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What Is a Hardware Description Language (HDL)?

This FEQ (or Frequent Engineering Question) covers the basics of a crucial topic: hardware description languages.

March 11, 2020 by Robert Keim

Low-Pin-Count Serial Communication: Introduction to the 1-Wire Bus

The 1-wire bus, though not as widespread as other protocols, is a valuable communication technique for certain applications.

March 09, 2020 by Robert Keim

Introduction to Histogram Equalization

How can digital signal processing help you equalize histograms for digital photography? Learn more here.

March 08, 2020 by Steve Arar

Introduction to the I2S Interface

This article discusses the characteristics and applications of a serial communication protocol intended specifically for audio systems.

March 04, 2020 by Robert Keim

Image Arithmetic in DSP: Image Averaging and Image Subtraction

Learn how to employ arithmetic operations on images as a way to enhance image quality, detect changes, and reduce noise.

March 03, 2020 by Steve Arar

Watchdog Timers in Microcontrollers

This article is the fourth of a series on microcontroller timers which discusses internal watchdogs.

February 10, 2020 by Stephen Colley

Real Time Clocks (RTCs) in Microcontroller Timers

This article is the third of a series on microcontroller timers which describes the RTCs inside a microcontroller.

February 09, 2020 by Stephen Colley

Pulse-width Modulation (PWM) Timers in Microcontrollers

This article is the second of a series on microcontroller timers. This article describes a more complex timer called the PWM or pulse-width modulation timer.

February 07, 2020 by Stephen Colley

Understanding Local Minima in Neural-Network Training

This article discusses a complication that can prevent your Perceptron from achieving adequate classification accuracy.

February 06, 2020 by Robert Keim

Incorporating Bias Nodes Into Your Neural Network

This article shows you how to add bias values to a multilayer Perceptron implemented in a high-level programming language such as Python.

February 05, 2020 by Robert Keim

How to Increase the Accuracy of a Hidden Layer Neural Network

In this article, we’ll perform some classification experiments and gather data on the relationship between hidden-layer dimensionality and network performance.

February 04, 2020 by Robert Keim

How Many Hidden Layers and Hidden Nodes Does a Neural Network Need?

This article provides guidelines for configuring the hidden portion of a multilayer Perceptron.

January 31, 2020 by Robert Keim

Training Datasets for Neural Networks: How to Train and Validate a Python Neural Network

In this article, we’ll use Excel-generated samples to train a multilayer Perceptron, and then we’ll see how the network performs with validation samples.

January 30, 2020 by Robert Keim

Introduction to Microcontroller Timers: Periodic Timers

This article, the first in a series on “timer/counter” functions in microcontrollers, discusses periodic timers.

January 14, 2020 by Stephen Colley

How Software Automation in PCBA Manufacturing Helps Quicken Innovation

Manufacturing still takes a large portion of time in the electrical engineering cycle. This article discusses how software-driven automation and the IIoT can help hasten the manufacturing process.

December 17, 2019 by Shashank Samala, Tempo Automation

How to Calibrate a Microcontroller Internal Oscillator: A DIY Trimming Procedure Algorithm

This article presents an algorithm intended for humans to calibrate the internal oscillator of an MCU, with the help of an oscilloscope and a spreadsheet. An example experiment with numbers is also shown.

December 13, 2019 by Eduardo Corpeño

How to Calibrate MCU Internal Oscillators

This article describes the internal RC oscillator calibration mechanism available in low-end microcontroller units. A basic calibration procedure and considerations on automated calibration are presented.

December 12, 2019 by Eduardo Corpeño

The Good and the Bad of MCU Internal Oscillators

This article describes the benefits and requirements of the internal RC oscillator often available inside many low-cost Microcontroller units, including the calibration procedure to obtain the best possible accuracy.

December 11, 2019 by Eduardo Corpeño

Predicting Battery Degradation with a Trinket M0 and Python Software Algorithms

Learn how to build a setup that will help you predict a battery's performance as it ages using a Trinket M0 and software algorithms.

December 09, 2019 by Aaron Hanson

How to Fix Hardware Issues in Software

In this article, we are going to discuss how to identify and fix 'errors' in your software and hardware designs.

November 10, 2019 by Colin Walls