Articles and news - 4

A broadband source of white noise can be useful for measuring and testing communications equipment...

Digitally controlled potentiometers are useful for generating analog control voltages under the control of a microcontroller. In some applications, manual pushbutton switches could replace a microcontroller and simplify product design...

Analog semiconductor acquisitions are all the rage. After the golden age of analog design innovations spanning across the last three decades of the 20th century, an era of consolidation began with the turn of the 21st century...

The circuit, using a low-offset amplifier, is a basic ohmmeter circuit common in multimeters, except for the addition of the two diode-connected transistors. A current source supplies a selectable current...

Many single-supply applications need precision amplifiers that can operate from 5 V or lower. Although many precision, single-supply op amps are currently available for configuring as 2- and 3-amplifier instrumentation amplifiers, these designs require great attention to detail...

When you design for electronics applications, such as sensor or amplifier bias supplies or special waveform generators, a controlled constant-current source or sink circuit can serve as a useful building block...

Taking only a cursory look at the input-voltage ratings of your power-supply IC can limit the usable input-voltage range. With careful examination of an IC's operating specifications and circuit topology, you may be able to work around that input-voltage limitation...

Do you sometimes need an inexpensive precision power supply? This Design Idea presents a precision power supply that has thermal overload protection and short circuit protection, and can supply 100 mA of current...

The more linear the sensor’s output, the easier it is to calibrate and to minimize uncertainty in output scaling...

The circuit is useful when you need amplitude demodulation or an averaged absolute-value conversion. The circuit comprises two stages, the first of which is a differential-output absolute-value converter...