Articles

Impact of ADC resolution and its reference Engineers always want to get all they can from their circuits; this holds for analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). To maximize performance from an ADC, resolution is perhaps the primary spec to focus on. ...

When tasked with a current sensing requirement, designers typically look first to using dedicated resistors designed for this task. Occasionally though there is the temptation to consider sensing current in a printed circuit board (PCB) trace. ...

Voltage to current conversion circuits can take on several forms depending on the nature of the load connections. In those cases where the load is single ended, that is one end must be connected to ground, and where bipolar current flow is ...

Lace Lithography AS (Bergen, Norway) is developing a form of lithography that uses atoms fired at a surface to define features at resolutions beyond what is possible using extreme ultraviolet lithography. What Lace Litho calls BEUV can ...

Quantum computers are among today’s most exciting emerging technologies, but their design, testing, and manufacturing require unparalleled care to avoid damaging their components. Semiconductors are sensitive, so they require production ...

The ever innovative and prolific Mr. Woodward has offered “PWM-programmed LM317 constant current source” [ 1 ], an intriguing programmable constant current source which elicited a lively conversation in its comments section. A Zen ...

Many different switching regulator topologies exist. Some, such as the classic stepdown converter, also known as a buck converter, are very widespread. However, there are also a few lesser known switch-mode dc-to-dc converters, including the zeta ...

Injection locking [ 1 ] can not only improve oscillator frequency stability and phase noise, but act as a selective frequency divider as well [ 2 ], [ 3 ]. You can find sample setups of a simple two-transistor LC-based Peltz oscillator (Figure 1) ...

Most operational amplifiers (op amps) have input and output electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection diodes, as shown in Figure 1. These diodes are designed for protection from ESD damage during device testing and product assembly. Figure 1. Op ...

In operational amplifier stability, one rule of thumb is to allow 45 degrees of phase margin. Other design guidelines state that 60 degrees is best; still others say that 30 degrees is sufficient. These numbers are all attempts to ensure stable ...