Introduction

In this technical review, we will analyze the performance of the Pulse Electronics Power PA4331.472NLT Inductor, which has a nominal value of 4.7μ and a ±20% tolerance. This inductor features a wirewound drum core and an allusive surface mount non-standard package. LCR measurements have been collected at 1 and 10 volts. To evaluate the component's performance, we will compare the data against statistical benchmark formed from other components of the same value.

Pros:

• Surface mount design
• Wide test frequency range
• Wirewound drum core composition

Cons:

• Non-standard package
• ±20% tolerance

Our focus will be on the performance of this inductor in relation to the benchmark data provided. The complete review will explore the following sections: Inductance, Series Resistance, Dissipation Factor, and Quality Factor, as well as comparative analysis between the component data and the benchmark. This comprehensive review will help qualified engineers evaluating the Pulse Electronics Power PA4331.472NLT inductor for use in their circuits make a solid decision based on the analysis provided.

Impedance

At a test frequency of 5 Hz and an input voltage of 1V, the PA4331.472NLT inductor's impedance measures at 207.6 milliohms. This result is higher than the benchmark average impedance of 197 milliohms; however, it stays well within the maximum impedance of 1.774 ohms. As the test frequency increases to 50 Hz, the impedance of the PA4331.472NLT remains relatively constant, measuring at 207.4 milliohms, which is lower than the statistical benchmark's average of 279.9 milliohms. Therefore, at these lower frequencies, the component exhibits satisfactory performance when compared to the benchmark.

Moving up the frequency spectrum, the performance remains relatively uniform. Its impedance at 500 Hz and an input voltage of 1V is 208.2 milliohms, which is lower than the benchmark's average impedance of 264.6 milliohms. This result demonstrates an impressive and stable low-impedance response—a desirable attribute for an inductor when mitigating high-frequency noise in circuits. As the frequency reaches 1 kHz, the component's impedance modestly increases to 210.6 milliohms compared to the benchmark's average of 262.9 milliohms. Consequently, in these mid-range frequencies, the PA4331.472NLT's impedance performance is commendable when compared to its peers.

As we analyze the high-frequency range, the impedance performance remains similar to the mid-range frequencies. At a frequency of 500 kHz and an input voltage of 1V, the inductor's impedance measures 15.63 ohms, which is significantly lower than the benchmark's maximum impedance of 17.17 ohms. This low impedance in the high-frequency range highlights the component's capacity to offer minimal resistance to the desired signals in the circuit. At 1 MHz, the component’s impedance measures at 31.23 ohms, which is still below the benchmark's maximum impedance of 32.63 ohms. As a result, the PA4331.472NLT continues to demonstrate a reliable impedance curve, and its performance across a wide range of frequencies remains good when compared with the statistical benchmarks.

In conclusion, the PA4331.472NLT inductor exhibits a generally stable and low impedance curve throughout various frequency ranges. Additionally, its performance remains satisfactory or better when compared to the benchmarks, making it suitable for a wide range of applications where impedance stability and performance are essential.

Inductance

The Pulse Electronics PA4331.472NLT demonstrates a diverse range of inductance values across an extensive set of test frequencies, offering potential users a comprehensive understanding of the component's behavior with respect to inductance. Compared to the statistical benchmark data derived from other inductors of the same value, it is evident that the PA4331.472NLT possesses unique performance characteristics.

At lower frequencies (5Hz and 10Hz), the PA4331.472NLT showcases a significantly higher inductance capacity than the average values, displaying 22.16μH and 19.17μH respectively, as opposed to the benchmark values of 15.29μH and 11.59μH. This increased inductance at lower frequencies implies that the PA4331.472NLT may deliver enhanced performance in low-frequency applications, offering better energy storage and magnetic field generation capabilities.

In contrast, at medium frequencies (50Hz to 200kHz), the PA4331.472NLT tends to exhibit marginally lower inductance values compared to the benchmark averages. This information suggests that, within these frequency ranges, the component may not necessarily surpass other similar inductors in terms of inductance performance. To illustrate, at 50Hz, the component inductance is 9.12μH compared to the benchmark value of 7.348μH. This pattern persists at various test frequencies, such as at 100kHz, where the component inductance is measured at 4.995μH versus the benchmark value of 4.593μH.

Regarding high frequencies (250kHz to 1MHz), the PA4331.472NLT maintains its inductance values relatively close to the benchmark average, demonstrating the component's capability to uphold consistent performance in high-frequency applications. To provide an example, at 500kHz, the PA4331.472NLT inductance measures in at 4.975μH, which is close to the benchmark's 4.527μH. Similarly, when tested at 1MHz, the component inductance exhibits a value of 4.968μH, compared to the benchmark average of 4.498μH. These findings imply that the PA4331.472NLT can effectively maintain stable inductance and handle high-frequency requirements, making it a versatile option for a wide variety of electronic applications.

Series Resistance

When evaluating the series resistance performance of the PA4331.472NLT inductor, it is crucial to compare its performance against the statistical benchmark at the appropriate voltage levels and frequency ranges. At 1 V, the results indicate that in the frequency range of 5 Hz to 20 kHz, the series resistance performance is close to the average value. Specifically, at 20 kHz, the series resistance measures at 210.3 mOhms, which is slightly inferior to the 275.5 mOhm average. This difference, however, becomes less significant when considering the mid-frequency range (50 kHz to 300 kHz), where the PA4331.472NLT inductor consistently performs better than the average values. This superior performance continues up to the upper frequency limit of 1 MHz.

Upon increasing the voltage level to 10 V, the PA4331.472NLT inductor exhibits a ladder-like escalation of series resistance values, starting from 5 kHz and extending up to 1 MHz. When analyzing the mid-frequency range (50 kHz to 300 kHz), the values outperform the average values achieved by benchmark data. Impressively, the series resistance value exceeds the 1.041 Ohm average at the 1 MHz extreme, reaching 1.212 Ohms. It is essential to highlight that this performance improvement might positively impact the overall efficiency and stability of the electronic circuits which utilize this component.

In conclusion, the PA4331.472NLT inductor demonstrates a competitive performance profile concerning series resistance when compared to the established benchmark. As a result, this inductor presents itself as a robust and reliable choice for electronics engineers seeking suitable components for their circuits. Engineers should not only consider the nominal series resistance values but also how the component performs across different frequency ranges and voltage levels to ensure optimal circuit performance.

Dissipation Factor and Quality Factor

The inductor under test revealed a notable Quality Factor (Q) at various frequencies, providing key insights into its overall performance and efficiency. At a test frequency of 50 kHz, the inductor demonstrated a Q of 7.29 (at 1 V) and 7.39 (at 10 V), indicating sound energy storage capability and relatively low levels of power loss in the circuit. It is essential to note that the Q continued to improve as the test frequency increased. At 1 MHz, the inductor achieved a Q of 39.83 (at 1 V) and 26.73 (at 10 V), implying an even better energy storage capacity and enhanced effectiveness at higher frequencies.

When assessing the Quality Factor at diverse test frequencies, an intriguing pattern emerges. The inductor displayed relatively low Q values (smaller or equal to 1) at lower test frequencies, signifying higher power losses and diminished efficiency. However, as the test frequency increased, the Q values improved considerably, highlighting the component's compatibility with higher frequency applications where it can deliver greater energy storage efficiency and better overall performance.

In addition to the Quality Factor, the Dissipation Factor (D) is also a valuable metric for characterizing the performance of inductors. By definition, D is the reciprocal of the Quality Factor (D = 1/Q). As the Quality Factor increases, the Dissipation Factor will decrease, signifying reduced power loss within the inductor. Based on the observed improvements in Q at higher frequencies, it can be deduced that the inductor will exhibit a lower Dissipation Factor at these elevated frequencies.

In summary, the inductor exhibits noteworthy performance in terms of its Dissipation Factor and Quality Factor, particularly at higher test frequencies. This makes it a viable option for engineers designing electronic circuits that demand an energy-efficient and robust inductor capable of operating in high-frequency applications.

Comparative Analysis

An in-depth comparison between the Pulse Electronics Power PA4331.472NLT Drum Core Wirewound Inductor and the statistical benchmark of other 4.7μH inductors reveals intriguing insights into the performance characteristics of this component. From an engineer's perspective, scrutinizing and analyzing these performance characteristics is essential when selecting an ideal Inductor for their circuit designs.

Looking into the 1 Volt measurement data for the PA4331.472NLT, the impedance values remain relatively stable within the 207mΩ to 210.6mΩ range across a wide frequency spectrum. However, compared to the benchmark data, the minimum impedance deviates slightly from the average impedance, especially at lower frequencies. Despite this, the deviation decreases when the test frequency increases, indicating an improvement in performance compared to the benchmark at higher frequencies.

The Quality Factor (Q Factor), which quantifies the energy losses within the inductor, also plays a significant role in Engineers' decision-making when selecting an inductor for their circuits. For the PA4331.472NLT, the component demonstrates higher Q Factor values at higher test frequencies (e.g., 39.83 at 1M test frequency) when compared to the benchmark data (e.g., 43.14 at 1M test frequency). Keeping in mind the higher values for the component at higher frequencies, it's worth considering the performance expectations for specific applications.

Another aspect that Engineers put weight on is the series resistance, which quantifies the resistance incurred within the conductor windings. This component exhibits considerably robust numbers (208.2mΩ to 208.6mΩ) when compared to the benchmark data. Additionally, the component's series inductance (4.977μH to 5.209μH at 1 Volt) remains relatively constant across various test frequencies, especially at higher frequencies, making PA4331.472NLT a suitable choice for circuit designs requiring stable inductance values.

Furthermore, analyzing the PA4331.472NLT at the 10 Volts testing appears the numbers are well in line with the benchmark data for impedance values and quality factors. Notably, at higher volt and frequencies, it showcases comparatively consistent and improved performance when compared to the average benchmark components.

In conclusion, the Pulse Electronics Power PA4331.472NLT Drum Core Wirewound Inductor demonstrates improved performance compared to the benchmark average, especially at higher frequencies. Its stability, low series resistance, and relatively high Quality Factor make it a reliable option for Engineers considering it for their circuit designs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the PA4331.472NLT inductor, a drum core, wirewound component manufactured by Pulse Electronics Power, demonstrates a varied performance when compared to the statistical benchmark of other 4.7μH inductors.

At low test frequencies (5Hz - 1kHz) and both 1V and 10V test voltages, the PA4331.472NLT's impedance and series resistance values are generally lower than the benchmark averages, indicating a potentially more efficient performance in certain applications. However, as the test frequency increases towards the 1Mhz range, the PA4331.472NLT's impedance increases, surpassing the benchmark averages. This suggests that the component's impedance matching capabilities may degrade at higher frequencies. Additionally, the PA4331.472NLT exhibits varying quality factor values, where some test frequencies indicate performance closer to the benchmark average while others show significant variations.

Considering the series inductance values, the PA4331.472NLT maintains a relatively consistent performance throughout the tested frequencies, staying within close proximity to the benchmark averages. This characteristic may be beneficial for electronics engineers requiring stable inductance values across a wide operational spectrum.

In summary, the PA4331.472NLT drum core, wirewound inductor shows a mixed performance compared to the provided statistical benchmark. While it may be beneficial for specific circuit applications requiring low impedance and stable inductance values, engineers should cautiously evaluate the component's suitability in cases where maintaining the quality factor and impedance matching across a broad frequency range is crucial.