A Custom Approach to Large Capacitor Assembly

Posted by Steve Hopwood on Oct 13, 2021 9:00:00 AM

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.

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Topics: Capacitor, Automotive, Military and Aerospace, Electric Vehicles, High Reliability

Solving Tough Technical Challenges Through Agility and Experience

Posted by Steve Hopwood on Sep 8, 2021 9:00:00 AM

At Knowles Precision Devices, we thrive on working with companies who want to take technically challenging ideas and work through the details to figure out how to turn their seemingly impossible ideas into reality. This is because we are not limited to volume production and have extensive experience making specialty and custom parts. We are also familiar with the challenges associated with delivering high-reliability components as we supply many industries and applications that depend on the consistent functionality of custom-shaped parts. For example, we provide numerous space grade components and we are the only manufacturer who has developed planar array ceramic parts for the International Space Station. 

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Topics: Capacitor, Medical, High Reliability

Your Quick Guide to Trimmer Capacitor Selection – Part 2

Posted by Matt Ellis on Jun 2, 2021 8:45:00 AM

In part 1 of this two-part guide, we talked about the trade-offs you need to make when selecting the type of capacitor that will be the best fit for your application and the basics of trimmer capacitor design including dielectric material options. This second post focuses more on the details of trimmer capacitor specs and how to determine what's right for your application.

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Topics: Capacitor, Medical

Your Quick Guide to Trimmer Capacitor Selection – Part 1

Posted by Matt Ellis on May 19, 2021 9:00:00 AM

As you already know, capacitors are essential circuit elements for storing and suppling charge on demand. For inductors and resistors, capacitors act as the building blocks of passive circuits and the supporting components for active circuits. While a wide range of fixed-value capacitors are used in most electrical circuits, it is sometimes preferable, or necessary, to use a component with a variable capacitance range.

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Topics: Capacitor

Should I Use a Tantalum or Class II MLC Capacitor in My Circuit?

Posted by Victor Lu on Apr 7, 2021 9:00:00 AM

Today, a wide variety of capacitors with a range of features are available, which can make it difficult for circuit designers and electrical engineers to determine the best fit for their application. To add to the confusion, there is somewhat of a misconception today that some capacitors, such as tantalum and Class II MLCCs, are interchangeable. But this is not always the case. Each capacitor type has distinct advantages and disadvantages that are important to understand to ensure you choose the right technology to best meet the needs of your specific application requirements. This post provides a brief overview of these two capacitor types as well as a variety of factors to consider when making your capacitor selection.

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Topics: Capacitor

Introducing the Highest Voltage, Smallest Footprint SLC on the Market – The V80 Bypass Capacitor

Posted by Cheriyan Perumal on Mar 31, 2021 9:00:00 AM

As RF and microwave systems require higher performance in a small footprint, designers and engineers need to get more out of every component, including capacitors. To meet these demands, Knowles Precision Devices has expanded its line of single-layer vertical electrode (V Series) capacitors to include the 100nF V80 Bypass Capacitor. The V80 is a revolutionary development for capacitors as it is the first SLC to feature an operating voltage of 50V in .084” x .042” package. The closest competitor product at this size is only rated for 16V.

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Topics: Capacitor

Meet Safety Requirements at Higher Voltages with New Safety-Certified MLCCs

Posted by Steve Hopwood on Mar 17, 2021 7:00:00 AM

With our new expanded range of enhanced safety-certified multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), Knowles Precision Devices now offers a unique combination of capability and safety certification for electronic device applications. These new surface-mount MLCCs comply with international UL60384-14 and EN60384-14 specifications and can be used instead of leaded film capacitors in AC-DC power supplies where a lightning strike or other voltage transients represent a threat to the electronic equipment.

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Topics: Capacitor, High Reliability

Build-to-Print Basics Part 4: The Knowles Precision Devices Build-to-Print Process

Posted by Tim Bice on Oct 14, 2020 7:45:00 AM

To provide a better understanding of build-to-print in general and the breadth of our offerings, as well as how our thin-film technology can benefit your applications, we’ve put together a Build-to-Print Basics series. Part 4 provides an overview of our process and the topics our applications engineers review with clients to kick-off any build-to-print project.

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Topics: Capacitor, RF and Microwave, High Reliability

Milli-Cap: The Ideal Ultra-Low Loss Broadband Blocking Capacitor

Posted by Cheriyan Perumal on Aug 12, 2020 8:00:00 AM

Many circuits in broadband applications require the coupling of RF signals, which can be a complicated process since it involves removing the DC component to allow only the high-frequency AC component to pass or bypass. Removing the AC component from a DC line is done by placing a coupling capacitor in series with the path the signal takes.

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Topics: Capacitor, Telecom

Supporting EV Battery Innovation with the Highest Voltage AEC-Q200 MLCCs

Posted by Nan Zhang on Jun 17, 2020 6:00:00 AM

To meet consumer demand for longer driving ranges and faster charging, electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers are redesigning vehicles to move from 400V to 800V battery systems. As a result of using higher operating voltages, EV designers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need components, such as multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), that can withstand voltages well beyond those expected under normal operating conditions. For example, a drivetrain running off an 800V battery system may be subjected to a withstand test of up to 4kV DC for 60 seconds, which is a standard safety test in high voltage systems.

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Topics: Capacitor, Automotive, Electric Vehicles

Insights Into Precision Passive Devices

Knowles Precision Devices is a premier global source for Capacitors, RF Filters, EMI Filters, Resonators, non-magnetic components and advanced dielectric materials. An umbrella for the brands of Compex, DLI, Johanson MFG, Novacap, Syfer and Voltronics, Knowles Precision Devices serves a variety of markets including military, aerospace/avionics, medical equipment, implantable devices, EMI and connector filtering, oil exploration, instrumentation, industrial electronics, automotive, telecoms and data networks.

This Blog will provide insights into:

  • Filters for 5G and mmWave
  • Capacitors for High Voltage
  • Capacitors for High Reliability

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