaudio.com
Liquid-cooled converter
has 93% efficiency
A 2.7-kW, 12-V liquid-cooled dc/dc
converter features 93% efficiency. It
uses the patent-pending LiquaCore
power management tech-
nology that allows
the electronics
package to remain
sealed, while en-
abling efficient man-
agement of waste heat at high power
densities. The cooling liquid used is
either water or a mixture of water
and ethylene glycol.
The converter’s input voltage
ranges from 330 to 400 Vdc, has a
peak inrush current of <45 A. The
output is 13.5 Vdc with an output
power of 2,700 W at a coolant flow
rate of 0.33 gpm. The converter is
modular and scalable for power
needs up to 100 kW. It suits harsh ve-
hicle applications and high-volume
manufacturing. (Contact 908-850-
5088 for price and availability.)
TDI, Hackettstown, NJ
Sales 908-850-5088
http://www.tdipower.com
15-W converters offer
1, 2 outputs
The LANCW15 and LANCUW15 se-
ries of dc/dc converters
provide 15-W output
power in a standard
24-pin 1.25 x 0.80 x
0.40-in. DIP package.
The LANCW15 series
operates over 2:1 input volt-
age ranges of 9 to 18, 18 to 36, and 36
to 75 Vdc. The LANCUW15 series op-
erates over 4:1 input voltage ranges
of 9 to 36 and 18 to 75 Vdc.
The two dc/dc converter series
have 3.3-, 5.1-, 12-, and 15-Vdc single
output and ±5-, ±12-, and ±15-Vdc
dual-output models available. Stan-
dard features for both series include
90% efficiency, input undervoltage
MARCH 2011
 Power Sources

lockout, 1,600-Vdc I/O isolation,
positive remote on/off control, and
six-sided shielding. These converters
are protected against overvoltage
(single-output models only), over-
load, and short-circuit conditions.
They have no minimum load re-
quirements and operate over an am-
bient temperature range from –40°
to 100°C (with derating). (Ea/large
qty: LANCW15 single output, $20.50;
dual output, $21.75; LANCUW15
single output, $21.45; dual output,
$22.50 — available now.)
Wall Industries, Exeter, NH
Russ Berube 603-778-2300
rberube@wallindustries.com
www.wallindustries.com
FePO4 battery replaces
sealed-lead-acid
IronWorks is an iron-phosphate
(FePO4) battery solu-
tion that serves as a
drop-in replacement
for sealed-lead-acid
(SLA) batteries. It tar-
gets applications that
use 12-V batteries for mobile power,
such as medical carts or computers-
on-wheels.
The battery is based on lithium
iron phosphate, and features thou-
sands of cycles with 100% discharge,
zero maintenance for several years,
and battery status reported via stan-
dard SMBus. The battery provides
12.8-Vdc nominal voltage with 40-
Ah capacity, and weighs <6 kg. Its
dimensions are 180 x 124 x 198 mm,
and has an operating temperature
from 0° to 45°C. (Contact company
for price — available now.)
Micro Power Electronics
Beaverton, OR
Hayley Luz 503-615-4585
hluz@micro-power.com
www.micro-power.com
6-W ac/dc open-frame
supply
The VOF series of 6-W model open-
frame ac/dc power supplies offer 6-
through 80-W output power. They
suit consumer, industrial, and ITE
applications. The supplies offer leak-
age currents below 0.3 mA.
The power supplies provide con-
tinuous output power, 85 to 264-Vac
input, and is offered in 3.3-, 5-, 12-,
15-, and 24-Vdc out-
put voltages. The
unit measures
2.2 x 1.4 x
0.65-in. and
offers protec-
tions for overvolt-
age and overcurrent conditions.
($10.66 ea/100 — available now.)
CUI, Tualatin, OR
Sales 800-275-4899
sales@cui.com
http://www.cui.com/
Nonisolated converters
feature 120-A output
The expansion of the VRPx series of
single-inline-package PoL converters
includes 30-, 90-, 100-, 110-, and
120-A modules. These nonisolated
dc/dc converters deliver 3 to 120-A
output current. Operating at effi-
ciencies of up to 95% over an input
range from 4.5 to 13.8 V, the open-
frame series offer an output voltage
trim range from 0.5 to 5.1 Vdc.
The fixed-frequency PoL convert-

NEW MIL-COTS FAMILY

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Flexible, Configurable, With Short Lead Times – and No NRE
Our proven, highly-configurable AC/DC power supplies have now joined the ranks of Vicor’s
military COTS products which have earned acceptance in MIL-COTS applications where high
performance, reliability, and low cost are critical. You get high power density, unmatched field
and user flexibility, and 1000s of output choices.

• High Power Density

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These rugged units are specifically designed for your demanding applications in
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Go to vicorpower.com/cms/new_mil or call 800-927-9474
NEW
PRODUCTS
ers feature an integrated heat sink
and includes output current moni-
toring and power
state indicator pins
for phase dropping
and high efficiency
during light-load
states. The convert-
ers are compatible
with Intel VRM11.1
requirements. They
suit networking and telecommunica-
tions equipment, servers, worksta-
tions, computers, and peripherals.
The device modules switch at 400 or
500 kHz. (Ea/prod qty; 30-A module,
$9.35; 90-A, $17.20; 100/110/ 120 A,
$18.35 — available now.)
Bel Fuse, Jersey City, NJ
Information 800-235-3873
belfuse@belfuse.com
http://www.belfuse.com
150-W ac/dc supply fits
in 2 x 4-in. footprint
The ECP150 series open-frame 150-
W ac/dc power supplies measure 4 x
2 x 1.26 in. and feature a power den-
sity of 14.88 W/in.3. The series com-
90 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com
plies with UL/EN/IEC60950-1 and
UL/EN/IEC60601-1 safety standards
for medical and IT equipment. In ad-
dition, the units have a no load input
power of <0.5 W and a typical effi-
ciency of 91%.
The power supplies operate from
90- to 264-Vac input and features
five single output models from 12,
15, 24, 28, or 48 Vdc. A 12-V/0.5-A
output is also provided to power an
external fan if re-
quired. Up to
100-W output is
achieved by con-
vection cooling
and with 15-cfm
of forced cooling
the full 150-W output is available. It
has an operating temperature, from
−20° to 70°C. Full power output is
available up to 50°C with derating
above that. Overvoltage, overload,
and short-circuit protection features
are standard. (From $77.22 ea/500
— available now.)
XP Power, Sunnyvale, CA
Duane Darrow 408-732-7777
ddarrow@xppower.com
www.xppower.com
MARCH 2011
Digital regulator
offers up to 160 A
The 3E series BMR463 digital PoL
regulator helps monitor and dynam-
ically control the energy for proces-
sors, FPGAs, and ASICs. The 20-A-
rated device can
parallel up to
eight modules
delivering up to
160 A. Each mod-
ule can be paral-
leled and un-par-
alleled on demand, dynamically
tracking and reducing the power
consumption. A built-in module-to-
module group communication bus
(GCB) ensures that current sharing is
controlled.
The PoL regulator features 97.1%
efficiency, provides an output power
up to 66 W, and has a 4.5 to 14-V in-
put range and a 0.6 to 3.3-V output
range. Input and output voltages can
be programmed on demand via the
PMBus, or a pin-strap can accommo-
date any voltage required by the ex-
ternal circuit. ($11 ea/large qty —
available now.)
Ericsson Power Modules
Plano, TX
Keith Merrill 972-583-6910
pm.info@ericsson.com
www.ericsson.com/powermodules
PoE injector puts power
into CAT5 cable
The POE-INJ-S power-over-Ethernet
injectors are used to put dc power
into a CAT5 cable to power remote
equipment. The injector also comes
in an LED version (POE-INJ-LED-S)
that has two LED indicators. One
LED indicates that dc-power is sup-
plied to the inserter, the other LED
lights up when a device is plugged in
at the far end of the CAT5 cable and
is drawing current.
The POE-INJ-S is a passive PoE in-
jector and the POE-INJ-LED-S is a
passive 12 to 24-V PoE injector. They
 Power Sources

have an operating temperature from
–40° to 176°F. The devices support
wireless access points, client devices,
and IP phone and security camera
systems. (From $6.50 each — avail-
able now.)
Tycon Power Systems, Draper, UT
Scott Parsons 801 432-0003
scottp@tyconpower.com
http://www.tyconpower.com
and 4,000-Vac I/O isolation voltage.
They provide overvoltage and short-
circuit protection. ($64.50 ea/large
qty — available now.)
Protek Power North America
Hudson, MA
Sales 978-567-9615
sales@protekpowerna.com
http://www.protekpowerna.com
Dual-input power
module suits ATCA apps
The 2.3 x 1.45 x 0.58-in. IPM300
300-W dual-input power module for
AdvancedTCA (ATCA) boards is a
rugged quarter-brick with dual-re-
dundant, hot-swap –48-V inputs
with EMI filtering. The module in-

0.6-A supply features

12 to 15-Vdc output
The XCSD30F is a compact single-
phase 0.6-A DIN
rail-mount power
supply with a 90
to 264-Vac input
and 100 to 370-
Vdc input. The
supply has an ad-
justable 12 to 15-Vdc output and fea-
tures short-circuit, overload, over-
temperature, and input-overvoltage
protection.
The single-phase supply is a Class 2
isolation device and needs no ground-
ing. Applications include safety ex-
tra-low-voltage (SELV) and protected
extra-low-voltage (PELV) circuitry.
($151.84 each — available now.)
Automation Systems
Interconnect, Mechanicsburg, PA
Sales 877-650-5160
info@asi-ez.com
http://www.asi-ez.com

Compact 200-W supplies

suit medical, ITE apps
The PM202 and PU202 series of ac/
dc power supplies offer 200-W out-
put power and comply with EN60601-
1 medical or
EN60950-1 ITE
safety stan-
dards. They suit
patient-vicinity
medical devic-
es, dental elec-
tronics, and laboratory equipment,
as well as commercial process con-
trol, communications, and instru-
mentation applications.
The PM202 and PU202 supplies
accept a 90 to 264-Vac input. Single-
output models provide voltages
from 12 to 48 Vdc. The supplies
measure 3 x 5 x 1.5 in. The units
provide 150-W output power in con-
vection cooled environments and
200-W with forced-air cooling. They
feature 92% efficiency, leakage cur-
rents as low as 220 μA at 264 Vac,

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 91

 NEW
PRODUCTS
cludes ORing, inrush control and
protection, and power management
functionality. When combined with
a variety of dc/dc converters, it pro-
vides a power solution for telecom,
server, and storage applications.
The power module features an in-
put voltage range of –36
to –75 Vdc, suitable
for both –48- and –
60-Vdc power dis-
tribution. It offers
3.3- and 5.0-Vdc isolat-
ed management power for housekeep-
ing functions. The module provides
power management features required
by PICMG 3.0 specifications, has an
auxiliary boost supply for charging
external holdup capacitors, and is
programmable from 50 to 95 Vdc. A
built-in I2C serial bus interface can be
used for monitoring and reporting
and features programmable alarm
thresholds. It features an operating
temperature range from –40° to 85°C.
($64.77 ea/prod qty — available now.)
Emerson Network Power -
Embedded Power, Carlsbad, CA
Information 760-930-4600
www.PowerConversion.com
Power Sources
500-W supplies target
medical ITE apps
The single-output CSS500 is a 360 to
500-W ac/dc supply series that suits
medical, ITE, gaming, point-of-sale,
instrumentation equipment, and In-
dustrial applications. They accept a
90 to 264-Vac input at 47 to 63 Hz
and have a profile less than 1U.
These PFC power supplies feature a
leakage current of <300 μA. The sup-
plies withstand 4 kVac, I/O, and are
available with a 12-, 24-, 30-, 36-, 48-,
54-, or 57-Vdc output voltage. They
have a power-saving operating effi-
ciency up to 92%. With convection
cooling, these supplies provide up to
360-W output power. Forced-air cool-
ing of 30 cfm enables output power of
500 W. The operating temperature
range is from 0° to 70°C, and the out-
put is floating so it can be used as ei-
ther a positive or negative polarity.
($175 ea/100 — available now.)
TDK-Lambda Americas
San Diego, CA
Mel Berman 619-628-2859
mel.berman@lambda.com
www.us.tdk-lambda.com/lp

• High efficiency standard, modified standard and custom build

• Up to 200 watt single, double & triple output
• 2 : 1 or 4 : 1 ultra-wide range input
• Cost effective small possible sizes for board mount
• Extensive technical support
Toll Free: 1-866-997 3853 Email: sale-usa@pduke.com
For product information log on to:
WWW.PDUKE.COM

92 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

NEW Test & Measurement
PRODUCTS edited by richardcomerford
See our online archive at www.electronicproducts.com/tm

HIGHLIGHTS
Sophisticated scopes have prices
starting below $1,300
The 26 models that make up the InfiniiVision 2000 and
3000 X-Series oscilloscopes incorporate sophisticated
technology —-a custom 90-nm CMOS ASIC with 6
Mgates and embedded memory — that allows advanced
capabilities to be included in af-
fordable instruments. With band-
widths ranging from 70 to 500
MHz, the scopes are priced start-
ing at $1,234 for a two-channel
DSO and $1,934 for an MSO with
two analog channels and eight digital ones.
The 2000 X-Series offers 70 to 200-MHz bandwidths
and boasts the fastest waveform update rate in its class
for precise viewing of signal detail and capture of infre-
quent events. Also available in four-analog-channel ver-
sions and eight-digital-channel MSO configurations,
the series is the first to optionally offer an integrated
function generator.
The InfiniiVision 3000 X-Series scopes offer 100 to
500-MHz bandwidths and industry-leading waveform
update rates of 1,000,000 waveforms/s, which is enabled
by the custom CMOS ASIC, referred to as the MegaZoom
IV single-chip architecture. (See “Why care about a
scope’s update rate?” p. 16.) In addition to an integrated
function generator, 3000 X-Series options include a 16-
digital-channel MSO and hardware-accelerated serial
protocol decode.
Among the units’ other advanced capabilities are seg-
mented memory for analysis of
laser pulses, radar bursts, and se-
rial packets; hardware-accelerat-
ed mask testing for pass/fail
analysis with known-good wave-
forms; and, for the InfiniiVision
3000 X-Series, hardware-accelerated serial decode and
trigger for I2C, SPI, CAN, LIN, I2S, RS-232, and other
UARTs. All models have an 8.5-in. WVGA display, weigh
only 4 lbs, and need little room on the benchtop — their
footprint is about 15 in. wide by less than 6 in. deep.
Unique in this class of instruments, the scopes are fully
upgradable (including bandwidth) so engineers can pur-
chase what they want today and add capability later, as
needed. (From $1,234 — available now.)
Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA
Sales 800-829-4444 http://www.agilent.com

Complete
Complete Test Bench
Test Bench
for AC, DC & RF testing
$
4999 +Shipping
FREE
• 2 GHz Spectrum Analyzer
• 5-1/2 Digit DMM
• 50 MHz Oscilloscope
• 80 W DC Power Supply
• 20 MHz Function/Arbitrary Waveform Generator
This complete lab package includes instruments from DC to RF for everything you need to get
started. The triple output power supply and the 5 ½ digit DMM offer LXI (Ethernet) and USB
communication and are perfect fits for a modern lab. The arbitrary waveform generator and scope
enable you to work with and emulate a variety of signals, components, and systems. With the
spectrum analyzer you can inspect signals in the frequency domain to test transmitted signals,
bandwidth, and spurious emissions.
To set up your bench, call 877-4-RIGOL-1
or visit RIGOLNA.com/Test

Leading Technology - Low Cost - Best Value

Compare and Save vs. Agilent, Tektronix & LeCroy

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 93

 NEW
PRODUCTS
edited by christinanickolas, jimharrison and paulo’shea
See our online archive at http://electronicproducts.com/ic

HIGHLIGHTS
Single-layer multitouch capacitive-touchscreen
t
ICs are industry’s first
Outpu
Based on the company’s proprietary single-layer
0 VDC ers

multitouch projected capacitive-touchscreen tech-

nology, the LDS7000 and LDS7001 touchscreen
controller ICs are offered as the first of their kind
to offer a true single-layer solution, not requiring
10,00 nvert

crossover isolation points that other solutions re-

quire, yet still maintaining full multitouch capa-
bility. According to the company, this enables a
lower-cost total solution that does not sacrifice features or performance.
Typical applications include mobile handsets, personal navigation devices,
and handheld gaming platforms with screen sizes up to 5 in.
The LDS7000 and LDS7001 feature up to 30 and 35 sensor channels, re-
2V toDC-DC Co

spectively. Both controllers operate at a speedy 8-ms data rate for quick re-
sponse to touch inputs to improve the user’s experience and enable ad-
vanced applications that require fast response times.
The IDT LDS7000 family’s algorithms eliminate undesired multitouch
ghosting, providing accurate individual x and y coordinates in dual-touch
mode, a critical requirement for customers using host-interpreted custom
gestures to differentiate their end products. The devices’ analog front-end
design provides a high level of noise rejection performance that negates the
need for a separate touchscreen shield layer for most applications, lowering
the overall solution cost even further.
The LDS7000 is available in a 5 x 5-mm 40-pin TQFN package, while the
LDS7001 is housed in a 6 x 6-mm 48-pin TQFN package. (Ea/10,000:
•Over 2500 Std. LDS7000, $2.50, LDS7001, $2.95 — samples available now.)
DC-DC Converters Integrated Device Technology, San Jose, CA
•Surface Mount Sales 408-284-8200 www.idt.com
•From 2V to
10,000 VDC Output Dual-output buck controller features digital
•1-300 Watt Modules power mgmt
•Isolated/Regulated/ The LTC3880/-1 dual output syn-
Programmable Models chronous step-down dc/dc control-
Available ler features an I2C-based PMBus in-
•Military Upgrades Availabl terface for digital power system
•Custom Models, management. It combines best-in-
Consult Factory class analog switching regulator
eek performance with mixed signal data
one w
ck to conversion, and is supported by the
eliv e ry-Sto quantities
D mple
for sa LTpowerPlay software development
system.
The buck dc/dc controller can regulate two independent outputs or be
configured for a two-phase single output, and up to six phases can be inter-
leaved and paralleled together. It features integrated gate drivers to drive all
for FREE PICO Catalog n-channel power MOSFETs from input voltages ranging from 4.5 to 24 V,
Call toll free 800-431-1064 and it can produce ±0.50% output-voltage accuracy from 0.5 to 5.5-V with
output currents up to 30-A per phase. Programmable control parameters
in NY call 914-738-1400
Fax 914-738-8225 include output voltage, margining and current limits, input and output su-

PICO Electronics,Inc.
143 Sparks Ave. Pelham, N.Y. 10803
pervisory limits, power-up sequencing and tracking, switching frequency,
and identification and traceability data. On-chip data converters and EE-
PROM allow for the capture and nonvolatile storage of regulator configura-
E Mail: info@picoelectronics.com tion settings and telemetry variables. ($5.35 ea/1,000 — available now.)
www.picoelectronics.com Linear Technology, Milpitas, CA
Sales Office 408-428-2050 www.linear.com

94 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 Integrated Circuits

19 μVrms, as compared to the com- output filtering components of any

32-bit MCU has CAN, pany’s previous-generation device. kind are required. Operating tem-
Ethernet, USB, PWM Active emissions-limiting, edge-
rate, and overshoot control circuitry
perature is –40° to 85°C. (From $0.42
ea/1,000 — available now.)
Additions to the 32-bit PIC-
greatly reduces EMI. Additionally, Maxim Integrated Products
32MX5/6/7 microcontroller fami-
the amplifier’s 0.3-mm-pitch, 9- Sunnyvale, CA
lies provide Ethernet, CAN, USB 2.0
bump WLP features a no-connect Customer Service 800-998-8800
OTG, and serial connectivity with
middle bump to eliminate the need sales-us@maxim-ic.com
cost-effective memory options and
for expensive PCB technologies. No www.maxim-ic.com
active cur-
rent con-
sumption
of just
500 -μA/
MHz. The
chips also
features
/RZ3RZHUELW&2'(&'HOLYHUV
higher 20-k read/write cycle flash
memory endurance and better EE-
PROM emulation capability.
Yielding 1.56 DMIPS/MHz using
([FHOOHQW3HUIRUPDQFHWR3RZHU
a MIPS32 M4K core, the MCUs have
64 or 140 Kbytes of flash, up to 32
Kbytes of RAM, five capture/com-
pare/PWM peripherals, and are
available in 100-pin TQFP 12 x 12-
mm, TQFP 14 x 14-mm, and BGA,
and 64-pin TQFP and QFN packag-
es. Two starter kits are available for
$55 and $72 each. ($3.71 to $4.93
ea/10,000 — available now.)
24-bit CODEC w/ Digital Mic I/F
0,&3:5 0LF
Microchip Technology 0,&3:5 3RZHU /'2
&RQWURO

Chandler, AZ 0LF
0LF
5HJLVWHU

$PS
08;

0LF
Sales 480-792-7200 $XGLR
$'&
%,&.
0LF
www.microchip.com +3) /5&.
/3) 'LJLWDO

Low-cost MCUs have &DSOHVV

+3$PS
%HHS*HQ
EDQG(4

$/&
$XGLR
,QWHUIDFH
6'72

capacitive-touch I/O EDQG(4

6'7,

0&.2
The low-cost MSP430G2xx2 16-bit &KDUJH3XPS
'$&
'$77
6087(
3//
0&.,

MCUs include integrated capacitive-

touch I/Os, up to 8 Kbytes of flash,
and 256 bytes of SRAM. The 16-MHz
devices operate from 1.8 to 3.6 V and
take just 220 μA at 1 MHz, 2.2 V.
The MCUs feature a standby cur-
rent of only 0.4 μA and <1-μs wake-up
time. Versions come with an eight-
channel 10-bit 200-ksample/s A/D
converter, a UART, a comparator, and
a 16-bit timer. Package options in-
clude PDIP20, TSSOP20, QFN16, and
TSSOP14. (From $0.33 ea/100,000 —
samples available now.)
Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX
Information 800-477-8924
www.ti.com

Class C amplifier is
industry’s smallest
Measuring 1 x 1 mm, the MAX98304
Class D amplifier is claimed the
smallest of its kind. This amplifier
increases output power by 23% to
3.2 W and reduces noise by 39% to

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 95

 WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CUT CORNERS
WITH YOUR CABLES AND CONNECTIONS?

WITH ASSEMBLIES

YOU WILL NEVER KNOW.

At Carlisle Interconnect Technologies, it is our mission to engineer the
perfect cables and connectors to ensure the success of your mission.
HDRFI ® Assemblies use High Frequency Low Loss Coax and a unique
patented interconnect system to transfer high frequency data through a
planar connection system, using a z-axis elastomer. This allows for very high
frequencies to transfer with minimal loss through the connector interface. GHz
Applications Include: Features Include: Configurations Include:
• Radars • 40GHz RF Contacts • Mixed Signal: Power & RF
• Antennas • High Bandwidth • RF Circular and RF D-Sub
• Broadband Communications • Small Form Factor • Cable to Cable
• Scalable • Cable to Board
• 4X the Density of Standard • Mezzanine (Board to Board)
Mil Spec Coax
Co Contacts

When it comes to a dependable infrastructure,

customers choose CarlisleIT with a higher frequency.

800.458.9960 For more information visit

hdrfi@CarlisleIT.com www.CarlisleIT.com
 ADVERTISEMENT

NEW Packaging &

PRODUCTS Interconnections
edited by christinad’airo and paulo’shea
See our online archive at http://electronicproducts.com/in

HIGHLIGHTS
Remote-phosphor material transforms
blue LED light into any color
The ChromaLit family of remote-phosphor
primary-light-source solutions for solid-state
luminaires enable OEMs to create lighting
systems in an array of shapes and colors. Us-
ing proprietary coating and molding meth-
ods, the phosphor materials are layered onto a polycarbonate substrate that
can be made into solid 2D or 3D shapes. The ChromaLit products work with
any blue LED as their energy source and, unlike conventional white LED
solutions, they are entirely separate from the LED, with no diffuser needed.
This allows for quick interchangeability, lowers system operating tempera-
tures, and increases light extraction.
Typical white CCT ranges are from 2,700 to 5,000. For example, a typical
61.5-mm product can provide 2,700 K of CCT, 80 CRI at a conversion efficacy
of 170 Lm/Wrad and a 45.0-mm product can provide 4,000 K of CCT, 80 CRI and
at a conversion efficacy of 195 Lm/Wrad. The remote phosphor operates at a
lower temperature and the color temperature does not change if the LED energy
supply is dimmed. The ChromaLit operates at temperatures from –40° to 85°C
and offers 50,000 hours of continuous lifetime in typical applications.
The ChromaLit products are currently offered in 62-mm rounds in 2,700,
3,000, 3,500, 4,000 and 5,000 K on polycarbonate substrate. They are also
available with customizable geometry, color temperature, CRI, and substrate
materials. (From $1 per square inch; 62-mm reference round, approx. $5 —
available now.
Intematix, Fremont, CA
Information 510-933-3330 chromalit@intematix.com
www.intematix.com

Fully sealed RoHS-compliant signal connectors

are rated to 150°C
The Metr1x Series is said to be the industry’s first fully sealed RoHS-compli-
ant signal connector rated to 150°C. Designed to provide 100% signal integ-
rity in harsh environments, the connectors conform to UL 94V-0 standards
and feature a stainless-steel design that is sealed
to IP69 K standards to maintain functionality
in damp or moist conditions.
The Metr1x Series withstand temperatures
up to 150°C and operates at 100 Vdc with a
current rating of 4 A. The connectors are com-
pletely EMI shielded and can endure vibration
up to 20 G and shock to 50 G. The connectors
are available in multiple receptacle variations and size 20 CGK contacts.
The mating face of the connector complies with M12 industry standards,
allowing two-, three- or four-way versions and standard or custom cable
configurations.
The series features crimped housing that eliminates cable overstressing,
provides sealing up to IP68 and can be customized to suit a variety of ap-
plications including heavy diesel or gas engines, agricultural machinery,
power-generating units, and industrial automation to defense systems and
robotics. (Contact company for pricing and availability.
ITT Interconnect Solutions, Santa Ana, CA
Keith Teichmann 714-628-2046 keith.teichmann@itt.com
www.ittcannon.com

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 97

NEW
PRODUCTS
DIN adapters withstand
frequent torquing
The P2RFD line of 7-16 DIN adapters is
designed for use with portable antenna
and cable analyz-
ers in test ap-
plications
such as base
station PIM.
The adapters
feature a frequency range of dc to 8.0
GHz, with a delay of 141 ps and 50± 1O
Ω impedance. VSWR is ≤1.2:1 to 8.0
GHz and ≤ 1.3:1 to 13 GHz, with ≤ –0.2
dB to 8.0 GHz insertion loss and 3rd
order IMP is ≥ –170 dBc in PCS band
with two 43 dB tones.
The adapters have stainless-steel
coupling nuts, a PTFE insulator, and
white bronze-plated bodies that offer a
nonmagnetic solution and also main-
tains high conductivity in the conduc-
tor paths. (P2RFD-1671-SS, from $35.63
ea/1,000 — available now.)
RF Precision Products
San Diego, CA
Ronnie Rice 888-265-2941
rrice@rfindustries.com
www.rfp2.com
BGA socket withstands 3D tool includes mini-
extreme temps circular connectors
The CBT-BGA-6011 BGA socket ITT’s dynamic 3D modeling tool
tests package configurations of now includes the mini-circular Nem-
BGA, 9 x 12 mm, 1-mm pitch, 48- esis Series connectors. The online
position, and 9 x 11 ball array, and tool enables designers to use a single
can withstand a temperature range interface to
of –55° to 180°C. The stamped search for one
spring-pin contactor has 19 g ac- of the compa-
tuation force per ball, a 500,000- ny’s intercon-
insertion cycle life, self-inductance nects, then use
of 0.93 nH, and ≤ 1 dB insertion a range of in-
loss at 23.2 GHz. dust r y-sta n-
The current capacity of each dard CAD formats and receive the
contactor is 8 A at 80°C tempera- model as a downloadable zip file to
ture rise and contact resistance is import into their own CAD system.
≤16 mΩ. The socket also features a The Nemesis connectors come in
floating guide for precise ball-to- a number of variations fully sealed
pin alignment. The socket can be to IP67 or IP68, which suit applica-
used for hand test and burn-in char- tions such as medical equipment,
acterization as well as production marine applications, and handheld
burn-in using automated chip load- devices. (Free download available at
ing and unloading. ($600 — avail- www.ittcannon.com; registration at
able now.) the site is required.)
Ironwood Electronics ITT Industries, Cannon
Burnsville, MN Santa Ana, CA
Ila Pal 800-404-0204 Nas Echeverria 714-628-8370
ila@ironwoodelectronics.com nas.echeverria@itt.com
www.ironwoodelectronics.com www.ittcannon.com

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Tel: 201-343-8983 ■ Fax: 201-343-2132 Free Samples | Free Product Guide | Application Support | Online Knowledge Center
www.masterbond.com ■ main@masterbond.com 732.969.0100

98 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 Packaging & Interconnections

Fan provides 21-cfm 12-Mbit connectors

air flow
The AG4015 fan measures 40 x 40 x
15 mm and features an impeller de-
sign that enables it to rotate at 15,000
rpm, and produce 21-cfm air flow. It
provides
static pres-
sure of 0.92
in. of water
while main-
taining 51-
dBA noise levels.
The fan is available with operat-
ing voltages of 5, 12, and 24 Vdc. It
suits storage, networking, set-top
box, game console, and power appli-
cations. Standard operating temper-
ature ranges from –10° to +70°C. Op-
tions include extended temperature
ratings, IP-55 rated water protection,
on-board PWM control, alarm out-
put, tachometer output, and therm-
istor control. (Contact 561-241-6700
price and availability.)
Jaro Thermal, Boca Raton, FL
Dennis Eisen 561-241-6700
d.eisen@jarothermal.com
http://www.jarothermal.com/cat
require no tools
Housed in die-cast zinc with a special
shielding geometry, the Profibus DP
connectors enable Profibus DP devices
to connect with M12 cord sets without
tools and support data rates of up to 12
Mbits/s. The connectors have 9-pole
D-Sub or B-coded M12 interface with
35°, 90°, or 180° cable outlets and meet
the requirements for degree of protec-
tion IP30 and are suitable for use in
temperature ranges from –20° to 70°C.
The connectors are available in
housing sizes
of 59 x 45 x
16.8 mm for
35° cable out-
lets, 68 x 42 x
16.8 mm for
90° cable out-
lets, and 84.8
x 35.6 x 16.8 mm for 180° cable out-
lets. (Contact company for pricing
and availability.)
Lumberg Automation, a Belden
Brand, Chambersburg, PA
Sales 717-217-2299
www.lumberg-automationusa.com

LOW COST, HIGH STRENGTH, PHENOLIC

IMPREGNATED, “RESINITE” DIELECTRIC
TUBING FOR COIL WINDING, INSULATING

The original, proven, “Resinite” insulating tubing presents a unique combination

of low cost coupled with high mechanical strength and good dielectric properties.
It will support lugs and terminals and can be fabricated to specifications. Will
accept dip and hand soldering of terminals. Can be embossed for threaded cores.
Also available in U/L flame retardant grade.
To receive literature & details fast - www.pptube.com
Phone: 847-537-4250 • Fax: 847-537-5777 • E-Mail: sales@pptube.com
More Than 75 Years- The Original

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1033 S. Noel Ave., Wheeling, IL 60090

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 99

 NEW Boards, Computers,
PRODUCTS & Peripherals
edited by jimharrison
See our online archive at http://electronicproducts.com/bp

ace Mount
f
Sur Plug In)
(and rmers and
Transnfo ors Computer on module Wireless USB to HDMI
I duct mediately
g im
uses i.MX53 processor box uses ultra-wide band
Catalo com The TX53 computer on module is The AT-AiR3 1080p Wireless USB-to-
o’s full onics.
See Pic elec t r based on Freescale's i.MX53 multime- HDMI Converter allows users to con-
ww w. p i c o dia processors with a Cortex A8 core nect any USB-enabled computer or
and a 1-GHz clock. The i.MX53 sup- laptop wirelessly to an HDTV or pro-
Low Profile from ports multi- jector via VGA or HDMI. The device
standard- can transmit a signal up to 30 ft, and
.19"ht. video with
up to 1080p,
it targets viewing of streaming me-
dia like Hulu or YouTube.
making the The AT-AiR3 uses ultra-wide band
module ex- (UWB) to transmit audio and video
cellent for signals and is
embedded applications that need both Mac- and
Audio Transformers high-performance graphics or video. PC-compatible.
Impedance Levels 10 ohms to 250k ohms, The 2.6 x 1.2 x 0.16-in. module The AT-AiR3 al-
Power Levels to 3 Watts, Frequency Response
±3db 20Hz to 250Hz. All units manufactured features a 10/100 Ethernet port with lows users to con-
and tested to MIL-PRF-27. QPL Units available. IEEE1588 support, two High Speed nect up to four
USB 2.0 ports, along with two camera receivers to a sin-
Power & EMI Inductors and two CAN interfaces. It also has gle transmitter, making an ideal solu-
Ideal for noise, spike and Power Filtering
Applications in Power Supplies, DC-DC
an LCD controller with up to 1,600 x tion for educational environments,
Converters and Switching Regulators 1,200 resolution, a NEON SIMD me- localized digital signage, and retail
dia accelerator, up to 2 Gbytes of applications. ($199 — available now.)
Pulse Transformers memory, and availability for at least 7 Atlona Technologies
10 Nanoseconds to 100 Microseconds. ET years. ($179 — available 2nd qtr.) Sunnyvale, CA
Rating to 150 Volt Microsecond, Manufactured
and tested to MIL-PRF-21038. Strategic Test, Woburn, MA Information 408-962-0515
Sales 617-621-0080 info@atlona.com
Multiplex Data Bus sales@esicomputing.com www.atlona.com
Pulse Transformers www.strategic-test.com
Plug-In units meet the requirements
of QPL-MIL-PRF 21038/27. COM Express module
Surface units are electrical equivilents
of QPL-MIL-PRF 21038/27.
PCIe card delivers low- has AMD Fusion CPUs
latency memory sharing The conga-BA COM-Express module
DC-DC Converter The PCIE-5565PIORC low-profile uses single- and dual-core versions of
Transformers PCI Express 128 or 256-Mbyte reflec- AMD Embedded G-Series processors
Input voltages of 5V, 12V, 24V And 48V.
Standard Output Voltages to 300V (Special tive memory node card can connect and features a
voltages can be supplied). Can be used as self to up to 256 nodes. A reflective graphics core
saturating or linear switching applications. All
units manufactured and tested to MIL-PRF-27.
memory network, or shared memory with the Univer-
system, enables multiple computers sal Video Decod-
400Hz/800Hz to share a common set of data. Re- er 3.0 for seam-
Power Transformers flective memory autonomously rep- less processing
0.4 Watts to 150 Watts. Secondary Voltages 5V licates the contents of one processor's of Blu-ray con-
to 300V. Units manufactured to MIL-PRF-27
Grade 5, Class S (Class V, 1550C available).
memory to the memory nodes of all tent via HDCP (1080p), MPEG-2 HD
other network members. and DivX (MPEG-4) video interfaces.
eek The card uses a 2.12-Gbaud fiber The card has a Hudson E1 Fusion con-
one w
-Sto ck to tities
ry
Delive ample qua
n connection with typical node-to- troller hub and up to 8 GBytes of single-
for s node propagation time on the order channel DDR3 memory.
of 1 μs. It features improved pro- The module has six PCI Express x1
grammable I/O read performance, Lanes, eight USB 2.0 ports, with four
for FREE PICO Catalog field-upgradeable firmware, RoHS SATA, one EIDE, and one Gigabit Eth-
Call toll free 800-431-1064 compliance, and a maximum PCI ernet interface. The board also fea-
in NY call 914-738-1400 burst rate of 512 Mbytes/s. ($3,306 tures ACPI 3.0 power management
Fax 914-738-8225 — contact suppler for availability.) and high-definition audio. (Less than
PICO Electronics,Inc.
143 Sparks Ave. Pelham, N.Y. 10803
GE Intelligent Platforms
Charlottesville, VA
$300 ea/OEM qty — available now.)
congatec, Deggendorf, Germany
E Mail: info@picoelectronics.com Sales 800-433-2682 U.S. Sales Office 858-457-2600
www.picoelectronics.com andy.peters@ge.com info@congatec.com
www.ge-ip.com www.congatec.com

100 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

NEW Optoelectronics
PRODUCTS edited by christinanickolas and richardcomerford
See our online archive at www.electronicproducts.com/op

HIGHLIGHTS
Proximity sensors are claimed most the key to ease of use is a unique four-wire ribbon ca-
bling system that is physically keyed and color coded for
sensitive, power efficient polarity, accurate power connections, and ease of manu-
The Si114x infrared (IR) and ambient- facturing.
light sensors are claimed to be the Other components included in the system are heat
industry’s most power-efficient (less sinks matched to the LLMs to help provide appropriate
than 1 mA system power), most sen- thermal management and life expectancy, and circuit
sitive, and longest-range (50-cm sens- protection devices. Further, the design and budgeting
ing range) proximity sensors of their tools that are part of the system can help lighting manu-
kind. Available in tiny 2 x 2 x 0.75-mm 10- facturers bring their products to market faster while
pin QFN packages, the Si114x sensors enable sophisti- gaining significant cost savings.
cated proximity sensing and touchless interfaces for The Web-based product configurator tool aids design-
handsets, eReaders, tablets, personal media players, toys, ers in specifying a system and producing a bill of mate-
and many other products. rial and drawing, and a full system and cable assembly
The robust IR sensing architecture operates in direct configurator facilitates rapid system design. Other tools
sunlight and includes an ambient-light sensor capable of include a thermal test instrument to help designers in-
sensing light levels up to 128 kilolux. In addition, the stantly test a system’s thermal performance, and an SSL
Si114x family’s advanced architecture enables proximity system budget calculator to help mix and match NEVA-
measurements in only 25 μs, minimizing the on-time of LO drivers and LLMs. Development kits for down lights,
power-hungry infrared LEDs and resulting in the indus- wall sconces, and track lights are also offered. (Contact
try’s lowest system power consumption — up to 20 times company for component pricing — available now.)
lower than competitive solutions. Power down current is Tyco Electronics, Harrisburg, PA
less than 20 nA and standby current is 500 nA. Nevalo representative 855-NEVALO1
The family includes sensor options with up to three http://www.nevalo.com
infrared LED drivers, giving developers the freedom to
implement one-dimensional HI systems with a detection
range of more than 50 cm or multidimensional systems
capable of gesture sensing with ranges of up to 15 cm.
The sensors are supported by the QuickSense Studio,
an easy-to-use software environment that enables de-
velopers to program, debug, and analyze proximity,
ambient-light, and capacitive-touch sense applications.
Complete evaluation and development kits, including
the IrSLIDER2EK evaluation kit for Si1142-based touch-
less sliders and the Si1140DK development kit for Si1143
3-LED evaluation. (Ea/10,000: From $1.22 for single-
LED to $1.98 for multiple-LED implementations; IrSli-
der2EK, $49.99; Si1140DK, $59.99 — available now.)
Silicon Laboratories, Austin, TX
Information 512-416-8500 www.silabs.com

Solid-state lighting system puts all

the pieces together
Designed to ease the transition to manufacturing LED
lighting fixtures, the NEVALO SSL system brings to-
gether all the components needed to implement an SSL
electrical systems in a way that’s simple, flexible, and
practically foolproof. The system is the first to integrate
all the electrical and electronic components necessary
in a fully modular system.
The system initially consists of over 60 LED Light
Modules (LLMs) options, ranging from 300 to 3,400 lm
(including the new high-output Bridgelux RS Arrays) in
form factors for popular lighting applications. In addi-
tion, the system provides optics for various reflector
styles, drivers with constant-current output, dimming-
control capabilities, and temperature monitoring. But

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 101

 Efficient, Easy to Drive
P-Channel MOSFETs
30V P-Channel MOSFETs Features
• 20 V Vgs
ID Max. @ RDS(on) Max RDS(on) Max
Max VGS • RDS(on) as low as 4.6mΩ max @ Vgs = 10V
Part Number Package TA=25°C Vgs=@10 V Vgs=@4.5 V
(V) • Industry standard SO-8 and
(A) (mΩ) (mΩ)
SOT-23 packages

IRF9310 SO-8 20 20 3.9 / 4.6 5.8 / 6.8 • MSL1, Consumer Qualified

• RoHS compliant containing no Lead,
no Bromide and no Halogen
IRF9317 SO-8 16 20 5.4 / 6.6 8.3 / 10.2

IRF9321 SO-8 15 20 5.9 / 7.2 9.3 / 11.2 The IR Advantage

• Minimum high-side drive circuitry
IRF9328 SO-8 12 20 10.0 / 11.9 16.1 / 19.7 • Ideal for computing application with
12-20 V bus rail
IRF9332 SO-8 9.8 20 13.6 / 17.5 22.5 / 28.1 • Lower conduction losses
• Multi-vendor compatibility
IRF9333 SO-8 9.2 20 15.6 / 19.4 25.6 / 32.5 • Increased reliability
• Environmentally friendly
IRF9335 SO-8 5.4 20 48 / 59 83 / 110

OICE
Your FIRST CH
SO-8
IRF9362 8 20 17.0 / 21.0 25.7 / 32
e
for Performanc
(dual)

IRLML9301 SOT-23 3.6 20 51 / 64 82 / 103

IRLML9303 SOT-23 2.3 20 135 / 165 220 / 270

for more information call 1.800.981.8699 or visit us at www.irf.com

* based on data compiled August 2010
Distributors :

THE POWER MANAGEMENT LEADER

NEW Components & Subassemblies
PRODUCTS edited by p.o’shea, c.nickolas and c.d’airo
See our online archive at www.electronicproducts.com/cs

HIGHLIGHTS
ECL tolerates ac mains power Miniature MLCCs are industry’s
contact without damage smallest
The TBU (transient blocking unit) The 01005-size miniature
DT series circuit protection devices MLCC measures 0.40 ± 0.02
target high-speed protection of (l) x 0.20 ± 0.02 (w) x 0.10 ±
communications ports. They are 0.04 (t), a 45% area reduction
the industry’s first electronic current and 30% volume reduction
limiters (ECLs) designed to tolerate ac- over 0201-size products, mak-
mains power contact without circuit damage. The fast- ing it the current smallest size
reacting protectors do not alter the signal performance of in the industry. The capacitor’s small size is important
high speed communication ports unlike high capacitance for PCBs in space-conscious applications such as in PA
protectors. The devices provide protection against faults and front-end modules, IC packaging, and mobile
caused by short circuits, ac power cross, induction, and phones.
lightning surges. Part of the 0101 Series, the miniature MLCC provides
The circuit protection devices feature eight models nominal capacitance ratings of 1.0 to 22 pF and a rated
and offer continuous ac-voltage ratings up to 425 Vrms voltage of 16 V in NPO (C0G) dielectric, with an operat-
and nominal trigger currents ranging from 150 to 750 ing temperature range of –55° to 125°C. Offered in a
mA. They are provided in a surfacemount DFN package 0.33-mm paper package, the RoHS-compliant 101 Series
and are lead free and RoHS compliant. The devices pro- is available in the X5R dielectric. (From $0.008 to $0.03
vide protection for Ethernet ports used in outdoor ap- each in volume — 14 weeks ARO.)
plications including security systems, PV panels and AVX, Greenville, SC
service kiosks. ($0.69 ea/15,000 — available now.) Kazushige Takamori 864-228-8808
Bourns, Riverside, CA Kazushige.Takamori@avx.com
Sales www.bourns.com/Sales.aspx www.avx.com

www.paktron.com
Mission
Critical
Applications
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www.paktron.com [LS  ‹MH_ ‹P[^WHR[YVU'WHR[YVUJVT

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 103

NEW
PRODUCTS
High-current monitor
suits plasma research
Used in plasma research applica-
tions, the CM-01-CS11 IPC current
monitor can measure narrow current
pulses of sev-
eral hundred
k i lo a mp e r e s suits LCD TVs, servers
and ac cur-
rents up to
2,000 A rms
with a 3-dB
bandwidth of
0.1 Hz to 100
kHz. The unit
has a sensitivity of 1 mV/A and can
sense the magnetic field surround-
ing the primary current carrying ca-
ble or charged particle stream, thus
requiring no physical contact with
the primary conductor, eliminating
ground loops and interference
noise.
Other features of the CM-01-CS11
include a saturation limit of 250 As,
a 4-ms usable rise time and 0.1%/ms-
droop. The current monitor is elec-
trostatically shielded and has an o.d.
APM_EP_TheWetterTheBetter 1/12/11 3:00 PM Page 1
of 30 cm and an i.d. of 15 cm. (2,500
— available now.)
Ion Physics, Fremont, NH
Sales 603-895-5100
sales@ionphysics.com
www.ionphysics.com
HV power MOSFET
The RJK60S5DPK high-voltage n-chan-
nel power MOSFET targets power sup-
ply units for PC servers, flat-panel TVs,
communication base stations, and so-
lar-power-genera-
tion systems. The
device suits the
primary power-
switching circuit
of a power supply
unit that converts
ac to dc. It uses a high-precision super
junction structure to achieve a figure
of merit that is about 90% better than
its existing products.
The MOSFET uses a high-preci-
sion super-junction structure em-
ploying a deep-groove formation
process, It features 150 mΩ on-resis-
tance at 10 A, and drive capacitance
gate charge of 6 nC. The device pack-
aging is equivalent to the TO-3P
standard package, and the pin as-
signments conform to the industry
standard. ($5 ea/sample qty — sam-
ples available now.)
Renesas Electronics America
Santa Clara, CA
Sales 800-366-9782
http://am.renesas.com
MOSFETs target displays,
lighting, PC power
The UniFET II MOSFET features a
body diode, 50% better reverse re-
covery than alternate solutions, and
the capability to withstand double
the current stress during diode-re-
covery dv/dt mode. These devices,
based on the
compa ny ’s
planar tech-
nology, target
LCD TVs and
PDP TVs, switch-mode power sup-
plies for lighting systems, PCs, serv-
ers, and telecom power supplies.
Initial products offered in the
UniFET II series include the FDPF-
5N50NZ and the FDPF8N50NZ n-

The Wetter
The Better

HEXSEAL® HERMETIC SWITCH

BOOTS DEFEND AGAINST
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS
HEXSEAL boots increase reliability and prolong life by
hermetically protecting unsealed switches, circuit breakers,
potentiometers and encoders from hostile contaminants
and actuator-function interference by blocking water, dust,
dirt, ice, solvents, etc. Many HEXSEAL® sealing boots can
also suppress EMI/RFI. Meets MIL-DTL-5423 specs. Toggle,
pushbutton, rotary, rocker and armored versions.
800.498.9034 apmhexseal.com

The World’s Most Hostile Environments Are Our Proving Grounds®

104 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

 Components & Subassemblies

channel MOSFETs. The FDPF5N50NZ

is a 500-V 4.5-A device, featuring a
and 350-mW power dissipation.
They offer n-channel R DS(on) of 0.28 Ω
IC combines filtering
1.38-Ω typ R DS(on) at 10 VGS, 2.25-A ID, typ, and p-channel R DS(on) of 1 Ω typ. and ESD protection
and a 9-nC typ gate charge. The FD- ($0.12 ea/3,000 — available now.) The ECMF02 and ECMF04 are sili-
PF8N50NZ is a 500-V 8-A device that Central Semiconductor con-based ICs that combine the com-
features an 0.77-Ω R DS(on) typ at 10 Hauppauge, NY mon-mode filtering and ESD protec-
VGS, 4-A ID, and a gate charge of 14 Tom Donofrio 631-435-1110 tion needed by high-speed data lines.
nC typ. The devices feature an ESD tdonofrio@centralsemi.com The ICs target high-speed data cir-
capability of 2-kV HBM. (Ea/1,000: www.centralsemi.com cuits commonly used in smart-
FDPF5N50NZ, $0.69; FDPF8N50NZ,
$0.86 — available now.)
Fairchild Semiconductor
South Portland, ME
Sales 207-775-8100
www.fairchildsemi.com

NP0 caps suit

RF/microwave apps
The MK Series high-temperature ca-
pacitors for high-current RF applica-
tions offer NP0 characteristics in-
cluding low loss,
electrical stability, 0
±30-ppm tempera-
ture coefficient, and
an operating tem-
perature range of –
55° to 125°C. The
capacitors also fea-
ture low ESR and
high Q values combined with a wide
capacitance range of 0.1 to 1,000 pF
and voltage ratings of 50 to 500 Vdc.
Available in EIA sizes 0402, 0603,
0805, and 1210 case sizes, the MK Se-
ries has a 100% tin finish on all ter-
minations. (From $0.04 to $0.30
each — 8 weeks ARO.)
AVX, Greenville, SC
Larry Eisenberger 864-967-9304
larry.eisenberger@avx.com
www.avx.com

MOSFETs come
in SOT-563 packages
The CMLDM7484 dual complemen-
tary n-channel and p-channel MOS-
FETs are offered in SOT-563 packages
and consist
of two com-
pleme nt a r y
isolated 30-V
4 5 0 - m A
M O S F E Ts .
The devices
target cellular phones, MP3 players,
fiber-optic transceivers, and blood
glucose analyzers and suit dc/dc con-
version, signal drivers, motor con-
trol, and battery-charging applica-
tions.
The dual complementary MOS-
FETs feature 2-kV ESD protection
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 105
NEW
PRODUCTS
phones, tablets, and mobile comput- differential bandwidth that complies V PEAK <50 V. The filter topology can
ers, as well as for wired with HDMI, MIPI D- save up to 50% of the PCB space typ-
connections such as PHY, and USB2.0 com- ically needed to implement the com-
USB2.0 and HDMI. mon-mode attenuation mon-mode filtering and ESD protec-
The ECMF02 is a sin- requirements, with –34 tion. The devices are 0.55 mm high.
gle-channel device, and dB at 900 MHz, and –20- (Ea/5,000: ECMF02-2AMX6, $0.18;
the ECMF04 is a dual dB between 800 MHz ECMF04-4AMX12, $0.36 — avail-
data-channel device. and 2.2 GHz. They fea- able now.)
Both devices have 6-GHz ture ESD protection at STMicroelectronics
Lexington, MA
Information 781-861-2650
www.st.com

Protection device has

no orientation limits
The SESD0201P1BN-0400-090 (0201
package) and SESD0402P1BN-0450-
090 (0402 package) ChipSESD pro-
tection devices
offer bidirec-
tional opera-
tion to help
placement on
the PCB with-
out orientation
const ra i nts.
The devices
feature a surge
rating of 2 A under 8 x 20-µs surge
and an ESD rating of 10-kV contact
discharge.
The ChipSESD protection devices
offer 1.0-µA max leakage current and
a <1-ns response time to help equip-
ment to pass IEC61000-4-2, level 4
testing. The input capacitance of 4.0
pF (0201 package) and 4.5 pF (0402
package) makes them suitable for
helping to protect cellular phones,
portable electronics, digital cameras,
I/O ports, keypads, low voltage dc
lines, speakers, headphones, and mi-
crophones. (SESD0201P1BN-0400-
090, $0.105 ea/15,000; SESD-
0402P1BN-0450-090, $0.080
ea/10,000 – available now.)
Tyco Electronics, Circuit
Protection Group, Menlo Park, CA
Technical assistance 800-227-7040
www.circuitprotection.com

Parts block dc voltage

while passing frequencies
for 300 kHz to 3 GHz
The CBLK dc blocks are designed to
block dc voltage
while passing
frequencies from
300 kHz to 3
GHz. These parts
are ideal for use
in broadband
coupling and

106 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011


test and measurement applications.
They offer low insertion loss of
0.02 dB at 300 kHz and 0.20 dB at 3
GHz and a return loss at 3 GHz noted
as 14 dB (male) and 15 dB (female).
Dc input voltage is rated at 16 WVdc
max and operating temperature
range is –55° to 90°C. (E-mail Sales
for pricing — available now.)
Crystek, Fort Myers, FL
Sales
sales@crystek.com
http://www.crystek.com
MOSFETs target
dc/dc switching apps
The IRF6811 and IRF6894 are part of
the DirectFETplus power MOSFET
family that suits 12-V input synchro-
nous-buck applications including
next-generation servers, desktops,
and notebooks. They also improve
efficiency by 2%.
The IRF6811 MOSFET, available
in a small can, features 2.8-mΩ R DS(on)
at 10 V, and a gate charge (QG) of 11
nC. The IRF6894, offered in a medi-
um can has a 0.9-mΩ R DS(on) at 10-V,
and 29-nC gate charge. The IRF6894
advertiser index
Absopulse Electronics Limited………………… 42
Acopian…………………………………………… 61
Advanced Power Solutions… ………………… 92
Agilent Technologies…………………… 2, 3, 23
AKM Semiconductor Inc. ……………………… 95
Allied Electronics Inc.… ……………… Cover 3
Ametek Programmable Power………………… 49
APM Hexseal… ……………………………… 104
Applied Power Systems, Inc.… ……………… 91
Astrodyne Corp.………………………………… 65
Avnet Electronics… ……………………… 17, 34
Bel-fuse Inc.……………………………………… 37
CUI Inc.…………………………………………… 12
Cadsoft Computer Inc.………………………… 32
Calex Manufacturing Co. Inc.…………… 44, 48
Carlisle Interconnect Technologies… ……… 96
Central Semiconductor………………………… 55
Cirrus Logic……………………………………… 7
Clare, Inc.………………………………………… 60
Coilcraft… ……………………………………… 10
Coilcraft-CPS… ………………………………… 83
Cornell Dubilier Electronics…………………… 43
CyPower… ……………………………………… 73
Data Image… ………………………………… 101
Data Translation, Inc.… ……………………… 16
Digi-Key Corporation… ……………………… 1
Electronic Devices Inc.… ……………………… 48
FCI Electronics……………………………… 78, 79
Floyd Bell, Inc. … …………………………… 108
Fran Mar International Inc.…………………… 50
Fujipoly America Corporation………………… 98
Garrett Electronics, Corp.……………………… 84
Wright’s Media For Article Reprints (877) 652-5295
Components & Subassemblies
also features a monolithically inte-
grated Schottky that reduces losses
associated with body diode conduc-
tion and reverse recovery. (Ea/10,000:
IRF6811, from $0.75; IRF6894, from
$01.75 — available now.)
International Rectifier
El Segundo, CA
Sales 310-252-7105
http://www.irf.com
3.6-A MOSFET comes in
standard SOT-23F pkg
The CMPDM303NH n-channel
MOSFET, available in the industry-
standard SOT-23F package, has a
continuous drain
current rating of
3.6 A. The device
offers 27 mΩ
RDS(ON), and a
total gate charge,
Qg, of 8.8 nC.
The MOSFET targets battery-pow-
ered portable devices such as cell
phones, MP3 players, blood glucose
analyzers, and hearing aids. It also
suits dc/dc conversion, load switch-
ing, and battery charging circuits.
This index is provided as an additional service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.
Globtek Inc.……………………… Cover 1, 39, 87
Hioki USA Corporation………………………… 9
Hittite Microwave Corp.… …………………… 80
Integrated Power Design… …………………… 47
International Mfg. Services… ………………… 70
International Rectifier… …………………… 102
Ironwood Electronics………………………… 108
ITW Paktron…………………………………… 103
Keystone Electronics Corp.… ………………… 31
KOA Speer Electronics, Inc.…………………… 71
Krohn-Hite Corp.… …………………………… 19
Linear Technology Corp.… …………………… 13
Linx Technologies… …………………………… 99
Magnetic Shield Corp.… …………………… 108
Martek Power Inc.… …………………………… 27
Master Bond Inc.………………………………… 98
Maxim Integrated Products…………… Cover 4
Meanwell USA…………………………………… 4
Measurement Computing Corp.……………… 18
Meder Electronics… ………………………… 104
Mega Electronics Inc.…………………………… 44
Melexis Inc.……………………………………… 15
Memory Protection Devices…………………… 51
METcase…………………………………………… 97
Micrel Semiconductor… ……………………… 57
Micro Power Direct……………………………… 45
Minmax Technology Co. Ltd.………………… 42
Mornsun America… …………………………… 50
Mouser Electronics……………………………… 36
MS Kennedy Corporation……………………… 88
Murata Power Solutions, Inc.… ……………… 67
National Instruments…………………… Cover 2
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
(From $0.20 ea/3,000 — available
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Central Semiconductor
Hauppauge, NY
Tom Donofrio 631-435-1110
tdonofrio@centralsemi.com
www.centralsemi.com
Ceiling-mount antennas
cover wide freq. range
The OM-DW Series ceiling-mount om-
nidirectional antennas cover a fre-
quency range from 860 MHz through
5.88 GHz, suiting a variety of wireless
applications.
The antennas offers 50-Ω imped-
ance, 1.5 typical VSWR, maximum
power of 100 W and gain of 1, 2, 2.5,
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spectively. Mounting and RF con-
nection is achieved through a single
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female N connector. (Less than $20
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Antenna Factor
Merlin, OR
Information 800-489-1634
info@antennafactor.com
www.antennafactor.com
NEC/Tokin Corporation… …………………… 22
NTE Electronics Inc.… ………………………… 72
Octagon Systems Corp.………………………… 66
Panasonic Industrial Co.… …………… 85, 108
Pduke Technology… …………………………… 92
Pelican Products………………………………… 29
Phihong USA… …………………………… 58, 59
Pico Electronics Inc.… ………………… 94, 100
PowerGate LLC… ……………………………… 86
Precision Paper Tube Company… …………… 99
Probe Master Inc.… …………………………… 69
Renesas Electronics America, Inc.… ………… 75
Rigol Technologies……………………………… 93
Roal Electronics… ……………………………… 53
Rohde & Schwarz… …………………………… 21
Schurter, Inc.… ………………………………… 82
Spectrum Advanced
Specialty Products……………………… 24, 25
Spectrum Sensors & Controls… ……………… 64
State of the Art, Inc.… ……………………… 106
Statek Corporation……………………… 105, 108
Synqor Corporation… ………………………… 56
Taiyo Yuden (U.S.A.), Inc. … ………………… 76
TDK-Lambda Americas, Inc.…………………… 33
TTI Inc.…………………………………………… 63
Tensility International Corp.… ……………… 20
Total Power International Inc. … …………… 90
Vicor Corp. - Brick Group……………………… 54
Vicor Corp. - VI Chip Group… ……………… 41
Vicor Corp. - Westcor Division… …………… 89
ZMD America, Inc.……………………………… 77
Zilog Inc.… ……………………………………… 68
http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011 107
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108 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS http://electronicproducts.com MARCH 2011

APPLICATION
REFERENCE catalog/literature
application notes

M
design software
design kits

ATERIALS supplement to EEM and Electronic Products

evaluation boards
reference designs
http://arm.eem.com
march2011

Common-mode rejection/safety
How it relates to ECG subsystems and the techniques
used to provide superior performance

D
BY BILL CRONE epending on the applica-
Biomedical Systems Engineer tion for the ECG subsys-
Healthcare Group tem, there are clinical
Analog Devices, Inc. situations where the CMR (com-
www.analog.com mon-mode rejection) must be
very high. The AAMI (Associa-
tion for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) speci-
fies a test methodology with typical electrode impedance im-
balances and offsets that must be met. Other standards such as
IEC, UL, and medical directives from various countries also
have various tests for common-mode rejection.
This article describes human body impedance mismatch,
electrode and cable design, protection circuitry, usage of right
leg drive, and other considerations that affect common-mode
rejection and proposes various ways to enhance CMR in ECG
subsystems.
Common-mode rejection, safety, and RFI
Multiple design tradeoffs must be made to optimize common-
mode rejection in ECG systems. Evaluating these tradeoffs
starts with safety. Most standards indicate that 10 µA rms
from dc to 1.00 kHz is the upper limit for normal condition
operation of the ECG system. For single-fault conditions,
some standards allow an increase to 50 µA rms, but currents
as low as 35 µA rms can compromise the myocardium. (1) 10
µA rms is recommended for single-fault conditions. (1)
AC mains leakage current must be limited to this maxi-
mum level. Various standards measure source and sink
currents between electrodes, electrodes tied together, and
with the electrodes energized with ac mains relative to
earth ground.
Since standards and specific country directives change with
time, the designer is encouraged to stay current with latest
releases to ensure continued compliance with safety standards
including maximum source and sink currents allowed, as a
function of frequency, for the human subject and the test
methodologies used to insure compliance.
In addition, the ECG subsystem must be protected from a
defibrillator pulse (bi-phasic or unipolar) so current limit cir-
cuitry is added between the in-amp (instrumentation ampli-
fier) to protect the circuitry. ESD (electrostatic discharge) pro-
continued on page 110

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Common-mode rejection/safety continued from page 109

tection circuitry is also required. tor protection circuitry, the RFI input filtering, the in-amp,
The ECG subsystem must also be able to provide what IEC through capacitance between isolated ground and earth
60601-1-1 and derivatives describe as essential performance ground. There now exist fully integrated ECG analog front
during electrosurgical procedures and other harsh environ- ends, with backend processing, which address multiple per-
ments where nearby RFI (radio formance requirements including
frequency interference) can be Fig. 1: Fully integrated CMRR.
high. This would include envi- AFE chips, such as the The ac mains may also be cou-
ronments such as aircraft, radar, ADAS1000 ECG AFE, pled into the ECG front end
enable ECG systems to
trains, and ships. achieve monitor- and through the ECG cable, the input
The source of a common- diagnostic-quality protection circuitry from exter-
performance
mode voltage is typically the ac nal transients such as a defibrilla-
mains frequency of 50 or 60 Hz tor pulse, and direct coupling
with line voltages as high as 264 through the isolated power sup-
Vac rms. Nontypical environ- ply. Potential RFI rectification on
ments such as European trains the in-amp input can also create
that run off 16.666 Hz can also issues with the in-amp common-
be a source of common-mode mode rejection.
input. The ac and ECG signals are
both measured through the elec-
The human common- trodes into the ECG preamplifier
mode model and other subsystem (Fig. 2), making it very
ECG circuit paths important to insure that the com-
The common-mode signal is mon-mode signal is not converted
coupled through the human tor- to differential mode. The combi-
so, from the surface of the skin through the electrolyte, the nation of mismatches in impedance of the ECG electrodes,
electrode, to the ECG electrode wire, through the defibrilla- cable capacitance, and the protection circuitry associated

continued on page 112

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packaging & interconnects packaging & interconnects

REDEL XP, Enabling New Connections
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arm.eem.com march 2011 Application Reference Materials 111

Common-mode rejection/safety continued from page 110

electrode itself and is highly vari-

able at low frequencies and chang-
es as a function of frequency. (2)
The impedance is a function of
electrode material, size, adhesive,
electrolyte used, and the outer
layer/condition of the skin itself.
(2) In order to ensure the lowest
impedance and more stability in
the electrode interface, some skin
preparation techniques use a type
of sandpaper as a skin prep prior
to the placement of the electrode.
In lieu of skin preparation, vari-
ous types of electrodes are used to
lower the impedance and provide
stability. Various compositions of
Ag/AgCl electrodes provide some
of the lowest impedances and off-
Fig. 2: Block diagram of ECG subsystem showing various coupling mechanisms of environmental coupling sets of other commonly used ma-
from AC MAINS and EMI. terials. (2) The difference in im-
with defibrillator protection, which typically takes the form pedance between electrodes can be as high as 50,000 Ω over
of resistors and SCR/argon voltage limiters, makes common- a range of frequencies. Reducing this mismatch helps to re-
mode to differential conversion more likely. duce common-mode to differential mode conversion.
The stratum corneum, the outmost layer of skin, has the Some ECG cables embed protection resistors, for defibrilla-
highest-impedance component of skin composition to the tor protection of the circuitry, which can range from 2.5 kΩ

continued on page 114

packaging & interconnects packaging & interconnects

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passive components passive components

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112 Application Reference Materials march 2011 arm.eem.com

passive components power sources
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power sources power sources

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power sources power sources

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arm.eem.com march 2011 Application Reference Materials 113

Common-mode rejection/safety continued from page 112
to as high as 49.9 KΩ/electrode. If the resistance is not in the
cable then it is typically on the PCB layout. Matching of these
resistors is important as it interfaces with the RFI filter. One
technique used to minimize the impact of mismatch in cable
impedance is an active drive of the cable shield.
The typical X2Y RFI filter used to prevent RFI from enter-
ing the input stage of the in-amp must be matched in differ-
ential and common-mode impedance. Integrated X2Y RFI
filters have superior specifications than standard surface-
mount capacitors and the construction lends itself to superi-
or performance. (6) The addition of a single capacitor across
the X2Y capacitor can assist in improving the performance
even further. (6)
Techniques for lowering incoming CM signals
Right leg drive (RLD), as describe by Winter, Wilson, Spi-
nelli et.al. (4,5) is a technique to reduce the incoming level
of the common-mode signal appearing at the differential
inputs of the in-amp (instrumentation amplifier). The im-
provement in common-mode reduction is limited by the
amount of RLD current that can be provided to the patient.
Usage of a transimpedance amplifier as described by Spi-
nelli (5) for the RLD should be considered.
A Faraday Shield is often used to cover the ECG front end
and protect it from environmental RFI and ac mains cou-
pling as shown in Fig. 2. The Faraday shield helps in reduc-
ing the AC mains coupling into other various entry points
along the signal chain, prior to in-amp inputs, such as Ce1
and Ce2.
The in-amp must be run with supply voltages that are
high enough to accommodate the differential and com-
mon-mode input voltage ranges, typically ±1.0 volts. In
some applications higher differential input levels are need-
ed: ±2.0 volts. The in-amp must have a bias current of 1 nA
or less (preferably 100 pA), very low noise current, very low
noise voltage, and high common-mode rejection through
the fifth harmonic of the highest AC mains frequencies.
Typical frequencies of concern: 16.666, 50, 60, 100, 120,
150, and 180 Hz.
The first stage in-amp is typically set for a differential dc
gain of between 5 and 10. In cases where the input in-amp
is capable of providing gain to the ac portion of the signal
and not the dc portion, higher gains are practical. The
power sources
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114 Application Reference Materials march 2011 arm.eem.com
tradeoffs are noise performance, dynamic input range, and
power supply voltage.
After hardware mitigation is implemented, including tech-
niques using voltage/phase balancing in conjunction with a
DSP, residual common-mode signals can be handled in the
digital domain. Some techniques used include FIR notch fil-
ters, adaptive filters, and digital subtraction of the common-
mode signal itself. A designer must be careful to ensure that
diagnostic integrity of the ECG signal is not compromised
through use of these various techniques to ensure that the
clinicians “differential diagnostics” is not adversely affected
by some of the potential techniques. Usage of a notch filter is
often contraindicated due to its impact on the phase/ampli-
tude distortion of the signal of interest. Compliance with
standards for diagnostic bandwidth ECG systems must be
maintained.
In summary, the design of ECG subsystems for high com-
mon-mode rejection requires the designer to keep the patient
and operator safety requirements in the forefront. Some
techniques for enhanced common-mode rejection may actu-
ally increase leakage currents and therefore must be avoided.
The techniques mentioned here have been proven over time
to result in excellent diagnostic performance. ■
References:
1 Circulation. 2000;102:823-825.
 evisiting the Question: Will Relaxing Safe Current Limits for Electromedi-
R
cal Equipment Increase Hazards to Patients? Michael M. Laks, MD; Robert
Arzbaecher, PhD; David Geselowitz, PhD; James J. Bailey, MD; Alan Berson,
PhD From Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los
Angeles (M.M.L.); Pritzker Institute of Technology, Illinois Institute of Tech-
nology, Chicago (R.A.); Penn State University, Pittsburgh, Pa (D.G.); Nation-
al Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md (J.J.B.); and the National Heart, Lung
and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
2 High Quality Recording of Bioelectric Events: I: Interference reduction, the-
ory, and practice.
A.C. Metting Van Rijn, A. Peper, C.A. Frimbergen.
Academic Medical Center, Medical Physics Department, Meibergdreef 15
1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
3 X 2Y RFI filter: http://www.johansondielectrics.com/x2y-products/x2y-for-
emi-filtering.html Johanson Dielectrics.
4 Bruce Winter, John G. Webster Driven-Right-Leg Circuit Design, IEEE Trans-
actions on Biomedical Engineering. VOL BME 30 January 1983.
5E
 nrique Mario Spinelli, et.al. A transconductance Driven-Right Leg Circuit
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineereing Vol 46 No 12, December 1999.
power sources
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converters
PDuke
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909-598-5000
www.pduke.com
power sources semiconductors
Total Power International, Inc. Sensor Solutions from AKM
Total Power International, Inc. offers a wide range Switching Power AKM is one of the world’s leading providers of magnetic sensors.
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semiconductors semiconductors
SMD Semiconductor Selection Guide Rectifiers, Bridges, Diodes, HV Assemblies
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test & measurement test & measurement

Transformers, Transducers and NEW HORIZONS® in Temperature,
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Hearst Electronics Group test & measurement

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arm.eem.com march 2011 Application Reference Materials 115

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electromechanical passive components

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116 Application Reference Materials march 2011 arm.eem.com

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