One thing that never changes in the passive component market is miniaturization. Whether it is shrinking the size of the capacitors and resistors or packing higher performance in the same package size, product designers are always looking to save space and costs. This is true across industries from consumer electronics and wearables to automotive and industrial. At the same time, designers want better performance. This often means higher capacitance/voltage (C/V) ratings in the same or smaller package sizes for capacitors as well as lower equivalent series resistance (ESR) and equivalent seri ..read more

While engineers and executives at technology companies are optimistic about artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability, they do not agree on who should lead those innovations, according to TE Connectivity’s 2024 Industrial Technology Index. The state of innovation report, now in its second year, surveyed 1,000 engineers and executives, representing a range of industries in China, Germany, India, Japan and the United States. However, both engineers and executives agree on top priorities at their organizations. Fifty-four percent of engineers and 55% of executives ranked product innovation ..read more

Molex’s new MX-DaSH family of data-signal hybrid connectors, combining power, signal and high-speed data connectivity in a single connector system, targets next-generation automotive architectures. These wire-to-wire and wire-to-board connectors support the transition to zonal architectures and address emerging applications that require reliable data transmission. These include autonomous driving modules, camera systems, GPS and infotainment devices, LiDAR, high-resolution displays and sensor-device connectivity. In addition to offering savings in size, space and cost by integrating ..read more

Developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), the Qi wireless charging standard has revolutionized how we power our devices. Eliminating the need to tinker with cables and fret over damaged connectors, Qi has become the de facto standard for wireless charging of consumer mobile devices. To meet the demand for faster charging speeds and optimized energy transfer, WPC introduced Qi v2.0, or Qi2. This next-generation wireless charging standard builds on the established Qi protocol while addressing its inherent limitations. This article delves into the world of Qi2, exploring its core functio ..read more

Microchip Technology Inc. has announced the PIC32CK 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), a new family specifically designed to address the latest mandates for stricter requirements on cybersecurity ranging from consumer IoT devices to critical infrastructure. The new embedded security MCUs integrate a hardware security module (HSM) subsystem and Arm Cortex-M33 core with TrustZone technology that isolates and secures a device. Microchip claims that the PIC32CK SG is the first 32-bit device to market that combines strong security with the TrustZone hardware-based secure privilege environment. Featur ..read more

Alliance Memory has expanded its high-speed CMOS mobile low-power SDRAM offerings with new 16-Gb and 32-Gb LPDDR4X devices. Designed to increase battery life in portable electronics for consumer, commercial and industrial markets, the 16-Gb AS4C512M32MD4V-046BIN and 32-Gb AS4C1G32MD4V-046BIN offer low-voltage operation of 0.6 V. (Source: Alliance Memory) These LPDDR4X SDRAMs address the need for higher power efficiency for increased battery life in portable devices such as smartphones, smart speakers, security surveillance systems and other IoT devices using AI and 5G technologies. The ..read more

Targeting telecom, industrial and computing applications, Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. has released its first fourth-generation 600-V E Series power MOSFET in a new top-side cooling PowerPAK 8 × 8LR package. The SiHR080N60E addresses the need for efficiency and power density improvements in two of the first stages of the power system architecture: power factor correction (PFC) and subsequent DC/DC converter blocks. Compared to previous-generation devices, the Vishay Siliconix n-channel SiHR080N60E reduces on-resistance by 27% and resistance times gate charge, a k ..read more

Addressing the power integrity and voltage regulation required by high-performance system-on-chips (SoCs) and other large computing processors, Empower Semiconductor has launched the largest silicon capacitor in its ECAP product family for high-frequency decoupling. The new 16.6-μF EC1005P features ultra-low impedance up to 1 GHz in a low profile that can be embedded into the substrate or interposer of any SoC. This silicon capacitor is suited for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. (Source: Empower Semiconductor) “The performance of SoCs and ..read more

Perforce Software recently released the results of its annual State of Automotive Software Development survey, targeting current practices and emerging trends in the automotive industry. The survey covers a range of topics, including top challenges, market conditions, security, standards-compliant software, coding standards, programming languages and software tools. It also addresses the impact of electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous, semi-autonomous and connected vehicles on developers and how AI and machine learning (ML) are impacting design. A key finding reveals that quality and securit ..read more

BrightView Technologies has launched its new Polycarbonate Brightness Enhancing Films (BEFs), based on its micro-lens-array (MLA) technology. The new display film can increase brightness by up to 30% for high performance display designs. Target applications include desktop monitors, laptops, tablets and other custom displays. The company will showcase the new display film and MLA stacks at the Society for Information Display’s (SID) Display Week 2024. Click for a larger image. (Source: BrightView) The BEFs use a high-quality polycarbonate substrate, combined with the company’s edge-lit ..read more