Passive Components Blog
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • NewsFilter
    • All
    • Aerospace & Defence
    • Antenna
    • Applications
    • Automotive
    • Capacitors
    • Circuit Protection Devices
    • electro-mechanical news
    • Filters
    • Fuses
    • Inductors
    • Industrial
    • Integrated Passives
    • inter-connect news
    • Market & Supply Chain
    • Market Insights
    • Medical
    • Modelling and Simulation
    • New Materials & Supply
    • New Technologies
    • Non-linear Passives
    • Oscillators
    • Passive Sensors News
    • Resistors
    • RF & Microwave
    • Telecommunication
    • Weekly Digest

    Paumanok Releases Capacitor Foils Market Report 2025-2030

    Modelithics Welcomes CapV as a Sponsoring MVP

    Wk 40 Electronics Supply Chain Digest

    Benefits of Tantalum Powder Stress–Strain Curve Evaluation vs Conventional Wet Test

    Electrolyte Selection and Performance in Supercapacitors

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    Researchers Demonstrated High Energy Ceramic Capacitors Stable in Wide Temperature Range

    Stackpole Offers High Voltage Plate Resistors up to 40KV

    How to Manage Supercapacitors Leakage Current and Self Discharge 

    Trending Tags

    • Ripple Current
    • RF
    • Leakage Current
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
    • Snubber
    • Low ESR
    • Feedthrough
    • Derating
    • Dielectric Constant
    • New Products
    • Market Reports
  • VideoFilter
    • All
    • Antenna videos
    • Capacitor videos
    • Circuit Protection Video
    • Filter videos
    • Fuse videos
    • Inductor videos
    • Inter-Connect Video
    • Non-linear passives videos
    • Oscillator videos
    • Passive sensors videos
    • Resistor videos

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    Efficient Power Converters: Duty Cycle vs Conduction Losses

    Ripple Steering in Coupled Inductors: SEPIC Case

    SEPIC Converter with Coupled and Uncoupled Inductors

    Coupled Inductors in SEPIC versus Flyback Converters

    Non-Linear MLCC Class II Capacitor Measurements Challenges

    Percolation Phenomenon and Reliability of Molded Power Inductors in DC/DC converters

    Root Causes and Effects of DC Bias and AC in Ceramic Capacitors

    How to Calculate the Output Capacitor for a Switching Power Supply

    Trending Tags

    • Capacitors explained
    • Inductors explained
    • Resistors explained
    • Filters explained
    • Application Video Guidelines
    • EMC
    • New Products
    • Ripple Current
    • Simulation
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
  • Knowledge Blog
  • Suppliers
    • Who is Who
  • Events
  • Home
  • NewsFilter
    • All
    • Aerospace & Defence
    • Antenna
    • Applications
    • Automotive
    • Capacitors
    • Circuit Protection Devices
    • electro-mechanical news
    • Filters
    • Fuses
    • Inductors
    • Industrial
    • Integrated Passives
    • inter-connect news
    • Market & Supply Chain
    • Market Insights
    • Medical
    • Modelling and Simulation
    • New Materials & Supply
    • New Technologies
    • Non-linear Passives
    • Oscillators
    • Passive Sensors News
    • Resistors
    • RF & Microwave
    • Telecommunication
    • Weekly Digest

    Paumanok Releases Capacitor Foils Market Report 2025-2030

    Modelithics Welcomes CapV as a Sponsoring MVP

    Wk 40 Electronics Supply Chain Digest

    Benefits of Tantalum Powder Stress–Strain Curve Evaluation vs Conventional Wet Test

    Electrolyte Selection and Performance in Supercapacitors

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    Researchers Demonstrated High Energy Ceramic Capacitors Stable in Wide Temperature Range

    Stackpole Offers High Voltage Plate Resistors up to 40KV

    How to Manage Supercapacitors Leakage Current and Self Discharge 

    Trending Tags

    • Ripple Current
    • RF
    • Leakage Current
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
    • Snubber
    • Low ESR
    • Feedthrough
    • Derating
    • Dielectric Constant
    • New Products
    • Market Reports
  • VideoFilter
    • All
    • Antenna videos
    • Capacitor videos
    • Circuit Protection Video
    • Filter videos
    • Fuse videos
    • Inductor videos
    • Inter-Connect Video
    • Non-linear passives videos
    • Oscillator videos
    • Passive sensors videos
    • Resistor videos

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    Efficient Power Converters: Duty Cycle vs Conduction Losses

    Ripple Steering in Coupled Inductors: SEPIC Case

    SEPIC Converter with Coupled and Uncoupled Inductors

    Coupled Inductors in SEPIC versus Flyback Converters

    Non-Linear MLCC Class II Capacitor Measurements Challenges

    Percolation Phenomenon and Reliability of Molded Power Inductors in DC/DC converters

    Root Causes and Effects of DC Bias and AC in Ceramic Capacitors

    How to Calculate the Output Capacitor for a Switching Power Supply

    Trending Tags

    • Capacitors explained
    • Inductors explained
    • Resistors explained
    • Filters explained
    • Application Video Guidelines
    • EMC
    • New Products
    • Ripple Current
    • Simulation
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
  • Knowledge Blog
  • Suppliers
    • Who is Who
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
Passive Components Blog
No Result
View All Result

TDK tech article Solutions to silencing of DC-DC converters by measures against acoustic noise in power inductors

1.12.2017
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A

source: TDK technical article

Products such as laptop and tablet PCs, smartphones, television sets, and automotive electronic devices sometimes make high-pitched sounds when they are running. This is a phenomenon known as “acoustic noise” and is sometimes caused by passive components including capacitors and inductors. The mechanics in acoustic noise are different between capacitors and inductors, but acoustic noise in inductors is particularly complex as it involves a mix of factors. This article introduces some causes of and effective measures against acoustic noise in power inductors, which are main components in power circuits of devices such as DC-DC converters.

RelatedPosts

Paumanok Releases Capacitor Foils Market Report 2025-2030

Modelithics Welcomes CapV as a Sponsoring MVP

Wk 40 Electronics Supply Chain Digest

Causes of acoustic noise in power inductors
Factors such as intermittent operations, frequency variable modes, and load changes generate vibrations of audible frequencies
Sound waves are elastic waves that pass through air and a human hears the frequency domain of about 20 to 20 kHz. The main bodies of power inductors of DC-DC converters vibrate when alternating currents and pulse waves of frequencies in the audible range flow, and this results in acoustic noise which is sometimes called “coil whine” (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The mechanics of the acoustic noise in power inductors

Figure 1: The mechanics of the acoustic noise in power inductors

Power inductors of DC-DC converters are one of the causes of sounds and noises along with the increasing performance of electronic devices. DC-DC converters attain stable direct currents of fixed voltages by creating pulsed currents from ON/OFF statuses with switching elements and controlling the lengths (pulse widths) of the ON times. This is known as “PWM (pulse width modulation)” and is widely used as the mainstream method for DC-DC converters.

However, the switching frequencies of DC-DC converters are high ranging from several 100 kHz to several MHz, and the vibrations of these frequencies cannot be heard as sounds and noises exceed the human audible range. This leaves the question of why power inductors of DC-DC converters generate acoustic noises.

Vibrations that occur in the main bodies of power inductors generate acoustic noise through currents of frequencies in the audible range flowing in. Below are causes of the vibrations and the causes of amplified sounds and noises.

Causes of vibrations

  1. Magnetostriction (magnetic strain) of the magnetic core
  2. Attraction due to magnetization of the magnetic core
  3. Vibrations in the winding due to leakage flux

Causes of amplified sounds and noises

  1. Contact with other components
  2. Effects on surrounding magnetic bodies due to leakage flux
  3. Matching with natural vibration frequencies of entire sets including substrates

 

Continue to read the full TDK article HERE

Related

Recent Posts

Researchers Demonstrated High Energy Ceramic Capacitors Stable in Wide Temperature Range

2.10.2025
23

Stackpole Offers High Voltage Plate Resistors up to 40KV

2.10.2025
16

How to Manage Supercapacitors Leakage Current and Self Discharge 

1.10.2025
37

Experimental Evaluation of Wear Failures in SMD Inductors

1.10.2025
36

Resonant Capacitors in High-Power Resonant Circuits

1.10.2025
36

Littelfuse Releases First Reflow-Compatible Illuminated Tactile Switch

1.10.2025
7

Vishay Unveils 5W Power Metal Strip Resistor in Compact 1206 Case Size

1.10.2025
23

Polymer Tantalum Capacitors Beyond AEC-Q200 LEO Satellites

30.9.2025
53

Components Thermal and Frequency Challenges in 6G Base Stations

30.9.2025
18

Layer-by-Layer Fabrication of Thin Polypropylene-based Dielectrics

30.9.2025
24

Upcoming Events

Oct 8
11:00 - 12:00 CEST

PCB Online Shop – simply “Made in Germany” by Würth Elektronik

Oct 14
16:00 - 17:00 CEST

Smart Sensors, Smarter AI: Building Reliable Edge Systems

Oct 17
12:00 - 14:00 EDT

External Visual Inspection per MIL-STD-883 TM 2009

Oct 20
October 20 - October 23

Digital WE Days 2025 – Virtual Conference

Oct 21
October 21 @ 12:00 - October 23 @ 14:15 EDT

Space and Military Standards for Hybrids and RF Microwave Modules

View Calendar

Popular Posts

  • Buck Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boost Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Flyback Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • LLC Resonant Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • SEPIC Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Ripple Current and its Effects on the Performance of Capacitors

    3 shares
    Share 3 Tweet 0
  • What is a Dielectric Constant and DF of Plastic Materials?

    4 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 0
  • Dual Active Bridge (DAB) Topology Explained

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Flying Capacitors Explained

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • MLCC and Ceramic Capacitors

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter Subscription

 

Passive Components Blog

© EPCI - Leading Passive Components Educational and Information Site

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • EPCI Membership & Advertisement
  • About

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Knowledge Blog
  • Premium Suppliers

© EPCI - Leading Passive Components Educational and Information Site

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version