Category Archives: app notes

App note: Charge pump DC-DC converters

Here is an app note from Maxim describing the theory behind, and implementation of charge pump based DC-DC converters. Charge pumps are often the best choice for powering an application that requires both low power and low cost. This application note discusses integrated charge pumps and explains how to calculate power dissipation in a charge […]

App note: Slave I2C communication and setup on PIC devices with MSSP modules

Here is an app note from Microchip describing how to setup, and implement slave I2C communication on Pic devices with MSSP modules. It also features assembler code for PIC18s and PIC16s. Many devices in the PICmicro family have a Synchronous Serial Port (SSP) or Master Synchronous Serial Port (MSSP). These peripherals can be used to […]

App note: Need for power and ground cleanliness

  Some tips and tricks on how to reduce noise on PCB power and ground traces. It warns digital engineers that the analog nasties are lurking in power supplies, and can cause unexpected surprises for inexperienced PCB designers. Many times electronic system failures are blamed on the parts when the real cause was human error. […]

App note: Audio applications using PIC32 microcontrollers

Here is an app note from Microchip introducing the audio-specific features of the PIC32 MCUs. One of the features disused is the hardware SPI module that supports some standard audio communication modes. In this application note, the available audio-specific features of the PIC32 MCU are explored to address these needs. The SPI module supports different […]

App note: Ball grid array explained

Here is Texas Instrument’s application note on Ball Grid Array IC packages. It provides general information about BGAs, and the many versions of the same. Leaders in the consumer electronics industry will be determined by their ability to deliver increasingly miniaturized products at lower costs. The Ball Grid Array (BGA) package achieves these objectives by […]

App note: Common IC interface problems

A somewhat humorous app note describing the common IC interface protocols like I2C, SPI, and GPIO. Also covered are some problem with these interfaces that turn happy faces to sad. How can an interface change a happy face to a sad face? Engineers have happy faces when an interface works properly. Sad faces indicate failure […]

App note: creating a Freescale Tower module

The Freescale Tower is a modular development platform using interchangeable and reusable modules to integrate with Freescale MCU boards as well as a selection of over 50 peripheral modules by various manufacturers. In addition to using premanufactured modules, users can create their own custom boards. In this app note Freescale describes how to create your […]

App note: Bridge circuits

Another app note from Jim Williams and Linear Technology [PDF!], describing  various bridge circuits. Bridges described here are mostly made of passive components, and should not be confused with bridge motor drivers. Bridge circuits are among the most elemental and powerful electrical tools. They are found in measurement, switching, oscillator and transducer circuits. Additionally, bridge […]

App note: Improving USB system reliability with transient suppressors

Adding transient suppressors to USB devices [PDF!] can help prevent damage from static discharge. This is important because USB devices are handled without protection, carried in pockets, tossed in bags, etc. Because frequent human interaction with the USB system occurs as a result of its attractive hot-plugging ability, there is the possibility for large ESD […]

App note: Graphic displays with the PIC32

Pretty user interfaces with a PIC 32: As the demand for Graphical Embedded Applications becomes more popular, so does the need for developing cost effective solutions. Many companies today offer solutions involving an additional internal or external graphics controller as part of a system, which may result in higher costs and more complicated designs. In […]

App note: Using LT5400 high precision resistor neworks in high precision analog designs

  Here is a design note from Liner Technology explaining how using their LT5400 matched resistor networks in your analog design can improve it’s precision by an order of magnitude. The actual performance of precision amplifiers and ADCs is often difficult to achieve since data sheet specifications assume ideal components. Carefully matched resistor networks, such […]

App note: DSP library for LPC1700 and LPC1300 microcontrollers

Here is a reference guide from NXP for the DSP library made for LPC17xx, and LCP13xx microcontrollers. You can download the library here. The DSP library has been developed as a commonly used set of DSP functions optimized for the NXP Cortex-M3 LPC1700 and LPC1300 family products. Most functions have been implemented in Thumb-2 assembler […]

App note: Using Atmel’s DataFlash ICs

Atmel describes their DataFlash memory chips and how to interface with them: The DataFlash is perfectly suited for digital voice-, image-, code- and data-storage applications, especially where low power consumption is required. In these storage applications, the DataFlash’s small page size not only  makes it easier to manipulate data, it also increases storage efficiency.

App note: More about capacitive touch sensing

A while back we wrote an app note post about the Capacitive Sensing Module available on some PIC microcontrollers. As a follow up we are posting a guide to the CSM module written by electronicsbasecom in the forum. Recently I started to work with mTouch CSM module. It sounded like extremely interesting and high performance hardware […]

App note: Data conversion, interface, and signal processing circuits

Here is a circuit collection [PDF] covering data conversion, interface, and signal processing: Application Note 67 is a collection of circuits from the first five years of Linear Technology, targeting data conversion, interface and signal processing applications. This Application  Note includes circuits such as fast video multiplexers for high speed video, an ultraselective bandpass filter […]

App note: Interrupt behavior of Cortex-M1 MCUs

Here is an app note from ARM describing the interrupt behavior of Cortex-M1 microcontrollers. The ARM Cortex-M1 processor was developed for the usage with FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) and it is targeting low-cost applications in which costs, ease of use and low interrupt latency are critical. Such low interrupt latency applications can include real-time […]

App note: Sensorless field oriented control of an AC motor

PIC 33 microcontrollers  in the motor control series can implement sensorless field oriented control. FOC is a control technique that works with DC and AC induction motors. It operates smoothly over the full speed range, and has full torque when the motor starts. The term “sensorless” does not represent the lack of sensors entirely, but […]

App note: Full-duplex software UART for LPC111x and LPC13xx

Here is an app note with source code describing how to implement a full-duplex software UART interface on LPC111x and LPC13xx microcontrollers. However, some applications require more UARTs than are available on the device. While the addition of an external stand-alone UART IC could be used in some of these situations, software based UARTs result […]