111–120 of 203 posts
Way back in the 90s aerospace was replacing silicon with gallium arsenide to make more efficient and faster chips. I’m glad to see it’s finally reaching a useful commercial application.
https://chargedevs.com/features/opinion-sic-vs-gan-semicondu...
When I got a new laptop this summer I researched what chargers were out there, as I was fed up with carrying the normal assortment of cables and chargers. I settled for another GaN charger - the Innergie Powergear 60c[0] which is a very decent size for 60w and not having a mains lead built into it (still very common on non-mac chargers) makes it a lot more compact. I travel a lot, often with more than one laptop, so…
It's quite quite common for people to manage to bend the prongs on their vacuum cleaner dozens of times. Those pull more amps than almost anything else you plug in regularly, and they do just fine. Just go slow.
Are these chargers UL certified? I would be wary of using higher wattage chargers that have no been properly tested.
And then there’s this thing which is smaller than either and 60W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBYVF4Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Fu...
That is not smaller than an Atom PD1. The Atom is 1.61 x 1.37 x 1.50 in. This is 1.18 (x 1.18) x 2.36. The shorter dimensions don't matter because both approximate the outlet dimensions, but the Innergie will stick out nearly 50% further. Also, 88g vs. 59g. Not smaller by any reasonable definition. As it happens, I have the Atom. Yes, it's true that it can barely keep up with my MBP while in use, but that's not how I…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Faster switching speed for the equivalent breakdown, at least from an RF amplifier perspective. SiC was an interim until GaN was developed, and is essentially obsoleted now. What’s interesting is how the DOD heavily invested in GaN technology in 90s and 00s, pushing the USA ahead of Japan in compound semiconductor. Weather that lead will stay; who knows. The Chinese have a GaN fab now. GaN is critical for RADAR and h…
> Faster switching speed for the equivalent breakdown, at least from an RF amplifier perspective. SiC was an interim until GaN was developed, and is essentially obsoleted now. Wait wait wait... GaN and SiC have very, very different use profiles, and characteristics. SiC is by no means obsolete, and nor are purpose made silicon switches. SiC is here to stay because of one very unique trait among all other semiconducto…
How does the negative temp coefficient help; stability for very high temps? I know the positive temp coefficient was an issue in RF BJT, requiring ballast resistors for stabilization, but those are not needed in any FETs. The positive temp coefficient should be useful for GaN as long as you have temp stabilization in the bias network; all of my amps did.
Good point about the high temp. I know of some oil drill electronics in SiC. I just though SiC was dead for RF.
For Brits and visitors to our shores there's https://www.themu.co.uk/collections/muone and https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/muone/mu-two-next-gener...
When I got a new laptop this summer I researched what chargers were out there, as I was fed up with carrying the normal assortment of cables and chargers. I settled for another GaN charger - the Innergie Powergear 60c[0] which is a very decent size for 60w and not having a mains lead built into it (still very common on non-mac chargers) makes it a lot more compact. I travel a lot, often with more than one laptop, so…
US plug prongs can usually survive being bent and re-bent a number of times. It's quite quite common for people to manage to bend the prongs on their vacuum cleaner dozens of times. Those pull more amps than almost anything else you plug in regularly, and they do just fine. Just go slow.
Works fine if there is no earth pin.
Way back in the 90s aerospace was replacing silicon with gallium arsenide to make more efficient and faster chips. I’m glad to see it’s finally reaching a useful commercial application.
Had forgotten about that. I worked at the Rockwell science center at that time and went into their clean room once and had to put on a “bunny suit” to work on some computers inside it. They had a gallium chip product of some sort.
That's important for switching power supplies, especially small ones. A switching power supply is always a few milliseconds from being a short circuit across the input. And FETs fail in the ON state. That's why those things are inherently fire risks and need protection circuitry. Really tiny ones make it worse; if they fail, there's not much space to dissipate heat before something blows and opens the circuit.