Circuits & Schematics - Microcontrollers Usage - 9

The ubiquitous LCD (Figure 1) (and VFD) modules based on the HD44780 controller IC can require up to 12 lines from the host. Figure 1. A typical LCD module. This hardware interface Design Idea (Figure 2) reduces the connection to just one wire, ...

Loren Passmore EDN As in a previous Design Idea (Reference 1), this design uses an LED as a transducer to measure the ambient-light level and to provide illumination. This Design Idea uses the same principle as its predecessor but consists of only ...

Čestmír Hýbl elbastl.sweb.cz Introduction Some time ago I was poking in my box of old components. I was searching something else, but I stopped when a few of nixies came up into my hand. Once upon a time (a long, long time ago) I ...

Mike Mitchell EDN The power-up cycle of the supply voltage in embedded-system applications is sometimes not a clean event. This fact holds especially true in battery-operated systems, because the insertion of a battery often causes significant ...

General information In this article we will talk about a simple device that I designed for automatic control of additional LED lighting in the kitchen. Kitchen renovating and complete replacement of kitchen cabinetry are main reasons for ...

When you need an analog output from a microcontroller that does not have a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), you can connect an external DAC chip. But for a cheaper solution, use a pulse-width modulated (PWM) output and add a low-pass filter (LPF) ...

Analog Devices Circuit Note CN-0038 Circuit Function and Benefits This circuit provides a programmable gain function using a multiplying DAC and an operational amplifier (op amp). The maximum gain value and the temperature coefficient are set by ...

Introduction Data loss is a concern in telecom, industrial and automotive applications where embedded systems depend on a consistent supply of power. Sudden power interruptions can corrupt data during read and write operations for hard drives and ...

A microcontroller requires dc operating power in the 2 to 5.5 V range, an amount that a battery or a secondary power source can easily supply. However, in certain situations, a microcontroller-based product must operate directly from a 120 or 220 ...

Francois AUGER Philippe Fretaud EDN Many previous Design Ideas [1, 2] have shown how to use the Charlieplexing technique [3] to drive as many LEDs as possible with a minimum number of I/O lines. This Design Idea shows how you can drive three LEDs ...