Latest Digital ICs Technical Articles

Which Encoding Type Should I Use? Example FPGA Applications

Follow three experiments that show the process of determining which kind of encoding suits a given FPGA.

January 06, 2021 by Eduardo Corpeño

Comparing Binary, Gray, and One-Hot Encoding

This article shows a comparison of the implementations that result from using binary, Gray, and one-hot encodings to implement state machines in an FPGA. These encodings are often evaluated and applied by the synthesis and implementation tools, so it’s important to know why the software makes these decisions.

January 05, 2021 by Eduardo Corpeño

The Initial State of Finite State Machines and the Memory Debate

This article discusses the use of finite state machines (or FSMs) in design, including the initial state and the way memory configuration affects FPGA design.

January 04, 2021 by Eduardo Corpeño

Creating Finite State Machines in Verilog

This article describes the basics of finite state machines and shows a practical way of implementing them in the Verilog Hardware Description Language.

January 01, 2021 by Eduardo Corpeño

Computing Fast Fourier Transforms on the LPC55S69 MCU

This article investigates the Transform Engine, another part of the PowerQuad, which enables the LPC55S69 MCU to compute a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).

December 17, 2020 by Eli Hughes, NXP Semiconductors

JTAG Implementation in Arm Core Devices

This article will teach you about the intersection between JTAG and Arm core devices, with special attention paid to the Arm Debug Interface or ADI.

December 14, 2020 by Sam Gallagher

Basics of IC Design Flows

This series will give you foundational information about the concept of integrated circuit (IC) design flows across types of IC.

December 09, 2020 by Jean-Jacques DeLisle

What Is Mixed-Signal IC Design?

This brief gives an overview of the steps in a typical mixed-signal IC design flow.

December 07, 2020 by Jean-Jacques DeLisle

Understanding Digital Filtering with Embedded Microcontrollers

Learn about the widely used methods for filtering and processing data samples in the time domain while taking a closer look at the Dual Biquad IIR engine of the PowerQuad unit in the LPC55S69 MCU.

December 03, 2020 by Eli Hughes, NXP Semiconductors

What Is Digital IC Design?

Learn the high-level overview of digital integrated circuit (IC) design.

December 02, 2020 by Jean-Jacques DeLisle

JTAG Connectors and Interfaces

Learn about the interfaces and connectors used to implement JTAG.

November 23, 2020 by Sam Gallagher

The JTAG Test Access Port (TAP) State Machine

In this article, we’re going to look at the test access state machine in detail and even see some pseudocode for a simple JTAG interface.

November 20, 2020 by Sam Gallagher

How the PowerQuad Co-processor Frees Up CPU Cores in the LPC55S69 MCU

In this article, learn about the PowerQuad co-processor and its role in performing CPU-heavy tasks to allow the Arm Cortex-M33 cores to execute other tasks in the LPC55S69 MCU.

November 19, 2020 by Eli Hughes, NXP Semiconductors

Introduction to JTAG and the Test Access Port (TAP)

In this article, we’re going to be talking about JTAG, the ubiquitous hardware tool used for testing, programming, and debugging.

November 18, 2020 by Sam Gallagher

Transistor Sizing in VLSI Design Using the Linear Delay Model

In this article, we will learn how to find the optimal size of a transistor/logic gate present in a larger circuit to provide the desired performance using the linear delay model.

November 16, 2020 by Tosin Jemilehin

What Is a Graphene Field Effect Transistor (GFET)? Construction, Benefits, and Challenges

Learn all about graphene field-effect transistors or GFETs. We'll cover their construction, as well as the benefits and challenges of designing with them.

November 12, 2020 by Amos Kingatua

The Elmore Delay Model in VLSI Design

In this article, we'll discuss the Elmore delay model, which provides a simplistic delay analysis that avoids time-consuming numerical integration/differential equations of an RC network.

November 11, 2020 by Tosin Jemilehin

Introduction to CMOS Image Sensors

In this article, you'll learn the basics of the CMOS image sensor, including its core components, its block diagram, its strengths and weaknesses, and its applications.

November 09, 2020 by Steve Arar

The Linear RC-Delay Model in VLSI Design

In this article, we'll discuss how a single transistor can be sized to properly integrate with other transistors to provide optimal performance in terms of speed and power.

November 02, 2020 by Tosin Jemilehin

The Effect of MOS Non-Idealities on VLSI Circuit Reliability

Learn about various non-idealities of MOS transistors and the effects they have on VLSI system reliability.

October 06, 2020 by Tosin Jemilehin