100-MHz VFC with TBH current pump
Famous analog designer and author Jim Williams published an awesome design in 1986 for a 100-MHz voltage to frequency converter. He named this high-climber (picture it on the roof of the Empire State building swatting biplanes out of the air)…
How to tackle DRAM’s power conundrum
While DRAM designers strive for incremental improvements in performance, power, bit density, and capacity with each successive node, AI-driven data centers are putting a lot of pressure on memory makers to make further advances in power efficiency.…
A pitch-linear VCO, part 2: taking it further
Editor’s Note: This DI is a two-part series.
Part 1 shows how to make an oscillator with a pitch that is proportional to a control voltage.
Part 2 shows how to modify the circuit for use with higher supply voltages, implement it using discrete…
How controllers tackle storage challenges in AI security cameras
Visual security systems have evolved enormously since the days of infrared motion detectors and laser tripwires. Today, high-definition cameras stream video into local vision-processing systems. These AI-enabled surveillance cameras detect motion,…
Dead Lead-acid Batteries: Desulfation-resurrection opportunities?
Back in November 2023, I told you about how my 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon:
had failed (more accurately, not completed) its initial emissions testing the year before (October 2022) because it hadn’t been driven substantively in the…
How to reinvent analog design in the age of AI
Where does analog design stand in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence (AI) world? While neuromorphic designs have been around since the 1980s, can they reinvent themselves with building blocks like field-programmable analog arrays (FPAAs)?…
The downside of overdesign, Part 2: A Dunn history
Editor’s Note: This is a two-part series. Part 1 can be found here.
My father, John Edward Dunn, was a Foreman in the New York City Department of Bridges. His shop was in Brooklyn on Kent Avenue adjacent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. His first…
Apple’s spring 2025 part II: Computers, tablets, and a new chip, too
Another week, another suite of press release-only-announced products. With the exception of the yearly (and mid-year) in-person WWDC, will we ever see Apple do another live event?
I digress. Some of what Apple’s rolled out (so far…it’s…
32-bit MCUs offer multiple sensing capabilities
Infineon’s PSOC 4 series microcontrollers now integrate capacitive, inductive, and liquid level sensing in a single device. The PSOC 4000T, powered by a 32-bit, 48-MHz Arm Cortex-M0+ processor, combines CAPSENSE capacitive sensing with Multi-Sense…
Armv9 platform advances AI at the edge
Arm’s edge AI platform features the Cortex-A320 CPU and Ethos-U85 NPU, enabling on-device execution of models exceeding 1 billion parameters. The Armv9 platform enhances efficiency, performance, and security for IoT, while unlocking new edge…
Marvell’s 2-nm silicon boosts AI infrastructure
Marvell Technology has demonstrated its first 2-nm silicon IP, enhancing the performance and efficiency of AI and cloud infrastructure. Built on TSMC’s 2-nm process, the working silicon is a key component of Marvell’s platform for developing…
650-V GaN HEMT resides in TOLL package
Rohm Semiconductor introduced the GNP2070TD-Z, a 650-V enhancement-mode GaN HEMT in a TO-leadless (TOLL) package. With dimensions of 11.68×9.9×2.4 mm, this compact package enhances heat dissipation, supports high current, and enables strong…
