From hybrid vehicles and energy infrastructures to wearables and integrated circuits, the performance of power conversion systems depends on the hardware architecture, but also on intelligent control strategies. This is the framework for the achievements of Paul Medinceanu, an engineer specialized in microelectronics and power management, who has been enrolled in the national campaign \"100 Youngsters for Romania's Development\", 2025 edition, run by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania, in recognition of his innovative contributions in the field of power electronics and integrated circuits. The young man has developed two complementary projects - a hybrid DC-DC converter for automotive applications and an open-source PWM device implemented as a digital integrated circuit. Both projects propose concrete solutions to increase energy efficiency through real technological innovation.<\/p>\n
Paul Medinceanu's path in engineering begins at the Politehnica University of Timisoara, where, between 2019 and 2023, he attended his bachelor's degree in Applied Electronics, specialization in Microelectronics. He graduated as top of his class, and his bachelor's thesis - \"Hybrid DC-DC Converter\" - was named the best bachelor's thesis in 2023. His training continued at the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, where he pursued a master's degree in Advanced Microelectronics. Since 2025, Paul has been a PhD student in the Doctoral School of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, with a research topic focused on power management for integrated circuits in emerging semiconductor technologies - a key area for the future of electronics.<\/p>\n
The first major project that brought him recognition is his bachelor's thesis: Hybrid DC-DC converter. Hybrid cars usually have two batteries - a 12 V battery for the on-board electronics and a 48 V battery for starting and assisting the heat engine. The role of the DC-DC converter is to efficiently transfer energy between these two voltage levels. The innovation of the project consisted in: the use of a hybrid topology, which reduces the size of the electronic components, and the integration of gallium nitride (GaN) transistors, which are more efficient than traditional silicon transistors. The result was a smaller, more efficient converter suitable for modern automotive applications. The space saved can be used to increase battery capacity, indirectly helping to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.<\/p>\n
After completing his degree, Paul Medinceanu went beyond the academic requirements by developing an independent project: the Open-Source PWM Peripheral, realized on the international Tiny Tapeout infrastructure. This project involves the design of a real digital integrated circuit fabricated on silicon, using only open-source software tools. Basically, the chip is divided into hundreds of blocks and each participant can implement their own circuit at low cost. After fabrication, the designs become testable in reality, not just in theory. The peripheral developed by Paul is a digital module that generates configurable PWM signals used to control power converters or electric motors. The module includes advanced features such as synchronized signals and deadband, which can help increase the efficiency of power systems, this time through intelligent control rather than high-power hardware. A key aspect of the project was to fully document the whole process, from idea and architecture to testing. This documentation was transformed into a scientific paper presented at an international conference in Portugal (MELECON) and awarded at the Student Scientific Communication Session.<\/p>\n
Paul Medinceanu's performances are supported by numerous distinctions, including: prizes at national wiring and integrated circuit design competitions; 3rd place at the \"Tudor T\u0103n\u0103sescu\" analog integrated circuit competition; 2nd place at the 2024 Student Scientific Communication Session, for the paper dedicated to the open-source PWM peripheral, and official recognition of his bachelor's thesis as the best in the field.<\/p>\n
Since 2025, Paul Medinceanu is a researcher at the CAMPUS Institute, in the AMPLIPH research team, where he continues his work in the area of power management and integrated circuits. Through his two projects - one applied, industrial, the other oriented towards microelectronics and open-source - Paul Medinceanu demonstrates that real innovation emerges at the intersection of academic rigor, technological courage and being open to the future. It is precisely this vision that has brought him to the \"100 Youngsters for the Development of Romania's Development\" campaign, as an example of a young person who is building, step by step, solutions for the world of tomorrow.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" De la vehicule hibride \u0219i infrastructuri energetice, p\u00e2n\u0103 la dispozitive portabile \u0219i circuite integrate, performan\u021ba sistemelor de conversie a puterii depinde de arhitectura hardware, dar \u0219i de strategiile inteligente de control. \u00cen acest cadru se \u00eenscriu realiz\u0103rile lui Paul Medinceanu, inginer specializat \u00een microelectronic\u0103 \u0219i managementul puterii, care a fost \u00eenscris \u00een campania na\u021bional\u0103 \u201e100 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4436,"featured_media":52575,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3338,3345,3340,269,100],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-100-de-tineri-pentru-dezvoltarea-romaniei","category-editia-2025","category-100detineripentrudezvoltarearomaniei-stiinta","category-noutati","category-stiri"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n