A great guide from AVX on output capacitor types and their specific uses based on ESR, ESL and temperature properties. Link here (PDF) This document discusses the effect of capacitors on output power quality. It evaluates and provides a comparison of different capacitor technologies, their high reliability qualification availability from COTS+ to space level, and […]
Author Archives: DP
Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters
Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters. The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder . More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three […]
Tutorial, experiments and teardown of a 77GHz automotive FMCW radar module
Tutorial, experiments and teardown of a 77GHz automotive FMCW radar module from The Signal Path: In this episode Shahriar explores the principle operation of automotive FMCW radars. Thanks to a donated automotive radar module, various components of the system can be examined and explored. The PCB reveals three die-on-PCB ASICs responsible for generating and receiving 77GHz […]
Electronic film clapper
Steve Smith from ProjectAVR has published a new build: On the board, I included several options to tailor the design to the builders taste. Provision for both a digispark board or bare ATTiny85 chip, small or large tact switches and a jumper to defeat the LEDs supply resistor for extra brightness. I chose to build […]
Piezoelectric buzzer teardown
A teardown of piezoelectric buzzer from Electronupdate: An assembly commonly used on fire, burglar and similar alarm systems. Based around a piezoelectric disk coupled to a plastic cylinder with a hole on the end (used to amplify the sound). The controller appears to use a rom-based look up table to generate the sounds The pattern […]
Panelization – using GerberPanelizer on Windows (Linux possible)
Arsenijs over at Hackaday.io writes: This tutorial was done on Windows. Authors claim it could also be used on Linux by using Mono, but I haven’t tried and don’t understand a lot about Mono to see what could be done. I am switching to Linux nowadays, so I’d be very grateful to anybody that’d make instructions […]
App note: Application of leaded resistors in energy meters
App note from Vishay about energy meter circuits and the use of leaded resistors on them. Link here (PDF) An electric meter or energy meter is a device that measures the amount of electrical energy supplied to a residence or business. It is also known as (k)Wh meter. The main unit of measurement in the […]
App note: Overcurrent protection with Thin Film resistors technology
A technical note about Thin Film fuses from Vishay. Link here (PDF) Thin film technology is an established technology for high-grade passive components, which has been proved and refined over decades. Its advantages in terms of accuracy, repeatability and stability are appreciated in mass production for billions of thin film resistors every year. Chip fuses […]
Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters
Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters. The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder . More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three […]
DIY NAS
A DIY NAS project from Peter Scargill: So I’ve had a fair experience of these systems. Well, this blog entry isn’t about expensive NAS systems. It’s about a cheap one… really cheap that is – and DIY. How cheap? Well, about £12 depending on what you have handy. For this price you need a handy 2.5” […]
ATM90E36 Dev-kit for 3-phase AC metering
Tisham Dhar blogged about his ATM90E36 3-phase energy monitor project: After successfully building the single-phase energy monitor with the ATM90E26 there has been lots of interest in the 3-phase version. Being an open-hardware project, many people have created remixed and derived versions as well. After a while I started receiving requests to assist with the […]
#FreePCB via Twitter to 2 random RTs
Every Tuesday we give away two coupons for the free PCB drawer via Twitter. This post was announced on Twitter, and in 24 hours we’ll send coupon codes to two random retweeters. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times a every week: Hate Twitter and Facebook? Free PCB Sunday is the classic PCB giveaway. Catch […]
8-bit assembler compiler project
Dilshan Jayakody writes, “8-bit Assembler compiler is NASM compatible assembler compiler to generate binaries for 8-bit x86 like CPUs. The binaries produced with this compiler can execute on Marco Schweighauser’s 8-bit virtual Javascript CPU. This native compiler can build using Lazarus / FPC. During the implementation we build and test this compiler successfully on Linux […]
Cross section and analysis of a SMT inductor
A look at the cross section of a surface mount inductor from Electronupdate.
App note: Interfacing to analog switches: Driving the control input of an analog switch with 1.8 V or lower − Is it safe?
ON Semiconductor’s analog switches let you drive with an input control voltage lower than Vcc. Link here (PDF) Analog switches are everywhere today. Due to their small size and low current consumption, they are popular in portable devices where they are effective in a variety of subsystems including audio and data communications, port connections, and […]
Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB
We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. Our PCBs are made through Seeed Studio’s Fusion board service. This week two random commenters will […]
App note: Consideration of self-pollution reduction for electronic systems
App note from ON Semiconductors discussing how locally generated EMI affects its own system and how to prevent it. Link here (PDF) This application note will address the problem of Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) self pollution in which one part of an electrical systems such as cell phones and consumer electrical products emit radiation that […]
Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters
Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters. The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder . More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three […]
A 2-channel receiver that can save your old Motorola TX
Boris Landoni writes about a new open source project 2-channel receiver that can save your old Motorola TX: A 433,92 MHz Receiver that can be paired with a maximum of 10 Motorola TX each with relay outputs that can be set both in monostable or bistable mode. Although we have had high security encoding for several […]
TB timer – Timed camera cable release
Steve Smith has published a new build: It’s taken some research but I have built a prototype with my trusty ARDX Arduino Uno kit Currently, the device changes mode with a press of the mode button which will later be incorporated in a suitable rotary encoder. I modified the prototype’s rotary encoder to remove the […]