A conic section is formed by the intersection of a plane that cuts though a cone, usually with the circle at the top and the hyperbola at the bottom. Between them lie the ellipse and the parabola. The parabola has distinctive properties when rotated in space to make a concave surface. The parabola can be […]
FAQ
What are basic logic gates?
Logic gates are the building blocks of digital circuits. The basic logic gates include AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR. They can be implemented in digital hardware using transistors and/or diodes. In a few applications, they are implemented using electromechanical relays, fluidics, pneumatics, or optical elements. A series of logic gates can be […]
Digipots as electronic potentiometers, Pt 3: Enhancements
Digital potentiometers – digipots – are widely used, versatile, flexible, and feature-laden alternatives to classic mechanical potentiometers. In addition to their “hands-off” controllability, digipots offer additional simplicity, design-in ease, and much lower cost than potentiometers. Among their other capabilities: Dual digipots are useful where two resistances must be adjusted independently but especially so when they […]
Digipots as electronic potentiometers, Pt 2: Features
Digital potentiometers – digipots – are widely used, versatile, flexible, and feature-laden alternatives to classic mechanical potentiometers. In a traditional potentiometer, a person’s hand (or perhaps even a small motor) sets the wiper position and thus the voltage-division ratio. In a digipot, instead, a computer and digital interface connect to the digipot IC and establish […]
Human presence detection and you
By Charles Pao, Senior Marketing Specialist at CEVA Mobile phones and tablets are getting more powerful, but if you’re serious about doing work (remotely), the dedicated work laptop still reigns supreme. Privacy and productivity have become increasingly important in this new paradigm of working anywhere. To help with both in the age of mobile computing, […]
Digipots as electronic potentiometers, Pt 1: Differences
Digital potentiometers – digipots – are a widely used, versatile, flexible, and feature-laden alternative to classic mechanical potentiometers. Mechanical potentiometers are standard passive components that designers have used for decades in applications ranging from circuit trimming to volume control. However, they have their limitations: their wipers can wear out, they are susceptible to moisture ingress, […]
What’s a Neural microcontroller?
The ability to run neural networks (NNs) on MCUs is growing in importance to support artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the Internet of Things (IoT) nodes and other embedded edge applications. Unfortunately, running NNs on MCUs is challenging due to the relatively small memory capacities of most MCUs. This FAQ details the […]
The ups and downs of bad DACs
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is more prone than an analog/digital converter to signal degradation. DACs are complex devices requiring precisely matched components. For this reason, with notable exceptions, DACs are implemented as mixed-signal ICs based on MOSFET technology. Discrete component DACs are found in radar systems and high-speed test equipment including digital sampling oscilloscopes. Digital […]
How PAM4 moves bits through networks
In an audio interview, Semtech’s Raza Khan explains why 5G networks use the four-level modulation to transport baseband data, starting at the radio.
MCU Bits and Bytes: sizes, types, and uses
Bits are the 1s and 0s that form the basis of digital information. A group of 8 bits is a byte and forms the basis of digital computing. Bits and bytes are used for storing and processing information as well as other functions in a digital IC. This FAQ begins with a brief review of […]