LPDDR flash: A memory optimized for automotive systems
Next-generation automotive systems are advancing beyond the limits of currently available technologies. The addition of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and other advanced features requires greater processing power and increased connectivity…
Google’s Chromecast with Google TV: Dissecting the HD edition
At the end of a few-months-ago writeup, wherein I successfully reassembled a 4K-version Google Chromecast with Google TV:
that I’d taken apart earlier in the year, I wrote:
In closing, a foreshadowing. As I mentioned in my earlier teardown,…
Secure Bluetooth LE adoption on rise in automotive applications
With a developed ecosystem, an ultra-low-power consumption profile, and an established presence in mobile phones, it is understandable why Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) technology has emerged as the preferred wireless protocol for new…
Hall sensors minimize stray-field impact
Hall-effect position sensors from TDK-Micronas reduce interference from stray magnetic fields in automotive and industrial applications. The HAL 3930-4100 (single die) and HAR 3930-4100 (dual die) sensors offer robust stray-field compensation…
Silicon nitride light source suits FTIR spectrometry
Kyocera has developed a silicon nitride (SN) light source for Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers using its SN heater and glow plug portfolio. The company’s SN heaters are robust and fast ramping, serving as glow plugs for diesel…
32-bit MCU packs fast AFE sensor interface
With its precision analog front end, the Renesas RX23E-B 32-bit MCU is well-suited for high-end industrial sensor systems and measuring instruments. The part’s 24-bit delta-sigma ADC achieves a conversion speed of up to 125 ksamples/s, which…
8-bit MCUs strengthen code protection
Microchip’s PIC18-Q24 MCUs employ a programming and debugging interface disable (PDID) function that enhances chip-level security. When enabled, this enhanced code protection feature disables the programming/debugging interface and blocks…
D-band power sensor is NMI-traceable
The NRP170TWG(N) thermal waveguide power sensor from Rohde & Schwarz enables power level measurements from 110 GHz to 170 GHz. It provides full traceability to national metrology institute (NMI) standards in this frequency range, an important…
RISC-V’s embedded foray with a 32-bit MCU development
One of the largest vendors of embedded processors has independently developed a CPU core for the 32-bit general-purpose RISC-V market; it can be used as the main CPU or on-chip subsystem and can even be embedded in an application-specific standard…
Developing a spectrophotometer with integrated analog peripherals
One of the biggest selling points of a microcontroller (MCU) is the peripherals—integrated blocks of specialized hardware that offload a task from the central processing unit (CPU) or integrate new functionality into the device. One of the…
Root mean square versus root sum square
Root mean square values and root sum square values are related concepts which have mathematical similarity and their respective areas of applicability, but they should never be confused with each other.
Imagine some load resistance to which…
Navigating IoT security in a connected world
Today, billions of smart devices are connected to each other through the Internet and can communicate real-time data without human interaction. A garage door can be opened or closed remotely via an application on a smartphone, a baby can be…
