Hybrid capacitors target automotive power

Taiyo Yuden has introduced the HVX(-K) and HTX(-K) series of AEC-Q200-qualified conductive polymer hybrid aluminum electrolytic capacitors. The 46-device lineup is intended for noise suppression and power smoothing in power supply circuits for…

Solid state airflow sensor with linear 4-20mA output

A self-heated Darlington transistor pair makes a simple, sensitive, and sturdy airflow sensor. But first an annoying non-linearity needs unbending. If you take a self-heated transistor in a TO-92 package and force it to hold a constant temperature…

Understanding all costs involved in analog ASIC development

The costs of designing and producing an analog ASIC chip can be grouped into three main parts: human capital, software tools, and prototype fabrication. While all three are equally critical to success, it’s important to note that design tools…

CXL Type 3: Tooling and boot path from power-on to usable memory

Part 1 of this min-series established why CXL Type 3 memory expanders matter for capacity-bound workloads and where expander memory sits in the latency–capacity pyramid relative to local DRAM. It also explained what must align across the stack…

Making noise with a BANG, part 1: Concept and hardware

This noise generator has an adjustable bandwidth and a consistent amplitude no matter what bandwidth is selected. When working on a recent Design Idea for an adjustable filter, I wanted to use an electrical noise source to generate an FFT spectrum…

Neural implant merges photovoltaics with custom analog, PPM encoding

It seems as if every technical advance these days is either directly related to AI software and data centers, or at least tries to establish such a connection, even if that connection is somewhat of a tenuous “stretch.” Despite this, there…

Memory wall: Why cache miss tolerance defines CPU performance now

The memory wall is no longer a theoretical concern. It’s the defining bottleneck in today’s AI, automotive, and data center system-on-chips (SoCs). CPUs operate at GHz frequencies with single-digit nanosecond cycle times, yet DRAM latency…

TP-Link’s Tapo T300 sensor detects water and other liquid-leak dangers

Unintended fluids dripping from above? Accumulating from below? The T300 alerts you to them all. And mysteriously threaded contacts suggest other uses, too. Back in March, I covered the activation and ongoing usage impressions of three interrelated…

Inductive loop vehicle detectors: Still steady in the noise of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) may dominate today’s conversations about smart cities and autonomous mobility, but beneath the pavement lies a technology that has quietly kept traffic flowing for decades. Inductive loop detectors (ILDs)—simple…

Absolute illiteracy about absolute maximum ratings

Stress exceeding the levels prescribed in absolute maximum ratings specifications may lead to chip malfunctions. Key word: may. Within the last decade, I was the head of a captive tier 1 automotive embedded electronics department for a global…

Why CXL Type 3 memory matters, what your platform must provide

Applications in the AI era are memory starved. They need more capacity and, in many cases, more effective memory bandwidth than traditional server designs. Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) store trillions of parameters that must…

Tachometer frequency to 4-20mA loop current converter

Converting frequency signals to loop current signals creates an economical result for process industry applications. Process industry applications commonly employ multiple motors. Their speeds are monitored by tachometers using magnetic pickups…