To provide BEV and HEV designers with a faster and more reliable high-voltage circuit protection solution, Microchip Technology announces the E-Fuse Demonstrator Board, enabled by silicon carbide (SiC) technology, available in six variants for 400–800V battery systems and with a current rating up to 30 amps. The E-Fuse demonstrator can detect and interrupt fault currents in microseconds,…
30-ft solar butterfly demonstrates climate-change solutions
The world’s largest sustainability tour is coming to Taunton, Massachusetts. The solar-powered butterfly is a 30-ft-long tiny house in the shape of a butterfly that charges the electric vehicle towing it. The SolarButterfly is focused on reaching millions of people, alerting them to the companies and individuals that are integral in transitioning societies away from…
PXI multi-channel battery simulator modules emulate battery stacks up to 1000 V
Pickering Interfaces announced the latest version in its 41/43-752A range of battery simulator modules. Ideal for EV battery stack emulation in BMS test applications, the 41/43-752A-111’s increased voltage isolation (now 1000V) will be essential as the EV industry shifts from 400V to 800V architectures. Targeting EV (electric vehicle), electric aircraft and other automotive, aerospace and energy…
April 2023 Issue: Internet of Things Handbook
A frequency you can count on There are few constants in life, but what few there are might include death, taxes, and a U.S. grid frequency that doesn’t vary by more than ±0.5 Hz. However, the certainty of the grid frequency is coming into question, thanks to the rising percentage of renewable energy sources that…
Slide-in PCB mount battery contacts
Keystone Electronics has once again met increasing demands for higher energy, lower weight cylindrical battery usage with the introduction of their latest leaf spring contacts designed to slide into molded cases with wire leads or mounted directly onto a PCB as a surface mount contact. Engineered with a contact design that adjusts to variations in…
Breaking the microbattery barrier: solid-state lithium battery tech enables next-gen wearables and hearables
Solid-state lithium microbattery technology is poised to leapfrog Li-ion and Li-poly alternatives for hearable and wearable devices. By Arvind Kamath, Ensurge Micropower The more popular digital health and fitness wearables and hearables become, the more frustrating the shortcomings of their rechargeable microbatteries. Decades-old Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) technology has reached its limits while handcuffing product developers to…
PMIC recharges battery or capacitor using energy harvesting
Nexperia announced an expansion to its range of Power ICs with Energy Harvesting solutions to simplify and enhance the performance of low-power Internet of things (IoT) and other embedded applications. The NEH2000BY is a high-performance power management integrated circuit (PMIC) that recharges a battery or storage capacitor using energy harvested from ambient sources, such as […]
Harnessing silicon: the future of lithium-ion batteries
By Ashok Lahiri, Enovix Corporation The first lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, developed and commercialized by Sony Corporation in 1991, provided a step-change increase in energy density for its handheld camcorder — a harbinger of the many power-hungry portable electronic devices to come. Without this battery innovation, the brick-size cell phone of the 1980s would never have…
“Vibra-Fit” 12mm coin cell holders
The demand for printed circuit board designs requiring retention of the 1220, 12mm diameter lithium coin cells has been met by Keystone Electronics Corp. This extremely rugged holder is ideal for retaining cells securely under severe shock and vibration in high-density PCB applications. These surface mount holders for use with most vacuum and mechanical pick-and-place…
How do consumer and industrial Li batteries differ?
Consumer (sometimes referred to as commercial) lithium (Li) batteries offer better performance compared with lower-cost alkaline, nickel-cadmium (NiCd), or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) alternatives, but industrial Li batteries are even higher in performance. This FAQ looks at examples of chemistries for primary and secondary Li batteries in consumer and industrial devices including the use of…