Smart speakers have become ubiquitous in homes, raising the bar for consumer audio quality standards in household items. New audio features are popping up in unlikely places: digital voice assistants in coffeemakers that announce a fresh brew, or digital thermostats that can tell you the weather while playing your favorite jazz album (Figure 1). As consumer reliance on smart home…
(Note: Thomas Foster and Esteban Garcia co-authored this technical article.)
In 1976, National Semiconductor (now TI) introduced the LM2904, one of the most popular operational amplifiers (op amps) worldwide. It was a time when 8-track tapes played your favorite tunes in the car, a vehicle could get you an average of 14.22 miles to the gallon, and people used…
(Gavin Bakshi co-authored this technical article.)
The technical article, “What is a smart DAC?” explained what a smart digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is and how it can bring value to many applications. Smart DACs can improve design efficiencies by reducing the burden of software development, and they provide many useful functions that would…
Engineers are always striving to make things more effective, more efficient and less expensive. System designers typically use a precision digital-to-analog converter (DAC) when they need very precise control of an analog output. A design that requires precise control of auxiliary functions typically also needs a combination of discrete analog components…
In part 1 of this series, I covered issues related to power consumption in single-supply operational amplifier (op-amp) circuits with a sinusoidal output and DC offset. I also discussed two techniques for reducing power consumption in these circuits: increasing resistor sizes and picking an op amp with a lower quiescent current. Both tactics are available in most…
This is a guest technical article from Cadence® Design Systems.
So, you have designed a circuit and are ready to start your simulation. How do you begin?
To start, you need to define a simulation profile. Simulation profiles define the various aspects of a simulation or analysis for various simulators, including PSpice® for TI. Definitions may include the analysis you want to perform and the resources you want to…
Many automotive, communication and industrial systems take real-world input and provide corresponding outputs to create a precise control response. For example, autonomous driving detects and controls vehicles based on the real-world input of their proximity to other objects. In telecommunication radios or base stations, the outdoor temperature can affect power requirements for transmission…
Manufacturers build mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs) with the ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. An MHEV incorporates a 48-V motor-drive system connected to the transmission system of a vehicle. To reduce GHG emissions, the internal combustion engine (ICE) in an MHEV turns off when the vehicle is coasting, while the 48-V motor system charges the 48-V…
Differential signaling is becoming more popular in analog front ends, especially in factory automation designs, to interface with differential analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). In this article, I’ll discuss the advantages of a fully differential signal path, explain why precision is important and discuss how new fully differential amplifiers can meet precision challenges.
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Several commercial satellite companies have entered the space sector with a major impact, revolutionizing this once largely government-funded activity. The need to launch more satellites per year is driven by companies wanting to develop telecommunications mega-constellations, robust radar networks and enhanced optical imaging platforms into low-Earth orbit, medium…
In recent years, the popularity of battery-powered electronics has made power consumption an increasing priority for analog circuit designers. With this in mind, this article is the first in a series that will cover the ins and outs of designing systems with low-power operational amplifiers (op amps).
In the first installment, I will discuss power…
When designing for increased efficiency in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, sensor accuracy and consistency have a significant effect. A system’s ability to accurately sense and measure temperature and humidity levels of inside and outside air sensors, damper controls, thermostats and fans minimizes system run time because the system can use more data…
This article appeared in Planet Analog and has been published here with permission.
Galvanic isolation is common in industrial and automotive systems as a means of protecting against high voltages or to counteract ground potential differences. Designers traditionally used optocouplers for isolation, but in the last few years, digital isolators that use capacitive and magnetic…
Have you ever designed a circuit that didn’t quite turn out the way you expected? I know I have! In this article I’ll help you resolve three common challenges associated with Hall-effect sensors in industrial and automotive applications – rotary encoding, robust signaling and in-plane magnetic sensing.
Challenge No. 1 – you can’t get a good…
Integrated multi-half-bridge drivers are becoming more popular as designers push the envelope on what’s possible within their ever-shrinking printed circuit board (PCB) designs. PCBs are getting smaller while power levels and feature requirements are growing. This leaves some engineers wondering whether it’s better to stick with their traditional discrete half-bridge design or move…
Battery-powered audio system designers seek to achieve two goals: extending playback time and reducing cost. Older, conventional Class-D amplifiers, while reliable, have been part of this challenge because they consume too much power for portable systems.
Digital-input Class-D amplifiers have delivered audio in television sets for a decade. The problem with amplifiers designed for TVs is that they are not designed to…
Have you ever thought that an integrated digital signal processor (DSP) in an audio amplifier was only used for digital filters, equalization or audio mixing? The reality is that DSPs integrated in modern audio amplifiers bring much more to the party, including increasing both amplifier and audio system efficiency.
Battery-powered speakers continue to be one of the most convenient…
Stepper motors are an integral part of systems that need precise positioning, excellent speed control and repeatability of movement. You’ll find stepper motors in 3D printers, textile machines, medical tools, robotics, printers, stage lighting and ATMs.
A stepper motor has two electrical current windings controlled with an H-bridge, and moves in discrete…
As the need for higher resolution and higher-speed signal chains increases for industrial equipment such as programmable logic controllers, weigh scales and automated test equipment, so does the need for high-precision amplifiers acting as analog-to-digital converter (ADC) drivers and voltage reference buffers in such signal chains.
In this article, I’ll discuss two common…
Explosive atmospheres or environments with the potential for the ignition of combustible sources pose an inherent challenge for the safe operation of critical machinery in industries such as oil refineries, sawmills and chemical plants. These environments produce flammable gases and dust that when combined with oxygen and an ignition source can cause an explosion.
To help…
It is necessary everywhere – to protect humans, provide noise immunity and handle ground potential differences between subsystems. You design for it in applications such as motor drives, solar inverters, DC charging (pile) stations, industrial robots, uninterruptible power supplies, traction inverters, onboard chargers and…
With the growing popularity of digital isolators in industrial and automotive applications, it can be overwhelming to select the best device for your system from the plethora of available options. Adding to this challenge, most digital isolators are designed with specific system requirements and applications in mind, leaving you to sort through endless specifications and features to ensure that the device you have selected…
Whether you’re designing an aerospace and defense system, test and measurement equipment or automotive lidar analog front end (AFE), hardware designers using modern high-speed data converters face tough challenges with high-frequency inputs, outputs, clock rates and digital interface. Issues might include connecting with…
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