Ian Griffiths writes to inform us of this Op Amp Selection Guide available from Analog Devices. This 58-page PDF offers a complete overview of their product offerings. As Ian G. points out, “it has 3 pages devoted to different terms used for describing op-amp characteristics and different op-amp types to help those trying to select […]
Category Archives: components
8051-compatible MCU samples from Microchip
For those of you who like the 8051 chip, we notice that Microchip has 8051 compatible MCUs available in 40-pin PDIP, part number SST89E516RD-40-C-PIE, available as samples. According to the datasheet: The SST89E516RDx and SST89V516RDx are members of the FlashFlex family of 8-bit microcontroller products designed and manufactured with SST’s patented and proprietary SuperFlash CMOS […]
Noise suppression techniques and EMI filters
Squonk informs us of some interesting papers (PDFs) on noise suppression techniques and EMI suppression filters available from muRata. The same page also contains some information on the EMI regulations in different countries. Via the contact form.
Maker Shed pulse sensor
The folks over at MAKE have a pulse sensor which attaches to your fingertip or earlobe and measures minute changes in light from expansion of the capillary blood vessels to sense your heartbeat. Technical information is available here, including design files, sample code and schmetic. The device is licensed under the TAPR Open Hardware License. […]
TI intros LM5017 100 V, 600 mA synchronous buck regulator
TI has introduced the LM5017 buck regulator. The LM5017 is a 100 V, 600 mA synchronous step-down regulator with integrated high side and low side MOSFETs. The constant-on-time (COT) control scheme employed in the LM5017 requires no loop compensation, provides excellent transient response, and enables very low step-down ratios. The on-time varies inversely with the […]
What was your latest electronics acquisition?
Voidptr started a thread about the latest electronics gizmo you acquired. Post your latest components, tools, or anything else electronics-related you bought or salvaged recently.
28C3: Driving high power LEDs
Here’s a brief video from the recently concluded 28C3 hacker conference hosted by Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin, Germany. Jonathan Foote of rotormind.com covers some ways to drive high power LEDs without burning them up, including the latest technology current source circuits and ICs. This was one of the “lightning talks” which are are part […]
Addressable RGB LED strips and controllers
David has written this short article on RGB LED strips and their different controllers. He covers addressable RGB LED strips and the HL1606, WS2801 and others controllers along with their control libraries. Via the contact form.
GreenPAK mixed signal array
Knowing of our interest in programmable logic, Mike writes to inform us of a PLD by Silego: Silego programmable mixed-signal arrays are a combination of a very small programmable logic device (10 LUTs) plus some common functional blocks (flops, SPI, counters, PWMs), an ADC and couple of comparators. From the Maker perspective, the packages are […]
High resolution capacitor meter
We’ve been researching various component testers, and BrentBXR tipped us about this high-resolution capacitor meter. It’s accuracy is claimed to be around 0.2%, which is much lower than typical capacitor tolerances. Internal comparators in a PIC16F628 create an oscillator with the capacitor under test. The oscillator frequency is proportional to the value of the capacitor. […]
LM311 oscillator based LC meter
This is a simple inductor and capacitor measurement tool. The part to test is connected to an oscillator circuit, and the frequency of oscillation corresponds to the value of the capacitor. All I do is use the LM311 square wave output as pulses to a 16bit counter, and another 100mS periodic timer to count how […]
Bulk part order unboxing
It’s not too impressive, but it is the biggest bulk order we’ve ever done at one time. This order stretches the limit of our photo light tent. Considering we only make prototypes, we’re pretty proud of it. Here’s what we got this time: 50PCS USB Type-B Female Right-Angle PCB Mount Jack 100PCS USB MINI-B Female […]
Sjaak’s shop-a-holic trip to Akihabara Electric Town
Sjaak stayed a little bit longer in Tokyo and had more time to score some nice parts. As we already said the big plus of shopping in Akihabara is you can actually touch the stuff, but it also has a major downside – you buy too much stuff… Please continue reading about our shop-a-holic trip to […]
Akihabara Electric Town tour roundup
Akihabara Electric Town tour roundup: Tokyo Akihabara Electric Town tour Our score from the Akihabara Electric Town tour Tool and equipment shops at Akihabara Electric Town tour Part shops in the maze on the Akihabara Electric Town tour Parts shops on the street on Akihabara Electric Town tour LED shops on Akihabara Electric Town tour […]
Strange and unclassified on Akihabara Electric Town tour
Many shops in Akihabara don’t fit into any specific category, but were too strange or wonderful to leave out. This shop, for example, has nothing but DIY guitar building supplies. More photos below the fold.
Parts shops on the street on Akihabara Electric Town tour
After we hit the electronic part stands in the maze, we headed for the street. These were like shops and markets anywhere, except you find giant solar panels and Nixie tubes sitting along the sidewalk. More photos below the fold.
Retro gaming on Akihabara Electric Town tour
In an ode to Sjaak’s experience hacking retro games, Tayken took us on a wild tour of Super Potato. This store is 4+ floors of retro consoles, games, and more. Just about every system and game imaginable is behind these doors. For those seeking even more excitement, 카지노사이트 offers a modern twist on gaming fun […]
Tool and equipment shops at Akihibara Electric Town tour
Akihibara has a great selection of tools and equipment too. Our favorite PCB drill press was widely available. More photos below the fold.
LED shops on Akihabara Electric Town tour
We were amazed by the number of dedicated LED shops at Akihabara Electric town. On our short tour we encountered 6 or more shops dedicated to selling only LEDs – who’s supporting them all? This sign is made from plastic coated strips of RGB LEDs. Each is individually addressable. We almost went blind trying to […]
Part shops in the maze on the Akihibara Electric Town tour
Our first stop on the Akihibara tour was a maze of stores with electronic components, mainly through hold stuff. These specific shops are slated to be torn down soon, and the stands will move to a new building deeper in Akihibara. We were lucky to see this popular labyrinth of stands before it’s gone. More […]