A simple circuit can improve the dynamic performance of a phototransistor for use in low- to medium-speed applications as fast as 100 kbps, such as optical isolation of an RS-232C serial line (Figure 1). In low-cost applications that require high ...
Meters that indicate analog levels via a moving-pointer meter, a numeric display, or a column of LEDs typically occupy considerable panel area and require more than a casual glance to read. An indicator lamp or LED takes little space but indicates ...
There have been numerous circuits published in EDN as design ideas (DI) for the past few months, centering around the “Flip ON Flop OFF” ( Ref. 1 ) circuit originally published by Stephen Woodward. These are all designed for DC voltages ...
It’s just a fact, I’m curiously fond of topologies that combine PWM switching and filtering circuitry with power handling devices like adjustable voltage regulator chips. This scheme makes power-capable DACs with double-digit wattage ...
There are multiple means of generating analog sawtooth waveforms. Here’s a method that employs a single supply voltage rail and is not finnicky about passive component values. Figure 1 shows a pair of circuits that use a single 3.3-V supply ...
Integrating ADCs that provide accurate results without requiring a precision integrator capacitor has been around for a long time. A venerable example is that multimeter favorite, the dual-slope ADC. That classic topology uses just one integrator ...
Industrial-control circuits often derive their power from widely varying sources that can exceed the 40 V maximum rating of popular switching ICs. This Design Idea presents a simple, flexible, and inexpensive buck switcher that converts an input ...
Analog designers often need matched resistors for their circuits [ 1 ]. The best solution is to buy integrated resistor networks [ 2 ], but what can you do if the parts vendors do not offer the desired values or matching grade? The circuit in ...
The 16-bit DACs are a de facto standard for high DC accuracy and precision domain conversion, but surprisingly few are fully 16-bit (0.0015%) precise. Even when described as “high precision,” some have inaccuracy and integral ...
Stephen Woodward’s DI, “Flip ON Flop OFF” ( Ref, 1 ) does a wonderful job for DC voltages. I thought of extending this idea to much-needed AC voltages, as all our gadgets work with AC voltages. Figure 1 shows the compact circuitry ...