Power & charging

Wireless charging is everywhere. From airports to automobiles, and hotels to offices—designing the right charging solution can be complex. Explore our resources to get technical expertise and stay up to date with charging trends and technology.

automobile - mild hybrid 12v - 48v architecture

How 48V systems are supporting fully electric vehicles

By Philip Ling - July 22, 2024

The automotive supply chain for 48V subsystems has seen increased demand from mild hybrids. With the same solutions now going into plug-in hybrid and full battery electric vehicles, 48V is an active market segment.

Optimized power switching revs up for next-generation automotive applications

By Philip Ling - July 22, 2024

The move to zonal architectures is redefining the power distribution architecture. Automotive OEMs developing advanced features require optimized and intelligent power switches.

Designing Vienna Rectifiers for EV Chargers

By Avnet Staff - June 24, 2024

As the EV charging infrastructure grows, EVSE providers need to offer a choice. Cost, efficiency and reliability are trade-offs that begin at the component level and move quickly to the converter topology.

Passive components in EV chargers should be selected carefully

By Neil Willard - January 15, 2024

Demand for EV fast charging stations means passive components that can tolerate the high power/high energy environment are also drawing attention. Components such as DC link capacitors and magnetics need to be carefully selected for the application.

Explore the challenges and opportunities of bi-directional charging and EVs

By Miguel Tapia - December 7, 2023

In bi-directional charging, energy can flow into an EV battery, be extracted from it and routed back to the grid. With the momentum of climate protection, it’s poised to become a common feature in EVs.

a-home-with-a-series-of-batteries-attached-to-the-outside-wall

Integrating EV charging with Matter and the smart home

By Harvey Wilson - October 5, 2023

With electric vehicles (EVs) becoming more common comes increased focus on how we charge them. How can we integrate the EV charger with other smart home systems, and what opportunities could this create?

How V2G benefits drivers and electricity suppliers

By Harvey Wilson - October 5, 2023

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) enables EVs to send power from their batteries back to the main electricity grid. This will be hugely helpful in dealing with the inconsistency of renewables. However, it brings with it new technical and commercial challenges.

The future of EV charging: revolutionary developments are closer than you think

By Harvey Wilson - October 4, 2023

Electric vehicles (EVs) are big business. You only need to look at Tesla’s share price to see just how big. Imagine how much more valuable the market would be if EVs could charge in a few seconds, not minutes or hours.

What’s going on inside an energy harvesting PMIC?

September 25, 2023

Power management ICs, or PMICs, are useful in most applications. A single PMIC can control multiple power rails and manage the way they come online at power-up. This can protect sensitive devices.

Medical worker puts a smartwatch used for remote monitoring on a patient’s wrist

Diagnostic wearables: Design challenges and opportunities

By Karen Field - October 27, 2022

From the need to maintain small form factors and keep system power requirements low to concerns over data integrity and cost, the design space for diagnostic wearables is fraught with complexity.

Smart watch worn on a wrist showing pulse rate.

Are wearables the killer app for energy harvesting technology?

By Karen Field - October 13, 2022

As wearable devices grow in popularity, so does interest in energy harvesting technology as an alternative to battery power. Experts say it shouldn’t be an “all-or-nothing: proposition.

Designing ultra-rapid DC EV chargers

July 13, 2022

If electric drivetrains are to replace internal combustion, particularly in larger vehicles, we need more high-speed DC charging capacity. This article examines six of the main design considerations.

Person paying for EV charging with a credit card

Defining security for the EV charging infrastructure

July 13, 2022

Drivers are demanding easy access to public EV charging points. Providers must meet this demand without sacrificing security for simplicity. Cybercriminals will find any security weaknesses, but the latest standards are here to help.

Predicting the kW sweet spot in EV charge point variants

July 13, 2022

Do you want AC or DC, fast or slow charging? Manufacturers of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment need to predict what will be demanded most by consumers, while responding to the requests coming from Charge Point Operators.

Load balancing in the EV charging infrastructure

July 8, 2022

We all know what it’s like to wait in line to refuel, but what if you must continue waiting after you plug in your EV? Managing multiple charge points in one location is creating some interesting challenges for the EV charging infrastructure.

Batteries won’t do for renewable energy storage

By Cameron Coward - June 29, 2022

Solar and wind energy has a serious drawback: it isn’t always available on-demand. These methods enable renewable energy storage that can meet demand throughout the day and night.

Selecting wide bandgap devices for motor control applications

By Milan Ivkovic - December 20, 2021

When it comes to smart control applications, it’s worth taking a step back to consider when and if the switch to wide bandgap from MOSFET or IGBT makes sense. When the answer is yes, then the decision is whether SiC or GaN is the way to go.

When will wireless power transfer redefine the Industrial IoT?

November 12, 2021

Power loss in a single sensor might result in downtime for an entire production line, so keeping them operational will be critical. With developments in the enabling technologies, could wireless power transfer be the answer?

Advances in wide-bandgap semiconductors for vehicles

By Jason Struble - August 24, 2021

See the technical and cost comparisons between older silicon IGBT and MOSFET technologies and newer generation silicon carbide switches.

Free eBook explores in-vehicle networking’s future

August 18, 2021

Avnet’s free eBook examines some of the biggest issues emerging around in-vehicle networks, their impact on design and new considerations for engineers.

EV charging: The drive for faster charging speeds and higher efficiency

August 11, 2021

Fast DC chargers and wide-bandgap silicon carbide switches are key to improved EV charging.

To fight EV fires, focus is on early detection of battery cell thermal runaway

August 11, 2021

Sensing solutions that focus on decomposition gases are being used to focus on early detection of battery cell thermal runaway.

Not just a stopgap, how 48V mild hybrid systems boost performance

August 11, 2021

48-Volt mild hybrid systems help meet emissions targets

As EV market grows, so does push for higher efficiency

August 11, 2021

‘The electric car has no future.’ That’s what some said in 1908 when Henry Ford introduced his cheap Model T. Despite his new assembly line manufacturing concept, that single statement rendered electric vehicles (EVs) obsolete. EVs had been around since...

Three design freedoms enabled by SiC technology

By Milan Ivkovic - April 17, 2021

Even with the undeniable performance and potential of silicon carbide (SiC) technology, some designers may be hesitant initially to tackle new projects using SiC.

How to ensure superior power supply design integration

March 30, 2021

A key to unlocking device innovation is a power supply design that solves critical power challenges, especially the always-present demand to pack more power into smaller footprints.

Unlock innovation with power management expertise

March 19, 2021

Every electronic device has something in common: the need for power. Designing power management solutions correctly from the beginning pays major dividends later, both in longevity and user satisfaction.

The substantial benefits of silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) in power electronics

By Milan Ivkovic - March 8, 2021

Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are two semiconductor materials that are creating a significant shift in the power electronics market.