Category Archives: Chips

Review: Analog Devices ADF4351

Sebastian has been tinkering with the Analog Devices ADF4351 eval board and written a review. “The ADF4351 from Analog Devices (ADI) is a modern wideband PLL synthesizer with integrated low phase noise VCO. It is capable of generating signals between 35 MHz to 4400 MHz with a very low jitter of typical 0.3 ps. ADI […]

Hak8or’s scavenge of electronic parts from old computer hardware

Got an old computer collecting dust? Break out the hot air, and start scavenging for electronics gold. This is just what Hak8or did over the weekend. He took components form an old motherboard, and a SCSI PCI card. For a detailed component by component breakdown of his score check out his blog. I wanted to […]

Microchip expands USB portfolio with fifteen new 8-bit PIC MCUs

Microchip has announced the release of a new line of USB 8-bit PICs. The new devices range from 14 to 100 pins with up to 128 KB of Flash. According to the announcement, sampling should begin in early October. All feature internal clock sources with the 0.25% clock accuracy necessary for USB communication eliminating the […]

LTC4370: current-sharing controller with reverse current blocking

Here is an interesting part from Linear Technology, it’s the LTC4370 current-sharing controller, with reverse current blocking. Basically it allows you to tie two power supplies in parallel, without the fear that one will source more current than the other.  It also has built in protection that prevents the current from flowing into the supplies. […]

Counterfeit parts found on P-8 Poseidon’s ice detection system

Uwe wrote to us about the counterfeit chips used in US Military hardware. It turns out that the ice detection system on a Boeing P-8 Poseidon was defective.  The suspected culprits are used, and refurbished parts that were sold as new. remember the stories about ATmega328 fakes/duds about 2 years ago … when Seeed and […]

Microchip getting ready to release long awaited PIC18FX550 replacements

Two new future product pages popped up on Microchip’s site, the PIC18F45K50 and PIC18F25K50. These are pin, and probably register, compatible replacements for PIC18F4550, and PIC18F2550, which are Microchip’s most powerful 5V USB devices. One thing we noticed is that the new PICs have high-precision self tuning oscillators, thus removing the need for crystals in […]

TCPIP and WIFI over a simple serial interface

Sjaak tipped us to the MCW1001A, a TCP/IP stack and WiFi management IC with a simple serial interface. It stands between your project and a MRF24WB0MB WiFI module so you don’t have to mess with a full TCP/IP network implementation. MCW1001A is a companion chip to the MRF24WB0 802.11 module. It provides simple socket based […]

Atmel AT90SC3232CS smartcard destruction

Flylogic is known for their skills in reverse engineering chips. They were familiar with Atmel smartcards AT90SC3232 and AT90SC3232C and assumed that the AT90SC3232CS was similar but with an extra IO pad. They discovered the AT90SC3232CS is a completely new design based on the larger AT90SC6464C device, Get all the fascinating details on the exploration […]

Biodegradable anti-static bags

All-Spec Industries contacted us about a biodegradable anti-static bag they’re selling for the same price as regular anti-static bags. They have the same properties as the normal non-biodegradable anti static bags, only these degrade within 9 months and don’t pollute the planet. We have a pile of plastic part bags sitting around from Mouser and […]

Draft: Propeller 2 code authentication and protection

Parallax is in the process of designing its next gen Propeller chip. Informally dubbed the Propeller 2, the design includes a 32-bit, general purpose multi-core microcontroller with 8 identical cogs, a 160 MHz planned maximum clock speed, core voltage 1.8 VDC with I/O pin voltage of 1.8 VDC–3.3 VDC, 92 I/O pins total with each […]

AS5040 magnetic rotary encoder video review

Here is a video review of the AS5040 magnetic rotary encoder IC. The maker of this video connected a scope to the output of the AS5040 IC, and demonstrates how the phase of the signals changes in relation to the angle of the magnetic field. We loved the LEGO-based rig. Demo of an evaluation board […]

6502 microprocessor documentary in the works

“THE 6502” is a documentary series by Jason Scott about the MOS Technology 6502 chip, the circumstances that lead to it and the experiences of assembly language programming. Funded in 2011, the project is expected to go for several years of production, interviewing dozens of figures related to this subject. Those familiar with machine language, […]