ARM Microcontroller based watt-hour meter implementation from STMicroelectronics. Link here (PDF) This document describes, in detail, the hardware and software implementation of a watthour meter using the STM32F101 microcontroller. This cost effective watt-hour meter uses shunt with an operational amplifier as a current sensor, an embedded 12-bit ADC for current and voltage measurement, GPIO for […]
Category Archives: app notes
App note: Thermal design calculations for integrated stepper motor driver solutions
Another technical note from STMicroelectronics on fine tuning motor drivers for optimal thermal design. Link here (PDF) One constant trend in the automotive world is the tendency to reduce the size of electronic components and the ECUs (Electronic Control Unit). While this development has many benefits for the car manufacturer as well as for the […]
App note: Pop & click in audio amplifiers
Technical note from STMicroelectronics about popping noise usually heard on audio amplifiers and how to minimize it. Link here (PDF) Pop and click, or rather, the absence of it, is a characteristic that makes a lot of impact in the world of audio amplifiers. This is especially true for those destined for headphone-equipped applications (such […]
App note: Characteristics and applications of fast recovery epitaxial diodes (FRED)
All about ultrafast diodes app note from IXYS. Link here (PDF) During the last 10 years, power supply topology has undergone a basic change. Power supplies of all kinds are now constructed so that heavy and bulky 50/60 Hz mains transformers are no longer necessary. These transformers represented the major part of volume and weight […]
App note: Optimized diodes for switching applications
An app note from IXYS about choosing the right diode for efficiency and cost. Link here (PDF) Great efforts have been made to improve power switches – MOSFETs and IGBTs – to decrease forward voltage drop and as well as to decrease turn-off energy. In switching inductive loads, the turn-on losses depend strongly of the […]
App note: Adjustable gain with a current sensing
Application note from STMicroelectronics for fine tuning gain on current sensing amplifier. Link here (PDF) This application note explains how to use current sensing amplifiers with series resistors on the sense inputs. This approach is especially useful for applications where the gain must be adjusted.
App note: Intelligent power switches for 48 V battery applications
Application note on controling Intelligent Power Switches (IPS) from STMicroelectronics. Link here (PDF) For the last 15-20 years, the automotive electronics market has been moving from electromechanical relays to solid state components for driving all kind of loads. It is obvious why: solid state components are smaller in size, lighter, silent, easy to mass produce […]
App note: Position sensing technologies in automotive applications
An Autopad(TM) sensor from TT Electronics provides a new non contact position sensing. Link here (PDF) Automotive design engineers are continuously seeking components that offer performance and flexibility beyond those of conventional position sensing technologies. Further still are the requirements that these devices be versatile and adaptable to a wide range of applications. This demand […]
App note: Thermal management basics and its importance for LED luminaire performance and cost
Article about thermal management on LED luminaire from TT Electronics. Link here (PDF) LED luminaires are being marketed today as an alternative lighting technology that reduces power consumption and maintenance costs for commercial and residential installations. Thermal management has a significant impact upon the lifetime, performance and cost of an LED luminaire. Without proper application […]
App note: Buried capacitive sensors for tamper protection
A short app note from Silicon Labs on burying pads to prevent snopping on keypads. Link here (PDF) An individual’s financial matters are increasingly electronic in nature and decreasingly interpersonal. As financial institutions replace human interaction with electronic interfaces such as ATMs, the need to make electronic circuits tamper-proof becomes critical. A typical numeric keypad […]
App note: Driving E ink segmented displays
Application note on driving E Ink displays from Renesas. Link here (PDF) E Ink segmented displays are direct drive displays consisting of E Ink Vizplex Imaging Film sandwiched between two electrode layers, the top plane and the backplane, and then encased in an environmental barrier solution to protect the film and the segment electrodes. To […]
App note: Grid-connected solar microinverter reference design
A good read from Microchip on the theory behind inverter design connected to grip power. Link here (PDF) There are two main requirements for solar inverter systems: harvest available energy from the PV panel and inject a sinusoidal current into the grid in phase with the grid voltage. In order to harvest the energy out […]
App note: On-grid solar microinverter on Freescale MC56F82xx/MC56F82xxx DSCs
Application note from Freescale Semiconductor about microinverter solution develop together with Future Electronics. Link here (PDF) In recent years, demand for renewable energy has increased significantly. The development of devices utilizing clean energy such as solar, wind, geothermal, and fuel cells attracts more and more attention. Solar energy harvesting is developing fast and will play […]
App note: Implementation of a single-phase electronic watt-hour meter using the MSP430AFE2xx
Another energy meter from Texas Instruments using MSP430AFE2xx. Link here (PDF) This application report describes the implementation of a single-phase electronic electricity meter using the Texas Instruments MSP430AFE2xx metering processors. It includes the necessary information with regard to metrology software and hardware procedures for this single chip implementation.
App note: Atmel AVR465: Single-phase power/energy meter with tamper detection
A good read from Atmel on their 8-bit microcontroller single-phase energy meter design. Link here (PDF) This application note describes a single-phase power/energy meter with tamper logic. The design measures active power, voltage, and current in a single-phase distribution environment. It differs from ordinary single-phase meters in that it uses two current transducers to measure […]
App note: Capacitance change with applied DC voltage
Tantalum comparison to other types of capacitors shows stable capacitance in this app note from Vishay, Link here (PDF) Tantalum capacitors in general – and Vishay’s 298D/TR8/TM8 MicroTan tantalum capacitors in particular – demonstrate very stable performance over the DC voltage (bias) applied in an application. At the same time, the majority of capacitors utilizing […]
App note: Extend current transformer range
Design note from Texas Instruments on technique in resetting and negative voltage generation from current transformers. Link here (PDF) Transformers are used extensively for current sensing because they can monitor currents with very low power loss and they have wide bandwidth for good waveform fidelity. Current transformers perform well in applications with symmetrical AC currents […]
App note: USB Type-C, CC Pin Design Considerations
Application note from ON Semiconductor on USB Type-C connector supporting non-USB standard charging protocol, Link here (PDF) When designing hardware systems with Type−C connectors, a designer also has to consider all legacy, standard, and non-standard specifications that exist in the USB connector eco system. With the introduction of the Type−C connector and the Configuration channel […]
App note: PCB routing methodology for SuperSpeed USB 3.1 switch family from ON Semiconductor
Routing USB 3.1 traces app note from ON Semiconductor. Link here (PDF) The introduction of USB Type−C has provided a significant launch opportunity for USB3.1 data rates across an array of platforms from portable to desktop and beyond. This proliferation of Type−C will certainly create challenges due to the high speed nature of the interface. […]
App note: How to measure the power consumption of a peripheral
Application note from NXP Semiconductors on MCU peripheral power consumption measurement. Link here (PDF) This Application Note outlines the steps to measure the power consumption of a peripheral and figure out some key points in the measurement. The document takes low-power timer (LPTMR) and LPUART as examples to introduce the method to measure the power […]