1. APEC Returns to Long Beach
   
2. PSMA Planning Meeting in Long Beach, CA
   
3. Message from the PSMA Executive Committee
   
4. About Our Members - RGM presentation
   
5. Welcome to PSMA
   
6. PwrSoC 2023 – 145 Global Experts Discussed Miniaturization of Power Conversion in Hannover, Germany
   
7. EnerHarv 2024 - Save the Date
   
8. PSMA Magnetics Committee and PELS TC2 High Frequency Magnetics Workshop
   
9. Next Generation Wireless Power
   
10. Rugged Power Supplies for Harsh and Defense Applications - What to Consider?
    
11. Events of Interest – Mark Your Calendar
    

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: Q1_2023 | Q2_2023 | Q3_2023

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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.

 

reparations for APEC 2024, in Long Beach next February, is now nearly completed. The mid-year planning session held late last month covered every aspect of the event—plenary session, tech and industry sessions, professional education sessions, rap sessions, special events (Micromouse and First Robotics), Wednesday evening social and, of course, the exhibition. The committee toured the Long Beach Convention Center to review the meeting room locations and the exhibit hall.

As I reported in the previous newsletter, a full two months before registration opened in October, the booth space in the exhibit hall has already sold out. If you missed the opportunity to exhibit, please consider getting on the wait list.

Here's a quick rundown of the key APEC events:

• Mobile App — attendees will have access to a cool new app to navigate the event.
• Exhibit Hall – 287 exhibitors
• Technical Sessions — 13 multi-session tracks, 312 presentation sessions; 252 dialog presentations.
• Industry Sessions — 30 sessions in parallel with Tech Sessions; Twelve sessions produced by PSMA committees.
• Plenary Session — Six Monday afternoon speakers covering power electronics technology advances and market projects; Check the program in January for the complete program.
• RAP Sessions — Three Tuesday sessions following the close of exhibits offering point-counterpoint positions on key topics.
• Professional Education Seminars — A selection of 27 half-day sessions take place on Sunday morning/afternoon and Monday morning. Full conference registration includes access to these seminars is included.
• Student Job Fair – Event will be held on November 13 at the Hyatt adjacent to the Convention Center. Companies must register to participate.
• MicroMouse — Ever popular event pitching university teams against each other will take place on Tuesday evening in the exhibit hall during the last hour of the opening reception.
• First Robotics — Where high schools students are challenged to build industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game in alliance with other teams, takes place Tuesday evening in the expo hall following MicroMouse.
• Social Event — A carnival atmosphere is planned using the Pacific Ballroom at the Convention Center. No bus ride this year.

As a PSMA member, you and your company colleagues are eligible for very attractive full conference discounts.   Remember, you need to register to get access to the discounted hotel reservations. These special hotel blocks will sell out well before February.

If you haven't already made plans to attend, don't wait any longer. Be sure you have it in your 2024 budget to attend this exceptional event – truly The Premier Event in Applied Power Electronics™

I hope to see you in Long Beach, February 25-29, 2024.

Provided by Greg Evans, APEC 2024 Publicity Co-Chair

he 2023 PSMA Planning Meeting was held on Saturday October 21, 2023, at the Hilton Long Beach in Long Beach, CA with 26 attendees, including 9 who attended virtually. The purpose of the Planning Meeting was to review where the Association is today, discuss outstanding issues and to identify possible new programs and projects that promise to bring value to the membership.

President Trifon Liakopoulos welcomed all the attendees and reviewed the agenda for the meeting. Chair Fred Weber, who attended virtually, briefly reviewed the mission and current status of the Association. Fred highlighted some of the successes over the past year including updating membership categories, streamlining the bylaws, and gaining some control over the scheduling and allocation of PSMA Industry Sessions at APEC.

Financial Forecast
Tim McDonald, Secretary/Treasurer, presented the latest 6-Quarter financial forecast. The 6-Quarter forecast projects a 3% increase in office management expenses for 2023 and 2024, a lower level of PTR underwriting revenue, healthy surpluses from APEC 2022 and 2023, and a goal to keep the special studies "skinny" as revenue and financial resources return to their pre-pandemic levels.

In summary, the forecast indicates the Association to be on solid financial footing over the 6-Quarter period and poised for growth. Due to a faster than expected return of APEC revenue, the development of new revenue sources and careful budgeting PSMA has returned to solid financial footing more quickly than had been originally anticipated.

KPIs-Metrics that Matter
Renee Yawger, Vice President, reviewed the KPIs – Key Performance Indicators - currently being tracked. KPIs are metrics which provide information on the relative success of current activities, identify opportunities to improve the activities of the Technical Committees, improve the effectiveness of the website, workshops, special projects, and webinars, and hopefully will enhance efforts to attract new membership.  Current KPI areas include Membership - Growth, Retention and Market Share; Special Projects and Events, and Website – Traffic and Behavior.

As PSMA is still getting established in using KPIs Renee stated that many of our KPIs are still undetermined as to their target rates. However, member growth has a target KPI of 3% per year and is meeting that goal. Other KPIs to track and establish goals for include market share and member retention. Renee encouraged all committees to establish some KPIs that can be used to gauge the effectiveness of their activities.

APEC Industry Session Update
There was a brief discussion of the new system for the allocation and assigning of Industry Sessions for PSMA at APEC. Fred Weber thanked all the committee chairs for cooperating with the new process and said he hopes the system will become smoother as we move forward and gain experience.

Committee Updates
There was a report from each of the PSMA Technical Committees that summarized their accomplishments over the past year and focused on ongoing programs and projects for 2024.
In addition:

• John Horzepa presented for the Capacitor Committee as neither chair was able to attend either virtually or in person. Attendance at meetings has been down and the committee has felt the loss of former co-chair Stephen Menzel. The Capacitor Committee was not able to organize a pre-APEC Workshop for 2024 but has a solid lineup of speakers for their Industry Session.
• Brian Zahnstecher, Energy Harvesting Committee Co-chair, reported that the committee meets monthly with an average of 12 attendees on each call, including new guest(s) most months. Brian shared that the planning for EnerHarv 2024 is in full swing with bi-weekly meetings. The committee is looking forward to presenting a seven speaker Industry Session at APEC 2024.
• Energy Management Committee Chair David Chen reviewed the activities of the committee. The committee will be sponsoring an Industry Session at APEC 2024 together with the Energy Storage Committee. Co-Chair Lincoln Xue has recently relocated to China but is continuing to work with David and the Committee to further their activities. The webinar series on Appliance Efficiency Regulations will continue with a webinar on Energy Efficiency Strategies and Checklist by Ada Cheng in 2024.
• Energy Storage Committee Co-chair Victor Boyadzhan reported that the committee includes representatives from academia and industry and continues to cooperate with the Capacitor, Energy Management and other technical committees since energy storage is recognized as a critical technological focus for the overall power sources industry. Victor is excited to be co-chairing an Industry Session at APEC 2024 with the Energy Management Committee.
• John Horzepa reported for the Industry Education Committee, first stating that due to a change in work commitments Chris Whaling is stepping down as co-chair of the committee. A new co-chair is needed to fill the shoes of Chris. Despite this, the committee continues to actively work on APEC Student Attendance Support and will be a co-sponsor of the Young Professionals Social Event at APEC 2024 along with PELS and IAS. This year PSMA is taking the lead in organizing the event. The committee also plans to continue the Student Mentoring program at APEC 2024.
• Magnetics Committee Co-Chairs Ed Herbert, George Slama and Matt Wilkowski reported the committee is organizing the 9th High Frequency Magnetics Workshop the day prior to APEC 2024. The committee is also interested in initiating several special projects in 2024. The Committee will be presenting an Industry Session at APEC 2024 and has been actively involved in providing content to the Power Technology Roadmap.
• Marketing Committee Co-Chair Greg Evans said the focus of the committee is on "member conversion" – bringing new members to PSMA who should logically be PSMA members such as companies that exhibit at APEC but have not joined PSMA. He said the Committee has learned some lessons over the past year, such as "quick hit" tactics like a discounted membership fee offered at APEC weren't as effective as they had hoped. The Committee plans to work with the Executive Committee to create some initiatives to drive membership growth.
• Packaging & Manufacturing Committee Co-chair John Bultitude identified three areas of focus for the Committee: the APEC 2024 Industry Session, Conferences and Workshops and a Special Project. Their Industry Session proposal was accepted, and the Committee will have a seven speaker session at APEC 2024. They have begun planning for IWIPP 2025 and 3D-PEIM 2025 and have recently concluded PwrSoC 2023, planning will commence in the new year for the next PwrSoC. They are also interested in initiating a Special Project on Power Technology Report on Embedded and Integrated Magnetics in conjunction with the Magnetics Committee. It is expected this will be a fairly expensive project so it will depend on the availability of funds.
• Dhaval Dalal and Conor Quinn, Power Technology Roadmap Committee Co-chairs, discussed the progress so far on the 2025 Power Technology Roadmap. Eight webinars were conducted in 2022 and seven have been held or are scheduled for 2023. Currently there is only one webinar scheduled for 2024, more are needed. It is not expected that the general format will change for the 2025 report given the timelines. Finally, Conor and Dhaval indicated that new leadership will be needed for the Power Technology Roadmap after the 2025 report as they have both served in this role for several cycles.
• Crystal Yannarella, Reliability Committee co-chair, reported that their Industry Session for APEC 2024 is rounding into shape. She indicated that she would like a co-chair to help run the committee.
• Tim McDonald, Semiconductor co-chair, reported that the Committee will have four industry sessions at APEC 2024, two of which are part of the PSMA pre-allocated sessions and two that were submitted independently. In addition, the Committee will hold their first ever pre-APEC Workshop which will be held concurrently with the Magnetics Committee Workshop. The Committee remains very active and will look at ways to help bring Young Professionals into the PSMA fold.
• John Horzepa presented for the Transportation Electronics Committee as neither Fernando Salcedo nor Dinesh Kithany, Committee co-chairs, were able to attend. The Committee has planned a seven speaker Industry Session for APEC 2024. In order to address declining participation in their monthly meetings the Committee is considering adding an informational or educational presentation to the start of their meetings to attract new members and create interest in the Committee's activities.

In a change from past Planning Meetings each committee was given a total of 10 minutes, which included their presentation and brief Q&A from the membership. All committee chairs and attendees were very respectful of this format, keeping the meeting on track. Also, this allowed issues for specific committees to be addressed as they were raised rather than wait until the end for a more general wrap-up of issues.

Wrap Up and Conclusions
After a brief break at the end of the committee reports the meeting was reconvened to identify any outstanding issues and identify ways to address them. Since several committees identified potential Special Projects as part of their presentations a separate discussion was not necessary. Tim McDonald emphasized that Special Project funding would be dependent on financial resources – PSMA has recovered from the pandemic more quickly than anticipated but it is prudent to maintain a close eye on the budget. There was general agreement that the new format of the meeting was more efficient and helped to prevent the meeting fatigue that had set in during prior Planning Meetings. Several committee co-chairs discussed ways their committees can work together going forward.
 
PSMA members can view the minutes of the Planning Meeting on the "Members Only" section of the PSMA web site.

Prior to the PSMA Planning Meeting, the APEC Technical Program Committee for APEC 2024 met in the morning and were joined by many of the PSMA members in attendance. This meeting was followed by a tour of the Long Beach Convention Center. Based on the results of the work of the APEC Technical Program Committee, we can all look forward to a very interesting and a successful APEC 2024.

s we prepare for what is expected to be a record-breaking APEC in Long Beach this coming February, PSMA's technical committees have worked diligently to curate a lineup of industry sessions.  These sessions are designed to provide the most current information from a wide range of topics and areas of interest. Notably, the appeal of these sessions extends beyond design engineers, reaching out to a diverse audience of power electronics professionals, including systems engineers, applications engineers, technical marketers, manufacturers, component suppliers, regulatory engineers, and sales, marketing, and procurement professionals.

PSMA Sponsored Workshops to be Held Prior to APEC 2024
Two workshops, organized by our committees, are scheduled to take place before the official start of APEC. While not part of the official APEC program, the PSMA workshops have become an established tradition, serving as valuable platforms for industry professionals to collaborate and exchange insights.

The first of these workshops is the "Power Magnetics @ High Frequency" Workshop, presented by the Magnetics Committee, in partnership with IEEE PELS. Returning to the site of its inaugural workshop in Long Beach, California, held in 2016, the 2024 edition aims to delve into the theme of designing optimal magnetics across diverse applications and environments. The workshop will focus on identifying the latest advancements in magnetic materials, coil (winding) design, construction, and fabrication, as well as evaluation and characterization methods. These developments aim to cater to the evolving needs of power magnetics, considering the demands posed by higher operating frequencies and emerging circuit topologies and semiconductor devices.

The workshop boasts a lineup of renowned industry experts who have confirmed their participation, promising engaging discussions, and diverse insights. The agenda is set to feature a blend of keynote presentations, lecture sessions, and technology demonstrations. Topics will span an array of subjects related to power magnetics, including design optimization for various applications, magnetics for VRM applications, and the intricacies of trade-offs between capacitors and inductors. During the provided breakfast, lunch, and networking hour, there will be an interactive session of tabletop technology demonstrations addressing specific technical disciplines and capabilities consistent with the workshop agenda.

Simultaneously, the PSMA Semiconductor Committee, in collaboration with the Airfuel Alliance, is gearing up for the inaugural "Next Generation Wireless Power" Workshop. This workshop explores the evolving landscape of wireless power technology and will shed light on various dimensions critical for the successful integration of these innovative technologies into products. The workshop's primary focus will encompass the technical foundation, innovations in power electronics semiconductor technologies, use cases, industry standards, common engineering challenges, regulatory and safety requirements, and strategies to overcome them.

For product designers seeking to overcome the constraints posed by the initial wireless power technologies, this workshop presents a valuable opportunity. It aims to foster improved spatial freedom and the ability to charge multiple devices from a single transmitter simultaneously. The workshop will encompass a diverse range of market applications, including consumer electronics, IoT devices (including those without batteries), wearable and implantable devices, personal mobility devices, and autonomous devices, among others.

The agenda is set to commence with a keynote presentation providing an overview of wireless power technologies and their key technical concepts. The workshop will provide an in-depth exploration of Magnetic Resonance and RF Harvesting technologies. Attendees will have ample opportunity to participate in Q&A sessions during each presentation and an opportunity to engage with multiple technology demonstrations.

As the landscape of power magnetics and wireless power technology continues to evolve, the PSMA-sponsored workshops stand as beacons of innovation and collaboration. They create an environment conducive to continuous learning and growth, offering participants a wealth of insights, networking opportunities, and interactive sessions. Both workshops will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2024 in Long Beach, California. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for further updates as the workshops draw near.

 
RGM S.r.l.
Via Buccari 19/21
16153 Genova - Italy
Phone: +39 010 609971
info@rgm.it / sales@rgm.it
www.rgm.it

Who we are:

GM started its activity in 1986 with the design and production of power supplies. During the years, RGM has specialized in development and production of complex custom systems for energy conversion, for a wide range of applications in transportation, hybrid systems and energy storage, industrial and medical markets.

Today the core business is represented by the Power Electronics Business Unit which is structured to provide in-house design, production, and service of:

• Power Conversion Systems: Power controller and converter systems, electric and hybrid vehicle propulsion systems and energy storage systems
• AC/DC, DC/DC, DC/AC Power Supplies
• Magnetic components, HF coils and filters, HF Inductors, and pulse transformers
• Electronic boards in SMT and PTH technology and Hybrid Modules
• EEE Components
• High level electro-mechanical assemblies

What we do:

Custom PSUs exceeding the standards:

• Small, light, reliable, efficient
• Multi-voltage outputs
• Out-of-standard performances
• Tailored mechanical layout
• Multi-function systems (power box solutions)
• Advanced cooling management

Leading technology Power Converters:

DC/DC power converters for the market Leaders, setting the new industrial standard, with SiC technology, and specifically designed for fuel cell applications, battery driven Genset, Energy Storage Devices, Smart grids and Hybrid/electric vehicles.

Our commitment

We are aware of the great importance of the power supply in our customers' devices. Our clients demand high quality, reliable, safe and cost- effective products to face a strongly regulated market and an intense competitive environment. This is why each product is:

• Designed in close partnership with the customer.
• Manufactured in world-class manufacturing facilities.
• 100% functionally inspected.

Why RGM

Heritage

Providing solutions to international leading companies since 1986

Design Support

Turn-key solutions not available on the market with a high level of integration into the customer products: "have it work the way you want".

Value to Customers

Compact, efficient, highly integrated, reliable products, result in customer's lower costs of manufacturing.

About us

ounded in 2013 as a spin out from the University of Plymouth (UK), Pulsiv was primarily focused on developing techniques for extracting more energy from solar panels. We designed and patented an improved system for efficiently converting DC to AC with results that outperformed market leading solutions.

By 2017, we had discovered that our patented methods could also be applied in AC to DC power electronics used in mains powered and battery charging applications. This made it possible to achieve an unrivalled efficiency profile, extend the range of conventional flyback designs and offer a host of additional features and benefits. We are constantly evolving our technology roadmap to deliver solutions that enable engineers to develop the next generation of module-level power electronics for the solar market and power electronics designs for mains powered applications.

Pulsiv is committed to helping the world move towards 100% renewable energy and reducing the impact that electronic devices have on the environment.

What is Pulsiv OSMIUM technology?

Using a patented switching technique, Pulsiv has developed an entirely new method for converting AC to DC that delivers a combination of game changing benefits in power electronics designs. Our unique technology has extended the range of conventional flyback topologies to replace expensive LLC solutions, whilst achieving an unrivalled efficiency profile.

• Uses a new and patented switching technique based on an active valley-fill approach
• Optimises the charging current and valley voltage
• Manages the AC to DC conversion process with a parallel capacitor
• Stores only enough energy to ride through the period where the grid cannot support the load
• Discharges the capacitor using a simple diode in the follow-on DC-DC converter
• Achieves 0.96 power factor
• Delivers 99.5% front-end efficiency
• Improves flyback efficiency*, reduces transformer size and lowers cost
• Extends the range of conventional flybacks to 180W with universal mains input

*A Pulsiv OSMIUM front-end reduces the peak operating voltage in the design of a flyback. As a result, efficiency is improved because the primary side inductance is reduced, leakage inductance is lowered, and the total available winding area is increased. 

To simplify the design process, we offer:

• Pulsiv OSMIUM microcontrollers which implement our patented switching techniques
• Front-end circuit configurations that include a Pulsiv OSMIUM microcontroller and supporting components for a complete AC to DC front-end design
• Evaluation boards for rapid development of power supplies that use a Pulsiv OSMIUM microcontroller and front-end circuit configuration
• Reference designs offering a complete solution by combining a Pulsiv OSMIUM microcontroller, AC to DC front-end design and carefully selected DC-DC converter
• Expert design support to assist in optimising the technology for various applications
• Tutorial videos providing an overview to various topics and compliment supporting documentation.

Pulsiv OSMIUM provides a scalable platform for engineers to reduce size, improve energy consumption and optimise cost when designing a power supply for virtually any mains powered or battery charging application.

Contact us:

Website:  www.pulsiv.co.uk
Email:  sales@pulsiv.co.uk

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.

Electro Technik Industries
Darryl Mayo
President and CEO
5410 115th Ave. North
Clearwater, FL  33760
727-536-7861
E-mail: darryl.mayo@electrotechnik.com
Website: www.electrotechni.com

Electro Technik Industries, Inc. (ETI) is a forty-two year old, privately held company that specializes in the design and manufacture of passive electronic components. ETI owns and operates several subsidiary companies in the passive component field.  They are organized into three distinct business groups that focus on capacitors/filters & resistors (wirewound & metal film), RF/microwave components, and magnetics/transformers.  ETI is registered to ISO 9001 at all of its manufacturing/design facilities.

There are fifteen subsidiary companies including: Arizona Capacitors, Custom Suppression, Hytronics, Inductive Technologies, Nova Microwave, Precision Resistor, Raycom Electronics, Res-Net Microwave, RF Techniques, Star Microwave, Tepro, Hymeg, Plastic Capacitors, Southern Microwave and Winatic.

Each of these companies was a stand-alone manufacturer at one time and many still operate in that capacity. In either case, each is still run as an individual subsidiary. The companies complement each other in many areas of expertise, application, design assistance, capital equipment, and manufacturing capabilities. The end result is that ETI can select and channel the customer needs to the most appropriate set of resources.

Globe Capacitors Private Limited
Ankit Agarwal
Director
30/8 NIT Industrial Area
Faridabad, Haryana  121001
India
+91-981-850-8891
E-mail: ankit@globecapacitors.com
Website: www.globecapacitors.com

Globe Capacitors is India's largest producer of Film capacitors by volume. We have been in business since 1978. We supply to all the major OEMs in the home appliance sector like GEA, Rheem, LG, Samsung, Carrier, Hitachi, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Haier and many more. They have a dedicated team of engineers having 40+yrs of experience in the capacitor industry. They continue to develop and strive for excellence in our field.

They have 2 capacitor manufacturing facilities & 1 capacitor film metallizing division in Faridabad, an established industrial township near New Delhi, India. The facilities cover an air-conditioned area of 140,000 square feet & a strong workforce of 1200 employees. Globe Capacitors has all the international approvals in terms of the performance and safety of its products. The facilities partially run on solar power & we have an installed solar capacity of 100 kWh. We strongly believe in manufacturing with responsibility.

PMK Corporation
Michael Mende
President of PMK America Corporation
14775 NW Jewell Lane
Portland, OR 97229
Telephone: 9712553185
E-mail: michael.mende@pmkamerica.com
Website: www.pmk.de

PMK is a family-owned, international manufacturer of high frequency probing solutions and more electrical measurement equipment with development and production sites in headquarters in the Taunus mountains in Bad Soden in the heart of Hesse in Germany.

With over 30 years of experience, PMK develops and manufactures world-class probing solutions for the latest test and measurement challenges in electronics designs. All PMK branded probes have an universal BNC interface to ensure the re-use of our probes also when the oscilloscope vendor changes in the lab. PMK is also a well-established vendor for probes with the leading oscilloscope manufacturers worldwide.

Beside our probing solutions like the best-in-class high-voltage differential probe series BumbleBee® for latest power electronics measurement challenges like high side VDS measurements, multiple AC/DC current probing solutions, unique probes for higher temperature range from -55°C to +155°C, passive BNC-BNC cable dividers, as well as active and passive voltage probe series with unique connectivity systems, we offer complementary a variety of comfortable probing accessories for most flexible connectivity with high signal fidelity and hands-free positioning solutions for most easy daily use in different applications.

Measurement accessories like measuring leads, adaptors, couplings, terminations, clamps, hooks, test probes, as well as generators for clean fast-edge pulses or precise high voltage or current probe calibration in the own lab complete PMK's portfolio for almost all daily measurement challenges.

 

Photos: ©2022 Daniel Vogl LUH (center), Bernhard Wicht

he eighth edition of the biennial International Workshop on Power Supply on Chip (PwrSoC) took place at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, from September 27 through 29, 2023. It has been the 15th anniversary of PwrSoC. One hundred forty five global experts came together to discuss the miniaturization and integration of power conversion and management solutions - on-chip, in-package, and module level. The Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) is a co-sponsor of PwrSoC together with the IEEE Power Electronics Society (IEEE PELS).

Bernhard Wicht, professor at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, and Bruno Allard, professor at Ampere lab, Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, France, have been the General Chair and the Technical Program Chair, respectively.

The workshop started with a plenary talk by Dr. Soh Yun Siah, Vice President of Technology Development of GlobalFoundries. Single-track sessions with invited talks and a poster session covered a broad range of highly relevant topics on Granular Power Supply, Integrated Magnetics, Capacitors and Energy Storage, Topologies and Control, Systems and Applications, System Integrated Packaging and Manufacturing, Wide Band Gap Integration. The technical program included talks by industry experts from Infineon, Intel, Murata, ST, TDK, Texas Instruments, and researchers from Tyndall and Fraunhofer, as well as from academia.

These are the winners of the Best Student Poster Award who received a Student Travel Grant:

• Zhiguo Tong and Junwei Huang, University of Macao, Macao, China: A 42W Bidirectional Power Delivery Voltage-Regulating Cable
• Michael Halamicek, University of Toronto, Canada: Integration of Isolated DC-DC Converter Based on Class-E Resonant Converter and Thin-Film Microfabricated Magnetics
• Ferdinand Pieper, University of Hannover, Germany: Multiphase DC-DC Converters with Fully Integrated Inductors

Best Student Poster Award Winners:

For the first time, PwrSoC scheduled a Women-in-Engineering (WIE) Tea Break intended as a forum to discuss topics related to the professional development of women in engineering.

Women-in-Engineering Tea Break:

There were a lot of opportunities for networking and socializing. The Welcome Reception in the historic main building of the university and the Gala Dinner at the Gartensaal of the New Town Hall in Hannover will be unforgettable. A technical tour took place at Baker Hughes in Celle near Hannover.

Nearly 60% of the attendees were from industry. Regional distribution: 60% from EMEA, 27% from Asia, and 14% from North America.

This workshop would not have been possible without the generous support of these industry partners: Nano Dimension, Wurth Elektronik, X-FAB, Bosch, GlobalFoundries, and Institut Carnot I@L.

nerHarv (www.EnerHarv.com) was created in 2018 by the Power Sources Manufacturers Association's (PSMA) Energy Harvesting Committee (EHC) as an international workshop on energy harvesting and micro-power management, particularly for ultra-low power IoT applications. The Committee recognized the growing awareness and acceptance of EH technologies and their critical battery life extension enablement role in the IoT/IIoT, wearable, industrial automation, smart mobility and many more industries. The vision was a create 'a focal point for a community of experts and users of energy harvesting & related technologies to share knowledge, best practices, roadmaps, experiences and create opportunities for collaboration.'

On the heels of successful events in 2018 & 2022 (despite COVID) bouncing between Europe and North America, the demand for and participation in the globe's best energy harvesting gather has generated the momentum for EnerHarv 2024, to be held in majestic Perugia, Italy from Wed, June 26 – Fri, June 28.  The event shall be hosted by the Noise in Physical Systems (NiPS, https://www.nipslab.org/) Lab of the University of Perugia (UNIPG, https://www.unipg.it/en/).  The General Chair is Dr. Roberto La'Rosa of STMicro, General Co-chair is Mike Hayes of Tyndall National Institute, Technical Chair is Prof. Francesco Cottone of UNIPG, and Technical Co-chair is Brian Zahnstecher of PowerRox.  The event has been timed to overlap with the NIPS Energy harvesting summer school on June 24-26th (details to be announced) so there is a fantastic opportunity for younger professional to participate in both events.

The EnerHarv program has been methodically crafted to not only invite the top contributors and innovators in the industry, but ensure lots of opportunity and inspiration for the cross-collaborations that are critical to enablement.  Academic innovation is highlighted in the poster session and functional demonstrations are present throughout the course of the 3-day program.

Please stay tuned to the EnerHarv and/or PSMA websites for more details on initial keynote and speaker announcements.  Local information and registration will also be available soon.

Mike Hayes, Technical Co-Chair, EnerHarv 2024

Brian Zahnstecher, General Co-Chair, EnerHarv 2024

PSMA Magnetics Committee and PELS TC2 High Frequency Magnetics Workshop

Power Magnetics @ High Frequency
Saturday February 24 2024
Prior to APEC 2024
Long Beach Convention Center
Long Beach, CA 32819

The purpose and focus of the workshop are to identify the latest improvements in magnetic materials, coil (winding) design, construction and fabrication, evaluation and characterization techniques and modelling and simulation tools. The Workshop will target the advancements that are deemed necessary for power magnetics to meet the technical expectations and requirements of new and evolving market applications. These are driven by higher operating frequencies and emerging topologies together with continuous advances in circuits topologies and semiconductor devices.

The target audiences for the 2024 Power Magnetics @ High Frequency Workshop include the designers of power magnetic components for use in electronic power converters, those who are responsible to implement the most technologically advanced power magnetic components necessary to achieve higher power densities, specific physical aspect ratios such as low profile, higher power efficiencies and improved thermal performance. The target audiences also include people involved in the supply chain for the power magnetics industry ranging from manufacturers of magnetic materials and structures, fabricators of magnetic components, providers of modelling and simulation software as well as manufacturers of test and characterization equipment.

The theme of the 2024 Power Magnetics @ High Frequency Workshop will be the design of optimal magnetics across applications and environments.

The workshop will open with a keynote presentation by Johan Kolar and Jannik Schafer of ETH Zentrum covering the opportunities for new magnetics designs to address a broad range of market driven technology trends across automotive and data center applications. The morning session will consist of lecture presentations by Jonas Muehlethaler of Frenetic addressing design and optimization of magnetics for different applications, Qiang Li of CPES addressing magnetics for VRM applications, Lukas Mueller of Mircometals addressing optimizing inductors based on choice of magnetic materials and David Zawacki of Cornell Dubilier addressing tradeoffs between capacitors and inductors.

During lunch, breakfast, and the networking hour at the end of the workshop there will be an interactive session of tabletop technology demonstrations, each addressing specific technical disciplines and capabilities consistent with the workshop agenda. Workshop attendees typically spend ten to fifteen minutes at each technology demonstration station viewing informal interactive presentations. Interaction between the attendees and the presenters is highly encouraged during this portion of agenda as a segue from the morning technical presentation sessions to the afternoon lecture presentation session. Technology demonstrations are confirmed by JC Sun of Bs&T, Bharadwaj Reddy Andapally of CBMM, Mohammad Khodadadi of EnaChip, Mike Arasim of Fair Rite, Arturo Mediano of HF Magic Labs, Lukas Mueller of Micrometals, Andrija Stupar of Simplis Technologies, Juris Vencels of Trafolo, Frank Puhane of Wurth Elektronik and George Slama of Wurth Elektronik. We still have room for some additional technology demonstrations. If anyone is interested to present a technology demonstration, they are encouraged to contact the workshop organizing committee via e-mail to power@psma.com.

The afternoon session will begin with a keynote presentation by Charles Sullivan of Dartmouth addressing special design issues ranging from thermal design, dielectric design, and insulation design. The keynote presentation will be followed by lecture presentations by Roman Jamy of Yageo addressing multi-dimensional optimization relative to electrical, thermal, and commercial objectives, Zhicheng Guo of Arizona State University addressing partial discharge characterization for high frequency transformers and Subhashish Bhattacharya of North Carolina University addressing thermal design issues for solid state transformers.

Registration for the workshop is limited and is open at the following URL: https://psma.com/power-magnetics-high-frequency-workshop-2024-registration

Any company interested in financially supporting the workshop as a partner can find more information regarding partner opportunities and benefits at the following URL:https://www.psma.com/2024_workshop_partnership

Should contact the organizing committee through PSMA via e-mail to power@psma.com.

The agenda for the 2024 Power Magnetics @ High Frequency is available on the PSMA website at the following URL: https://psma.com/2024_Power_Magnetics_at_High_Frequency_Agenda

Organizing Committee
Ed Herbert, PSMA
Rodney Rogers, Allstar Magnetics
George Slama, Wurth Elektronik
Matt Wilkowski, EnaChip

he PSMA Semiconductor Committee and Airfuel Alliance will conduct the first of its kind "Next Generation Wireless Power" Workshop on Saturday, Feb 24th, 2024, at APEC 2024 in Long Beach, CA.

The purpose and focus of the workshop is to identify the latest improvements in wireless power technology and will cover the different dimensions to successfully integrate these new technologies into products. These include, the technical foundation, innovations in power electronics semiconductors technologies, use cases, industry standards, common engineering challenges, regulatory and safety requirements, and how to conquer them.

Product designers looking to overcome the rigid limitations of first-generation wireless power technologies, to provide increased spatial freedom and the ability to charge multiple devices from a single transmitter simultaneously, will greatly benefit from the course. The target audiences for the Next Generation Wireless Power Workshop include the wireless power system designers for consumer electronics, robots, and autonomous vehicles, IOT devices, medical devices, and others. The target audiences also include people involved in the wireless power industry supply chain ranging from manufacturers of Power ICs including GaN, magnetic materials and structures, fabricators of magnetic components, providers of modeling and simulation software as well as manufacturers of test and characterization equipment.

The workshop will address several market applications including consumer electronics, IOT devices (including those that are batteryless), wearable and implantable devices, personal mobility devices, autonomous devices, etc. The workshop will include presentations and demonstrations to address specific technical issues.

The workshop will open with a keynote presentation that will provide an overview of the wireless power technologies and the key technical concepts. We will discuss the technical advancements driving the evolution of the 2nd generation wireless power technologies and the experiential benefits enabled. We will then cover Magnetic Resonance and RF Harvesting technologies in detail, how to determine which technology is most appropriate for a given use case, integrating them into your product, relevant design trade-offs to be considered and so on. We will conclude by discussing the safety and regulatory requirements for wireless power and why it is essential to factor these into design at the start. There will be ample opportunity for Q&A during each presentation.

During the provided breakfast, lunch, and the networking hour at the end of the workshop there will be interactive tabletop technology demonstrations each addressing specific technical disciplines and capabilities consistent with the workshop agenda. Interaction between the attendees and the presenters is highly encouraged.

efense applications are among the most demanding applications in the world, and so it goes without saying that the successful design of defense power systems demands a full understanding of the complex performance requirements, testing, and the environmental conditions to which the intended product will be subjected to.

Reliability and high performances a must!
At first glance and especially given that their basic function to convert a variable source AC or DC voltage to a stable usable voltage are the same, it may appear to the casual observer that power supply products used in the defense sector may seem similar to those used in other sectors such as industrial and telecommunications - but it is far from being comparable. Power solutions for the military sectors must have enhanced ruggedness, durability and must be highly reliable to a level perhaps higher than any other. In the defense sector, power equipments must perform seamlessly across a range of intense climates and harsh terrains. They must also be able to provide many years of service with minimal maintenance.

Military power supplies are generally manufactured to very high standards and to provide the best quality performance in diverse and often harsh deployment environments. Such power supplies can withstand ambient temperatures as high as 80 degrees and as low as -40 degrees Celsius. They have specific voltage ranges to provide the various military-grade aircraft and vehicles operating the different operational modes. The power supplies can handle considerable vibration, shock and jostling, the levels of which are much more intense than those occurring on commercial trains and aircraft. So make no mistake, the required reliability level of power supply systems is very high in defense sectors. They are able to operate in a wide range of temperatures as well as in extreme shock and high impact conditions. MIL-STD requirements are found in most military power system units, and they work smoothly without hiccup in harsh environments.

Uniqueness of the military and defense market segment
Because of the nature of the military and defense business segments, which for most of the final applications are classified, highly confidential, and covered by trade secret protection regulations, it is very difficult to accurately estimate the overall market size related to power supplies. However market analysts' estimates which including batteries, generators, UPS and power supplies is estimated to be about 8 billion USD in 2023.

If we focus on power supplies (AC/DC, DC/DC), in its latest report Market Analyst Micro-Tech Consultants estimated this segment to represent close to 3 billion USD. This is composed of 60% designed in-house by military equipment manufacturers (Captive), and 40% from the merchant market, where part of it is custom designed, based on customers' specifications, and specific to a unique application (Figure 01).

Figure 01 – Example of a PRBX custom power supply designed to meet harsh environmental requirements (Source: PRBX)

Figure 02 – PRBX COTS/MOTS OFD1200A DC/DC converter for defense and demanding industrial applications (Source: PRBX)

Custom power solutions still represent a large portion of this segment though, and as it has been for other segments, when designing a new equipment, military and defense manufacturers are considering the benefits of using commercial and military off-the-shelf (COTS/MOTS) power supplies (Figure 02) in the very early stages of their projects in order to reduce cost, resources allocation and time to market.

In terms of design, i.e., custom or standard power solutions, power electronics designers must consider a number of standards specific to the military and defense industry, which is a very interesting part of the design process.

Designed to meet stringent standards
From the ground to outer space, power supplies must comply with specific standards defining the level of ruggedness required to meet the final requirement. As the range of applications is extremely large, power designers must take into consideration the most appropriate standard covering the breadth of the application. Standards are specifying all possible environmental conditions that the final equipment will be exposed to e.g., extreme temperatures from -40 to +80 degree centigrade, the need for noise reduction due to tactical requirements, shock and vibration resulting from handling, transportation and operational impacts.

The Military and Defense industries are using the so called Military Standard (MIL-STD) (Figure 03). This standard was established after WWII to provide standard, uniform requirements and to ensure interoperability for the military and its secondary industries, explicitly focusing on engineering and technical requirements, processes, procedures, practices, and methods. First used by branches of the military, MIL-STD certification now represents the ability to withstand extreme conditions and is used as a reference by other demanding industries. Whilst it would be impossible to mention all of these standards we can list a few examples of what power supply designers must consider when designing product for military and defense applications.

Figure 03 – The Military and Defense industries are using the so called Military Standard (MIL-STD) (Source: PRBX/DoD)

When silence is golden MIL-STD-461 is the norm.
The basic principle of a power supply is to transform a DC voltage to AC and then to rectify it to return to a usable DC voltage. This process is achieved by switching the DC voltage, a process that generates radio emissions and conducted noise. These are very critical in defense application because they could be detected or interfere with critical systems. To reduce such disturbances power supply manufacturers are implementing different technologies from soft switching to noise cancelation, or to simplify, similar to what you are using in your headset to listen music in noisy environment.

To ensure that power supplies do not generate high levels of conducted or radiated noise, and also that the power supply itself is not affected or damaged by external signals, it should be tested in accordance with MIL-STD-461. This norm establishes the electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements for military ruggedized power supplies. Compliance with the standard is key to ensuring the satisfactory performance of all equipment within a system. The tests performed under MIL-STD-461 include: conducted emissions ; conducted susceptibility ; radiated emissions and radiated susceptibility.

Depending on the application e.g., ground, air force, navy, or submarine frequency spectrum, the level of susceptibility and tests might vary as defined in the tables IV and V of the MIL-STD-461 (Figure 04).

Figure 04 – MIL-STD-461 tables IV and V with the classification of EMI and EMS test vs. applications (Source: PRBX/DoD MIL-STD-461G)

Power to military vehicles: the MIL-STD-1275
Most of the military equipments onboard vehicles are powered by a 28V internal distribution BUS voltage from the main battery or power generator, with MIL-STD-1275 being the standard for the electrical power distribution system on military ground vehicles. This standard defines the operating voltage limits and transient voltage characteristics of the 28Vdc power supply at the input of the utilization equipment. The DC/DC or DC/AC power conversion system must be able to operate when exposed to the defined voltage transients, both surges and spikes, and supply well-regulated, clean power to its loads. This standard covers all possible disturbances the power supply will face during its operation, guaranteeing it will always deliver on promise.

MIL-STD-810 or the Environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests
First introduced in June 1962, MIL-STD-810 has been through a number of revisions, and released in January 2019 was its eighth version, MIL-STD810H. MIL-STD-810H describes detailed testing procedures designed to determine how equipment holds up under a variety of conditions, such as temperature, impact, vibration and humidity levels that the equipment may encounter while being used, transported and stored. Even though MIL-810H is a military standard, it is important to note that many ruggedized industrial products are tested to this standard. MIL STD 810H has more than 20 different test methods ranging from Low Pressure (Altitude) to Mechanical vibrations of shipboard equipment, including gunfire shock, and acid atmosphere. Most power supplies do not need to be tested according to all of the test methods, and power supplies designers select the relevant parts relevant to the final application. Some of the test methods are general and commonly used e.g., test method 516.8 for shock, and test method 514.8 for vibration. These tests simulate the effect of jolts, drops and other similar actions that can occur during transit and operations.

Designing with commercial and military off-the-shelf in mind!
Because COTS/MOTS power supplies can be used in a large range of applications, power designers must consider a broad range of environmental aspects.

A number of defense applications require power supplies to operate with limited, or indeed no ventilation cooling. In this respect we are mainly referring to those operating in harsh environments where electronic equipment is installed in a sealed box, in radio communication systems subject to adverse weather conditions, outdoor surveillance and access control equipment, and indoor equipments subject to very strict audible noise restrictions. In addition to environmental requirements, reliability and cost of maintenance are motivating systems designers not to use fans and blowers, and to privilege conduction cooling.

Conduction cooling requires very specific building practices and the power supplies must be designed to guarantee optimal heat transfer from the dissipating components to the baseplate in order to deliver a high level of performance within an almost obscene operating temperature range of -40 to +95 degrees centigrade at baseplate. In such applications the baseplate can be used to cool the power supply when operating in high temperature environments, but also to warm-up the power supply when operating at low temperatures. Indeed some power supplies include a Pelletier element powered by a small battery and used during the startup phase or peak cooling conditions.

When considering COTS/MOTS, customers often require power supplies to be extremely flexible and able to power a large range of applications. For example, some defense applications such as battery chargers require the power supply to deliver a constant current, and this must not only be easily adjustable but at the same time the power supply may be required to be used for other purposes e.g., monitoring when not charging, and to switch from constant current to constant voltage. Often such equipments are operated in environments requiring the electronics to be enclosed and protected from hazards. This necessitates the power supply to offer an external control to adjust the output voltage and/or current from the maximum allowed down to near zero. Depending on the final requirement, such functions can be controlled by analog or digital communication BUS. Flexibility is also needed for applications requiring redundancy or for higher power customers requiring power supplies to be designed for paralleling, where to maintain high efficiency often includes active ORing circuitry.

All of that without forgetting the need to meet the higher levels of shock and vibration above those required by conventional power supplies, and highly efficient EMC filtering such as specified by MIL-STD 461E CE102, MIL-STD 1399-300A and MIL-STD 810H.

The Bridge!
As mentioned, benefiting from the best practices to design ruggedized power solutions to meet MIL-STD810H specific tests, military and defense COTS/MOTS power supplies are rapidly gaining interest from end users in demanding industrial applications operating in harsh environments. In this article we have not mentioned extreme applications such as ones exposed to high levels of radiation. Whilst these applications might be considered marginal, with the number of nuclear power plants being refurbished to prolong their lifetime there is a demand to develop power supplies able to sustain exposure to high radiation levels with a longer lifetime than previously required. From research conducted on military power supplies able to sustain high radiation levels, and the implementation of the latest generation of Wide Bandgap semiconductors developed for hostile environments, it is obvious that demanding industrial applications will benefit from such research and from the availability of COTS/MOTS power supplies.

Developing power supplies for military, defense and high demanding industries is a very interesting area for power supply designers to explore and to discover new technologies making them even more robust, versatile and energy efficient.

About The Author

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Powerbox, Patrick Le Fèvre is an experienced, senior marketer and degree-qualified engineer with a 40-year track record of success in power electronics. He has pioneered the marketing of new technologies such as digital power and technical initiatives to reduce energy consumption. Le Fèvre has written and presented numerous white papers and articles at the world's leading international power electronics conferences. These have been published over 450 times in media throughout the world. He is also involved in several environmental forums, sharing his expertise and knowledge of clean energy.

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