Digital input ICs halve footprint and lower power

To meet the size, power and performance requirements of Industry 4.0, Maxim Integrated has added to its family of digital input devices.

One, the MAX22192, is integrated into the company’s new Go-IO programmable logic controller (PLC) reference design.

Increased automation means a need for real-time decision-making and feedback-loop mechanisms. These intelligent Industry 4.0 systems require digital input ICs inside the PLCs to receive on/off status signals. They must also be robust, high performing and robust for integration throughout manufacturing environments.

Maxim’s expanded portfolio of IEC61131-2-compliant digital input devices is claimed to offer the industry’s smallest solution size (by as much as 50 per cent), the lowest power dissipation (by as much as 60 per cent), and is up to six times faster and has the most robust performance (integrating 1kV of surge protection and integrated diagnostics).

The family also includes a parasitically powered digital input that reduces power dissipation by up to 60 per cent and does not require a discrete isolated power supply.

The digital input devices available from Maxim are the MAX22190 eight-channel octal digital input with serial peripheral interface (SPI), accurate input current limiters, built-in surge protection of more than 1kV and wire break detection in a 5.0 x 5.0mm package.

The MAX22191 single-channel, parasitically powered digital input with accurate input current limiters and 250ns (max) propagation delay is in a 2.8 x 2.9mm package; the

MAX22192 eight-channel octal digital input with isolated SPI, wire break detection and accurate input current limiters in a 6.0 x 10mm package.

The MAX22195 high-speed octal digital input ICs have parallel output and accurate input current limiters, 300ns (max) propagation delay, parallel interface, low power, low heat dissipation, fault tolerance with built-in diagnostics, configurability and a robust design in a 5.0 x 5.0mm 32-TQFN package.

These ICs join the MAX14912 and MAX14913 octal high-speed, switch/push-pull driver with integrated surge protection, diagnostics and fast/safe demagnetisation, the MAX14914 universal digital IO with surge protection, high-side switch/push-pull driver/digital input and an SPI and the MAX14483 six-channel, high-density, high-speed, low-power digital isolator optimised for daisy chained SPI applications.

Evaluation kits (MAX22190, MAX221919, MAX22192 and MAX22195) are also available.

Visit Maxim at electronica 2018 in Hall C4, Stand 440.

https://www.maximintegrated.com

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Two Xeon processor additions target HPC and AI

Intel announces two member of its Xeon processor portfolio. The Cascade Lake advanced performance processor is expected to be released the first half of 2019 and the Intel Xeon E-2100 processor for entry-level servers is available now.

Cascade Lake represents a new class of Intel Xeon Scalable processors designed for the most demanding high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) workloads. The processor incorporates a performance optimised multi-chip package to deliver up to 48 cores per CPU and 12 DDR4 memory channels per socket.

Cascade Lake advanced performance processors will deliver both core CPU performance gains and leadership in memory bandwidth constrained workloads, promises Intel. Performance estimates include Linpack up to 1.21x versus Intel Xeon Scalable 8180 processor and 3.4×2 versus AMD EPYC 7601; Stream Triad up to 1.83x versus Intel Scalable 8180 processor and 1.3×2 versus AMD EPYC 7601;

AI/deep learning inference up to 17x images-per-second versus Intel Xeon Platinum processor at launch.

Intel SGX on the Intel Xeon E-2100 processor family delivers hardware-based security to secure customer data and applications. This feature allows new entry-level servers featuring an Intel Xeon E-2100 processor to provide an additional layer of hardware-enhanced security measures when used with properly enabled cloud applications.

The Xeon E-2100 processor is targeted at small- and medium-size businesses and cloud service providers. It supports workloads suitable for entry-level servers as well as any computing applications requiring enhanced data protection for sensitive workloads.

The Intel Xeon E-2100 processor-based servers will support the latest file-sharing, storage and backup, virtualisation, and employee productivity solutions.

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600V GaN FET supports applications up to 10kW

Claimed to double power density in industrial and telecomms applications, the LMG341x family of high-voltage GaN FETs has been announced by Texas Instruments.

The 600V GaN FETs of 50 and 70-mOhm power stages support applications from sub 100W to 10kW. The FETs enable designers to create smaller, more efficient and higher-performing designs compared to silicon FETs in AC/DC power supplies, robotics, renewable energy, grid infrastructure, telecomms and personal electronics applications.

The LMG341x family devices provide an alternative to traditional cascade and standalone GaN FETs by integrating functional and protection features to simplify design, says TI. This enable greater system reliability and optimisation of the performance of high-voltage power supplies. With integrated current limiting of up to 100 nanoseconds and over-temperature detection, the devices protect against unintended shoot-through events and prevent thermal runaway. System interface signals enable a self-monitoring capability.

TI’s integrated GaN power stage doubles power density and reduces losses by 80 per cent compared to silicon MOSFETs, explains TI. Each device is capable of fast, 1MHz switching frequencies and slew rates of up to 100V/nanoseconds.

The family of GaN FETs is backed by 20 million hours of device reliability testing, including accelerated and in-application hard switch testing.

The LMG3410R050, LMG3410R070 and LMG3411R070are available now in 8.0 x 8.0mm split-pad, quad flat no-lead (QFN) packaging.

Visitors to the Texas Instruments stand C4-131 at electronica (13 – 16 November at Messe Munchen, Germany) will see a 10kW cloud-enabled grid link demonstration, jointly developed by TI and Siemens. The demonstration uses TI’s LMG3410R050 600V GaN FET with integrated driver and protection, enabling engineers to achieve 99 per cent efficiency and up to 30 per cent reduction in power component size compared to a traditional silicon design.

Texas Instruments is a semiconductor design and manufacturing company that develops analogue integrated circuits (ICs) and embedded processors.

http://www.TI.com

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AC/DC converter in tablet configuration enables high density racks

A three-phase, AC/DC converter module, the RFM, from Vicor, is capable of delivering 10kW of regulated 48V DC in a power tablet configuration measuring 9.4 x 5.9 x 0.6-inches (240 x 150 x 15mm).

The RFM provides a power-factor-corrected, regulated, and isolated DC output with integrated filtering and built-in fault protection for redundant operation. It can be configured to accept worldwide three-phase AC mains from 200 to 480V AC.

The low-profile power tablet design aids power density and thermal management, says Vicor. For example, four RFMs in parallel, including input-disconnect circuitry, rectification and hold-up energy storage at 48V, can supply 40kW of power within 1U of rack space.

The RFM power tablet package provides thermal management for advanced cooling, including liquid cooling, of high-power server racks for demanding high performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) inference and learning applications.

Vicor explains that 48V (including 54V DC) distribution is the emerging standard in high-power racks using smaller-gauge wiring. It achieves substantially lower distribution losses, than legacy 12V DC distribution. In combination with Vicor 48V Power-on-Package (PoP) and 48V Direct-to-PoL solutions, the RFM enables dense and efficient end-to-end power system solutions, from three-phase AC to sub-1.0V AI processors at the point-of-load, confirms Vicor.

The 10kW power tablet RFM is the first in a new series of single and three-phase AC/DC modules featuring power outputs from 150 to 15kW.

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