Semiconductor Equipment Technician Intern

TI advances current sensing for more accurate EV & HEV traction inverter. Innovative multiaxial sensing architecture achieves 20 times greater accuracy than single-axis, coreless alternatives, driving more compact and efficient traction inverter systems August 26, 2026 What's new? Texas Instruments (TI) introduced the industry's first multiaxial coreless Hall-effect current sensor designed for all hybrid electric vehicle and electric vehicle (HEV/EV) traction inverter applications. The TMCS2100-Q1 sensor offers a first-of-its-kind approach to current sensing through the combination of multiaxial measurement and a proprietary algorithm, eliminating the trade-off between precision and system size in traction inverter designs. While existing coreless solutions are limited to single-axis measurements, the TMCS2100-Q1 sensor is the first to measure magnetic fields in both horizontal and vertical directions. This multiaxial measurement is 20 times more accurate than single-axis alternatives, achieving displacement error of less than 1% at 0.4mm movement and as low as 0.25% at 0.1mm. This level- of precision improves the EV powertrain torque control loop, maximizing efficiency and power delivery across varying load and thermal conditions. "For the first time, engineers have a Hall-effect current sensor that breaks through the limitations of existing solutions, which is especially critical as 800V architectures raise the bar for traction inverter accuracy," said Jason Cole, vice president and general manager, Sensing Products at TI. "Leveraging advanced research from TI's Kilby Labs - our advanced R&D engine - the TMCS2100-Q1 was developed to give automakers a tool to build HEVs and EVs where tighter current measurement translates directly into longer range, smoother ride quality and more efficient motor control." Why does it matter? Automakers are continuously looking to make traction inverters lighter and more efficient to extend driving range and enhance vehicle performance. Traditional measurement approaches present designers with a fundamental trade-off: * Solutions with a magnetic core - or C-core implementations - deliver accuracy but add size and weight. * Coreless alternatives are smaller but compromise precision due to displacement error and magnetic crosstalk. TI's current sensing technology addresses this trade-off by: * Measuring both axes simultaneously: vibration during vehicle operation creates movement between the sensor and conductor, causing single-axis, differential coreless sensors to lose accuracy. The TMCS2100-Q1 sensor significantly reduces vibration-induced error by measuring magnetic fields in both horizontal and vertical axes at once. * Maintaining accuracy: reducing error and maintaining accurate current measurement minimizes magnetic crosstalk influence and torque ripple, a cause of jerky acceleration, motor noise and inefficient operation that reduces range. By eliminating the magnetic core without sacrificing precision, the TMCS2100-Q1 sensor enables smaller, more power-dense traction inverter designs, helping automakers build EVs that are more efficient, longer-range and more enjoyable to drive. This device is the latest innovation in TI's automotive portfolio, demonstrating its continued investment in addressing customer challenges throughout the entire vehicle. More details. * Hall-effect current sensors detect the magnetic field emitted from electrical current through a busbar, which typically connects the traction inverter to the motor. * Existing differential coreless sensors require busbar modifications such as notches, slices or holes that can complicate thermal management. * With multiaxial sensors positioned relative to the busbar, TI's TMCS2100-Q1 sensor offers an innovative approach requiring no busbar modifications. This multisensor architecture allows designers to more easily adapt to mechanical configurations and optimize board space, reducing overall traction inverter size.

Remembering Herb Homer. By DCMA Public Affairs NEW YORK - Editor's Note: The following article was first published in the November 2001 Defense Contract Management Agency EastSide Edition, a magazine that covered the agency's East District. When DCMA moved its headquarters to Fort Lee, Virginia, in 2011, the combat support agency named its new building Herbert Homer Hall. The article is presented unedited as it was originally published. In the brutal terrorist attacks of September 11, the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) lost a beloved and trusted employee, Herbert Homer. He was a passenger aboard the United Airlines Flight 175 that crashed into the south tower of New York's World Trade Center. Herb served his entire 27 years of Federal service with DCMA, beginning in 1974 as a Northeastern University co-op student working at the Defense Contract Administration Services Plant Representative Office Raytheon in Burlington, Mass. A Loyal Employee "Herb has been a loyal employee of DCMA for 27 years. In that time he gained the respect and admiration of many both inside and outside the agency," said Brig. Gen. Edward M. Harrington, DCMA Director. "He was a man we could count on for support and assistance when needed. He was a giving man, a joyous man, and he is irreplaceable. He will be missed by all of us." Herb played an integral part at DCMA Raytheon as the Defense Corporate Executive. At the time of his death, Herb was working with Raytheon's corporate restructuring, involving a merger between Raytheon, Texas Instruments, and Hughes Aircraft. Herb was instrumental in assisting Raytheon implement a cost savings approach in the restructuring. He worked out an approach that allowed Raytheon to save $2 for every $1 they would spend on the restructuring effort. Herb was a critical team member, working with Rodger Christiansen, Don Dowd, and Pat Byrne to monitor and complete the analysis of the restructuring effort. "Herb Homer was one of the finest people I have ever known. He loved his God, his country, and for certain his wife and family," said Linda Rusk, senior vice president of acquisition reform, Raytheon Company. "He certainly exhibited the highest professionalism and dedication. But it was more than that. No matter how busy he was, he always took time to make sure you knew he cared about you as a person." According to Rusk, Herb had a unique way of making everyone feel special, no matter whom they were or what position they held. '"Herb will certainly be missed; we are all better people for having known and for having the privilege of working with him," she added. "I remember sitting down with Herb once and saying to him, 'you got a lot of responsibility dealing with these high-paid, well-trained individuals,' and I said 'really for what you're doing, you're kind of under-paid'," according to Steve Bogusz, deputy commander, DCMA Raytheon. "Herb looked at me and said, 'yeah, well maybe you're right, but I really love my job.' How many people can say that? That's just the kind of guy he was," Bogusz emphasized with obvious pride. A Giving Man Herb was involved in a variety of community activities and charities, including the Special Olympics and Junior Chamber of Commerce (JC's). He donated his time generously to help these organizations help others, and always invited others to join. Herb never expected thanks or recognition for his charitable service. "Herb was a genuinely nice guy, great personality, great friend," said Edward Giangrande, program manager for field support, East District. "I remember a day when my kids were small and we went shopping at a local mall. Herb lived in the next town over and saw us there. He came up to us and greeted my wife and kids." Giangrande recalled that for some reason the scene just stuck in his mind. "One weekend when the JC's were having an event, Herb told me to bring my kids over. I remember my wife telling me that morning, 'Come on, we need to get ready to go to Herb's event.' He was just great to everyone he knew.'" "Herb was a very generous guy," Bogusz said. "Every year he would give the maximum amount to the Combined Federal Campaign, and every year he would get the Eagle award for his contribution; but he didn't want it known that he was giving this kind of money. He would send Rodger Christiansen or Pat Byrne to the ceremony to accept the award and bring it back - that's just the kind of guy he was." "Herb always made time for his coworkers no matter how busy he was," Giangrande said. "He always made himself available if you needed to talk. I remember Herb and I were working late at the office discussing different issues. When we were done, he would always ask about my family and talk about his. He had no children of his own, but bis brother had kids. Herb used to love to tell me stories about them and what he was getting them for their birthdays or Christmas. I always told him, 'Herb you're spoiling those kids,'" Giangrande recalled with pride. During the winter holiday season, Herb would give gifts of wine to his coworkers and indulge in the holiday treats, according to Giangrande. As a man of good taste, it wasn't a surprise to see Herb sharing a decadent slice of the latest cheesecake with his friend Pat Byrne. "Herb bought me this book one year with all these cheesecake recipes in it. I liked to cook them and we both loved to eat them. We would try all the different kinds," said Byrne. Man of Integrity As a long time DCMA employee, Herb's tenure was marked by extraordinary dedication and a profound concern for the agency's success in executing its mission. He was never satisfied until the job was done and done right. "Herb always had a worried look on his face, especially if he was working on a new cost issue. Once he thought about the issue and researched it though, that look would turn into confidence and he would always settle the issue," said Giangrande. "Herb had the ability to take a couple of pages and turn them into volumes, and when he did it, he was able to support every statement in them," Giangrande said. "If you would take a look at any of the negotiations he did you would understand that, every question would be answered. When he would be away and I would need to go into his office for something, I would walk in and it would be clean as a whistle, nothing lying around at all. When you would open the cabinets or drawers everything was neatly folded and alphabetized, you could always find whatever you were looking for," he added. "Herb was one of the good ones and will certainly be missed,"' Harrington said. "My heart goes out to his wife, and his family. He was a fine man and will never be forgotten. We lost a good one."

UCC27211 now available: in-depth look at TI's high-performance 4A, 120V half-bridge gate driver. The UCC27211 is a high-performance 120V half-bridge gate driver launched by TI, specifically designed to drive high-side and low-side N-channel MOSFETs in half-bridge, full-bridge, or synchronous buck configurations. The UCC27211 is a high-performance 120V half-bridge gate driver from Texas Instruments (TI) that uses independent inputs to drive two N-channel MOSFETs in high-side and low-side configurations. This chip is widely used in scenarios such as solar power optimizers and microinverters, telecommunications and commercial power supplies, online and offline UPS, energy storage systems, and battery testing equipment. Shenzhen Mingjiada Electronics Co., Ltd., as a leading global distributor of electronic components, has a long-term spot supply of the full series of UCC27211 models, supporting genuine products, fast delivery and one-stop procurement services. I. Product Overview The UCC27211 is a high-performance half-bridge gate driver from Texas Instruments (TI) specifically designed to drive high-side and low-side N-channel MOSFETs in half-bridge, full-bridge, or synchronous buck configurations. The chip is a complete upgrade based on the popular UCC27201 MOSFET driver, with peak output pull-up and pull-down currents significantly increased from the original level to 3.7A pull current and 4.5A fill current. This improvement in driving capability is of great significance in practical applications: during the Miller effect platform conversion of MOSFETs, a sufficiently large peak driving current can drive high-power MOSFETs with the smallest possible switching losses. For applications such as high-frequency switching power supplies and motor drives that are highly sensitive to switching losses, this characteristic of UCC27211 can directly translate into a significant improvement in system efficiency. UCC27211 offers multiple ordering models to suit different application needs, mainly including: UCC27211DR - SOIC-8 package standard version UCC27211DDAR - PowerPAD(TM) SOIC-8 package version with heat dissipation pad UCC27211DRMR - 4mmx 4mm VSON-8 package version UCC27211DPRR - 4mmx 4mm WSON-10 package version In addition, TI also offers an automotive-grade version, UCC27211A-Q1, which meets the AEC-Q100 vehicle specification certification requirements and is suitable for automotive electronic applications such as in-vehicle DC/DC converters, in-vehicle chargers (OBCs), and electric power steering (EPS). II. Core Technical Characteristics Powerful peak drive capability The most striking features of the UCC27211 are its peak pull current of up to 3.7A and peak fill current of 4.5A. This driving capability is at the industry-leading level among half-bridge drives of the same level. It can quickly complete the charging and discharging process of the MOSFET gate capacitor, greatly shorten the switching transition time, and thus effectively reduce switching losses. For driving high-power MOSFETs, sufficient gate drive current is a prerequisite for ensuring fast and reliable switching. Extremely fast switching speed Under a load condition of 1000pF, the rise time of UCC27211 is only 7.2ns and the fall time is only 5.5ns. Such a fast switching speed allows it to easily handle high-frequency switching applications at the hundreds of kHz or even MHz level. Combined with a typical propagation delay of only 20ns and a delay matching accuracy of 4ns, the UCC27211 ensures high synchronization of high-side and low-side drive signals, which is crucial for half-bridge and full-bridge topologies that require precise timing control. Wide input voltage tolerance The input pins of the UCC27211 can withstand voltages from -10V to 20V, and this tolerance is independent of the supply voltage range. This feature significantly improves the durability of the chip. Of particular note is that it can directly dock with the gate drive transformer without the need for a rectifier diode, which simplifies circuit design and reduces system costs. Enhanced noise immunity The UCC27211 uses TTL-compatible inputs, which have higher input hysteresis, thus enabling connection to analog or digital PWM controllers with enhanced noise immunity. In harsh environments where power-level switching operations generate a large amount of electromagnetic interference, this characteristic ensures accurate identification of the input signal and effectively avoids false triggering caused by noise. Robust joint point protection The open node (HS pin) can handle negative voltages up to -(24-VDD)V. This design effectively protects the high-side channel from the inherent negative voltage caused by parasitic inductance and stray capacitance. This feature provides an additional safety margin for power circuits with compact layouts and large parasitic parameters. Integrated bootstrap diode The UCC27211 has an on-chip bootstrap diode with a rated voltage of 120V integrated inside, eliminating the need for an external vertical bootstrap diode. This not only reduces the number of peripheral components and saves PCB space, but also lowers BOM costs and improves system reliability. Symmetrical undervoltage locking (UVLO) protection Both high-side and low-side drivers are equipped with undervoltage locking, which provides symmetrical on and off behavior and can force the output to a low level when the drive voltage is below a specified threshold. This symmetrical UVLO design ensures synchronous shutdown of the high-side and low-side drives in the event of power supply anomalies, effectively preventing power line misdirection and system damage caused by insufficient drive. Wide temperature range The rated temperature range of UCC27211 is -40°C to 150°C, which fully meets the stringent environmental requirements of industrial-grade and even some automotive-grade applications. Its wide operating temperature range enables it to adapt to a variety of application scenarios, from cold outdoors to high-temperature industrial sites. III. Typical Application Scenarios The UCC27211 is widely used in: DC-DC converter: including Buck, Boost and synchronous rectifier circuits, it performs well especially in scenarios with high input voltage (such as 20V-100V). Motor drive: Three-phase inverter bridge drive for BLDC (brushless DC motor) and PMSM (permanent magnet synchronous motor). Class D audio amplifier: Utilizes its high-speed switching characteristics to drive the H-bridge structure to achieve efficient audio power amplification. Server and telecommunications power supply: Used in high-density power modules in conjunction with GaN or SiC MOSFETs to increase power density. Automotive Electronics The automotive version UCC27211A-Q1 meets the AEC-Q100 vehicle specification certification and can be used in automotive electronic systems such as on-board DC/DC converters, on-board chargers (OBCs), two-wheeler/three-wheeler traction drives and battery packs, electric power steering (EPS), wireless charging, and smart glass modules. IV. Market Supply and Procurement Mingjiada Electronics - UCC27211 Professional Supplier Shenzhen Mingjiada Electronics Co., Ltd., established in 1996 and headquartered in Shenzhen, is a supply chain service provider specializing in the distribution of electronic components. It is committed to providing global customers with genuine, in-stock, and fast-delivery electronic component solutions. The company distributes a number of internationally renowned brands, covering a wide range of fields including automotive electronics, industrial control, consumer electronics, and new energy. Minceda Electronics has established long-term and stable cooperative relationships with major international manufacturers such as Infineon, ST, TI, and NXP to ensure reliable supply. All products are from the original factory or authorized channels, are genuine, and all batches are traceable, eliminating refurbishment and breakage. Inventory and delivery capabilities Mingjiada Electronics has warehousing in many places in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, with 2 million+ models in stock, supporting small-batch samples and large-batch procurement. Regular orders are delivered in 1 to 3 days, while urgent orders can be shipped quickly, shortening customer waiting time. Procurement Services Mingjiada Electronics provides flexible procurement services covering multiple fields such as automotive electronics, industrial control, new energy, and consumer electronics. It supports the entire process from selection support to mass production and supply, and adapts to the needs of different stages from R&D and proofing to mass production. Large-scale procurement can enjoy more competitive prices. To purchase the UCC27211 series products, you can contact Minceda Electronics through the following methods: Telephone: +86 13410018555 (Mr. Chen) Email:[email protected] Official website: www.hkmjd.com