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ICs optimize IO-Link communications
Renesas has introduced the CCE4511 four-channel IO-Link master IC and the ZSSC3286, an IO-Link-ready sensor signal conditioner IC. Widely used in industrial automation, the IO-Link digital...
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Understand the hardware dependencies of IoT security
Engineers working on embedded systems or Internet of Things (IoT) projects must contend with the trade-offs between performance and cost that affect every aspect of that design. Security is as much a...
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Integration of flexible batteries in wearable and foldable electronics
As wearables get smaller, and foldable devices gain popularity, they’re running into a common challenge. Their rigid components—batteries, in particular—limit how compact or flexible they can be. While...
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Dissecting incandescent-reminiscent stealth security
Mid-last year, in one of my more recent LED light bulb-themed teardowns, I noted the feature set extension that manufacturers were undertaking with the aspirations of differentiation, competitive...
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Power Tips #134: Don’t switch the hard way; achieve ZVS with a PWM full bridge
The full-bridge converter A full-bridge converter provides an efficient solution for isolated power conversion (Figure 1). Within this topology, the choice of control method will affect the overall...
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RVA23 Profile ratification bolsters RISC-V software ecosystem
RVA23 Profile, a major release for the RISC-V software ecosystem, has been ratified, and it’s expected to help accelerate widespread implementation among toolchains and operating systems. Before...
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Capture 16-bit readings of 8 thermistors in less than 1 second for $2
Figure 1 is a cheap and cheerful voltage inverter I offered awhile back in “A simple, accurate, and efficient charge pump voltage inverter for $1”. Figure 1 The generic and versatile xx4053 provides...
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Understanding circular polarization
An electromagnetic wave or signal traveling from “here” to “there” has an electrostatic field component that we call its E-field and whose direction we assign as the signal’s polarity. Often, the...
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Part 2: How hot is too hot to touch?
First please read this earlier post where I noted how Hydrotherapy equipment for my physical therapy after a foot surgery had “scalding” temperatures set to 120°F (Figure 1). Figure 1 Hydrotherapy...
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UWB enables handsfree, secure car access via smartphone
Audi’s Q6 e-Tron, hitting the road in 2024, will sport handsfree secure car access via a smart mobile device and this capability is built around an ultrawideband (UWB) semiconductor device to precisely...
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AC/DC controllers boost efficiency in flyback design
Several series of AC/DC controllers from Nexperia provide lower standby current and higher conversion efficiency for flyback converters. The NEX806xx and NEX808xx are quasi-resonant/multi-mode flyback...
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Capacitor lineup expands capacitance-voltage combinations
Vishay’s 299 PHL-4TSI series of snap-in aluminum electrolytic capacitors includes a diverse selection of 350-V, 500-V, 550-V, and 600-V devices. Recent additions significantly broaden the...
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Low-power MCUs enable capacitive touch sensing
The RX260 and RX261 groups of 32-bit MCUs from Renesas feature a capacitive touch sensing unit with high noise immunity and water resistance. These 64-MHz microcontrollers consume 69 µA/MHz when...
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SiC diode handles high DC link voltages
With a 2000-V breakdown voltage, Infineon’s IDYH80G200C5A CoolSiC Schottky diode suits systems with DC link voltages up to 1500 V. The Gen 5 silicon carbide (SiC) diode offers current ratings from 10 A...
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Rad-tolerant FPGAs earn QML Class V status
Microchip’s RTG4 FPGAs with lead-free flip-chip bumps have achieved QML Class V qualification, the highest level for space components. This status, designated by the Defense Logistics Agency, ensures...
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High rupture capacity fuses: same idea, different reality
We’re all familiar with thermally activated fuses, where the conducting element self-heats due to current flow, melts at a defined current value, and breaks the flow path. They are simple in concept...
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How AI laptops are remaking power management designs
While battery life is crucial for a laptop, it’s even more so for laptops running artificial intelligence (AI) applications that tend to consume a lot more power. So, Renesas has teamed up with Intel...
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A PoE injector with a “virtual” usage precursor
Back in August 2021, I did a teardown of an Ubiquiti Networks power-over-Ethernet (PoE) injector, following up on the dissection of a TRENDnet PoE-supportive powerline networking adapter set from three...
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Dual resonance revisited
A method of measuring both the inductance and the paralleled capacitance of a transformer winding was presented some years ago at in this URL. That essay should be read to best follow the thesis of...
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Need an extra ADC? Add one for a few cents
When designing devices with microcontrollers (MCU), I like to use some of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) inputs to measure onboard voltages along with all the required sensors inputs. This means...
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