Serial order
(1) May 17 Sensor
(2) Connectivity on May 20th
(3) Actuator on May 24th
(4) Microcontroller on May 26
(5) May 28 Security

[Editor's Note] When smoke is detected in a house, a fire detector sounds, firefighting equipment near the detector is activated, and an emergency call is sent to the homeowner and the fire department. In fields other than firefighting, the implementation of such systems that operate without people has become easy and widespread in our daily lives, and it seems that further development will continue in our daily lives in the future. A system that connects and operates through the Internet of Things without human intervention is called the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things is being applied to many aspects of our lives, whether we know it or not, such as health care, power, gas, parking lots, and home appliances. Accordingly, this magazine has prepared a five-part series to examine cutting-edge technologies that make the Internet of Things possible.



■ Actuators that control the living world

For the practical implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT), actuators that enable physical movement are essential.

For example, if there is a gas leak from a gas pipe in a house, the leak cannot be prevented simply by sending a detection signal when the sensor detects the gas leak. What is needed is an actuator that can lock the gas valve while sending a signal.

Therefore, in order to implement IoT, installation of actuators is necessary, and technology for accurate and efficient control of such actuators is absolutely required.

Actuators convert information collected from sensors into electrical signals generated by a microcontroller, which are then converted into physical movements such as motion, light, or heat.



Building on these four basic actuators, let's look at some more detailed actuator solutions. Linear voltage regulators (LDOs) are easy-to-use power supply solutions that generate stable output voltages with low quiescent current, wide input voltage, low noise, and small packages. They are used in applications such as EPS, transmission, body control modules, HVAC, dashboards, ADAS, telematics, CAV and industrial applications. This requires a variety of features including ultra-low quiescent current, wide input voltage range, low noise, and integrated current sensing and protection functions.




High-density end-to-end power management solutions, including integrated power stages, multiphase digital controllers, and integrated POL converters, require DC-DC converters. DC-DC converters include: △Power Management ICs (PMICs), △Switching regulators, △Integrated POL voltage regulators, △Digital multiphase controllers, △Low-voltage gate drivers, and △Digital power controllers.

High-performance lighting IC solutions are needed for smart lighting and power conversion. AC-DC LED driver ICs are ideal for replacement lamps, luminaires and LED drivers. For indoor lighting, down to 1% light output has become mainstream, and LED driver ICs require high efficiency, high power factor and low harmonics for LED lighting applications. DC-DC switch mode driver ICs are ideal for high-power and ultra-high-power LEDs. Efficiency can be up to 98% under various operating conditions, and high current precision provides fast, stable and efficient regulation with high lighting quality.

Every switch requires a driver IC. To be suitable for both silicon and wide-bandgap power devices, the driver IC must have a wide range of typical output current options from 0.1A up to 10A and robust gate drive protection features such as high-speed short-circuit protection (DESAT), active Miller clamp, shoot-through protection, fault, shutdown and overcurrent protection.

There are also solid state relays (SSRs), which are remote control switches with complete galvanic isolation from input to output. SSRs do not require a power supply at the output and provide low-power control of high-power signals. Additionally, there is galvanic isolation between the logic portion of the circuit and the high-power signals, protecting the user from electric shock and the electronic devices from damage caused by high-voltage sparks.

■ Optimal power semiconductors needed to implement actuators

In industrial settings, power plants, and operating vehicles, actuator malfunctions can result in fatal accidents.

Accordingly, the operation of the actuator requires reliability, accuracy, and long life.

Developers implementing IoT need optimal power semiconductors to configure solutions suitable for motor drives or energy management systems.

From microamperes to megawatts, a wide range of energy-efficient and reliable products are needed, and simulation tools must make it easy to evaluate what power semiconductor solutions can enable.

As a major player, Infineon offers silicon (Si) , silicon carbide (SiC) , and gallium nitride (GaN) technologies, providing suitable solutions for actuators.