The electronic fuse is a powerful and versatile tool in the designer’s kit, but building one requires careful selection of the core amplifier; IC embodiments solve the problem. The traditional thermal-based fuse, Figure 1, is a low-cost, widely used, well-understood, highly reliable, easy-to-apply circuit- protection component. It is available in a wide range of ratings, […]
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FAQ: Piezoelectric motors, Part 1: actuators
Unlike better-known electromagnetic motors, the widely used piezoelectric-based motor/actuator provides precise, repeatable linear motion over short distances, and requires a voltage drive rather than a current drive. When we think “motor”, we usually think of rotating motion or perhaps a special “linear motor” which is a rotary motor which has been rolled out flat. To […]
20 mA current loops, Part 2: Advanced features
Part 1 of this FAQ looked at the basics of the 20-mA current loop, why it is still used extensively, and its primary attributes. In this part, we’ll look at how the analog current loop is used for digitized signals and at self-powered loops – two developments which have extended its life and viability. Q: […]
20-mA current loops, Part 1: Basic functions
You’ve been given an “easy” assignment: get the low-rate data from a temperature sensor to a control computer located 100 feet (30 m) away, in an industrial setting. After much investigation and assessment, you choose a widely used standard called the 20-mA loop, which has been in use for over 50 years, rather than Wi-Fi, […]
Electrical noise, Part 2: Additional perspectives
In Part 1, we looked at some facets of noise: sources, external versus internal (intrinsic) noise, and equations. Part 2 goes further into noise specifics. Q: What are some of the types of noise? A: It’s a long list. The same noise may have different names depending on the perspective of the person describing it, […]
Electrical noise, Part 1: Introductory concepts
Electrical noise is a consideration that engineers think, talk, worry, sometimes obsess about, and deal with nearly all the time, with few exceptions. In many applications, it is the limiting factor on ultimate achievable system performance. If it were not for the existence of noise, many design situations would be far, far easier. Noise is […]
How telematics is evolving with the connected car
The embedded systems that control vehicle tracking grow more sophisticated by the day. Hope Bovenzi, Texas Instruments Inc. THE phrase “car of the future” often invokes thoughts about autonomous driving. But it is fair to also consider what it will be like as a passenger once our driving habits change. With free hands and relaxed […]
Grid links get more compact thanks to gallium nitride
Serkan Dusmez from Texas Instruments recently recorded a short video with us on a gallium-nitride based grid link. It is a three-phase, three level bidirectional grid tight inverter developed jointly by Texas Instruments and Siemens. It includes 600-V GaN TI drivers that incorporate smart features like over voltage protection and over temperature protection in a […]
TI SiC MOSFET gate drivers make for smaller inverters
Nagarajan Sridhar from Texas Instruments recently filmed a video with us covering a demo of a solar panel inverter that uses Texas Instruments silicon carbide MOSFET gate drivers. He points out that the switching frequency of silicon carbide far exceeds the capability of that available through silicon IGBTs or MOSFETs. The demo circuit is a […]
Load switches, Part 2: IC implementations and benefits
Part 1 of this FAQ looked at the need for the load-switch function for a circuit’s DC rails, the basic implementation using a MOSEFT and driver, and the limitations of this approach. Part 2 looks at what are referred to as load switches, which in this context means ICs designed to implement the load-switch function, […]