The latest DoE energy efficiency requirements won’t be the last. Here are a few of the changes in efficiency regulations the power supply industry can expect. Authored by Inventus Power As early as the 1990s studies showed that smaller external power supplies — such as those powering cell phone chargers, game boxes, cordless phones, and […]
Industry Experts
RS-232 and related standards, Part 1
High-speed, high-performance “just plug and go” wired-communications interfaces such as Ethernet and USB are in wide use. In contrast, the technically ancient RS-232 standard and related standards seem like antique museum pieces with no design-in interest. However, that is a simplistic view of the reality. Although not necessarily the first choice or obvious choice in […]
Analog Devices, imec partner to create utlra-low power sensor devices for IoT
Imec, and Analog Devices, Inc. announced they have entered into a strategic research partnership to develop the next generation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. With two initiatives already underway, imec and ADI aim to innovate devices that are not only low-power but that also come with largely improved—or completely new—sensing capabilities. The IoT continues […]
Webinar: The RISC-V ecosystem is ready for prime time. Get started here! – October 25
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 2:00pm EDT / 11:00am PST The RISC-V ISA (instruction set architecture) is redefining the embedded processor marketplace. The open architecture of the RISC-V ecosystem has developed critical mass. Be on the leading edge of what is the next big thing. Attend this webinar to learn about: Fixed ISA allows customization for […]
Getting started in electronics: core equipment
by Spec This article gives a list of equipment and material needed to get started in electronics. The essential equipment needn’t be expensive. Where to do your electronics project At its most elementary, all you need is a board of some kind, a table, and a mains supply. You also need a suitable room, which […]
Current feedback amplifiers, Part 2
Part 1 of this FAQ look at the operation of the CFB op amp and compared it to the VFB op amp. Part 2 continues the discussion of these two op amp topologies and their characteristics. Q: How do you choose between VFB versus CFB? A: Today’s CFB and VFB amplifiers have comparable performance, but […]
Component Obsolescence: more than a case of “you might also like…”
I have faced the problems of component obsolescence from my very early experiences of electronics design. In some cases it can be trivial — a transistor being discontinued and a suitable alternative easy to find. However, that is not always the case. Even a simple transistor replacement could result in PCB changes being necessary if […]
Choosing a reference voltage for an ADC
Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) need a reference voltage (VREF) input in order to operate properly. ADCs convert analog inputs that can vary from zero volts on up to a maximum voltage level that is called the reference voltage. The reference voltage determines the ceiling of what the ADC can convert, and is essentially the yardstick against […]
Difference between fixed and floating point
Various types of processors (DSPs, MCUs, etc.) have the ability to do math using floating point numbers, but what exactly does this mean? In general, floating point math offers a wider range of numbers and more precision than fixed point math. Knowing the difference, and when to use which type of math can make a […]
Eye and Constellation Diagrams, Pt 2
Part 1 looked at the eye diagram, a simple yet powerful visual tool which reveals many specifics about the quality of a recovered bit stream. Part 2 looks at the constellation diagram, another powerful visual tool which is used to show the signal space of complex encoding schemes and relationship among the symbols. Q: Why […]