Light sensors or photosensors, which are designed to measure light intensity, are one of the most commonly used sensors in electronic applications. Light intensity is one of the seven base physical quantities. The measurement of light intensity is useful in many consumer, industrial, and security applications. What is a light sensor? A light sensor is […]
FAQ
The basics of AC motors and their applications
The two main types of AC motors are induction motors and synchronous motors. The induction motor (or asynchronous motor) always relies on a small difference in speed between the stator rotating magnetic field. The rotor shaft speed is called slip to induce rotor current in the rotor AC winding. As a result, the induction motor […]
Basics of electrolytes in electronic processes
In electrolytes, traveling ions are the charge carriers, playing the role of electrons in a metal conductor. Ionic solutions, which are electrolytes, vary in resistivity depending on small changes in concentration. Ohmmeter probes dipped in a glass of distilled water produce a high-ohm reading, while adding a pinch of salt greatly increases the conductivity. Electrolytes […]
Driving brushed and brushless DC motors
DC motors are available in various electrical configurations and, except for brushless DC (BLDC) motors, are relatively simple devices. As a result, driving brushed DC motors is a relatively simple process. As shown below, BLDC motors require a more sophisticated approach. A “motor drive” is not even necessary with brushed dc (BDC) motors in some […]
How to design an LDR light/dark sensor using Arduino
Light sensors are widely used in electronic applications. The most common one used is a photoresistor or light-dependent resistor. Despite a long response time, this sensor is inexpensive and useful in several applications. A photoresistor consists of a zigzag track of photo-sensitive semiconductors. It offers pure resistance although this is dependent on the ambient light. […]
How to design modular DC-DC systems with modules, Part 5: Load considerations
The previous tutorials in this series addressed the appropriate filtering, stability, and protection concerns for power modules when used as elements of a complete DC-DC power system. This tutorial is focused on the load-specific aspects of a system designed with power modules. It was once possible to conceptualize the load supplied by a DC-DC module […]
Testing power consumption and batteries for wireless IoT nodes and wearables – Virtual Roundtable (part 2)
In this second part of EEWorld’s virtual round table on testing power consumption and batteries for wireless IoT nodes and wearables, our panelists delve into the nuances of complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) testing and predicting actual battery performance. Our panelists include: Janet Ooi (JO), IoT Industry Solutions Lead at Keysight Technologies, Shah Hassan (SH), […]
Motor fundamentals and DC motors
Motors use the principles of electromagnetism to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. There are a wide variety of electrical configurations and mechanical constructions used to produce electric motors. A fundamental difference between various types of motors is whether the input voltage is AC or DC. However, that differentiation immediately becomes a little fuzzy since […]
Testing power consumption and batteries for wireless IoT nodes and wearables – Virtual Roundtable (part 1 of 2)
The first part of EEWorld’s virtual roundtable discussion considers the challenges of testing power consumption and batteries for wireless IoT nodes and wearables. Joining us for this virtual roundtable are: Janet Ooi (JO), IoT Industry Solutions Lead at Keysight Technologies, Shah Hassan (SH), Business Manager at Tektronix, and Dr. Markus Herdin (MH), Market Segment Manager […]
Basics of QAM reception and its measurement
A conventional AM broadcast generally begins in the studio as a music or voice audio signal. The audio signal modulates the amplitude of a radio-frequency electrical signal. This AM signal–also referred to as double-sideband amplitude modulation to distinguish it from single-sideband modulation–produces equal frequency sidebands on either side of the center frequency. In single-sideband modulation […]