A wide variety of power electronics resources are available online. This section points to the many relevant websites provided by trade magazines, industry organizations, vendors, and academic and research institutions. At these sites, you’ll find design tips and techniques, product and technology information, industry and research news, job information, bios about technology and business leaders, and technological history—all related to power electronics.
This broad-based electronics design magazine features a Power Management Design Center, which provides “news and in-depth technical information for system designers responsible for specifying or selecting power sources for electronics applications.” Design Ideas related to power supply design and Margery Conner’s Power Source Blog can be accessed here. Also see Power Management page.
This product magazine provides many articles on power products including power components and power supplies, articles on power technology trends and power product selection. From the same publisher, Hearst Power Management Semiconductor Applications Center also provides power product information plus design tips, reference designs, and blogs.
The site formerly known as analogZONE includes a highpowerZONE, with power related commentary, new product information, and design articles. Also see greenpowerZONE and greentechzone.
Rick Zarr of National Semiconductor writes this thought-provoking and entertaining blog discussing issues related to energy generation, energy and power conversion, and energy consumption. He explores trends and emerging technologies that affect energy generation and its use in a variety of applications. He makes his points by citing historical facts, data on energy use, and other technical information.
Created by veteran power electronics editor Sam Davis, this site provides a searchable database of power ICs, power MOSFETs, and power supplies. Site includes tutorials on various power functions and Davis’ blog.
An impressive resource for those interested in high-voltage design, this site includes information on high-voltage components and power supplies (including a buyers guide), design issues, safety, industry news, books, research facilities, and applications. The contact for the site, Fred Wright, also writes a blog.
On the Power Integrations website, the mysterious Mr. Green blogs regularly on “Energy Efficiency Standards, Regulations, and Other Green Matters.” This is a good source for news on energy-saving initiatives related to consumer products, particularly the Energy Star programs.
This Global Sources site offers industry news, design articles and videos on power supply design and power management topics. Site includes a blog by Ram Anant, an engineering manager at Texas Instruments.
Using his 20+ years experience in power electronics, Lazar Rozenblat has developed this website., which offers extensive information on power supply design and many links to sites with useful information and design tools. Site includes an interesting blog by Rozenblat and listings for Power Supply Design Jobs.
For the serious power supply designer, Jerrold Foutz’ site is a must read. Foutz, who has over four decades experience in power electronics says about his site, “Here you will find solutions to the most difficult problems facing you as a power supply designer, a tutorial that places power supply design problems in context, and resources that aid in your power supply design tasks.” Resources include recommendations on power supply design texts and useful websites as well as Foutz’ power supply design blog.
Biricha Digital Power, a UK-based consulting company, offers several digital power design tools on its website. These tools convert an analog type-II or type-III controller to its digital counterpart using analog component values or analog poles and zeros.
Consulting electronics engineer David A. Johnson has created this impressive site, which links to “28,000+ electronic circuits, cross-referenced into 500+ categories” including many categories relating to power conversion.
The site, which describes itself as “the home of DIY audio articles, projects and short form kits” offers an extensive primer on linear power supply design with an eye toward powering audio amplifiers. For the primer, see “Main Index,” then “Site Map,” and finally “Power Supply Design”.
An impressive resource for those interested in high-voltage design, this site includes information on high-voltage components and power supplies (including a buyers guide), design issues, safety, industry news, books, research facilities, and applications. The contact for the site, Fred Wright, also writes a blog.
This site provides power-supply design job listings as well as listings by power supply designers seeking employment. Site also includes a forum on power supply design and new power product information. Also, see the related SMPS.com, which offers power supply design information and design tools, and PowerSupply.net, a power supply manufacturers database.
Dr. Franki N. K. Poon’s website enables users to design power supplies and transformers, and run simulations of those designs for free. It provides “more than 100 circuits and topologies” and “tens of thousands” of real component models. Aimed at the beginner as well as the experienced power supply designer, PowerEsim enables component loss analysis, generation of essential waveforms, transformer winding design, input harmonics analysis, feedback loop analysis, thermal analysis, MTBF prediction, and generation of a design verification test report.
Brad Suppanz, an experienced applications engineer in the power supply and power IC industries, has posted his ”notes on switched mode power supply design, analysis, and simulation techniques as well as some web calculators specific to power engineering.”
Christophe Basso, expert on power supply simulation, offers a variety of power supply design resources on his SPICE page. These include a summary of his latest book, information on new application circuits and Spice models, presentations and papers, and component models. Links to vendor and university sites provide access to more downloadable papers, app notes, and seminars.
Using his 20+ years experience in power electronics, Lazar Rozenblat has developed this website., which offers extensive information on power supply design and many links to sites with useful information and design tools. Site includes an interesting blog by Rozenblat and listings for Power Supply Design Jobs.
For the serious power supply designer, Jerrold Foutz’ site is a must read. Foutz, who has over four decades experience in power electronics says about his site, “Here you will find solutions to the most difficult problems facing you as a power supply designer, a tutorial that places power supply design problems in context, and resources that aid in your power supply design tasks.” Resources include recommendations on power supply design texts and useful websites as well as Foutz’ power supply design blog.
DOSA is a consortium formed by dc-dc converter manufacturers to develop and promote industry standards for power converter modules. This website posts specifications for DOSA standards for isolated and nonisolated dc-dc converters, and also lists member companies.
For power electronics professionals interested in European markets, this site offers a number of helpful resources including information on environmental regulations and safety regulations as they relate to power supplies marketed in Europe, design information, new product news, marketing data, and job postings for positions in Europe
This global organization sponsors a variety of conferences, workshops, and tutorials relating to power and energy conversion in industrial applications. Among the IAS’ conferences are the International Conference on Power Electronics and Drives Systems and the Energy Conversion Congress & Exhibition. The IAS website provides information on all IAS events, standards information, and listings of IAS publications.
The PELS site offers details on IEEE standards-related activities, conferences, and workshops related to power electronics. Also found here are contacts for local PELS chapters and recipients of PELS honors.
The Power Management Bus (PMBus) website offers information about PMBus, which is described as“an open standard power-management protocol with a fully defined command language that facilitates communication with power converters and other devices in a power system.” This site is run by the PMBus Implementers Forum (PMBus-IF), which is part of the System Management Interface Forum (SMIF), Inc., a nonprofit industry standards group. The PMBus website offers access to the latest PMBus specification and open IP agreement, articles and other materials about PMBus, names of vendors that are PMBus adopters, news about PMBus compliant products, and information on PMBus-IF membership.
This site offers a variety of resources for engineers and other professionals working in power electronics including design information, new product information, technology forecasts, power supply market data, and Job postings. The industry links section contains pages of listings for governmental and industry organizations, standards organizations, and university resources.
The Power Management Professionals Group on LinkedIn has been established to facilitate the networking of professionals in the power management field. Group members can contact any other member in the group without an introduction or to establish a direct connection. Members can also participate in on-line discussions about areas of common interest. As of July 2009, the group has over 2800 members. Visit this site to apply for membership in the group, or to access industry news, new product information, or design tips.
This trade association consists primarily of North American transformer and inductor manufacturers, industry suppliers, safety and regulatory agencies, and consultants. This site provides information on manufacturers’ surplus raw materials that are available for sale. These materials include bobbins, cores, enclosures, manufacturing and test equipment, foils and specialty wire, laminations, lead wire, magnet and winding wire, mounting hardware, paper and insulation, varnish, and other materials. A product index lists various categories of magnetic components and materials together with the names of the TTA member companies that supply them. A TTA membership application is available at this site.
This site allows you to search for engineering jobs in many EE disciplines including power electronics using the keyword search. Job descriptions are somewhat cryptic.
This search firm, which specializes in the power management semiconductor and power electronics industries, posts job openings for positions in IC design engineering, applications engineering, power electronics design engineering, technical marketing and technical sales. Anyone can view the posted positions, but you must register with the site to apply for openings. Prospective employers who register on this site can search the firm’s database of job candidates. In addition, those who register at the site can obtain a free copy of the 2008 U.S. Semiconductor Industry Salary Report.
For power electronics professionals interested in European markets, this site offers a number of helpful resources including information on environmental regulations and safety regulations as they relate to power supplies marketed in Europe, design information, new product news, marketing data, and job postings for positions in Europe
This site offers a variety of resources for engineers and other professionals working in power electronics including design information, new product information, technology forecasts, power supply market data, and Job postings. The industry links section contains pages of listings for governmental and industry organizations, standards organizations, and university resources.
Staffing firm specializes in the placement of professionals in the power electronics industry including positions in design and applications engineering; quality, test, and manufacturing; electronics technicians; sales and marketing, and management. Website allows visitors to search for available positions in these job categories, and then narrow the search using specific technology or application keywords, and by region within the U.S.
Using his 20+ years experience in power electronics, Lazar Rozenblat has developed this website., which offers extensive information on power supply design and many links to sites with useful information and design tools. Site includes an interesting blog by Rozenblat and listings for Power Supply Design Jobs.
This search firm, which specializes in the power management semiconductor and power electronics industries, posts job openings for positions in IC design engineering, applications engineering, power electronics design engineering, technical marketing and technical sales. Anyone can view the posted positions, but you must register with the site to apply for openings. Prospective employers who register on this site can search the firm’s database of job candidates. In addition, those who register at the site can obtain a free copy of the 2008 U.S. Semiconductor Industry Salary Report.
Vuttipon Tarateeraseth has created a fascinating list of bios for many of the legends and innovators in the power electronics field with a focus on those involved with research at the university level and independent consultants. (The list does not cover many of the innovators working in industry.) Also, see Tarateeraseth’s website, which offers other power electronics resources.
Created by veteran power electronics editor Sam Davis, this site provides a searchable database of power ICs, power MOSFETs, and power supplies. Site includes tutorials on various power functions and Davis’ blog.
An impressive resource for those interested in high-voltage design, this site includes information on high-voltage components and power supplies (including a buyers guide), design issues, safety, industry news, books, research facilities, and applications. The contact for the site, Fred Wright, also writes a blog.
This site provides power-supply design job listings as well as listings by power supply designers seeking employment. Site also includes a forum on power supply design and new power product information. Also, see the related SMPS.com, which offers power supply design information and design tools, and PowerSupply.net, a power supply manufacturers database.
This trade association consists primarily of North American transformer and inductor manufacturers, industry suppliers, safety and regulatory agencies, and consultants. This site provides information on manufacturers’ surplus raw materials that are available for sale. These materials include bobbins, cores, enclosures, manufacturing and test equipment, foils and specialty wire, laminations, lead wire, magnet and winding wire, mounting hardware, paper and insulation, varnish, and other materials. A product index lists various categories of magnetic components and materials together with the names of the TTA member companies that supply them. A TTA membership application is available at this site.
The online version of Bodo Ault’s magazine posts Bodo’s thought-provoking editorial on the home page along with a listing of articles from the latest issue, which you can download if you register.
This product-oriented publication offers various power-related resources including Wall Chart references on power supply and battery topics, efficiency-related articles in the Efficiency Zone, and short articles on Power Sources.
This broad-based electronics design magazine features a Power Management Design Center, which provides “news and in-depth technical information for system designers responsible for specifying or selecting power sources for electronics applications.” Design Ideas related to power supply design and Margery Conner’s Power Source Blog can be accessed here. Also see Power Management page.
The magazine’s power coverage includes articles on power technology trends, power components, FAQs (frequently asked questions) and Basics of Design on power design topics. Ideas for Design include circuit ideas related to power supply design, typically for low-power applications.
This product magazine provides many articles on power products including power components and power supplies, articles on power technology trends and power product selection. From the same publisher, Hearst Power Management Semiconductor Applications Center also provides power product information plus design tips, reference designs, and blogs.
The site formerly known as analogZONE includes a highpowerZONE, with power related commentary, new product information, and design articles. Also see greenpowerZONE and greentechzone.
This site provides power product information, design tips, reference designs, and blogs. Sections of the site are devoted to power over Ethernet, automotive power management, digital power management, display driving, military/aerospace/harsh environments, and power conversion.
Readers of the now-defunct Auto Electronics magazine may turn to this new source of industry news, product information, and design features pertinent to automotive electronics applications. Veteran tech journalist John Day includes coverage of new power components/technology in his reporting.
The website for Metering International Magazine provide news about metering technology including electric energy metering. A good source of information on “smart metering.”
This Global Sources site offers industry news, design articles and videos on power supply design and power management topics. Site includes a blog by Ram Anant, an engineering manager at Texas Instruments.
This site provides industry news, new product information, and design articles related to the Power over Ethernet (PoE) IEEE802.3af standard and the proposed IEEE802.3at high-power PoE standard.
The monthly magazine’s website posts editor-in-chief Cliff Keys’ editorial along with power design articles, new product information, and industry news. Site includes sections on automotive electronics and Green technology.
From the Darnell Group, this site is a comprehensive and timely source of new power product information, industry news, and market trends. The site also provides a power products manufacturers directory, power-related design features and case studies, and video coverage of power conferences.
Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc., an engineering and manufacturing company publishes.this monthly newsletter devoted to thermal management for electronics. Newsletter offers information on thermal management design and cooling products.
While working as an RF system and circuit design engineer, Kirt Blattenberger began using some AOL web space to assemble formulas and reference materials he needed for work. However, he soon discovered that many others were interested in these same materials. Over time, he continued to add content and created the RF Café website, which now houses a fascinating smorgasbord of information for RF engineers. However, the site also contains many useful listings on power electronics topics. From the home page, locate the listings for Engineering Resources, and click on Tech Resources. From there check out links such as Power Supply Design, Transformer Design, Inductor Design, Filter Design Resources, Battery Design, and EMC/EMI/RFI Resources.
Renowned for his power supply design workshops, Ray Ridley has created this site as “a primary source of information for power supply designers and managers worldwide.” If you register, this site allows you to download archived articles (on a range of power supply design topics) from Switching Power Magazine. Also see the Ridley Engineering site.
This site offers a variety of resources for engineers and other professionals working in power electronics including design information, new product information, technology forecasts, power supply market data, and Job postings. The industry links section contains pages of listings for governmental and industry organizations, standards organizations, and university resources.