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Samsung 1.8-Inch Disk-Drive Teardown
A look inside the drive brought interesting revelations in terms of the overall design, and unearthed a rather perplexing part. I have two Samsung 1.8-in. USB disk drives that I use to back up all my...
View ArticleIn Reversal, Wolfspeed Buys Infineon's Radio Frequency Power Business
Last year, Infineon agreed to pay $850 million for Cree’s power and radio frequency business unit, Wolfspeed. But American officials refused to approve the deal and, after weakly toying with fixes and...
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Firms Need Engineers, But Resist Paying More to Get Them
The engineering job market is tight. But many companies are somewhat unrealistic about the importance of offering a competitive salary, which isn’t going to get them top talent.It’s probably no...
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11 Myths About Wireless
We take wireless technology for granted, even though it is basically “magic.” And that perceived magic has led to myths and fallacies that need to be dispelled.Wireless, or radio if you prefer, is a...
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SPICE It Up: Understanding and Using Op-Amp Macromodels (.PDF Download)
Modeling the performance of an analog device with SPICE is one of the standard techniques used by circuit designers to perform initial characterization and performance analysis before putting together...
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SPICE It Up: Understanding and Using Op-Amp Macromodels
Sponsored by Texas Instruments: Going through the simulation process can bring a greater level of confidence to your designs. Once problems are identified and corrected using SPICE, then build the...
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What’s All This Software Stuff, Anyhow?
The only thing more frustrating than using software is writing it. These days you can't just avoid it like Bob Pease did.Back in February 2010, Bob Pease sent an email titled “Confidence in Software??”...
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Combine Modified CD Optical Assembly, PSoC for High-Resolution Microgram...
The ability to measure microgram and milligram masses with extremely high accuracy is often critical in pharmaceutical and chemical industries. This design combines a pickup head from a compact-disc...
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Combine Modified CD Optical Assembly, PSoC for High-Resolution Microgram...
Use a standard CD drive’s optical pickup head as the basis for a high-resolution mass-measuring scale, which can read down in the microgram range, in conjunction with a PSoC system.Download this...
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Photon/Phonon Conversion Sheds New Light on Optical Signal Processing
To facilitate processing of signals in the high-speed optical domain, there must be a way to store and retrieve. Converting them to acoustic phonons may offer a solution to this vexing challenge.The...
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Using Resistors for Current Sensing: It’s More Than Just I = V/R
Sensing current by measuring voltage across a resistor is simple and elegant, but issues arise with the electrical interface, sizing and selection, and thermal/mechanical considerations.Measuring...
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Capacitive Sensing: A Paradigm Shift for Encoders
Sponsored by Digi-Key and CUI Inc.: Optical and magnetic encoders dominate the market, but the capacitive electric encoder is pushing its way into the mix with enhanced resolution, ruggedness, and...
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Capacitive Sensing: A Paradigm Shift for Encoders (.PDF Download)
Encoders are a vital component in many applications that require motion control and feedback information. Whether a system’s requirement is speed, direction, or distance, an encoder produces control...
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Achieving Ultimate Fidelity with Advanced Motion Control—An Engineer’s...
AVDesignHaus’ Dereneville Modulaire MK III is considered the best turntable in the world. Find out how its advanced motion control system works.The Dereneville Modulaire MK III crafted by AVDesignHaus...
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A Teardown of the Trek Sensor Bicycle Speedometer
When six of the same type speedometer all stopped functioning, it meant teardown time to pinpoint the cause as well as come up with a remedy to get them back into working condition. I use bicycle...
View ArticleThe Evolution of the Instrumentation Amplifier (.PDF Download)
In the past, the term instrumentation amplifier (INA) was often misused, referring to the application rather than the device’s architecture. INAs are related to op amps, in that they’re based on the...
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The Evolution of the Instrumentation Amplifier
Whether it’s a vision-correction medical instrument or factory press, INAs offer an excellent way to amplify microvolt-level sensor signals while simultaneously rejecting high common-mode...
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The Active Clamp Flyback Converter: A Design Whose Time Has Come (.PDF Download)
One trend that shows no size of ending is the move to smaller personal electronic devices. From smartphones to tablets, each successive generation is smaller and more powerful than the last. It’s...
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The Active Clamp Flyback Converter: A Design Whose Time Has Come
Sponsored by Texas Instruments: Though long recognized as a superior option for small power adapters, implementation difficulties have held back the topology’s widespread use. Integrated ACF...
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The Future of High-Reliability Electronics
The electronics industry has grown tremendously over the last 50 years, and performance and cost advances have enabled capabilities beyond what anyone could have imagined in the early semiconductor...
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