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Build Your Own Metal Detector with an Arduino

Build Your Own Metal Detector with an Arduino

Building a metal detector using a Colpitts oscillator and an Arduino.


Projects Oct 03, 2016 by Evan Kale
Learning About Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (DQPSK) Modulation

Learning About Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (DQPSK) Modulation

This technical brief explains what differential QPSK is and why it can be advantageous compared to ordinary QPSK.


DIY Synth Series Part 1 — The Exponential VCO

DIY Synth Series Part 1 — The Exponential VCO

Build a 1V octave voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) module and create your own analogue synth sounds.


Projects Aug 08, 2016 by Robin Mitchell
The Basic MOSFET Differential Pair

The Basic MOSFET Differential Pair

In this article, we’ll examine the most straightforward version of this foundational integrated-circuit amplifier topology.


Circuits and Techniques for Implementing Capacitive Touch Sensing

Circuits and Techniques for Implementing Capacitive Touch Sensing

This article presents some basic cap-sense circuit configurations and discusses how to deal with low- and high-frequency noise.


Inductor Out, Op-Amp In: An Introduction to Second-Order Active Filters

Inductor Out, Op-Amp In: An Introduction to Second-Order Active Filters

In this article, we’ll compare active and passive filters and look at some common second-order active topologies.


Choosing the Right Oscillator for Your Microcontroller

Choosing the Right Oscillator for Your Microcontroller

Internal or external? Quartz or ceramic? Crystal oscillator or silicon oscillator? So many clocking options . . . which one is right for your design?


FIR Filter Design by Windowing: Concepts and the Rectangular Window

FIR Filter Design by Windowing: Concepts and the Rectangular Window

In this article, we'll review the basic concepts in digital filter design. We'll also briefly discuss the advantages of FIR filters over IIR designs, e.g. stability and linear-phase response. Finally, we'll go over an introduction to designing FIR filters via the window method.


Digital-to-Analog Conversion with the SAM4S Peripheral DMA Controller

Digital-to-Analog Conversion with the SAM4S Peripheral DMA Controller

Part Three in this three-article series shows you how to generate values for a discrete sinusoid and continuously convert this data into an analog signal without overburdening the CPU.


Projects May 09, 2016 by Robert Keim
Understanding and Using the SAM4S Digital-to-Analog Converter

Understanding and Using the SAM4S Digital-to-Analog Converter

Part Two in this three-article series explores the SAM4S DAC. We’ll look at hardware configuration, electrical characteristics, and the application programming interface.


Projects May 04, 2016 by Robert Keim
DMA Digital-to-Analog Conversion with a SAM4S Microcontroller: The Timer/Counter

DMA Digital-to-Analog Conversion with a SAM4S Microcontroller: The Timer/Counter

Part One in this three-article series focuses on using the SAM4S timer/counter peripheral to precisely control the DAC’s sampling rate.


Projects Apr 28, 2016 by Robert Keim
Classification of Signals used in Electrical Engineering

Classification of Signals used in Electrical Engineering

Classifying signals is a way to organize the signals that surround us. It focuses design, testing requirements, measurement tools, and expected results. There are many ways to classify signals!


PWM Digital-to-Analog Conversion with the SAM4S Xplained Pro

PWM Digital-to-Analog Conversion with the SAM4S Xplained Pro

In this article we’ll use the SAM4S Xplained Pro development platform to get some hands-on experience with a PWM DAC.


Projects Apr 19, 2016 by Robert Keim
Reading Analog Values and PWM with LabVIEW FPGA

Reading Analog Values and PWM with LabVIEW FPGA

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


How to Buffer an Op-Amp Output for Higher Current, Part 4

How to Buffer an Op-Amp Output for Higher Current, Part 4

If you choose to buffer with MOSFETs instead of BJTs, you need to consider the relationship between gate capacitance and instability.


How to Buffer an Op-Amp Output for Higher Current, Part 2

How to Buffer an Op-Amp Output for Higher Current, Part 2

In this article, we will look at two variations on the basic BJT current-buffering circuit.


How to Buffer an Op-Amp Output for Higher Current, Part 1

How to Buffer an Op-Amp Output for Higher Current, Part 1

Op-amps become even more versatile if you can use them in high-current applications. In this article, we will look at a basic current-buffering circuit.


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
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.


Negative Feedback, Part 10: Stability in the Time Domain

Negative Feedback, Part 10: Stability in the Time Domain

The transient response of a negative-feedback amplifier can help us to understand the nature of stability and convey useful information about the stability characteristics of a particular circuit.