If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.

Previous issues of update: Q2_2007 | Q3_2007 | Q4_2007

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PSMA UPDATE is published and distributed via e-mail quarterly by the Power Sources Manufacturers Association. Send editorial information and comments to:

Permission to reprint information and articles as published is granted: a courtesy line is appreciated.

Membership in PSMA is open to any organization or corporation involved in the power sources and supplies industry. For membership information, visit our website or contact us by fax, telephone or email.

If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.

 

he Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), the leading worldwide conference and exhibit for practicing power electronics professionals, is soliciting papers and presentations for its 24th annual event to be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC, February 15-19, 2009.

As the world places a growing importance on energy efficiency, power electronics remains an enabling and important topic. With this in mind, the APEC conference committee issues its combined call for papers and participation. 

Deadline for submission of paper digests is July 19, 2008.  In addition, APEC invites participation in technical seminars, special presentations or serving as a reviewer of submitted papers. Industry practitioners are also being sought to teach a session as part of the conference’s popular Professional Educational Seminars.

According to Kevin Parmenter, APEC 2009 General Chairman, “The hallmark of the APEC conference continues to be presentations of new and unique peer-reviewed technical papers covering all aspects of power electronics, combined with plenary sessions with viewpoints of critical issues in our industry.”

Abstracts will be peer reviewed by an expert committee, and authors will be informed of paper acceptance on October 3.  All accepted abstracts, papers and presentations will be published in the conference CD and Web Proceedings following the conference.

Industry practitioners are invited to share their ideas, experience, strategies or technologies in power electronics by presenting a paper or by teaching a course in the Professional Education Seminars. Companies exhibiting at APEC can present an exhibitor seminar. All are encouraged to submit a paper for the technical program and Special Presentation Sessions and to sign up to review submitted papers.

Go to: APEC09 Call for Papers for details.

Provided by Greg Evans, President, WelComm, Inc, APEC Publicity Chair

Matthew Towers, Marshall Miles, Lars Thorsell, Mohan Mankikar and Barry Papermaster listening to the presentation by Frank Cirolia

The Marketing Committee meeting, which included a luncheon, was well attended as usual. Frank Cirolia, Committee Co-Chair  the activities of the committee over the past year and led the discussion of possible activities for the coming year. The past year was a very busy one – the committee issued several press releases, as well as helping set the prices for the latest PSMA publications. The Committee updated a slide presentation which introduces PSMA and explains the benefits of membership. This presentation has been added to the PSMA web site. A shorter version of the presentation was shown before the APEC Plenary Session. There was a lively discussion about the results of the most recent PSMA survey of the membership.  

Ed Herbert makes his point to some of the other attendees at the Energy Efficiency Committee Meeting

The Magnetics Committee also met during APEC.  Committee Chair Steve Carlsen . The committee members reviewed recent activities, which included reprinting a fourth classic text on magnetics. They discussed possible projects for the current year that would provide benefits to the membership and to the industry.

The Packaging and Semiconductor Committees held a joint meeting and discussed the recently published Market and Technology Report - Power Supply in a Package - Power Supply on a Chip. The committees reviewed plans for Phase 2 of the study and discussed the need for and benefits to companies that would be interested in being a sponsor for Phase 2. The proposed Phase 2 of the Power Supply in a Package - Power Supply on a Chip project would conduct an in-depth evaluation of leading edge products in this area. The meeting was well attended and several companies indicated they would be interested in becoming sponsors for the project.

The Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy Committees each met and reviewed their accomplishments during the past year. The Energy Efficiency Committee has added an Energy Efficiency Database to the PSMA web site which has been well received by the membership and in the industry. The data base is available from the PSMA web site and is being updated on a regular basis.

Tony Laviano giving a demonstration of "Nano 100"

The newly formed Nanotechnology Committee, chaired by Tony Laviano, had its first meeting during APEC. Dr. Laviano gave a demonstration of the Nanotechnology 100 course, which is available, at no charge, in the Nanotechnology Forum on the PSMA web site. To date over 250 people have taken the e-learning course and we encourage everyone to look at and take the course.

A complete listing of all PSMA committees can be found on the PSMA web site. Most of the committees manage their own Technical Forums on psma.com. The forums provide information on their current activities, upcoming industry events and resources, including useful web sites.

Participating in one or more committees is the best way to increase the benefits from your PSMA membership. You are encouraged to join a committee and get involved in their activities. Most committees meet about once a month for about one hour by teleconference. View a list of upcoming committee meetings. You are welcome to attend a committee meeting before making a decision to join the group. If you are interested in attending one of the meetings, please contact the Association Office for call-in information.

All the products are designed to “customer specifications” and are reliable and rugged. The products are designed and developed as Import Substitutes by a team of experienced R&D Engineers for prestigious customers in the consumer, industrial, space and defence market segments.

Digitronics is proud to have designed, developed and manufactured a large number of SMPS and dc-dc converters to meet Defence Grade standards and are prepared to accept any challenge in this area of technology.

With a staff of more than 60 people, the Digitronics 7200 sq ft manufacturing facility is ISO 9001-2000 certified and registered with the Directorate of Quality Assurance for manufacture and supply of SMPS and dc-dc converters to the Defence industry.

The company has R&D and equipment facilities which include:

• Dry Heat, High/Low Temperature, Humidity and Low Temperature Chambers;
• Environmental Test Chamber with microprocessor based temperature programming;
• Ac-dc  Voltage  and Current Standards;
• Data Acquisition System

Fabrication and Assembly equipment is supported and controlled by computer systems software for PCB layouts, documentation and graphics. Among the major equipment items are:

• Shearing, bending, drilling and nibbling machines;
• Component Pre-forming equipment
• Double wave soldering equipment
• SMD assembly equipment with pick-and-place; screen printer and reflow oven.
  

Provided by Vijay Damle, President, Digitronics

Post acquisition – a new, stronger business with truly global reach The marriage of the two businesses has significantly strengthened Murata Power Solutions’ worldwide sales channels, overall technical capabilities and product range. The strong coverage and presence of the company in North America and its established distribution channels have now been complemented by the strength of Murata Power in the Asia Pacific region.

Post acquisition, Murata Power Solutions has focused on two main areas of synergy. The first is the manufacturing and supply chain side of the business, leveraging the overall increased purchasing scale of the company. The second is on the product development side, sharing best practices and understanding the product portfolios, which have minimum overlap, of each business. Intellectual property, circuit designs, packaging capabilities and design guidelines have also been considered to ensure the company makes best use of the combined strength of the two previously separate organizations for the benefit of customers and the advancement of power technology.

Differentiation Murata Power Solutions has been able to strengthen the factors that differentiate it from its competitors and cement its position as a technology and service innovator and leader.

From a product supply and availability standpoint, Murata Power Solutions offers a broad range of channels to its customer base on a global basis to ensure instant availability of product no matter what the geographical location. High product availability is backed by personalized service through a local representative network, a team of FAEs and a coordinated dedicated account management structure for large global accounts.

The company’s deep technical capabilities are the second differentiator. A clear understanding of the evolving trends and needs of the power market, gained from extensive customer experience and research, feeds into Murata Power Solutions’ strong technical resource to ensure that a continual stream of class-leading, innovative products reach the market place at the right time to enable customers to achieve the objectives for their own end products.

This approach is underpinned by a strong focus on research and development, a differentiator in itself. From an overall Murata company point of view, approximately 7% of overall sales revenue is fed back into R&D. Importantly, the worldwide power group is engaged in both product and technology development programs. Product development is carried out at all levels of the design including material selection, component selection, devices and products. Technology development focuses on areas such as circuits, electronic packaging materials and approaches, and manufacturing processes.

The fourth differentiator is the breadth and sophistication of the company’s product range. Murata Power Solutions’ AC-DC and DC-DC products are able to provide complete power systems solutions to customers across a vast range of applications with diverse performance requirements.

Market segments Murata Power Solutions’ core focus is on the communications, computing, office products, industrial, instrumentation, medical and transportation market segments. The company aims to fully penetrate these areas with the newly expanded product lines and to drive the transfer of technology from one market segment to another.

In terms of new and emerging market segments, perhaps the biggest is the growing need for ‘clean power’, particularly in developing countries and geographies. This is an area in which Murata Power Solutions is investing considerable research and resource. Specific product types for this market where power is not very clean or is unstable, are inverters and power conditioners. Another similar area where Murata Power is taking the initiative is clean energy, and specifically power conversion for hybrid vehicles.

The products include: Dc-dc Converters - Reliability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness define Murata Power Solutions’ broad offering of moderate-power (0.25 to 340 Watts) dc-dc converters. The products blend proven circuit topologies, high-performance components, contemporary SMT construction and highly automated assembly in industry-standard packages and pinouts.

Ac-dc Power Supplies - Murata Power Solutions is able to produce front end power supplies to the highest standards in terms of power density, performance, efficiency, protection, approvals compliance and cooling for a multitude of application requirements. All new ac-dc platforms will meet and exceed the latest industry energy efficiency requirements. 

Digital Panel Meters – The company has over 25 years of designing and manufacturing digital panel meters. The latest products focus on specific applications for two-wire meters, process monitors and easy-to-use ac or dc ammeters.

Magnetics - Two essential elements of the vast majority of power electronics applications are filtering and isolation. Whether you need to reduce noise or protect vital components, Murata has developed over 400 highly advanced and optimized inductor and transformer solutions with the emphasis on miniaturization. Designs are available in a variety of styles including bobbin, radial, axial and surface mount.

Hybrid Technology / Data Acquisition – Murata Power Solutions has demonstrated leadership status in high-performance data acquisition components. The innovative and cost-effective product range has outstanding electrical performance, small packaging, low-power consumption and ease-of-use.

Challenges for the power sector The number one challenge for Murata Power Solutions, the power sector and all its customers is environmental sustainability – principally energy efficiency and the reduction of hazardous substances.

The Murata Power Solutions strategy for energy efficiency is to focus on the efficiency and technical capabilities of its products. At the higher power segments of the product range such as in ac-dc front-end power supplies, efficiency levels and power density lead the industry. These characteristics are critical for enterprise-level customers for whom reducing overall power consumption and cramming as much functionality into a small space as possible are key requirements. High efficiency is also very important to data center customers who are trying to minimize waste energy through heat dissipation and reduce total cost of ownership for their customers.

In consumer orientated markets such as office products (printers, copiers etc) and digital audio visual equipment (flat panel monitors), customers are concerned not only with efficiency / low energy consumption during operation, but also minimizing the energy dissipated in standby mode where the equipment spends the majority of its working life. Murata Power Solutions is very active in developing technical advancements in its products to capture the huge energy savings potential in this area.

RoHS and numerous other pieces of legislation exist or are in the process of being implemented that impact electronic products during design, manufacture, normal working life and end-of-life. They help reduce the environmental impact of products and all have been embraced by Murata Power Solutions. Many Murata facilities are already ISO-14000 certified and the company demonstrates a strong environmental conscience at every level – not only in its products and factories, but also the way in which it interfaces with the community.

Overall objectives The overall objective for Murata Power Solutions is to become the customer’s power systems partner of choice. The tools that will help the business achieve this key objective include its breadth of product range, advanced manufacturing technology, highly effective global sales channels backed by local support, and a proactive stance in developing new products and technologies to meet market demands such as efficiency and sustainability. However, the single most important element to the success of Murata Power Solutions is its people. Their technical knowledge and expertise, their customer experience and understanding of the industry’s needs are the key to success for all parts of the business.

700V Power MOSFET and Low-Voltage Controller on a Single Chip Power Integrations, Inc. (PI) is the leading supplier of high-voltage integrated circuits for use in offline power conversion. Founded in 1988, the San Jose, California based company was the first to cost-effectively combine high-voltage (700 V) power MOSFETs and low-voltage control and safety circuitry on a single piece of silicon. Critical features such as high-voltage start-up, hysteretic thermal shutdown, short-circuit and open-loop protection, under/over-voltage protection are integrated onto the chip. The company’s ICs enable reliable, energy efficient state-of-the-art power supplies, reducing design and assembly costs while increasing reliability and manufacturing yield.

TOPSwitch® was PI’s first commercially successful IC product developed using the company’s patented technology and was the first three-terminal offline integrated power supply controller when it debuted in 1994. In September 2007, the fifth generation TOPSwitch product, TOPSwitch-HX, was introduced.  This new family incorporates earlier generation features as well as new ones such as multi-mode control, providing highly efficient operation across the entire load range, eliminating the need for a separate power supply in some higher power applications. The TOPSwitch-HX is also available in the new eSIP-7C Eco-Single–Inline-Package, offering a low thermal impedance equivalent to a TO-220 package, yet standing less than 10 mm above the PCB - half of the TO-220’s height.

In 1998, after becoming aware of the growing problem of standby energy wasted in appliances and electronic products, Power Integrations introduced the TinySwitch® family of lower power ICs - the first to feature the company’s EcoSmart® energy efficiency technology. EcoSmart dramatically reduces the amount of power consumed in supplies, especially during no-load and standby modes. Today, TinySwitch-III is used in a wide range of applications including desktop standby power supplies, adapters/chargers for personal electronics such as cell phones, cameras and PDAs, appliances, LED light fixtures and power tools. Two years ago, Power Integrations refined its TinySwitch concept with the introduction of PeakSwitch® and TinyPeak® products, targeting applications with peak-to-continuous power ratios of up to 3:1, including printers, personal video recorders, audio amplifiers, broadband modems and dc motor drives.

EcoSmart® energy-efficiency technology is now included in all of the company’s ICs, enabling manufacturers to meet all current and proposed energy-efficiency standards.

In 2002, the company introduced its LinkSwitch® family, the industry’s first cost-effective IC solution designed to replace linear power supplies, the worst of the "energy vampires”. The latest member of this product family, LinkSwitch-II, has just been released. The new ac-dc power conversion IC uses primary side control and is designed to simplify constant voltage, constant current converters, and enable equipment to meet the tighter energy efficiency  requirements of ENERGY STAR’s EPS version 2.0 specifications going into effect in November, 2008. LinkSwitch-II delivers superior energy efficiency performance - 10% higher active mode efficiency and 10 times lower no-load power consumption than required by new ENERGY STAR EPS specification -  and  slashes component count by 30% in cell phone/adapter charger designs.

Completing Power Integrations’ product family, DPA-Switch® ICs target dc-dc applications up to 100 W, including distributed power architectures, found in computing, networking and Power-over-Ethernet applications.

Power Integrations has earned more than 191 US patents and 89 foreign patents. The company’s ICs power a vast range of consumer and industrial electronics - computers, DVD players, TV set-top boxes, cell phone chargers, home appliances, telecom networking equipment, and many others.

All Power Integrations products are supported by the company’s industry-leading design tools, including Reference Design Kits, application notes and design guides.  The company’s PI Expert™ Suite design software, available for free, provides the key components of power supply design, including detailed transformer specifications, based on the user’s design parameters.  The company’s Green Room website (www.powerint.com/greenroom) offers a comprehensive reference guide to energy-efficiency standards around the world.

From < 1 W to over 200 W, Power Integrations offers energy efficient solutions, each available in a wide range of package options:

TOPSwitch®-HX:  for ac-dc power supplies up to 250 W
TinySwitch-III®:  for ac-dc power supplies up to 23 W
LinkSwitch®:  for ac-dc power supplies up to 9 W 
DPA-Switch®:  for dc-dc power supplies up to 100 W 

For more information, visit the Power Integrations website at www.powerint.com.

Provided by Rich Fassler, Power Integrations

Editors Note: We would like to feature your company in a future issue of the Update. Please contact the Association Office for information about how to submit an article for consideration.

n the last issue of the PSMA Update we featured the newly elected Directors Rob Hill and Marshall Miles. We would now like to introduce Alex Levran and Bharat Shah, who were elected to their second terms on the PSMA Board of Directors. 

Alex Levran has a PhD in Electrical Engineering in 1982 from Polytechnic University, NY.  He has been awarded five US patents related to power electronic technology.

From 1981 to 1988 Alex worked for Teledyne as VP of engineering and designed commercial and military power conversion products, uninterruptible power systems (UPS) and power distribution systems.

During 1986 through 1991 he was a Visiting Professor at UCLA and taught electrical engineering courses in power electronics, electrical machines and power systems.

Alex was Worldwide VP of Technology and Engineering for Uninterruptible Power Systems while working for Merlin Gerin (Groupe Schneider) from 1988 to 1993.

In 1993 Alex joined Magnetek as Executive VP and Chief Technology Officer responsible for designs of power electronic based conversion products and systems, power supplies and alternative energy systems.

Alex Levran was appointed Chief Technology Officer for Power-One. In this capacity he has responsibility for designs of power supplies, alternative energy products, telecom systems and digital motor controls. 

This is the second term of office for Alex. He has been a director on the PSMA Board since 2005 and he plans to continue to use his background and experiences in power electronics, education and management to advance the services and objectives of the association.

Provided by Material has been provided by Alex Levran, Vice President, CTO, Power-One, Inc.

Bharat Shah has participated in PSMA for over 20 years and has made sincere efforts to make positive contribution in many of its activities. He has been a Director on the PSMA Board since 2005 and is currently serving his second term of office.

In his current position as a VP of Strategic Technology for Emerson Network Power, Bharat has been involved in activities leading to energy efficient products and infrastructure as well as evaluation of renewable energy.

His global assignments have allowed him to participate in many private as well as government organizations like and equivalent to EPA and DOE that are responsible for monitoring energy consumption and conservation  in many countries including India and China.

Bharat is on the Board of  PMBus (Digital Power Management) organization as well as representative to the Green Grid organization on behalf of Emerson.

Bharat Shah states “It is my desire to continue to serve the PSMA Board for the upcoming period and make a contribution to the growth of PSMA as well businesses of the members of the PSMA.”

Material has been provided by
Bharat Shah,
Vice President,
Strategic Technology,
Emerson Network Power

Cornell Dubilier
Laird Macomber
140 Technology Place
Liberty, SC 29657
E-Mail: lmacomber@cde.com
Web Site: www.cde.com

Cornell Dubilier is a privately held, American owned maker of capacitors for electronic and electrical equipment with three ISO-9001 registered facilities. If you didn't know that it was founded in 1909 by William Dubilier with his invention of the mica capacitor, you wouldn't suspect that Cornell Dubilier is the oldest capacitor maker in the Western Hemisphere because it is growing rapidly with a flurry of new products. Cornell Dubilier's major capacitor types are aluminum electrolytic, polyester film, polypropylene film, mica, pulse, snubber, motor-run, motor-start and high voltage capacitors. Emphasis is on serving the power electronics markets and providing not just reliable capacitors but capacitor solutions with great service.

Cornell Dubilier has become a preeminent, worldwide supplier of capacitors for power electronics. Principal markets are power supplies, motor drives, HVAC, motors, welding, aerospace, telecom, and UPS systems. The unifying theme is power electronics and differentiation from other capacitor makers by a high level of customer service and technical support from a staff of 20 engineers and 20 customer service account managers. And, of course, better capacitors. As an illustration the latest UPS bus capacitor permits two, rather than three, in series for a 940V bus voltage because it is rated 675V.

While the company's growth and active customer base of more than 35,000 has come from daily management of stocking programs, making next-day delivery routine and ISO-9001 quality, Cornell Dubilier's culture sees its roots in technological innovation. It still boasts about the inventive genius of its founder, William Dubilier, his more than 355 patents - a third of Thomas Edison's total - and his accomplishment of inventing the mica capacitor that revolutionized early radio transmission. Dubilier became chief electrician of the Continental Wireless Co. at the age of 19. In 1915, he founded Dubilier Condenser Corp. of New York, where he pioneered the development of self-healing, metallized dielectrics for capacitors, high-voltage transmitting capacitors, and antenna-shortening capacitors. In 1933, Dubilier's company merged with the Cornell Radio Company to form the Cornell-Dubilier Electric Corp.

William Dubilier is responsible for the many improvements in capacitors since the era of the Leyden jar. He held innumerable radio patents pertaining to telegraphy, telephony, high-frequency apparatus, and a system for detecting submarines which he devised during World War I. He was knighted by the Queen of England for his contributions to electrical science. What motivated the award was that Dubilier's new mica capacitor withstood the shock waves from arterial guns firing and didn't break like the Leyden jars thus allowing reliable radio communication with the British infantry.

But there's an even better story: Three years before he invented the mica capacitor the then 22 year old William built a precursor to the cell phone. His precursor had the drawbacks of just fitting in a suitcase and requiring connection to a household AC power circuit, but its 100 kHz transmitter enabled clear telephone conversations between phones up to fifty miles apart with no connecting wires and performed reliably between Tacoma and Seattle Washington.

In 1933 his company won a precedent-setting patent legal case. In United States v. Dubilier Condenser Corp. the Supreme Court concluded that an employer owns an invention only if the employee is specifically hired to invent. If, as in the factual scenario of Dubilier, the employee merely uses the employer's resources to invent, the most the employer retains is a "shop right" - the non-exclusive right to practice the invention. Of course attorneys soon moved the control back to the employer. Federal statute now determines the rights of federal employees, and most civilian employees must sign Patent Disclosure and Assignment Agreements.

What's prophetic about this 1933 case is that it is about inventions of Dubilier employees Francis W. Dunmore and Percival D. Lowel while they worked at the U.S. Bureau of Standards. The inventions allowed replacing the batteries needed to electrify loudspeakers and radios with direct connection to ac lighting circuit power. These were the first power supplies, and power electronics remains Cornell Dubilier's largest capacitors market today. Cornell Dubilier is the power electronics capacitor company with a focus on technological and service solutions that delight customers.

Enpirion

Matt Wilkowski
685 Route 202/206, Suite 305
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
E-Mail: wilkowski@enpirion.com
Web Site: www.enpirion.com

Enpirion was founded in 2001 by a dedicated group of engineers with expertise in power management architecture, power semiconductor devices, and high frequency magnetic materials. The core research and development behind our products was begun a decade earlier in the Power Silicon and Advanced Magnetics Groups within Bell Laboratories.  The name Enpirion is derived from the Greek words meaning on silicon. Enpirion today is delivering its Power Systems on Silicon (PSOS) products to some of the largest customers around the globe.

Enpirion's mission is to be the premier provider of Power Systems on a Chip for Point of Load and Dynamic Power Management applications. Their proprietary technology provides designers the performance of a high efficiency switching DC-DC converter with the size and simplicity normally associated with a linear regulator without the heatsink and represents the first major innovation in integrated power technology in over a decade.

Enpirion is a provider of highly integrated power management solutions.  They leverage advances in Power Semiconductor Devices and CMOS-compatible Magnetics to deliver the world's first complete DC-DC conversion in an IC package.  Enpirion solutions reduce footprint by up to 70%, reduce parts count by as much as 60%, and dramatically ease the design constraints associated with switch-mode DC-DC converters.  They are a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Bridgewater, NJ USA.  Enpirion products are sold through direct sales, manufacturer’s representatives and distributors.

Enpirion is an environmentally friendly company. From the beginning all Enpirion products have been lead-free and RoHS compliant by design, and compatible with high temperature manufacturing lines.

Enpirion makes the industry's smallest power system on Silicon (PSoS) - the first ultra-integrated all-silicon DC-to-DC converter, and the first to feature an integrated inductor.  Enpirion's patented approach capitalizes on semiconductor geometry advances that enable a 10x switching-frequency improvement - integrating a PWM controller, power FETs, compensation circuitry, and magnetic components into a single turnkey IC package.

Enpirion manufactures a growing line of Switch-mode DCDC converters with integrated inductor.  Integration of the inductor sets Enpirion products apart from those of our competitors.  The layout and placement of the inductor is one of the most common reasons for power IC related failures.  Enpirion solves this problem, reduces foot print, reduces part count, and reduces noise associated with switch-mode power conversion.  Applications include high volume consumer products such as mobile phones, portable game players, MP3 and personal media players, as well as data networking, telecoms, user terminal equipment such as set top box, and of course notebook and desktop PC.

Flextronics

Paul Garrity
600 Shiloh Road
Plano, TX 75074
E-Mail: Paul.Garrity@flextronics.com
Web Site: www.flextronics.com

Headquartered in Singapore, Flextronics is a leading Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider focused on delivering complete design, engineering and manufacturing services to automotive, computing, consumer digital, industrial, infrastructure, medical and mobile OEMs.
 
Flextronics offers the broadest worldwide EMS capabilities, from design resources to end-to-end vertically integrated global supply chain services. Flextronics designs, builds and ships complete packaged products for its OEM customers and provides after-market and field services to support customer end-to-end supply chain requirements. Flextronics provides more value and innovation to customers by leveraging its global economies of scale in manufacturing, logistics, procurement, design, engineering and ODM services across a wide range of products and customer segments.
 
Flextronics has established an extensive network of design, manufacturing, and logistics facilities in the world’s major electronics markets to serve the growing outsourcing needs of both multinational and regional OEMs. Their extensive global network of manufacturing facilities in over 30 countries gives us significant scale and the flexibility to transition customer projects to any of their locations to fulfill customer requirements. The majority of their manufacturing capacity is located in low-cost regions such as Brazil, China, Hungary, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, and Ukraine. This low-cost global network enables them to execute with excellence across a flexible, scalable global system that delivers superior operational performance and optimal results for their customers.
 
Flextronics has organized the company into seven focused market segments and six business units that bring more value and innovation to our customers. These focused segments, which include automotive, computing, consumer digital, industrial, infrastructure, medical and mobile, serve as the cornerstone of Flextronics’ market strategy. Flextronics’ business units consist of strategic technologies and augmented services that are leveraged across all segments and customer product categories to create scalability and to add flexibility and speed to their segments.

Their segment and business unit strategy offers OEMs the economies-of-scale of centralized core services such as manufacturing, procurement, logistics and IT and customized, market-specific capabilities offered through industry-specific design, engineering, and original design manufacturing (ODM) services. This enables Flextronics to deliver highly-competitive services in an increasingly complex industry that serves a diverse, competitive customer base. Through this strategy, Flextronics is able to make fast, flexible decisions in response to changing market conditions.

Flextronics offers a comprehensive range of worldwide supply-chain services that simplify the global product development process and provide meaningful time and cost savings to their OEM customers. Their vertically-integrated services provide customers with a total design, manufacturing, and logistics solution that moves a product from its initial design through volume production, test, distribution and into post-sales service and support. These integrated services allow them to design, build, and ship a complete packaged product to their customers’ end users.

Flextronics has an industry-leading global design team providing design services, products, solutions and flexible engagement models to satisfy a wide array of customer requirements. These solutions include integrated circuit design, industrial, hardware, user interface and mechanical design, PCB design, semiconductor design, system validation, components, embedded and application software development, and test and engineering services. In addition, by combining design and manufacturing services, Flextronics provides ODM solutions for cellular phones and other consumer-related devices, which are sold by their OEM customers under their brand names. The Company also provides contract design services to meet a variety of customer design needs. Flextronics’ design and related engineering services include all aspects of product design.

Flextronics has become a leader in global procurement by leveraging their worldwide supplier relationships to achieve competitive pricing and supply chain flexibility for our OEM customers.

Flextronics firmly believes that long-term customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of their success. To continue meeting the changing needs of their valued customers, Flextronics is committed to creating value that increases customer competitiveness through a world-class vertically integrated solution that establishes the industry’s standard for superior quality and service.

Michael Mazzola
Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems
Mississippi State University
200 Research Blvd.
Starkville, MS 39759
E-Mail: mazzola@cavs.msstate.edu
Web Site: www.cavs.msstate.edu

Mike Mazzola is a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department of Mississippi State University. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Old Dominion University in 1990, following a M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 1986 and his B.S. degree in 1984 both from Old Dominion University.

Dr. Mazzola has published more than 70 papers and has been awarded 4 patents and is a member of the IEEE Electron Devices Society, IEEE Nuclear & Plasma Sciences Society, and the IEEE Power Electronics Society. Dr. Mazzola is a professional engineer registered in the state of Mississippi.

Dr. Mazzola has made engineering contributions in several technical areas including semiconductor devices and their applications in power electronics as well as pulsed power technology. He has conducted research in the areas of silicon carbide device prototyping and semiconductor materials growth and characterization for the last 12 years

CAVS is an interdisciplinary center at Mississippi State University. It provides engineering, research, development, and technology transfer teams focused on complex problems, such as those encountered in technologies designed to improve human mobility. The development efforts provide short-term solutions relevant to regional manufacturers while the core research builds longer-term knowledge needed for sustained economic development. At the same time students gain valuable project experience that compliments their formal classroom learning.

Primarion
H. R. Modi
2780 SkyPark Drive, #100
Torrance, CA 90505
E-Mail: hasmukh.modi@primarion.com
Web Site: www.primarion.com

Primarion is a mixed signal integrated circuit (IC) company that designs, manufactures and markets digital power ICs. Our customer-partnered solutions and breakthrough proprietary technology provides our customers with a competitive advantage. Primarion is committed and dedicated to becoming the supplier of choice for delivering mixed signal ICs that address inflection points in power management for the computing, graphics and communication markets.

Primarion's digital power architecture addresses the need for more accurate and efficient power delivery to support challenging requirements of today’s processors, ASICs, and FPGAs. It also addresses the need for adaptive local intelligent control over power delivery to optimize performance and minimize power consumption. By providing power conversion and power management in a single chip with increased accuracy, real-time monitoring and control capabilities, Primarion is leading the way towards simplified system designs and lower cost and higher performance implementations.

Primarion is a committed and distinctive supplier for innovative solutions in digital power management. On May 3, 2005, Primarion received an ISO 9001:2000 certification from accredited registrar SGS.

Primarion is a venture-backed, fabless semiconductor company. Prestigious venture capital and strategic partners include Lehman Brothers, Accel Partners, APV Technology Partners and W Capital Partners.

Primarion’s executive team and board of directors are comprised of an unparalleled group of mixed-signal design experts, experienced industry executives and excellent engineers.

Primarion maintains its corporate headquarters and a design center in Torrance, California, and has regional offices in both Santa Clara, California and Taipei, Taiwan.

R.E.Corbett Associates
Bob Corbett
11085 Center Avenue
Gilroy, CA 95020
E-Mail: bobcorbett@recorbett.com
Web Site: www.recorbett.com

R. E. Corbett Associates provides product-centered management services to the electro-technology sector. They also provide technical expertise to financial, investment and legal service firms in their industry focus areas of power electronics and energy systems.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

• Business Strategy Development
• Project Management Systems Evaluation
• Strategic Partnership Development
• Product Concepts & Marketing Approaches
• Structuring the Organization for Improved Performance
• Communicating for Success
• Technology Acquisition
• Intellectual Property Services

EXPERIENCE

• Profitability Improvement
• Startup Funding & Organization
• Turnaround Situations
• Addressing Product & Service Quality Issues
• Technology Product Development (Hardware & Software)
• Transitioning from Development to Production
• Staffing & Personnel Development
• International Partnering, Marketing & Manufacturing
• Competitive Analysis & Market Assessment

INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE

• Consumer Products
• Industrial Electronics & Controls
• Aerospace
• Lighting Electronics
• Power Sources & Energy Storage
• Capital Equipment for Electronics
• Semiconductors

With 30 years in technology, development, marketing, operations and P&L, Bob Corbett has a unique ability to accurately assess the "big picture" with analysis of "the details".
Bob draws his expertise from management and executive experience in aerospace, industrial and consumer product, semiconductor and capital equipment industries. 

RVI, Inc.
Robin Stegner
304 Industrial Drive
Redwood Falls, MN 56283
E-Mail: robins@rvi-inc.com
Web Site: www.rvi-inc.com

RVI is continuing twenty-four years of service in repairing and refurbishing power supplies. The organization was founded in 1984 by Zytec Corporation, a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Minnesota Quality Award. Zytec merged with Computer Products Inc in 1997 and became Artesyn Technologies…the fourth largest provider of power conversion products worldwide.  Prior to becoming RVI the company was Artesyn Technologies’ Product Renewal Center. 

RVI’s talented team of technical employees, many with more than 20 years of experience have repaired more than 1.6 million power supplies. RVI has documented capability to repair and refurbish 4,000+ part numbers from 200+ manufacturers.

RVI is centrally located in the heartland of America, making us an excellent logistics partner. RVI offers an outstanding inventory management/logistics program as well as battery life cycle management.

Quality
RVI’s quality is measured by a plug and play rate of 99.8% and a second return rate of .009%. The repair process yield rate is in 95.6%.

Value
RVI provides a cost effective solution to your power supply repair, logistics and battery management needs at lowest total cost of ownership.  

Service
RVI understands that three elements are key to maintaining product in the field:
Quality
Fast Response
Consistency

RVI warrants their services, turns product promptly, and consistently hits your delivery schedule.

Teradyne, Inc.
Rick Nevinger
30610 Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
E-Mail: rick.nevinger@Teradyne.com
Web Site: www.teradyne.com

Teradyne is a leading supplier of Automatic Test Equipment. The company's divisions, Assembly Test, Semiconductor Test, and Vehicle Diagnostic Solutions, are organized by the products they develop and deliver.

In 2006, Teradyne had sales of $1.38 billion, and currently employs about 3,800 people worldwide. Teradyne is a trademark of Teradyne, Inc. in the US and other countries.
Assembly Test: A global leader in electronics testing and inspection solutions serving the world's leading original equipment manufacturer and electronics manufacturing services suppliers. ATD's Products and services include: In-Circuit Board Test Systems, Functional Test Platforms, Automated X-Ray Inspection, Military and Aerospace Test Solutions, Test, Design & Analysis Software, System Upgrade, Software and Parts, Factory Reconditioned, and Service Offerings.

Semiconductor Test: The world's largest supplier of semiconductor test equipment for logic, RF, analog, power, mixed-signal, and memory technologies. We deliver test solutions to developers and manufacturers of a broad range of integrated circuits, packaged separately or integrated as cells in system-on-a-chip (SOC) devices. ICs tested by Teradyne are used in computing, communications, consumer, automotive, identification, and internet applications. Products include FLEX, J750, Tiger, and Catalyst.
Vehicle Diagnostic Solutions: Teradyne Diagnostic Solutions is a global supplier of Manufacturing Configuration and Test, Service Bay Diagnostics and Telematics solutions for transportation OEMs and independent service providers. They provide technology, experience and processes to assist their customers to solve those problems and exploit the opportunities, helping them to accelerate time-to-market, improve quality, and reduce costs.

Eric Lidow, Chairman of IR Retires Lambda Celebrates Sixty Years in Power Supplies

The first event was the retirement of Eric Lidow on May 1 after almost seventy years in the power electronics industry. Eric Lidow was the Founder and Chairman of International Rectifier. There is no other member of power electronics community who has participated in this industry for so long, with such honor and with such a high profile. Mr. Eric Lidow holds a unique position in the power electronics industry, which is unlikely to be matched by any individuals, especially in the emerging trend of changing careers or professions every five years. 

Besides longevity, Mr. Lidow’s contributions to the field of power electronics are enormous as a pioneer and a visionary. Eric Lidow along with his father, Leon Lidow, entered the power electronics field in 1940 via development of the Selenium Rectifier. After selling their company to Sperry, they started International Rectifier (IR) in 1947 - a landmark company in itself for its dedication to power electronics products.

Under the leadership of Eric Lidow, International Rectifier prospered and eventually became a billion-dollar power devices company. Over a sixty year period, Eric Lidow and International Rectifier were at the forefront of power technology development that saw numerous transitions in device physics that spanned germanium and silicon rectifiers and then to HEXFET™ products. (HEXFET was invented and developed by Alex Lidow, Eric’s younger son). Even to this day, there is no dedicated power semiconductor company as large and focused as International Rectifier.

Eric Lidow’s visionary zeal can be attributed to one significant undertaking. In 1960 International Rectifier introduced solar cells and later produced the world’s first solar-powered automobile. Eric had comprehended the potential of solar cells years before it became such a “hot” topic. In addition, International Rectifier has emerged as one of the leaders in the emerging power management technology and industry.

The second landmark event was Lambda Electronics Corporation celebrating its 60th Anniversary. Like International Rectifier, Lambda Electronics was one of the pioneering companies in the power electronics and power supply industry that has weathered numerous changes in technology and the ravages of corporate makeovers. Except for Kepco Corporation, no other power supply company over that 60 year time period has remained intact. 

Lambda Electronics emerged as a unique supplier in the power supply industry through the  development of standard off-the-shelf products and marketed them through extensive advertising. It was novel concept then, and remains a challenging business model now. Very few power supply companies have been able to replicate this model as it is quite complex to sell power supplies like “consumer products” and to maintain profit margins significantly higher than those in the power supply industry. In the 1980’s, during Lambda’s halcyon days, it was considered as one of the most profitable companies in the United States.  Its executive compensation levels became one of the news-items in The Wall Street Journal as it was based on the profitability of the company. Lambda Electronics became a famous company in the wider corporate world. I had privilege of working for Lambda Electronics at that time.   

In 2006 the company was acquired by TDK Corporation  but the Lambda name and brand has endured and the products are now co-branded as TDK-Lambda.

Sixty years is a long time in the annals of the power electronics industry. International Rectifier, founded by Eric Lidow, and Lambda Electronics which is marching on with its new identity will be remembered as endearing institutions. The contributions of these two organizations to the power electronics industry are priceless.

Provided by Mohan Mankikar, President, Micro-Tech Consultants

The views expressed in this article are solely of Mohan Mankikar. They do not represent the views of PSMA. Mohan Mankikar has been a part of the power supply industry for over twenty five years. An active member of the PSMA since its founding, he had been a board member of the PSMA and currently serves on the Advisory Council.

We are also posting student resumes on the PSMA web site in the “Members Only” section. We encourage undergraduate and graduate students who are seeking employment to submit their resumes to the Association Office for posting on the web site. Since these resumes are only posted on the Members Only section of the web site, our member companies will have exclusive access to the resumes. Any undergraduate or graduate student interested in having their resume posted should contact the Association Office. There is no charge for this service and interested companies will be directed to the posting student for follow-up and additional information.

The program committee has once again developed a comprehensive agenda of technical papers and poster sessions that will provide you detailed insight and information into the latest advancements in communications energy systems.  There are also several informative tutorial sessions planned to provide additional expertise to attendees, which offer the ability to earn continuing education credits.  For a comprehensive review of the program and tutorial sessions, visit the website at www.intelec.org.

The exhibition this year will feature over 60 exhibitors that will be displaying the latest equipment designed to support communications energy systems.  Companies from all over the world are here to show you the latest technologies that will advance the industry now and in the future.  For more information on the companies exhibiting, please visit the exhibitor section of the website.

Finally, no INTELEC would be complete without a first class social program and activities for conference registrants to network and gain valuable insight from colleagues throughout the industry.  San Diego offers a wealth of exciting venues and a few that are included in the registration options are Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, and the USS Midway.

On behalf of the INTELEC 2008 management committee, I look forward to seeing all of you in sunny San Diego this September.  Register now, online at www.intelec.org.

Provided by Steve Vechy,
Publicity Chairman,
INTELEC 2008

If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.