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Designers looking to save power and size are turning to advanced technologies, and motors are no exception. With piezoelectric technology at the heart, a new type of motor is improving small-scale motion systems in a big way. Electronic access control enhances security, convenience, safety, and flexibility in a wide range of applications from building automation to automobiles. Today, system designers are adding "smallest size" to the requirements list for the electronic actuators at the core of access control systems.

Before going any further, let's look at the forces driving energy harvesting, aka energy scavenging. While it would be convenient to say the technology's rise is tied directly to the "green" movement, it really results from a confluence of factors: Device output voltage is increasing, power-management circuits have lower losses and higher efficiency, and ICs that actually do the intelligent work and data transmission are operating at ever-decreasing voltage and power levels.