July/August 2014 | volume 1, issue 6

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Power  to  the  CompactPCI

Making  the  smart  grid,  smarter

Integration Measurement Energy  harvesting Industry ???

–  PFC  adds  to  efficiency –  For  sustainability –  What’s  it  all  about? –  Control  equipment
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Contents
06 Industrial power
The role of analogue signals in
industrial control equipment is explored
by Maxim Integrated
08
08 Cover story
Advantech explains how CompactPCI
technology can progress the smart grid

12 Power measurement
Yokogawa guides the search for energy
efficiency, by assessing power measurement
accuracy

16 Energy harvesting
What does it really mean?, asks Linear
Technology, in an article that identifies
16
trends and the need for increased
battery capacities.
20
20 Energy efficiency
Rohm Semiconductor identifies the need
for energy saving in electronic devices

22 Products
Some of the latest innovations and introductions
in the industry, from power supplies
to power management devices for
projects that range from industrial,
consumer to hi-rel.

27
Editor: Ad sales: Head Office: Copyright 2013 Electronic Specifier. Contents of
Electronic Specifier, its publication, websites and
Caroline Hayes Ben Price ElectronicSpecifier Ltd newsletters are the property of the publisher. The
caroline.hayes@electronicspecifier.com ben.price@electronicspecifier.com Comice Place, Woodfalls Farm publisher and the sponsors of this magazine are
not responsible for the results of any actions or
Gravelly Ways, Laddingford omissions taken on the basis of information inthis
Designer: Publishing Director Kent. ME18 6DA publication. In particular, no liability can be accepted
in result ofany claim based on or in relation to
Stuart Pritchard Steve Regnier Tel: 01622 871944 material provided for inclusion. Electronic Specifier
stuart@origination-studio.co.uk steve.regnier@electronicspecifier.com www.electronicspecifier.com is a controlled circulation journal. ???

electronicspecifier.com 3
Editor’s comment
Editor’s comment
In this issue of ElectronicSpecifier Power, we cover
the gamut of applications: industrial environments,
medical, consumer and automotive. Each requires
particular features and specifications to meet the
surrounding conditions.
Our cover story relates how CompactPCI technology
is used in utilities and in particular for the smartgrid,
for an intelligent power supply.
Several of the new products that are featured in this
issue, are developments in the GaN (gallium nitride)
market. At present, GaN device sales generate $10
to $12m, a figure supplemented by R&D contracts
and IP licensing).
Revenues are expected to reach $50m in 2016.
Much of the enthusiasm is based around the
technology’s adoption by the electric vehicle (EV)
and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) markets. Analyst
Yole Developpement predicts a ramp-up to start in
2016, ahead of an estimated 80% CAGR in 2020.
Ahead of this growth, the Power GaN Market
report, believes that the power supply segment
will dominate next year to 2018, and could
represent half of device sales.
The use of GaN technology in other applications
such as wind turbines, vehicles, rail traction, PV
inverters will have to be subject to price restrictions
– these markets are particularly cost-sensitive. The
analyst reckons that GaN will reach conversion
efficiency and price parity with silicon by 2018 in
motor control initially. It even speculates that in the
4 electronicspecifier.com
PV inverter market, GaN may encroach on the SiC
(silicon carbide) technology, based on cost.
GaN is also used in UPS (uninterrupted power
supplies); Yole believes it may even could account
for 15% market share by 2020. This adds to
the renewed vigour in the wider power supply
market, which has suffered recently from a stalled
programme of product rollouts. IHS reports that the
AC/DC and DC/DC power supply market is “set
for healthy expansion” over the next four years,
boosted by emerging applications and growth in
established ones.
Emerging is the LED lighting market, which, together
with tablets, will grow by more than $2.5bn from
2014 to 2018. The growth in the established data
centre market continues as cloud computing and the
Internet of Things gathers pace, as server, storage
and networking supplies are expected to grow 24%
from 2014 to 2018. Together with the growth in
mobile phone power supplies, projected to increase
8% this year, strong data communications in general,
and industrial applications, the 2% annual decline
in the same period for power supplies for desktop
PCs and notebooks, should not make a dent in the
general optimism.
Caroline Hayes,
Editor
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Industrial power

Generate negative output voltages

from a positive input voltage
Industrial control equipment such as PLCs (programmable logic controllers),
I/O modules, mass flow controllers, and other industrial systems need to
process analogue signals in order to accomplish their intended function,
explain, Dipankar Mitra and Ramesh Giri, Maxim Integrated.

Figure 1: Schematic for a +18V to +30V/-15V

positive-to-negative output voltage converter
using the MAX17502.

a synchronous inverting buck-

boost converter.

The operating principle behind

this circuit can be understood by
examining Figure 2 and Figure
3 which illustrate the step-
down converter and inverting
Typically these analogue signal-processing buck-boost converter. The configuration of
circuits require both positive and negative supply switches S1, S2 and filter components Lo and
voltages such as ±5, ±12, ±15V generated from Co is identical. The difference between the two
a 24V DC bus. configurations lies in the terminal voltages that
are defined as input and output voltages of the
High-voltage synchronous step-down converters converter.
with integrated MOSFETs offer a compact,
high-efficiency to generate the positive output In the step-down converter of Figure 2, the
voltage rail. The same synchronous step- terminal voltage VAC is defined as the input
down converters can be used to also generate
negative output voltage rails. Using these
techniques the system designer can generate
both rails using the same device, thus reducing
the number of parts to stock. A -15V output
voltage application demonstrates how this can
be done, using the MAX17502 synchronous
step-down converter as an example.

Operating principle
Figure 1 shows the schematic of a MAX17502
synchronous step-down converter configured as Figure 2: Simplified schematic of the synchronous step-down converter.

6 electronicspecifier.com

Figure 3: Simplified schematic of the synchronous
inverting buck-boost converter.
voltage (VIN) and output is obtained at the
terminal voltage VBC (VOUT). Switch S1
turns ON and uses VAC to store energy in
the inductor Lo, while also delivering energy
to the output capacitor Co. Then S1 turns
OFF, at which point S2 is closed, to continue
delivering energy stored in Lo to the output
capacitor Co. Since the terminal C is defined
as the ground of this circuit, VBC is obtained
as a positive voltage with respect to the
ground terminal C.
In the inverting buck-boost converter of Figure
3, the terminal voltage VAB is defined as the
input voltage (VIN), and output is obtained at
the terminal voltage VCB (VOUT). Switch S1
turns ON and uses VAB to store energy in
the inductor Lo. Then S1 turns OFF, at which
point S2 is closed, to continue delivering
energy stored in Lo to the output capacitor Co.
Figure 4: Efficiency vs. load current.
Industrial power
Figure 5: Load and line regulation of output voltage
Since the terminal B is defined as the ground
of this circuit, VCB is obtained as a negative
voltage with respect to the ground terminal
B. In general, in the absence of other IC
design constraints, a synchronous step-down
converter can be employed as an inverting
buck-boost converter.
Power-supply
specifications
The requirements for the example power supply
of Figure 1 are operating input voltage (VIN):
24V ±6V; an output voltage (VOUT) of -15V; an
output current (IOUT), maximum of 500mA; a
steady-state input ripple voltage (VIN_RIPPLE)
of 1% of nominal VIN and a steady-state output
ripple voltage (VOUT_RIPPLE) which is 1% of
nominal VOUT
Figure 4, left, shows the efficiency versus load
current performance for the Max17502G-based
inverting synchronous buck-boost converter.
The buck-boost converter is available in a 10pin,
3 x 2mm TDFN and 14pin 5 x 4.4mm TSSOPs
with an industrial operating temperature range
of -40 to +125ºC. As well as industrial process
control, the converter can be used in automotive,
basestation, VOIP and telecomms equipment as
well as HVAC and building control.
www.maximintegrated.com/AN5775
electronicspecifier.com 7
Industrial

CompactPCI takes
on the smart grid
CompactPCI technology is playing a role in evolving the electricity
network’s transmission and distribution, data collection and communication,
applications and services. Smart grid technology deployment is taking place on
all these levels in an attempt to modernise the network and respond to ongoing
changes, while meeting the requirements of safety, quality and stability.

Smart grid technologies cover many application
areas, from production and transport to user-
specific distribution. A variety of technologies
is required to optimise the operation of the
electrical system and provide advanced
interfaces for better decision making. These
include power electronics, sensing and
measurement, communications, and advanced
control. Some of the technologies required are
still under development, such as fault tolerance,
superconductivity, power storage and the
deployment of more intelligent devices, while
others are considered mature and are already
being deployed.
One of the biggest difficulties lies in the ability to
maintain or improve the reliability and security
of the existing power grid while introducing new
technologies. In electrical transmission, advanced
smart grid devices enable existing transmission
lines to deliver maximum power and help stabilise
the grid with precise power control. High-voltage
direct current (HVDC) has emerged as the
preferred technology for moving large amounts of
power across long distances, resulting in overall
higher efficiency than equivalently-sized AC
systems.
Higher efficiency means a lower transmission
cost, helping renewable energy compete against
other power sources. HVDC is also used to
connect offshore wind farms and its transmission
is used to import and export electricity as it
enhances system stability, allowing the operator
better control over power flow.
In the future, wide area monitoring systems are
expected to reduce the number of catastrophic
blackouts and generally improve the reliability and
security of energy production, transmission, and
distribution, particularly in power networks with
a high level of operational uncertainties. Finally,
at the data collection and communication level,
supervisory control and data acquisition systems
(SCADA) analyse real-time grid conditions,
providing data for fast power adjustments.
Power substations
Power substations transform the
voltages produced
in generating
stations to a
higher one for
transmission and
then back to a lower
one ready for use in
schools, local businesses and
homes. As these substations are

8 electronicspecifier.com

generally
situated very close
to populated areas, electricity
companies must take care to ensure that
they are physically secure. Today, control
systems provide increased automation and
monitoring of conditions at substations and
often make use of fibre-optic communications
for high-bandwidth transmission between
the central control room and substations.
Modular circuit breaker monitoring systems,
for example, are designed to facilitate all the
measurements associated with the operation
of a substation’s switchgear bay. The
monitoring equipment in the local control bays
is close to the transducers and other signal
sources while all of the bay data is transmitted
along a fibre cable using TCP/IP. Overall this
makes wiring simpler and provides a flexible
interface for the connection of most substation
and external networks. CompactPCI-based
industrial computer system and data
acquisition cards can provide the
data capture and storage
facility required for
substation monitoring.
A range of transducers
provides the input to
signal conditioning
modules, which provide
data to the acquisition cards.
The modules set off alarms
in the event of performance limits
being exceeded. In order to overcome
Figure 2: MIC-3328 3U CompactPCI PlusIO board.
Industrial
Figure 1: MIC-3396 6U CompactPCI board.
noise interference and to eliminate
ground loops, a radial, fibre optic
communications system connects the
individual bays to a central data server
in the control room. The server typically
provides a visual description of alarms
along with a monitoring system data
and connects via LAN, WAN, or modem
to allow remote access and the overall
substation performance to be assessed.
Fibre communications also allow an increased
number of higher definition video surveillance
cameras to be installed at many unmanned
power substations for enhanced monitoring
and control purposes in addition to a
traditional SCADA application monitoring data
and alarms.
CompactPCI
CompactPCI is a high performance, industrial
bus, based on the standard PCI electrical
specification in rugged three- or 6U Eurocard
packaging, and unlike its desktop cousin, uses
a 2mm metric pin and socket connector that
meets IEC and Bellcore standards. Boards
are inserted from the front of the chassis and
I/O can be routed from the front panel (or the
rear) making it suitable for installation, cabling
and maintenance requirements in substations.
CompactPCI supports eight slots, allowing
additional processing or I/O to be added as
required.
Just like in the telecommunications sector,
several power and energy OEMs have
adapted proprietary systems to integrate with
CompactPCI technology in a proprietary fashion.
This allows them to leverage commercial
technology for faster development and timely
upgrades. It also gives them the ability to
upgrade quickly in case of component or
manufacturer obsolescence.
electronicspecifier.com 9
Industrial
Companies like Advantech apply solid lifecycle
management to handle component obsolescence
and step in when a key supplier announces the
end of a product line; to supply a board that
meets the same form, fit and function. They also
provide long term technology support and timely
new product introductions so that customers can
choose when to upgrade equipment based on
strategy and market demands, ahead of silicon
end-of-life scenarios.
Customised COTS (C2OTS)
No two suppliers’ CompactPCI boards are
exactly the same. Features differ, for example a
missing I/O port or connector, or custom IPMI
which are implemented on one board but not on
another. In this case, Advantech’s “Customized
COTS” programme comes into action. The
company designs standard products with a
view to customsation later. The processes
are tailored to support the “Customized
COTS” business model. It offers
more flexibility by supporting
changes ranging from
branding, cost optimisation,
mechanical and schematic
changes, as well as the
integration of a customer’s
proprietary IP.
For applications which also require processing
intensive tasks such as workstation graphics and
encryption, the MIC-3396 6U CompactPCI SBC
supports Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processor SKUs
in 22nm technology and an Intel QM87 PCH with
embedded graphics for up to three independent
displays. It fits in a single 4HP slot with up
to 8Gbyte of on-board ECC DDR3 memory
expandable to 16Gbyte via an SO-UDIMM
module. I/O expansion is ensured by a PMC/XMC
slot while mass storage is available with onboard
2.5inch SATA-III and Cfast support. On-board
Flash and RTM-based SATA-III storage options
are also available. Independent GbE ports offer
integration options with dual GbE connectivity to
10 electronicspecifier.com
front, rear and PICMG 2.16 ports.
Another board, the MIC-3328 3U CompactPCI
PlusIO board provides legacy CompactPCI
connectivity via an onboard bridge and offers an
I/O migration path to PICMG2.30 PlusIO. The
board maintains backwards compatibility and
interoperability with legacy systems, with GbE,
PCI express, USB and SATA serial interfaces
available for use on a rear transition module or on
a hybrid backplane supporting legacy I/O cards
as well as CompactPCI Serial peripheral cards.
With full backwards compatibility to CompactPCI,
customer investments stay protected while
platform enhancements and innovation can
take place, with support for industrial Ethernet
protocols such as ProfiNet, EtherCAT and
Powerlink is available via
Figure 3: CPCI-8220 intelligent I/O carrier for
maximum single-slot I/O density and low power.
the broad PICMG ecosystem of suppliers.
For harsh environmental conditions, the CPCI-
8220 is an intelligent I/O carrier board based on
the multi-core Freescale QorIQ P2040 processor.
The two PMC/XMC slots offer the highest single
board density available designed to support high
performance mezzanine cards.
The strategies have been adapted to deliver
complex CompactPCI products based on
standard off-the-shelf models which can be
tailored to meet customers’ specific needs.
www.advantech.com
 


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Power Measurement
The search for energy efficiency:
how accurate are your power measurements?
Energy efficiency is the most common discussion point in all forms of sustainable
energy. Hafeez Najumudeen, Yokogawa Europe, says whenever this topic is
discussed the importance of power measurement goes to the top of the priority list.
Manufacturers today offer a wide range of
power measuring instruments, but how best
to decide which parameters are relevant to a
specific application? Some factors can affect the
accuracy of power measurements and present
the need for accurate energy-efficiency testing.
Power accuracy
To increase the energy efficiency of a product -
even by a few decimal points - is an important
goal and a major challenge for manufacturers. To
validate small improvements in efficiency, R&D
teams need to understand the total accuracy or
uncertainty of their power analysers. For example,
customers evaluate power analysers with respect
to voltage and current uncertainty, but what
they should really be looking at is the power
uncertainty. In addition, when considering power
accuracy, the evaluation should consider the
basic parameters and also others such as crest
factor, phase angle error, temperature range,
warm-up time, stability period and common-
mode rejection.
12 electronicspecifier.com
Some product manufacturers use typical values in
their published data, yet typical values are usually
a reference value based on what a manufacturer
expects from the product. This is why many
manufacturers’ specifications for typical values
are much better than the guaranteed values;
Yokogawa power analysers, when calibrated,
provide accuracies which are five to 10 times
better than the published specifications.
Measurement range
Yokogawa is the only power analyser
manufacturer to specify the measurement
range for their products. The uncertainty of a
power measurement varies depending on the
measurement range, and so the accuracy value
should specify the range over which it is valid. For
example, the power accuracy of the Yokogawa
WT3000 is valid from one to 130% of the
measurement range (Figure 1). Without specifying
the measurement range, it is difficult to know
whether the accuracy values are valid only at a
single point, or at a few points of the range.

Harmonic measurement is another area where
it is important to specify the accuracy in the
context of the application. Every Yokogawa power
analyser has an additional oscillator dedicated
to PLL (phase-locked loop) measurement which
provides high-precision harmonic measurement.
With the help of this dedicated oscillator and DSP
(digital signal processing), the frequency spectrum
can be analysed up to the 500th order harmonic
(depending on the instrument) simultaneously with
the normal measurement. It is also possible for the
company to specify the accuracy of the harmonic
analysis; this is, says the company, not the case
with many other manufacturers.
Accuracy calculations are usually done using
sine waves at 50 to 60Hz and a power factor of
one, which means that all the energy supplied
by the source is consumed by the load. The
basic accuracy for voltage, current and power is
specified as a percentage of the measured value
and a percentage of the measurement range,
defined with respect to the peak, or RMS, values.
In order to understand the measurement range
error, it is important to understand the effects of
the crest factor: defined as the ratio of the peak
value to the effective RMS value of the waveform.
Crest factor
For a power meter, crest factor is significant
in two ways: as the specification of the power
meter, as it shows the capability of the instrument
to measure correctly, irrespective of how much
the waveform is distorted. As the measurement
of the crest factor of the input voltage or current
of an input signal, it provides an indication of the
quality of the input signal.
For a measuring instrument, the crest factor
expresses the extent of the dynamic range for
an input signal. The crest factor is defined as the
value of the dynamic range based on the rated
range value. For example, the crest factors of
Yokogawa power meters are usually given as
three or six. This means that it is possible to
Power Measurement
measure the input signal with a peak value three
or six times larger than that of the rated range
value. (See Figure 2.)
If the input RMS value is lower than the rated
range value, the power meter can measure
signals with a larger crest factor. The WT series
can display values when the signal is more than
0.5% of the rated range value. If the input RMS
value is 0.5% of the rated range and input peak
value is three times larger than the rated range
value, the crest factor becomes 600. If an input
exceeding the value shown in the specifications
is measured, the peak area of the waveform is
clipped to cause an error. Therefore a crest factor
of three means that the maximum allowable input
is three times the input rated RMS value. (If the
range was defined using the peak value like other
manufacturers, says the company. Note that this
is 1% of the range and therefore the accuracy
specification is also still valid.)
Some power meters use RMS measurement
ranges and others use peak measurement ranges.
Relating the accuracy information to peak values
looks impressive, yet, the accuracy value of 0.1%
from the peak measurement range corresponds to
0.3% of the RMS measurement range at a crest
factor of three. For active power calculation, the
multiplication of voltage and current (and power
factor) will enhance the effect dramatically.
Zero-crossing detection
For accurate power measurement, it is necessary
for the power analyser to have accurate zero-
crossing detection. Yokogawa power analysers
have frequency-measuring hardware for
zero-crossing detection which identifies the
fundamental frequencies in the PWM (pulse-
width-modulated) signals. This is achieved by
using the “average for the synchronous source
period” synchronisation technique.
For complex PWM signals which have many
harmonics, alternative measurement methods that
electronicspecifier.com 13
Power Measurement

determine the zero crossing by means of software

cannot achieve high measurement accuracy for
current, voltage and active power. To get precise
measurements of the effective power, it is essential
to ensure that the current and voltage samples
are synchronised, especially when low power
factors and/or high frequencies are involved. The
instantaneous values of power are then integrated
within the defined measurement interval to get the
effective electrical power which can be displayed
as a waveform or numeric depending on the
customer’s preference.

Phase error
Every power meter has a phase error associated
with it. The voltage and current inputs fed to the
ADCs are not normally in phase, resulting in a
phase error which is represented in the active
power formula for pure sine waveforms as:
P = (Vrms) * (Irms) * cos (φ ± δ)
where δ is the phase error.
One of the key challenges in current measurement
occurs when a current shunt is used. The current
shunt is a relatively large component with low
inductance and parasitic capacitances. This causes
a small phase shift and therefore the current
undergoes an additional delay. The transition of this
process into the digital world, while it has no effect
on the RMS voltage or current or the apparent
power, does influence the measurement of active
power, and hence the power factor. A power
factor of 0.1 causes a phase error of 0.1° and an
additional active power error of 1.6%. This phase
shift must be specified by the manufacturers of
power analysers. Yokogawa specifications consider
all possible boundary conditions that can lead to a
phase angle error or measurement error, and are
included in the calculations.
Common-mode rejection ratio
The common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) refers
to unwanted input signals common to both
input leads of the voltage input. Here, the two
Figure 2: The effect of crest factor.
input terminals are connected to each other; the
reference point is the device ground. Ideally, this
should have no influence on the measurement
result, but in fact leakage causes an interference
voltage as a function of the symmetry of the
input circuit. In practical terms, the noise voltage
superimposed on the signal to be measured
leads to errors. Common-mode noise is
present in inverter style applications because
of high voltage potentials with high-frequency
components to ground. (Yokogawa power
analysers have their CMRR specified and can be
used while calculating the uncertainties.)
Temperature effects
Another factor that affects the accuracy of
a power analyser is temperature. Yokogawa
uncertainty specifications are specified at 23°C
±5°C. A lower figure adds uncertainty. It is always
recommended to have the unit calibrated at
regular intervals.
Yokogawa is the only industrial (i.e. non-
government or national) organisation to offer
traceability up to 100kHz, and to have a
European calibration laboratory.
www.yokogawa.com

14 electronicspecifier.com
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Energy Harvesting
What does energy
harvesting really mean?
These increased capacities must be charged
in a reasonable amount of time, which leads to
increased charge currents. The battery charging
needs to handle a broad range of input sources
and power.
At the low end of the power spectrum are the
nanopower conversion requirements of energy
harvesting systems such as those commonly
found in WSNs that necessitate the use of power
conversion ICs, which deal in very low levels of
power and current. These can be 10s of µW and
nanoA of current, respectively.
Energy harvesting technologies, for example
in vibration energy harvesting and indoor
16 electronicspecifier.com
The portable power application space
is broad and diverse, from wireless
sensor nodes (WSNs) that consume
µW to data acquisition systems with
multi-hundred W/h battery packs.
More power is demanded to support
increased functionality, explains
Tony Armstrong, Linear Technology,
which would imply increasing battery
capacities.
photovoltaic cells, yield power levels on the order
of mW under typical operating conditions. While
such power levels may appear restrictive, the
operation of harvesting elements over a number
of years can mean that the technologies are
broadly comparable to long-life primary batteries,
both in terms of energy provision and the cost/
energy unit provided. Systems incorporating
energy harvesting are typically capable of
recharging after depletion, something that
systems powered by primary batteries cannot
do. Nevertheless, most implementations will use
an ambient energy source as the primary power
source, but will supplement it with a primary
battery that can be switched in if the ambient
energy source goes away or is disrupted.

Energy harvesting WSN
The conventional approach for energy harvesting
has been through solar panels and wind
generators. However, new harvesting tools allow
us to produce electrical energy from ambient
sources. It is not the energy conversion efficiency
of the circuits that is important, but rather the
amount of average harvested energy that is
available to power it. For instance, thermoelectric
generators convert heat (or cold) into electricity,
piezo elements convert mechanical vibration,
photovoltaics convert sunlight (or any photon
source) and galvanics convert energy from
moisture. This makes it possible to power
remote sensors, or to charge a storage device
such as a capacitor or thin film battery, so that a
microprocessor or transmitter can be powered
from a remote location without a local power
source.
IC performance characteristics needed for the
alternative energy market include low standby
quiescent currents, typically less than 6µA and
as low as 450nA, low start-up voltages, as low
as 20mV, high input voltage capability, up to
34V continuous and 40V transients, the ability to
handle AC inputs, multiple output capability and
autonomous system power management, auto-
polarity operation, maximum power point control
(MPPC) for solar inputs and the ability to harvest
energy from 1°C delta and compact footprints
with minimal external components.
WSNs consist of a transducer to convert the
ambient energy source into an electrical signal,
usually followed by a DC/DC converter and
manager to supply the downstream electronics
Energy Harvesting
with the right voltage level and current. The
downstream electronics generally consist of a
microcontroller, a sensor and a transceiver.
When trying to implement WSNs, how
much power is needed to operate, seems
straightforward. However, factors to consider are
how frequently does a reading need to be taken?
More importantly, how large will the data packet
be and how far does it need to be transmitted?
This is due to the transceiver consuming
approximately 50% of the energy used by the
system for a single sensor reading.
Establishing metrics
The energy provided by the energy harvesting
source depends on how long the source is in
operation. Therefore, the primary metric for
comparison of scavenged sources is power
density, not energy density. Energy harvesting is
generally subject to low, variable and unpredictable
levels of available power so a hybrid structure that
interfaces to the harvester and a secondary power
reservoir is often used. The harvester, because of
its unlimited energy supply and deficiency in power,
is the energy source of the system. The secondary
power reservoir, either a battery or a capacitor,
yields higher output power, but stores less energy,
supplying power when required but otherwise
regularly receiving charge from the harvester. In
situations where there is no ambient energy from
which to harvest power, the secondary power
reservoir must be used to power the WSN. System
designers must now take into consideration how
much energy must be stored in the secondary
reservoir to compensate for the lack of an ambient
energy source. Factors include the length of time
electronicspecifier.com 17
Energy Harvesting
LTC3330 Typical Application
the ambient energy source is absent, the duty
cycle of the WSN (that is the frequency with which
a data reading and transmission has to be made),
the size and type of secondary reservoir (capacitor,
supercapacitor or battery) and enough ambient
energy available to act as both the primary energy
source with sufficient energy left to charge up a
secondary reservoir when it is not available for a
specified period.
Ambient energy sources can produce an
electrical charge through a transducer, including
light, heat differentials, vibrating beams and
transmitted RF signals. These power levels can
be used for aircraft corrosion sensors, auto
dimming windows, bridge monitors, building
automation, electricity meters, gas sensors,
health monitors, HVAC controls, light switches,
remote pipeline monitors and water meters.
Solar power
One abundant source of energy comes from
solar power. As it is variable and unreliable, nearly
all solar-powered devices feature rechargeable
batteries. An important goal would be to extract
as much solar power as possible to charge
batteries quickly and to maintain their state of
charge for use as an energy source when solar
power is not available.
WSNs have low levels of energy available.
Components used must be able to deal with
18 electronicspecifier.com
these low power levels. While this has already
been attained with the transceivers and
microcontrollers, there has been a void on the
power conversion side of the equation.
Linear Technology has introduced the LTC3330
specifically to address this requirement. It delivers
up to 125mA of continuous output current to
extend battery life when harvestable energy is
available. It requires no supply current from the
battery when providing regulated power to the
load from harvested energy, and only 750nA,
operating when powered from the battery under
no-load conditions. It integrates a high voltage
energy harvesting power supply, a synchronous
buck-boost DC/DC converter when powered
by a primary cell battery to create a single
non-interruptible output for energy harvesting
applications such as those in WSNs.
It allows the battery operated WSN to extend
its operating life from 10 years to over 20 years
Extended Battery Life with Energy Harvesting
if a suitable energy harvesting power source is
available at least half of the time - and longer if
the energy harvesting source is more prevalent.
A Tadiran ‘C’ cell costs around $16, so the costs
to swap them out with manpower are significant.
Alternatively, a user could use a smaller (shorter
life) battery and lower the overall system cost.
www.linear.com
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Energy efficiency
An unconventional answer
to reduced designs
The growing number of electronic
applications has its price, writes
Raimund Wagner, product marketing
manager at Rohm Semiconductor
Europe. As power shortages increase,
the need for more energy saving
efficiency in electronic devices of
all kinds becomes apparent.
There is a multitude of power supply models; all
have the same nominal real goal - to keep the
dissipated power as low as possible.
Devices featuring more than 75W usually require
a PFC (power factor correction) controller to
control harmonics, i.e. voltage peaks of the input
stream or a multiple of the current/voltage of the
basic frequency which can be harmful for other
devices.
The PFC controller reduces harmonic current by
reducing the power factor (of the power supply)
to nearly one. The implementation of these in
devices of 75W or higher is mandatory in Europe.
However, the use of this boundary conduction
mode (BCM) can have a negative impact on
efficiency.
Also, to reduce design and evaluation loads while
enabling easy repair, power supply adapters are
currently progressing in 100W-class equipment
such as large LCD TVs.
Conventional solutions combine an AC/DC
converter with integrated quasi-resonant (QR)
20 electronicspecifier.com
controller and a
separate PFC circuit
which can be
problematic in
regard to the
assembly on
the PCB space
and the power supply
size.
Integration
To overcome these problems, Rohm
has developed an efficient AC/DC
converter which integrates the PFC and QR
controller in a single package. These features are
suitable for 100W-class amenities such as TV
and industrial power supplies.
BM1C001F (Figure 1) features an integrated HV
starter circuit up to 650V which - despite the high
speed - requires low power consumption. The
module is the first one to offer an on/off function
or a setting to integrate a new PFC output control
method in the PFC controller. This improves the
conversion efficiency at light loads and reduces
the standby power significantly. It monitors the
power load on the secondary side and switches
on/off the PFC control, i.e. in areas where PFC
control is not required (below 75W).
With an efficiency of 89% at 100V AC (85mW)
and 89.5% efficiency at 230V AC (190mW),
the deployment of these ICs in power supplies
enables compliance with the latest international
energy standard Energy Star 6.0 which came
into force in June 2013 and which demands an
efficiency of 88% in standby mode.

It is expected that the conditions for electronic
devices continue to become more restrictive
so that components for efficient power-
saving measures such as this device become
increasingly necessary. This proprietary PFC
output control method generally achieves high
efficiency, even though the input AC voltages vary
depending on the country/region.
Regional coverage
For AC input voltage varying by region, in order
to be as constant as possible boosting ratio by
changing the PFC output voltage, PFC is
switching the output voltage by AC 240V
or AC 100V-based systems. The PFC
output voltage is changed from 400 to
260V in the case of AC 100V-based input,
improving efficiency. This feature detects if
the system is AC 240V or AC 100V based on
number and voltage level of the AC waveform
input. In case it determines the 240V system the
PFC changes the GM amplifier reference and the
PFC output is changed from 260 to 400V.
Conventional PFC ICs provide a constant output
voltage which can lead to higher switching
losses. This PFC controller method provides
an output voltage that is optimised along with
the input AC voltage which means it provides
a voltage control mode without the need for
auxiliary winding. This can improve the efficiency
of 100W class power supplies by one to 2%
compared to solid PFC output solutions.
The over-voltage protection for the PFC output
protects the electrolytic capacitors by stopping
the switching function if necessary. Other
protection features are latch protection, brown
out protection, per-cycle current limitation, soft-
start and over load protection. The built-in Vcc
low voltage protection function, under voltage
lock-out and Vcc charge function operate in case
the Vcc voltage drops. Vcc UVLO and Vcc OVP
monitor the Vcc pin and prevent the Vcc pin from
destroying the switching MOSFET with abnormal
Energy efficiency
voltage. The Vcc charge function stabilises the
secondary output voltage by charging it from the
high voltage line using the starter circuit when
the Vcc voltage drops. Vcc UVLO as well as Vcc
OVP are auto recovery comparators that have
voltage hysteresis. Vcc OVP operates detection
in case of continuous Vcc pin voltage, masking
pin generated surge etc. Overheating protection
is provided by a NTC thermistor attached to the
COMP pin so that latching can be stopped when
overheating occurs (see Figure 2.)
Switch technology
An integrated quasi-resonant fly-back converter
allows for smooth switching, thus reducing
switching losses and keeping the EMI low. The
controller provides higher conversion efficiency
in applications with medium current levels
compared to types using pulse width modulation
(PWM). Additionally, it is claimed to reduce the
power supply noise due to resonance.
The two-in-one controller design also leads to
layout optimisations. The PFC and QR controller
can be accommodated in a single package,
leading to up to 20% reduction in parts,
compared to traditional solutions with external
PFC circuit. The company also advocates that
the use of MOSFETs for switching and current
detection resistors enables more design freedom.
www.rohm.com/eu
electronicspecifier.com 21
Products
Two-phase
synchronous
boost regulator
minimises
component count
Able to reduce peak inductor
and capacitor ripple currents,
the LTC3124 is a dual-
phase, 3MHz, current-mode,
synchronous boost DC/
DC converter from Linear
Technology. It has output
disconnect and inrush current
limiting and also minimises
component size while
delivering lower output ripple
compared to an equivalent
single-phase device.
Internal 2.5A/phase capable
switches together deliver 5A
of switch current. These 18V
switches can deliver output
voltages as high as 15V from
an input voltage range of
1.8V at start-up (0.5V when
running) to 5.5V, making it
suitable for super capacitor-
based back up power systems
and Li-Ion/Polymer or multicell
NiMH applications.
www.linear.com
22 electronicspecifier.com
Ageing power MOSFETs reduce
output current in industrial
automation
Six power transistors and
development boards from
Efficient Power Conversion
Corporation (EPC) range
from 30 to 200V and reduce
RDS(on) to increase the output
current capability in high power
density DC/DC converters,
PoL converters, synchronous
rectification in DC/DC and AC/
DC converters, motor drives,
LED lighting, and industrial
automation. The EPC2023
(30V), EPC2024 (40V),
EPC2020 (60V), EPC2021
(80V), EPC2022 (100V) and
DC/DC converter improves
isolation performance
Claimed to deliver improved
efficiency, isolation, and thermal
performance compared to
previous versions, a 2W series
has been added to CUI’s
isolated DC/DC converter series.
The unregulated PDS2-M series
is packaged in the same 8pin
SMT package as the existing 1W
PDS family and measures 12.7
EPC2019 (200V) eGaN FETs
are supported by EPC9031-
EPC9035, EPC9014 and
low duty cycle EPC9018
and EPC9019 half bridge
development boards.
www.epc-co.com
x 11.2 x 7.25mm. The modules
feature 1.5kV DC I/O isolation
and anti-static protection up to
8kV DC. Operating temperature
is -40 to 105°C, for converting
and/or isolating DC rails
within industrial, telecomms,
security, and machine control
applications.
Nominal inputs are 5-, 12-,
15-, and 24V DC and
outputs of 3.3-, 5-, 9-, 12-,
15- and 24V DC. The DC/
DC converters deliver typical
efficiencies up to 86%.
www.cui.com
 Welcome to Planet e.

26th International Trade Fair for Electronic

Components, Systems and Applications years 2014
Messe München, November 11–14, 2014
www.electronica.de
Products
Enclosed power supply enables
accepts three-phase AC input
To meet industry’s demand
for higher power, Meanwell
has introduced the single
output 5000W RST-5000
power supply. It has a built-
in active PFC function,
accepting the wide range
three-phase AC input and
providing 24 and 48V DC
output - the most frequently-
Low frequency MOSFETs improve
noise immunity in motor drives
Low on-state resistance
(Rds(on)) is a characteristic of
the 19-strong, StrongIRFET
MOSFETs released by
International Rectifier. They are,
says the company, designed
for a range of industrial
applications including power
tools, light electric vehicle
(LEV) inverters, DC motor
drives, Li-Ion battery pack
protection, and switched mode
power supply secondary-side
synchronous rectification.
Through-hole and surface
mount packages are available,
housed in a low profile, ultra-
compact Medium Can (ME)
DirectFET package that is
claimed to deliver high current
24 electronicspecifier.com
used DC voltage in industrial
application field. The power
supply can be adjusted for
output voltage and output
current. The output voltage
can be trimmed between 20
to 120% of the rated voltage
by one- to 6V DC external
control signal. The output
current can be trimmed
between 20 to 100% of the
rated current by one to 5V
DC external control signal.
www.meanwell.com
density while reducing overall
system size and cost. Of the
additions, the IRF7580M is
highlighted by the company,
described as well suited
for space constrained high
power industrial designs. The
MOSFETs have 3V typical
threshold voltage to improve
noise immunity, says the
company.
www.irf.com
DC/DC
converters are
COTS-compliant
Four models of military
specification DC/DC
converters in the BOA Series,
are military/COTS-compliant,
low profile, baseplate cooled
converters with fully regulated
outputs of up to 500W.
There is the BOA100m which
has an input voltage range
from nine- to 38V DC and an
output power of 100W; the
150W BOA150m with an input
voltage range from 18- to 75V
DC; the BOA200m 200W
output version has an input
range of nine- to 75V DC and
the BOA350m 350W output
model with an input voltage
range from 18- to 75V DC.
The converters from Stadium
Power provide regulated and
isolated output voltages over
the range 12, 15, 24, 28, 36
and 48V DC.
Surge protection is to MIL-STD
1275 with the option of DEF-
STAN 61-5 part 6 issue 6.
www.stadiumpower.co.uk

P-channel duo and two transistors
extend MOSFET family
Two mid-power P-channel
and two small-signal P- and
N-channel transistors are
intended for high-reliability,
extreme temperature
applications such as
power conversion, power
management, level translation
and sensor interfaces, says
X-REL Semiconductor
The mid-power P-channel
transistors are divided into
two families according to
maximum operating voltage.
XTR2N0325 and XTR2N0350
are intended for a maximum
operation drain-source voltage
of -30V, whereas XTR2N0525
and XTR2N0550 can sustain
drain-source voltages of up to
-50V. In each sub-family, two
different transistor sizes, 25
and 50, are available providing
two possible maximum drain
currents.
www.x-relsemi.com
Products
Converters
integrate PMBus
interface
Claimed to be the first
converters in the industry
with a PMBus interface, the
SWIFT TPS544B20 and
TPS544C20, 18V, 20A and
30A synchronous DC/DC
buck converters are provided
in small QFN packages and
integrated MOSFETs, says
Texas Instruments. They are
designed to drive ASICs in
space-constrained and power-
dense applications.
www.ti.com
Products
Slim cPCI
pluggable PSU
meets PICMG
Pluggable power supplies from
Verotec are optimised for use
in CompactPCI systems. The
quad output 650W unit meets
PICMG 2.11 Power Interface
high power requirements on
the 3.3 and 5V rails.
The slimline 6U 8HP 160mm
unit has two independent
converters operating in
parallel. This enables it to
simultaneously provide 80A at
5V and 70A at 3.3V. The 12V
output is rated at 7A, the -12V
one at 1.5A. Input voltage is
auto-ranging 90 to 264V AC,
47 to 63Hz. Active power
factor correction achieves a
full load power factor of 0.95
at 220V AC. Efficiency is
greater than 80% at full load.
www.verotec.co.uk
26 electronicspecifier.com
Compact AC/DC power supply
targets medical use
Suitable for medical equipment,
the EML15 series of 15W single
output AC/DC power supplies
from XP Power comply with 3rd
edition EN60601-1, ES60601-
1, CSA-C22.2 No. 60601-1,
IEC60601-1 medical safety
standards.
Each measures 62 x 30.7 x
24.4mm for the open-frame
PCB mount version and offers
a density of 5.3W per cubic
inch. Eight single output
Long-life batteries are ‘paper thin’
Rechargeable batteries from
STMicroelectronics are less
than 0.25mm thick. The solid-
state, lithium EnFilm batteries
measure 25.7 x 25.7mm
and just 220µm in thickness.
Surface-mount terminals for
direct attachment to the circuit
board eliminate wires and
connectors. With 3.9V nominal
voltage and 0.7mAh capacity,
the EFL700A39 recharges
models offer common nominal
output voltages from +3.3 to +
48V DC.
www.xppower.com
rapidly from a 4.2V charging
circuit, says the company, and
displays low capacity loss as
well as long cycle life allowing
some 10 years of use if charged
once per day. It is RoHS-
compliant and UL certified,
satisfies UN tests and criteria
for battery transportation,
meets IEC 62133 safety
specifications, and meets the
ISO7816/IEC10373 mechanical
and flexibility standards for
smartcards, wireless sensor
nodes, RFID tags, smart
cards, wearable technology,
non-implantable medical
monitors, and back-up
or storage for energy-
harvesting devices.
www.st.com

Programmable DC supply
suits benchtop, embedded,
and manufacturing test
Models in the 2260B series
from Keithley include two 360W
and two 720W programmable
DC power supplies. They
are designed for benchtop,
embedded, and manufacturing
test applications that demand
higher power and performance.
The 360W Model 2260B-30-
36 and the Model 2260B-80-
13 programmable DC power
supplies source a range of
voltage and currents. For higher
power requirements, the Model
2260B-30-72 and the Model
Wireless power coil
sets comply to Qi
Three transmitter coils and one
receiver coil have been added
to Wurth Elektronik’s Wireless
Power Coils range.
The round transmitter coils 760
308 100 110 (A10) and 760
308 100 111 (A11) comply with
the Qi standard of the Wireless
Power Consortium (WPC). The
ferrite pot core shape offers
tightly bundling the magnetic
field, increasing the possible
2260B-80-27 can output up to
720W. Depending on the model
it can source up to 80V or 72A.
Each has a programmable
output resistance up to 5.9Ÿ
to simulate a battery’s internal
resistance.
www.keithley.com
coil distance and reducing
outward radiation. The round
shape is claimed to significantly
reduce the mounting space
required.
The 760 308 101 103 was
developed for small receivers
(for example, hearing aids).
The dual standard receiver coil,
the 760 308 102 210 has litz
wire and ferrite fortification in
the centre, for use with both QI
and PMA charging stations.
www.we-online.com
Products
Buck controller
enhances
transient
response
Designed to enhance
transient response and output
accuracy for low-voltage
regulation in notebooks and
PCs, the AP3591 single
phase, synchronous step-
down controller from Diodes,
operates at a resistor-
programmed fixed frequency
between 100 to 700kHz.
The adaptive constant-on-time
control algorithm handles wide
I/O voltage ratios and helps
reduce external component
counts, says the company.
The I/O voltage ranges are
4.5 to 26V and 0.75 to 5.5V
respectively. Output current
is up to 25A.Selectable diode
emulation mode, automatically
reduces frequency and
increases efficiency under
light load conditions; and
a constant-frequency,
continuous-conduction mode
avoids light load output ripple.
www.diodes.com
electronicspecifier.com 27
International Conference and Exhibition
for Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion,
Renewable Energy and Energy Management

São Paulo, 14 – 15 October 2014

Power On!
pcim-southamerica.com