Leveraging Interactive Reference Designs
Jumping into a new PCB design can be intimidating – especially if you are starting a brand new design and using new devices. Having a working sample to demonstrate how the components function and are connected within the design can give you a valuable head start. This is where reference designs come in! What […]
How to Mitigate the Risks of Using Hard-to-Find Electronic Components
Hard-to-find electronic components can derail a project, but there are a few things designers can do to mitigate this issue Have you ever been working on a project and realized you needed a part you did not have? Then, you race down to the electronics store to pick it up—excitedly anticipating installing it—only to be […]
Comparing the CP2102 vs. CP2104: Highly-Integrated USB-to-UART Bridge Controllers
The QFN package for the CP2102 and CP2104 USB-to-UART bridge controllers. Image from Silicon Laboratories Electronic components that enable interconnection and/or communication between different circuit boards and electronic systems are often referred to as bridges. These devices are essential for telecommunications and other operations, as it is common that connected or networked systems that employ […]
The Future of Charging Electric Vehicles
The transition from internal combustion engines (ICEs) to electrical vehicles (EVs) is happening swiftly. Within the last few years several countries have set targets to either reduce the sales of ICEs or wipe out their usage: Country Goal for transition to EVs United Kingdom Banning ICEs by 2040 France End sales of ICEs by 2040 […]
The CGA5L1X7R1H106K160AC Datasheet: Multilayer Ceramic Chip Capacitors
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The Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, who is almost universally regarded as the father of economics, postulated that ‘consumption is the sole end and purpose of production.’
PCB Debugging with InspectAR
While augmented reality seems to have become another tech buzzword, it is making its way out of the lab and into practical applications and products.
The NTC0805J10K: A Negative Temperature Coefficient Chip Thermistor
An NTC thermistor is one example of an on-board sensor that doesn’t require complex supporting circuitry for precise measurements. One popular thermistor is the NTC0805J10K, a surface-mount chip component in 0805 packaging that can be reliably used from below-freezing to above-boiling temperatures.
The AD7401AYRWZ Datasheet: Isolated Sigma-Delta Modulators
The AD7401AYRWZ sigma-delta modulator A word thrown around often when discussing signal processing is noise. What exactly is noise? If you were standing at a busy intersection trying to have a conversation on your cell phone, you would say all other sounds not coming from your phone were noise. Similarly, for signal processing, noise can […]
Common PCB Component Codes to Know
Take a look at the top layer of any PCB or look in a datasheet, and you’ll find an alphabet soup of PCB component codes, markings on a PCB, abbreviations, and acronyms. It takes experience to keep it all straight, but it’s important for anyone in the industry to be able to quickly read PCB markings, component markings, and datasheet information.
System Design Using the TMC5160-BOB Evaluation Board
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, Rush, has a popular song with the lines, “living in their pools they soon forget about the sea.” The song, “Natural Science”, points out how the big picture is obsolete to those blindly focused only on what is immediately in front of them.