FAQ on thermistors for temperature sensing
The thermistor is a widely used temperature sensor and an attractive alternative to thermocouples and RTDs — but only in some applications. Temperature is the most commonly assessed and measured...
View ArticleFAQ on spread spectrum for switching-supply EMI management Part 1: overview
Spread spectrum minimizes the EMI impact of switching power supplies and helps meet regulatory mandates. Noise is a concern and consideration for many circuit designs, and there are many types of...
View ArticleFAQ on spread spectrum for switching-supply EMI management Part 2: details
Spread spectrum minimizes the EMI impact of switching power supplies and helps meet regulatory mandates. This discussion of spread-spectrum topologies for switching regulators and converters continues...
View ArticleAdd gas discharge tubes to your circuit-protection device roster
GDTs are circuit-board-compatible overvoltage-protection devices and are far removed from the “spark gap” of monster movies. Circuit protection is like insurance: you really don’t need it until you...
View ArticleWill AI-managed EV charging tell us what to do and when?
Every story these days seems to connect its message or theme to artificial intelligence (AI). Some of these connections have validity, while others are a “reach” for others who want to appear on-trend...
View ArticleFAQ on pull-up/pull-down resistors, Part 1
Even this relatively simple circuit arrangement has subtleties that affect performance. In the crisp, clean, theoretical binary world, signals exist in only two unambiguous states, generally called 1...
View ArticleFAQ on pull-up/pull-down resistors: part 2
Even this relatively simple circuit arrangement has subtleties that affect performance. Part 1 explored the role of pull-up and pull-down resistors to ensure that the binary (digital) circuit points...
View ArticleMuch pain, little gain: have advancements gotten ahead of their designers?
Again, we are reaching the point in some technical areas where gains are incremental, yet they consume significant engineering effort, time, and money. We all know how complicated and sophisticated...
View ArticleFAQ on voltage and current sources: part 1
Voltage and the lesser-known current sources provide critical IC, circuit, and system functions. Voltage sources and their complement to current sources are essential elements of many systems,...
View ArticleWhat are optical rotary encoders?
Accurate measurement of rotary shaft motion, including position, velocity, and acceleration, is crucial in numerous applications. This is typically achieved by incorporating a rotary encoder into the...
View ArticleWhat are magnetic rotary encoders?
Part 1 of this FAQ looked at the optical rotary encoder, a low-cost, high-resolution, easy-to-use sensor for indicating incremental shaft position (although it can be “upgraded” to indicate absolute...
View ArticleFAQ on voltage and current sources, Part 2
Voltage and the lesser-known current sources provide important IC, circuit, and system functions. Current sources We have examined voltage sources, and now we can examine their less-known but necessary...
View ArticleFAQ on voltage and current sources: part 3
Voltage and lesser-known current sources provide important IC, circuit, and system functions. This section continues the discussion of current sources and related topics. Q: How do you construct a...
View ArticleThe winding path to the infrared remote control: part 1
Today’s IR-based remote controls have little resemblance to their predecessors; it took the convergence of unrelated advances to get us here. We take the ubiquitous infrared-based (IR) remote control...
View ArticleThe winding path to the infrared remote control: part 2
Today’s IR-based remote controls have little resemblance to their predecessors; it took the convergence of unrelated advances to get us here. Part 1 examined dead-end precursors to our present-day...
View ArticleFAQ on X- and Y-capacitors
X-capacitors and Y-capacitor placements are needed for performance and mandated for safety in most AC-line systems. What are X-capacitors and Y-capacitors? No, they are not references to various...
View ArticleEdison’s revenge? High-power DC gets another chance
DC-based power transmission lost out to AC, but DC is making a comeback. Many things we now use as basic knowledge were not fully understood in the early days of electricity and power in the late...
View ArticleDebugging can make you do dumb things, and quickly
It’s easy to skip past the basic points to check first in troubleshooting “rush.” I have always regarded debugging circuit hardware and software as the most challenging engineering disciplines. Yes,...
View ArticleProduct longevity sometimes defies expectations
Battery self-discharge can limit product life, but sometimes there’s an inexplicable outlier. We’re all familiar with products that fail before too soon. I’m not talking about those that suddenly...
View ArticleHow “smart” should appliances be – or become?
Internet and smart-home-linked appliances are available, but user reaction has been lukewarm — for many reasons. It’s hard not to notice the recent trend hitting even basic home appliances: adding...
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