An app note on interfacing liquid-crystal displays (LCDs): Teridian’s single- and 3-phase energy-meter ICs have a variety of interfacing ports for data access and information display. This application note provides details on interfacing liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) to the 71M6511, 71M6511H, 71M6513, and 71M6515H devices. These details are relevant to 71M6511, 71M6513, 71M6515H demo boards with […]
Category Archives: app notes
App note: Signal chain guide 3rd edition
Selector guide: Signal chain 3rd edition Whether you need to meet tight accuracy requirements, reduce form factor size, or lower power consumption, this selector guide will help you choose the right signal chain components to optimize your design. Included are analog multiplexers and switches, ADCs, DACs, operational amplifiers, digital potentiometers, filters, voltage references, resistor-dividers, and […]
App note: CoolRunner-II character LCD module interface
Xilinx has an application note explaining how to use LCD modules with a CPLD. CoolRunner-II CPLDs can be used to control dot-matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) modules. The low-power characteristics of LCD modules make them an ideal complement to the CoolRunner-II family. These displays typically require 3.3V signals. However, this is not of concern because […]
App note: Timeout protection for high current LEDs
rsdio writes: This looks like a great idea any time you’re worried that your custom firmware might crash at the wrong moment. You don’t necessarily need the MAX8607 LED driver, just the MAX6421 or maybe even a 555 equivalent. This protection feature enables reliable high-power LED operation over a long life cycle and prevent the […]
App note: Thermal management
An app note about heat management, including an overview of some cool thermocouple-reading ICs: This product guide showcases Maxim’s industry-leading portfolio of thermal-management devices, which includes temperature sensors and switches, fan controllers, and a highly accurate thermocouple-to-digital converter. Learn how to select the right fan controller and improve designs using multichannel temperature sensors. Thanks rsdio!
App note: Add precise output adjustment to low-voltage supplies
Another article that might help with bench power supply designs: To tweak supply-voltage levels and adjust voltage margins as required, this circuit introduces an op amp (MAX5481) and digital potentiometer (MAX4245) to control the feedback voltage to the voltage regulator. Thanks rsdio!
App note: using Microchip serial RTCC
Microchip has released an application note outlining usage of their serial RTCC devices. Many embedded systems require some form of accurate timekeeping. There are a growing number of applications that require an external Real-Time Clock/ Calendar (RTCC) and higher integration of external peripheral components into the RTCC. In order to achieve a highly robust and […]
2A automotive step-down converter
rsdio writes: maybe voidptr can use this in his Noob car blinking LED project… MAX16974 High-Voltage, 2.2MHz, 2A Automotive Step-Down Converter with Low Operating Current Wide input voltage range (3.5V to 45V) allows seamless operation from cold crank to load dump Low quiescent current meets tight power budgets High-frequency operation eliminates AM-band radio interference
App note: I2C fan speed controller
This app note describes how to control the speed of a small fan, like those in a computer case: Controlling the speed of a brushless DC cooling fan is discussed. Examples of discrete and IC fan-speed controllers are shown. The article presents 12V, 24V, and 48V designs, as well as isolated versions. Tachometer feedback for […]
App note: BodyCom
The BodyCom system is a new short-range wireless connectivity technology that uses the capability of the human body to transport a few signals that provide intuitive, simple, and safe communication between two electronically compatible devices. Communication between BodyCom system devices occurs when they are within a few centimeters of the human body: a simple proximity […]
App note: Tactile feedback with piezoelectric shakers
An introduction to piezoelectric-based actuation: Implementing tactile (haptic) feedback in consumer-electronic devices enhances the user’s experience. It provides a sense of touch in a user-interface design and is the newest major interface on smartphones and other portable consumer-electronic devices. Several haptic technologies are available now, including but not limited to vibration motor actuation, piezoelectric actuation, and […]
Digital thermometer with SPI interface
An app note on a digital thermometers and thermostats with an SPI interface: Industry’s First Low-Voltage 3-Wire/SPI Temperature Sensors Enable Easy Implementation Into Low-Power Systems Aids designers in meeting error and power budgets Independent operation alleviates system resource drain Increases system reliability Thanks rsdio!
App note: Microchip Ni-MH battery charger application library
Our app note for the day: The Battery Charger Application Library easily allows adding battery charging functionality to portable applications. Since it is very compact (uses less than 2k words of program space and less than 128 bytes of RAM) it fits on small, cost-effective parts like the 14-pin PIC16F616. The library is available in […]
5-channel power-supply manager and intelligent fan control
rsdio tipped us to an app note on power-supply sequencers and voltage trackers: here’s something for cloudform511’s Open Source Laptop, assuming it will need a fan The MAX34441, PMBus 5-Channel Power-Supply Manager and Intelligent Fan Controller Power supply/thermal manager provides unparalleled “black box” failure logging and energy efficient fan control Provides predictable operation of up […]
App note: A CPLD VHDL Introduction
Here’s a concise 28 page tutorial doc from Xilinx entitled A CPLD VHDL Introduction.
App note: LED brightness controller with 64 taps
An app note on a LED brightness controller: In this circuit, a digital potentiometer (DS1869) aids an LED-driver IC (MAX16800) in providing manual control of the LED brightness. The circuit also provides thermal protection against excessive heat and overload conditions. Thanks rsdio!
App note: RS-485 adapter converts data lines from full- to half-duplex
A RS-485 adapter: An adapter circuit consisting of an RS-485 transceiver (MAX3076 or MAX13086) and a voltage monitor used as a timer (MAX641X) allows an existing point-to-point full duplex circuit to function in a more-complex point-to-multipoint half-duplex system. Thanks rsdio!
App note: AM/FM active antenna
An introduction to AM/FM active antennas: This article is a reference design (RD) for an automobile AM/FM active antenna. The RD presents the flexibility of the MAX2180 active antenna low-noise amplifier (LNA) and shows how to set the AM and FM gain and the automatic gain control attack point. Single and dual antenna schematics are detailed, […]
App note: Extending the input voltage of op-amps
An app note on extending the input voltage range of standard op-amps: Using its own output to bootstrap a low-dropout voltage regulator (MAX6771) with high input-voltage range (up to 76V), this circuit extends the input range of a CMOS op amp (MAX4162) while preserving its high input impedance and very low input bias current (< […]
TI F28M35H multicore microcontroller
Texas Instruments has a new milticore microcontroller that’s overflowing with communication peripherals: The Concerto family is a multi-core system-on-chip microcontroller with independent communication and real-time control subsystems. The F28M35x is the first series in the Concerto family. The communications subsystem is based on the industry-standard 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 CPU and features a wide variety of […]