Articles and news - 10

Sometimes you may need a group of switches where, if any switch is activated, it deactivates the previously active switch. This Design Idea implements such a function with relays...

Toshiba Electronics Europe has launched their first 30 V N-channel common-drain MOSFET. The new SSM10N961L device offers low-loss operation and is specifically intended for use within devices with USB interfaces...

A question that arises frequently in audio and signal processing applications is this: How can I control gain on dual channel (e.g., stereo) inputs simultaneously with only a single knob?...

One of our technicians recently asked for help determining the value of an SMT inductor. It was unmarked, and was many turns of very fine wire on a ferrite core...

With just one leftover op amp or comparator, you can add a battery-condition indicator to your portable circuit design...

You often need to measure current during circuit design and debugging. You can perform that task by breaking a path, inserting a shunt resistor, measuring its voltage, and converting the voltage to current. Unfortunately, that approach is sometimes impractical...

An interesting variation on the theme of digital to analog converters is the digital potentiometer...

Boost converters, like other switchers, have traditionally received their control signals from a dedicated circuit. However, a recent trend is to integrate simple switching-power-supply building blocks into generic devices, such as microcontrollers...

The solar panels are operating at optimal parameters when they are at the perfect right angle to the sun. Unfortunately this is accomplished only if solar panels are rotated by the sun...

By decoding the commands sent by a direct-broadcast satellite receiver that uses the DISEqC protocol, you can troubleshoot the commands or simply listen in...