Author Archives: Ian

NEW PROTOTYPE: Logic Shrimp logic analyzer

The Logic Shrimp is a medium speed, low-cost logic analyzer with a USB interface. It can capture up to 256K samples at 20MHz, and is compatible with the open source SUMP logic analyzer client. The 23K256 serial SRAM from Microchip makes this project possible. Each chip stores up to 256K samples from one logic analyzer […]

Logic Sniffer advanced trigger support

flubberlab is diagramming the advanced triggers in the new Logic Sniffer Demon core in hopes of adding software support in the client. To understand the trigger system, and with an eye toward a trigger configuration user-interface (and application perhaps), I attempted to flesh-out the trigger resource and sequence illustrations shown in the OLS FPGA specification […]

TI to acquire National Semiconductor

TI is buying National Semiconductor. We hope that means TI’s quality sample program will soon include National’s parts: Texas Instruments has signed a definitive agreement to purchase National Semiconductor in an all-cash transaction of about $6.5 billion. This merger will unite two industry leaders who have a common commitment to solving your analog needs. Both […]

App note: Simple constant-power driver

This app note describes a simple, inexpensive constant power driver: A combination current-sense amplifier and multiplier (MAX4211F) senses both the current through and voltage across the load, and supplies at one of its outputs (POUT) a voltage proportional to the continuous product of those variables, i.e., proportional to the load’s instantaneous power. External op amps […]

More MAX3421E USB peripheral/host controller shields

Circuits@Home has two Arduino USB Peripheral/Host Controller shields with the MAX3421E we covered earlier. A driver is available for the Arduino, which should be portable to other microcontrollers. There are also libraries for working with USB devices, such as cameras, bluetooth devices, and simple Human Interface Devices like mice and keyboards.

App note: Precision current sink and source circuits

rsdio tipped us to an app note on precision current sink and source circuits: The precision current mirrors shown allow you to transform one type of 4–20mA transmitter to another, or to create a repeater for the purpose of extending the length of the current loop. The circuits include an input-sink/output-sink mirror and an input-source/output-source […]

App note: Load-power monitor improves high-side current measurements

This amplifier with an analog voltage multiplier could be useful in a bench power supply: Combining a high-side current-sense amplifier with an analog voltage multiplier, the MAX4211 can easily measure the power dissipated in a load. One multiplier input connects to the load voltage, and the other to an internal analog of the load current—that […]

Dual sim card reader with voltage translation

McZ found a sim card reader with integrated voltage translation: The TXS02326 is a complete dual-supply standby Smart Identity Module (SIM) card solution for interfacing wireless baseband processors with two individual SIM subscriber cards to store data for mobile handset applications. It is a custom device which is used to extend a single SIM/UICC interface […]

Kinetis KWIKSTIK development board

Drone tipped us to the cheap development board for Kinetis MCUs: Freescale has a neat looking “Kinetis KWIKSTIK” dev kit for $29 USD. This looks like an ARM Cortex M4(?) with LCD, audio out, IR, Mic, buzzer, SDCard, JTAG, & USB. The dev tools don’t look exactly FOSS though (typical). Looks kinda’ cool. Would be […]

Week in (p)review: April 01, 2011

Don’t forget to share your current project in the comments or the forum. This week our favorite project gets a free QFP protoboard. Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week: We released XC9572XL and XC2C64A (CoolRunner-II) CPLD development boards USB IR Toy v1 and Web platform v1.1 are back in stock at […]