The servo motor is an older precise-positioning motor arrangement now facing some competition from the stepper motor. Part 1 of this article introduced the concept of servo motors along with servo amplifiers and servo controllers. This part continues that exploration. Q: What’s the history of servo motors? A: There were purely mechanical, closed-loop servo systems […]
FAQ on servo motors: part 1
The servomotor is an older precise-positioning motor arrangement now facing some competition from the stepper motor. When engineers need precise positioning of a motor’s shaft (rotor) angle and associated mechanical system, their first thought in many cases may be to use a stepper motor (aka “stepper”). That makes sense, as stepper motors have the attributes […]
Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces: what, why, where, and how?
Metamaterial arrays allow the wireless medium and path to be “adjusted” to compensate for its many imperfections and changes.
We have “supermodels” — so can we now have “superengineers?”
I recently came across a review of a four-part series that premiered on Apple TV+ in September entitled “The Super Models” (that space between “super” and “models” is not a typo, but the show’s clever title wordplay). The series focuses on four women who were supermodels several decades ago and still have considerable sway and […]
Power sequencing — options and tradeoffs: part 2
Proper sequencing of the multiple power rails in a system is a critical function and can be accomplished using different approaches. For applications with many rails, complicated sequencing requirements may require many additional components. There are two paths to resolving this advanced sequencing challenge, both offering the needed capabilities. One is based on a user-programmed […]
Power sequencing — options and tradeoffs: part 1
Proper sequencing of the multiple power rails in a system is a critical function and can be accomplished using different approaches. Experienced designers know that one of the riskiest periods in a product’s operating cycle is when power is turned on. This power-up phase is when each of the multiple power rails must come up […]
3D printing provides innovative approaches to GHz and THz components
High-precision stereolithography offers an innovative way to create active and passive components for the 100-GHz and even terahertz range.
Crimping for wire terminations — an alternative to soldering: part 3
Soldering is a well-known and reliable technology for terminating wires, but crimping is a widely used alternative. Crimp don’t crush Although crimping looks simple and is so in many ways, it is not so in terms of materials, pressure, and factors related to realizing full and consistently high performance. Due to its versatility, convenience, and […]
Crimping for wire terminations — an alternative to soldering: part 2
Soldering is a well-known and reliable technology for terminating wires, but crimping is a widely used alternative. As much as I enjoy soldering and producing a quality, attractive solder joint, I also recognize that there are times when soldering is not the right way to join wires to each other or their terminations. As noted […]
Crimping for wire terminations — an alternative to soldering: part 1
Soldering is a well-known and reliable technology for terminating wires, but crimping is a widely used alternative. The image of the electrical engineer or hacker bent over and using a soldering iron on a circuit board is a classic visual cliché of TV and movies (Figure 1). There’s a good reason for that: soldering is […]