Resistive touch-screen films add more interface options to your projects. Here’s an app note from Texas Instruments on how to interface resistive touch-screens with MSP430 microcontrollers, but it’s good info for any chip: This application report describes how to use an MSP4309 microcontroller to drive and read a resistive touch screen. The hardware and software […]
Category Archives: app notes
App note: Op-amp/comparator module for dsPIC
Some dsPIC33E and PIC24E microcontrollers have an comparator module that can function as an op-amp [PDF]. The module can be used as a simple non-inverting amplifier by adding two external resistors, no external op-amp chip needed. The output can be read internally by the ADC module, or routed externally to use in your circuit.
App note: Understanding and preventing LED Failure
When using LEDs in projects it’s good to know what could cause their failure, and design your device to prevent it: LEDs have a well-deserved reputation for high-efficiency operation, not to mention high reliability. Properly specified and implemented, LEDs should and do satisfy virtually every lighting application. Still, there are times when actual device lifetimes […]
App note: Enhancing ADC resolution by oversampling
Better ADC resolution can be accomplished by oversampling two or more ADC readings and then averaging them. If you’re not satisfied with a microcontroller’s 10 bit ADC and need more resolution, check out this application note from Atmel. Increasing the ADC resolution by one bit requires 4 ADC measurements. Four 10 bit readings are needed […]
App note: Interfacing 4/5/8 wire resisitve touch screens
Resistive touch screens are pretty cheap, and make it easy to interface with device without placing a lot of buttons. This app note describes how to interface with 4, 5, and 8 wire resistive touch screens on your next project. All analog touch screens consist of a ridged layer and a flexible layer with a […]
App note: Advanced 1-Wire Network Driver
This reference design shows how to drive long 1-Wire networks. 1-Wire is a communications protocol used by some Dallas/Maxim parts. The protocol uses only one wire for power, transmission, addressing, and synchronization. This document describes a microcontroller-based 1-Wire master interface for reliable operation of small, medium size and large 1-Wire networks. This is accomplished using […]
App note: In depth IC packaging reference
Here’s a comprehensive guide to IC packages from Texas Instruments. The list includes everything from standard 3 pin TO-220 to 732 pin ball-grid-array packages. Dimensions and pin spacing are provided on all of them. Via the forum.
App note: File IO function reference for Microchip’s Memory Disk Drive File System Library
Here is a function reference for Microchip’s memory disk drive file system library. This library interfaces a PIC microcontroller with FAT16 or FAT32 file systems. It allows you to interface with storage mediums like USB flash drives or microSD cards in the same way a PC would. Save data on a storage device, and later […]
App note: Reference of Maxim RS-485 chips
Maxim describes the features of their RS-485 line of transceivers. It’s important to chose transceivers for RS-485 communication that fall within the specifications of your network. The RS-485 standard is used in many applications, such as professional stage lighting. There is no clock signal so all the devices have to be synchronized with start and […]
App note: HV boost power supply for Nixie tubes
Here is a app note from Microchip describing how to implement a high-voltage boost DC-DC converter intended for Nixie tube designs. The basic principle of Nixie tubes is that they require more than 170V to function properly. This design uses the internal PWM generator of a PIC16 microcontroller to drive the DC-DC converter. A comparator […]
App note: Buck-boost converter
Here is an article from Texas Instruments featured on EETimes describing how to design a buck-boost converter. These converters are used when the input voltage can be both above and below the output voltage. One example are 3.3V systems powered by lithium-ion batteries which swing from ~3V to ~4V. This design is in effect a […]
App Note: Optimizing visibility and battery life of portable displays
Here is an app note from Maxim describing how to implement light intensity sensing in the visible spectrum. This is used to adjust the brightness of displays in portable devices. Human eyes only perceive a limited light spectrum. Sensors used to detect light intensity require complex conversions of their spectrum to emulate human eyes. Another […]
App note: Trouble shooting EZ-USB FX USB peripheral ICs
Here is an app note from Cypress with design guidelines for their EZ-USB FX1 and FX2LP USB peripheral ICs. They are basically 8051 microcontrollers with a built in USB serial interface engine. While these devices are easy to use, sometimes getting a new board up and running is tricky due to the various details that […]
App note: Using ShockBurst with nRFL01 and nRFLU1 ICs
Nordic’s nRF 2.4GHz transceivers come with a built in ShockBurst transmission mode. This app note describes how to implement it using the nRFL01 and nRFLU1 ICs. ShockBurst is a special transmission mode built into nRF devices. It allows microcontrollers to send and receive raw data, while the nRF chips handle the transmission and reception internally. […]
App note: PSoC I2C to SPI bridge.
Here is an app note from Cypress that describes how to implement a I2C to SPI bridge on a PSoC IC. PSoCs are devices that incorporate a microcontroller, a logical gate array, and some analog peripherals. What makes them different than microcontrollers is that all the peripherals are separated from the microcontroller. They can function […]
App note: Single battery boost converter
Here is an app note from Microchip that describes how to built a single battery boost converter. It provides a way to power higher voltage circuits with a lower voltage battery. The design is based around the MCP1640 IC. It is a 350mA 500Khz boost converter with an integrated switch. Due to it’s design the […]
App note: Dual 1.4MHz buck regulator with USB ‘Dying Gasp’ support
This app note from Maxim describes how to build a USB powered circuit that will provide a short power-failure notice before losing power. This is called the “Dying Gasp” and it allows devices to preform a proper shut-down when USB power fails. A safe USB “dying gasp” shutdown requires a local energy storage capacitor to […]
App note: Reading two bytes of data over I2C
Some I2C sensors and devices store more then one byte of data that needs to be read by a microcontroller. Many of these devices change the data once a stop bit has been received. Problems might occur if the data is read by the microcontroller in two consecutive 1byte transactions. If so, the microcontroller will […]
App note: LIN Firmware Base for LIN/UART Controller
Here is a app note from Atmel with a comprehensive reference for implementing the Local Interconnect Network on a ATmega, or ATtiny microcontroller. LIN is a slow sub-network of the CAN bus used to integrate sensors, and devices, in modern-day cars. One master can interface with up to 16 slaves at a maximum bandwidth of […]
App note: Pushbuttons Control Regulated Switching Converter
Here is an app note from Maxim describing how to implement a digital potentiometer to adjust the output of a boost converter. Digipot is controlled through two push buttons. One controls the direction of the wiper, while the other moves the digipot wiper in the selected direction. The digipot is implemented on the DC/DC boost […]