Improving overall system performance starts with foundational component selections. Growing demand for high-energy, reliable and compact converters in electric vehicles (EVs) and other industrial and energy applications is encouraging development in components likemultilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). MLCCs are known for their excellent electrical properties, reliability, and compact size; however, the demands they face only continue to grow.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is becoming increasingly reliant on robotics and automation. From precise dispensing and high-speed sorting to kit assembly and sterile packaging, today’s automation tasks demand advanced motor and drive technology to keep pace with complex, high-reliability environments. 

Unplanned power interruptions and shutdowns pose serious risks for industrial facilities. Even a few seconds of lost control can result in equipment damage, safety hazards, or production losses. Fail-safe systems are among the key risk mitigation techniques used in high-stakes industrial environments.  

In our prior blog, What Are Safety Capacitors, we provided an overview safety capacitor functionality and how these passive components play a crucial role filtering EMI in a circuit. Now, we will dive deeper into the functions of safety capacitors and how to select the capacitor that will meet all your needs by exploring the different classes and subclasses for these components. 

Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are made up of two materials—ceramic dielectric material and metal electrode material. Layering metal electrodes and ceramic dielectrics (Figure 1.) achieves voltages that are capable of producing high electric fields that ultimately allow MLCCs to regulate current flow and prevent electromagnetic interference between components. There are two common electrodes used in MLCCs: precious metal electrodes (PMEs), containing palladium silver, and base metal electrodes (BMEs), containing nickel or copper. Each electrode type holds a spot in the capacitor world for a reason.

Safety capacitors are passive electronic components designed to mitigate the effects of transient voltages and interference in electrical circuits. Safety capacitors are designed to help safeguard users and equipment from electrical hazards, even in the event of failure. Since these components are commonly used in AC line filtering and power supply circuits where failure could lead to electric shock, fire, or equipment damage, safety capacitors are subject to stringent testing and certification requirements. 

Inductors are a fundamental component in electronic circuits, but not all inductors perform equally across different frequency ranges. At high frequencies, standard power inductors suffer from increased losses, reduced efficiency, and undesirable parasitic effects. RF inductors, specifically designed for radio frequency and microwave applications, address these challenges by minimizing resistive losses, optimizing self-resonant frequency, and maintaining signal integrity.

Here, we examine the distinguishing characteristics of RF inductors, highlighting how they differ from other inductor types and why they are essential in high-frequency applications.

By utilizing stacked configurations and advanced dielectric materials, capacitor assemblies optimize performance in power conversion and radio frequency (RF) signal management. These assemblies are designed to meet the demands of power electronics and radio frequency applications, where stability, efficiency, and compact design are important design considerations. 

Knowles makes a wide range of capacitors. To really understand the breadth of our offerings, it helps to look at the scale of energy storage they offer. From tiny bypass capacitors in medical implants to massive energy-storage banks used in fusion experiments, our products span an incredible range. 

Capacitors and inductors are two closely related components that frequently work together in RF circuit design. While both store energy, they do so in distinct ways. Capacitors store energy in an electric field and help regulate voltage changes, whereas inductors store energy in a magnetic field and resist changes in current.