LiDAR module generates high-resolution depth maps
A 3D direct ToF LiDAR module, the VL53L9CX from STMicroelectronics offers 2.3k-zone resolution for low-compute edge AI systems. This compact all-in-one module integrates a SPAD array, post-processing SoC, two VCSELs, a BCD VCSEL driver, infrared…
Windows APO delivers customizable spatial audio
Ceva’s RealSpace Elevate is a Microsoft-certified Windows Audio Processing Object (APO) that enables spatial audio for PC gaming headsets. Unlike OS-level solutions that offer limited differentiation or branded third-party applications that…
Google’s Pixel 10: Upgrading smartphones again
Just because generational device improvements aren’t in-your-face obvious doesn’t mean they aren’t sooner-or-later still tangibly impactful.
As mentioned last week, one of the perks that accompanied my recent personal-cellular-line transition…
How AI is driving a new paradigm in test distribution
Artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating semiconductor innovation at a pace that is forcing a rethinking of conventional production test strategies. The rapid scaling of graphics processing units (GPUs), AI accelerators, and heterogeneous…
Capacitive position sensor with linearized output
An only slightly less simple followup circuit also ratios sensor capacitance to a reference capacitor to measure micrometers…this time linearly.
A few weeks ago, Design Ideas published a simple circuit of mine that provides an analog interface…
Relationship between architecture and validation in system design
In high-volume consumer electronics, the margin between a feature and a failure mode is increasingly narrow.
As the architecture of form-factor constrained devices becomes more tightly integrated, the traditional modularity of hardware systems…
A pot of many colors
Here’s a neat and novel way of using a long-tailed pair to drive not just two but three LEDs.
As everyone knows, rainbows always have pots of gold at their ends. This Design Idea reverses that, starting with a pot (no gold, alas) and ending…
Women in engineering: Helen Duncan’s journey from design engineer to CEO
Helen Duncan’s father took her to a trade show in London when she was 10 years old. She was fascinated by watching CNC machines make large mechanical parts without human involvement. Her father worked in mechanical engineering as a skilled…
Power Tips #154: Finding the thermal and current limits of high-power GaN devices through simulation
High power density power-supply modules based on gallium nitride (GaN) devices are core components in the automotive, industrial and data-center sectors. As their integration level and power density continue to rise, the issue of dissipation…
The USB takeover: Why modern T&M is moving to your pocket
In the modern engineering landscape, the definition of a “complete lab” is undergoing a radical transformation. It’s no longer measured by the square footage of your workbench or the number of cooling fans humming in the background, but…
Line scan cameras: Fundamentals in focus
Line scan cameras occupy a distinctive niche in machine vision: rather than freezing a full frame, they assemble an image one line at a time as the subject moves past the sensor. This scanning method makes them indispensable for inspecting continuous…
A non-isolated SSR solves a not-so-simple “simple” power problem
Providing power via contact-closure circuits historically required a new third wire, but perhaps no longer.
Say the words “solid-state relay” (SSR) and most engineers also naturally think of two unspoken adjectives: “optical” and “isolation”…
