Brushless DC and stepper motors may get more attention than the classic brushed DC motor, but the latter may still be a better choice in some applications. Most designers looking to choose a small DC motor – a sub- or fractional-horsepower unit, typically – usually look initially at just two options: the brushless DC (BLDC) […]
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Managing smart street lighting design
Wi-SUN may well be the linchpin that turns street lighting into a scalable IoT umbrella offering a multitude of solutions beyond illumination. Soumya Shyamasundar, Silicon Labs According to the World Bank, legacy street lighting systems based on traditional technologies can account for as much as 65% of a city’s electricity consumption. The energy consumption, of […]
Tolerance analysis distinguishes prototypes from production units
It’s not enough to model and simulate circuit behavior – you also have to investigate the effects of component variations from their nominal values due to unavoidable tolerances. There’s a semi-serious quip that scientists can build one of anything – but just one; it takes engineers and production experts to build it again and again […]
Using simulation to optimize GaN-powered designs
Comparisons of transistor device models and simulation techniques illustrate which approach works best for specific design scenarios. Lei Kou, Lucas Lu, GaN Systems When designing a new system based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) power transistors, simulation provides engineers with a powerful design optimization tool. Through simulation, designers can estimate system efficiency, choose the appropriate device […]
Putting supercapacitors to work
There are a variety of modern applications in which supercapacitors are better candidates than either batteries or ordinary capacitors. George Wundsam, Cornell Dubilier Supercapacitors are not new. First developed in the 1950s, commercial versions were marketed over 40 years ago. At that time, supercapacitors were certainly not on a fast track to practical application. They […]
Find the fake: How to authenticate laser printers and laser-printed documents
People these days have had to become savvy about who sent the email in their inbox because of the numerous phishing scams. Thus authentication of email is serious business. For similar reasons, there is much interest in verifying both the source of laser-printed documents and whether a given printed document is the original or a […]
Optical links for spacecraft, Part 2: Projects and progress
Using laser-sourced light beams rather than wireless RF to link spacecraft with Earth offers the possibility of a significant increase in data rates. Still, there are significant technical challenges to the concept. The previous part of the article established the need for higher-speed data links to spacecraft and their missions and looked at some of […]
Optical links for spacecraft, Part 1: The throughput limitation
Using laser-sourced light beams rather than wireless RF to link spacecraft with Earth offers the possibility of a significant increase in data rates. Still, there are significant technical challenges to the concept. Scientists, engineers, and researchers communicating with spacecraft have a problem: there’s so much data coming from these spacecraft – and to send to […]
What are different types of biometric sensors?
The term “Biometrics” is derived from “bio’” which means life, and “metrics”, which means measurement. Biometrics is developing for use in various technologies, including the unique identification and recognition of people. The technology at its current juncture is widely used in security and surveillance systems. Biometrics also has the possibility of converging with other technologies […]
How has remote health monitoring changed in the COVID Twenties?
No roaring in this century’s twenties, just the fallout from COVID. However, some changes are for the better. Wearables for digital health and wellness were increasing before COVID but now digital healthcare, digital social activities, digital mental health support, and home-based fitness have even greater momentum. “Monitoring Health & Wellness Remotely: A Roadmap to Healthy […]