Latest Technical Articles

Build an Arduino controlled power supply that automatically adjusts the output to maintain a constant voltage or a…

Build an Arduino controlled power supply that automatically adjusts the output to maintain a constant voltage or a constant current.

There are all sorts of batteries out there- this short overview will help you find the right one!

There are all sorts of batteries out there- this short overview will help you find the right one!

Getting more familiar with a PIC MCU is a matter of working more often with it. Learn how to make a wireless thermometer…

Getting more familiar with a PIC MCU is a matter of working more often with it. Learn how to make a wireless thermometer with a PIC microcontroller.

This is the final part in a series of articles on building a robot that can follow lines or walls and avoid obstacles!

This is the final part in a series of articles on building a robot that can follow lines or walls and avoid obstacles!

An introduction to the least mean squares algorithm and adaptive gain control through a simple example.

An introduction to the least mean squares algorithm and adaptive gain control through a simple example.

This article will help you to understand why the frequency response of a feedback network can seriously, and sometimes…

This article will help you to understand why the frequency response of a feedback network can seriously, and sometimes unexpectedly, degrade stability.

Delving further into the transmission line concept, the boundary between treating the line as a single lumped circuit…

Delving further into the transmission line concept, the boundary between treating the line as a single lumped circuit element and using the distributed circuit parameters is investigated with a simple analysis in python. Circuit parameters for multiple waveguide geometries are shown.

This article will show you a handy alternative approach to assessing stability via open-loop gain and the feedback factor.

This article will show you a handy alternative approach to assessing stability via open-loop gain and the feedback factor.

This article will show you how to set up two way communication between an Arduino and your Android Smartphone using Bluetooth.

This article will show you how to set up two way communication between an Arduino and your Android Smartphone using Bluetooth.

Let's delve into AC power concepts, how to calculate instantaneous power, average power, reactive power, complex power,…

Let's delve into AC power concepts, how to calculate instantaneous power, average power, reactive power, complex power, and the power factor. We'll also talk about the relationship each concept has to one another.

Programmable thermostats can save a lot of energy and money. But you don't have to buy one- you can convert an old…

Programmable thermostats can save a lot of energy and money. But you don't have to buy one- you can convert an old mechanical thermostat into a programmable thermostat using an Arduino and a servo.

The buck converter is a ubiquitous DC-DC converter that efficiently converts a high voltage to a low voltage efficiently.…

The buck converter is a ubiquitous DC-DC converter that efficiently converts a high voltage to a low voltage efficiently. Efficient power conversion extends battery life, reduces heat, and allows for smaller gadgets to be built. The buck converter can be used in lots of cool applications.

Here are some great power conversion topologies that can be used as alternatives to the boost converter; they are much…

Here are some great power conversion topologies that can be used as alternatives to the boost converter; they are much less vulnerable to short circuit load conditions.

How to use frequency-domain simulations to analyze loop gain and evaluate the stability of your amplifier circuit. We…

How to use frequency-domain simulations to analyze loop gain and evaluate the stability of your amplifier circuit. We need a way to determine whether a circuit is sufficiently stable—in other words, stable enough to ensure that the circuit will perform properly despite part-to-part variations and environmental or operational conditions that affect the characteristics of the open-loop gain or the feedback network. There is where gain margin and phase margin come into play.

How an op amp works with LTspice simulation. We left off last time finishing up how the input stage of an op-amp works.…

How an op amp works with LTspice simulation. We left off last time finishing up how the input stage of an op-amp works. The next important stage is made up by transistors Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, and Q7.

This article discusses style mistakes in PCB layout that can make assembly and debugging PCBs difficult. This is vital…

This article discusses style mistakes in PCB layout that can make assembly and debugging PCBs difficult. This is vital for designers!

Resolution and sampling rate are two important factors to consider when selecting an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).…

Resolution and sampling rate are two important factors to consider when selecting an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). In order to understand these fully, concepts such as quantisation, and the Nyquist Criterion must be understood to a certain degree.

The boost converter is a DC-DC converter used to created an output voltage that is higher than the input voltage. Boost…

The boost converter is a DC-DC converter used to created an output voltage that is higher than the input voltage. Boost converters are also used to drive LEDs placed in series in products like LED flashlights. The boost converter suffers from vulnerability to a short circuit load. Learn how to protect them from shorts!

Direct Digital Synthesis is used to generate precise analog waveforms that can quickly change frequencies. It's used in…

Direct Digital Synthesis is used to generate precise analog waveforms that can quickly change frequencies. It's used in test equipment, spread spectrum techniques and to enable frequency sweeps.