IEN: What are the major power quality and availability problems facing industry? Their solutions?
Rodriguez/Prentice: In the semiconductor industry power quality and availability is closely tied with energy management. If a system delivers power more efficiently and accurately it ensures proper energy transfer. Fairchild Semiconductor addresses power quality with high performance products, including Smart Power Modules (SPM™), power factor correction, and high accuracy low dropout regulators (LDOs).
The inherent design of an ac/dc SMPS results in a low power factor (PF) typically of 0.6. A low PF presents two challenges. Power supplies must consume more energy in order to compensate for the reactive components, and the current spikes carry harmonics, which can burn up motors and transformers. To solve these challenges, semiconductor manufacturers have released components such as power factor correction (PFC) controllers, high voltage MOSFETs, and SMPS IGBTs that allow the implementation of an active PFC circuit. These active PFC systems can increase the PF of an SMPS to 0.95 or higher.
IEN: How can today''s manufacturers treat energy management more strategically?
Rodriguez/Prentice: As the world continues to address energy consumption through governmental regulations, manufacturers are viewing energy management more strategically by the early development of energy-efficient products. This strategy enables power-efficient products now, and once the regulations are mandated, manufacturers will already have the solutions available to meet these regulations. Fairchild Semiconductor has employed this strategy by developing solutions such as IntelliMAX™ advanced load management products, Smart Power Module (SPM™) for inverter-controlled VSD for 3-phase motors, power factor correction, and Green Fairchild Power Switch (Green FPS).
For example, Fairchild has a suite of products called Green FPS™ that significantly reduce standby power. Green FPS™ products utilize a burst mode operation, which allows an ac/dc SMPS to meet or beat the IEA "1W initiative." During standby the SMPS''s load current drops, and in concert the GreenFPS provides a burst of energy to align with the required power, meeting the "1W initiative."
IEN: What innovations are in store for industrial users of power equipment, systems, components, software, and services?
Rodriguez/Prentice: In the past few years, the world has seen a definite and direct initiative to reduce power consumption. Governments and organizations have created regulations in order to reduce excess power consumption. For example, in July of 2005, Energy Star will implement phase III to reduce all TVs'' (except DCR TVs with POD slots) standby power to be less than or equal to 1W. Semiconductor manufacturers allow TV power supplies to meet this requirement with Green FPS products that incorporate a quasi-resonant converter (QRC).
Many innovations in the industrial sector focus on power efficiency for applications ranging from ballast lighting to 3-phase motor control. As an example, Fairchild''s Smart Power Modules (SPM™) reduce time-to-market through lower component count, improved manufacturing yields and a more compact system. For ballast lighting, high efficiency power MOSFETs and ballast controllers allow greater design flexibility.
IEN: How about power supplies? Power quality?
Rodriguez/Prentice: Fairchild Semiconductor is focused on power semiconductors with 77% of its revenue coming from this sector. Fairchild is at the forefront in developing innovative power solutions that solve their customers'' power design challenges. Fairchild is the first and only supplier to provide a complete solution for high, medium, and low ac/dc SMPS designs. No other supplier provides optocouplers, MOSFETs, PWM controllers, FPS, PFC controllers, IGBTs, bridge rectifiers, diodes, and small signal transistors.
IEN: What steps have been taken toward resolving safety and security concerns?
Rodriguez/Prentice: Semiconductor devices have increasingly seen a development of protection features that ensure reliability, performance, and safety. Fairchild has implemented innovative techniques that resolve safety and security concerns. These techniques include Thermal Shutdown Circuit (TSD), Under Voltage Lock Out (UVLO) with Hysteresis, and current-limiting circuits. All of these added features ensure that devices will monitor their electrical conditions and act accordingly when the system is unbalanced.