By Eric Persson, Senior Principal Engineer AC-DC Applications, Infineon Technologies We take motors for granted – they have been with us since Benjamin Franklin experimented with electrostatic types nearly three hundred years ago – but the days are long gone when they were controlled in a simple on/off way. Motors in today’s applications, from clothes […]
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The challenge of temperature measurement and sensor calibration, Part 3
Temperature is a widely measured real-world physical variable, but achieving credible results is harder than it seems, even for a simple device such as a kitchen oven. While many temperature-related measurements require high accuracy, precision, and repeatability – let’s say, to better than 1⁰C – many others do not, yet still bring challenges. Consider the […]
The challenge of temperature measurement and sensor calibration, Part 2
Temperature is a widely measured real-world physical variable, but achieving credible results is harder than it seems, even for a simple device such as a kitchen oven. What is temperature, anyway? While we all “know” intuitively what temperature is, actually defining and calibrating its readings is a complicated discussion. A fundamentalist approach is to go […]
Single-sideband modulation and its measurement
The most basic form of amplitude modulation is known as double-sideband AM, so called because mirror-image sidebands are produced above and below the carrier frequency. Early researchers found that they could use simple band-pass filters to eliminate one of the sidebands and even the carrier signal, improving the ratio of information-bearing power to total transmitted […]
How do materials impact a sensor’s performance?
For harsh environments, materials provide the difference between survival and failure by addressing thermal, chemical and mechanical operating requirements. However, the right materials are also essential to achieve the desired sensor electrical performance, especially in many more demanding, high performance applications. This starts with the sensing element and extends to the packaging. As one of […]
The challenge of temperature measurement and sensor calibration, Part 1
Temperature is a widely measured real-world physical variable, but achieving credible results is harder than it seems, even for a simple device such as a kitchen oven. Calibration of a sensor and its associated electronics channel before making critical measurements or monitoring system performance is a common requirement in many situations. In some cases, it’s […]
Microwaves and the Havana Syndrome
Leland Teschler • Executive editor The National Academy of Sciences recently released its conclusions about what sickened dozens of American Embassy diplomats in Cuba, a phenomenon dubbed the Havana Syndrome. Though the panel reached no definitive conclusion, it found pulsed RF (a.k.a. directed microwave energy) was the most likely cause. Panel members could not rule […]
Looking for ghostly goings-on with a milligauss meter
Tune in to TV shows that are purportedly about ghost hunting and you’ll often see people wandering around in the dark with an instrument called a milligauss meter. A milligauss meter detects changing magnetic fields. (It won’t detect static fields as from a bar magnet.) When a milligauss meter shows a reading during a ghosting […]
Improving transimpedance amplifiers with a bootstrap
Analog bootstrap circuits are traditionally ones where output is fed back to the input, usually to increase input impedance. This can be to minimize either the resistive or reactive (usually capacitive) components of the input impedance or both. The term is now also used with MOSFET drivers where a capacitor is charged and used to […]
Increasing power conversion efficiency with new semiconductor technologies
There is a choice of devices to use, including SiC FETs, a hybrid of silicon and SiC technology. This article discusses characteristics of the devices in comparison with other approaches. High efficiency is the universal aim in the world […]
