Fun with third-order active filters
Butterworth response circuits come in both low- and high-pass versions, as well as ideal, Sallen-Key, emitter follower and DC accurate variants.
Many decades ago, I published a Design Idea about using equal value resistors and capacitors to…
Occam’s Razor and a USB-C to HDMI adapter
The simplest explanation is likely the best, even if its validity isn’t always intuitively obvious in advance.
Speaking of USB-C, and the cables (including splitters) that connect to it to other things…
My long-in-the-tooth Intel-based 2018…
Automotive coolant level sensors: Fundamentals to stay cool
Coolant level sensors may seem small, but they guard against big failures. In this Fun with Fundamentals entry, we break down how these devices keep engines—and engineers—from losing their cool.
On a blazing summer road trip, the dashboard…
Overstressed over an erratically flickering check-engine lamp
Be prepared to respond to “electrical overstress” claims from semiconductor suppliers by citing their own datasheet entries.
During my automotive embedded career, I was heading a product team controlling auxiliary functions of a diesel engine…
Data density: The constraint reshaping wireless for edge AI
Autonomous systems are making the transition from controlled pilot operations to large-scale deployment across transportation and industrial environments. Additionally, AI training facilities are scaling up to host thousands of AI agents operating…
Debugging intermittent Comcast, part 3: Retrospective analysis
Why did some things happen? Why didn’t others…and what happened instead? To what extent (if at all) were the outcomes predestined? And what outcomes beg for further study?
Ten months back, as I’m writing these words in mid-August 2026,…
MRAMs accelerate adoption in aerospace and defense designs
Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM) memory—which combines RAM-like access with non-volatility to help simplify design architectures—is making headway in aerospace, defense, and other demanding systems. Take the case of Teledyne HiRel Semiconductors,…
IP core provides scalable JESD204C connectivity
Achronix now offers a JESD204C IP core for connecting high-speed ADCs and DACs to programmable logic in Speedster7t FPGAs. Each core supports data rates of up to 32 Gbps per lane and up to eight lanes per link, delivering an aggregate serial…
IC manages sensors without waking the MCU
The nPZ2100 sensor-management and power-saving IC (PSIC) from Nanopower provides autonomous control for battery-constrained sensor systems. Based on the nPZero power-reduction architecture, the device manages sensors and peripherals while keeping…
SMARC module bridges Arduino prototyping to production
SECO announced early access to hardware samples of its SOM-SMARC-Dragonwing-IQ8 module for industrial edge AI applications. Developed with Arduino and Qualcomm, the SMARC 2.1.1 module enables the transition from Arduino Ventuno Q prototyping…
Robotics computer doubles edge AI performance
NVIDIA’s Jetson Orin Nano 2 system-on-module delivers nearly twice the inference performance of its predecessor, the Jetson Orin Nano Super. The performance boost comes from improved Tensor Cores and higher memory bandwidth. Nano 2 also maintains…
Resolver enables flexible motor sensor placement
Melexis has introduced a 5-V variant of its MLX90381 Triaxis pico-resolver for compact motor systems that rely on a 5-V supply. As motors become smaller and mechanical space more constrained, integrating accurate rotor position sensing becomes…
