Wide-range tunable RC Schmitt trigger oscillator
In this Design Idea (DI), the classic Schmitt-trigger-based RC oscillator is “hacked” and analyzed using the simulation software QSPICE. You might reasonably ask why one would do this, given that countless such circuits reliably and unobtrusively…
Enabling a variable output regulator to produce 0 volts? Caveat, designer!
For some time now, many of EDN’s Design Ideas (DIs) have dealt with ground-referenced, single-power-supplied voltage regulators whose outputs can be configured to produce zero or near-zero volts [1][2].
In this mode of operation, regulation…
Why memory swizzling is hidden tax on AI compute
Walk into any modern AI lab, data center, or autonomous vehicle development environment, and you’ll hear engineers talk endlessly about FLOPS, TOPS, sparsity, quantization, and model scaling laws. Those metrics dominate headlines and product…
Expanding power delivery in systems with USB PD 3.1
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) started out as a data interface, but it didn’t take long before progressing to powering devices. Initially, its maximum output was only 2.5 W; now, it can deliver up to 240 W over USB Type-C cables and connectors,…
Ignoring the regulator’s reference
DAC control (via PWM or other source) of regulators is a popular design topic here in editor Aalyia Shaukat’s Design Ideas (DIs) corner. There’s even a special aspect of this subject that frequently provokes enthusiastic and controversial…
Troubleshooting often involves conflicting symptoms and scenarios
I’ve always regarded debugging and troubleshooting as the most challenging of all hands-on engineering skills. It’s not formally taught; it is usually learned through hands-on experience (often the hard way) and almost every case is different.…
Building automotive data logging with F-RAM flash combo
Advances in the automotive industry continue to make cars safer, more efficient, and more reliable than ever. As motor vehicles become more advanced, so do the silicon components that serve as the backbone of their advanced features. Case in…
The Schiit Modi Multibit: A little wiggling ensures this DAC won’t quit
Sometimes, when an audio component dies, the root cause is something electrical. Other times, the issue instead ends up being fundamentally mechanical.
Delta sigma modulation-based digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) circuitry dominates the modern…
Hardware security to bolster interconnect IPs for SoCs, chiplets
Hardware security vulnerabilities have greatly expanded the attack surface beyond traditional software exploits, making hardware security assurance crucial in modern system-on-chip (SoC) designs. Chip interconnect specialist Arteris’ acquisition…
Building high-performance robotic vision with GMSL
Robotic systems depend on advanced machine vision to perceive, navigate, and interact with their environment. As both the number and resolution of cameras grow, the demand for high-speed, low-latency links capable of transmitting and aggregating…
MOSFETs bring 750-V capability to TOLL package
Now in mass production, Rohm’s SCT40xxDLL series of SiC MOSFETs in TOLL (TO-Leadless) packages delivers high power-handling capability in a compact, low-profile form factor. According to ROHM, the TOLL package provides roughly 39% better thermal…
Handheld analyzers cut through dense RF traffic
With 120-MHz gap-free IQ streaming, Keysight’s N99xxD-Series FieldFox analyzers ensure every signal event is captured. This capability lets users stream and replay complex RF activity to quickly pinpoint issues and verify system performance.…
