AVX, a manufacturer of passive components and interconnect solutions, has released a new series of low profile battery connectors especially designed to prevent end-user damage to the contacts in electronic devices with pluggable modules that vertically mate with a base unit. The new 9155-800 Series vertical-mate, 2mm-pitch battery connectors feature ultra robust and reliable gold-plated […]
Battery Management
Hoverboards get their own UL standard
by Leland Teschler, Executive Editor Battery fires in hoverboards have made headlines and garnered the attention of regulators who are devising safety standards aimed at heading off future troubles. There is a video on YouTube called “Fire exploding hoverboard caught on camera” that, as of this writing, has received 4,285,155 views in the three short […]
Batteries for the Industrial Internet of Things
by Sol Jacobs, Tadiran Batteries Not all battery chemistries are the same when it comes to powering devices designed for the IIoT. A few guidelines help field cells able to handle rugged surroundings for long periods. The development of electricity in the late 1800s drove the first industrial revolution by providing abundant and inexpensive power […]
Transmitter/reciever handle 15-W Qi wireless charging
Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT) has introduced two new devices that deliver a complete high-efficiency wireless charging solution for electronics demanding up to 15 W of output power. Supporting wireless charging for new categories of consumer products and infrastructure, the highly integrated chips deliver industry-leading power conversion efficiency of over 86 percent from transmitter input […]
3-kF ultracapacitors work at 3 V
Maxwell Technologies, Inc. announced the newest addition to its K2 family with a 3-volt (3V), 3,000-farad ultracapacitor cell, now available in sample quantities. With 31 percent higher power than Maxwell’s leading 2.7-volt, 3,000-farad cell in the industry-standard 60 mm cylindrical form factor, customers now have the flexibility to either increase available power and energy in […]
Buck-boost battery charger uses USB Type-C connector for two-way power delivery
Intersil Corporation has introduced the industry’s first buck-boost battery charger that supports two-way power delivery in ultrabooks, tablets and power banks using the reversible USB Type-C™ connector. The single-chip ISL9237 Narrow VDC (NVDC) battery charger replaces competitive buck and boost two-chip charger solutions, eliminating a charger IC and inductor to reduce customer bill of materials […]
Ultra-compact EV charger made with GaN transistors
Automotive electronics specialist HELLA, in collaboration with GaN Systems have developed a Level-2 electric vehicle (EV) charger prototype with efficiencies exceeding 97% at an unprecedented 2.6 kW/l power density. Prior to this achievement, Level-2 EV chargers reached maximum efficiencies of 94%. Using GaN Systems’ 60 A, 650 V GS66516T switches in an innovative two-stage architecture, […]
Battery chargers handle lead-acid, lithium-ion cells in EVs
Delta-Q Technologies has announced that the company will show its new IC900 and IC1200 battery chargers at the Golf Industry Show (GIS). GIS is being held in San Diego, California from February 10-11, 2016. Delta-Q is exhibiting in booth 3557. The IC900 and IC1200 chargers provide superior reliability and charge quality for lead acid (wet/flooded, […]
U.S. plays catch-up with flexible electronics
by Leland Teschler, Executive Editor A big effort is underway in the U.S. to develop the kind of manufacturing expertise necessary to cheaply produce electronic circuits able to bend and flex. The idea of putting electronic circuits on pieces of plastic that can bend certainly has a lot of sex appeal. And no wonder. The […]
Battery monitor checks, balances 16 cells at a time
Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today introduced the industry’s first integrated battery monitor and protector to measure 16 battery cells at one time. The bq76PL455A-Q1 provides highly accurate cell-voltage monitoring for large batteries with up to 256 cells in a series and can enable a more intelligent battery management in electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, […]
