PCB design guidelines from ON Semiconductors on minimizing electromagnetic interference (EMI) on automotive linear regulators. Link is here Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is important for the functionality and security of electronic devices. Today’s designers must deal with steadily increasing system frequencies, changing power limits, high-density layouts required by more complex systems, and the ever-present need for […]
Category Archives: app notes
App note: Chameleon™ technology enables low cost smart passive sensors
A self-calibrating sensor app note from ON Semiconductors. Link is here ON Semiconductor’s Smart Passive Sensors powered by a Magnus®−S integrated circuit (IC) family offers the industry’s only self-tuning capability, called Chameleon technology. Implemented in an on-chip analog signal processing circuit, Chameleon technology automatically adjusts the input impedance of the IC to optimally tune the […]
App note: Miniature motor driver resource
Here’s a great resources of motor drivers from Precision Microdrives. Link is here. Whilst most DC motors are essentially driven with the same principle (by applying a DC voltage), these chips boast a host of different features. Some accept analogue inputs, others PWM or I2C, H-bridges will enable you to easily change the direction of […]
App note: Introductory gear equations
In using motors, we may tackle on coupling these little mechanical devices to something to move or maybe we might need more torque but paying for speed, Precision Microdrives’ app note gives us basics in gear calculation. Link is here. For quickly experimenting or prototyping, you may wish to build your own cheap gear chain. […]
App note: 400MHz, 2500V/µs, 9mA single/dual operational amplifiers
400MHz, 2500V/µs, 9mA single/dual operational amplifiers (PDF!) application note from Linear Technology: FEATURES 400MHz Gain Bandwidth Product 2500V/μs Slew Rate –85dBc Distortion at 5MHz 9mA Supply Current Per Amplifier 6nV/√Hz Input Noise Voltage Unity-Gain Stable 1.5mV Maximum Input Offset Voltage 8μA Maximum Input Bias Current 800nA Maximum Input Offset Current 40mA Minimum Output Current, VOUT = ±3V […]
App note: Advanced vibration alerting waveforms
Here’s an app note from Precision Microdrives on different techniques of motor vibration that can be used as haptic feedback. Link can be found here Advanced signal waveforms are predominantly used in haptic feedback, but in fact the effects of simple vibration alerting can be greatly improved with relative ease. With vibration alerting the output […]
App note: Discrete driver circuits for vibration motors
Simple solution in driving vibration motors, an app note from Precision Microdrives. Link can be found here This bulletin covers the circuitry required to drive vibration motors from a high impedance signal source (for example an output pin of a micro controller / digital device). There are several integrated IC’s that can do this job, […]
App note – Power distribution system (PDS) design: Using bypass/decoupling capacitors
An app note (PDF!) from Xilinx on power distribution system (PDS) design using bypass/decoupling capacitors: This application note specifies how to build power distribution systems for Virtex™ devices. It also covers the basic principles of power distribution systems and bypass or decoupling capacitors. A step-by-step process is described where a power distribution system can be designed […]
App note: Aluminum capacitors in power supplies
An engineering solutions from Vishay on aluminum capacitors used in power supplies, PDF link here. In general, aluminum capacitors are the most suitable capacitors for addressing requirements such as low and high frequency filtering and energy storage, which demand high capacitance values and power ratings. The devices offer high Cu/(unit cost) ratios, are small compared […]
App note: AC film capacitors in connection with the mains
Vishay application note on mains film capacitors. PDF link here. Because of the high energy availability and the severe environment of surge voltages and pulses, applications of capacitors in connection with the mains must be chosen carefully. Two kinds of connections and thus two kinds of applications can be distinguished. One is where the capacitor […]
App note: MSP432 platform porting guide
Here’s a MSP432 platform porting guide from TI, app note here (PDF!): The goals for this porting guide is to help developers accurately assess the effort to port an existing application from one MSP platform to another, ultimately to derive a porting strategy with complete hardware and software coverage that properly ports the existing application without introducing bugs due to […]
App note: DC leakage failure mode in solid tantalum capacitor
An application note from Vishay on the causes of increased DC leakage current on solid chip tantalum capacitors. PDF link Here. This paper is submitted as an educational medium for use by anyone who has interest in solid tantalum chip capacitor performance. It represents technical phenomena that are generic to all solid tantalum chip capacitors. […]
App note: Charge and discharge application of electrolytic capacitor
An application note from Rubycon about what causes electrolytic capacitors to deteriorate. PDF link is Here. Performance deterioration of aluminum electrolytic capacitor is accelerated by repeated charge and discharge. The speed of deterioration is determined by operating conditions. For example, the higher the voltage and smaller the discharge resistance, the tougher it is on the […]
App note: L6234 three phase motor driver
An app note (PDF!) from STMicroelectronics on L6234 three phase motor driver: The L6234 is a DMOSs triple half-bridge driver with input supply voltage up 52V and output current of 5A. It can be used in a very wide range of applications. It has been realized in Multipower BCD60II technology which allows the combination of isolated DMOS […]
App note: Magnetic stripe reader
Application note(PDF) from Silicon Labs on Magnetic stripe reader (MSR) implementation. Magnetic stripe readers (MSRs) are widely used in many different applications such as point-of-sale terminals and key card readers. The C8051F330 is capable of integrating MSR functionality in a very small space with few external components. The high-speed, high-resolution ADC, coupled with a fast […]
App note: SMBus communication for small form factor device families
SMBus specifications and example implementation on Silabs’ C8051F3xx and C8051F41x. App note here(PDF) This application note describes the SMBus specification, how to configure and use the on-chip SMBus interface, and SMBus debugging techniques. Code examples written in C provide the general framework for most SM Bus Master and Slave implementations. An example that interfaces to […]
App note: A Closed-loop, wideband, 100A active load
A closed-loop, wideband, 100A active load (PDF!) app note by Jim Williams of Linear Technology: Digital systems, particularly microprocessors, furnish transient loads in the 100A range that a voltage regulator must service. Ideally, regulator output is invariant during a load transient. In practice, some variation is encountered and becomes problematic if allowable operating voltage tolerances are exceeded. 100A […]
App note: Tracking/Sequence for point-of-load DC/DC converters
Another app note (PDF) for power sequencing from Murata Whereas in the old days, one master switch simultaneously turned on the power for all parts of a system, many modern systems require multiple supply voltages for different on-board sections. Typically the CPU or microcontroller needs 1.8 Volts or lower. Memory (particularly DDR) may use 1.8 […]
App note: Green LED replaces LDO regulator
App note(PDF) from MAXIM using a green LED as LDO for low power application Insystems in which a microcontroller must communicate with peripheral devices that operate at different supply voltages, a level translator may be necessary. This design idea explains how for lowpower loads, a single green LED can replace a 1.8V LDO regulator in […]
App note: Improving ADC resolution by oversampling and averaging
Silicon Labs’ application note (PDF!) on improving ADC resolution by oversampling and averaging: This application note describes utilizing oversampling and averaging to increase the resolution and SNR of analog-to-digital conversions. Oversampling and averaging can increase the resolution of a measurement without resorting to the cost and complexity of using expensive off-chip ADCs. This application note discusses how […]