Understanding AL Values in Magnetic Cores If you’ve ever looked at a ferrite core datasheet, you’ve probably seen a specification called the AL value. For many engineers, especially those new to magnetic design, this number can be confusing. Is it an inductance? Does it change with current? Why does it decrease when an air gap … Read more

One of the most common power conversion tasks in industrial electronics is converting a 24V DC control voltage into a regulated 5V supply. This type of converter can be found in: Although the converter itself may appear simple, selecting the proper inductor requires balancing ripple current, saturation margin, thermal performance, manufacturability, and cost. In this … Read more

One of the most common questions in magnetic component design is: “How big should the core be?” Selecting the correct core size is one of the most important decisions engineers make when designing inductors and transformers. A core that is too small may: A core that is too large may: This guide explains how engineers … Read more

One of the most important concepts in magnetic design is energy storage. Whether designing a buck converter, boost converter, flyback transformer, solar MPPT system, or EV power supply, engineers must understand how much energy a magnetic component can safely store. In fact, energy storage is often the parameter that ultimately determines core size, air gap … Read more

Modern electric vehicles contain dozens of low-voltage systems that must operate regardless of the traction battery voltage. Control modules, battery management systems, contactors, sensors, cooling systems, and communications networks often require isolated low-voltage power supplies. One of the most common methods of generating this auxiliary power is a flyback converter. At the heart of the … Read more

As switching frequencies increase, engineers often discover that an inductor’s measured resistance is much higher than expected. The reason is frequently skin effect. Skin effect is one of the primary causes of AC winding losses in high-frequency magnetic components and can significantly affect efficiency, temperature rise, and conductor selection. This guide explains what skin effect … Read more

Telecom and networking equipment commonly operate from a 48V DC power bus. Routers, switches, wireless infrastructure, and data center equipment often require efficient DC-DC converters to generate lower voltages for internal electronics. One of the most important magnetic components in these converters is the power inductor. In this example, we will walk through the design … Read more

When designing power inductors, many engineers focus on average current and peak current. However, winding losses are primarily determined by RMS current. This makes RMS current one of the most important parameters in magnetic component design. Understanding RMS current helps engineers properly size conductors, estimate losses, evaluate temperature rise, and improve overall efficiency. This guide … Read more

Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) converters are widely used in solar energy systems to maximize power extraction from photovoltaic panels. One of the most important magnetic components in an MPPT converter is the power inductor. In this example, we will walk through the design process for an MPPT inductor used in a 48V battery charging … Read more

When engineers discuss magnetic component efficiency, they often focus on winding resistance and copper losses. However, magnetic cores also generate losses. In many high-frequency designs, core losses become one of the dominant factors affecting efficiency and temperature rise. Understanding how core losses are generated and estimated is essential when designing inductors, transformers, flyback converters, and … Read more