Amorphous and Tape-Wound Cores, SMD Capacitors and Rugged Connectors at PCIM

AmoFlux amorphous powder cores were featured by Magnetics while VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG was showing the latest developments in nanocrystalline toroidal tape-wound cores at this week's PCIM Europe event. In addition, AVX Corporation was touting its new high voltage TCJ series 3.3µF/125V (D case) tantalum polymer SMD capacitors and its latest wire-to-board (WTB) insulation displacement contact (IDC) technology, while KEMET was demonstrating the packaging density of its vertically stack one or two multilayer ceramic chip capacitors.

Magnetics has entered the next generation of powder alloy materials with its AmoFlux amorphous powder cores. This alloy starts with low core loss amorphous ribbon that is pulverized into powder and then pressed into a toroid. By converting the amorphous ribbon into a powder form, the resulting AmoFlux cores have the same excellent properties, including soft saturation, as Magnetics other powder core materials: Kool Mu, MPP, High Flux, and XFlux. What makes this amorphous powder core material unique is the combination of low core loss and high DC bias. AmoFlux is a new distributed gap material ideal for power factor correction (PFC) and various types of output chokes. These attributes make AmoFlux an excellent choice for inductors in computer, server, and industrial power supplies that require maximum efficiency at high dc currents.

The core loss density of AmoFlux is significantly lower than High Flux, which allows for a more efficient design with less temperature rise. Magnetics Molypermalloy Powder (MPP) material has the best core loss density of the available powder core materials and AmoFlux is only 20% higher. The DC Bias of AmoFlux is similar to High Flux and superior to both MPP and Kool Mu. Better DC Bias will allow higher current handling in the same size core or a smaller size core to be used to achieve the same target inductance.

This combination of high dc bias and low core loss density makes AmoFlux the optimal solution for high efficiency, high power inductors. Since AmoFlux is a powder core, it has the soft saturation characteristic as our other powder cores. Samples are available in toroids ranging from 20 to 33 mm OD. Additional sizes will be added throughout 2013.

Across the hall, VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC) was showing the latest developments in its common mode chokes with nanocrystalline toroidal tape-wound cores. The new cores are equally suitable for low operating currents of only a few amperes and high currents exceeding 800 A. VAC supplies chokes for direct operation in low-voltage grids and for high DC voltages of up to 1000 V. They are therefore the product of choice for EMC filters on the grid side of solar inverters and on the line to the solar panels. In addition to an extensive range of 2-, 3- and 4-phase chokes, VAC now offers high-current chokes and core stack assemblies (as single-turn chokes) in custom dimensions for central inverters.

VAC's range of UL1446 nanocrystalline common mode chokes has been ex-tended to include upright 2-phase chokes for rated current of 12 to 30 A and DC voltages up to 1000 V. Other new additions are upright three-phase chokes with extra-compact footprint, requiring only around half the board space of low-profile chokes.

All chokes of this type are designed to comply with the requirements of EN50178 and are therefore the product of choice for EMC filters in frequency converters, switched-mode power supplies and inverters. The new chokes enable EMC filters up to three times smaller in size to be designed, offering excellent long-term stability and high temperature consistency and thus improving reliability and significantly enhancing efficiency. VAC also now offers a CMC Sample Kit for customers' in-house tests. The kit contains a selection of 24 common mode chokes from the new UL1446 series, comprising dual-winding chokes for single-phase applications and three and four-winding chokes for three-phase applications.

Also during PCIM Europe, AVX Corporation touted how it is now exceeding the 100V milestone - which is almost twice the rated voltage of similar products on the market today - with the introduction of its new high voltage TCJ series 3.3µF/125V (D case) tantalum polymer SMD capacitors. Following the award winning 50V TCJ series capacitor released in 2010 and the 63V and 75V version launched only in spring 2012, the new components offer the benefits of great capacitance, high voltage, and low ESR technology in a small case size. Maintaining 20% recommended voltage derating; TCJ series capacitors significantly extend the usable voltage range. This unique combination enables design engineers to replace up to two of the highest rated component values in this technology by just one component.

TCJ series high voltage tantalum polymer SMD capacitors exhibit a benign failure mode eliminating the ignition failures that can occur in standard MnO2 tantalum technology. This makes them more robust and less likely to overload or burn. AVX’s ageing and screening processes of all parts assure high reliability. TCJ series capacitors maintain high reliability, exceeding 1% per 1000 hours at 85ºC and full-rated voltage. The SMD technology offers the advantages of small case sizes and low profiles for high-speed pick and place manufacturing processes.

TCJ series 125V polymer tantalum capacitors from AVX are ideal for use in applications such as telecommunications equipment operating at 48VDC, base stations, switching hubs, router and line filters, dc-dc converters supplying circuits in LED TVs and power supplies for notebook computers, as well as a host of industrial applications. Increasing the voltage range of polymer SMD tantalum capacitors enables the design of new generation 48V and higher V power supplies. The high reliability, long operation life, stability of parameters and small SMD case size of SMD tantalum capacitors cannot be matched by any other capacitor technology.

AVX also introduced the latest iteration of its wire-to-board (WTB) insulation displacement contact (IDC) technology. Designed to provide a gas-tight, plated through-hole WTB termination, the new 9177-600 Series is compatible with the rugged power boards used to handle larger wire gauges and more amps per contact, and is available as both a low-cost single contact and a fully integrated capped contact solution. Featuring opposing dual phosphor-bronze tines, the series also exhibits excellent spring characteristics, ensuring stable, high-reliability termination capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, shock, and vibration in a range of harsh environment applications, including: solar and alternative energy products, commercial electrical equipment, and industrial pumps, motors, and driver boards.

“AVX developed the initial SMT discrete wire IDC connector five years ago for 26-28AWG wires and has continued to build upon its rugged, highly reliable, and gas-tight wire-to-board contact technology ever since,” said Tom Anderson, product manager at AVX. “Expanded primarily in response to requests from customers in demanding industrial, transportation, and commercial industries for IDC contact systems designed to address specific application and/or cost parameters, the series now supports several wire gauges and includes multiple configurations, including standard connectors, capped connectors, and single contacts.”

Capable of accepting 12-18AWG stranded or solid wires, the simple, robust, plated through-hole (PTH) design of AVX’s versatile 9177-600 IDC contacts provide a high-performance alternative to hand-soldering large gauge wires to a PCB in harsh environment applications. Rated for up to 15A per contact and 600VAC, the new 9177 IDC connector solutions also allow wires to be replaced up to three times, providing enhanced durability for high current applications. Designed for use in temperatures spanning -40°C to +125°C, the RoHS-compliant series also features high-temperature nylon insulator materials, phosphor-bronze contacts, and tin over nickel plating.

The preassembled, one-way, 00-9177 IDC connector is available with black or white insulators and through-wire or wire-stop caps. Packaged on tape and reel in quantities of 800, 00-9177 connectors with through-wire caps can be assembled at any position along the wire; alternatively, wire-stop caps are designed for use at the wire’s end. The series’ individual contacts (70-9177) feature all the same mechanical and electrical performance values as the preassembled 00-9177 connectors and are available with optional caps (60-9177), which also come in both black and white and through-wire and wire-stop assembly options.

At the start of this year’s PCIM Europe, KEMET introduced its new KEMET Power Solutions High Temperature (KPS HT) multilayer stacked capacitors. KEMET's KPS HT Series devices with an X8L dielectric utilize a proprietary lead-frame technology to vertically stack one or two multilayer ceramic chip capacitors (MLCCs) into a single compact surface mount package. The two-chip vertically stacked device offers up to double the capacitance in the same or smaller design footprint, allowing for both component and board space reductions.

Providing up to 10mm of board flex capability, KPS HT Series capacitors are environmentally friendly and in compliance with RoHS regulations. They are also capable of Pb-Free reflow profiles and provide extremely low ESR and ESL. Utilizing an X8L dielectric, these devices can provide reliable operation up to 150ºC and are well suited for high temperature filtering, bypass and decoupling applications.

Typical markets include alternative energy, industrial/lighting, medical, telecommunications, automotive, and defense and aerospace. KPS HT Series stacked capacitors complement KEMET’s extensive high temperature product portfolio, with capacitance solutions available for extreme temperature applications up to 260ºC.

“These devices exhibit a predictable change in capacitance in respect to time and voltage, and feature a minimal change in capacitance in application temperatures up to 150ºC,” said Craig Scruggs, KEMET Specialty Ceramics Product Manager. “In addition, the construction of the lead-frame isolates the capacitors from the printed circuit board, thereby providing advanced mechanical and thermal stress performance and addressing concerns for audible microphonic noise that may occur when a bias voltage is applied,” concluded Scruggs.