Many power electronics today are being designed for use in high-temperature, high-voltage environments, such as inside electric vehicles (EVs). However, size, weight, and power (SWaP) are also key factors driving electronic product development. These conflicting design criteria are an issue for many electrical engineers because space is not available to simply add a cooling system, as this will add weight and increase the product’s overall footprint. Therefore, many of these electronic components are susceptible to “running hot” at the high temperatures and high voltages used in these tiny spaces.

One of the primary goals in electric vehicles (EVs) is to increase the efficiency of its power conversion devices. The more efficiently power is converted, the further distance the EV can travel on one charge. For example, by reducing losses in a DC-to-DC (or DC/DC) converter, the converter (and overall vehicle) benefits from improved energy efficiency, a more streamlined design, and diminished heating from components.

From systems that diagnose, like a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, to implantable devices that treat patients, like pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICDs), highly reliable electronic components are necessary. While the functionality of these devices is quite different, the challenges associated with designing these devices, such as selecting failsafe electronic components designed for lifetime reliability and ensuring supplier partners can meet industry-specific standards, are shared. Let’s look more closely at some of the industry-wide challenges associated with electronic component selection for medical devices as well as some of the application-specific decisions medical device designers need to make to ensure these devices function consistently and reliably for the long term.

Join us and Charged EVs on Wednesday, November 17 at 10 am EDT for our latest live webinar – Addressing MLCC Performance Issues in High-Voltage EV Applications.

Turning 5G wireless communication into a widespread reality will require the use of mmWave frequencies. However, there are many of us RF engineers out there that have spent much of our careers working in the sub-6 GHz range, which actually has quite different needs than mmWave. Therefore, it is critical to get a handle on the key differences between working in this range and mmWave frequencies.

When designing a ceramic capacitor, the type of dielectric used will influence the characteristics of the capacitor and define its electrical behavior. At a high level, there are two types of dielectrics made with ceramics – paraelectric and ferroelectric. Dielectrics containing paraelectric (or non-ferroelectric) ceramics are known as Class I dielectrics. These dielectrics show a linear relationship of polarization to voltage and are formulated to have a linear temperature coefficient. Capacitors using a Class I dielectric have high stability across various temperatures, but have low permittivity, which means the capacitor will offer low capacitance.

If you’re struggling with the challenges of ensuring high-reliability with your medical device electronics, you won’t want to miss our upcoming webinar sponsored by GlobalSpec, Using High-Reliability MLCCs for Medical Implantable Applications, on Thursday, November 4 at 11:00 am EDT.

Achieving high capacitance means going big. But how do you do that while still maximizing board space? At Knowles Precision Devices, we’ve developed a new method for building customizable large capacitor assemblies that capitalize on the vertical space above the circuit board. While stacked capacitor assemblies have been around for many years, these parts do not have very good bump and vibration withstand due to the thin leads used in their construction. These new assemblies from Knowles Precision Devices offer a ruggedized construction capable of withstanding high levels of shock and vibration. This offers a unique combination of capability, durability, high capacitance, and very high voltage in a smaller area, making these capacitors ideal for automotive, military, and aerospace applications.

In recent years, the focus for satellite communication (SATCOM) applications has shifted from coverage to capacity. As a result, SATCOM devices are being pushed to operate at higher bandwidths in the Ka, V, and E bands. At the same time, these devices need to be made increasingly smaller, which means smallsats, or satellites weighing less than 500 kg, are quickly gaining momentum, making size, weight, and power (SWaP) critical design considerations as well.

The millimeter wave (mmWave) part of the electromagnetic spectrum is at the high end of the microwave region, which spans ~300 MHz to 300 GHz, and is usually taken to mean frequencies from ~30 GHz to 300 GHz and wavelengths in the range of 1mm to 1cm (Table 1). This dramatically increases available bandwidth, thus expanding achievable data rates, which makes these frequencies extremely interesting to teams around the world working on fifth generation (5G) communications.