Inspiring the Evolution of Embedded Design

September 06, 2022

Analog and Power

Wireless Power Transfer Grid Could be the Answer to Powering Devices Across Thin Air

Earlier this year a study came out from Aalto University, describing a technique for charging wirelessly anywhere in a room. The wireless power transfer grid could be the answer to powering devices across thin air.

In the past safely charging devices, like smartphones, tablets, and devices that are connected to Bluetooth, in large areas like malls or airports has been a challenge.

SMA Delivers a PV Inverter With Power Ratings from 12kW to 25kW For Commercial or Residential

At the beginning of the year, the German inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technologies AG released a hybrid Photovoltaic (PV) inverter: the Sunny Tripower Smart Energy – it was aimed at heat pumps in residential rooftop arrays and charging stations in commercial arrays. In April the company released the Sunny Tripower X inverter.

Vicor’s New Buck Regulator Aimed At Datacenters, Communications, and Lighting

Vicor’s new PI3526-00-LGIZ is a new buck regulator focused on data center, communications and lighting use. The buck regulators are a new addition to the Cool-Power ZVS Buck regulator family of regulators. The portfolio supports 30V – 60V inputs with the PI3526-00-LGIZ supporting 48V inputs, offering higher current compared to Vicor’s existing PI354x family.

This allows the regulator to have scalable power options for 48V Direct to Point of Load (PoL) applications

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Editor's Desk by Stephen Vicinanza

Analog and Power Still Growing with Expanding Tech Markets

As the growth of the Internet of Things, and CPU manufacturers build massive foundries, the chip shortage ends, and analog devices become increasingly in demand. Although IC Insights, in March predicted a modest 12% gain in the analog markets, that number is rapidly changing. The news in the analog and power industries is just catching up to reality.

At the end of 2021 the market in analog and power devices, especially for analog integrated circuits, had jumped to its highest level ever at a 30% increase in revenue. Some of that has been forecast for 2022, but the prediction is a little on the light side.

Demand is still strong, and the delivery of analog ICs is growing, though at a slower rate than 2021, but the conservative forecasts, based on growing 5G cellphone demand, increases in amplifier and comparators, as well as increases in automotive application-specific analog ICs

In the company-specific news, Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) has struck a deal with Gridspertise, a subsidiary of Enel Group, announcing a collaboration to enhance the resiliency and quality of smart grids throughout the world.

The joint effort is based on the long-time relationship of providing smart meters and grid digitization by Enel Group and ADI. The recent projects with Gridspertise are intended to focus on more precise and accurate measurement, with faster response times and improved resiliency, and overall higher quality of service to customers. This will also allow utilities throughout the world to improve operational efficiency.

How the CAGR is showing a 5.2% growth rate to the market, will be affected by the ADI collaboration is to be seen, as these market indicators will increase CAGR over the next year. But the modest growth prediction for the next several years in the Analog IC markets may not hold up to reality. Already the growth in the marketplace has reached the 12% that was predicted, and increases are expected throughout the last quarter. This could mean a great deal of growth again, in 2023, as the chip shortage wanes, and supplies and sales catch up to delivery. Time is ever the indicator of growth.

Join us next week for the Microcontroller Watch.

Android TV boxes feature Amlogic SoCs and support Android 11.0

The Tanix X4 and the TX8 Pro are two TV Box devices powered by Amlogic’s SoCs recently launched in the market. Both devices offer similar features including 4K resolution, ethernet and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity. The Tanix X4 TV Box features the Amlogic S905X4 SoC which combines an ARM-G31 MP2 GPU and a quad-core ARM-A55 processor (up to 2.0GHz).