Latest Audio Technical Articles

Construction of a Guitar Amplifier

This article explains the theory and the construction of the circuit of a 10W practice guitar amplifier.

The Effect of Offset Voltage on a Precision Current Source

In this article, we’ll continue our discussion of an LTspice circuit that helps us to predict how offset-voltage variations will influence circuit performance.

November 13, 2020 by Robert Keim

Simulating an Op-Amp’s Offset Voltage Variation

In this article, we’ll create an LTspice circuit for analyzing the effect of unpredictable offset voltage on the performance of a precision current-source circuit.

October 27, 2020 by Robert Keim

LTspice Performance Analysis of a Precision Current Pump

In this article, we will use simulations to assess important aspects of the performance of an op-amp-based current source.

October 20, 2020 by Robert Keim

Designing and Simulating EMC Filters with LTspice

In this article, we will review the different types of noise that are present in a circuit. We will also discuss how to perform an accurate simulation of an EMC filter with LTspice.

October 19, 2020 by Ignacio de Mendizábal

How to Design a Precision Current Pump with Op-Amps

This article discusses a voltage-controlled current-source circuit that requires only two op-amps and a handful of resistors.

October 16, 2020 by Robert Keim

Precisely Capture Servo Motor Position Using a High-Speed Simultaneous Sampling ADC

Autonomous drones and robots utilize small motors. These fast-spinning mini motors require miniature encoders and IC package sizes. This article shows how an optical sinusoidal encoder provides a higher resolution and increased speeds with a 2x3 mm dual simultaneous-sampling SAR-ADC.

August 11, 2020 by Bonnie Baker, Maxim Integrated

Sample-Size Compensation in Standard Deviation Calculations

This article discusses Bessel’s correction, which helps us to more accurately estimate the standard deviation of certain parameters and of long-duration signals.

July 21, 2020 by Robert Keim

Average Deviation, Standard Deviation, and Variance in Signal Processing

This article discusses three descriptive statistical measures from the perspective of signal-processing applications.

July 10, 2020 by Robert Keim

Understanding Types of Lock-In Amplifiers and Related Noise Sources

This article is a general guideline on the main aspects of commercially-available amplifiers.

June 16, 2020 by Ignacio de Mendizábal

How Is the Laplace Transform Used in Circuit Design?

In this article, we briefly review how the Laplace transform can help us solve circuits involving damped and steady-state sinusoidal signals.

June 05, 2020 by Robert Keim

Basic Fundamentals of Lock-In Amplifiers

This article discusses the theory fundamentals of lock-in amplifiers.

June 04, 2020 by Ignacio de Mendizábal

What Is Dynamic Range?

The concept of dynamic range appears frequently in engineering discussions. But what exactly does this term mean? And how does it apply to electronic circuits and systems?

June 03, 2020 by Robert Keim

Understanding Dynamic Range in Imaging Systems

This article introduces an important specification for light-sensitive devices and explains its connection to the performance of digital cameras.

June 01, 2020 by Robert Keim

Determining Dynamic Range of CCD Image Sensors

This article explains how CCD construction, operating parameters, and external signal-processing circuitry contribute to the maximum variation in luminance that CCD imaging hardware can capture.

May 29, 2020 by Robert Keim

Anti-Aliasing Filters: Applying Sampling Theory to ADC Design

This article examines an important aspect of the Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem and explains its connection to the need for anti-aliasing filters in analog-to-digital conversion.

May 20, 2020 by Robert Keim