RECOM News

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 high-voltage power sources. However, regardless of the power distribution infrastructure method, high transient voltages are present in the electrical power distribution systems simply by the nature of their power sources. Transient voltages can be caused by a release in stored energy, from a variety of sources including t...

For over two centuries, railways and the rolling stock that make train travel possible have evolved from mechanical steam-powered locomotives to the current high-tech trains, packed with sophisticated safety, traction, communication, and information systems, for various applications ranging from signals and environmental monitoring to communication and driving electrical motors. The need for railway-approved power supplies has never been greater. power supplies in railway Whether on a train,...

RECOM strengthened its distribution network in Japan with the addition of Midoriya Electric, specializing in AC/DC, DC/DC converters, switching regulators, and LED drivers. Yosuke Sato, Director & General Manager, 1st International Division, Midoriya Electric, expressed, “RECOM's product portfolio has very good synergy with our other line cards. We are very excited about expanding sales of RECOM products.” ideal distribution partner According to Jordi Torrebadell, Director of...

RECOM has published the latest in a series of ‘Books of Knowledge’ for engineers, designers, and students on the subject of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC). EMC Book of Knowledge The ‘EMC Book of Knowledge’ subtitled ‘Practical Tips for the User’ is written by Steve Roberts, RECOM’s Innovation Manager, and Josefine Lametschwandler, RECOM’s EMC Engineering Team Leader. The book follows on from RECOM two very popular Books of Knowledge on the...

RECOM has continued to add to their ‘K’ series of DC/DC converters featuring advanced circuit design techniques and manufacturing technology with the REC5K-AW, a 5W, wide input DC/DC in a plastic package, just 1” x 1” footprint, 0.4” profile (25.4 x 25.4 x 10mm). The cost-effective part operates over a wide 4:1 (9–36 VDC) input range and provides a regulated 5 V output rated at 1 A with 18-36 VDC input. Operation is from −40°C to 110°C ambient w...

RECOM is honored to be the number one power supply brand for Rutronik, an electronics distributor of high-scale and complex electronic components. RECOM has partnered with the ADAC GT MASTERS team Rutronik Racing since 2018. In 2023, Rutronik Racing Team changed to another motorsport class—GTWC Europe Endurance Cup and Rutronik Racing continues to be supported by RECOM. Rutronik Racing Team Rutronik Racing Team is able to create a strategic international footprint by partaking in these...

RECOM's new RPA40-FR series of rugged, board-mount DC/DC converters in a 2“ x 1” x 0.4” (50.8 x 25.4 x 10.2 mm) through-pin package is ideal for railway applications with their input range of 36–160VDC (200V/1 second). Nominal input voltages of 72V, 96V, and 110V are covered with tolerances, dips, and surges while the output selection is 5V, 5.1V, 12V, 15V, 24V, ±12V, or ±15V, with the single outputs trimmable by ±10% minimum (15 and 24V models are t...

Transformers have long been a thorn in the side of DC/DC converter designers. They are bulky, expensive, and hard to manufacture. Let's find out how planar transformers boost quality and lower the cost of low-wattage DC/DC converter designs. Planar versus toroidal The transformer is at the core of any DC/DC converter design and is the most critical component in determining the overall performance. Traditionally, transformers and inductors are wound components. Most mass-produced low...

Battery-powered systems are growing rapidly from inclusion in everything from electric vehicles and motorboats to photovoltaic installations and data centers. A major trend has been an increase in the voltages these systems run on in order to reduce system size/weight and/or increase available power to the load. At the forefront of this trend, enabled by advancements in wide-input power electronics, is a migration from 12V to 24V applications. All electric vehicles (EVs), including Battery...

RECOM have re-visited the designs of some of the most popular isolated and non-isolated DC/DC converters and achieved major performance improvements from the implementation of advanced circuit and manufacturing techniques. The addition of synchronous rectification improves efficiency, new planar-style transformers can be automatically placed and flexible automation keeps costs down – even reduced for some new products in volume. The new DC/DC series have the ‘K’ designation an...

RECOM's R-78E series of three-terminal switching regulators has been a very popular high-efficiency replacement for three-terminal, TO-220 style linear regulators, saving energy, board space, and cost, by eliminating heatsinks and their assembly overheads. For 2023, they are announcing an upgrade to the series, denoted R-78Kxx, with improved specifications. Features of the R-78K series  Versions rated at 0.5A, 1A, and 2A are available, with fixed outputs now including 1.2V, 1.5V, 1.8V, 2...

Popular RACM series has been extended with the addition of the RACM30-K/277 range of parts rated at 30W (36W peak), setting a new benchmark of 9.2W/inch³ thermally effective power density at 60°C still air in a case size of 1.6” x 2” x 1” (40 x 52.5 x 25.5 mm). Limited power source These silicone-free encapsulated AC/DCs have an ultra-wide input range of 85-305VAC (120V to 430VDC) and are available with outputs of 5V, 12V, 15V, 24V, ±12V or ±15V, fully...

New REC30E-Z DC/DCs offer a great combination of power density, performance, and cost with a 30W rating in a package size of just 25.4 x 25.4 x 10mm. Two wide input ranges are offered 9-36V (50V surge) and 18-75V (100V surge), covering a wide variety of nominals and their tolerances. Fully regulated single and dual outputs are available: 3.3V, 5V, 12V, 15V, 25V, ±12V, and +/15VDC. Rating of the REC30E-Z series Featuring RECOM’s hallmark advanced circuit and thermal design, the pa...

Users can now take advantage of surface mount technology with the new R5M, R3M, R2M, and R1M regulated DC/DC converters, rated at 5W, 3W, 2W, and 1W, respectively. The family shares a common case size of 13.2mm x 9.1mm footprint, 10.2mm high, with the R2M additionally available in a through-hole DIP8 package. The DC/DCs operate over a 4:1 input range, 9-36VDC or 18-75VDC, while the R3M, R2M, and R1M range additionally include 4.5-18V input. Outputs available are fully regulated: single 3.3V, 5V...

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. Similarly, every 10°C decrease in temperature doubles their lifetime. Hence, the title of this piece “Rather be cool than dead”. The reason why temperature plays such an important role in the lifetime of power supplies can be found in the Arrhenius equation. The Swedish chemist, Svante Arrhenius, develope...

What a year! For every lead RECOM received on a European trade show tour, it is donating funds to offset the CO2 footprint cost of attendance. RECOM received a record number of business cards in 2022, allowing them to plant over 700 trees! exhibition participation The team at RECOM was thrilled to meet with customers and new friends from around the globe. It was exhibited at Embedded World (March), PCIM (May), LOGIMAT (June), Innotrans (September), and Electronica (November).  From Nure...

Sometimes, we employ less number of engineering cycles and resources in designing, not because we intend to obtain a sustainable product, but rather because it is an obligation.  Power factor correction is a great example of a circuit (or circuits) that does not facilitate size-, weight-, or power-optimizing goals, although it is probably a critical determinant of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and mitigates massive amounts of dissipated power generated by utility companies. Apparent...

Two new ranges of cost-effective switching regulators are announced - the RPMGQ-20 and RPMGS-20 open-frame, through-hole, non-isolated DC/DC buck converters with 20A output rating. RPMGQ-20, RPMGS-20 The RPMGQ-20 is in an industry-standard quarter-brick format while the RPMGS-20 is in the emerging standard package size of 36.83 x 34.04 mm with a standard sixteenth brick pin-out. Both products have a maximum height of 15mm from their mounting surface. The parts operate from an 18V-75V input an...

The green energy revolution is well underway, driven by the challenges of climate change and the drive towards sustainable development. RECOM’s high-isolation DC/DC converters play a key role in green energy designs. Solar energy is the cleanest, most abundant global renewable energy source, and plays a key role in the development of sustainable energy systems. Global photovoltaic (PV) generation capacity has undergone exponential growth over the past decade. Approximately 183GW was...

90W versions of the popular and cost-efficient RACM 2”x4” AC/DC series are available with wide 85-264Vac input range and a selection of tightly regulated outputs including 12V, 15V, 24V, 36V and 48VDC. The series includes safety certifications to medical standard IEC/EN/ANSI/AAMI ES 60601-1 for 2MOPP ‘B’ and ‘BF’ applications as well as IEC/EN 62368-1, IEC/EN 60335-1 and IEC/EN 61558-1 for reinforced isolation in industrial, IT, test and measurement and house...

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 changed much since then. However, anyone attending the recent Innotrans 2022 exhibition in Berlin, the pioneering international trade fair for transport technology, will have noticed that trains are becoming increasingly high-tech. One exhibitor even boasted that their high-speed train contained over 7000 sensors. This is...

A new 300W-rated half-brick DC/DC converter, the REC300H-W, is now available with a wide 9V to 36VDC input and output options of 12V, 15V, 24V, and 48VDC isolated to 3kVDC/1 minute. Additionally released, the 150W-rated REC150H-UW has an ultra-wide input range of 9V to 75VDC with the same output voltage options, apart from 28V and 54VDC to suit avionic systems and PoE applications, isolated at 2.5kVDC/1 minute. EMC specifications REC300H-W and REC150H-UW products are regulated and protected a...

Over several decades, processors and complex ICs have followed Moore’s Law to increase transistor count. However, the associated voltage regulators have not reduced in the same proportion until recently. A new generation of devices that have adopted ‘3D packaging’ techniques is showing dramatic improvements in power density. Moore’s Law Moore’s Law, or more correctly his prediction, was that the number of transistors in a complex IC would approximately double eve...

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." This can apply across the full spectrum of timebase and energy density, which means energy can be stored for nanoseconds or years and in applications ranging from picowatts to gigawatts of power. The figures below compare utility-scale batteries to supplement solar photovoltaic (PV) energy capturing to the kind of board-level components that ac...

The UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking is a new UK product marking that is used for products being placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland). It applies to the same products that are currently CE-marked. UKCA mark The circumstances in which self-declaration of conformity for UKCA marking can be used are the same as for CE marking. Based on current UK rules, RECOM is eligible to self-declare for the UKCA Declaration of Conformity (DoC) and to attach the UKCA mark...

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 purpose-designed electric vehicle of the modern era from a major automaker and the first GM car designed from the ground up to be an electric vehicle. Those first EV1s used a lead-acid battery with a capacity of 16.5–18.7 kWh and an output voltage of 312V; Gen 2 vehicles used a nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) battery with 26.4...

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 power source for these electrical devices, medical power supplies, both AC/DC and DC/DC converters–must also comply with these standards so that the medical equipment functions within safety guidelines. This article looks at several of these standards and how to comply with them. IEC standards One of the standards...

Expanding RECOM's AC/DC range, the cost-effective RACM130E-K series in a 2”x4” footprint is available with 130W peak output power from a wide 85-264Vac input. Tightly regulated single outputs available are 12V, 15V, 24V, 36V and 48VDC. Safety certifications include 2MOPP/250Vac medical for ‘B’ or ‘BF’ applications to IEC/EN/ANSI/AAMI ES 60601-1, as well as IEC/EN 62368-1, IEC/EN 60335-1 and IEC/EN 61558-1 for industrial, test and measurement, IT and household...

Building on the success of the 5W board-mount RAC05-K/480 AC/DC, RECOM now offers 15W and 25W versions with the same ultra-wide input range of 85-528VAC, for line-to-line and line-to-neutral connections in global single- and three-phase AC supplies. Outputs available are 5V, 12V, 15V, and 24V, fully protected against short circuits, over-current and over-voltage. The two new series are certified to IEC/EN/UL 62368-1 and IEC/EN 61010 and are classed as Limited Power Source (LPS). The parts...

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 mean? In terms of power solutions, this may refer to the typical tradeoff of size, weight, and power (SWaP) factors, perhaps even including cost (SWaP-C) factors. Designing for energy performance (typically measured in terms of efficiency metrics) implies a focus on optimizing the performance of power supply energy consumption...