Circuits & Schematics - 11

Laser diodes can destroy themselves in a few nanoseconds, so testing the response and stability of a feedback-stabilized laser-diode driver can be expensive. The simulator circuit in Figure 1 shows a typical laser-diode package, which contains not ...

Self-powered isolation amplifiers, which need no external isolated power supply, provide versatile and convenient interfaces in many applications that require galvanic isolation of the signal source. Examples of such applications include circuits ...

You typically accomplish overvoltage or surge protection at circuit inputs by connecting diodes to the supply rails, connecting zener diodes to ground, or connecting transzorbs to ground. Unfortunately, for high-energy surges at the inputs, ...

The circuit in Figure 1 is a quasi-linear regulator. It functions as a source follower for input voltages greater than a preset level, determined by VR 3 . For input voltages lower than the preset level, the pass element, Q 2 , operates as a ...

When parts have been around as long, and in such widespread use, as the venerable LM317 and LM337 (and their siblings), you tend to think every trick that can be played with them is already in the (data)book. So, when the question arose whether ...

Whether you use them as indicators or to provide illumination, LEDs are hard to beat in efficiency, reliability, and cost. White LEDs are rapidly gaining popularity as sources of illumination, as in LCD backlights, but with forward voltages ...

The circuit in Figure 1 is similar in principle to that of a previous Design Idea ( Reference 1 ) but offers improved, more reproducible performance. The output current is almost constant over an input-voltage range of 1.2 to 1.5 V and is ...

LED drivers have lots of features and require plenty of external components. When your application requires no PWM (pulse-width-modulated) dimming or controlled frequency operation, your primary concern may be that too much current could damage or ...

High-speed DACs offer differential outputs, but, for low-end ac applications or high-precision level-setting applications, a single-ended current-output DAC with a differential-conversion circuit provides a novel approach to generating ...

The schematic in Figure 1 shows a way to increase the power available from a current-limited 5 V supply by adding power from a 5 V supply. The dc/dc converter generates a single 12 V, 150-mA (1.8 W) output from two regulated and current-limited ...