PCIM Europe – we meet again

This article originally appeared in the June'22 magazine issue of Electronic Specifier Design – see ES's Magazine Archives for more featured publications.

Innoscience was demonstrating a 65W active clamp flyback reference design (30W/inch3 power density) using its INN650D240A 650V GaN-on-Si enhancement-mode power transistor with Silanna Semiconductor's SZ1131 integrated active clamp flyback (ACF) controller. At the show, it also announced a worldwide distribution agreement with WPG Holdings, for its high and low voltage normally-off (enhancement mode) GaN HEMTs.

Championing GaN in automotive lidar systems, e-scooters and motor drive, the Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) stand had examples of vehicle lidar systems (spinning, MEMS, fixed beam and flash systems). The company announced a 1.25kW GaN FET which will be in full production at the end of this year. This follows the introduction of the 1kW EPC9149 which is currently in production. “We expect to double the power of GaN devices with Gen 6 by the end of the year,” confirmed CEO Alex Lidow.

GaN Systems used its stand to show the variety of markets using GaN. There were low wireless charging consumer examples, operating at 50 to 300W, industrial wireless charging (300W to 1kW) and automotive examples (50W) including the Yanktech wireless centre console with Airfuel Alliance wireless charging. The Syng Cell Alpha speaker exploits the fast switching of GaN. Already something of a design icon, it integrates two woofers, a three-element, two-way beamforming array and three built-in microphones for automatic room equalisation.

A relatively new name in GaN is Taiwanese manufacturer, MGT. It added the GPT65Z1SHD, 100V, 140mA GaN JFET, and two 650V GaN FETs, the GPT6505XMA and GPT650YME to its portfolio.

Onsemi’s stand had an automotive focus, with a race car and a wall mounted EV charger, based on its M3 SiC MOSFETs. The company also introduced what it claims is the first SiC MOSFET in a TO-leadless (TOLL) package, saving 30% of PCB area compared to a D2PAK.

Other SiC announcements were from Infineon Technologies which introduced the first of it true 2kV SiC MOSFETs and UnitedSiC’s fourth generation of SiC devices, targeting 800V architectures. The company also publicised its name change to Qorvo.

STMicroelectronics showed its broad range of market interests with motor drives for the industrial market as well as a bi-directional power module for an EV supply equipment using its SiC MOSFET technology in an SMD discrete package, H2PAK-7. The company also announced the 650V STP65N045M9 and the 600V STP60N043DM9, N-channel, super-junction, multi-drain silicon power MOSFETs which use its MDmesh technology, available at the end of 2022.

Power Integrations launched its Scale EV gate driver boards for high power automotive and traction inverters. The initial release, the 2SP0215F2Q0C, is designed for Infineon’s EconoDUAL 900A 1200V IGBT half-bridge module.

Nexperia made two announcements for the automotive industry. The first was an addition to its ASFET (application specific MOSFET) portfolio, the BUK9M20-60EL, a single N-channel, 60V, 13mΩ MOSFET in an LFPAK33 packaging. It is also releasing rectifiers in its space saving Clip-Bonded FlatPower (CFP2-HP) packaging.

More industrial products were highlighted by Murata by the HPHF transformers based on its patented pdqb winding technology – the name is the shapes the coils make when viewed from above. The technology allows high frequency transformers of 400kW and above to be constructed in compact form factors and to operate at frequencies up to 50kHz for EV/ HEV fast charging equipment, trackside railway equipment, renewable energy and smart grid energy distribution as well as medical (x-ray and MRI) equipment.

Another industrial application also aiming for a smaller form factor was addressed by Danisense with the introduction of the DT series of fluxgate technology current transducers for isolated DC and AC current measurement up to 200A rms. Half the size of the previous generation, with 60% reduction in volume, the DT series has a large frequency bandwidth of up to 2MHz and a primary current range of 50A up to 200A. It features an industry standard DSUB nine-pin connection, a green diode for normal operation indication and a large, 20.7mm, aperture for cables and bus bars.

PCIM virtual exhibition stands, forum recordings and conference presentations are available online until 30 June 2022.