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Embedded PID Temperature Control, Part 1: The Circuit

Embedded PID Temperature Control, Part 1: The Circuit

Invoke the power of the PID (proportional–integral–derivative controller)! The key components in this design are an EFM8 microcontroller, a DAC, and the MAX31855 thermocouple-to-digital converter.


Projects Feb 01, 2016 by Robert Keim
Controlling a Toaster Oven with a PICAXE - Part 1

Controlling a Toaster Oven with a PICAXE - Part 1

A toaster oven can do more than just make toast; guided by a PICAXE microcontroller, it can make a sweet reflow soldering station.


Practical FIR Filter Design: Part 2 - Implementing Your Filter

Practical FIR Filter Design: Part 2 - Implementing Your Filter

Implementing a FIR filter designed in Octave or Matlab on an N-bit microprocessor


An Introduction to Digi International’s Device Cloud

An Introduction to Digi International’s Device Cloud

An introduction to Digi International's Device Cloud, an IoT and M2M Platform.


News Jan 29, 2016 by Orrin Bigelow
Make a GPS Clock With a PIC Microcontroller

Make a GPS Clock With a PIC Microcontroller

In this article I'll show you one way to use a PIC microcontroller to get the time and date from a GPS module.


How to Eliminate Ground Loops with Signal Isolation

How to Eliminate Ground Loops with Signal Isolation

This project explains how to isolate signals to eliminate ground loops in electronic systems.


Projects Jan 29, 2016 by Orrin Bigelow
STMicro Exits TV Decoder Chips in the Midst of Set-Top Box Disruption

STMicro Exits TV Decoder Chips in the Midst of Set-Top Box Disruption

Is this the end of digital set-top boxes? All signs point to yes.


News Jan 28, 2016 by Majeed Ahmad
Using Scilab GUI for RGB and Lux Measurements

Using Scilab GUI for RGB and Lux Measurements

Gather data via USB from a BH1745NUC optical sensor and then display color characteristics and illuminance values.


Projects Jan 28, 2016 by Robert Keim
NI’s 5-in-1 VirtualBench Ups Speed and Power Ante

NI’s 5-in-1 VirtualBench Ups Speed and Power Ante

The five-in-one National Instruments release is a dream platform.


News Jan 27, 2016 by PatrickM
Sonavation Just Solved Our Passwords Problem…And is Helping Cure Cancer

Sonavation Just Solved Our Passwords Problem…And is Helping Cure Cancer

If you haven’t yet heard of Sonavation, you probably aren’t alone, but the company has done something unprecedented: it’s shrunk a $100k ultrasound machine to the size of a fingerprint module.


News Jan 26, 2016 by Jennifer A. Diffley
What’s the LabVIEW FPGA? Learn It Now!

What’s the LabVIEW FPGA? Learn It Now!

Learn LabVIEW FPGA by programming the on-board Xilinx FPGA of the student-focused embedded device NI myRIO.


Atmel, Microchip, and the IoT Writing on the Wall

Atmel, Microchip, and the IoT Writing on the Wall

Microcontroller specialists Atmel Corp. and Microchip Technology Inc. are joining hands to create a powerhouse in the Internet of Things (IoT) realm in a way that is reminiscent of the hookup between Freescale and NXP just a few months ago. The tie between the MCU kingpins is aimed at creating a full-stack silicon house with all the IoT hardware ingredients ranging from MCUs to analog to flash.


News Jan 25, 2016 by Majeed Ahmad
C-BISCUIT: A Robotics Platform for the Hacker and Hobbyist

C-BISCUIT: A Robotics Platform for the Hacker and Hobbyist

This is the beginning of a multi-part, multi-author series on how to build your own robotics platform called C-BISCUIT, an acronym for Collaborative Bot with Integrated System Core, Unmanned Interactivity, and Telemetry -- based on the Wandboard Quad computer.


Projects Jan 25, 2016 by Patrick Lloyd
Practical FIR Filter Design: Part 1 - Design with Octave or Matlab

Practical FIR Filter Design: Part 1 - Design with Octave or Matlab

A simple introduction to designing FIR filters in Octave or Matlab


Design a Color Sensor with Measurements Displayed via an RGB LED Module, Part 2

Design a Color Sensor with Measurements Displayed via an RGB LED Module, Part 2

Learn how to collect and process RGB data generated by the BH1745NUC color sensor IC.


Projects Jan 23, 2016 by Robert Keim
Amazon’s Dash Button Exemplifies IoT Laziness

Amazon’s Dash Button Exemplifies IoT Laziness

The Amazon Dash button has launched. Cue the eye rolling.


News Jan 22, 2016 by Jennifer A. Diffley
Design a Color Sensor with Measurements Displayed via an RGB LED Module

Design a Color Sensor with Measurements Displayed via an RGB LED Module

Display colors by precisely controlling the intensity of red, green, and blue LEDs.


Projects Jan 22, 2016 by Robert Keim
A Breakdown of Class D Amplifiers

A Breakdown of Class D Amplifiers

Ever wanted to find out more about Class D amplification? Here's a handy breakdown.


Why the Capacitor in Your Power Supply Filter is Too Big

Why the Capacitor in Your Power Supply Filter is Too Big

The job of the capacitor in the output filter of a DC power supply is to maintain a constant DC value by removing as much power ripple as possible. Because these capacitors have a DC value, they are actually storing a lot of energy that never gets used.


Fisher-Price Teaches the Next Generation of Designers

Fisher-Price Teaches the Next Generation of Designers

The universal children's toy company unveiled its newest creation at CES 2016. But why would a company known for its baby toys be interested in coding?


News Jan 20, 2016 by Jennifer A. Diffley