POWERING THE FASTEST ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE ON THE PLANET Lightning Motorcycle delivers speed, handling, range, and ruggedness ISSUE 4 – November 2023 www.power-mag.com Also inside this issue Market News | Industry News Automotive Power | Wi-Fi Connectivity Power Capacitors | In-Vehicle Power Product Update | Web Locator
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CONTENTS www.power-mag.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe 3 News and Features Editor Caroline Hayes Tel: +44 (0)7730 884462 Email: caroline@dfamedia.co.uk Publisher & UK Sales Ian Atkinson Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340 Email: ian@dfamedia.co.uk www.power-mag.com Production Editor Chris Davis Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340 Email: chris@dfamedia.co.uk Financial Manager Joanne Morgan Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340 Email: accounts@dfamedia.co.uk Reader/Circulation Enquiries Perception Tel: +44 (0) 1825 701520 Email: dfamedia@dmags.co.uk INTERNATIONAL SALES OFFICES Mainland Europe: Victoria Hufmann Norbert Hufmann Tel: +49 911 9397 643 Fax: +49 911 9397 6459 Email: pee@hufmann.info Eastern US Ian Atkinson Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340 Email: ian@dfamedia.co.uk Western US and Canada Ian Atkinson Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340 Email: ian@dfamedia.co.uk Japan: Yoshinori Ikeda, Pacific Business Inc Tel: 81-(0)3-3661-6138 Fax: 81-(0)3-3661-6139 Email: pbi2010@gol.com Taiwan Prisco Ind. Service Corp. Tel: 886 2 2322 5266 Fax: 886 2 2322 2205 Circulation and subscription: Power Electronics Europe is available for the following subscription charges. Power Electronics Europe: annual charge UK/NI £95, overseas $160, EUR 150. Contact: DFA Manufacturing Media, 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE Great Britain. Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340. Refunds on cancelled subscriptions will only be provided at the Publisher’s discretion, unless specifically guaranteed within the terms of subscription offer. Editorial information should be sent to The Editor, Power Electronics Europe, 192 High Street, Tonbridge TN9 1BE U.K. The contents of Power Electronics Europe are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. Printed by: Warners. ISSN 1748-3530 PAGE 4 Market News PEE looks at the latest Market News and company developments PAGE 10 Industry News PAGE 14 Battery management systems and the role of the sensor in EV driving range and safety The latest sensors used in electric vehicles (EVs) not only help to prevent onboard fires but also contribute to tackling the driving range challenges, says Jérémie Piro, Global Product Manager BMS at LEM PAGE 16 Low power Wi-Fi opens doors in smart buildings and industry Adding Wi-Fi 6 enhances current IoT applications while enabling many new ones. By Finn Boetius, Product Marketing Engineer, Nordic Semiconductor PAGE 18 Emerging high frequency, high power applications need a rethink on capacitors to maintain power integrity There is an alternative to using traditional multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) to fulfill high frequency power demands in IoT devices, mobile phones and high performance computing applications. By Mukund Krishna, Senior Manager, Product Marketing and Luca Vassalli, Customer Applications Engineering Director, Empower Semiconductor PAGE 24 How GaN-based power can smooth the road ahead for smaller, more efficient, cost-effective automotive infotainment systems In-vehicle infotainment systems poses a challenge to vehicle power design, explains Renee Yawger, Marketing Director at Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) PAGE 26 Products PAGE 31 Web Locator Lightning Motorcycles deliver a smooth ‘magical feeling’ even at 215mph! Innovative modular power system design delivers an unequalled riding experience. More details on page 12. FEATURE STORY
4 MARKET NEWS Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com APEC 2024 registration offers early bird discounts and access to technical content Registration for APEC 2024 at the Long Beach Convention Center (25 to 29 February 2024) is now open, and includes access to a range of papers, seminars and events, such as peer-reviewed technical programme paper presentations, industry sessions and half-day professional education seminars presented by industry experts. The annual event addresses issues of immediate and long-term interest to power electronics engineers, equipment OEMs using power supplies and DC/DC converters, designers of power supplies, DC/DC converters, motor drivers, uninterruptible power supplies, inverters and any other power electronic circuitry, equipment and systems as well as manufacturers and suppliers of components and assemblies used in power electronics. There is also material, presentations and companies relevant to manufacturing, quality and test engineers, compliance engineers, testing and qualifying power electronics equipment or equipment which uses power electronics and sales and marketing personnel across the power electronics market sector. In addition to the conference programme, full registration includes admission to theb APEC 2024 Exposition that brings together nearly 300 leading manufacturers. Special events – including the MicroMouse contest, the FIRST Robotics event and the Wednesday evening Social Event are also part of this lively, interactive power electronics trade show. APEC 2024 offers discounted rates at five hotels near the Long Beach Convention Center. Early bird registration ends on 29 December 2023. https://apec-conf.org/registration Productronica 2023 topics range from sustainability to efficiencies This year’s Productronica (14 to 17 November) will include power electronics topics including core components of a sustainable world, significantly higher efficiencies due to wide bandgap semiconductors and SiC frequency converters for electric vehicles. Analysts from the Yole Group expect the global power electronics market to grow from $20.9 billion in 2022 to $33.3 billion by 2028, a CAGR of 8.1%. This growth will be driven by governmental regulations, the expansion of renewable energies and the demand for energyefficient solutions. The lengthier and more complex manufacturing processes required means that chips made from SiC and GaN are significantly more expensive than silicon counterparts, although manufacturers expect to reduce costs by switching to 300mm wafer technology. The choice between silicon, SiC and GaN ultimately depends on the specific requirements of the application, including power, switching frequency, temperature and cost. Breuer-Motoren is presenting a SiC inverter power amplifier developed as part of the research project SiC-Mobil – SiC frequency converter for electromobility as a test platform for investigating the reliability, service life, EMC and efficiency of fast-switching SiC power semiconductors. The growth in industrial automation is also an essential driver of the power electronic market. The industrial sector requires reliable and efficient power electronics to increase productivity, reduce energy consumption and optimise manufacturing processes. Visitors will be able to see innovative test solutions from exhibitors Rohde & Schwarz, Viscom, Löhnert, CRS Prüftechnik and SPEA. SEMICON Europa is once again taking place alongside productronica (14 to 17 November 2023 at Messe Munchen) https://productronica.com/en/trade-fair/
microchip.com/medical-sic The Microchip name and logo and the Microchip logo are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their registered owners. © 2023 Microchip Technology Inc. All rights reserved. MEC2528A-UK-10-23 Elevating Medical Designs With Silicon Carbide Sustainable SiC Enables System Simplicity and Lower Cost Enhance your medical designs with mSiC™ solutions. Silicon Carbide (SiC) offers unique features that enhance device performance, safety and cost-efficiency to elevate your design to the next level. The high breakdown voltage, exceptional thermal conductivity, high-frequency operation and resistance to radiation in SiC devices make a dependable and secure option for medical applications. With reduced thermal management requirements, SiC devices reduce overall system costs while increasing system efficiency and reliability. Key Features • Increased system uptime and lifetime • Reduced system cost • Higher efficiency with reduced cooling requirements • Increased power density • Higher frequency operation • Reduced power consumption
6 MARKET NEWS Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com Exhibition space for PCIM grows PCIM Europe 2024 Exhibition will occupy more space, with exhibition stands in four halls. The exhibition and conference takes place between 11 to 13 June 2024 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center. The additional hall for PCIM Europe 2024 reflects this increasing demand, says Messe Messago. The extra space will support the event’s continuous growth, increase the variety of products and services presented, and drive further development of power electronics, says the show organiser. Messe Messago adds that visitors to PCIM Europe can look forward to an even more extensive range of products and services as well as further networking opportunities. www.pcim-europe.com According to Dr Alex Holland (pictured), Principal Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, the next generation of silicon anode materials is inching closer to commercialisation as energy density and rate capability improve. There are contenders for the crown currently held by graphite, which has good overall performance and which is low in cost. While graphite is predicted to maintain its dominance in the Li-ion industry, there is also lithium metal and anode-free materials to consider. Other options, such as niobium oxides, have also garnered some interest for fast-charging batteries. Graphite is expected to remain the most widely used anode material for the medium term and Li-ion graphite anodes will continue to grow and exceed 2m tonnes by 2029. The graphite used for Li-ion anodes are either natural or synthetic. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, says Holland. Natural graphite is generally a lower-cost option than synthetic with a higher initial capacity but also a lower cycle life, C-rate capability and initial coulombic efficiency. Synthetic graphite is more expensive and more difficult to mill into spherical particles. It also tends to offer longer cycle life and marginally higher initial coulombic efficiency. The output of natural graphite has proven challenging. The US DoE and the European Commission have included natural graphite in their latest critical raw materials/minerals lists due in part to Li-ion batteries’ important role in transport electrification and stationary storage applications. China’s dominance of graphite anode production also presents a supply risk, though Li-ion graphite anode production outside of China is starting to develop from players such as Syrah Resources, Northern Graphite, and Nouveau Monde in North America, or Talga Resources, SGL Carbon and Vianode (synthetic) in Europe, amongst others. www.IDTechEx.com/lithium Research examines next-gen silicon anode technologies
MARKET NEWS 7 www.power-mag.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe The compact, power dense SiC modules 650V, 20ASiC rectifier module is designed for high frequency power applications ranging from 3.0 to 11kW power stack designs in industrial power supplies, EV charging stations, and on-board chargers. The compact footprint will help to maximise power density, reducing the amount of required board space and lowering the overall system cost, say the partners. Thermal performance is optimised using a combination of top-side cooling (TSC) and an integrated negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor which monitors the device temperature and provides real time feedback for device or system level prognosis and diagnosis. The rectifier module has a low inductance package to enable high frequency operation and has been qualified to operate with a junction temperature of up to 175°C. According to Katrin Feurle, Senior Director of the Product Group SiC at Nexperia, the collaboration combines the company’s SiC semiconductors with module packaging for products which offer “exceptionally high levels of power density”. The module is the first step in what is envisaged as a long-term SiC partnership between Nexperia and Kyocera AVX. Nexperia expects samples of the new SiC rectifier modules to be available in Q1 2024. http://www.nexperia.com Nexperia and Kyocera AVX Components collaborate for 650V SiC rectifier module To receive your own copy of subscribe today at: www.power-mag.com Ferraz Shawmut | Eldre | Idealec | FTCAP COOLING AND BUS BAR SOLUTIONS POWER CAPACITOR HIGH SPEED FUSES POWER STACK EVALUATION KIT YOUR NEEDS ARE COVERED EP.MERSEN.COM 10907 MERSEN AP Cooling & Bus bar solutions 86x124 2023.indd 1 2/14/23 8:33 AM
8 MARKET NEWS European distributor, Avnet Abacus announces distribution agreement with XP The agreement covers the manufacturer’s high reliability and mission-critical power products for medical and industrial applications, across EMEA markets. The power products are designed and manufactured for integration into a selection of applications that require dependable and often mission-critical power sources, such as in industrial technology, healthcare and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The manufacturer’s extensive portfolio includes AC/DC power supplies from 3W to 50kW, DC/DC converters from 0.25W to 700W, and high voltage power supplies with outputs up to 500kV DC. “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality power solutions to customers across various industries,” said Gavin Griggs, CEO, XP Power. “By joining forces, we aim to streamline and enhance the availability of our products to a wider audience of design engineers and manufacturers.” Rudy Van Parijs, President at Avnet Abacus is delighted with the signing. “We are quickly ramping up stock availability of XP Power’s diverse portfolio of power converters to provide our customers with fast access to these products.” www.avnet-abacus.eu 4-6 June 2024 | NEC Birmingham www.昀uidpowersystems-expo.com Secure a prime position stand today – enquiries@昀uidpowersystems-expo.com www.airtech-expo.com Secure a prime position stand today – enquiries@airtech-expo.com Powering Fluid Innovation The UK’s only exhibition for hydraulic and pneumatic equipment, integrated systems engineering and components. The Home of Air-Tech Innovation The UK’s only dedicated exhibition for the compressed air, generators and vacuum market.
Buy your ticket now! productronica.com/ticket co-located event Accelerating Your Innovation.
10 INDUSTRY NEWS Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com A collaboration between power conversion IC developer, Power Integrations, and AI driven electronics components search engine, SnapMagic (formerly SnapEDA) claims to reduce power supply specification to PCB layout time to just minutes. SnapMagic announced that PI Expert, Power Integrations’ online design tool, now features schematic and netlist export, through the use of its new schematic export technology. Based on specifications input by the user, the design tool automatically generates a complete power supply schematic using Power Integrations’ power conversion ICs, including a custom magnetics design. Before this innovation, the automated tool flow extended up to full circuit optimisation but required manual transcription into a CAD package to facilitate simulations and physical layout. This new export capability ensures a fast and seamless transfer of the design, including symbols, footprints, 3D models and electrical netlist into one of four popular PCB CAD tools currently supported, namely Cadence OrCAD, Altium, Autodesk Eagle / Fusion360 and KiCad. Trevor Hiatt, director of channel marketing at Power Integrations said: “Eliminating the need to manually create or download symbols, draw a schematic and then port those files into a PCB layout tool will save time, reduce transcription errors and, importantly, assist with version control and traceability. The schematic is laid out in a consistent format and optimised for readability on the industry standard 0.1 inch format.” Natasha Baker, CEO and founder at SnapMagic added: “Power Integrations has created an extraordinary power supply design tool. By pairing it with SnapMagic’s CAD expertise, we’ve made it possible to export schematics in Streamlined design flow for power supplies real time . . . freeing engineers to do what they do best - innovate. We’re not just saving engineers weeks; we’re changing the game entirely.” PI Expert Online is a web-based program that takes designers’ power supply specifications and automatically generates a power conversion solution, providing everything necessary to build and test a working prototype. It includes a ready-to-build Transformer Construction Report, winding instructions, electrical and mechanical diagrams, bill of materials and board layout recommendations. No download or installation is required. PI Expert Schematic Export is compatible with user-defined custom components, and exported schematic files contain a readme text file providing step-by-step instructions for opening in the desired CAD tool. SnapMagic created the schematic export capability within PI Expert. Engineers simply select File > Export Schematic and then the PCB format of choice. SnapMagic’s schematic translator provides the completed schematic including schematic symbols and PCB footprints. In addition to the schematic export, CAD models for select Power Integrations components can also be downloaded on the main SnapMagic Search website. Name: Company Name: Address: Post Code: Tel: Total Number of Copies @ £ p+p Total £ Drives S & S Hyd H/B Pne H/B Ind Mot Comp H/B H/B Air QUANTITY QUANTITY Hydraulics & Pneumatics There are now 6 of these handy reference books from the publishers of the Drives & Controls and Hydraulics & Pneumatics magazines. Published in an easily readable style and designed to help answer basic questions and everyday problems without the need to refer to weighty textbooks. We believe you’ll find them invaluable items to have within arms reach. From the publishers of QUANTITY QUANTITY QUANTITY 2-5 copies £4.30, 6-20 copies £4.10, 20+ copies £3.75. QUANTITY PRACTICAL ENGINEER’S HANDBOOKS HYDRAULICS INDUSTRIAL MOTORS SERVOS AND STEPPERS PNEUMATICS COMPRESSED AIR INDUSTRIAL ELECTRIC DRIVES PLEASE ALLOW UPTO 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY $&! -!.5&!#452).' -%$)! ,4$ 4HE (IGH 3TREET 4ONBRIDGE +ENT 4. "% Postage and Packaging: 1-3 copies: £2.99 4-6 copies: £4.99 7 or more copies: £6.99 If you would like to obtain additional copies of the handbooks, please email info@dfamedia.co.uk or call us on 01732 370340. Alternatively you can return the completed form below to: Engineers Handbook, DFA MANUFACTURING MEDIA LTD, 192 The High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE #HEQUES SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO $&! -ANUFACTURING -EDIA ,TD AND CROSSED ! # 0AYEE #OPIES OF THE HANDBOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AT a PER COPY $ISCOUNTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR MULTIPLE COPIES
www.power-mag.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe European electronic component distributor, TTI, is now stocking the BIC-2200 bidirectional AC/DC power supplies from Mean Well. The single, compact unit can deliver AC grid power to DC for charging and when it needs to be discharged converts the DC energy back to the AC grid. This bidirectional capability from a single, compact power supply fulfils SWaP-C (size, weight, performance and cost) needs for manufacturers of battery formation and test equipment, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems, EV charging stations, industrial laser equipment and kinetic recovery systems, said TTI. The power supply’s builtin functions include active current sharing, remote on/off control and CANBus mode. Timing of the discharge can be programmed to achieve peak-shaving and valleyfilling, reducing electricity costs during the charging process. TTI Europe is also able to assist customers in projects and design development, based on its close relationship with the manufacturer, its expert knowledge and experience in power supply integration in wide-ranging charge/discharge applications, said Ros Kruger, technical marketing director, TTI Europe. “The BIC-2200 bi-directional power supplies enable us to help our customers reduce overall costs and, more importantly, lower maintenance Package-Attach SOLDER PREFORM TECHNOLOGY Lower Processing Temperatures Prevents Warpage Solid Thermal Performance Robust Reliability Prevents Encapsulation Breakdown Energy Savings Indalloy®301 LT Available in InFORMS®, Preforms, and Ribbon Learn more: indium.com/PWREU301 ©2023 Indium Corporation INDUSTRY NEWS 11 TTI offers Mean Well’s BIC-2200 series 2.2kW bi-directional power supplies costs and improve system reliability,” she says.
12 POWERING INNOVATION www.vicorpower.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com Lightning Motorcycles deliver a smooth ‘magical feeling’ even at 215mph! Innovative modular power system design delivers an unequalled riding experience “After the first ride I took on Skyline Drive in Woodside, Calif., I became convinced that electric motorcycles should be a business. The bike gives you a feeling of limitless torque with no vibration, no noise and no heat – there is almost a magical feeling to it.” That was the experience of Richard Hatfield, founder and CEO of Lightning Motorcycles Corp., which holds the land speed record for electric motorcycles: over 215mph. The San Carlos, California company was founded in 2007, just a few streets over from another electric vehicle pioneer – Tesla. San Carlos at that time was ground zero for electric vehicle development and collaboration. Lightning strikes and breaks land speed record Having cut his teeth on EVs in the late 1990s helping develop an electric Porsche for a U.S. race series, Hatfield, a lifelong motorcyclist, set his sights on creating a motorcycle that leverages the same technology. In the early days, lithium batteries were a scarce luxury item, but by 2005 he was able to source some of the first iron-phosphate lithium cells, together with an industrial variable-frequency-drive inverter and an induction motor. After developing early prototypes with his original EV motorcycle design, Hatfield equipped his next bike with a Tesla motor, and Lightning was born. “We took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats and broke a speed record that had stood for 35 years,” Hatfield said. “We still hold the Bonneville record – an SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) sanctioned 215.962mph – in addition to 211.7 at the El Mirage dry lake bed. Then we raced it in the inaugural AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) zero-emission road racing series and won the North American championship.” Soon after, Hatfield produced Lightning’s first production bike, the LS-218. As the speed and road racing trophies piled up, Hatfield used the momentum to bulk up Lightning’s engineering prowess. “That was our model,” he said. “From the beginning we thought that, for electric motorcycles to be a compelling business, we had to provide performance and an experience that equaled or exceeded the best internal combustion bikes.” And exceed he did. In 2013, Lightning ran in the open class of the Race to the Clouds at the Pike’s Peak International Hill Figure 1 Lightning Motorcycles Corp. holds the land speed record for electric motorcycles, exceeding 215mph. Figure 2 Minimally, electric motorcycles need to deliver 100 miles at 70 miles an hour per charge. Today Lightning’s bikes range more than 170 miles/charge with the capacity to recharge to 80 percent in 10 minutes.
www.vicorpower.com POWERING INNOVATION 13 www.power-mag.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe Climb. Hatfield’s LS-218 EV motorcycle out-scrambled the entire field, winning the event by more than 20 seconds over the fastest gas bikes. Honing a world class riding experience Lightning’s goal from day one was to deliver a one-of-a-kind electric riding experience. To a large extent, that came down to assuaging two customer concerns: range and charging time. Initially, Hatfield confided, it was a challenge to build a bike that could deliver 100 miles at 70 miles an hour. Lightning’s bikes now range more than 170 miles with the capacity to recharge to 80 percent in 10 minutes. Lightning’s latest battery packs replace the typical graphite anode with silicon anodes, which have energy density in the 300-watt-hour-per-kilogram range – higher than most automotive EV OEMs can achieve, according to Hatfield. Silicon anode cells also charge exceptionally quickly and are able to charge sustainably over 100 kilowatts, whereas competing EV bikes push to get to 20 kilowatts even for a brief time. The cell battery pack lifespan also generally exceeds that of most EV motorcycles. Even shorter-life cells pull about 800 to 1,000 zero-to-100 cycles. Lightning batteries are also modular and upgradeable, meaning that as better technology becomes available, new batteries can be swapped onto the bike. Power modules the easy choice for top performance As Lightning’s bikes became more sophisticated, the electronics onboard demanded more power, but not weight. Managing electrical noise in a vehicle that’s extremely compact and lightweight is always a challenge. From the early stage, Lightning adopted Vicor DC-DC power modules in all its products, a decision Hatfield attributed to their superior reliability, low noise, high power density and easy thermal management. Lightning uses Vicor DC-DC converters to power the bike’s 12V control electronics as well as lighting, dash instrumentation and sensors. Lightning began commercial production using the DCM4623TC8G16F0T00, which is powerdense, lightweight and a very cost-effective solution. The input range of the DCM4623 is wide enough to support different voltages from commonly used battery chemistries. For example, it offers flexibility to switch between Lithium-Iron-Phosphate packs, which provide 200 – 400V, and NickelManganese-Cobalt or Nickel-CobaltAluminum Oxide chemistries, which typically range between 250 – 420V. One early issue was how to connect the battery and apply its voltage to the DCM. The problem is one that all DC-DC converters face: the transient voltage step (V/µs) from a battery when turning on and off is so fast that it’s not actually possible to connect and immediately apply the battery’s 400V. There were also mechanical relays that connect the battery to the loads such as actuators and the motor, where noise can damage the DCDC converter and other electronics. To address both problems, Vicor designed a pre-charge circuit and input filter to allow stable operation when turning ON and OFF. Vicor was instrumental in supporting Lightning’s technical needs as the power systems evolved. What’s down the road for Lightning Hatfield is planning to return to the El Mirage dry lake beds in southern California to see if his team can break its own record. They also have aspirations of racing at Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, which is the largest salt flat in the world and covers almost 4,000 square miles at 12,000 feet. So far, 15 of the world’s elite teams have been invited to compete in what is the world’s premiere land-speed event. For Hatfield, while the records are important, it’s the poetry of riding an EV motorcycle that is most satisfying. “It’s just a more advanced feeling,” he said. “You don’t need a transmission, you don’t have to shift, and you have limitless torque all the way across the power band. We hear that a lot from our customers. Most of them are lifelong motorcyclists, but they don’t ride their gas bikes so much anymore because of the experience they get from the Lightning.” DCM™ is a trademark of Vicor Corporation. Figure 3 Lightning uses Vicor DCM power modules to convert the high voltage battery down to 12V to power the bike’s control electronics including dash instrumentation, lighting, and sensors. The DCM4623 is a power-dense, lightweight and costeffective DC-DC converter that generates a clean 12V supply from a very wide high voltage input range. www.power-mag.com
14 AUTOMOTIVE POWER www.lem.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com Battery management systems and the role of the sensor in EV driving range and safety The latest sensors used in electric vehicles (EVs) not only help to prevent on-board fires but also contribute to tackling the driving range challenges, says Jérémie Piro, Global Product Manager BMS at LEM Whenever EVs are discussed, the number one topic raised is range - the distance that they are capable of travelling on a single charge. Even though distance travelled on a full tank is usually a long way down the list of criteria for most people buying a petrol or diesel vehicle, for EVs it is at the very top. Despite the average car journey being around 10 miles, drivers insisted in a recent survey that what they expected from an EV was the ability to drive around 375 miles on a single charge. Of course, the reality (at the time of writing) is that most drivers will not be able to travel anywhere near that distance on a fully charged EV lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery. This highlights a clear dilemma for the automotive sector. The technology used in EVs is completely different to what customers are familiar with and comparisons with the internal combustion engine (ICE) are erroneous. There is another criterion that is increasingly governing people’s choice of electric vehicles – safety, in particular from the risk of fire. This topic is expected to take on even greater importance in the coming years. Why has safety become such a major issue? Simply because as modern EVs need to be designed to charge faster in order to satisfy the demands described earlier, on-board systems are going to have to deal with higher current and higher voltage and this will require greater isolation. There is a genuine concern in the automotive sector – whether among OEMs, manufacturers of EV chargers or charge point operators – that while it is vital to deliver all the benefits drivers are looking for, there has to be an absolute priority given to avoiding any possibility of leakage or fire within vehicles. State of charge, state of health The battery management system (BMS) installed in every EV is the main component of a vehicle’s battery pack. It fulfils two essential requirements for the driver. Firstly, it evaluates the state of charge (SoC), which is the level of charge of an EV battery relative to its capacity. This dictates the driving range that the vehicle can achieve. Secondly, the BMS manages the battery pack’s state of health (SoH) with an on-board safety function designed to prevent leakage or fire. The more accurate these evaluations are, the happier motorists will be in terms of addressing driving range anxiety as well as concerns over safety. For a BMS to deliver these vital functions, it has to incorporate reliable sensing elements. Not surprisingly current sensors are key components of any BMS and these devices have gone through significant changes as demands increase from the EV sector. LEM has recently developed the third generation CAB series of transducers for delivering SoC figures with optimum accuracy. The premium CAB range was first developed for battery management systems 12 years ago and has evolved as customer requirements have altered. The first model represented a breakthrough technology that made it possible to achieve more accurate current measurements by eliminating magnetic offset and delivered contactless current Figure 1: In the CAB 1500, the fluxgate sensing head’s induction coil ensures rapid transition between linear and saturated state.
www.lem.com AUTOMOTIVE POWER 15 www.power-mag.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe measurement. The next model had a higher current range (from 300A to 500A) and improved safety levels. The latest iteration of the transducer is the CAB 1500 with an extended current range of up to ±1500A. In terms of functional safety, this ASIL (automotive safety integrity level) C device complies with ISO26262. Additionally, it makes redundant current measurement possible using just a single current sensor in the BMS instead of a pair, due to two internal independent channels. Integral electrical features for safety management include over-current detection, with an internal error flag set to one when current is above 1600A, a safety goal violation flag set to one (depending on plausibility check results between the analogue and digital channels), a sequence counter and a CRC (cyclic redundancy check) for end-to-end communication protection. The CAB 1500 has the ability to treble the current range within the same footprint as earlier models. It is also claimed to deliver best-in-class accuracy of 0.5% over a temperature range of −40°C to +85°C. As well as its extremely low offset, which enables accurate coulomb counting for SoC estimations, the sensor uses the nonintrusive measuring principle while offering full galvanic isolation and compatibility with 800V applications. Other key features include the option to be busbar or panel mounted and a unipolar +12V battery power supply. The fluxgate sensing head is made of an induction coil which combines very high permeability with low remanence (Hc), ensuring rapid transition between linear and saturated state. Fluxgate technology is particularly suitable for battery management systems because it offers resolution up to 0.1%, best in class accuracy Ip max and offset, non-intrusive measurement and isolation up to 2.5kV, and low power consumption when compared to shunt technology. Sensors take to the road Incorporating the most advanced current sensors into new battery management system designs, engineers can differentiate products in a competitive market. With sensors becoming smarter, developers are able to incorporate more advanced software which makes it easier to collect and process greater amounts of data in a single device. At the same time, designers will be enabling automotive manufacturer customers to put the EVs they offer at the forefront of the marketplace in terms of performance, cost and safety. Anticipating the need for higher safety levels, LEM is working actively on two new concepts. The first is to increase features as the sensor become multi-functional and take on the role of sensing a wider range of different factors within the battery disconnect unit. For instance, while a current sensor would traditionally sense the battery pack current only, it is now also expected to monitor the pack voltage at different locations as well as detect any hot spots. Additional features such as triggering the pyrofuse in case of any overcurrent or monitoring the high voltage pack insulation to ensure there is true isolation between the battery pack and the mass of the car’s chassis is also becoming popular. These reflect a trend to turn the current sensor into a sensing hub to service the BMS. The second concept is based on two different technologies to sense the current. Putting ‘shunt + Hall’ in a single package may not be revolutionary but it represents a very competitive solution. The company claims that by combining its 50 years’ of sensing experience based on the open loop technology with a new ASIC, makes it possible to reach very high accuracy levels for the redundant path. This concept can be used as a standalone module or in addition to a multi-point sensing module and offers an optimised and robust sensing head which is easily compatible with the highest rank of safety level, ASIL D. Mapping the route ahead In summary, demands within the automotive sector are pushing the technological advances required to satisfy them. It may be sobering news for those ‘playing catch up’ that the demands are only going to get stronger and more challenging. The only way to ‘get ahead of the game’ is to embrace the kind of technology that will enable them to achieve a quantum leap in the market. At the very core of these advances in the EV sector will be current sensors operating as part of sophisticated BMS that will take EVs to new levels for range and safety. Looking to the future, the current sensor is set to become a crucial part of the intelligence of a BMS where data will need to be transferred to the BMS simultaneously. Cost and mechanical integration will also be key factors as the market moves forward, because the BMS and battery pack will have to become smaller and lighter. www.lem.com Figure 2: Fluxgate technology offers resolution up to 0.1%, Ip max accuracy and offset, non-intrusive measurement and isolation up to 2.5kV combined with lower power consumption than shunt technology. www.power-mag.com
16 WI-FI CONNECTIVITY www.nordicsemi.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com Low power Wi-Fi opens doors in smart buildings and industry Adding Wi-Fi 6 enhances current IoT applications while enabling many new ones. By Finn Boetius, Product Marketing Engineer, Nordic Semiconductor According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, the organisation that promotes the use of WiFi, the economic value derived from the technology is $3.5 trillion. (Global Economic Value of Wi-Fi 2021 - 2025.) The alliance says there are 18 billion WiFi devices in use and 4.4 billion annual shipments, of which 2.3 billion meet the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard. That makes Wi-Fi seriously big business, with much of its huge popularity down to Wi-Fi’s internet protocol (IP) interoperability. This allows a Wi-Fi device to connect directly to the cloud using any of the millions of alreadyinstalled access points (AP). Public Wi-Fi access will benefit from the new standard’s high bandwidth and speed, for example allowing large numbers of users in malls or at airports to make quick purchases and stream videos or music. Moreover, the adoption of Wi-Fi 6 has made the technology better suited to the IoT (internet of things), where it complements existing IoT technologies used for low power networks, for example, Bluetooth LE and Thread. Wi-Fi 6 offers higher throughput and longer range than these other protocols, allowing it to enhance existing IoT applications while enabling new ones. Building Wi-Fi 6 for the IoT Wi-Fi 6 introduced many enhancements to the specification but those most useful for IoT solutions are OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access), beamforming, longer symbol duration, target wake time or TWT, a new power saving mode (PSM) and basic service set (BSS) colouring (a method of differentiating between APs broadcasting on the same channel). TWT and OFDMA make the most significant contribution to power saving and enable energy-constrained devices to use the benefits of Wi-Fi where it might not have previously been possible. Earlier versions of the Wi-Fi standard do include PSM, but these are controlled by the AP and offer limited flexibility to the end device. Generally the end device has to remain awake to receive the AP’s beacon ahead of any data exchange, which effects battery life. By contrast, the TWT PSM included in Wi-Fi 6 enables the end device to individually negotiate a wake-up schedule with the AP. This allows it to sleep for defined periods, helping cut power consumption significantly and allowing data exchange to happen at the agreed wake-up time. A further benefit of TWT is that it enables interference mitigation by letting the AP allocate dedicated time slots for each end device’s data transfer. More sub-carriers allow larger sensor networks The OFDMA employed in Wi-Fi 6 allows for a higher number of sub-carriers within a single Wi-Fi channel. For example, a 20MHz channel can be further divided into 117 sub-carriers each side of the channel’s central frequency. Groups of sub-carriers can then be allocated to a certain end device while other groups can be allocated to different end devices depending on the data traffic requirement. The proliferation of protocols enables many new applications in cities, buildings and vehicles.
www.nordicsemi.com WI-FI CONNECTIVITY 17 www.power-mag.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe This technique is called multi-user uplink/downlink. It does add complexity to AP side of the link but not to the IoT end device because that only needs to operate with its dedicated sub-carrier frequencies. OFDMA is particularly useful for large IoT sensor networks with many end devices, but with each needing to send only a small amount of data, because it enables dynamic, flexible and highly efficient division of the available spectrum bandwidth. Using full specification Wi-Fi 6, up to 1,500 devices can be connected using a single AP. This can make Wi-Fi 6 particularly useful in, for example, airport applications, resolving the current challenges of sporadic coverage and time lags that hinder legacy services. Without OFDMA, a large sensor network would typically generate a lot of channel congestion, as Wi-Fi client devices attempt to access the medium without much coordination, causing higher interference levels and resulting in reduced throughput. The multi-user uplink/downlink feature will allow Wi-Fi 6 routers to improve wireless performance in the home, allowing greater use of smart home devices as well as resolving streaming difficulties with neighbouring users. Nordic Semiconductor has introduced a Wi-Fi companion IC, the nRF7002, that will add low power Wi-Fi capabilities to embedded IoT systems. It can be used to enhance existing applications. For example, the high throughput is useful for scenarios when an IoT end device must transmit occasional high volumes of data – such as when the device performs over-the-air (OTA) updates for complex firmware. New uses in home and industry The companion IC is designed to complement the company’s multi-protocol SoCs (system on chips) and cellular IoT SiPs (system in packages) and is controlled by the SoC or SiP’s embedded Arm microprocessor. The companion IC incorporates co-existence technology to ensure it doesn’t try to transmit on the 2.4GHz frequency at the same time as a Bluetooth LE SoC. The combination of multi-protocol SoC or cellular IoT SiP and Wi-Fi 6 companion IC enables many new applications. For example, the companion IC boosts throughput to support applications such as security cameras. It also allows the addition of Wi-Fi location services to GPS asset tracking devices. In the smart home, Wi-Fi’s native IP interoperability is being leveraged by the Connectivity Standard Alliance’s recently introduced Matter standard. This protocol works by building on top of existing smart home wireless technologies (Thread, Bluetooth LE and the Ethernet wired protocol) by providing a unifying application layer. Wireless Matter devices will use either Thread or Wi-Fi for transport (and Bluetooth LE for commissioning). The Matter application layer makes it simpler for Thread devices to communicate with a Wi-Fi network and from there to the cloud. Wi-Fi also boosts range and offers higher security for sensitive data transfers than Bluetooth LE. In industrial automation or warehouse applications, the companion IC will play a vital role in making it easy to build a gateway between low power Bluetooth LE or IEEE 802.15.4 -based networks and the cloud. A dual band device The nRF7002 is a dual band (2.4 and 5GHz) device which features a low power capable Wi-Fi radio, advanced security features and the 2.4GHz co-existence mechanism. The IC is compatible with earlier Wi-Fi standards (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac) in addition to Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) and supports one spatial stream, 20MHz channel bandwidth, 64 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) and 86Mbit/s PHY throughput, OFDMA (downlink and uplink), TWT, BSS colouring and beamforming (on the receiver side). A 2.4GHz-only companion IC is also available. When powered from a 2.9 to 4.5V supply, the companion IC’s radio operates with a peak transmit current (2.4/5GHz) of 191/260mA and a peak receive current of 60/56mA. Sleep current, with real time clock (RTC) is 15µA and shutdown current is 1.7µA. With TWT (2.4GHz, 60s interval), the average current is 29.5µA, reducing to 18.2µA for one day intervals. Sensitivity (1DSSS, 2.4GHz) is -98.6dBm and TX (max) (2.4/5GHz) is 21/15dBm. The device supports the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)3 security protocol which features increased cryptographic strength and more robust authentication. This support for WPA3 removes some of the security burden from the host side. The companion IC implements the IEEE802.11 physical layer (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) firmware only. The Wi-Fi driver and Wi-Fi and TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/IP) stack are held on the host processor. Communication between the MAC and the other parts of the stack is via the IC’s SPI (serial peripheral interface) or quad SPI (QSPI). There is a development kit to introduce developers to a multi-protocol SoC and Wi-Fi companion IC. The company also offer the nRF7001, which is a single band connectivity of 2.4GHz intended for use in cost-optimised designs. Extending location services The Wi-Fi companion ICs make it straightforward to add Wi-Fi SSID location services to existing products such as asset trackers. For example, one can be used with a cellular IoT SiP to enhance location accuracy. Together with the company’s nRF Cloud Location Services, the SiP can use cell-based (single- or multi-cell) and/or GPS-based (assisted- or predictive-GPS) location features. Wi-Fi SSID locationing is more accurate than cell-based location features and less power hungry than GPS. Wi-Fi excels where GPS struggles. For example, among a city’s high buildings, the GPS signal can be patchy, yet there is typically a high density of Wi-Fi APs. Wi-Fi is also good indoors where GPS fails. The WiFi companion looks for a nearby AP and obtains its SSID. The cellular IoT SiP then sends the SSID to nRF Cloud, which in turn checks a Wi-Fi AP database. nRF Cloud then returns the location, with the degree of uncertainty, to the SiP, or elsewhere. With its higher throughput, longer range and power saving features, Wi-Fi 6 is set to boost the capabilities of embedded IoT systems - opening new applications for wireless technology in virtually every market. www.nordicsemi.com The single band (2.4GHz) nRF7001 is for use in cost-optimised designs. The nRF7002 Wi-Fi companion IC will add low power Wi-Fi capabilities to embedded IoT systems.
18 POWER CAPACITORS www.empowersemi.com Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com Emerging high frequency, high power applications need a rethink on capacitors to maintain power integrity There is an alternative to using traditional multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) to fulfill high frequency power demands in IoT devices, mobile phones and high performance computing applications. By Mukund Krishna, Senior Manager, Product Marketing and Luca Vassalli, Customer Applications Engineering Director, Empower Semiconductor As one of the most fundamental components in electronics, capacitors are used in large numbers across a variety of designs to maintain power integrity. They are a key requirement for applications such as mobile phones, IoT devices and HPC (high performance computing) applications and address last mile power delivery challenges, such as high frequency power demands for the high performance processors. While traditional MLCCs have fulfilled the requirements thus far, stricter constraints on power density are challenging the continued usage of the existing model. As system engineers look to deliver the promised and expected performance in smaller form factors, provision of the most efficient power de-coupling solution is a critical design consideration. It is currently estimated that over one trillion capacitors are produced every year, of which 800 billion are surface mount MLCCs or chip capacitors. These are used to address requirements across the complete power and voltage range in applications, including energy storage, filtering and decoupling of power rails to filter out unwanted ripple and noise. The exponential growth in the creation of HPC has been led by the rapid advent of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI and ML). The magnitude and frequency of instantaneous power demands are growing in steps of 100% for subsequent generations, placing stress on power integrity solutions. When it comes to the latest dataintensive systems built around high performance, high speed processors and multiple power domains that operate with fast transients and low voltages, designers are finding a growing number of challenges with conventional MLCC capacitors. These processors are increasingly used on highly dynamic workloads, such as running AI algorithms and neural network models for ML and inference. For such applications, the peak current swings become significant, with instantaneous peak processor currents of 800A to 1000A in tens of nanoseconds becoming the norm. This results in extremely challenging current transients (di/dt). These highperformance devices usually require multiple low voltage (0.4V DC to 1.0V DC) power rails and tight adherence to voltage regulation specifications, typically within ±1.0%. Board-mounted switching DC/DC converters offer a viable method of provisioning high power direct to computational devices such as FPGAs, GPUs, and neural network processors (NPUs). While the DC/DC converters mounted on the PCB provide adequate DC power to these workloads, their frequency of operation, and hence bandwidth (which is the ability to respond to ultra-fast current transients), is orders of magnitude lower than required. The sheer volume of such solutions render them being located at distances far enough away that any ability to service fast transients is rendered useless by the high impedance to the processor. The electrical noise generated from transients, power supply ripple and other noise artefacts can significantly impact the performance of the computational ICs and other circuit functions. Signal integrity is tightly associated with power integrity in any complex application, and such artefacts can create ‘ringing’ oscillations across the whole system. Digital processors made with advanced process nodes such as 5nm have extremely tight tolerances on voltage supply to avoid brown-out at the lower end and overvoltage at the upper end. Analogue ICs used in data conversion signal chains are particularly vulnerable to PDN (power delivery network) noise, with its power supply rejection ratio as a critical indicator of susceptibility. As any analogue IC’s datasheet will highlight, small variations of supply voltage can upset the function’s operation. For example, the introduction of jitter on clock signals or the reduction of analogue conversion accuracy. Decoupling power rails Minimising transient, ripple and noise artefacts from the PDN in high frequency, high performance applications is paramount. To decoupe PDN noise artefacts, multiple capacitors, typically MLCCs of different values and case sizes, are placed across the supply rails. The aim is to provide a low impedance return path across a wide frequency range. To provide the most effective noise cancellation, the capacitors are placed closest to the noise sources and the power pins of sensitive ICs. Board layout will influence MLCC placement, but this situation is exacerbated by larger processor ICs requiring tens of capacitors. At higher switching and computational frequencies, PCB trace parasitics and the equivalent circuit characteristics of the MLCCs also become significant. As high frequency processing
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