A hands-on guide for RC snubbers and inductive load suppression

The other day, I was casually scrolling through Google when I stumbled upon a flood of dirt-cheap RC snubber circuit modules on various online stores. That got me thinking—it’s high time we talk about these little circuits and their real-world…

Inherently DC accurate 16-bit PWM TBH DAC

The 16-bit DACs are a de facto standard for high DC accuracy and precision domain conversion, but surprisingly few are fully 16-bit (0.0015%) precise. Even when described as “high precision,” some have inaccuracy and integral nonlinearity…

The CyberPower DBH361D12V2: An UPS That Goes Old-School

Normally, when I cover the topic of uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), I’m talking about devices containing rechargeable battery packs based on either sealed lead-acid (SLA) or one of several newer lithium-based charge storage technology…

Reducing manual effort in coverage closure using CCF commands

Ensuring the reliability and performance of complex digital systems has two fundamental aspects: functional verification and digital design. Digital Design predominantly focuses on the architecture of the system that involves logic blocks, control…

Power Tips #142: A comparison study on a floating voltage tracking power supply for ATE

In order to test multiple ICs simultaneously with different test voltages and currents, semiconductor automatic test equipment (ATE) uses multiple source measurement units (SMUs). Each SMU requires its own independent floating voltage tracking…

Accelerating time-to-market as cars become software defined

Automakers have always raced to get the latest models to market. The shift to software-defined vehicles (SDVs) has turned that race into a sprint. It’s not a simple shift, however. Building cars that can evolve constantly demands an overhaul…

Computer and network-attached storage: Capacity optimization and backup expansion

Motivations for bolstering backup Last March, I documented my travails striving to turn a 2018-era x86-based Apple Mac mini into a workable system in spite of its diminutive, non-upgradeable 128 GByte SSD’s internal capacity: Eight months…

Authentication IC strengthens IoT security

Microchip has added secure code signing, firmware over-the-air (FOTA) updates, and CRA compliance to its ECC608 TrustMANAGER authentication IC. Additional enhancements include remote management of firmware images, cryptographic keys, and digital…

Clock ICs drive low-jitter Ethernet and PCIe

The SKY63104/5/6 family of jitter-attenuating clocks and the SKY62101 clock generator simultaneously generate ultra-low jitter clocks for synchronous Ethernet and spread-spectrum PCIe. Built on Skyworks’ fifth-generation DSPLL and MultiSynth…

Space-ready GaN FET endures harsh radiation

EPC Space has announced the EPC7030MSH, a radiation-hardened 300-V GaN FET for high-voltage, high-power space applications. It supports front-end DC/DC converters in satellite power systems, power conversion for high-voltage distribution buses,…

8-channel driver manages diverse automotive loads

ST’s L9800 combines eight low-side drivers with diagnostics and protection in a compact leadless package for tight automotive spaces. The ISO 26262 ASIL-B-compliant device drives resistive, capacitive, or inductive loads—such as relays and…

Solid-state fan chip reduces heat in XR glasses

xMEMS is bringing its µCooling fan-on-chip platform to AI-driven extended reality (XR) smart glasses. The silicon-based solid-state micro cooling chip provides localized, precision-controlled active cooling from within the glasses frame—without…