In the first part ( Ref. 1 ) of this Design Idea, we saw how a cheap op-amp can give remarkably precise readings from an RTD. We also found that it was a false economy, owing to incurable thermal drift. This concluding part fixes that problem by ...
In the first part ( Reference 1 ) of this Design Idea (DI), we looked at simple ways of keeping critical components at a constant temperature using a linear approach. In this second part, we’ll investigate something PWM-based, which should be ...
If your favorite tool is a hammer, every problem will look like a nail. Abraham Maslow Given how often I tinker with the LM555 and LMC555 analog timers, Maslow might have written that famous aphorism specifically for me. And it. Well, here I go ...
DIY Laser Scanning Microscope made from a defective Blu-Ray Player. A Blu-ray player must be able to detect the microscopically tiny pits on DVDs in order to play back a film. Therefore, the question arises: Can a Blu-ray player also see other ...
In process industries, field contacts from pressure, temperature, flow switches, limit switches, push buttons, etc., are read by programmable logic controllers and/or distributed control systems (PLC/DCS) through digital input modules. They are ...
For decades, I’ve had a fascination with voltage-to-frequency converters and the 555 analog timer chip, and therefore a double obsession with VFCs based on the 555. In fact, my first Design Ideas (DI) submission (in 1974) was for a 555 VFC. ...
The ovens in this two-part Design Idea (DI) can’t even warm that leftover half-slice of pizza, let alone cook dinner, but they can keep critical components at a constant temperature. In the first part, we’ll look at a purely analog ...
The pages of Design Ideas (DIs) have recently been awash in a veritable cascade of designs for variable frequency oscillators with frequency ranges tunable over multiple decades: Self-oscillating sawtooth generator spans 5 decades of frequencies ( ...
This project is an ultrasonic range finder built using the RP2040 Zero board and a 3.2-inch TFT display. It utilizes the RCWL-1655 sensor, which operates similarly to the popular HC-SR04, to measure distances ranging from 20 cm to 300 cm. The ...
A tiny DC to DC buck converter board is useful for many applications, especially if it could deliver currents up to 3 A (2 A continuously without heatsink). In this article, we will learn to build a small, efficient, and cheap buck converter ...