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LTspice Lab: Buck Converter Current and Voltage Dynamics

Improve your understanding of switch-mode voltage regulators by examining the electrical characteristics of a step-down converter during the on and off portions of its switching cycle.

August 09, 2023 by Robert Keim

Demystifying the Skin Effect: Insights into AC Current Distribution

This article will demonstrate that the AC current density decreases exponentially into a conductor. It will also explain why we can assume that the total current has a uniform distribution from the surface down to one skin depth of the conductor.

August 06, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Whitening Filters Help Low-Power Radios Tackle Issues Caused by Long Identical Bit Sequences

Learn how whitening filters solve problems in low-power radios when transmitting long identical bit sequences. Explore their significance in protocols like BLE and ZigBee.

August 02, 2023 by Nthatisi Hlapisi

Understanding Switch-Mode Regulation: The Buck Converter

This article will analyze in detail the operation of a step-down DC/DC voltage converter. Using SPICE simulations, we will investigate the output voltage settling, voltage ripple, and inductor and load currents.

July 30, 2023 by Robert Keim

EM Side-Channel Attacks on Cryptography

Electromagnetic-based side-channel attacks are non-invasive, meaning the attacker does not need physical access to the device to steal information. We’ll look at how these EM side-channel attacks work.

July 26, 2023 by Jake Hertz

Design of an Unweighted Audio Filter with Flat Frequency Response

This article presents the design of an unweighted (Z-weighted) audio filter with a flat frequency response from 20 Hz to 20 kHz for the measurement of audio noise.

July 23, 2023 by John Woodgate

ATT and GATT—How Bluetooth LE Devices Store Data

Learn how ATT and GATT protocols help Bluetooth LE devices store and manage data, making it easier for connected devices to work together seamlessly.

July 21, 2023 by Nthatisi Hlapisi

Lossy Transmission Lines: Introduction to the Skin Effect

This article introduces high-frequency conductor losses in transmission lines caused by a phenomenon known as the skin effect.

July 19, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Vulnerabilities and Attacks on Bluetooth LE Devices—Reviewing Recent Info

To understand known vulnerabilities and attacks on Bluetooth LE devices, we review some studies from the past 4+ years.

July 16, 2023 by Nthatisi Hlapisi

What Is a Switching Voltage Regulator?

Switching regulators are an essential circuit for efficiently generating stable supply voltages and for translating voltages up or down.

July 14, 2023 by Robert Keim

Introduction to Lossy Transmission Lines

This article will help you understand losses in high-frequency transmission lines that include traces on PCBs. We will also investigate how these losses impact signal propagation and the quality of digital signals.

July 12, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Transistor Controlled Switching of an LED Display: A Radio Shack Classics Circuit Remix

Let’s modernize a circuit from a Science Fair 150-in-1 Electronic Project kit using a solderless breadboard, new electronic components, online EDA tools, and an M5Stack Core microcontroller.

July 09, 2023 by Don Wilcher

Fundamentals of Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD)

This article provides an introduction to the computational number system known as binary-coded decimal or BCD. This numeric encoding scheme is historically significant and still advantageous in certain applications.

July 07, 2023 by Robert Keim

PCB Material Properties and Their Impact on Performance of High Frequency Boards

Understanding PCB material parameters such as relative permittivity and loss tangent allows us to discuss some important considerations for choosing the right material when designing a high-speed/high-frequency application.

July 05, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Electrochromic and Electrophoretic Technologies Shine in Low-Power Displays

Ultra-thin, flexible, and low-power displays support wireless, IoT, and energy-harvesting applications that continue to bring intelligence to more products. This article examines two of the most popular low-power reflective display technologies—electrochromic and electrophoretic.

July 02, 2023 by Dale Wilson

Boolean Canonical Forms: Sum-of-Products and Product-of-Sums

Understanding two key Boolean canonical forms, the sum-of-products and the product-of-sums, is important in digital system design and optimization. We will introduce how to generate these forms and provide guidelines on when it is typically best to use each form.

June 30, 2023 by William Bahn

Gain Definitions for the Y-Factor Method of NF Measurements: Available Gain or Insertion Gain?

The Y-factor method is a widely used technique for measuring the gain and noise figure (NF) of RF components. This article will help you understand the differences between the insertion gain and the available gain, while avoiding potentially significant errors when measuring the noise figure.

June 28, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

An RMS Detector for a Wideband Voltmeter—Design and Operation

This project demonstrates the design and operation of a root-mean-squared (RMS) detector for inclusion in a wideband voltmeter. The RMS detector is useful for measuring certain signal types, including noise, since it provides an indication of the energy in a signal.

June 25, 2023 by John Woodgate

Securing BLE Connections—An Overview of the Security Protocol

Learn about Bluetooth LE's security features and tools, how to use them, and understand how they keep connections secure.

June 23, 2023 by Nthatisi Hlapisi

Exploring Output Ripple in a Negative Voltage Charge Pump Using LTspice

In this article, we’ll use LTspice simulations to more thoroughly understand output-voltage ripple and consider techniques for mitigating it within a charge pump circuit.

June 21, 2023 by Robert Keim