Innovation is critical in today’s engineering world and it demands technical knowledge and the highest level of creativity. Seeing compact articles that solve design problems or display innovative ways to accomplish design tasks can help to fuel your electronics creativity.
You can find many very circuit ideas at ePanorama.net circuits page.
In addition to this links to interesting electronics design related articles worth to check out can be posted to the comments section.
1,929 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 methods to minimize harmful dV/dt #transients in switching #circuits #PowerManagement
https://www.edn.com/3-methods-to-minimize-harmful-dv-dt-transients-in-switching-circuits/?utm_content=buffer91f61&utm_medium=social&utm_source=edn_facebook&utm_campaign=buffer
Tomi Engdahl says:
Transformer is E=4.44fNAIB with f frequency. E is EMF A is area I is current and B is magnetic field strength.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A numberof Switching power supplies are available in market, all apparantly look fine, but when made to work hard they fail. here is how you can benchmark your power supply.
How to Test a SMPS Power Supply Board
http://mag.breadboard.pk/how-to-test-a-smps-power-supply-board/
To verify product functionalities and design parameters, a power supply circuit requires sophisticated testing methods and electronic test equipment. It is necessary to gather better knowledge about the SMPS testing requirements to fulfill product standards. In this article, we will learn how to test SMPS circuit and talk about some of the most basic tests for SMPS and the safety norms that need to be followed to test an SMPS circuit easily and efficiently. The following examination gives you an idea about the most basic power supply architectures and their testing process.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Choose an Electronic Load
https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/whitepaper/21145565/how-to-choose-an-electronic-load?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS201019056&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
What things do we need to consider before purchasing an electronic load? We discuss what electronic loads are, what points to consider before purchasing, and why reading the specifications just isn’t good enough.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Thermal properties of FR4 laminates is probably one of the last points some designers consider when they create their boards. Here are the important thermal properties to consider in PCB design.
FR4 Thermal Properties to Consider During Design
https://www.nwengineeringllc.com/article/fr4-thermal-properties-to-consider-during-design.php
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power Tips #100: 12 years of power supply design challenges and solutions
https://www.edn.com/power-tips-100-12-years-of-power-supply-design-challenges-and-solutions/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNDesignIdeas-20201020
Tomi Engdahl says:
Design Ideas Submission Guide
https://www.edn.com/design-ideas-submission-guide/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNDesignIdeas-20201020
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rechargeable batteries enable greener electronics
https://www.edn.com/rechargeable-batteries-enable-greener-electronics/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNWeekly-20201015
While batteries provide untethered power, enabling convenience, dependability, and mobility, environmental responsibility suggests that rechargeable batteries have the same benefits, but can save money while reducing the amount of waste. This article examines the benefits offered by rechargeable battery technology, enabling us to make life better.
The technological hardware we use is greatly enabled by the physical phenomena of electrical charge in motion—electricity. Alternating current (AC), which moves bidirectionally, is useful for sending power over vast distances because of its simplicity in changing voltages through the use of transformers. On the other hand, direct current (DC) is a unidirectional current where electricity moves from a negative terminal in the direction of the positive terminal. One of the unique features of DC is that it can get stored for later usage.
International Space Station (ISS), working diligently to replace various DC batteries (Figure 1). NASA reported the astronauts were “swapping five aging nickel-hydrogen (NiH2) batteries with two new lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries” and later moved on to swap one more NiH2 battery for a Li-ion battery on the Starboard-6 truss structure worksite. Rechargeable batteries allow us to be unplugged even into the vast domains of space.
Besides allowing us to go unplugged, secondary batteries are rechargeable and can be recharged repeatedly. One important ramification of this is that battery costs must be reevaluated over time. In many cases, primary batteries are less costly to purchase. However, when the amount of current consumption is calculated over time, the need only to buy a secondary cell initially and then get many low-cost recharges out of it will make the economic benefits of rechargeable batteries stand out as very advantageous. The principle of the total cost of ownership (ToC) should be examined based on the context of the specific application.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Testing For Electromagnetic Compliance Without An Anechoic Chamber
https://semiengineering.com/testing-for-electromagnetic-compliance-without-an-anechoic-chamber/
Making the path to final emissions and susceptibility compliance faster with early software-based testing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Reducing the Volume of Power Supply with MinE-CAP
https://www.eetimes.com/reducing-the-volume-of-power-supply-with-mine-cap/
Power Integrations has announced its latest MinE-CAP solution for high power density AC-DC converters with universal input. MinE-CAP technology reduces the size of high-voltage electrolytic capacitors (bulk capacitors), also reducing the overall size of the adapter by up to 40%. The MinE-CAP device also drastically reduces the inrush current, making NTC thermistors unnecessary, thus increasing system efficiency and decreasing heat dissipation.
Electrolytic capacitors take up a good amount of space in AC/DC power supplies, very often limiting the form factor of an overall battery charger. The goal of Power Integrations is to use low-voltage capacitors for much of the energy storage, thus reducing the volume of these components.
The implementation of GaN technology has made it possible to reduce heat sinks by fully exploiting its better switching and on-resistance properties. “In addition to GaN, another element to consider when talking about efficiency in power supplies is the switching frequency,” said Andrew Smith, director of training at Power Integrations. He added, “When you want to make power supplies smaller, the conventional approach is to increase switching frequency. So a lot of applications we will see in the marketplace push switching frequency up.”
He also added that “PowiGaN switches increase efficiency — no heatsinks or heat-spreaders required. In the same time, InnoSwitch3 devices introduced thermal fold-back, with no corner-case limits and peak power for rapid charging,” said Smith.
By Increasing switching frequency (> 300 kHz) the size of transformer can be reduced, but this process can create thermal, EMI and efficiency problems for practical flyback implementations making it necessary to add other components to mitigate these effects. “It also means that mechanically it’s hard to build the power supply because you’ve got now many more components,” said Smith.
The increase in switching frequency brings with it the need for additional circuits to reduce snubber and switching losses, thus losing some dimensional advantages that had been created before. “The other component on the primary side (figure 1) that needs consideration is the electrolytic input bulk capacitor” said Smith.
He also said, “It’s a big component that controls peak power, and becomes a good candidate to offer a further size reduction for the power supply. What we looked at is a technique to reduce the size of the input capacitor,” said Smith.
He added, “the input voltage and the amount of energy the output needs, dictates how much capacitance is needed. So, as far as size is concerned, it’s all about the input voltage range you’re working from and the amount of output power you’re trying to provide”.
The energy stored in a capacitor is proportional to the square of the applied voltage and the capacitance. “We need less capacitance for the high line (176-264 VAC), and need 4x more capacitance for the low line (90-132 VAC)”, said Smith.
The bulk capacitor must be large enough to withstand high voltage over a wide input power supply range, i.e. 264 VAC, which means approximately one 400 volt capacitor. “The problem with this is that the bulk capacitor for 400 volts is very much larger than a bulk capacitor would be for 160 volts.
High voltage and high capacitance capacitors are required for a wide input range, making this component large. What Power Integrations has done is to introduce an integrated solution by reducing the size to a minimum.
Capacitance Controller
The MinE-CAP is an intelligent controller that decides whether the input voltage is low enough to add additional (low voltage) capacitance to the circuit. The advantage of this is that we have a small high voltage capacitor and a larger, low voltage one. And this allows you to drastically reduce the amount of space occupied by the bulk capacitor.
“The other advantage of this is that we have now removed most of the capacitance initially seen in the circuit and a reduced inrush current, which is related to the size of the bulk capacitor. So, the power supply sees a much lower inrush current. And this means that we can avoid implementing inrush limiters and other protective circuits on the power supply input stage. So, we can actually increase efficiency,” said Smith.
The inrush current is directly proportional to the size of the bulk capacitor size and, therefore, to the input voltage. A large inrush current leads to more stress on the input rectifier, consequently good robustness is required to survive the inrush currents.
By reducing inrush by more than 90% with MinE-CAP, it is not necessary to add an inrush current filter, thus increasing efficiency.
The inrush current can be >100 A for short periods of time, creating a strong thermal shock to the rectifier. The thermistor aims to provide a high impedance to its passage, but with MinE-CAP this shock is reduced.
The MinE-CP technology works best between about 25 and 75 watts, adapting very well to the market area where fast charging is required. “We can actually reduce the size of the entire power supply up to about 40% depending on the application”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackatronic.com/voltage-to-current-converter/
Voltage to current converter is mostly used to transmit signals over a long distance to a control circuit.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/analogwire/archive/2019/09/12/driving-industrial-innovation-with-ti-small-size-sensors?HQS=asc-sens-csps-smallest20_smallsizetecharticle-exah-ta-ElectronicDesign-wwe&DCM=yes&utm_source=EG+ED+Update%3A+Power+and+Analog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS201023064&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&dclid=CL2MjqXj2ewCFYoSGAodcXQK0Q
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.edn.com/control-loop-optimization-made-easy-for-power-converter-designers/?utm_content=buffer16ec2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=edn_facebook&utm_campaign=buffer
Tomi Engdahl says:
Generating Very Low Voltages with Standard Regulators
Using a “trick,” a switching or linear regulator can generate lower voltages than the feedback voltage. It requires another positive supply voltage connected to the resistive divider to adjust the output voltage.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/whitepaper/21143906/analog-devices-generating-very-low-voltages-with-standard-regulators?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS201023025&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://mag.breadboard.pk/rf-oscillators/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.electroinvention.co.in/ic555-delay-timer-to-control-ac-device
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build your own Adjustable Electronic DC Load using Arduino
http://mag.breadboard.pk/build-your-own-adjustable-electronic-dc-load-using-arduino/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackatronic.com/igbt-insulated-gate-bipolar-transistor-its-working-and-applications/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2020/10/power-formulas-ac-dc.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Control-loop optimization made easy for #power converter designers #software #filters
https://buff.ly/2TOhF06
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mike Wilkins
PTC and NTC thermistors are used for inrush current limiting Switch-mode power supplies
https://www.ametherm.com/inrush-current/ptc-thermistors-for-inrush-current-limiting
MOV is used for over voltage surge suppression
Tomi Engdahl says:
Transformerless power supplies
https://www.electroschematics.com/transformer-less-power-supply/
And beware, it is not considered safe, if not properly enclosed. More elaborate info here https://hackaday.com/2017/04/04/the-shocking-truth-about-transformerless-power-supplies/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://web.archive.org/web/20191225172053/http://www.techlib.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/146222/surge-protection-for-smps
https://www.ametherm.com/inrush-current/ptc-thermistors-for-inrush-current-limiting
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ultra-Dense Microsupercapacitors, as Thin as a Fingerprint, Could Power Future Wearables
Ultra-compact capacitors storing far more energy than previous efforts are being positioned as the next big — or small — thing in the IoT.
https://www.hackster.io/news/ultra-dense-microsupercapacitors-as-thin-as-a-fingerprint-could-power-future-wearables-bdce8175da55
Tomi Engdahl says:
#095 Coax Cables and Connectors Quick Walkthrough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClLq9e-IZIw
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.learnerswings.com/2014/07/5v-fixed-output-voltage-regulator-using.html?m=1
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://anilabindia.blogspot.com/2020/10/ac-band-pass-circuit.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to make 5v,12v 2AMP switch mode power supply
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olf-AuWiDs0
Tomi Engdahl says:
BECOME VERY UNPOPULAR VERY FAST WITH THIS DIY EMP GENERATOR
https://hackaday.com/2016/10/12/become-very-unpopular-very-fast-with-this-diy-emp-generator/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://ethcircuits.com/automatic-battery-charger/
Tomi Engdahl says:
What is Switch Bouncing and How to prevent it using Debounce Circuit
http://mag.breadboard.pk/what-is-switch-bouncing-and-how-to-prevent-it-using-debounce-circuit/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This DIY Robot Cat Moves and Acts Like Its Real-Life Counterpart
Not satisfied with current robot pets on the market, one tinkerer decided to make his own purrfect companion.
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-diy-robot-cat-moves-and-acts-like-its-real-life-counterpart-71491b9d973b
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://ethcircuits.com/touch-switch-circuit-diagram/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://ethcircuits.com/220-v-ac-led-chaser-circuit-diagram/
Tomi Engdahl says:
What Bandwidth is Needed for an Arbitrary Digital Signal?
https://www.nwengineeringllc.com/article/what-bandwidth-is-needed-for-an-arbitrary-digital-signal.php
This is a common question in high speed digital design, and it is one that does not have a simple answer. As much as we’d like to think digital signals have a fixed bandwidth, they don’t, contrary to statements from PCB design “experts.” Where you cut off the bandwidth of your digital signal and your channel depends on multiple factors, and designers should understand what defines bandwidth limits when designing high data rate communication channels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) – Formulas and Equations: https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2020/11/bipolar-junction-transistor-bjt-formulas-and-equations.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Make 775 Motor Speed PWM Controller Circuit
https://techsawco.com/how-to-make-775-motor-speed-pwm-controller-circuit/
This post explains how to control the speed of a 775 DC Motor using the 555 Timer IC. This circuit is high power and can be used to easily adjust the speed of the motor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.edn.com/reduce-dc-power-supply-noise/
Tomi Engdahl says:
High power adjustable switching power supply (SMPS) 3-60V 40A
http://danyk.cz/reg60v_en.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) – Formulas and Equations
https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2020/11/bipolar-junction-transistor-bjt-formulas-and-equations.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Where does DC switching power audible #noise come from, and how can it be reduced or eliminated? #PowerSupply #PCB #measurement Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (MPS)
https://buff.ly/3pu9pAP
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automatic Street Light Circuit Uses LDR only
https://envirementalb.com/automatic-street-light-circuit/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2015/12/12/piezoelectric-transformers-are-a-thing-have-you-used-one/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Simple LED Dimmer Circuit
https://electrocircuits.org/simple-led-dimmer-circuit
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.edn.com/rtc-design-part-1-real-time-clocks-still-matter-in-automation-iot-applications/
Tomi Engdahl says:
NOCTURNAL SOLAR LIGHT BULB V2.0
https://www.instructables.com/NOCTURNAL-SOLAR-LIGHT-BULB-V20/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://electrocircuits.org/transistor-acting-as-an-amplifier
Tomi Engdahl says:
Single Transistor FM Transmitter (500m Range)
https://www.electrothinks.com/2020/11/Single-transistor-fm-transmitter.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Capacitor in Direct Current Circuit
These online calculators computes various parameters for charging and discharging the capacitor with the resistor
https://planetcalc.com/1980/