Light Dependant Resistors: The Fundamentals of Automatic Street Light Design I’m not usually afraid of darkness. In fact, I can’t fall asleep at all if any lights are left on. But a few nights ago, I desperately missed the familiar glow of street lights while attempting to observe sea turtles laying their eggs at a local beach. I missed out on an experience of a lifetime, hidden in pitch darkness. Of course, street lights might sound dull compared to the exciting electronics behind technologies like the Internet of Things Read Article RF and Microwave PCB Design with John Bushie from ASC This is an episode about RF and Microwave PCB Design as well as Design for Manufacturing or DFM and it will help you to understand material choices and where to get answers about high speed laminates. Read Article Great BOM Tools for Successfully Sourcing Your PCB Electronic Components Use your bill of materials for sourcing and supply chain management My friends think I’m neurotic for making so many lists. I always hand-write thorough lists before heading to the grocery store, budgeting my money, or just planning out my day. While it might seem obsessive, my lists help me stay on track and let me track my goals. Once you have finished your PCB design and you are ready to move to the testing and manufacturing phase, you will Read Article BOM Planning: Different Levels of Production There is one really great thing about social media and that is catching up with old friends. I connected with a high school friend who did a lot in his life including some great achievements in the world of Taekwondo. He talks about the different tournaments that he attends, the people that he associates with, and how he has progressed through the different levels of this discipline. There appears to be a lot more to Taekwondo than I would have Read Article 10:05 Getting Started with Design for Manufacturing [DFM] Getting Started with Design for Manufacturing is an Episode of the OnTrack Whiteboard Series. Join David Marrakchi as he gives an Introduction into Design for Manufacturing. How can you save 40% of time per production cycle and lots of money spent on re-spins? Learn some easy tricks that will help you get your design right the first time - every time. View the complete DFM Guidebook by David Marrakchi here. See All OnTrack Newsletters here. Watch Video Pin Swapping and Gate Swapping in Your PCB Layout to Clean Up Your Logic Rat Nest I recently moved into a new apartment, and it was time to unpack all of my electronics. When I reached into the box to pull out my audio cords, power cords, and extension cords, everything was a tangled, helpless mess. If I had taken more time to pack them properly, they probably would not have become tangled. If you are routing traces between an FPGA and external logic ICs on your PCB, your design might look like my mess of cords on moving day Read Article Circular Product Design and PCBs for a Healthier World The world of PCB design is a fast-moving and highly profitable sector. But with the rate of increase we are clearly seeing in the industry, it is apparent that if we are not careful, we may head into some stiff environmental issues that are too deep to repair. Thankfully the push we are seeing from environmental groups is equally correlated to the growth of the industry. The concept of a ‘circular economy’ is at the forefront of these qualms Read Article Peeling Back the Layers: Electronic PCB Stackup One of the first things you notice about the Grand Canyon when you visit is the incredible scenery. The canyon walls with their histories inscribed for all to see through the different colored layers of rocks and minerals are truly inspiring. I’m sure you could spend years and not even come close to discovering all the connections, materials, and creatures that live or have lived within those layered rock-faces. Because it’s hard for me to stop Read Article Crystal Oscillators in Your PCB Layout Keep Frequencies Steady For most of human history, we relied on astronomical timekeeping to plan our lives. Now we have sophisticated clocks that help us manage daily life. As modern life becomes ever more frantic, we need to keep track of fractions of a second. Electronic pcb layout crystal oscillator guidelines are the secret sauce that makes this possible. The output clock signal from a Schmitt-trigger oscillator or a 555 timer is controlled using an RC time constant Read Article How an Electrolytic Capacitor PDN Issue Almost Brought Down a Building I recently came across an interesting story that involves the tale of a boiler system that failed to start under the close supervision of a TDK-Lambda rep, only to be solved by none other than the building maintenance technician. The story starts by the shutdown of an aging boiler in the dead of winter a British winter that required replacement of the seven-year-old radiators. After the repair and replacements took place, the boiler was switched Read Article Voltage Regulators and How to Plan Your Power Budget with PDN Analysis and Examples With my first buck regulator design, I had been given a power budget for the circuit block and I had to take into consideration what it was supplying and what topology I’d use. I considered efficiency to remove heat from the enclosure and I wanted to avoid using a heat sink. I also wanted a robust engine, a regulator to keep on working when the CPU, memory, and other utility circuits were exercising their might. I decided on the buck regulator Read Article Unifying a Comprehensive Collection: PCB Library Management Remodeling my kitchen was a project long overdue. I made a mental list of the materials I would need, such as appliances, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, and paint. Eagerly I drove to the local discount warehouse to peruse the materials. I sat with the store clerk making plans and quickly realized I’d need more than a few mental notes to stay organized. Keeping track of individual tasks within any big project is a chore if you don’t have a Read Article Add Any Component to Your Design With Unified PCB Component Libraries When embarking on the PCB design journey, there are some initial hurdles you’ll need to overcome in order to get your design process running smoothly and without interruption. Sometimes the hurdle is as manageable as making sure you get your coffee in the morning. Sometimes the hurdle is as tall as not having the knowledge, comfort, or software you need to accomplish your design tasks. Oftentimes, when sketching out an initial PCB design, there Read Article Enable Temperature and Humidity Analysis with a Humidity Sensor Circuit Design Living in a country with temperature averages of 35°C all year long, I have excellent heat tolerance. It’s the humidity that gets me all hot and bothered. I come from a small and peaceful town at the base of a hill. It sounds nice but is arguably the most humid town in the whole country. I remember showering at least fives times per day, unable to stand the high concentration of water vapor in the air. When I wasn’t drowning out the heat, I was Read Article Industrial Air Dryer Designs Demand a Keen Eye for Safety Early in my school days, I was lazy and forgetful. I would procrastinate on everything, including washing my school shoes. Pressed for time, I often dried my shoes under the radiator coil of an old-school refrigerator. Of course, that didn’t spare me from an earful of mom’s scolding. In one of my first industrial electronics designs, I did more than dry shoes. I designed an intelligent air dryer controller for a local milk powder processing plant Read Article Bill of Materials Control In the past, many PCB designers were confined to tools that dictated at which point in the design process that the Bill of Materials could be produced. But we know from years of experience that the Bill of Materials, or BOM, can change throughout the design process and the iterative change management is its own challenge. We believe the decisions should be up to you, while the repetitive aspects should be automated as much as possible, which is Read Article Bill of Materials Management Guide In the past, many PCB designers were confined to tools that dictated when the Bill of Materials could be produced. But we know from years of experience that the Bill of Materials, or BOM, can change throughout the design process. We believe the decision should be up to you, which is why we strive to offer tools that embrace flexible and agile options for PCB designers and other professionals involved in the decision process. Click the PDF above Read Article Pagination First page « First Previous page ‹‹ Page152 Current page153 Page154 Page155 Page156 Page157 Next page ›› Last page Last » Load More
