This 50 MHz pulse generator was built as solid as a rock. It’s almost all metal. We take the unit completely apart and look at it from a system and board level. On a visit to the MIT swapfest in 2024, I came across an HP 8112A 50 MHz pulse generator. For $20, I brought […]
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VSON package modulators measure 3.5 mm x 2.7 mm
Texas Instruments (TI) introduced the industry’s first functionally isolated modulators, helping designers achieve more precise motor control in compact robot designs. The new AMC0106M05, AMC0136, and AMC0106M25 isolated modulators enable increased precision and higher resolution of 12 to 14 effective number of bits (ENOB) for accurate and reliable phase current sensing and DC voltage sensing […]
1.38 mm² MCU features 16 KB memory and 12-bit ADC
Texas Instruments introduced the world’s smallest MCU, expanding its comprehensive Arm Cortex-M0+ MSPM0 MCU portfolio. Measuring only 1.38mm2, about the size of a black pepper flake, the wafer chip-scale package (WCSP) for the MSPM0C1104 MCU enables designers to optimize board space in applications such as medical wearables and personal electronics, without compromising performance. With over […]
Teardown: AMD Radeon HD 7970 graphics card
Identifying the components reveals clues as to how a graphics card works, assuming you can read the identifying marks and find documentation. Wandering through an electronics swapfest, I found someone selling a graphics card and wondered what was inside. I bought it for $20, opened the case, and looked up the architecture and components. Released […]
Expanded processing capabilities for automotive, solar, and industrial applications
Texas Instruments will demonstrate several new developments in industrial automation, robotics, automotive, and renewable energy applications at electronica 2024. For factory automation, TI is presenting certified hardware and software for industrial communications using PROFINET®, EtherCAT® and EtherNet/IP™ software stacks. The technology enables connectivity and real-time motor control through single-chip solutions and licensed software for multi-protocol industrial […]
Compact DLP controller simplifies design of compact, portable high-resolution projectors
Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced a new display controller for 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) projectors. The DLPC8445 display controller measures 9mm by 9mm and enables a diagonal display of 100 inches or more. When combined with TI’s compatible digital micromirror device (DMD), the DLP472TP, and power-management integrated circuit (PMIC) driver, the DLPA3085, the new controller allows […]
mmWave radar sensor chip and diagnostics-integrated driver chips address functional safety
Texas Instruments has introduced new semiconductors designed to improve automotive safety and intelligence. The AWR2544 77GHz millimeter-wave radar sensor chip is the industry’s first for satellite radar architectures, enabling higher levels of autonomy by improving sensor fusion and decision-making in ADAS. TI’s new software-programmable driver chips, the DRV3946-Q1 integrated contactor driver and DRV3901-Q1 integrated squib […]
IoT: Microcontrollers and sensors must work as a team
Get an understanding of how to select sensors and microcontrollers for your IoT product, with an emphasis on circuit design to optimize performance. Sensors in IoT devices collect data from the environment, after which the data can be processed and analyzed to make intelligent decisions. The quality of your sensors and how well you integrate […]
Current sensors and current shunt monitors for common-mode voltages and temperatures
Texas Instruments debuted new current sensors to help engineers simplify their designs while improving accuracy. Designed for a broad range of common-mode voltages and temperatures, the new products include a lowest-drift isolated Hall-effect current sensor for high-voltage systems and a portfolio of current shunt monitors that eliminate the need for an external shunt resistor for […]
What are top applications of CAN protocol?
The CAN (controller area network) protocol was developed by the European automotive electronics company Robert Bosch GmbH in 1983 for in-vehicle networks. The intention behind the development of the CAN protocol was to enable robust data communication between different electronic control units (ECU) and microcontroller control units (MCU) of a vehicle on a single wire […]