POWER ELECTRONICS HANDBOOK
The move to synchronous power supplies in smart factories ANTHONY “THONG” HUYNH
The need for high efficiency is pushing industrial power supplies toward synchronous topologies that minimize the need for heat sinking and cooling.
BUILDINGS, FACTORIES, AND INDUSTRIAL equipment are getting more space efficient, driving a move toward miniaturizing the underlying components that enable intelligence and automation. This trend challenges the power supplies for these designs. The power ICs must, of course, provide the necessary output voltages, and also must be small and capable of performing well in thermally difficult environments.
MAXIM INTEGRATED
There are several techniques and technologies that can ensure power supplies will meet the efficiency and size requirements of industrial equipment. They help realize the high efficiency, low power dissipation, and small form factor needed to address modern design targets. The task of reducing analog IC size hasn’t been easy—particularly because power management components consume a significant portion of PCB area. To illustrate this point, let’s examine the power supply requirements of some typical application areas, as well as what’s needed to address their demands.
Compact power circuits help trucking companies manage their fleets with vehicular asset-tracking devices. | JohnnyH5/iStock
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DESIGN WORLD — EE NETWORK
2 • 2020
eeworldonline.com | designworldonline.com
