Peer-to-peer, engineer-to-engineer questions and answers from the EDABoard.com engineering community around analog ICs and analog design. Click the “Read more” link and follow the entire conversation and maybe add your two cents by logging in to EDAboard.com. Adaptive biasing of source degeneration – I am designing an OTA with improved linearity, and I have used source […]
Analog ICs
Op amp ICs feature superior EMI immunity in all bands
Automotive-grade ground sense opamps ar esaid to deliver breakthrough EMI tolerance (noise immunity) for automotive systems using sensors. Developed using proprietary layout, processes, circuit design technologies, the BA8290xYxx-C series features superior noise immunity that suppresses output voltage fluctuation in all frequency bands to less than ±1%, compared to ±3.5% to ±10% with conventional products. The […]
Low-pass, bandpass SMA coaxial filters target GPS, ISM, RFID and Wi-Fi bands
Fairview Microwave Inc. has introduced a new series of low pass and bandpass filters for use with multiple popular frequency bands. Fairview’s 13 new SMA coaxial filters consist of seven bandpass filters and six low pass filters. The bandpass filters were developed for use in various applications including GPS, ISM, RFID and Wi-Fi systems and operate in […]
Miniature water-resistant pressure sensors target wearable apps
STMicroelectronics has taken underwater accuracy to new heights with its latest miniature pressure sensor, which is featured in the new Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro. As smart watches and wearable fitness trackers permeate the fabric of everyday life, owners want to go further with their devices and track performance across extra activities like swimming. Samsung’s Gear […]
Practical points for Analog-to-Digital converters
Confusion often arises around the topic of criteria for picking analog-to-digital converters (ADC). Much discussion is usually given to the sampling rate (also referred to as the conversion rate) which dictates how frequently the source signal must be sampled per second to faithfully reproduce that signal. Twentieth-century electronic communications engineer Harry Nyquist answered that question […]
Analog simulator includes support for digitally enhanced power analog controllers, linear regulators, MOSFET and LED drivers
PLAB Mindi analog simulation software, which was updated to include more models and features, is now available from Microchip Technology Inc. The MPLAB Mindi Analog Simulator is a circuit simulation tool that now supports more than 300 Microchip analog products, with SIMetrix’s enhanced SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis) and SIMPLIS Technologies’ SIMPLIS (SIMulation of […]
Amplifiers: What do rail-to-rail and single supply mean?
With respect to analog signals, a “rail” is a boundary that a signal has to work within. For a long time, operational amplifiers have required opposite but equal voltage supplies. If you see a dual-supply or dual-voltage op amp, it means that two supply voltages power the amplifier; the absolute supply voltage levels are the […]
How IBIS models help with signal analysis
An Input Output Buffer Information Specification (IBIS) model is a standard in the semiconductor industry for modeling semiconductor devices from a behavioral perspective, for both analog and digital perspectives. IBIS modeling enables engineers to describe detailed signal behavior in a circuit design without revealing proprietary information about the circuits (or the processes used to make […]
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 […]
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 […]