Due to the widespread adoption of cloud computing, smartphones, and the continuous advancement of 5G technology, data being transmitted over the internet has been steadily increasing. This growth is fueled by evolving technologies, such as AI, and the increasing use of data-driven practices like big data and IoT, which are driving the evolution of digital transformation (DX).
In response to these market trends, semiconductor processors like CPU, GPU, FPGA, and others have made significant strides in their manufacturing process technology, with a notable focus on miniaturization. These advancements have led to increased gate integrations per unit area, higher operating frequencies, and substantial improvements in information processing capabilities.
In line with the improvement in processor capabilities, there have also been significant advancements in Server Power Circuits.

The technology that delivers the metaverse will build on the technology for virtual reality, using more sensors, and more different kinds of sensors. TDK has one of the richest sensor portfolios in the industry, extensive software expertise, and excels at sensor fusion.

The NTC thermistor is a thermally sensitive resistor whose resistance decreases rapidly as the temperature rises. This property can be utilized in various applications such as temperature sensors and thermal protection devices to protect circuits from overheating.
By mounting the NTC thermistor in close proximity to the heat source, it can accurately sense the temperature of the heat source. However, in some cases, such as when there are constraints on the size of the board or the pattern layout, it may need to be mounted in a location away from the heat source.
In this article, considering such conditions, we used the LEDs on the LED flash circuit board as the heat source and simulated heat generation to check the temperature difference between the LEDs and the NTC thermistors caused by the different mounting positions. We also checked the effect of circuit board thickness.

With the increasing market for electrified vehicles (EVs), the demand for on-board chargers (OBCs) is growing fast. OBCs open up the possibility to charge the car not only at fast-charging DC stations but also with AC sources in a reasonable time. Such systems are currently going up to 22 kW with operating voltages up to 800 V. The function of the OBC is to convert the AC voltage from an external source to a specific DC voltage that is based on the requirements of the battery management system. By this, a battery-saving and fast charging process can be reached. Especially in remote areas without sufficient fast DC charging infrastructure, OBCs are essential to make EVs more attractive.
Due to the complexity of such systems, the OBC needs a certain bulk capacitance to stabilize the DC voltage that is charging the battery. Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are an attractive solution here since they can fulfill the key requirements, such as high voltage ratings of up to 500 V, large capacitance of up to 820 µF and high ripple current capabilities at an operating temperature range of -40 °C to 105 °C.

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a well-established industry standard that has been in place for more than 20 years, defining the serial communication protocol and the connectors, cables, and chargers for battery-powered rechargeable portable devices. With each updated version of the USB, protocol data rates have continuously increased over the years. Today, we have USB4® protocol, with up to 40 Gbps data rates. Followed by the recently released USB Power Delivery (PD) charging protocol. This development meant a reduction in the time required for charging any peripheral device via USB plug, even though the battery capacities of peripheral devices have been increasing. The latest market developments pushing the technology trends to support requirements have been led by manufacturers’ offerings, followed by attempts to standardize the equipment used. One of the widely used solutions that combines the above requirements is the USB Type-C® connector, which supports up to 100 W power supply option.

NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistors are thermally sensitive semiconductor resistors which show a decrease in resistance as temperature increases, and its rate of change is extremely large.

Its main applications include temperature sensing in electronic equipment and temperature compensation for module products.

However, if the user misuses the product, it may not function properly and, in the worst case, this may cause malfunctions.

This page introduces the causes and countermeasures for ”cracks” and ”melting of ceramics” as failure modes caused by improper use of NTC thermistors.

【How electrification and autonomous driving are expanding the role of sensor technologies within automotive designs】

The automotive production landscape is changing. The proliferation of electronic devices and sensors in modern car design has grown exponentially in recent years. It will expand further as the industry continues its transition toward e-mobility and autonomous driving. The core technologies featured in electric vehicles expand the realm into which sensors are deployed. Also, combustion engine vehicle gas sensors have shifted away from exhaust gas monitoring toward internal air quality (IAQ) measurement.

While the development of next-generation vehicles for fully automated driving is gaining momentum, vehicle architecture is beginning to undergo major changes. Among them, the automotive network that connects ECUs responsible for advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) is a very important element.
One particular focus is on automotive Ethernet for automotive networks, with 100BASE-T1 (100 Mbps) and 1000BASE-T1 (1 Gbps) for sensor systems in cameras, radar, and LiDARs. Furthermore, the 10BASE-T1S, a new standard for automotive Ethernet with a transmission speed of 10 Mbps, is gaining more attention.
Sample applications: Possible applications include actuator systems and sensors.

While smartphones, TWS, and other mobile devices are becoming smaller and more sophisticated, devices and ICs are becoming more vulnerable to electrostatic discharge (ESD), surges, and other types of immunity. These mobile devices are increasingly being hand-held, operated, and worn. Therefore, ESD countermeasures are needed more than ever, while ESD protection components are also increasingly being used to prevent ESD. TDK offers a lineup of chip varistors as components that can protect circuits from ESD. Lastly, using actual devices, this article presents examples of ESD countermeasures using chip varistors for actual failures that occur when ESD enters a device.

In recent years, wireless audio has become more commonplace and even the norm in many of our everyday products. The use of network audio, which does not use conventional media sources such as compact discs (CDs), is also expanding due to the increase in sound source data from high-resolution audio and subscription-based music distribution services. New audio usage is often centered on smartphone-based services that provide audio through the smartphone to speakers and earbuds [earphones, earpods, etc.] via Bluetooth connectivity. These two use cases for audio output have come to dominate.
The recent mass implementation of True Wireless Stereo (TWS) within earbuds, with their comfortable cable-free non-tangling fit, has yielded vastly improved sound quality over traditional Bluetooth audio technology. TWS also comes with the ability to cancel external noise (isolation) which results in quieter playback. This feature allows users to use TWS-based devices without concerns of the sound being “broadcasted” to surrounding areas.
Additionally, Bluetooth connected speakers, which also do not require cables for signal transmission, allow for unfettered placement of playback devices and speakers. These mobile speakers, with their built-in amplifiers, can operate on battery power and be completely portable.
Bluetooth enabled audio devices are easy to use, easy to connect to and have many advantages. However, since they require a wireless signal, they can be susceptible to problems that do not occur with cable-connected audio devices.
This article describes phenomena that can cause problems within Bluetooth audio designs and will provide examples of potential countermeasures.