App note from Macronix on how SFDP help easily use serial flash. Link here (PDF) Serial Flash Discoverable Parameter (SFDP) standard provides a consistent method of describing the functional and feature capabilities of Serial Flash devices in a standard set of internal parameter tables. These parameter tables can be interrogated by host system software to […]
Author Archives: DP
App note: Plastic package device thermal resistance
App note from Macronix on managing thermals of memory plastic packages devices. Link here (PDF) Thermal system design needs to account for heat transfer at many levels: device, board, and system level. In this document we focus on device level thermal resistance, the relationship between TJ (Junction Temperature) and TC (Case Temperature), and how heat […]
App note: Pulse capabilities for thick film power resistors
Another app note from Vishay on their thick film power resistors on pulsed application. Link here (PDF) Vishay Sfernice offers a wide range of thick film power resistors. Our resistors are able to dissipate from 5 W up to 1100 W with a large range of ohmic values (10 mOhm up to 1 MOhm). The […]
App note: How to Use an SiC Diode in a PFC Circuit
App note from Vishay on using the SiC’s diode no switching loss on PFC circuit. Link here (PDF) An SiC diode is the optimal choice for power factor correction (PFC) in continuous conduction mode (CCM) because its particular reverse recovery characteristics reduce switching losses to almost zero. The selection criteria for an SiC diode are […]
esp32s2Stick
Luca Dentella designed and built a USB stick powered by esp32-s2 chip, the esp32s2Stick: esp32s2Stick is a USB device based on the esp32-s2 chip by Espressif. Thanks to the presence of an USB OTG interface, it is possible to program the chip to act as a USB peripheral (mass storage device, CDC…) and to upgrade […]
App note: Virtually increasing the number of serial communication peripherals in STM32 applications
App note from STMicroelectronics on possible alternate switching of channels to cater multiple communication routes. Link here (PDF) Application engineers often face the problem of limited number of serial communication peripherals of a microcontroller that, on the other hand fulfills all the other application requirements thanks to its features and performance. Sometimes they obviate by […]
App note: Power transistor safe operating area – special considerations for switching power supplies
App note from ON Semiconductors about less common transistors stresses when used on switching power supplies. Link here (PDF) The power transistor, in today’s switching power supply, exists in an environment which is quite hostile to semiconductors. Large currents, large voltages, high temperature, high frequency, and low impedance sources add up to something close to […]
App note: Bring a “CAN-DO” attitude to your industrial drone design
Tech note from Maxim Integrated on using the proven robustness of CAN Bus to drone’s internal parts communication. Link here (PDF) Providing predictable and error-free communications, CAN bus networks have been the workhorse of the automobile industry for over thirty years. However, they have recently found a new lease on life in other industrial applications, […]
App note: Automotive infotainment gesture control for the rest of us
Gesture recognition discussed in this tech note from Maxim Integrated. Link here (PDF) Infotainment gesture control enhances driver experience and safety by helping avoid distractions caused by fiddling with touchscreens and poorly located dials. Gesture recognition can complement touchscreens, voice, and knobs so that the driver can focus on the road. Time-of flight cameras, although […]
App note: High current LED capacitive drop drive
Fairly old app note from ON Semiconductors on using capacitors to drive LEDs off AC mains. Link here (PDF) This application note describes the basics for powering high current light emitting diodes (LEDs) utilizing a capacitive divider circuit off the AC mains. A linear regulator is used to control the LED current in order to […]
App note: A guide to choosing the right ultra low Iq low dropout linear voltage regulators
App note from ON Semiconductors that discuss tradeoffs between achivieng low quiescent current and good dynamic performance when choosing an LDO. Link here (PDF) One of the most important challenges today in designing electronic applications is to minimize the power consumption of the system. To accomplish this, most systems utilize various low power modes which […]
App note: Snubber design for noise reduction in switching circuits
Minimize noise by properly designing a snubber circuit in switching converters, app note from Alpha & Omega Semiconductor. Link here (PDF) In high frequency switching converters the designers face a common challenge of dealing with switching noise. In particular when the high side Mosfet turns on, the body diode of the low side FET, which […]
App note: Power MOSFET continuous drain current rating and bonding wire limitation
App note from Alpha & Omega Semiconductor about current limitations on MOSFETs with exposed pads. Link here (PDF) Power MOSFET datasheets will usually show maximum values for continuous drain current Id, on the first page of datasheets. For bottom exposed part such as DPAK, TO220, D2PAK, there is always a note besides Id rating saying […]
App note: Wireless gamepad solution based on LPC5528 and NxH3670
Application note from NXP Semiconductors introduces a wireless gamepad solution based on LPC5528 and NxH3670. Link here (PDF) LPC5528 is a Cortex®-M33 based microcontroller for embedded applications. It has two USB device controllers which are key peripherals for the gamepad solution: Full-speed USB and High-speed USB device controllers. All of these features make LPC5528 very […]
App note: Wi-Fi Alliance derivative certification process
App note from NXP giving you an overview of Wi-Fi Alliance certification program and step-by-step procedure of the Wi-Fi derivative certification process. Link here (PDF) Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ is an internationally recognized logo of approval for products indicating that they meet the industry agreed standard for interoperability, security, quality and a range of application specific protocols. […]
Squeezing FPGA memory
Squeezing FPGA memory @ Big Mess o’Wires: I’m developing an Apple II disk controller that’s based on the UDC disk controller design. The original UDC card had 8K of ROM and 2K of RAM, so it needs 10K of combined memory. The FPGA device I’m using for prototyping, a Lattice MachXO2-1200, has 8K of embedded […]
App note: Proper resistance measurement test method for Bourns metal current sense
How to Measure low resistance accurately talked through in this white paper from Bourns. Link here (PDF) Resistance value measurement tests typically use standard multimeters with two measuring wires. This measurement method is suitable for resistance values higher than 10 ohms, but is more prone to inaccurate results when measuring lower resistance values. This is […]
App note: Advantages of sulfur-resistant film resistors
Special type of SMD resistors from Bourns that are resistant to most environmental pollution. Link here (PDF) In recent years, the long term reliability of film chip resistors in a high sulfur environment plays an increasingly important role in a wide range of market segments such as industrial electronics, IT systems and telecommunications. Sulfurous environments […]
App note: Precautions when measuring the rear of the package with a thermocouple on power devices
App note from ROHM Semiconductors when measuring thermals along exposed pads on power devices. Link here (PDF) When measuring the rear of the package with a thermocouple, to measure accurately, the thermocouple must be in close contact with the package. A thermal pad for heat dissipation is exposed on the rear side and this thermal […]
App note: LED electrostatic breakdown
Very brief reminder from ROHM semiconductors about LED electrostatic destruction. Link here (PDF) LED products are classified as having a lower electrostatic breakage resistance than other semiconductor products. InGaN devices used in blue and white LEDs are more vulnerable to static electricity than other InGaAlP and GaP (red to yellow-green) devices.