Design environment enhanced for power supply applications

Semiconductor company STMicroelectronics is extending the focus of its eDesignSuite online design environment with the addition of complementing components from Würth Elektronik, a major transformer manufacturer, to help customers complete their new projects quickly and cost-effectively.

More and more electronic product design is done online using manufacturer-published tools that are often free to use and provide templates to jump-start circuit design, product selectors, simulators to help evaluate performance, and access to technical support and component purchasing. ST’s eDesignSuite can help accelerate design of many circuits and systems, including switched-mode power supplies (SMPS), LED lighting, filters, motor drives and others.

ST has now linked its eDesignSuite with the web-based Smart Transformer Selector published by Würth Elektronik, enabling power-supply designers to automate selection of a suitable off-the-shelf transformer while still working in the eDesignSuite environment. In comparison, other online design tools tend to generate the transformer specification and leave the designer to figure out the best way to satisfy it, often by ordering a custom component rather than searching manually through complex transformer specification sheets.

“ST has a strong commitment to continuously improve the tools available to its customers to make their system design easier and faster,” said Alessandro Cremonesi, group vice president, general manager, Central Labs, STMicroelectronics. “Our initiative with Würth Elektronik now solves the final part of the power-design process, enabling engineers to get a prototype up and running on the bench in a couple of days, instead of waiting several days or weeks to procure a custom transformer.”

“Smart Transformer Selector (STS) helps designers search our portfolio to find the right transformer quickly and efficiently,” added Dean Huumala, product marketing & development manager for Würth Elektronik. “Bringing STS together with ST’s eDesignSuite now enables our mutual customers to complete their bill of materials with transformers that have already been designed, tested, released to production and stocked both at us and our catalogue distribution partners.”

eDesignSuite can be accessed free of charge by visiting www.st.com/eDesignSuite and clicking ‘Start Design’.