Electronics & Software

Electrical/Electronics

New technologies in power supplies and management, board-level electronics, electronics and computers, and battery systems provide wide-ranging applications essential to military, aviation, medical, and automotive.

Stories

Q&A: Green Design & Manufacturing

Q&A: Switching Technology Improves Power Grid Efficiency

Kristin Sampayan from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory found a fast way to switch high voltages.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Stretchable Thermoelectric Generators

The organic composite material is soft, stretchable, and has good thermoelectric properties for many wearable applications.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Device Powers Wearable Sensors Through Human Motion

A triboelectric generator made of flexible circuit boards creates electricity when the wearer moves.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

High-Temperature Silicon Carbide Op Amps Fabrication

Applications include sensor signal conditioning in harsh conditions such as automotive, oil and gas operations, and firefighting.

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

Method Recovers Metals from Electronic Waste

The technology recovers pure and precious metals from alloys in cellphones and other electrical waste.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

“Cold Tube” Cools Without Air Conditioning

Chilled panels use less energy than conventional A/C and work in open spaces.

Briefs: Unmanned Systems

Hybrid Thermoelectric Compound

The material sets the stage for new forms of electric power in the future.

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Connections for Control: Communications Interfaces for Position and Motion Sensors

Learn about widely used communications technologies for motion control.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Wearable, All-in-One Health Monitor

The soft, stretchy skin patch can monitor cardiovascular signals and multiple biochemical levels at the same time.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

New Spraying Method for Producing Ceramic Coatings

High-quality coated components can be integrated into complex systems in a sustainable way.

Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

High-Power/Pulsed-Power Electrical Switch

The switch has uses in circuit protection systems in the electric power grid, high-power military applications, and power for materials processing.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

High-Mobility Transport Layer Structures for Rhombohedral Si/Ge/SiGe Devices

This invention enables improved carrier mobility for solar cells and other electronic devices.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

System Identifies Battery Materials for Recycling

The Battery Identity Global Passport could be accessible as a scannable QR code or a computer chip.

Products: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

New on the Market: August 2021

Epoxies, reverse-engineering software, temperature loggers, and more.

Briefs: Materials

Heat-Resilient Silver Circuits for Extreme Electronics

The tough circuits could withstand the grueling demands of energy production, space exploration, and more.

Application Briefs: Energy

Back to Basics: Improving Your Drives Investment

An OEM must think about how to build a machine that will work on any kind of power system.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

“Flexoelectricity” in Soft Elastomers Could Improve Robot Movement

A connection between electricity and mechanical motion in soft, rubber-like materials could improve robot range.

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Bipolar and Unipolar Drives for Stepper Motors: A Comparison

Learn the differences between bipolar and unipolar motors, their driving methods, and advantages and limitations.

Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

A Soft Robot Replaces Electronics With 'Air Power'

While soft robots hold promise in applications ranging from search-and-rescue efforts to wearable exoskeletons, the technologies are often held back by the electronics, says William Grover, a...

Question of the Week: Energy

Will ‘Sweat Power’ Make Wearables Mainstream?

Engineers at the University of California San Diego developed a thin, flexible strip that can be worn on a fingertip and generate small amounts of electricity when a person’s finger sweats or presses on it. (Watch the demo on Tech Briefs TV.)

Question of the Week: Transportation

Will Interstate Power Coils Charge Electric Vehicles as They Drive?

Our “Q&A” article in the July issue of Tech Briefs highlighted the work of Dr. Burak Ozpineci from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Ozpineci and his team are building a wireless power-transmission system that charges an electric vehicle as it drives along the road.

Blog: Electronics & Computers

How to Contain Thermal Runaway

A reader asks our expert how to contain a "thermal runaway" explosion in a lithium-ion battery.

Special Reports: Energy

Vehicle Electrification - July 2021

GM electrifies the new Corvette...a French nanomaterials company aims for a 5-minute EV recharge...Triumph unveils a radical new electric sportbike design. These are just a few of the innovations you'll read...