A capacitor behaves like an open circuit at DC voltages. (Recall that DC is voltage that operates at a frequency of 0 Hz, which is a flat-line voltage of varying heights or levels). If there’s an AC (varying) component or noise in the signals traveling in the circuit, then as the frequencies of the varying […]
Core independent peripherals have zero dependence on CPUs…really?
The Core Independent Peripheral (CIP) is a term coined by Microchip Technology to describe an unusual control scheme whereby peripherals do not rely upon input from the Central Processing Unit (CPU). Microchip claims that these self-sustaining peripherals free up the CPU, increase power savings, reduce development time and are easily configured with Microchip graphical programming […]
Understanding DDR SDRAM
DDR SDRAM is a stack of acronyms. Double Data Rate (DDR) Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) is a common type of memory used as RAM for most every modern processor. First on the scene of this stack of acronyms was Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM), introduced in the 1970s. DRAM is not regulated by a […]
Why NVMe SSDs are faster than SATA SSDs
NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is an interface protocol built especially for Solid State Drives (SSDs). NVMe works with PCI Express (PCIe) to transfer data to and from SSDs. NVMe enables rapid storage in computer SSDs and is an improvement over older Hard Disk Drive (HDD) related interfaces such as SATA and SAS. The only reason […]
Factors to consider in purchasing a Solid State Drive (SSD) for computer storage
What factors should you take into account when you purchase an SSD? Keep in mind that the below are generalizations and that technology is improving all the time. Size matters. Before you buy, have an idea of how much data you would likely to the SSD in an average day. The average DVD movie is […]
SSDs vs. HDDs Part 2: Sand or Rust?
Solid State Drives (SSDs) are faster, more rugged, and (presently) more expensive than Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). When SSDs are priced competitively to HDDs, we will begin to see every PC equipped with an SSD for long-term storage, because SSDs are suitable for a decade or more of typical consumer use. SSD is just Flash […]
Terminology used in the Internet of Things
Every now and then someone throws out an acronym or term in a conference or presentation that is new and not all of the mainstream audience is able to follow along. Here are some basic terms and how they relate to The Internet of Things (IoT). IoT – The Internet of Things refers to electronics […]
What’s the difference between Von-Neumann and Harvard architectures?
These two processor architectures can be classified by how they use memory. Von-Neumann architecture In a Von-Neumann architecture, the same memory and bus are used to store both data and instructions that run the program. Since you cannot access program memory and data memory simultaneously, the Von Neumann architecture is susceptible to bottlenecks and system […]
Can SSDs replace all storage and memory?
The short answer is no. Here’s why. Solid-State Drives (SSDs) have no mechanical or moving parts, which makes them ideal for mobile devices. SSDs are associated with flash memory and as a replacement for hard disk drive storage for computers. At the lowest level, SSDs are based on transistors (similar to DRAM), but SSD is […]
The complexities of cache
Traditionally a cache is a safe place to keep things hidden until you can retrieve them. However, a cache within computer terminology is any storage that is managed to take advantage of location for rapid access. Cache is local memory that exists in the data path between the processor and main memory. A cache will […]