Blog

Read blog postings with insights into the world of power conversion from the RECOM team. Subjects vary from ‘quick guides to the essentials’ of different topics, to a message direct from RECOM owner Karsten Bier with his thoughts about the COVID pandemic and how RECOM is playing its part to help manufacturers of medical equipment. Posts are easy to digest and informative. Check back regularly to see the latest comments, news and technical insights. For more technical information, look at our whitepapers, case studies, FAQs, and AC/DC, DC/DC and EMC Book of Knowledge by Steve Roberts.
Power supply isolation showing chaotic electricity converted to stable output, symbolizing working and test voltages
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

The Importance of Isolation (Working vs. Test Voltages)

Jun 6, 2025
Electrical isolation in power supplies isn’t just about safety—it’s a cornerstone of performance and reliability. This blog explores the concepts of isolation barriers and...
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Industrial power supply with issues
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Understanding Thermal and Load Derating in DIN Rail Power Supplies

May 23, 2025
Efficient power supply operation depends on managing heat and load conditions. This blog introduces thermal derating, convection cooling, and PCB design strategies to enhance...
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Power control system
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Power Supply Peak Load – How Much for How Long?

May 9, 2025
Choosing a power supply requires more than just ensuring the rated output is greater than the expected load and “calling it good.” The expected load is only part of the...
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Close-up of a rack-mounted server with multiple hard drive bays and status indicator LEDs
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

The Difference Between Lifetime Expectancy and Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)

Apr 25, 2025
Failure analysis and lifetime expectancy calculations are essential when evaluating equipment service life and maintenance costs. Two ratings used for such evaluations — mean...
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Industrial power factor correction components with copper coils and electrical currents
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Why Power Factor Correction Matters in Industrial Power Systems

Apr 11, 2025
Power factor correction (PFC) significantly enhances efficiency by reducing wasted energy and infrastructure stress in AC power systems. This blog introduces the concept of...
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Close-up of a printed circuit board with a bright, glowing light, showcasing the chimney effect
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Measuring Power Supply Efficiency and Why It’s Important

Mar 28, 2025
Power supply efficiency is critical to both performance and cost-effectiveness, impacting energy use, operational reliability, and long-term savings. Assuming a typical power...
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RECOM’s RACPRO1 DIN rail power supplies
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Why Overvoltage, Overcurrent, and Short Circuit Protection are Important in Power Supplies

Mar 14, 2025
Reliable industrial power supplies are essential not only for delivering power but also for protecting both themselves and their loads against damage from overvoltage,...
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A wall-mounted clock with "Mean Time Between Failures" written on it
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Understanding Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)

Feb 21, 2025
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) is a common metric you’ll see in product datasheets, often presented as a badge of reliability and durability. But despite its widespread...
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DIN-rail mounted e-Fuse from RECOM
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Transportation

Reliable Fuse and Circuit Breaker Tripping with the RACPRO1 Series

Feb 7, 2025
Consider the arrangement shown below (Figure 1). A primary switching cabinet (Application #1) is powered by a 480W 24VDC power supply (the RACPRO1-T480/24V). A secondary...
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RECOM's RACPRO1-T480/24 DIN rail power supply
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

RECOM's RACPRO1 Family: The Next Generation of DIN rail power supplies

Jan 22, 2025
Since its founding in 1975, the company has consistently focused on innovation, performance, and quality. The result is a range of highly reliable power supply solutions –...
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Illustration of an electric power plant, showcasing smokestacks, turbines, and surrounding infrastructure
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Datacom & Telecom / E-Mobility / Energy / Infrastructure

Kilowatt DC/DC Converters for Fuel Cell Solutions

Jan 10, 2025
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy from a gaseous fuel, often hydrogen, directly into electrical energy. This process occurs in a...
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Blue background in electric design and the illustration of a power pole
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

The advantages and disadvantages of switching regulators versus linear regulators for DC/DC conversion

Dec 13, 2024
Regulating DC voltages has a long history: the first integrated circuit regulators date back fifty years. Linear regulators came first and some of the earliest designs are...
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Swirling blue energy shape radiates against a dark background
Building- & Home Automation / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Buck Switching Regulators: Principles, Performance, and Applications

Nov 29, 2024
Switching regulator topologies are preferred for most general-purpose power conversion applications as they combine high efficiency with design flexibility. As a result, many...
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A worker operates a control panel between two industrial robotic arms in a factory setting
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Learn about the many safety standards governing power supplies in industrial automation

Nov 15, 2024
In industrial automation systems, the safety of both loads (equipment and machinery) and personnel is paramount. Power supplies are a crucial component of these systems, of...
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REDIIN AC/DC DIN rail series
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Choosing the Right DIN Rail Power Supply

Oct 18, 2024
DIN rail power supplies offer several advantages over traditional power supplies. They are modular, easy to install, and space-efficient. They mount on a DIN rail, making...
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Engineer working on machines
Defense & Marine / Industrial & Automation

Operational Reliability: A Key Metric for Industrial Power Supplies

Oct 4, 2024
Designing for high operational reliability is critical in ensuring that power supplies can support the continuous operation of equipment, particularly in demanding...
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DIN-rail mounted RECOM REDIIN120-24, REDIIN240-24, REDIIN480-24 power supplies
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation

Slim DIN Rail Mounted Power Supplies

Sep 6, 2024
DIN rail mounting has revolutionized electrical cabinets since the idea was first introduced in the 1920’s to standardize switchgear mounting and allow interchangeability...
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Digital healthcare icons on blue hexagons background
Industrial & Automation / Medical

Medical Grade Power Supply is Suitable for DC Motor Drives

Aug 23, 2024
In many medical applications, powerful DC motors are needed. For example, for heavy duty lifting, rotating, or tilting of medical beds and operating tables, to maneuver...
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Illustration of modern renewable energy tech
Automotive / E-Mobility / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Transportation

Applications of Bidirectional Power Supplies: From EV Charging to Grid Stabilization

Aug 9, 2024
As the world moves away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy, the electrical grid is changing to keep up. The old way of doing things — large coal, gas, or nuclear...
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Robotic arm stacks boxes in a warehouse
Building- & Home Automation / Industrial & Automation

The Automated Warehouse: A RECOM Story

Jul 26, 2024
Automated logistics management is improving productivity, reducing costs, and getting products to customers faster than ever before. These complex systems use off-the-shelf...
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Futuristic circuit board with glowing lights
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Emerging Trends in Wide Bandgap Gate Drivers

Jul 12, 2024
Wide Band Gap (WBG) power transistors are becoming mainstream, with a continual stream of new products coming to market. Gate drivers must also evolve to meet the...
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Electric charger in front of yellow construction vehicles
Automotive / E-Mobility / Railway / Transportation

DC/DC Converters for Transportation Applications

Jun 28, 2024
Off-highway electric vehicles (EVs) include many applications from electric forklifts to tractors to excavators. Their applications are in people movers such as airport...
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RECOM's R24C2T25 series with blue background
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

WBG devices pose problems for gate driver power supplies

Jun 14, 2024
Gate driver power supplies for Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices must address the unique bias requirements of these wide-bandgap semiconductors. This...
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Human hands operate the keyboard of a laptop while a robotic hand points out from the laptop screen.
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Unleashing the Power of AI to Transform PCB Design

May 31, 2024
One of the simplest ways to start artificial intelligence (AI) assisted PCB designing is to simply register on the CELUS Design Platform at: app.celus.io.
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Close-up of a printed computer mother board
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Material Science Advances Improve Power Supply Design and Performance

May 17, 2024
It’s no secret that the quest for higher power conversion efficiency in power supplies is driving improvements in performance across a broad front. Advancements in materials...
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Wireless charging station with smartphone that displays the battery level
Automotive / E-Mobility / Transportation

Power supply design requirements for wireless charging applications

May 3, 2024
Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) applications involve the transmission of electrical power from a source to a load without physical connections. These applications often use...
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A robot hand touches a globe, symbolize its global impact
Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Transportation

Powering Edge AI nodes: The Impact of Edge AI on Power System Design

Apr 19, 2024
What Is Edge AI? Edge AI is the deployment of AI models directly on devices at the network's edge; it reduces dependency on cloud computing by employing on-device processing...
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A worker monitors a robotic arm welding metal components in an industrial setting
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

New isolated DC/DC converter offers programmable outputs for SiC drive applications

Apr 5, 2024
There’s no doubt that wide bandgap (WBG) technology is here to stay. Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) transistors are rapidly becoming the preferred choice in...
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Power output vs. switching frequency comparison of Si, IGBT, SiC, and GaN technologies
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Future-proofing Your Power Switching Solution

Mar 22, 2024
There is an increasing demand for higher efficiency at elevated power levels for automotive, industrial, and inverter-based applications. For electric vehicles (EVs), this...
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Visualizing the interaction between electrical signal, optical module, and fibre optics with RECOM's RPZ series in the center
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

On-Board Power Supplies for Optic Modules

Mar 8, 2024
An optic module is a transceiver device that converts high speed electrical data signals into optical signals and vice versa. Such electro-optic systems are key components in...
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Fiber Optic - High Speed Data Transfer
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

RECOM and Artificial Intelligence in Power Electronics

Feb 23, 2024
At first, it might seem that Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and power supply design have very little in common. However, RECOM is already actively using A.I. in at least...
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Periodic table - carbon
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Power Designs Benefit from Material Science Advances - Carbon

Feb 9, 2024
Carbon [C] is an essential element. We are carbon-based lifeforms. In combination with oxygen, gaseous CO2 concentration is the barometer we use to measure our contribution...
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Illustration of an electric car being inductively charged
Automotive / E-Mobility / Transportation

Wireless Power Transfer (WPT)

Jan 26, 2024
We are all familiar with the rechargeable toothbrush or the phone charging pad that use low power wireless power transfer, but what challenges lie ahead for high power...
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Transparent electric car with a view of the battery
Automotive / E-Mobility / Transportation

Isolated Battery Management Systems (BMS)

Jan 12, 2024
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) rely on series connected Lithium-Ion cells to deliver sufficient voltage needed by the traction...
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City view
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / Industrial & Automation

Point of Load DC/DC Converters Solve Power System Design Challenges

Dec 22, 2023
At the most basic level, the job of a power supply is to convert an incoming AC voltage to one or more lower voltage and higher current DC voltages in the most efficient way....
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Illustration of power lines with question mark in the middle
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / E-Mobility / Industrial & Automation / Transportation

How RECOM’s DC/DC Power Module customers can cope with the worldwide Semiconductor shortage

Dec 15, 2023
The semiconductor supply chain poses different challenges for customers depending on their volume, purchasing power, and distinct requirements. To help customers mitigate...
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A row of newly planted trees between existing trees
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

RECOM tree-planting initiative 2022/2023

Dec 7, 2023
In 2022, RECOM planted a tree for each business card collected at the many international trade shows that we attended. Through this program, we planted hundreds of trees,...
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Robotic arms work on a semiconductor inside a fabrication facility
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / E-Mobility / Industrial & Automation / Transportation

How DC/DC Converter Customers Are Suffering From Worldwide Semiconductor Shortage

Nov 24, 2023
The semiconductor industry has faced numerous challenges in recent years due to global supply chain disruptions, with additional hurdles including changing consumer behavior...
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AIoT text on a futuristic blue and purple background.
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Transportation

AIoT - The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and IoT

Nov 10, 2023
AIoT, or the amalgamation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the Internet of Things (IoT), is driving innovation in the electronics industry. According to one IC...
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Digital collage of various technology and communication symbols superimposed over an urban landscape
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical

The RACM Series Brings Flexibility and Industry-Leading Performance to Multiple Applications

Nov 3, 2023
Low-wattage AC/DC power supplies provide power to a wide variety of applications including IoT, IIoT, medical equipment, and industrial automation. The design must meet...
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Trains and a product from RECOM's RMD150-UW series on a blue background
E-Mobility / Industrial & Automation / Railway / Transportation

Finding ‘Ready to Use’ DC/DC Converters for Mobility and Rail Applications

Oct 20, 2023
Mobility applications put heavy demands on DC/DC converters. While commercial products may meet some of the required specifications, extensive external circuitry is typically...
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Indoor farm with plants under LED lights
Lighting

The Benefits of LED Lighting in Agriculture

Oct 6, 2023
LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting is gaining popularity in the field of agriculture, especially in animal husbandry, greenhouses, and indoor farming, where it provides...
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RECOMs R-78K-1.0 and RKK series against blue background
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Introducing Cutting Edge Technology into Low Power DC/DC Converters

Sep 15, 2023
Low-power DC/DC converters, in the market, often include significant labor content in their design, due to the manual assembly of magnetic components. New design techniques...
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Evolution of industry from 2.0 to 4.0 with a robot arm symbol
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Advanced packaging technologies help Industry 4.0 achieve multiple goals

Sep 1, 2023
Industry 4.0 imposes stringent reliability, size, and efficiency requirements on DC/DC converters and designers must meet the needs for better performance and improved power...
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Scale with low and high density cubes
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Key Drivers for Power Module Density

Aug 18, 2023
Evaluating key drivers for power module density transcends far beyond simple rules of thumb, such as the inverse proportionality of power solution switching frequencies to...
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Circuit diagram with diodes, inductors and capacitors
Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Railway / Transportation

Low-Power DC/DC Converters Benefit from More Sophisticated Designs

Aug 4, 2023
DC/DC conversion solutions have a long history of advancements, beginning with the invention of switching technologies. Compact size and cost-effectiveness are key to...
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A hand presents a green leaf and symbols for sustainability
Building- & Home Automation / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

3D Power Packaging for Green Energy

Jul 26, 2023
Improvements in power semiconductors are helping to transition to a green economy, however many green energy applications require DC/DC converters in a small form factor....
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Blue soundproof room with a white antenna and text labels
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

EMC Considerations in Power Supplies and DC/DC Converters

Jul 14, 2023
Achieving electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) between electronic system components and the end equipment is a major challenge in modern product design. The present article...
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Stylized representation of various energy sources and technologies in blue and white
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Enhanced Power Modules Increase System Reliability

Jun 30, 2023
While having power when expected is a key aspect of reliability for any electrical or electronic system, what drives that ultimate durability into the power modules/subsystem...
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Digital network overlay on an electronic circuit board
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

New DC/DC Converters Simplify Custom Projects

Jun 16, 2023
RECOM offers a portfolio of over 30,000 off-the-shelf DC/DC converters that can meet the vast majority of requirements. Even so, a particular application may call for...
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Stylized city with 5G network symbols and signals
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Isolated 1W and 2W Converters meet the needs of many Applications

Jun 2, 2023
With their compact dimensions, low-power isolated DC/DC converters offer an ideal solution to many space-critical applications in communication equipment, instrumentation,...
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RECOM RACM1200-V with dimensions and features
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical

Fit and forget: a 1200W AC/DC that quietly gets on with its job!

May 19, 2023
AC/DC power supplies at 1kW are common in many applications, and users want versatile products they can easily install, configure, and monitor. This article examines what an...
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Three graphs show relationships between size, weight, power and frequency, as well as density
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Helping Power Solutions Keep Up with Moore’s Law

May 5, 2023
The consideration of the pace of development of roadmaps for electronics and electrical equipment will commonly converge around Moore’s Law and microelectromechanical systems...
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3D model of a RECOM DC/DC converter with planar transformer
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Planar Transformers benefit DC/DC Converter Designs

Apr 7, 2023
Transformers have long been a thorn in the side of DC/DC converter designers. They are bulky, expensive, and hard to manufacture. Find out how planar transformers boost...
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Person changes a car battery
Automotive / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

24V Battery-powered Applications

Mar 24, 2023
Battery-powered systems are growing rapidly from inclusion in everything from electric vehicles and motorboats to photovoltaic installations and data centers. A major trend...
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Illuminated component on a circuit board
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

3D Power Packaging (3DPP®) Advancements

Feb 22, 2023
Advanced packaging techniques have facilitated power conversion and power management solutions with the ability to take advantage of many state-of-the-art (SOTA) technologies...
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"RATHER BE COOL THAN DEAD." in white capital letters on a blue background
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Rather be Cool than Dead

Jan 13, 2023
Temperature is the number one enemy for the life of power supplies. As a rule of thumb, every 10°C increase in temperature decreases the lifetime of a power supply by half....
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Graphical representation of single-phase AC power
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Lighting / Medical

Power Factor Correction

Dec 16, 2022
Sometimes, we employ less number of engineering cycles and resources into designing, not because we intend to or to obtain a sustainable product, rather because it is an...
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Sun shines on solar panels
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Transportation

High-Isolation DC/DC Converters Meet Green Requirements

Dec 2, 2022
The green energy revolution is well underway, driven by the challenges of climate change and the drive towards sustainable development. And RECOM’s high-isolation DC/DC...
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Sectional view of a train with system labels
Railway / Transportation

Powering Sensors in Trains

Nov 25, 2022
Many people think of a train as simply a bus on rails! After all, passenger trains have been around since 1825 and the basic concept of a locomotive pulling carriages has not...
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RECOM power modules with “3D Power Packaging” logo and dimensions
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Power Modules are Catching up with Moore’s Law

Nov 11, 2022
Over several decades, processors and complex ICs have followed Moore’s Law for increasing transistor count. However, the associated voltage regulators have not reduced in the...
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Solar panels and wind turbines at dusk
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Transportation

What is Energy Storage?

Nov 4, 2022
Energy storage is "the capture of energy produced at one time for use at a later time to reduce imbalances between energy demand and energy production."[1] This applies...
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White electric car charging at a station
Automotive / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Transportation

Forget 400V – 800V is on the Way

Oct 31, 2022
The year 1996 was a significant one in electric vehicle history. That was the year the General Motors EV1 hit the market. The EV1 was the first mass-produced and...
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Futuristic medical monitoring screen shows vital signs and patient data in a hospital
Industrial & Automation / Medical

Safety & Compliance for Medical Power Supplies

Oct 28, 2022
To ensure the safety of patients and medical professionals, medical electrical equipment is strictly regulated by standards and requirements for product testing. As a primary...
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Performance meter shows “HIGH”
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Power Supply Design for maximum Performance

Oct 21, 2022
Every engineer sets out to design for maximum performance of their system, power supply, or any other product they are working on. But what does designing for performance...
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Schematic representation of a blue electric car with charging cable
E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Transportation

Electric vehicle chargers switch to bidirectional designs

Oct 7, 2022
As part of a global effort to reduce carbon footprint, automotive manufacturers are replacing gasoline with cleaner fuel-less alternatives. As a result, the electric vehicle...
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A light rail train moving down a city track.
Railway

Light Rail Power Supplies from A to Z

Sep 30, 2022
Light rail transit (LRT) is a form of urban passenger rail transit that combines the features of a tram and rapid transit. While its rolling stock is more similar to a tram...
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A GaN chip on a circuit board with blue and violet light rays
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

DC/DC for GaN

Sep 16, 2022
GaN is the chemical symbol for gallium nitride, which is a III-V semiconductor material commonly referred to as a “wide bandgap” (WBG) material because it has a relatively...
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Train energy system schematic
Railway / Transportation

Railway Battery Chargers Help Locomotives Help the Environment

Sep 9, 2022
The replacement of the internal combustion engine (ICE) by the electric motor is touted as key in reducing pollution from automobiles, but the trend isn’t confined to the...
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Warning: No heat sink
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Lighting

Energy Efficient Converters Eliminate Heat Sinks

Sep 2, 2022
From driving LEDs to powering laptops and smart consumer devices, high efficiency power supplies are a must to minimize power losses and optimize performance.
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High-speed train at a station
Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation / Railway / Transportation

Power Supplies for Railway Data Communications

Aug 26, 2022
Data is at the heart of modern railway infrastructure. Both freight and passenger trains require reliable communications to transfer location data between rolling stock...
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Energy system with controllers and converters
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation

What is Energy Harvesting (EH)?

Aug 19, 2022
Even after a legacy of supporting technologies, energy harvesting (the ability to scavenge energy from any source that physics affords us) has only graduated from emerging to...
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Speeding high-speed train on tracks
Industrial & Automation / Railway

Plug & Play Designs benefit railway applications

Aug 12, 2022
Plug & Play designs save time and costs for system designers and are common in many application areas. But until now, these designs have been absent from the demanding...
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Hand interacting with a futuristic digital interface
Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation

What is the Internet of Things? A Power Perspective

Jul 29, 2022
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a widely used term associated with various industries, from condition-monitoring systems for preventive maintenance to self-powered labels for...
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Blue train in motion at dusk
Railway / Transportation

Rugged High-Power Converters Meet Stringent Railway Standards

Jul 15, 2022
For over two centuries, railways and the rolling stock that make train travel possible have evolved from mechanical steam-powered locomotives to today’s high-tech trains,...
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Digital icons on blue hexagons
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Off-the-shelf Power Supplies Simplify System Design

Jul 1, 2022
When approaching a project, system designers must choose whether to buy a complete off-the-shelf power supply unit (PSU) or module for the end product, or build it in-house....
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RECOM RPY-1.5Q and RPX-1.5Q series with 3D Power Packagin and AEC-Q1000 Logo
Automotive / Industrial & Automation / Transportation

DC/DC converters in automotive applications

Jun 13, 2022
DC/DC converters are now common in automotive applications at a range of power levels. Parts must comply with AEC-Q standards for quality and stress tests and automotive...
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Electric vehicle charging connectors
E-Mobility / Energy / Transportation

EV Charger Auxiliary Supply Considerations

Jun 3, 2022
EV chargers are becoming ubiquitous so much so that now legislation requires new domestic and industrial buildings to include charging points. While the main power conversion...
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Chemical reaction rate vs. temperature curve
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Storage Temperature Considerations for Electronic Components and Modules

May 20, 2022
There are numerous informative articles on the operational temperature range of electronic components and sub-assemblies, but relatively few on storage temperatures. The...
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Renewable energy icons in blue hexagons
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Efficient Power Supplies Cut CO₂ Emissions

May 6, 2022
Worldwide electricity use is responsible for approximately 25% of all carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. However, by taking simple steps, companies and consumers can reduce...
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Healthcare icons on blue hexagons
Building- & Home Automation / Industrial & Automation / Medical

Powering Medical Homecare Equipment

Apr 22, 2022
Homecare medical devices have to potentially withstand more challenging and uncontrolled conditions than those used in the clinical environment. This article looks at the...
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Charging an electric car
E-Mobility / Energy / Transportation

Using Advanced Technologies to Accelerate E-Mobility

Apr 8, 2022
Despite the attractive incentives offered by governments around the world and the advantages of driving electric vehicles (EVs), the growth has been rather sluggish in the...
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Smart city with interconnected infrastructure and power systems
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Smart Cities

Mar 29, 2022
A smart city integrates Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology to interconnect buildings, resources, and data, creating an efficient, adaptive, and environmentally friendly...
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RECOM power supplies and Customized Solutions sign
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Modified standard, semi-custom and full-custom designs – the RECOM approach

Mar 11, 2022
RECOM offers over 25,000 standard portfolio DC/DC and AC/DC products, but still at times, a non-standard converter is needed. This article explores the difference between...
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Hacker with laptop that says Part 2
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation

How to Hack your AC/DC Converter - Part 2

Feb 11, 2022
A ‘hack’ is a clever or an elegant solution that uses something for a purpose for which it was not originally intended. It is usually for fun, but it is also more to offer a...
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Hacker with laptop that says Part 1
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation

How to Hack your DC/DC Converter - Part 1

Jan 28, 2022
A ‘hack’ is a clever or elegant solution that uses something for a purpose for which it was not originally intended, usually for fun, but also more seriously to offer a...
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RECOM’s RxxC05TExxS and RxxCTExxS series on blue background
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Advanced ‘3D Power Packaging’ Enables Miniaturization of DC/DC Converters

Dec 17, 2021
Recent advancements in "3D power packaging" are driving the continued miniaturization of DC/DC converters while boosting power density. Despite these reductions in size, the...
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House with surge protection
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Protection from Transient Voltages

Nov 26, 2021
The wide variety of electrical power distribution infrastructure methods that exist around the world hosts many challenges for power engineers designing products that rely on...
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RECOM RACM1200-V power supply on blue background
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Why a Power Supply with Data Bus?

Nov 12, 2021
Manufacturers of power supplies have recently started to offer interfaces for controlling and monitoring their power supplies. This article highlights the reasons for this...
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RECOMs RxxC05TExxS DC/DC converter on blue background with digital icons
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Powering Condition-Based Maintenance Sensors

Nov 5, 2021
Effective maintenance of complex industrial processes is vital to keep productivity up and costs down. Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) is an alternative to regular...
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3D PCB diagram with components and layers
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

GaNonCMOS – Next steps in POL integration

Oct 29, 2021
Smaller and more efficient power converters have been trending for decades and will continue evolving. This is achieved using new topologies, new materials, and new...
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Circuit board with energy and battery icons
Energy / Industrial & Automation

Getting Started with the RECOM Energy Harvesting Module

Oct 15, 2021
One of the main challenges in designing a successful energy harvesting system is simply getting started. At the beginning, there are often too many unknowns to contend with,...
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RPX 4.0 circuit diagram
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

When DC/DC Power Supplies Use External Filters

Oct 1, 2021
In the world of modern electronics, it is very easy to take DC/DC power supplies for granted as they are all around us and in constant use. However, how well the power supply...
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Power output response over time
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Peak power vs average power – How to choose the right converter

Sep 24, 2021
Many engineers prefer to choose a power supply with ample “headroom” – In a worst-case scenario, if the application draws a power of say, 5W, then a 10W power supply will be...
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RECOM RACM1200-V medical power supply
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Medical

RACM1200-V | Industry Leading High-Density Medical Power Supply

Sep 17, 2021
There are few industries where the reliability of power systems and maintenance-free functionality are as critical to design as they are in healthcare. Medical electronics...
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Precision meter indicating the width of the RECOM RPX-4.0 as 5.0mm
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

DC/DC converter requirements

Sep 10, 2021
Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta and André-Marie Ampère never imagined it, but today our highly technical world can no longer function without voltage and...
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Drone circuit board with 5G symbol
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Powering 5G Infrastructure

Aug 20, 2021
As 5G networks expand globally, the number of base stations is increasing rapidly, leading to higher energy consumption. Efficient power solutions are essential to support...
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UV sterilization device eliminating mites and germs
Lighting / Medical

UV LEDs for disinfection

Jul 16, 2021
Ultra-violet (UV) radiation is an effective non-contact disinfection method, killing microbes, bacteria and viruses, including Covid19, on most surfaces, in water and in the...
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Buck converter circuit diagram
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Down converter - From the circuit to the completely integrated module

Jul 2, 2021
The buck converter has been in use for a century and is an indispensable part of today's electronic circuits. This article describes how a crude electromechanical component...
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Robotic arm with RECOM RACM1200-V AC/DC converter
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation

Built-in Power Supply – There Is Finally a Solution!

Jun 18, 2021
Every developer looks forward to the moment when their prototype is finally working, all essential functions have been implemented, and the software is nearly complete,...
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SamacSys and SnapEDA logos with a power supply on the RECOM website
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Benefits of Digital Product Libraries

Jun 4, 2021
The electronics industry is one of the fastest-growing industries of the last half-century, and the amount of information generated by this industry can be overwhelming. If...
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Electricity flow diagram
Building- & Home Automation / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Overvoltage categories in power supply systems

May 21, 2021
The operating environment for mains-powered electrical equipment is separated into four overvoltage category (OVC) areas according to their level of surge protection. This...
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RECOM RACM1200-V with Summit Series logo
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical

Built-in Power Supply with High Power Density

May 7, 2021
RECOM, well-known manufacturer of AC/DC and DC/DC converters, has launched an AC/DC power supply with 1.2 kW power, the RACM1200-V. The AC/DC converter has all approvals for...
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RECOM RBBA3000 series on blue background
Avionics & Aerospace / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Transportation

RBBA3000 series: 3kW and smaller than a half a chocolate bar

Apr 23, 2021
The RBBA3000 from RECOM is a 3kW boost/buck converter in a half-brick package. The boost-buck technology offers an input voltage range of 9V to 60V at a current of up to 50A....
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Futuristic blue EV charging port with a "100" display and mode icons
E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Transportation

Converters for the self-sufficiency of EV charging stations

Apr 9, 2021
Electromobility charging stations are often positioned in exposed places, where particular environmental conditions like transient overvoltage can occur. They have to meet...
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Heat transfer methods: conduction, convection, radiation
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Intro to Thermal Resistance in Modern Electronics

Mar 19, 2021
As devices get more powerful and compact, optimal thermal management of electronics has been a continuous battle for engineers in nearly every industry. And while there are...
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Test device and 3D Power Packaging logo with R05CT05S series from RECOM
Industrial & Automation / Medical

Advanced power packaging enables medical isolation in DC/DC converters

Mar 12, 2021
DC/DC converters with medical-grade isolation can be used in combination with AC/DC power supplies or in battery powered equipment to minimise end-product cost in healthcare...
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Charging USB icon
Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation

USB Charging using RECOM DC/DC converters

Mar 5, 2021
The existing USB standards permit a maximum charging current of either 500mA (USB 1.0, 2.0) or 900mA (USB 3.0), with a fast charging current limit of 1.5A. The amount of...
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RECOM 5V DC/DC 3D Power Packaging Card
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Introducing RECOM 3D Power Packaging® (3DPP)

Feb 26, 2021
Power conversion can often be the bane of product designers, regardless of what they are designing. In space-constrained applications such as cutting-edge IoT devices or...
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X and Y capacitor network diagram
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Class-X and Class-Y Safety Capacitors

Jan 29, 2021
Capacitors are essential passive components used in every modern circuit and electronics application for smoothing and filtering power lines and for bypassing signals. In...
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Mobility
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

RECOM and RECOM Power Systems Srl – a Perfect Marriage

Dec 4, 2020
In April 2019, leading power conversion company RECOM acquired RECOM Power Systems Srl (ex Power Control Systems Srl), adding specialist skills in the custom design of high...
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EMI
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Industrial & Automation

Essential Guide to EMC in IoT applications

Nov 13, 2020
As the IoT continues to grow around the world, more and more RF-based, internet enabled devices are being introduced to industries all around us. While the use of these...
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Safety standard landscape
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

The safety standard landscape after ‘60950’

Nov 2, 2020
Many engineers have literally grown up with the 60950 safety standard as a backdrop to their career, either as designers of IT power supplies and systems or users of IT...
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RECOM RBBA3000 series
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

An Introduction to Buck, Boost, and Buck-Boost Converters

Oct 30, 2020
Switch-mode power conversion has been a pillar of modern electronics technology across many sectors including utility, industrial, commercial, and consumer markets for many...
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Graphic representation of different materials on a scale from soft to hard
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Potting Compounds – A Guide to the Essentials

Jul 1, 2020
The majority of RECOM’s products are encapsulated in a potting compound. Why is this?
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Inrush Current
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Inrush Current – A Guide to the Essentials

Jun 17, 2020
All power supplies draw a higher start-up current than their operating current. This is due to several factors that overlap – the various capacitances in the input circuit...
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The RECOM Three Year Warranty
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

The RECOM Three Year Warranty – A Guide to the Essentials

Jun 3, 2020
RECOM offers a minimum three-year warranty on all of its products – some series have five years or more – when the industry standard is only one or two years. How does RECOM...
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Power Converter Thermal Impedance
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Power Converter Thermal Impedance – A Guide to the Essentials

May 27, 2020
All power converters dissipate power internally as heat and so run warmer than their surroundings. As long as this additional warmth can be transferred away to the...
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Isolation Calculator
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Isolation: A quick guide to the essentials

May 20, 2020
Despite many web-resources, manufacturers’ datasheets and books about this subject, questions about isolation and insulation grade remain one of the most commonly asked tech...
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Bidirectional AC/DC converter
Energy / Industrial & Automation

How to make a 10kW bidirectional AC/DC converter

May 13, 2020
Handling 10kW of power in both directions (from AC to DC and back) is a technically challenging, but understanding the topologies and techniques available makes the job a lot...
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RECOM Group CEO Karsten Bier
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Support for medical engineering developers with free samples

May 6, 2020
"Our production capacity has once again reached more than eighty percent" – According to RECOM Group CEO Karsten Bier, the end of the current global lockdown will decide...
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RACM550-G series from RECOM
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical

Innovative Baseplate Cooling Design Provides a Better Option than Fans in AC/DC Converter Applications

Apr 27, 2020
The power density of AC/DC converter modules is increasing, but often requires high airflow rates to achieve their stated performance. However, forced cooling using...
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DC/DC converter fields of application
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Getting the most out of a DC/DC converter

Apr 20, 2020
Modular DC/DC converters have evolved for higher power density – Small isolated DC/DC converter modules have been used for decades to efficiently match the supply voltage...
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Medical Power Supplies
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Combining the advantages of ICT and FCT in a single test adapter: a case study

Apr 13, 2020
In-Circuit Testing (ICT) is an established method of analysing an electronic product in production. Typically, a bed-of-nails approach is used to test a non-powered circuit...
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Input VDC vs. Output Current
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Shrinking Footprints in the Landscape of Switching Regulators

Apr 6, 2020
Switching regulator circuits have been around for many years, and users have always faced a choice: design their own using discrete components or buying a finished module....
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Eco Design
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Energy Efficiency in AC/DC Power Supplies: Quick Guide to the Essentials

Apr 1, 2020
Ten years ago, the European Commission set itself the bold targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, sourcing 20% of its energy from renewables and cutting overall...
More >
Schematic of a smart central heating controller
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation

New Standards Set in Powering IoT

Mar 23, 2020
They say ‘it’s a small world’ and it’s getting smaller – at least if you measure it by the ability to communicate with anybody and now increasingly anything, around the...
More >
Schematic of a power converter in railway applications
Railway / Transportation

Power converters in railway applications

Mar 9, 2020
Round the world, rail networks are expanding, driven by increasing affluence and mobility, tourism and asset upgrades for better sustainable and environmentally-friendly...
More >
Red emergency sign on a blue background
Energy / Industrial & Automation / Medical

Medical Equipment Power Supplies in Times of Emergency

Mar 5, 2020
Even when demand for medical-grade equipment peaks due to global pandemics, safety cannot be compromised to protect patients and operators. This article summarizes the...
More >
RECOM RPX-2.5
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

New Standards Achieved in Integrated Switching Regulator Design

Nov 7, 2019
Discrete IC-based switching regulators are often seen as difficult to integrate into systems, with their performance being heavily dependent on the choice of external...
More >
Various transport vehicles
E-Mobility / Industrial & Automation / Railway / Transportation

DC/DC converters in transport applications

Aug 21, 2019
Transport applications requiring DC/DC converters are unique in their requirement for wide input range and immunity to harsh environmental and EMI conditions making...
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Schematic of a isolated DC/DC converter
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Understanding isolation in DC/DC converters

Aug 14, 2019
Isolation in DC/DC converters has many different uses besides just protection against electric shock. This article explains the various grades of isolation and how they are...
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High-speed train with RECOM power modules in the foreground
Railway / Transportation

Low Power DC/DC Converters in the Railway Environment

Aug 7, 2019
In the complex international railway market, efficient use of rolling stock is key. Sensing and reporting on railway equipment condition, status, and position enable smart...
More >
Ultra-wide input range DC/DC converters
Building- & Home Automation / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Medical / Railway / Transportation

The need for ultra-wide input range DC/DC converters

Jul 24, 2019
DC/DC converters are used in almost every industrial, medical and transport installation, from low power test and measurement through to high power motor driver applications.
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The Formula Student Electric (FSE) racing car, featuring RECOM DC/DC converters
Automotive

How Electronics is Changing Motoring

Jul 10, 2019
No doubt about it, cars have changed the world over the past century. However, the trend toward ever-faster and larger models has shifted. Climate change and dwindling...
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Various line inductors with an EMC chamber in the background
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Specifying inductors for power converter noise filters

Jun 26, 2019
Inductor-capacitor filters are commonly added to the inputs and outputs of switched-mode power converters to reduce reflected ripple current and output noise, as well as to...
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Powering patient-connected medical devices with DC/DC converters
Medical

Powering patient-connected medical devices with DC/DC converters

Jun 12, 2019
Professional and home healthcare is a rapidly expanding market and patient-connected devices are increasingly being used for anything from vital signs indication to wireless...
More >
Board-mount AC/DC converter design challenges
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Board-mount AC/DC converter design challenges

May 29, 2019
A board-mount AC/DC converter is often seen as ‘just another’ commodity component, which is expected to reduce in size and cost while improving in performance as technology...
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DC/DC converters in medical applications
Medical

Board-mount DC/DC converters in medical applications

May 15, 2019
Professional and home healthcare is a rapidly expanding market. Increasingly, electronic monitoring is used for anything from critical care vital signs monitoring to mundane...
More >
Graphic of a 3-phase motor
Building- & Home Automation / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Auxiliary power supply for single phase and phase-to-phase applications

Mar 21, 2019
There are many wide input voltage AC/DC power supplies on the market. An input range of 90-305VAC will cover 100, 115, 230 and 277Vac nominal supply voltages to make a...
More >
Graphic of the battery system in an EV
Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure

Will 48V be the new 24V?

Mar 21, 2019
Most industrial control systems run on a 24VDC supply rail. This voltage was chosen for several good reasons; it is high enough to power valves, solenoids and relays but low...
More >
Blue-themed graphic with MDR letters styled like electronic components
Medical

RECOM's MDR Checklist for Medical Manufacturers

Mar 20, 2019
The European Commission (EC) has determined that the existing European Union (EU) Medical Device Directive (MDD) is not sufficiently stringent and has been recast as a...
More >
Graph of Electric Field Strength with Measurement Tool
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Why Modular SMD Switching Regulators are More Efficient

Mar 20, 2019
With modern controller chips, designing switching regulators using discrete components should be straightforward. Instead of purchasing pre-assembled modules, manufacturers...
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EMC-Scan
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

EMC focus – power supplies

Mar 20, 2019
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) is always a potential problem with switched-mode power supplies, both AC/DC and DC/DC converters. Modern designs can perform well for...
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Diagram of a power supply featuring a detailed circuit diagram illustrating connections and components
Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Energy / Industrial & Automation

Very low noise filter for isolated DC/DC converters

Mar 4, 2019
All isolated DC/DC converters contain switching elements which generate electrical noise. The parasitic inductances and capacitances associated with a power switching...
More >
Schematic of a Gate Driver
Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Understanding Gate Driver Insulation Challenges & The 'BIER' Test

Mar 4, 2019
Latest Wide Band Gap (WBG) semiconductors are approaching the ideal with hyper-fast switching at high voltages with low losses, while modern MOSFETs and trench IGBTs can also...
More >
Comparison of an original RECOM component with a counterfeit component
Automotive / Avionics & Aerospace / Building- & Home Automation / Datacom & Telecom / Defense & Marine / E-Mobility / Energy / Industrial & Automation / Infrastructure / Lighting / Medical / Nautic / Railway / Transportation

Imitation Is Flattery, but Counterfeits Are Dangerous

Feb 6, 2019
Markets are flooded with counterfeit parts from the Far East, particularly in the electronics industry. AC/DC and DC/DC converters are widely affected, with low-quality parts...
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