TEA1938T SMPS control IC application note from NXP Semiconductors. Link here (PDF) The TEA1938T is a high-featured low-cost DCM and QR mode flyback converter controller. It provides high efficiency at all power levels and very low no-load power consumption at nominal output voltage in burst mode operation. To minimize ripple, the burst mode uses a […]
Category Archives: app notes
App note: Using trench technology MOSFETs in hot swap applications
Safely use trench MOSFETs on hot swap application by determining its operation within its SOA in a limited time, app note from International Rectifier. Link here (PDF) Hot Swap circuits are used to allow for “Hot Plugging” of circuit boards into back planes. The applications that require such functionality are mission critical, such as servers […]
App note: Class D audio amplifier performance relationship to MOSFET parameters
Application note from International Rectifier on MOSFET paremeters to consider when designing a Class D audio amplifier. Link here (PDF) Class D audio amplifier is a switching amplifier that consists in a pulse width modulator (with switching frequency in order of several hundred kHz), a power bridge circuit and a low pass filter. This type […]
App note: 12Vac LED Driving without smoothing capacitors
Application note from Diodes Incorporated on driving 12Vac LED without smoothing capacitors with their Zetex ZXLD1360 LED driver IC and SBR2A40P1 super barrier rectifier. Link here (PDF) LED based architectural lighting is now coming of age, but there are still some problems to be considered when designing luminaires to be fitted into existing installations. This […]
App note: CAN Bus – Common high speed physical layer problems
App note from Vector on three commonly encountered high speed CAN physical layer problems – bus termination, signal levels, and ground. Link here (PDF) Determining the exact cause of a CAN problem is not at all simple. Is the problem in hardware or software? Is the problem on the circuit board or on the CAN […]
App note: Through-Hole versus SMD components
App note from Vishay on the advantages of using Through-Hole mounting. Link here (PDF) Most electronic gadgets are designed to interface with humans, and we humans are very abusive to most electronic devices. We drop them, poke them, open and close them, and in general feed stuff into and out of them. It is well […]
App note: Thermal management in surface-mounted resistor applications
App note from Vishay on PCB thermal management specifically on components like SMD resistors, where if allowed a design change (e.g. change in SMD size or change in more heat tolarant ones) must be implemented in order to squeeze more thermal capability. Link here (PDF) Thermal management is becoming more important as the density of […]
App note: Minimizing the temperature dependence of digital potentiometers
Application notes from NIDEC COPAL Electronics Corp. about digital potentiometer’s temperature dependence. Link here (PDF) The digital potentiometers (DP) has two temperature dependent parameters, the TC of the end-to-end resistance Rpot and the ratiometric TC. The temperature dependence of the parameters of an analog circuit using a digital potentiometers is reduced if the performance of […]
App note: Potentiometers and trimmers
App note from Vishay on variable resistors primer. Link here (PDF) A potentiometer is a mechanically actuated variable resistor with three terminals. Two of the terminals are linked to the ends of the resistive element and the third is connected to a mobile contact moving over the resistive track. The output voltage becomes a function […]
App note: How RF transformers work and how they are measured
Application note from Mini-Circuits about transformers, this time the RF transformers. Link here (PDF) RF transformers are widely used in electronic circuits for * Impedance matching to achieve maximum power transfer and to suppress undesired signal reflection. * Voltage, current step-up or step-down. * DC isolation between circuits while affording efficient AC transmission. * Interfacing […]
App note: Transformers
App note from Mini-Circuits on transformer types and some basics of them. Link here (PDF) The purpose of this application note is to describe the fundamentals of RF and microwave transformers and to provide guidelines to users in selecting proper transformer to suit their applications. It is limited to core-and-wire and LTCC transformers.
App note: USB hardware design guide
An app note from Silicon Labs with design guidelines for implementing USB host and device applications using USB capable EFM32 microcontrollers. Link here. (PDF!) This document will explain how to connect the USB pins of an EFM32 microcontroller, and will give general guidelines on PCB design for USB applications. First some quick rules-of-thumb for routing […]
App note: Selecting a FET for use with the Si875x driver
Another application note from Silicon Labs on determining the proper FET used on their Si875x driver based on its application. Link here (PDF) The Si875x enables creating custom solid state relay (SSR) configurations. Supporting customer-selected external FETs, the Si875x combines robust isolation technology with a FET driver to form a complete, isolated, switch. Versatile inputs […]
App note: Driving MOSFET and IGBT switches using the Si828x
App note from Silicon Labs on their MOSFET and IGBT driver Si828x and how to determining its external components to achieve optimized performance. Link here (PDF) The Si828x products integrate isolation, gate drivers, fault detection protection, and operational indicators into one package to drive IGBTs and MOSFETs as well as other gated power switch devices. […]
App note: Gate drive characteristics and requirements for HEXFET power MOSFETs
App note from International Rectifier on driving their Power MOSFETs. Link here (PDF) The conventional bipolar transistor is a current-driven device. A current must be applied between the base and emitter terminals to produce a flow of current in the collector. The amount of a drive required to produce a given output depends upon the […]
App note: Microcontroller Clock – crystal, resonator, RC Oscillator, or silicon oscillator?
App note from Maxim Integrated on clock sources of microcontrollers and their strengths and weaknesses. Link here The majority of clock sources for microcontrollers can be grouped into two types: those based on mechanical resonant devices, such as crystals and ceramic resonators, and those based on electrical phase-shift circuits such as RC (resistor, capacitor) oscillators. […]
App note: Quartz crystal oscillators
App note from Abracon Corporation on quartz crystal oscillators. Link here (PDF)
App note: Quartz crystals
App note from Abracon Corporation about choosing the right crystal for you application. Link here (PDF)
App note: Clearing Xilinx FPGA configuration to allow boundary scan testing
Another application note from XJTAG on preparing Xilinx FPGA for proper boundary scan testing. Link here When Xilinx FPGAs are configured it can restrict the boundary scan access to some signals on the device. One work-around for this problem is to configure the FPGA with a ‘blank’ image that closely matches its unconfigured state, allowing […]
App note: Using a test reset section to initialise JTAG devices
An app note from XJTAG about applying test reset to put some devices to JTAG compliant mode. Link here Some JTAG devices require a specific sequence of states to be applied to some signals in order to put the device into a JTAG-compliant mode. This application note describes how a Test Reset section can be […]