The number of smartphones and other mobile devices that are compatible with NFC (Near Field Communication) is increasing. Thanks to the adoption of a newly-developed low-loss ferrite material, TDK’s MLJ series multilayer ferrite coils now offer improved communication properties which are ideal for NFC-equipped devices, while featuring compact package sizes.

As electronic devices become more advanced, the power supply voltage of LSIs used in them is lowered, so their power consumption can be reduced and their speed increased. However, a decrease in the power supply voltage also causes the requirements regarding voltage fluctuations to become more severe, creating a need for high-performance DC-DC converters to fulfill these characteristic requirements, and power inductors are important components that greatly affect their performance. TDK has a widely varied lineup of power inductor products, and this article describes and explains effective methods for using power inductors, and key points for selecting them, according to the required characteristics of DC-DC converters.

This article introduces some causes of and effective measures against acoustic noise in power inductors, which are main components in power circuits of devices such as DC-DC converters.

Leakage fluxes in the VLS-EX series, CLF-NI series, and SPM series, which are representative power inductors offered by TDK, are visualized in 3D graphics. There is also helpful information in measures for leakage fluxes.

TDK’s CLF-NI-D series wire-wound power inductors are products that benefit from the use of highly heat resistant materials, unique structural designs and methods. The products offer high reliability across a wide range of temperatures from -55°C to +150°C. They are tolerant of the extreme environment found in the engine bay of automobiles, even under the most severe usage conditions.