Holotomography system analyzes glass defects
Tomocube’s HT-T1D is a desktop holotomography system for high-resolution, non-destructive 3D defect analysis of glass substrates used in semiconductor packaging. It images internal defects and other fine features with a lateral resolution…
Deep physics, materials science enhance dielectrics, varactors
When doing analog design, especially at higher frequencies ranging into the microwave region, it’s normal to focus on devices and the performance they enable in the specific topology. But there’s another aspect of microwave design that’s…
Painlessly convert Hz to 4-20mA current loop
The iconic LM2917 tackles frequency-to-current conversion with (very) few externals.
Almost exactly 50 years ago—in June 1976, to be precise—National Semiconductor introduced the LM29x7 series, offering deceptively simple monolithic solutions…
‘Mind of the Engineer’ survey: A reality check on where EEs stand on AI
Are you an engineer contemplating your next “skillset” move in the AI era? If so, the ‘Mind of the Engineer’ survey is for you. The survey delves into multiple engineering disciplines, the latest technology trends, and emerging design…
Making noise with a BANG, part 2: Software, integration and operating results
If you periodically need to see the frequency response of a circuit, this easy, inexpensive project can help you out.
Editor’s note: This is a two-part series on how to create a noise generator with an adjustable bandwidth and a consistent…
Crypto mining SoC unearths a need for custom IP
Conflicting application requirements can turn system-on-chip (SoC) design into a hall of mirrors. In particular, choosing a process technology can become a maze of contradictions and puzzles.
Then there is higher speed, which generally requires…
Ultrasonic device claims to repel pests
Whether it actually accomplishes the function intended (or at least asserted), the low price tag and enduring controversy sufficed to motivate a look inside this device.
Electronic pest control devices have a longstanding reputation (largely-to-completely…
More than a plug: The hidden USB engineering in your EV
What looks like a simple port is in fact a silent architect—quietly shaping how energy and data flow between your car and your mobile world. Hidden inside that small rectangle of metal and plastic is a choreography of power regulation, signal…
Blinkers
Selective oscillation achieves desired attention aspirations absent undesirable side effects.
Someone I knew long ago had a small electronics company with a client who wanted to make an attention-grabbing light display for a store window. This…
Rethinking automotive compute in the software-defined era
The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Vehicles are no longer static machines defined at production. They are becoming dynamic, software-defined platforms that evolve over time through updates, new features, and…
Carl Sagan’s prescient thoughts on AI and robots
Revisiting the past can leave the reader with a range of reactions, including both bemusement at then-embryonic developments and amazement at the accuracy of forecast extrapolations.
After reading the sentence that follows this one, pause for…
Stacked-die half-bridge boosts MOSFET power density
Using a vertically stacked-die design, AOS’s DFN6×5 AmpStack package integrates two MOSFETs configured as a high-side/low-side half-bridge. It increases power density and maximizes available PCB space compared to a solution using two discrete…
