All About Circuits

Latest IC Design Articles and Videos

Categories

How to Monitor Current with an Op-Amp, a BJT, and Three Resistors

How to Monitor Current with an Op-Amp, a BJT, and Three Resistors

This article, part of AAC’s Analog Circuit Collection, explains the functionality of a clever circuit that accurately measures supply current.


How to Use a Diode as a Thermometer

How to Use a Diode as a Thermometer

This article, part of AAC’s Analog Circuit Collection, presents a straightforward circuit that allows you to measure temperature with little more than a diode and a BJT.


The Why and How of Pipelining in FPGAs

The Why and How of Pipelining in FPGAs

This article explains pipelining and its implications with respect to FPGAs, i.e., latency, throughput, change in operating frequency, and resource utilization.


Need a Current Regulator? Use a Voltage Regulator!

Need a Current Regulator? Use a Voltage Regulator!

This article, part of AAC’s Analog Circuit Collection, shows you how linear voltage regulators can also be handy in constant-current applications.


Makeblock Neuron: A Study in Modular Design

Makeblock Neuron: A Study in Modular Design

The Makeblock Neuron is a collection of magnetically linked blocks that provides a reliable, easy to use experimentation platform for young inventors.


News Feb 11, 2018 by Mark Hughes
Two for One: A Buck Regulator and an LDO in a Single Package from Analog Devices

Two for One: A Buck Regulator and an LDO in a Single Package from Analog Devices

Called a Micro PMU, this IC from Analog Devices offers a 3A buck regulator and a 3A ultralow-noise LDO in a single package.


News Feb 09, 2018 by Nick Davis
Are Designers Still Using the Vortex86? Two Places an Old CPU Showed Up at CES 2018

Are Designers Still Using the Vortex86? Two Places an Old CPU Showed Up at CES 2018

Among the robots and self-driving cars at CES 2018, a bit of old technology made a surprising appearance: the Vortex86 Series CPU.


News Feb 08, 2018 by Mark Hughes
Capacitive Control Panel PCB Design Considerations for TI’s MSP430FR2633 Microcontroller

Capacitive Control Panel PCB Design Considerations for TI’s MSP430FR2633 Microcontroller

This article provides a closer look at the PCB design considerations and programming of a custom capacitive touch interface device.


500mA of Current with a 1% Voltage Output Accuracy: A Low Noise LDO from Maxim Integrated

500mA of Current with a 1% Voltage Output Accuracy: A Low Noise LDO from Maxim Integrated

Maxim Integrated recently announced their new series of linear regulators that maintain ±1% output accuracy over a wide operating temperature range with only 12µVrms of noise.


News Feb 07, 2018 by Nick Davis
Design Kits Raising the Game for Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service

Design Kits Raising the Game for Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service

Here is a view of development boards for Amazon's Alexa audio technology and how they simplify design for voice-enabled speakers, appliances, and panels.


News Feb 06, 2018 by Majeed Ahmad
Solving the Power Challenges of Integrating Multiple GbE Interfaces

Solving the Power Challenges of Integrating Multiple GbE Interfaces

An exploration of how new mid-range FPGAs can perform bridging functions for Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) links while addressing the issue of low power consumption.


Teardown Tuesday: Smart Doorbell and Camera System

Teardown Tuesday: Smart Doorbell and Camera System

In this teardown, we open up the Ding Home Package, by zmodo, to see what we can find.


News Feb 06, 2018 by Nick Davis
Conveniently Control Your Load Current with a Voltage-to-Current Converter

Conveniently Control Your Load Current with a Voltage-to-Current Converter

This article, part of AAC’s Analog Circuit Collection, presents a straightforward way to precisely control the current through an LED (or through a typical resistive load).


Simplify Your Life with an Analog Window Detector

Simplify Your Life with an Analog Window Detector

This article, part of AAC’s Analog Circuit Collection, presents a simple yet effective replacement for ADC-based window detection.


Maxim Integrated Sets Sights on Continuous Sensing for Preventative Healthcare

Maxim Integrated Sets Sights on Continuous Sensing for Preventative Healthcare

Maxim Integrated touted three new continuous sensing healthcare products at CES 2018.


News Feb 01, 2018 by Justin Kirkham
Maxim Integrated DS28E38 DeepCover Secure ECDSA Authenticator | Featured Product Spotlight

Maxim Integrated DS28E38 DeepCover Secure ECDSA Authenticator | Featured Product Spotlight

Maxim's DS28E38 Deep Cover Secure ECDSA Authenticators integrate Maxim's ChipDNA PUF technology and offer robust, effective protection against security attacks.


A Small, Powerful, and Versatile DC/DC Converter—But One That Requires Thought and Deliberation

A Small, Powerful, and Versatile DC/DC Converter—But One That Requires Thought and Deliberation

A new DC/DC converter that offers boost, SEPIC, and voltage inverting functionality, making it suitable for a variety of applications from automotive to telecom to portable electronics.


News Jan 29, 2018 by Nick Davis
The First IC and the Y2K Scare: The January 2018 Hardware History Roundup

The First IC and the Y2K Scare: The January 2018 Hardware History Roundup

From the invention of the integrated circuit to surviving the Y2K problem, January has been an interesting month in history hardware. Here is a roundup of a few pieces of hardware history still saved in memory.


News Jan 27, 2018 by Chantelle Dubois
Infineon BCR430U Low Drop Voltage LED Driver IC | New Product Brief

Infineon BCR430U Low Drop Voltage LED Driver IC | New Product Brief

Infineon’s BCR430U Low Drop Voltage LED Driver IC efficiently controls up to 100 mA of LED current without using an external power transistor.


Teardown Tuesday: Vehicle Code Reader and OBD-II Scanner

Teardown Tuesday: Vehicle Code Reader and OBD-II Scanner

In this teardown, we take apart Ancel's vehicle code reader and check engine light scan tool, the AD410, to see if we can find anything interesting.


News Jan 16, 2018 by Nick Davis