The Kynix Blog

Summary Last days,I bought a new house and I am considering how to decorate it. when thinking about wall-lighting sconces.My project is to place an array of LED strips on the walls,covered with translucent(or in some cases,opaque!) Yeah,Plexiglas plates mounted a few centimetres away. That's the plan anyway...   Preparation At first, I need a 18W power supplies small enough to fit into an electrical box.Finally,I chose a power supply.This product could provide a full 1.5A without collapsing.However,upon opening the cases,the component temperatures after rumming at full-throttle for a new minutes suggested otherwise.The switching transistor,output rectifier,and output capacitor were all far too hot for comfort.I imagine the 18W spec is only valid for one day of use. Figure 1  The 12V 18W PSU. Notice the 100% efficiency (IN & OUT are both 18W), and  the dire warning not to touch the surface of the plastic case because of high temperature   I also bought one PSU from Aliexpress.They behave differently than the first batch. From an external vantage point, they’ll only supply 1.3A as opposed to the former 1.5A. The output voltage collapses to 8V at 1.5A.Take it apart, and further differences appear. Most noticeably, the 12V output capacitor does not egregiously overheat at, say, 1.3A. Sure enough, the part has “Low ESR” printed on the case. The previous caps don’t. Figure 2  PSUs from AliExpress (top) and another, forgotten source (bottom). Note the  convenient dates at the bottom of the boards. Manufacture has transitioned from phenolic to fiberglass   The design appears to be a simple self-oscillating circuit. I measured the switching frequency to be about 100 kHz. The 12V output caps are at the upper-right of each board. Though the legend says “1000µF 25V”, the installed caps are 470µF.   After discovering the output cap heat problem (but before getting the second PSU batch), I sourced a bagful of quality capacitors – 270µF @ 35V, still more than enough capacitance for this circuit, but with a high ripple-current rating and low ESR. Both of the boards above have these new parts installed. They run cool as a cucumber, versus the slight temperature rise of the second PSU caps, and of course, the extreme rise of the first ones. Figure 3  The PCB bottoms reveal other minor design changes in the newer boards – mainly exposed copper to pick up current-fortifying solder   I’m constantly struck by the strange state of affairs at this level of Chinese manufacture. Clearly, there is some thought and skill put into design and production, yet we still end up with stupidities, like unsuitable parts, or wishful-thinking specs. As I mentioned, other parts get hot too. The switching transistor can get toasty at higher loads, but it was the output rectifier I focused my measurements on. At 1.33A, free-air TC registered 90°C. At 1.2A, 86°C. Figure 4  My test setup here at EDN Labs. Note the many safety protocols employed on the bench   Enclosed in its case, in an electrical box, I don’t think I’ll want to pull more than 1.1A from these PSUs. Hopefully, that will be enough for my LED lighting. Other options: Squeeze two PSUs into a box (possibly swapping the case for some shrink wrap or electrical tape), or, cut a hole in the case so I can bend the rectifier out and heat-sink it to the electrical box! Hmm. We’ll see.   Result I didn't realize my plan until now.I am so tangle should choose which one? The last one,there is an absence of an AC line filter on the board.The former, at least, has a line filter, and even if they also don’t meet their output-current spec, they will certainly be better than the PSUs I’m using. But…they don’t fit into an electrical box.How do you think about my plan? Anyaway,I will attempt it again when I am free.  

Warm hints: The word in this article is about 1000 and the  reading time is about 6 minutes. MIT researchers found a way to triple the efficiency by using "topological" materials with special electronic properties. Although previous research has indicated that topological materials could be used to create efficient thermoelectric systems, little is known about how electrons in such topological materials can move in response to temperature differences to produce a thermoelectric effect. Researchers not only found that they can push the boundaries of this nanostructured material in a way that makes topological materials a good thermoelectric material,more so than conventional semiconductors like silicon,but also this could be a clean-energy way to help us use a heat source to generate electricity, which will lessen our release of carbon dioxide. NewsToday, thermoelectric devices are used for relatively low-power applications, such as powering small sensors along oil pipelines, backing up batteries on space probes, and cooling minifridges. Scientists hope to develop more efficient thermoelectric devices that will harvest heat produced as a byproduct of industrial processes and combustion engines and convert it into electricity. However, thermoelectric devices' power, or the amount of energy they can generate, is currently limited. "We discovered that we can push the limits of this nanostructured material in a way that makes topological materials a better thermoelectric material than traditional semiconductors like silicon," says Te-Huan Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering. "In the end, this could be a clean-energy way to help us use a heat source to generate electricity, which will lessen our release of carbon dioxide," Liu added. Liu is first author of the PNAS paper, which includes graduate students Jiawei Zhou, Zhiwei Ding, and Qichen Song; Mingda Li, assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering; former graduate student Bolin Liao, now an assistant professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara; Liang Fu, the Biedenharn Associate Professor of Physics; and Gang Chen, the Soderberg Professor and head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.A Path Travel Freely When a thermoelectric material is exposed to a temperature gradient — for example, one end is heated while the other is cooled — electrons begin to flow from the hot end to the cold end, resulting in an electric current. The greater the temperature difference, the more electric current and power are made. The amount of energy that can be produced is determined by the electron transport properties of a given material. Scientists have discovered that certain topological materials can be converted into efficient thermoelectric devices using nanostructuring, a technique used by scientists to create a material by patterning its features at the nanometer scale. Scientists believe that the thermoelectric benefit of topological materials stems from decreased thermal conductivity in their nanostructures. However, it is uncertain how this increase in efficiency relates to the material's inherent, topological properties.     Liu and his colleagues investigated the thermoelectric efficiency of tin telluride, a topological material considered to be a strong thermoelectric material, to try to address this issue. Tin telluride electrons also have unusual properties that resemble a class of topological materials known as Dirac materials. The researchers wanted to understand the effect of nanostructuring on the thermoelectric efficiency of tin telluride by simulating electron movement through the material. Scientists often use a calculation known as the "mean free path" to characterize electron transport. This is the average distance an electron with a given energy can freely travel within a material before being dispersed by different objects or defects in that material. Nanostructured materials resemble a patchwork of tiny crystals, each with its own boundary, known as grain boundaries, that separates one crystal from the next. As electrons come into contact with these limits, they scatter in a variety of ways. Electrons with long mean free paths scatter violently, similar to bullets ricocheting off a wall, whereas electrons with shorter mean free paths are much less affected. The researchers discovered that the electron properties of tin telluride have an important effect on their mean free paths in their simulations. They plotted the spectrum of electron energies in tin telluride against the related mean free paths and discovered that the resulting graph looked very different from that of most traditional semiconductors. In particular, for tin telluride and probably other topological materials, the findings indicate that higher-energy electrons have a shorter mean free path, while lower-energy electrons have a longer mean free path. The researchers then investigated how these electron properties influence the thermoelectric efficiency of tin telluride by essentially summing up the thermoelectric contributions from electrons with different energies and mean free paths. It turns out that the ability of a substance to conduct electricity, or produce a flow of electrons, under a temperature gradient is largely determined by the electron energy. They discovered that lower-energy electrons have a negative effect on the production of a voltage difference, and hence electric current. Since low-energy electrons have longer mean free paths, they can be dispersed more intensely by grain boundaries than high-energy electrons.Size DownGoing a step further in their simulations, the team experimented with the size of individual grains of tin telluride to see whether this had some impact on the movement of electrons under a temperature gradient. They discovered that raising the diameter of an average grain to around 10 nanometers, putting its boundaries closer together, increased the contribution of higher-energy electrons. Higher-energy electrons contribute much more to the material's electrical conduction with smaller grain sizes than lower-energy electrons because they have shorter mean free paths and are less likely to scatter against grain boundaries. As a result, a greater voltage difference can be produced. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that shrinking the average grain size of tin telluride to around 10 nanometers yielded three times the amount of electricity that the material would have produced with larger grains. Although the findings are based on simulations, Liu claims that researchers can achieve comparable results by synthesizing tin telluride and other topological materials and changing their grain size using a nanostructuring technique. Other researchers have proposed that shrinking the grain size of a material can improve its thermoelectric efficiency, but Liu claims that they have mostly assumed that the ideal size is much larger than 10 nanometers. "In our simulations, we discovered that we can shrink the grain size of a topological material far more than previously thought, and based on this principle, we can increase its performance," Liu says. Tin telluride is one of the topological materials that have yet to be discovered. If researchers can determine the optimal grain size for each of these materials, topological materials, according to Liu, can soon be a viable, more effective alternative to producing renewable energy. ConclusionLiu believes that topological materials are excellent for thermoelectric materials, and our findings indicate that this is a very promising material for potential applications. The Solid-State Solar Thermal Energy Conversion Center, an Energy Frontier Research Center of the United States Department of Energy, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contributed to this research (DARPA). Article From Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesArticle Edited by kynix 

Warm hints: The word in this article is about 1000 and the  reading time is about 6 minutes.SummaryResearchers from Purdue University showed a range of concepts and technologies about semiconductor industry at international IEDM 2016 Conference in Dec. 2016. Looking forward to the future of semiconductor,which concepts included innovations to extend the performance of today's silicon-based transistors,along with entirely new types of nanoelectronic devices to complement and potentially replace conventional technology in future computers. This is a device is made from the semiconductor germaniumIssueIn the conference,researchers said,"For the past 50 years, ever more electronic devices envelop us in our day-to-day life, and electronic-device innovation has been a major economic factor in the U.S. and world economy," said Gerhard Klimeck, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of Purdue's Network for Computational Nanotechnology in the university's Discovery Park. "These advancements were enabled by making the basic transistors in computer chips ever smaller. Today the critical dimensions in these devices are just some 60 atoms thick, and further device size reductions will certainly stop at small atomic dimensions." New technologies will be needed for industry to keep pace with Moore's law, an observation that the number of transistors on a computer chip doubles about every two years, resulting in rapid progress in computers and telecommunications. It is becoming increasingly difficult to continue shrinking electronic devices made of conventional silicon-based semiconductors, called complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, said Muhammad Ashraful Alam, Purdue University's Jai N. Gupta Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "As transistors are becoming smaller they are facing a number of challenges in terms of increasing their performance and ensuring their reliability," he said. Purdue researchers presented five papers proposing innovative designs to extend CMOS technology and new devices to potentially replace or augment conventional transistors during the annual International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM 2016) Dec. 5-7 in San Francisco. The conference showcases the latest developments in electronic device technology. Purdue researchers are in the  laboratoryIntegrated circuits, or chips, now contain around 2 billion transistors. The more devices that are packed onto a chip, the greater the heating, with today's chips generating around 100 watts per square centimeter, comparable to that of a nuclear reactor. "As a result, self-heating has become a fundamental concern that hinders performance and can damage transistors, and we are making advances to address it," Alam said. Two of the IEDM conference papers detail research to suppress self-heating and enhance the performance of conventional CMOS chips. The remaining papers deal with new devices for future computer technologies that require lower power to operate, meaning they would not self-heat as significantly. "We are not only working to extend the state-of-art of traditional technology, but also to develop next-generation transistor technologies," Alam said. Transistors are electronic switches that turn on and off to allow computations using the binary code of ones and zeros. A critical component in transistors, called the gate, controls this switching. As progressively smaller transistors are designed, however, this control becomes increasingly difficult because electrons leak around the ultra-small gate. One of the conference papers focuses on a potential solution to this leakage: creating transistors that are surrounded by the gate, instead of the customary flat design. Unfortunately, enveloping the transistor with a gate causes increased heating, which hinders reliability and can damage the device. The researchers used a technique called submicron thermo-reflectance imaging to pinpoint locations of excessive heating. Another paper details a potential approach to suppress this self-heating, modeling how to more effectively dissipate heat by changing how the transistor connects to the complex circuitry in the chip.The three remaining papers propose next-generation devices: networks of nanomagnets, extremely thin layers of a material called black phosphorous and "tunnel" field effect transistors, or FETs. Such technologies would operate at far lower voltages than existing electronics, generating less heat. "You want to use as low a voltage as possible because that reduces power dissipation and if you can reduce power dissipation the battery of your cell phone will last longer, you can do more computing with a smaller amount of power and you will be able to cram more functional elements into a given area," Klimeck said. The tunnel FETS could potentially reduce power consumption by more than 40 times. "Reducing power consumption by a factor of 40 would be a huge development," Klimeck said. Another conference paper details research to develop devices made of black phosphorous, which might one day replace silicon as a semiconductor in transistors. Findings showed the devices can pass large amounts of current with ultra-low resistance while demonstrating good switching performance, said Peide Ye, the Richard J. and Mary Jo Schwartz Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "We have demonstrated the highest performance of this kind of 2-D device," Ye said.Peide Ye,the Richard J. and Mary Jo Schwartz Professor of Electrical and Computer EngineeringDevices made from the material also could bring new types of optical and chemical sensors. The devices were created using a technique called chemical vapor deposition in research performed at Purdue's Birck Nanotechnology Center. Future research will include efforts to create smaller black phosphorous devices, Ye said. A fifth paper details how networks of nanomagnets could serve as the building blocks of future computers. Findings show the networks mimic Ising networks - named after German physicist Ernst Ising - which harness mathematics to solve complex probabilistic problems. The nanomagnet networks might be used to draw from huge databases to perform demanding jobs in areas ranging from business and finance, to health care and scientific research. The conventional approach to performing big data computations is through new software running on CMOS devices. However, nanomagnet networks represent a different approach: developing an entirely new type of hardware for the feat, said Zhihong Chen, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.The nanomagnet arrays are potential building blocks for probabilistic computer hardware has been proved. Researchers are still in unremitting efforts to creat new semiconductor technologies.  Article Provided by Purdue UniversityArticle edited by kynix

Warm hints: The word in this article is about 1000 and the  reading time is about 6 minutes.SummaryFujitsu,a company that provide innovative IT services and digital technologies like mobile,AI,cloud or etc,announced the development of a gallium-nitride(GaN) high-electron mobility transistor(HEMT) power amplifier for use in W-band(75-110 GHz)transmissions in July 2017 at the 12th international Conference. To realize long-distance,high-capacity wireless communications,a promising approach is to utilize the W-band and other high frequency bands that encompass a broad range of usable frequencies, and increase output with a transmission power amplifier. At the same time, demand exists for improved efficiency in power amplifiers in order to mitigate the increased power consumption of communication systems. Fujitsu has now succeeded in developing a power amplifier for use in W-band transmissions that offers both high output power and high efficiency, improving transistor performance through the reduction of electrical current leakage and internal GaN-HEMT resistance. Fujitsu has achieved 4.5 watts per millimeter of gate width, the world's highest output density in the W-band, and has confirmed a 26% reduction in energy consumption compared to conventional technology. Fujitsu anticipates that setting this power amplifier between wireless communication systems in two locations will achieve high-bandwidth communications at 10 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) over a distance of 10km. Part of this research was carried out with support from Innovative Science and Technology Initiative for Security, established by the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), Japan Ministry of Defense. Development Background Wireless data traffic from mobile communications has increased dramatically over the last few years, and with the spread of 5G and IoT devices it is predicted to increase at an annual growth rate of 1.5 times until the year 2020. In order to build this sort of high capacity next-generation wireless communications network, attention has been focused on wireless communication technology using the high frequency W-band. The range of frequencies that can be used in the W-band is very broad, and because communication speed can be rapidly increased in this band, it is well-suited for this kind of high bandwidth wireless communication. Conventional wireless communications technology, has allowed for performance of several Gbit/s over distances of several kilometers, but achieving an even greater increase in wireless communication distance and capacity utilizing the W-band demands further increases to the output of power amplifiers to boost signals during transmission. Issues To increase distance and capacity, it will be necessary to expand the frequency bandwidth that can be amplified while simultaneously supporting modulation methods that can transmit more information within the same frequency bandwidth, and a strong requirement is to have less distortion when the signal is amplified. Another pursuit is keeping in check the energy consumption of communication systems that accompanies greater distances and capacities, and the improved energy efficiency in power amplifiers.In order to both increase the distance and capacity of wireless communications and decrease energy consumption with indium-aluminum-gallium-nitride (InAlGaN) HEMTs, Fujitsu has developed two technologies that effectively reduce internal resistance and current leakage. Features of the newly developed technologies are as follows: Technology to reduce internal resistance Fujitsu has developed device technology that can reliably reduce resistance to one tenth that of previous technology when current flows between the source or drain electrodes and the GaN-HEMT device. The technology utilizes a manufacturing process that embeds GaN plugs directly below the source and drain electrodes, which generate electrons at high densities (fig. 1). It is necessary to transport the electrons that come from the source electrode to the two dimensional electron gas field as smoothly as possible. The structure of the previous technology causes the electron supply layer to become a barrier, however, and internal resistance increases between the source electrode and the two dimensional electron gas. By applying this new technology, Fujitsu succeeded in running high currents through the transistor with significantly less resistance (fig. 2). Technology to control current leakageA current leakage occurs when the two dimensional electron gas, which moves at high speed on the boundary at the top of the channel layer, takes a detour below the gate when the transistor is in its off-state. This leakage causes deterioration in the operational performance of the power amplifier. Normally, it is possible to reduce current leakage by placing a barrier layer beneath the channel layer, but in that case the amount of two dimensional electron gas also decreases, and leads to a reduction of the drain current. This new technology maintains high drain currents by effectively distributing indium-gallium-nitride (InGaN) to create a barrier layer below the channel layer. This reduces electron detours during operation, successfully providing significant reductions in current leakage(just see the fist and second picture).Effects The previous world record for power amplifier output density in the W-band for transmitters was 3.6 watts per millimeter of gate width with technology developed by Fujitsu Laboratories. This has improved significantly with the newly developed technology, which delivers power output of 4.5 watts per millimeter of gate width for a power amplifier designed to operate at 94GHz. In addition, this new technology achieved a reduction in energy consumption of 26% compared to the previous technology through a reduction in current leakage. It is anticipated that the use of this power amplifier will allow the achievement of high capacity, long distance wireless communications between two connected systems at different locations at over 10Gbit/s and at distances greater than 10km.Fujitsu aims to apply this technology broadly to the development of power amplifiers for purposes that call for wireless communications that offer long range and higher capacity, while offering easier installation than fiber optics. The goal is to commercialize this technology in high speed wireless communication systems by 2020, with an aim to employ it in such situations as a method of restoring communications when fiber optic cables have been severed by natural disasters or as a way of setting up temporary communications infrastructure when holding events.  Article provide by FujitsuArticle edited by kynix

SummarySome electornic or electrical appliances needs time limited power supply,or usage of some devices are depends on limitted time.To automate electrical devices depends on time simple and robust solution given based on arduino.Today let's make a arduino variable time relay together.By using this arduino variable timer relay we can control high voltage electrical appliances or electronic devices.Now let me share the process. To indicate the time duration and status 16×2 LCD display is included in this design, once the program uploaded to the Arduino then it can work independent with some external battery power source. Connection DiagramConstruction and Working In this project arduino uno board is used to control SPDT (Single pole double throw) Relay and 16 x 2 character LCD indicates the time duration status. Digital pins D2 to D7 are connected to the LCD display. VR1 varible resistor helps to control the contrast of LCD display, Transistor Q1 BC547 reacts as a Switching device and controls the power supply to the Relay coil depends on arduino output. There are three push buttons are placed to set different time durations, S1 Switch makes the count start, S2 changes the Hours and S3 changes the Minutes of time duration. Output signal from the Arduino is taken from D8 pin and it drives the Relay through transistor. After making the connection, upload the following arduino sketch and pretest the operation with real timer clock.Note:- Candle with extreme care if you using High voltage supply at the Relay end. Arduino Code #include <LiquidCrystal.h>LiquidCrystal lcd(7,6,5,4,3,2);const int set = 9;int hours=10;int start=11; int relay=8;int b=0,h=0,t=0;int buttonState = 0; int lastButtonState = 0; void setup() {    pinMode(set,INPUT);  pinMode(hours,INPUT);  pinMode(relay,OUTPUT);  pinMode(start,INPUT);  lcd.begin(16,2);  lcd.setCursor(0,0);  lcd.print("Adjustable Timer");  }int timer( int b,int h){         if(b<=9)           {            lcd.setCursor(3,1);            lcd.print(0);            lcd.setCursor(4,1);            lcd.print(b);          }     else{lcd.setCursor(3,1);lcd.print(b);}         lcd.setCursor(2,1);         lcd.print(":");     if(h<=9)           {            lcd.setCursor(0,1);            lcd.print(0);            lcd.setCursor(1,1);            lcd.print(h);          }     else{lcd.setCursor(0,1);lcd.print(h);}    }void loop()       {           buttonState = digitalRead(set);                         if (buttonState != lastButtonState)       {                 if(buttonState == HIGH)         {                       lcd.clear();           lcd.print("Set time in min:");                      ++b;           timer(b,h);                                   }                   lastButtonState = buttonState;          }       if (digitalRead(hours)== HIGH)          {              lcd.clear();              lcd.print("Set time in hours");              ++h;              timer(b,h);              while(digitalRead(hours)==HIGH);                                    }             if(digitalRead(start)==HIGH)          {             lcd.clear();             t=((h*60)+(b))*1000;             lcd.print("Timer is set for");             timer(b,h);             digitalWrite(relay,HIGH);             delay(t);             digitalWrite(relay,LOW);             while(digitalRead(start) == HIGH );                                   }                        } Have you make it successfully?  

SummaryAs we all known,better knowledge of the absorption and scattering of light inside the LED,the performance of white LEDs can be improved.Yeah,LEDs can be made even more efficient and powerful.When in May,2017,researchers who from the University of Twente and Philips Lighting have developed a new method which can lead to efficiency improvement and powerful design tools. They found a detailed way to describe the light that stays inside the LED by absorption and scattering. This is very valuable information for the design process. The Theory about Light Sources From relatively weak light sources to strong lights at home and in cars, for example: since the blue and white LED were invented, we've seen a rapid development in possible applications. Low energy consumption and long lifetime are major advantages over existing lighting solutions. White LEDs consist of a semiconductor emitting blue light, with on top of that phosphor plates that turn the blue light into yellow. What we see then, is white light. The light will be scattered by the phosphor particles, but it is absorbed as well. What part of the light will exit the LED, is not easy to predict. Unless you look at absorption and scattering in another way, according to Maryna Meretska and her colleages. Theory from astronomy helps. Good Prediction is Difficult What makes good prediction particularly difficult: some of the light is absorbed, but re-emitted in another colour. One way is trying to define all possible light rays, and use a lot of computing time to get a result. This doesn't give much insight in what is actually happening. A theory that is often used for light propagation in a LED, is diffusion theory. In strongly absorbing media, however, this approach isn't valid anymore. Meretska therefore has built a setup to collect all the light around the phosphor plates, in the whole visual spectrum. Based on this, absorption and scattering can be deduced using the radiative transfer equation, well known in astronomy.  This results in a full description of light propagation inside and outside the phosphor plates. Compared to a description using diffusion theory, the absorption level is up to 30 percent higher. At the same time, the method is about 17 times faster than the numerical approach. ConclusionThis new insights leaded to powerful and predictive tools for LED designers.They help in further improving the efficiency and overall performance.The research has been done in the Complex Photonic System group of UT's MESA+Institute for Nanotechnology,together with Philips Lighting in Eindhoven. The University of Twente has a strong concentration of research groups and facilities within the rapidly growing field of photonics.  Article provided by University of TwenteArticle edited by kynix