Regulatory creepage and clearance requirements are increasingly affecting mainstream designs; understanding and meeting them is a complicated, multifaceted process. The final part of this article looks at an IC pair specifically designed for an enhanced creepage and clearance value, tools for helping with design, and also provides some “pre-electronics” perspective on the subject. Q: Are […]
A nuclear-powered cardiac pacemaker? Yes, but…. (Part 1)
Long-life pacemakers powered by plutonium-based thermal decay were implanted beginning in the 1970s, but better battery technology, safety concerns, and regulatory issues made them obsolete within a few decades. Recently, I was surfing through my free over-the-air (OTA) TV channels and stumbled across a show from the 1970s called “To Tell the Truth” (there is […]
Is it finally time for the “smart home” to become real — again?
Over the years, we’ve heard many times that smart homes and automation are now a reality; could it finally be true? I recently saw a story in The Wall Street Journal, “It’s Finally Time to Add Some Smart Tech to Your Dumb Home” making the case that smart lights, locks, and thermostats are ready for […]
FAQ on creepage and clearance, Part 2
Regulatory creepage and clearance requirements are increasingly affecting mainstream designs; understanding and meeting them is a complicated, multifaceted process. This part delves into more details on creepage and clearance. Q: What are the key standards for defining creepage and clearance minimum values? A: It’s complicated. Different documents cover PCB creepage and clearance standards and requirements, […]
FAQ on creepage and clearance: Part 1
Regulatory creepage and clearance requirements are increasingly affecting mainstream designs; understanding and meeting them is a complicated, multifaceted process. Electrical, mechanical, and packaging designers who work with lower power rails of just a few tens of volts usually have few or no concerns about product safety with respect to stray voltage and user shock. Now, […]
FAQ on Luneburg lens to increase radar signature: Part 3
The Luneburg lens is an extremely efficient reflector of radar energy based on advanced principles and fabrication techniques. The theoretical Luneburg lens requires a smooth, continuous gradient of the refractive index from the center to the outside. In practice, this is generally not a viable type of construction (but that is changing). Q: What is […]
Embedded digital-capacitor ICs enable antenna tuning
Femto/picofarad antenna-tuning ICs enable smartphones to work over several bands and scenarios, thus solving the challenging impedance-matching dilemma. One of the indicators of innovative engineering is to take an attribute that is normally considered to be a drawback and not only negate that characteristic but actually use it to advantage in another setting. Consider this…
FAQ on Luneburg lens to increase radar signature: Part 2
The Luneburg lens is an extremely efficient reflector of radar energy based on advanced principles and fabrication techniques. This section looks at the Luneburg lens, used to enhance radar visibility by increasing the RCS. Q: What is a Luneburg lens? A: There are several ways to describe it, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The Luneburg lens […]
FAQ on Luneburg lens to increase radar signature: Part 1
The Luneburg lens is an extremely efficient reflector of radar energy based on advanced principles and fabrication techniques. You’re undoubtedly familiar with the concept of radar, radar reflections, and the importance of minimizing reflecting in order to be less visible to a radar beam. As radar technology advanced through various improvements such as use of […]
How many electric motors are in a car?
The first gasoline cars had no electric motors; in contrast, today’s cars have tens of “invisible” motors having a range of power levels, sizes, and types. It’s not news that today’s cars, regardless of their motive power source, are packed with what is called “electronics.” Whether it’s for power trains, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), […]