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New Infineon Flyback Converters Target Power Losses in USB Power Delivery

This week, Infineon released a new USB-PD charger that leverages a flyback converter topology for maximal efficiency.

May 05, 2021 by Jake Hertz

Of Slide Switches and Interface Design: Introspection on UX and EEs

A lesser-discussed aspect of electronics design, user experience, can be the difference between a good product and a great one. A new set of slide switches sparks some philosophical contemplation.

April 30, 2021 by Jake Hertz

How the Montreal Protocol Is Changing Chemical Sensors in HVAC Applications

Learn how the Montreal Protocol influenced this chemical sensor released by NevadaNano, a company tackling sensor applications from vending machines to flying noses.

April 26, 2021 by Antonio Anzaldua Jr.

Banned ADAS Headlight Technology Could Prevent Millions of Accidents

While adaptive driving beam (ADB) headlights could prevent millions of nighttime car accidents, this technology is currently banned in the U.S. What advancements are U.S. drivers missing out on?

April 21, 2021 by Jake Hertz

TDK Sensor Shows How Capacitive MEMS and Low-power IoT Go Hand in Hand

TDK recently announced the so-called "lowest power waterproof MEMS barometric pressure sensor." Why did TDK choose capacitive MEMS as the go-to architecture for low power?

April 15, 2021 by Jake Hertz

Optical MEMS Micromirrors Could Be a Driving Force in “Smart Glass”

New research proposes a smart glass technology that could save energy in buildings by up to 35%.

April 09, 2021 by Jake Hertz

New Load Switch Underlines the Place of “True Reverse-current Blocking”

High-voltage electronics cause a number of issues for FETs used as load switches. A new device from Diodes Incorporated aims to tackle the long-standing issue of reverse current.

March 15, 2021 by Jake Hertz

Micro Mirrors Expand Field of View in Intel’s New MEMs LiDAR Camera

LiDAR is cropping up in manifold variants, and for scanning LiDAR, MEMs micro-mirrors are a key factor in determining the field of vision.

March 10, 2021 by Jake Hertz

New Switch Families Aim to Break Down Complicated Network Infrastructure Walls

Microchip is seeking to cut through the fog of network complexity with two new families—one family of Ethernet switches and one family of PCIe 5.0 switches.

February 05, 2021 by Jake Hertz

On the 12 Days of Christmas, an EE Gave to Me…

In this electrical engineering edition of the 12 days of Christmas, we take a look at a few familiar highlights of the season and zoom in on the technologies electrical engineers have contributed to make them possible.

December 25, 2020 by Hannah DeTavis

TDK’s Newest MEMS Accelerometer Hopes to Address Familiar Sensor Design Woes

TDK's recently-announced single-axis MEMS accelerometer aims to bring a bit more bandwidth to the table in a bandwidth-hungry industry.

December 18, 2020 by Antonio Anzaldua Jr.

Researchers Create Low-Power Method to Control Magnetism With Voltage

New research has unveiled that it’s possible to switch states of magnetism between ON and OFF in a new class of easy-to-fabricate materials containing nitrogen.

November 26, 2020 by Luke James

Menlo Micro Claims to Have “Reinvented the Electronic Switch”

Menlo Micro says that it’s reinventing one of the most basic technological innovations: the electric switch. To enable volume production, it has raised $44 million in a Series B funding round led by 40 North Ventures alongside other capital groups.

October 23, 2020 by Luke James

What are the Challenges of Electric Heavy-Duty Vehicles?

With bigger vehicles come bigger problems with electrification.

September 25, 2020 by Steve Arar

Determining Which PoE Transformer Is Best: Flyback or Forward?

With IoT on the rise, engineers are increasingly faced with options of transformer topologies in Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)-based designs.

September 15, 2020 by Antonio Anzaldua Jr.

Photorelays: A More Power- and Size-Efficient Alternative to Conventional Relays?

Photorelays are gaining traction. In many cases, these devices outpace their mechanical counterparts in terms of size and power efficiency.

September 14, 2020 by Jake Hertz

“Massless” Electrons Could Make Way for Faster Electronic Devices

The discovery of “massless” electrons in a phase-change material could bring us faster electronic devices, researchers say.

August 27, 2020 by Luke James

The Benefits and Challenges of a GaN-Based, Quasi-Resonant Power Converter

A recently-released reference design for a GaN-based QR adaptor opens a discussion: How do quasi-resonant flyback converters work? And what are the virtues and limitations of designing a GaN-based power converter?

August 13, 2020 by Steve Arar

Reviewing a Subcategory of Hall-Effect Sensors: the Unipolar Hall-Effect Sensor

The unipolar Hall-effect sensor, also known as a unipolar switch, animates a variety of proximity-sensing devices—from gear-shift levers to laptop screens.

July 30, 2020 by Jake Hertz

Digital MEMs Microphone Extends Smart Speaker Battery Life by Ten Times

The power-saving architecture behind the MEMs microphone side-steps the pitfalls of always-on listening battery consumption.

July 30, 2020 by Jake Hertz