Latest Passives News

Historical Engineers: Michael Faraday, a Founding Father of Electrical Science

Who was Michael Faraday? What did he contribute to the field of electrical engineering?

November 05, 2018 by Gary Elinoff

Sending ICs to Space: An Isolated Error Amplifier from Analog Devices

The ADuM3190S is an isolated error amplifier intended for use with linear feedback power supplies. The transfer function of this device is stable over a wide temperature range and over the lifetime of the device.

July 19, 2018 by Mark Hughes

An Integrated High-Current Power Module: 0.5 to 2 Volt at 35 Amps from Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments has released a fixed-frequency step-down power module that delivers up to 35 Amps at output voltages ranging from 0.5 to 2 V.

March 08, 2018 by Nick Davis

An Electronically Resettable Hot Swap Smart Fuse from ON Semiconductor

ON Semiconductor offers their new hot swap smart fuse which is an electronically resettable and programmable in-line fuse for high-current applications.

March 07, 2018 by Nick Davis

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.

January 29, 2018 by Nick Davis

High-Accuracy Current Measurements: New Low-Value Resistors from KOA Speer

If you need high precision in your current measurements, you also need high precision in your current-sense resistor.

June 23, 2017 by Robert Keim

Teardown Tuesday: Bluetooth Sony Speaker

With everything going wireless it comes as no surprise that even speakers are using Bluetooth! In this Teardown Tuesday, we will strip down a Sony Bluetooth Speaker to see how they are put together and what parts they consist of.

May 16, 2017 by Robin Mitchell

The Problem of Flexible Electronics in Wearable Device Tattoos

Researchers have created a printable electronic system that allows for a nano-material to flex with skin to create printable electrical tattoos.

March 23, 2017 by Robin Mitchell

What 2017’s Potential Component Shortage Means for Design Engineers

Veteran engineers and market forecasters alike have fears of an impending component shortage this year. What evidence is there to suggest such a claim and if true, how will engineers be affected?

March 09, 2017 by Robin Mitchell

Teardown Tuesday: Sound-Activated LED Party Lighting

See what's inside a sound-activated LED for use in DJ environments.

March 07, 2017 by Robin Mitchell

Graphene Nano-Chimneys Could Cool Future Circuits

Rice University students have determined that chimney-like structures made of carbon nanotubes could be the key to the future of heat dissipation.

February 15, 2017 by Robin Mitchell

Cambridge’s Environmentally-Friendly, Conductive Graphene Ink Can Survive the Washing Machine

Researchers at the Cambridge Graphene Centre have created a process for creating wearable graphene that is durable and environmentally friendly.

January 29, 2017 by Robin Mitchell

Lessons Learned: NASA’s Basic Electrical Engineering Mistakes

NASA's most recent blunder with the ISS was due to a basic engineering mistake.

December 11, 2016 by Chantelle Dubois

Teardown Tuesday: HB100 Doppler Radar Module

Join us as we crack open an HB100 Doppler radar module and delve into the mysteries of RF component design.

October 18, 2016 by Jeremy Lee

Teardown Tuesday: Dash Camera

Dash Cameras are becoming a very popular automotive accessory. What's inside of one?

April 26, 2016 by Alex Udanis

5 Ways to Increase Your Chances at Bagging Your Dream Job

With graduation coming soon, we compiled some tips for recent EE grads to bag a job in their field.

March 31, 2016 by Tim Youngblood

Semiconductor Mergers and Acquisitions in 2015….So Far

A look at some of the biggest mergers and acquisitions in the semiconductor industry.

August 15, 2015 by Jennifer A. Diffley

High Temperature Sensors Take the Heat

The TDK Corporation has unveiled a new sensor element that can measure temperatures up to 1202°F (650° C), combining high precision with high endurance.

July 23, 2015 by Jennifer A. Diffley

Industry’s First NFC Sensor Transponder

Texas Instruments (TI) released today the industry’s first Near Field Communication (NFC) sensor transponder family. The RF430RL25xH system-on-chip (SoC) device is equipped with a fully programmable low power microcontroller (MCU), non-volatile FRAM, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and supports an ISO 15693-compliant NFC interface as well as Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) and Inter Integrated Circuit (I2C). The high frequency13.56-MHz sensor transponder can operate on full passive (battery-less) or semi-active modes for optimal battery life in portable and wireless sensing applications.

April 06, 2015 by Tim Youngblood