One of my go-to diagnostic tools is a simple home-brew audible ohmmeter. This circuit has served me well for many years, allowing “heads up” testing of wiring harnesses and control equipment, and various components such as transistors, relays, resistors, LEDs, and switches...
Audible ohmmeter cuts down on false readings
Infineon introduces CoolGaN IPS family for applications in the 30 to 500 W power range
Power switches based on the wide bandgap material gallium nitride enable excellent efficiency and high switching frequency, starting a new era in power electronics. To support this development, Infineon Technologies adds the new CoolGaN IPS family...
Make a simple ramp generator for stepper motors
Stepper motors are synchronous motors that step at the pulse rate of the driving signal. For the motor to move quickly, the stepping rate must be fast. However, because of motor and load inertia, the motor often cannot...
Melexis reveals compact, low-voltage 3D magnetometer for consumer applications
Melexis is targeting white goods, consumer electronics, and smart-metering applications with the MLX90392 three-axis magnetic field sensor, which can operate from a 1.8 V power rail shared with other components such as logic devices...
Small, portable altimeter operates from a single cell
Some sports enthusiasts want to know altitude changes from an initial elevation. A small, lightweight, portable altimeter is easy to design using modern micromachined pressure transducers...
Vishay Intertechnology's New Proximity Sensor Offers Power Consumption Down to 6.63 µA in Compact 2.0 mm × 1.25 mm × 0.5 mm SMD Package
The Optoelectronics Group of Vishay Intertechnology introduced a new fully integrated proximity sensor designed to increase efficiency and performance in consumer and industrial applications...
ORing low-voltage sources simply and cheaply on 3.3V microcontroller boards
Most of today’s microcontrollers are powered with a DC voltage of 3.3 V or less. Batteries are involved for low-power embedded systems that have intermittent uses. For permanent usage, designs usually include a mains supply, and use ORing diodes to connect the power sources together...
TDK announces new miniaturized common-mode chokes for automotive CAN-FD
TDK Corporation announces the development of its new ACT1210D Series common- mode choke for automotive CAN-FD, which will began mass production in April 2021...
Quickly discharge power-supply capacitors
A perennial challenge in power-supply design is the safe and speedy discharge, or “dump,” at turn-off of the large amount of energy stored in the postrectification filter capacitors. This energy, CV2/2, can usually reach tens of joules...
Excelitas Technologies Introduces New HPR-1100BGH Hybrid PIN Receiver Module
Excelitas Technologies announced the latest addition to the company’s Hybrid Photodiode Receiver series – the HPR-1100BGH Hybrid PIN Receiver Module...
