“The ACS37100 marks a critical inflection point for magnetic sensors. Our TMR technology is enabling current sensors that are ten times faster and four times lower noise versus typical Hall-based products,This leap in performance solves important challenges in high-voltage power conversion, especially related to wide bandgap solutions,” said Matt Hein, Business Line Director of Current Sensors at Allegro. “”

The new ACS37100 TMR current sensor helps power system designers master the control signal chain and unlock the full potential of fast-switching GaN and SiC FETs. Tailored to the needs of electric vehicles (xEVs), clean energy power conversion systems, and AI data centre power supplies, the ACS37100 achieves an industry-leading 50 ns response time, providing the high-fidelity data needed for optimal efficiency and protection in demanding high-frequency applications.

Migration to GaN and SiC promises greater power density and efficiency, but their faster switching speeds create significant control challenges. At sub-megahertz frequencies, conventional magnetic current sensors lack the speed and precision to provide the high-fidelity, real-time data required for stable control and protection loops. This can leave advanced systems vulnerable to damage and may prevent them from operating at their full potential.

The ACS37100 is engineered to solve this control challenge. Its industry-leading bandwidth and response time provide the high-fidelity current sense feedback essential for demanding control loops in high-speed switching applications. This magnetic current sensor enables designers to confidently and reliably control faster systems, maximise efficiency, and increase power density. Leveraging advanced TMR technology, the device delivers exceptionally low noise of 26 mA root mean square (RMS) across the full 10MHz bandwidth — enabling precise, high-speed current measurements for more accurate and responsive system performance.

The ACS37100 minimises energy loss while maximizing operational efficiency and reliability, making it the ideal choice for a variety of automotive and industrial uses like xEV charging, clean energy power conversion, and AI data centre power supplies.

The ACS37100 is available in the SOICW-16 package that supports a working reinforced isolation up to 565 V_RMS (basic 1,097 V_RMS) with 8 mm creepage and clearance. It features a voltage reference output and an adjustable overcurrent fault.

www.allegromicro.com/acs37100.

]]> https://www.electronicsworld.co.uk/xp-power-adds-digital-monitoring-and-control-capabilities-to-its-hrf15-series-of-dc-dc-converters/39789/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:41:31 +0000 https://www.electronicsworld.co.uk/?p=39789 XP Power announces the availability of a digital version of its HRF15 series of 15W precision high voltage DC-DC converters with both output voltage and current programming through the PMBus via I2C. This enhancement addresses the growing need for automation and remote control in high precision equipment, including mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), for semiconductor inspection applications and general purpose analytical research.

Compared to the precision analogue version launched in May 2025, the digital interface of the HRF15 simplifies system integration and reduces setup time through an intuitive GUI, accelerating product development timelines. It also improves reliability with advanced monitoring and programming features. Power supply status flags provide visibility into system health and performance, enhancing uptime and protecting sensitive instruments. Data logging features and real-time diagnostics developed by XP Power converts complex internal data into clear, actionable insights, helping users make quick, informed decisions that enhance application safety and lower operating costs. The multi-unit synchronization capability enables scalable power architectures.

The HRF15 series is suitable for noise-sensitive applications, featuring extremely low ripple down to 0.001%(10ppm), which is critical for achieving high performance. The units exhibit high stability over time at 10ppm/hr (or 25ppm/8hrs), ensuring consistency and repeatability in sensitive processes. Excellent load and line regulation, down to 0.001%, delivers high performance even in load-dependent applications or where input voltage fluctuates. The HRF15 series also features a low temperature coefficient of 25ppm/°C, minimizing environmental influences on performance.

Housed in a case measuring 33.0 x 72.4 x 161.0 mm (1.3” x 2.85” x 6.4”) and weighing approximately 465g (1.03lb), the compact unit eases integration into space-constrained applications. As standard, the single output voltages can be specified as 10kV, 12kV, and 15kV. Each unit can deliver 15W of power from a +24VDC input, and the output rail is fully adjustable for Constant Current (CC) and Constant Voltage (CV) from 0 to 100%, addressing a wide range of loads. The product also carries UL61010 and UL62368 safety approvals.

The HRF15 digital series is available from Avnet Abacus or direct from XP Power with a 3-year warranty.

https://www.xppower.com/product/HRF15-Series

“ADI Power Studio is more than a set of tools — it’s a design ecosystem,” said Robert Reay, Vice President and Fellow, Power Products, ADI. “By integrating new system-level and IC-level design capabilities into a single product family, we’re enabling engineers to streamline power management design and optimisation so they have the potential to get solutions to their customers faster.”

Today’s electronic systems require more power density than ever, with dozens or even hundreds of power rails and interdependent voltage domains. That complexity creates bottlenecks and requires rework during architecture decisions, component selection and validation. Power Studio addresses these challenges by providing a unified, intuitive workflow that helps engineering teams make better decisions earlier by simulating real-world performance with accurate models and automating key outputs, such as bill of materials and report generation. Together, the family of tools can facilitate shorter development cycles, reduce rework and increase speed at which engineers bring power-dense systems to market.

Power Studio Planner and Power Studio Designer are available now as part of the ADI Power Studio. These tools represent the first phase of ADI’s vision to deliver a fully connected power design workflow for customers, with ongoing updates and product announcements planned in the months ahead.

www.analog.com.

“The importance of leading-edge power products cannot be overstated, and Nexperia provides some of the best – whether they are targeted for automotive, industrial or portable or even wearable applications. We share their goal of ensuring developers can access the exact components they need, when they need them. With comprehensive Nexperia inventory available across the Americas, EMEA and APAC, we are ready to support engineers worldwide,” said  Jose Lok, Global Product Category Director, Passives and Semiconductors at Farnell.

Nexperia is known for the quality and reliability of its products, ranging from discrete components, power, to logic ICs. To sustain its portfolion, the company continues to invest in its manufacturing, which includes $200m for SiC and GaN technology at its facility Hamburg, Germany. The investment is now yielding results, with a rapidly growing portfolio that includes power MOSFETs, wide bandgap semiconductors, IGBTs, as well as analogue and power management ICs.

These manufacturing advancements and new product introductions highlight Nexperia’s commitment to advancing production capabilities and meeting future demands, and Farnell’s expansion of Nexperia power products in stock reflects the desire to meet demand.

Included in the new series available from Farnell are:

• Power MOSFETs – Automotive-qualified power MOSFETs, small signal MOSFETs, and application specific MOSFETs from 20V to 100V. These devices provide excellent switching performance and robustness in copper-clip packages (LFPAK, CCPAK) and micro lead package (MLPAK) variants.
• 650V IGBT discretes in H-series (high speed) and M-series (motor drive) options deliver ruggedness, high reliability and enhanced inverter power density for medium and high voltage industrial applications.
• SiC diodes offer temperature-independent capacitive turn-off and zero recovery switching behaviour, combined with an outstanding figure-of-merit (Qc x VF).
• SiC MOSFETs with excellent RDSon temperature stability, fast switching speed, and high short-circuit ruggedness for high-power and high-voltage industrial applications.
• Low voltage e-mode GaN FETs, 650 V e-mode GaN FETs, 40 V bi-directional GaN FETs and 650 V cascode GaN FETs designed for enhanced power density through reduced conduction and switching losses in low- or high-power conversion applications
• Power rectifiers that deliver power density while minimising reverse recovery time and loss

The new range of power products from Nexperia is now available and shipping from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

“SiC is increasingly important in sustainable power solutions because of its wide-bandgap properties, which enable smaller and more efficient designs for high-voltage, high-power applications at a lower system cost,” said Clayton Pillion, vice president of Microchip’s high-power solutions business unit. “We look forward to forging an impactful path with Delta Electronics on innovating SiC solutions to meet the rising demand of the electrification of everything.”

Sustainable power solutions are highly necessary with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the electrification of everything. Here, higher levels of power efficiency and reliability are needed and Microchip Technology and Delta Electronics will collaborate to use Microchip’s mSiC products and technology in Delta’s designs. This synergy aims to accelerate the development of innovative SiC solutions, energy-saving products and systems that enable a more sustainable future.

As a global leader in power management, Delta advances its core competence in high-efficiency power electronics and continuously evaluates and leverages next-generation technologies to enhance the energy efficiency of its products and solutions. Delta intends to leverage Microchip’s abundant experience and advanced technology in SiC and digital control to accelerate time to market of its solutions for high-growth market segments such as AI, mobility, automation and infrastructure.

This agreement prioritizes the companies’ resources to validate Microchip’s mSiC solutions to fast-track implementation in Delta’s designs and programs. Other key advantages of the agreement are top-tier design support to include technical training, insight into R&D activities and early access to product samples.

www.microchip.com

www.deltaww.com

With increased user safety, to make handling more user-friendly, high-current modules with LAMTAC FLEX technology are now available for the ODU-MAC Blue-Line, featuring touch protection on both sides.
Advantages include:

• 225A/2500V
• IP2X touch protection on both sides for maximum user safety
• Pollution degree 2
• Reduced mating force
• Reliable and durable with 10,000 mating cycles.
• Optimised power transmission via novel Torx cone connection

ODU is exhibiting at the Battery Cells & Systems Expo on 9-10^th July at the NEC, showing connectors that ensure a reliable transmission of power, signals, data & other media, for a variety of demanding applications including mass-interconnect solutions for the testing of PCB’s and Batteries. So, why not drop by Stand 1551 and tell them about your application?

If you are not attending, then a brochure is available to download – these modules are part of ODU’s ‘Power Solutions’ range.

ODU-UK Ltd                                          tel: 0330 002 0640   

sales@odu-uk.co.uk                            www.odu-connectors.com/uk    

Andover, MA – 20 May 2025 – Xiamen Hongfa Electroacoustic Co., Ltd (Hongfa) has designed the industry’s highest performance and smallest active suspension power system ever designed, using Vicor’s BCM6135, with a goal to drive this long-time luxury feature into the mid-range vehicle fleets.

Overcoming decades of false starts by prominent automotive technology providers, Hongfa struck a balance between the need to manage active suspension system size, weight and transient performance against the requirement for higher efficiency, improved EMI and symmetrical regenerative power capacity.

Hongfa, whose relays are enabling new 48V zonal architectures, partnered with Vicor to integrate a fixed ratio 800V-48V, DC-DC converter power module that sits alongside a network of sensors, electromechanical actuators and sophisticated software to adjust vehicle suspension in real time. The collaboration yielded the smallest active suspension system – almost half the size of the nearest competitor – with the industry’s fastest power conversion transient response.

Early industry efforts in the 1970s included a complex electromagnetic solution which strained the capabilities of 12V battery power systems and required four 200-pound motors.  Historically, 12VDC has proven to be inadequate for powering active suspension motors without adding size, weight and cost.  Additionally, some conventional DC-DC converters can deliver power without the need for an intermediate battery, but the trade-off is that they are bulky and lack the fast transient response time required to meet the regenerative demands to recoup and store power.

Vicor’s fixed-ratio 800V to 48V DC-DC bus converter modules (BCM’s) are inherently bidirectional and provide the fastest transient response (8 million amps/second) of any DC-DC converter topology. BCMs also offer symmetrical bidirectional performance with the ability to buck or boost with the same power level.  Their planar advanced packaging simplifies thermal management system design, further reducing overall footprint and weight.

Hongfa’s solution leverages Vicor’s high density power modules to create a compact (197mm x 201mm x 71mm) 5kw power supply for each actuator. The system can rapidly process up to 6kW of peak power in either direction. The design of the converter is greatly simplified by using a pair of Vicor BCM6135 modules operating in parallel, instead of several hundred discrete components. 

The converter has an operating range between 420V to 920V.  With liquid cooling it can deliver up to 100A of current with 97.3 per cent efficiency. The system housing volume is under 1.8l and weighs in at 2.6 kg, providing a major weight reduction over other systems.

“Vicor’s BCM6135 power modules not only delivered the performance we need, they also significantly shortened our development time and have made designing this system much easier for us,” said Mr. Peter Li, Director of Research and Development at Hongfa.

The combination of 48V and high-density power modules are enabling new levels of innovation in automotive electrification – reducing space, weight and offering superior performance. Together, Hongfa and Vicor are leveraging their joint automotive expertise to develop advanced technology and support the evolution of high-performing electric vehicles.

Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD), the fabless, clean-tech semiconductor company that develops energy-efficient GaN-based power devices that make sustainable electronics simpler to design and implement, today announced that Inventchip, a leading provider of SiC power devices and IC solutions headquartered in Shanghai, has successfully demo’d a 2.5 kW GaN-based CCM totem-pole PFC reference design using CGD’s ICeGaN gallium nitride ICs. A key feature is ease-of use.

ICeGaN ICs integrate interface circuitry and protection on the same GaN die as the HEMT. Therefore, any standard driver IC can be used. The Inventchip IVCC1104 totem pole PFC controller IC is also simple to use with no programming required. It offers optimised AC zero-crossing control, low THD and high robustness against AC disturbance.

DI CHEN | Director, Technical Marketing and Business Development, CGD

Inventchip had an existing 2.5kW TPPFC reference design based on its controller and gate drivers using SiC MOSFETs in TO-247 packages. To evaluate the performance of GaN instead, Inventchip designed a TO-247 adapter board using our P2 25mΩ ICeGaN ICs and the ICeGaN design works perfectly without any modification of their circuits. It has demonstrated that the ICeGaN can significantly shorten the learning curve and allow engineers to bring new product faster to market.”

DR. ZHONG YE | CTO , inventchip

“By using a TO247-4 adapter board to solder on a DFN-packaged CeGaN device for a quick test on our EVM, despite the relatively long gate drive path and the extended drive power supply trace, the board was powered up successfully at the first shot with clean switching waveform. No abnormalities or shoot-through was observed from no-load to full-load conditions. The GaN’s performance is very impressive.  The CGD GaN device has proven to be very noise-immune, user-friendly and highly efficient.

Having proved its efficiency and power density in low power charger designs, GaN is now being adopted by makers of server and data centre PSUs, inverters, industrial brick DC/DC converters and LED drivers. Soon, EV inverter drives of over 100 kW are expected to transition to GaN too.  ICeGaN technology is especially suitable at higher power levels because of its proven reliability and robustness.

CHANDLER, Ariz., April 15, 2025 — As a leading supplier to the aerospace and defense market, Microchip is committed to providing innovative and robust products that are designed for mission-critical performance in the most demanding environments.

Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) today announces the release of its BR235 and BR235D series of 25A QPL hermetically sealed electromechanical power relays that meet the requirements of MIL-PRF-83536 specification and ISO-9001 certification. This new series of power relays is specifically engineered for mission-critical commercial aviation, defence and space applications. These devices offer supply certainty coupled with global technical support to provide aerospace and defence customers with the reliability and long-term assurance they need to for their missions.

The series provides a 25A 3PDT rating and offers multiple variants for design flexibility. Options are available in suppressed or non-suppressed, coil voltages from 6–48 V_DC and 115 V_AC, mounting styles with and without mounting tabs in different orientations, straight or J-Hook terminal pin types, and tin or gold plating.

Microchip’s BR235 and BR235D series sets the standard for high-reliability relays, delivering exceptional performance in extreme environments, including under test conditions for 30G vibration and 200G mechanical shock. Additionally, the relays are designed to withstand temperatures ranging from −70°C to 125°C.

“Microchip understands the aerospace and defense sector’s critical need for a consistent and reliable supply of high-reliability relays. Our BR235 and BR235D relays are engineered to meet the highest standards of reliability and performance for mission-critical applications,” said Leon Gross, corporate vice president of Microchip’s discrete product group. ” While other suppliers may shift priorities or limit support, Microchip remains steadfast in delivering continuous, dependable solutions tailored to our customers’ unique challenges.”

Microchip has over 60 years of aerospace heritage and offers a broad portfolio to support the aerospace and defence market including MCUs, MPUs, FPGAs, power management and timing solutions that are designed to meet stringent aviation, military, and space requirements. For more information about Microchip’s aerospace and defence products, visit the web page.

IQE plc (AIM:  IQE, “IQE” or the “Group”), the leading global supplier of compound semiconductor wafer products and advanced material solutions, and X-FAB Silicon Foundries SE, the leading analog/mixed-signal and specialty foundry, are pleased to announce a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to create a European-based GaN Power device platform solution.

With an initial two-year scope of work, IQE and X-FAB will collaborate to develop a 650V GaN device. The agreement will leverage IQE’s GaN epitaxy design and process expertise, along with X-FAB’s proven technology development and device fabrication capabilities to offer an optimized technology-substrate combination for automotive, data center and consumer applications.

This collaboration will provide fabless semiconductor companies with a leading-edge, off-the-shelf GaN platform accelerating their innovation cycles and time-to-market. The technology will also serve as a foundation for future product development, extending beyond 650V to address the growing market demand for Power Electronics.

Jutta Meier, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of IQE, comments: “We are excited to join forces with X-FAB to develop a world-class GaN Power foundry solution in Europe, providing outsourced optionality for our fabless customers. Building on our GaN epitaxy expertise and recent investment in additional GaN reactor capacity, this agreement aligns with our GaN diversification strategy, expands our customer reach, and accelerates time-to-market for GaN Power applications.”

“By combining our long-standing expertise in GaN device fabrication and design enablement with IQE’s epitaxy leadership, we are creating a unique, turnkey GaN Power platform,” explains Jörg Doblaski, Chief Technology Officer at X-FAB. “In addition to our existing GaN technology, this collaboration provides a compelling alternative to existing supply chain models and strengthens Europe’s position in next-generation power semiconductor technology.”

Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation (‘Magnachip’ or ‘Company’) (NYSE: MX) announced a significant expansion of its product lineup with the launch of 25 new 6^th-generation (Gen6) SJ MOSFETs (Super Junction Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors).

The switching speeds of the newly developed Gen6 SJ MOSFETs have been improved by approximately 23 per cent, reducing the R_SP of applications by about 40 per cent compared to the previous generation, thereby enhancing the Figure of Merit by 40 per cent.

Additionally, a Zener diode is embedded between the gate and source to enhance reliability and protect the SJ MOSFETs from ESD-induced damage. The chip sizes of the new products are also approximately 30 per cent smaller than their predecessor product.

The new product lineup consists of 600V, 650V, and 700V voltage ratings and is available in 7 package types, including TO220, TO220FT, SOT223, PDFN88, and D²PAK, with high-demand options, such as DPAK and TO220F.

As a result, these SJ MOSFETs are well-suited for various applications requiring high power efficiency, including AI TVs, smart refrigerators, AI laptop adapters and power supplies. According to market research firm Omdia, the global smart home device market is projected to grow by 20% annually from 2025 to 2028.

“With the successful launch of 25 new Gen6 SJ MOSFETs integrating Magnachip’s latest technology, we have further strengthened our product lineup to meet our customers’ evolving technical requirements,” said YJ Kim, CEO of Magnachip. “By delivering optimal power solutions for the AI, industrial applications and smart home appliances, we aim to contribute to the growth and success of our customers in these sectors, and further advance our technology and market leadership as we transition to a pure-play Power company.”