Rsdio came across an interesting app note from Maxim and shared it with us. These are some PCB layout guidelines for RF and mixed-signal designs. This application note provides guidelines and suggestions for RF printed-circuit board (PCB) design and layout, including some discussion of mixed-signal applications, such as digital, analog, and RF components on the […]
Tag Archives: maxim
App note: Control LED brightness with buttons.
Maxim shows how to build a LED brightness controller with 64 level of control using push buttons. The design incorporates a current regulator that is driven by a 64 tap digital potentiometer. The buttons increment and decrement the tap. Via Electronics-Lab.
App note: High precision temperature measurement with thermocouples
The sensitivity of modern thermocouple is around o.1C over a range which spans from -270C to 1750C. Here is an app note from Maxim on how to built high precision temperature acquisition systems based on thermocouple sensors. One examples uses a 24bit ADCs for high precision measurement. Another example use a MAX31855 thermocouple-to-SPI converter for […]
App note: Logic-level translation
Here is an app note from Maxim describing how to implement level translation when faced with two systems that operate at different voltages. The article describes methods for accomplishing logic-level translation varying from very simple circuits using only a few discrete components, to circuits using a single dedicated IC. Electronic design has changed considerably since […]
App note: Detecting and locating RF bugs
We wrote about a phone bug in a previous post. Here’s an app note about a circuit for detecting and locating radio frequency transmitters. This design idea showcases a circuit that detects RF “bugs,” such as hidden wireless cameras, eavesdropping microphones, and other spying devices that emit RF frequencies in the 100MHz to 3000MHz range. […]
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: 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: 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: 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 […]
App note: GPIO Expander Provides Charge Pump for Blue LEDs
Adding blue LEDs to a interface panel looks cool. The down side is that some blue LEDs require more than 3.5V to work, which can be a hassle if your design works on 3.3V. This app note from Maxim explains how to implement a charge pump on their I2C GPIO expander ICs using the built […]
App note: Lithium Ion/Polymer portable power supply
Portable devices need an uninterrupted power supply both when the circuit runs on a battery, and when it is connected to a charger. This app note shows how to design a portable power supply outputting 5volts and 3.3volts. The MAX1811 battery management IC handles the charging of a lithium ion/polymer battery. A DC/DC boost circuit […]
App note: Board layout tips for switchmode DC/DC converters
The app note featured here provides basic PCB layout tips for building switch-mode DC/DC converters. As an integral part of their function, switch mode converters have square like signals in some of their traces. These signals create harmonics from the switching frequency that can cause much EMI interference, as well as decreased stability of the converter. […]
App note: Driving LEDs in battery-operated applications
Driving many LEDs from a battery can be a pain to do, especially if you need many of them to have the same brightness. One way to do this is to use current mirrors for each individual LED, and drive them from the battery voltage only. Another is to drive them with a dc-dc boost converter in […]
Free analog-to-digital converter demo board
rsdio writes: this was announced on April 1, and somehow I missed. I’m sure they’re all gone by now, but the links still seem to work The MAXADCLite evaluation (EV) kit is based on the MAX11645 ADC, which integrates a multiplexor, FIFO, sequencer, and reference, all for the same price as a competitive stand-alone ADC. […]