Taking the family-first approach to op amp design
The first time I visited a Texas barbecue restaurant, I was astounded by all the different types of meat on the menu and couldn’t decide what I wanted. Luckily, the restaurant offered a three-meat...
View ArticleBuild smarter factories with TI’s ultrasonic sensors
A key driver of efficiency within a factory is automation; more and more factories are starting to adopt a factory environment that is fully autonomous, known as “lights-out manufacturing.” Sensors are...
View ArticleAutomating smart home systems with motor drivers
Over the past decade, automation has taken the leap from factories and assembly lines to our very own homes and office buildings, making the places we work and live in smarter and more modern to adapt...
View ArticleOptocouplers and silicon-based galvanic isolation technology – how do they work?
Galvanic isolation is a necessary form of protection for all electronics that interface with humans or other circuits against possible high-voltage events ranging from tens of volts to kilovolts....
View ArticleHow to choose the right proximity sensor for your design needs
This post was co-written with Rahland Gordon and Robert Ferguson.As the world becomes increasingly automated, it’s imperative for the technology we interact with every day to detect and respond to...
View ArticleWhy current and magnetic sensing matters for wireless earbud design
Wireless earbuds have infiltrated the electronics market in recent years. Users can now walk away from their streaming devices without the fear of being yanked back by a caught wire. True wireless...
View ArticleNew logic family enables noise-tolerant and lower-power system designs
Electrical noise can be a designer’s worst nightmare, leading to unexpected system behavior or even failure that is very difficult to trace. In traditional High-speed complementary metal-oxide...
View ArticleUnderstanding tamper detection sensors
Many systems require a method to detect tampering. In some cases, that could mean that the door of a product has been opened. In other cases, it could mean that a seal on a device has been breached, or...
View ArticleHow stepper motors improve noise and efficiency in automotive system design
Stepper motors are popular in vehicle lighting systems for headlight leveling and steering. As automakers transition to quieter electric vehicles, noise reduction in these systems becomes more...
View ArticleWhy signal isolation matters in 48-V HEV/EV systems
One of the key differences between conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) or electric vehicles (EVs) is the presence of multiple batteries and voltage...
View ArticleHow to boost the performance of your resolver – without compromise
Motor control is an essential part of electric vehicles, which generally use permanent magnet AC motor (PMAC) or induction motors. There are advantages to both types, as well as trade-offs.PMAC motors...
View ArticleHow tiny data converters give you more value per square
(Note: Kaustubh Gadgil and Robert Schreiber co-authored this technical article.)With the increased trend toward smaller systems, every square millimeter of printed circuit board (PCB) area matters. At...
View ArticleDecompensated op amps to the rescue
With all the handheld devices at our fingertips these days, from PDA’s and smart phones, to medical devices and test equipment, it’s no surprise we need them to last as long as possible before giving...
View ArticleNoise gain, signal gain, what a pain!
When I was little my grandfather would ask me “what’s heavier, 5 pounds of lead or 5 pounds of feathers?” and I would immediately answer “lead of course!”Although the volume is not the same, the weight...
View ArticleWhat’s the difference between macro models and behavioral models?
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a Spice macro model and a behavioral model? The basic difference is that macro models like the LMV641 are transistor based. There’s of...
View ArticleLet there be light: Converting light into voltage
Converting light into a voltage is no trivial task. Photodiodes are used in various areas ranging from general purpose use, such as automatic faucets, hand dryers and bill counters, to industrial...
View ArticleWhat you always wanted to know about TINA-TI but were afraid to ask! (Part 2)
Other Parts Discussed in Post: TINA-TI, LMH6703In Part 1 I explained how to create a versatile and accurate differential source in TINA-TI which comes in handy when dealing with a fully differential...
View ArticleA new era for CMOS amplifiers
Other Parts Discussed in Post: OPA192A little over a decade ago, semiconductor design and applications engineers high fived each other when they had working silicon on CMOS because it achieved sub...
View ArticleIs it time to move beyond FR4?
Is your circuit board compromising your circuit? Is it time to consider a change from the standby FR4 board material? With rising operating frequencies and higher data rates, signal fidelity is more...
View ArticleHow to evaluate a transimpedance amplifier (part 2)
Other Parts Discussed in Post: OPA857, BUF602, PGA870In my previous blog on "How to evaluate a transimpedance amplifier, part 1", we looked at the OPA857 performance, but didn’t go in depth in...
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