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Significant Digits and Engineering Units

Significant Digits and Engineering Units

Some rules of thumb for using significant digits and mitigating error propagation.


Why You Should Use Unit Tests to Write Better Embedded Software

Why You Should Use Unit Tests to Write Better Embedded Software

An introduction to software unit testing for embedded systems developers.


Controlling a Toaster Oven with a PICAXE - Part 2

Controlling a Toaster Oven with a PICAXE - Part 2

Soldering surface mount components by hand can be done, but reflow soldering in an oven is much quicker and produces more consistent results. Building a microprocessor controlled reflow oven is well within the abilities and budget of many hobbyists.


Create an Object Tracking System: Using Built-in Arduino Libraries

Create an Object Tracking System: Using Built-in Arduino Libraries

We'll learn Arduino library implementation and establish the firmware framework for the 7-part project series. We'll use Microsoft Visual Studio Express for library editing.


Projects Feb 04, 2016 by Michael Stock
Embedded PID Temperature Control, Part 2: Board-Level Integration

Embedded PID Temperature Control, Part 2: Board-Level Integration

This article covers the firmware that allows the EFM8 microcontroller to communicate with the DAC and the MAX31855.


Projects Feb 03, 2016 by Robert Keim
Learn LabVIEW FPGA on NI myRIO - Hello World!

Learn LabVIEW FPGA on NI myRIO - Hello World!

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


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


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
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
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.


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
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.


An Overview of the Analysis and Transmission of Aperiodic Signals

An Overview of the Analysis and Transmission of Aperiodic Signals

A signal that does not repeat itself after a specific interval of time is called an aperiodic signal. By applying a limiting process, the signal can be expressed as a continuous sum (or integral) of everlasting exponentials.