Introduction to Ineltek's power management solutions for optimum IoT and Industrial performance
Designing power systems for modern embedded electronics is a multidisciplinary challenge. Internet of Things (IoT) devices and industrial electronics demand power solutions that are efficient, reliable, and compliant with stringent regulatory standards. Engineers must balance high power-conversion efficiency and low-power operation with issues like electromagnetic interference (EMI) and power-supply noise. This article examines the key challenges in power system design for IoT and industrial applications and highlights solutions from leading manufacturers in Ineltek's portfolio.
Efficiency Challenges in Embedded Power Systems
Power Conversion Efficiency
Embedded devices often rely on DC-DC converters or AC-DC power supplies, and maximising their efficiency is critical to minimise energy waste and heat. Switched-mode power converters can achieve 80–98% efficiency, far surpassing linear regulators. High efficiency is especially important in IoT nodes running on batteries; every fraction of power saved directly extends battery life.
In industrial systems, inefficiencies lead to excessive heat dissipation and higher operating costs. Power supplies tend to have lower efficiency at specific conditions (e.g., at low AC input voltage), which increases thermal dissipation and may necessitate extra cooling. Designers must select appropriate topologies (buck, boost, etc.) and components (low-loss transistors, low-DCR inductors) to maintain efficiency across load ranges.
Ineltek Solutions:
P-Duke's TSD and TAD series AC/DC converters deliver high efficiency and include built-in EMI filters that meet EN 55032 Class B standards out-of-the-box.
3PEAK's DC/DC converters provide high efficiency across varying load conditions, ideal for battery-powered applications.
Low-Power Operation
IoT devices often spend long periods in standby or sleep modes, making quiescent power draw reduction essential. Effective power management involves duty cycling, power gating, and multiple sleep states to cut energy use during idle periods.
Microcontrollers like Nuvoton's IoT-focused MCU series offer multiple power modes to support efficient power management in battery-powered applications. Similarly, modern power management ICs achieve ultra-low standby currents to extend battery life. For example, 3PEAK's TPQ05100 step-up regulator draws only ~40 nA in standby while still capable of boosting from 0.9 V to higher voltages. Such ultra-low quiescent designs prevent batteries from draining during long sleep intervals.
Thermal Management
Even with high conversion efficiency, power losses in regulators and supply modules manifest as heat, which must be managed to ensure reliability. In compact IoT devices, densely packed electronics have limited airflow, making thermal design (heat spreading, PCB copper pours, etc.) vital.
Industrial power supplies may handle higher power levels and often reside in enclosures or high-temperature environments. Engineers should design for worst-case thermal conditions: ensure adequate heat sinking, consider airflow for enclosed PSUs, and derate components at elevated temperatures. Using highly efficient conversion stages reduces heat generation at the source. Additionally, distributing power conversion (point-of-load regulators near loads) can prevent hot spots and improve overall thermal profile.
EMI Compliance and Suppression
Regulatory Considerations
Embedded electronics must comply with electromagnetic interference (EMI) and compatibility (EMC) regulations to avoid radiating or receiving disruptive noise. IoT and industrial devices generally fall under standards like FCC CFR 47 Part 15 (for unintentional radiators in the US) and CISPR 32 / EN 55032 (for EM emissions in many countries). Industrial environments also demand compliance with immunity standards (e.g., IEC 61000-4-x series) to ensure devices tolerate external EMI.
Designing for compliance should begin at the outset of a power system design. This means considering conducted and radiated emissions limits early, rather than after PCB layout is finished. Switching regulators are a common source of EMI; fast voltage/current transitions can broadcast noise through cables and antennas if not controlled.
Ineltek Solutions:
P-Duke's AC/DC converters (like the TSD series) integrate EMI filters that meet Class B emission limits, simplifying compliance.
3PEAK's power management ICs are designed with EMI mitigation capabilities, reducing the need for external filtering components.
EMI Suppression Techniques
A variety of design strategies can minimise EMI from power circuits:
PCB layout optimisation - High di/dt loops (such as the switching path in a buck converter) should be kept as small and tight as possible.
Ground plane implementation - A solid ground plane directly under switching components provides a return path with low loop inductance, significantly cutting down EMI.
Multilayer PCB stack-ups - Commonly used in IoT devices, with power and ground planes arranged to provide intrinsic decoupling capacitance and shielding.
Strategic component placement - Decoupling capacitors placed close to IC power pins help contain high-frequency noise locally.
Filtering components - π-filters or LC filters at supply inputs/outputs can attenuate conducted noise, while ferrite bead filters or common-mode chokes can block high-frequency interference on power lines.
In sensitive IoT designs, techniques like spread-spectrum frequency modulation in switching regulators distribute EMI energy over a broader band, reducing peak emission amplitudes. Slowing down switching edge rates (rise/fall times) can also curb EMI at the source, though this must be balanced against efficiency impact.
Component-Level Strategies
Choice of components greatly influences EMI performance:
Shielded inductors are preferred in switching regulators to confine magnetic flux
Metal shielding cans over high-frequency regulator sections can block radiated EMI
GaN transistors switch very fast, so using gate driver tuning or snubber circuits may be necessary to dampen ringing and associated emissions
Proper grounding is essential: using a single solid ground reference (or a well-tied ground network) avoids ground loops that can act as antennas
Isolating noise-sensitive circuits from noisy power electronics through ground segregation or PCB layout techniques further prevents coupling. By combining careful layout, filtering, and component selection, designers can meet EMI/EMC requirements and ensure their IoT or industrial product doesn't interfere with other equipment.
Power Supply Noise Management
Embedded systems often include sensitive components—ADCs, precision sensors, high-speed transceivers—that require a clean supply free of excessive ripple and noise. If the power rail is noisy, it can degrade analog measurement accuracy and digital signal integrity. Managing power supply noise is therefore critical in mixed-signal and radio IoT devices, as well as industrial control systems with precise analog loops.
Minimising Ripple and Transients
Switching regulators inevitably produce ripple at the switching frequency and its harmonics. To minimise this ripple, designers use:
Output filter capacitors with low equivalent series resistance (ESR)
Small LC filters or ferrite beads at regulator outputs
Multiple decoupling capacitors (bulk electrolytic, mid-value ceramic, and high-frequency MLCCs) in parallel to provide low impedance across a wide frequency range
Additionally, placing decoupling caps as close as possible to the load devices helps suppress local transients and prevents noise propagation along PCB traces. Power distribution network (PDN) design tools are often used to ensure the impedance seen by devices remains low at all relevant frequencies, preventing excessive voltage droop or ringing.
Techniques for Low-Noise Supplies
Ineltek Solution:
3PEAK's TPL8032 LDO has about 5.68 µV RMS noise and 79 dB PSRR at 1 kHz, making it suitable for providing a quiet reference voltage to precision analogue circuitry.
One common approach for noise-sensitive circuits is to follow a switching regulator with a low-dropout (LDO) linear regulator to "clean up" the supply. The LDO acts as a noise filter, rejecting ripple from the upstream converter. This cascaded approach is effective but trades away some efficiency as the LDO burns off a bit of voltage.
In systems where efficiency is paramount (e.g., battery-operated IoT with multiple analogue sensors), using an LDO on every rail may be undesirable. Alternatives include specially designed low-noise switching converters or high-PSRR LDOs for filtering out supply noise from higher-frequency sources.
Ultimately, maintaining signal integrity in sensitive embedded applications requires careful attention to the power rails—filtering, decoupling, and sometimes isolating noisy subsystems—so that supply noise stays below the threshold that would affect system performance.
Emerging Trends and Innovations in Power Design
Gallium Nitride (GaN) Power Devices
Wide bandgap semiconductors like GaN are revolutionising power converters by allowing higher efficiency and switching speeds compared to traditional silicon MOSFETs. GaN transistors can conduct electrons more efficiently and handle higher electric fields than silicon, enabling faster switching with lower losses.
The benefits of GaN-based power systems include greater efficiency, reduced size and weight, and improved thermal performance. These traits are highly attractive in both IoT and industrial contexts:
A GaN-based DC-DC converter can operate at MHz-level frequencies with minimal switching loss, greatly shrinking inductor and capacitor size
For high-power industrial applications (such as 5G base stations or electric vehicle chargers), GaN devices offer high power output and robustness at elevated temperatures
Ineltek Solution:
Qorvo's GaN technology has been actively developed for RF and power applications, meeting the demanding efficiency and power density requirements of next-generation systems.
As GaN devices become more affordable and widely available, we can expect them to appear in more embedded designs, enabling smaller and cooler power supply units without sacrificing performance.
Energy Harvesting and Ultra-Low-Power Design
The push for battery-independent IoT sensors has spurred advances in energy harvesting—capturing small amounts of ambient energy (light, heat, vibrations, RF) and converting it into electrical power. Recent improvements in ultra-low-power circuits and power management ICs have made ambient energy a viable source for certain IoT devices.
Modern energy-harvesting PMICs can efficiently boost millivolt-level inputs (from thermoelectric generators or indoor photovoltaics) to usable voltages and manage the charge of supercapacitors or micro-batteries. This means IoT sensor nodes can potentially run indefinitely by scavenging energy from their environment, eliminating the need for manual battery replacement.
Even when not fully battery-free, energy harvesting can supplement a device's power and dramatically extend the interval between battery changes. For instance, a solar-assisted wireless sensor can use a small solar cell to recharge itself daily, using a power management chipset to regulate the harvested energy.
Advanced Battery Management Solutions
For devices that do rely on batteries, innovations in battery management are crucial. Advanced Battery Management Systems (BMS) and power management ICs now include features like accurate fuel gauging, smart charging algorithms, and even AI-driven health diagnostics.
In the embedded space, one focus has been on ultra-low quiescent current regulators and supervisors that minimise battery drain. Manufacturers offer PMICs with quiescent currents in the nanoamp range and high efficiency even at micro-loads, ensuring that "sleep" power consumption of IoT devices is negligible.
Ineltek Solution:
3PEAK's TPQ05100 boost converter is designed for battery-powered IoT: it can start from input voltages as low as 0.9 V and boost to 5 V, delivering up to 600 mA, while drawing only 260 nA of quiescent current.
Another innovation is integrating multiple power functions into one chip (fuel gauge, charger, buck/boost converters, protection circuits) to save space and cost. Modern battery fuel gauges use sophisticated algorithms to report state-of-charge with high accuracy, adapting to cell aging and temperature effects, so that IoT devices can reliably know when to send maintenance alerts for battery replacement.
Solutions from Leading Manufacturers in Ineltek's Portfolio
Known for their microcontrollers, Nuvoton provides IoT-focused MCUs (like the NuMicro M2351 series) that emphasise low-power design. The M2351 features multiple power-down modes and fast wake-up, allowing engineers to tailor power consumption to the application's needs.
By leveraging such built-in power management features, IoT devices can spend most of their time in ultra-low-power states without sacrificing responsiveness. Nuvoton's secure IoT MCUs also manage power efficiently across their security core and peripherals, ensuring that adding security features doesn't unduly drain the battery.
Qorvo offers both advanced power ICs and RF components. On the power management side, Qorvo's product line includes highly integrated PMICs. A notable example is the ACT88420, a programmable PMIC with six voltage rails optimised for IoT and compact devices. It uses a constant on-time architecture for fast transient response and can be reconfigured via I²C to suit different power sequencing needs.
Qorvo is also a leader in GaN technology—they produce GaN power transistors and amplifier modules that deliver high efficiency at high frequencies. For instance, Qorvo's GaN amplifiers in 5G base stations handle large power levels with improved thermal performance and reliability, directly translating the material advantages of GaN into real-world systems.
3PEAK is an emerging analogue semiconductor company delivering a broad analogue and power portfolio. For power systems, 3PEAK offers specialty components such as high-performance LDOs, DC/DC converters, and battery management ICs.
Their TPL8032 LDO regulator provides an ultra-low-noise, high-PSRR output to support precision sensors and clocks. Such regulators ensure that even if the upstream supply has ripple, the final output to sensitive circuits is extremely stable.
3PEAK also provides power switches, ideal diode controllers, and supervisors tailored for industrial and automotive use, ensuring robust power sequencing and protection. Their focus on high precision and reliability makes 3PEAK solutions well-suited for industrial IoT nodes and any application where analogue signal integrity is tied to power quality.
P-Duke Technology specialises in power conversion modules for industrial, medical, and railway markets. Their solutions range from board-mount DC/DC converters to AC/DC power supply units. P-Duke's modules are designed to simplify compliance and safety for engineers.
Many of their AC/DC converters (like the TSD and TAD series) boast high efficiency and include built-in EMI filters meeting EN 55032 Class B out-of-the-box. This means even without additional filtering components on the PCB, the module's emissions are within the strict limits for interference in residential and industrial environments.
They also emphasise low no-load power consumption; for instance, a P-Duke 30 W AC/DC module can have standby losses as low as 0.045 W, which is beneficial for meeting energy efficiency regulations and reducing idle energy waste.
Best Practices for Optimised Power System Design
Designing an optimal power system requires a holistic approach. Below are some best practices and strategies, aligned with industry standards, that engineers can implement to improve efficiency, compliance, and reliability:
Plan for Low Power from the Start
Incorporate low-power design principles at both the hardware and software level. Select components known for low quiescent current (regulators, ADCs, transceivers) and utilise power gating, clock gating, and dynamic voltage/frequency scaling to minimise energy usage during idle periods.
Ensure the firmware puts the system into the deepest feasible sleep modes and only powers components when needed. A rigorous power budget analysis helps in right-sizing the battery and avoiding overdesign, keeping the device compact and cost-effective.
Optimise Power Architecture
Choose the appropriate power conversion architecture for the application:
For IoT nodes that run on batteries or energy harvesting, minimise the number of conversion stages to reduce losses
Use switching regulators for large voltage drops or high currents (for efficiency), but consider LDOs or charge pumps for small loads or noise-sensitive rails
Where multiple supply rails are needed, consider integrated PMICs that can sequence and manage them efficiently
For industrial systems, use distributed power architecture: a robust front-end supply and point-of-load regulators near each major load
PCB Layout and Grounding
Adhere to good layout practices to ensure both power integrity and EMI control:
Keep high-current paths (especially switching loops) as short and contiguous as possible
Use ground planes generously – a solid ground plane not only lowers impedance for decoupling but also acts as a shield to contain EMI
Ensure that return currents have a clear path directly under their associated supply traces to form minimal loops
Place decoupling capacitors very close to IC power pins, on the same layer if feasible, or with vias connecting to ground plane nearby
Thermal Design and Derating
Treat thermal management as an integral part of the power design:
Calculate worst-case power dissipation for each component and ensure the PCB and enclosure can dissipate that heat
Use thermal vias under power regulators or MOSFETs to spread heat into inner planes
For enclosed power supplies, consider airflow direction and venting; avoid trapping hot air
Test the system at high and low line, maximum load, and high ambient temperature simultaneously
Apply derating to components to improve reliability
For industrial designs, choose components rated for industrial temperature ranges (-40°C to 85°C, or higher)
EMI/EMC Mitigation
Design with compliance in mind:
Include input filters to attenuate noise going in and out
Use shielding or metal enclosures for the power supply section if emissions are close to the limits
Implement surge and transient protection on interfaces to meet surge immunity standards
Perform pre-compliance testing to detect any problem frequencies and address them before finalising the design
Robustness and Safety
In industrial power systems, design for robustness against voltage spikes, ESD, and power interruptions:
Use supervisors and voltage monitors to gracefully handle brown-out conditions
Isolate critical interfaces if there is a risk of ground potential differences or noise coupling
Adhere to safety standards by selecting power supplies with proper isolation and clearance/creepage distances
Leverage certified solutions like those from P-Duke to simplify your product's approval process
Always follow component datasheet recommendations for safe operating area and use fuses or e-fuses on power entry
Conclusion
By understanding the key challenges in power system design—efficiency, EMI compliance, noise management, and emerging technologies—engineers can create more effective solutions for IoT and industrial applications. Ineltek offers a comprehensive portfolio of power management components from leading manufacturers like 3PEAK, P-Duke, Nuvoton, and Qorvo, providing the building blocks for reliable, efficient, and compliant power systems.
Whether you're designing a battery-powered IoT sensor node or an industrial control system, these components and design strategies can help optimise your power architecture for the demands of modern embedded electronics. Contact Ineltek today to discuss your specific power management requirements and discover the ideal solutions for your next design project.