As we say good-bye to 2020, Electronic Products takes a look back at some of the most-read articles of 2020. Power and storage topics, from replacement batteries for lithium-ion technology to smart grid power challenges, dominated our readers’ interest last year. There is a good reason why. Power is related to big design challenges around efficiency and cost as well as size.
There is also continued interest in big industry trends such as artificial intelligence, IoT, IIoT, and mobile and wearable designs. As for components, batteries, AI processors, DC/DC converters, RF converters, and electromechanical switches were among the top 10. For those of you who think electromechanical devices like switches are a low priority in new designs, just remember you wouldn’t be able to power on many of the devices that you use at home and at work without them. The top 10 electromechanical switch article comes in at number eight.
Here’s our top 10 most popular articles posted in 2020.
Potassium-metal batteries: A promising replacement for lithium-ion technology
A team of researchers at Rensselaer said that it has solved the technology challenges associated with potassium-metal batteries, making them potential replacements for Li-ion technology.
Top 10 processors for AI acceleration at the endpoint
Specialized processing power for AI and ML workloads is available for almost every application, from machine vision to voice interfaces
TrendForce: Top 10 technology trends to watch in 2021
Market researcher TrendForce shares its forecast of the top 10 key technology trends for 2021, ranging from memory devices to microLED displays.
Top 10 DC/DC converters for compact applications
Highly integrated and miniature DC/DC converters are available for almost all applications, from data centers to medical products
Unraveling the full-scale mysteries of your RF converter’s analog inputs
Understanding the input drive and full-scale range trade-offs in ADCs can be vital when designing analog receiver front ends
How to prevent lithium-ion battery disasters
Here are several design approaches to reduce the possibility of severe failures caused by thermal runaway in lithium-ion battery packs
Meeting the power challenges of the smart grid
Using better power management techniques can improve energy designs and overcome the challenges of energy distribution automation systems
Top 10 electromechanical switches
Electromechanical switches used in extreme environmental conditions offer more than ruggedness and extended operating temperature ranges, including miniaturization and easy installation for space-constrained applications
Four mistakes to avoid in IIoT development
The Industrial Internet Consortium released a best practices white paper for developing and deploying IIoT solutions
Researchers advance micro-supercapacitor fabrication
UNIST researchers are using EHD jet printing to solve fabrication challenges when integrating micro-supercapacitors with other electronic components
There also were a handful of 2019 articles that continued to resonate with readers in 2020. These included:
Top 7 USB oscilloscopes for makers and pros
Top 10 wireless technology trends in 2019
The big problem with fast charging using USB Type-C cables
If you missed any of our issues this year, here are links to each one.
Advertisement
