Effective power management in your electronic device
Power supply, power consumption, and power monitoringIf you want an energy-efficient and sustainable system, effective power management in your electronic device is absolutely critical. Whether your device needs to comply with energy efficiency standards/regulations, such as ENERGY STAR or EPEAT, or you simply want a device with a long lifespan, there are a number of factors to consider to ensure proper power management.
Power supply
Power supply design. The design of your power supply must take into account current requirements, voltage regulation, and power conversion efficiency. New technologies related to wireless charging and power transfer eliminate the need for physical connectors.
Battery technology. The rapidly advancing field of battery technologies includes a number of options to improve the lifespan, safety, and energy density of your device. This includes solid-state batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and other emerging technologies.
Circuit Board and Device Design
Circuit design and component selection. A skilled electronics designer will incorporate features to minimize power consumption. This includes clock gating, optimized logic design, and the use of optimized components, including:
- Low-power microcontrollers and processors that are designed to optimize energy consumption.
- Power Management Integrated Circuits (PMICs) that manage the distribution of power among switches, voltage regulators, power monitoring, and more.
Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS). DVFS allows the operating voltage and frequency of processors to automatically adjust to processing requirements. This will reduce the power consumption of the device during lower-demand periods.
Thermal management. Incorporating thermal management strategies to control and dissipate heat will help the device prevent overheating and maintain optimal operating conditions. Some ideas to consider:
- Heat sinks to absorb and dissipate heat.
- Active cooling methods, such as fans and blowers, that increase airflow and enhance heat dissipation.
- Liquid cooling systems to absorb and transfer heat.
- Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs), enhance thermal conductivity between two surfaces, such as a semiconductor device and a heat sink.
- Heat pipes that pull heat into cooler areas.
Proper design of the circuit board and enclosure to ensure heat-generating components are placed strategically and the device is well-ventilated. Appropriate materials selection is also a critical step. Using thermal simulation tools, engineers can model and improve the behavior of electronic systems before they’re produced.
Device monitoring and management
Energy monitoring and measurement. Tools that measure and monitor energy consumption can help identify power-hungry processes or components.
Smart power management systems. Intelligent power management systems adapt to usage patterns and optimize energy consumption based on user behavior or environmental conditions.
Software optimization for power efficiency. Any software used on the device should be designed to minimize energy consumption. This includes incorporating power-aware algorithms and techniques for managing software-based power states.
Need assistance creating an energy-efficient device for your business? Nelson Miller Group provides knowledgeable engineering design services and manufactures a number of stock and custom electronic components to ensure your system runs at peak efficiency and performance. Visit our website for more information.
NMG has more than 85 years of experience partnering with organizations to bring their industrial, IoT, lighting, medical, telecommunications, consumer, and aerospace products to life. We solve your most complex challenges in engineering design, manufacturing, and supply chain management.
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