App note from Infineon Technologies about properly choosing resistor value in series to Microelectronic Relay. Link here (PDF) The International Rectifier Photovoltaic Relay (PVR) devices are current-controlled microelectronic relays with a specified current which must be supplied for turn-on. Therefore, a current limit resistor is necessary when operating from a voltage source. This application note […]
Category Archives: app notes
App note: Introduction to Power PROFET
App note from Infineon Technologies introducing their automotive high side switches PowerPROFET. Link here (PDF) Smart, high-side power switches from Infineon® are designed to control all types of resistive, inductive, and capacitive loads. These devices provide protection and diagnostic functions and are specially designed to drive loads in harsh automotive environments.
App note: Bluetooth direction finding fundamentals
Fundamentals and theory on direction finding using Bluetooth, a user guide from Silicon Labs. Link here (PDF) Bluetooth Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD) are new technologies that establish a standardized framework for indoor positioning. With these technologies, the fundamental problem of positioning comes down to solving the arrival and departure angles […]
App note: MOSFET selection for reverse polarity protection
App note from ON Semiconductors about reverse polarity battery protection using MOSFETs and their MOSFET driver for efficiency. Link here (PDF) When the vehicle’s battery is damaged and needs replacement the probability of connecting the new battery in reverse is high. Since many electronic control units (ECU) in the vehicle are connected to the vehicle’s […]
App note: Integrated driver circuits For vibration motors
App note from Precision Microdrives about dedicated motor drivers used in vibration motors. Link here Using a dedicated chip has a number of advantages, the most obvious being a reduction in design complexity, and each individual device has its own characteristics which may benefit your design. Here we cover the three most popular chips, however, […]
App note: Driving vibration motors with pulse width modulation
App note from Precision Microdrives teaching you ways to drive vibration motors. Link here Using a PWM signal to drive vibration motors can enable high-performance vibration control with relative ease. PWM signals are a common feature in many microcontrollers, and simple programs can adjust their frequency and Duty Cycle. These programs can be used to […]
App note: Quick reference guide for thermal design for power semiconductor SMD type
Useful app note about board thermal design management from Toshiba Semiconductors. Link here (PDF) Power Semiconductor SMD type in automotive and high-power electronic applications are becoming exposed to increasingly high temperature because of a reduction in system size, an increase in board assembly density, and an increase in system power consumption due to performance enhancement. […]
App note: Features of third generation SiC MOSFET
App note from Toshiba on their new improved SiC MOSFET from previous generation which handles more higher output applications like UPS, Solar inverters and EV charging stations. Link here (PDF) Silicon Carbide(SiC) is attracting attention as a next generation power-semiconductor material that can withstand higher voltages and lower losses than conventional Silicon(Si).Continuing from our second […]
App note: 8-bit MCU printed circuit board design notes
Helpful app note from Silicon Labs for designing PCB for MCUs. Link here (PDF) The methods presented in this application note should be taken as suggestions which provide a good starting point in the design and layout of a PCB. It should be noted that one design rule does not necessarily fit all designs. It […]
App note: Design guidelines for schottky rectifiers
App note from Vishay about schottky rectifiers, choosing the right one for power efficiency and cost. Link here (PDF) Schottky rectifiers have been used in the power supply industry for approximately 15 years. During this time, significant fiction as well as fact has been associated with this type of rectifier. The primary assets of Schottky […]
App note: Diodes for bootstrap and desaturation functions
App note from Vishay on their ultra fast recovery diodes as demanded by newer high switching frequency and high voltage MOSFETs and IGBTs as applied in DC/DC converters and inverter circuits. Link here (PDF) This application note describes the basic operating principles of bootstrap and desaturation circuits commonly used with high voltage IC drivers and […]
App note: LPC86x I2C secondary bootloader
App note from NXP on updating LPC86x firmware safely on-the-fly with their I2C secondary bootloader. Link here (PDF) The secondary bootloader (SBL) described and implemented in this application note provides a solution for the host processor to program the slave processor. It utilizes the IAP functionalities of boot ROM and allows programming the LPC86x flash […]
App note: Switch matrix usage on LPC86x
Pin assignment on NXP’s LPC86x ARM MCU discussed in this switch matrix app note. Link here (PDF) The switch matrix is a feature which can flexibly assign the internal signals to external pins. Most digital functions can be assigned to any GPIO pins by the switch matrix. The switch matrix can be configured to movable […]
App note: Electrostatic discharge and IGBTs
App note from ONSEMI about proper handling of IGBTs, the main issue is that static can build-up on IGBTs gate-source junction enough to damage it, discussed also in this app note on ways to safely work with IGBTs. Link here (PDF) One of the major problems plaguing electronics components today is damage by electrostatic discharge […]
App note: Benefit of measuring crystal In-Circuit
App note from Abracon on measuring in circuit oscillator loop of most MCUs with internal amplifier unit to ensure proper operation. Link here Growing technology trends including green energy initiatives and the explosive growth of IoT centric solutions, are driving the need to accurately define the frequency-selective network in order to achieve the best possible […]
App note: Abnormal-State protection of fluorescent tubes
Littelfuse’s app note about using Polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) device as protection when fluorescent tube lighting no longer operate normally. Link here (PDF) The electronic ballasts used in fluorescent lighting systems may experience high failure rates, due to the fact that the ballast manufacturer may not have considered all failure mechanisms and provided appropriate […]
App note: Surge protection devices for solar applications
How to protect your PV from lightning discussed in this app note from Littelfuse. Link here Lightning is an electrical discharge in the atmosphere. When lightning strikes, fires are prone to happen due to the release of energy. Nimbus (rain) clouds, have a concentration of electrical charge, and their accumulation creates an ionization of air. […]
App note: How PCB mismatch affects Common-N DCR current sensing in multi-phase applications
App note from Richtek on comparison of different connection of Common-N DCR current sensing and its effect on PCB resistance mismatch. Link here (PDF) It has been many years since GPU power solutions (OVR3i+ / OVR4i+) adopt common-N structure for DCR current sensing in multi-phase applications. There are two common-N type multi-phase controllers for graphic […]
App note: Perpetual calendar using the HT1382
App note from Holtek on their Real time clock IC HT1382. Link here (PDF) The HT1382 is a low power real time clock device which includes two serial interfaces: I2C or 3-wire. The interface mode is selected by the selected device type. The device provides both clock and calendar information in BCD format and also […]
App note: HT45B3305H CAN Bus Controller usage and library description
App note from Holtek on their CAN Bus controller chip HT45B3305H. Link here (PDF) Holtek has released a CAN Bus interface control device, the HT45B3305H. The CAN physical layer can support high-speed networks up to 1 Mbit/s and supports the CAN 2.0A/B protocol as well as conforming to the ISO11898-1:2003 specification. It has 32 internal […]