Laser scanning microscope Blu-ray player
Laser scanning microscope from Blu-ray player
Apr 7, 2026 Circuits

A Blu-ray player must be able to detect the microscopically tiny pits on DVDs in order to play back a film. Therefore, the question arises: Can a Blu-ray player also "see" other structures?...

MHz 555 VFC
1 MHz 555 VFC
Apr 6, 2026 Circuits

For decades, I’ve had a fascination with voltage-to-frequency converters and the 555 analog timer chip, and therefore a double obsession with VFCs based on the 555...

How invert voltages
How to invert voltages
Apr 5, 2026 Articles

This power management tip introduces the two different circuits for a positive-to-negative voltage conversion and for a negative-to-positive voltage conversion...

Improve 555 frequency linearity
Improve 555 frequency linearity
Apr 2, 2026 Articles

After more than fifty years of continuous production in bipolar and fully half that in CMOS, there’s really neither room nor reason to question the value and versatility of the venerable 555 analog timer...

decade antilogarithmic PWM current source
5 decade antilogarithmic PWM current source
Apr 1, 2026 Circuits

The pages of Design Ideas have recently been awash in a veritable cascade of designs for variable frequency oscillators with frequency ranges tunable over multiple decades...

DC DC buck converter Adjustable 97
DC to DC buck converter [Adjustable, 97% efficient, 3 A]
Mar 31, 2026 Circuits

A tiny DC to DC buck converter board is useful for many applications, especially if it could deliver currents up to 3 A...

Vishay Intertechnology 40 LHE linear position
Vishay Intertechnology 40 LHE linear position sensor delivers high accuracy displacement measurement to 40 mm in harsh environments
Mar 31, 2026 News

Vishay Intertechnology introduced a new compact, ready-to-use linear position sensor designed for high accuracy performance in demanding environments...

Regenerating alkaline batteries
Regenerating alkaline batteries
Mar 30, 2026 Articles

The schematic is rather trivial. A voltage regulator brings down a supply voltage (which might be from a car battery) to 5 V. An additional built-up voltage regulator generates an adjustable voltage of 1.95 V...

3V sweeping siren alarm
3V sweeping siren alarm
Mar 29, 2026 Circuits

A while back I was challenged by a visitor to the website. He needed a very loud sweeping siren type audio sound generator powered by 3 V...

STMicroelectronics introduces first automotive microcontroller AI
STMicroelectronics introduces the first automotive microcontroller with AI acceleration for edge intelligence
Mar 29, 2026 News

STMicroelectronics announced the Stellar P3E, the first automotive microcontroller with built-in AI acceleration for automotive edge intelligence...