Recent trends to miniaturize industrial products have created new challenges for precision data-acquisition systems. Designers must balance solution size and power consumption of the overall system while enabling more precise signal measurements at higher bandwidths – while making trade-offs along the way.
In this article, I’ll discuss these challenges in…
The input common-mode voltage range (commonly abbreviated as VCM or VICR) is a term that’s widely recognized in the analog world but misunderstood in the comparators world. For an amplifier, VCM is defined as the average voltage applied to both inputs. But for a comparator, it has an entirely different meaning.
The normal operation of a comparator implies two inputs crossing…
The classic analog signal chain comprises inputs, processing and outputs. The inputs are received by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) or comparators. A microcontroller (MCU) with control software handles the processing. Finally, the analog outputs are produced by digital-to-analog converters (DACs) or pulse-width modulation (PWM).
In this article, I’ll introduce a new type of…
Comparators are fundamental analog components found in nearly every application. One way to describe comparators is that they are 1-bit ADCs: They have two inputs, with one typically used as a voltage reference and the other an input voltage signal. Depending on which input is the reference and what the input voltages are, the comparator output will toggle…
(This article was originally published on Planet Analog.)
I last left you hanging with a fancy-looking diagram and table in the first installment of this series, very likely lost, dazed and confused. Let me go into some more detail on the three motor types: speed, torque and position.
Speed
A motor system falls under the speed category when its primary function is to operate at a constant or variable speed. These systems…
(This article was originally published on Planet Analog.)
Quick – what are the three motor types? The most common answer that I hear is “brushed-DC motors, stepper motors and brushless-DC motors,” which is basically a knee-jerk reaction to the question. Some of the more intrepid motor-drive experts I know might say “single-phase AC input, multiphase AC input or DC input,” categorizing each motor by its input…
Today’s space race isn’t just about landing on new worlds; it’s a race to better connect our own, through global broadband connectivity powered by mega constellations known as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Just like terrestrial applications, LEO satellites require signal and power isolation to enhance system integrity and performance by preventing ground potential…
The transimpedance amplifier (TIA) is one of the most common circuits in the world of precision analog circuits. The dynamic range required of a single TIA can be quite a challenge, often spanning many decades, such as picoamperes to microamperes.
Selecting a single resistor to accommodate such a wide dynamic range is a lose-lose situation, so circuit designers will often turn to…
As Industry 4.0 spreads advanced manufacturing processes across global markets, demand for highly automated systems that operate with an integrated manufacturing flow and constantly collect process control data is increasing drastically. Most of these systems – including magnetic encoders in robotic arms, proximity sensors, actuators, pressure transmitters, linear motors and autonomous…
In applications measuring high current levels through a resistive shunt, the differential voltage developed across a tiny shunt is typically very small in order to minimize the power dissipation inside the sensing resistor – in the range of just a few millivolts. Contrary to popular belief, the slew rate of the op amp has little bearing on its performance due to the small signal…
Global efforts to reduce power consumption are only increasing, with many countries requiring that home appliances, like those shown in Figure 1, meet efficiency standards set by organizations such as the China Institute of Standards (CNIS), Energy Star in the United States and Blue Angel in Germany. To meet these standards, system designers are increasingly moving away…
Reducing the size of integrated circuits (ICs) is often viewed as little more than a path to more compact printed circuit boards (PCBs) or the ability to add functionality without increasing the form factor of a system. And while systems from wearable electronics to automotive cameras continue pushing the limits of physical form factors, integrating the temperature…
Note: Carolina Gomez collected the data for this article.
In my previous articles, I walked through optimizing an operational amplifier (op amp) circuit for power savings and talked about some of the applications that can take advantage of amplifiers with low-voltage-supply capabilities. In this installment of the "Designing with low-power op amps" series, I will show you…
With smartwatches and fitness bands widely used as personal health monitoring devices, the accurate acquisition of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals on these wearable devices has become a field of great interest. An ECG records activity in the heart through the acquisition of electrical signals. Conventional ECG systems such as patient monitors involve the connection of multiple electrodes…
Artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing the capabilities of machine vision and imaging applications. Edge Al, a subset of artificial intelligence that enables localized decision making at the edge, plays a key role among other elements such as 5G network and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the development of New Infrastructure. Through focusing on…
Relative humidity (RH) sensors are specialized sensors with an open cavity to measure water vapor present in the air. Relative humidity is a critical measurement, as humidity in the air can have a direct effect on system reliability (corrosion) or product longevity since humidity in a storage environment can have a direct impact on perishables.
One of the challenges with RH sensors…
The proliferation of 48-V battery systems in vehicles has created a need for high-precision, multidecade current measurement to maximize the efficiency of the battery management system (BMS). In this article, I will discuss the challenge when measuring up to five decades of current and analyze methods to solve this challenge. I will also discuss how additional diagnostic…
(This is a guest technical article from Cadence® Design Systems.)
Part 1 of this series discussed optimizing your simulation profile in PSpice® for TI. After creating a schematic and a simulation profile, you are ready to simulate your circuit design and view the results.
The results must be accurate, of course. However, the effectiveness of a simulation is only half as good as the flexibility and ease of viewing…
There are many approaches to designing low-voltage systems in motor-driven building automation and grid infrastructure applications such as smart meters, smart locks, Internet Protocol (IP) network cameras and video doorbells, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Battery-powered systems: a video doorbell, smart utility meter and electronic smart lock
Common challenges when designing…
A high-voltage circuit design requires isolation in order to protect human operators, enable communication to lower-voltage circuitry and eliminate unwanted noise within the system. Digital isolators provide a simple and reliable way to achieve high-voltage isolated communication in industrial and automotive applications.
Maintaining the integrity of a signal…
If you design automotive systems, you may feel tremendous pressure to redefine vehicle powertrain systems to meet the reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goals established by initiatives in the European Union, United States, China and Japan, just to name a few. To meet these targets, some automobile manufacturers are implementing 48-V systems for mild hybrid electric vehicles…
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…
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