Susan Nordyk

United States

Contributing Editor at EDN: Voice of the Engineer

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Articles

Altum amps speed RF design with Quantic blocks

2 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

Altum RF’s MMIC amplifiers are now part of Quantic’s plug-and-play X-MWblocks, enabling seamless integration into RF designs. The modular format streamlines design, evaluation, prototyping, and production for rapid RF and microwave system assembly. The initial offering includes five of Altum RF’s low-noise and driver amplifiers: ARF1200Q2, ARF1201Q2, ARF1202Q2, ARF1203Q2, and ARF1205Q2. These devices cover frequency bands from 13 GHz to 43.5 GHz, with noise figures as low as 1.6 dB.
Eval board eases battery motor-drive design

2 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

Powered by an eGaN FET, EPC’s EPC9196 is a 25-A RMS, 3-phase BLDC inverter optimized for 96-V to 150-V battery systems. The reference design targets medium-voltage motor drives, including steering in AGVs, traction in compact autonomous vehicles, and robotic joints. The EPC9196 is built around the EPC2304, a 200-V, 3.5- mΩ (typical) eGaN FET in a thermally enhanced QFN package.
Simultaneous sweep boosts multi-VNA test speed

2 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

Anritsu has added a simultaneous sweep feature to its ShockLine MS46131A 1-port vector network analyzer (VNA), which operates up to 43.5 GHz. The capability supports parallel 1-port S-parameter measurements across up to four MS46131A units.
MCUs enable USB-C Rev 2.4 designs

2 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

Renesas offers one of the first microcontroller families to support USB-C Revision 2.4 with its RA2L2 group of low-power Arm Cortex-M23 MCUs. The updated USB Type-C cable and connector specification lowers voltage detection thresholds to 0.613  V for 1.5 -A sources and 1.165  V for 3.0-A sources, enhancing compatibility with newer USB-C cables and devices.
Amp elevates K-band throughput for LEO sats

2 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

Expanding Qorvo’s GaN-on-SiC SATCOM portfolio, the QPA1722 K-band power amplifier improves Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite performance. Qorvo reports the amplifier delivers three times the instantaneous bandwidth and 10% higher efficiency than comparable devices, all within a 38% smaller footprint. These enhancements enable higher data throughput and support more compact, efficient satellite payload designs.
DMMs improve accuracy and usability

3 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

The R&S UDS series of digital multimeters (DMMs) offers 5.5-digit and 6.5-digit resolution, with the 6.5-digit model delivering a basic DC accuracy of 0.0075%. Replacing the HMC8012, the UDS DMMs provide higher accuracy and an updated user interface to simplify testing. Streamlining test workflows, UDS models can display up to three measurements simultaneously—such as DC, AC, and statistical data—on a 3.5-inch OVGA color display.
GaN HEMT earns DLA-JANS certification

3 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

Infineon’s radiation-hardened GaN HEMT is the first in-house manufactured device qualified to the Joint Army Navy Space (JANS) MIL-PRF-19500/794 specification—the highest quality certification issued by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The company’s new family of radiation-hardened CoolGaN transistors is designed for mission-critical applications in on-orbit spacecraft, manned missions, and deep space probes.
Multichannel impedance meter analyzes Li-Ion cells

3 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

The EA-BIM 20005 battery impedance meter from Tektronix uses electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) across 20 channels to characterize Li-Ion battery cells. With industry-standard interfaces and a compact 19-in., 3U form factor, it integrates easily into automated battery test systems. EIS testing provides deep insight into cell quality.
Motor gate drivers enable flexible current control

3 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

Two integrated gate drivers from ST provide programmable current control for driving three-phase brushless motors in consumer and industrial equipment. Operating from 6 V to 50 V, the STDRIVE102H supports single-shunt control, while the STDRIVE102BH handles three-shunt control—both configured via two analog pins. Each device can source up to 1 A and sink up to 2 A.
Powerline module enables EV charger data links

3 weeks ago | edn.com | Susan Nordyk

Comtrend’s PM-1540 powerline data module uses MaxLinear’s G.hn (data-over-powerline) chips to support backend communication in EV charging stations. It transmits data from power meters over existing electrical wiring, eliminating the need for dedicated communication cables, and can also extend connectivity to backend systems in data centers or smart parking environments.