Consumer Electronics
Custom hardware helps deliver safety and security for electric traction
Electric traction has become a critical part of a growing number of systems that need efficient motion and position control. Motors do not just provide the driving force for vehicles, from e-bikes to cars to industrial and agricultural machinery. They also enable a new generation of robots, whether they use wheels, propellers or legs for…
A design guide for respiratory belt transducers
Curious about how respiratory belt transducers work—or how to design one yourself? This quick guide walks you through the essentials, from sensing principles to circuit basics. Whether you are a hobbyist, student, or engineer exploring wearable health technology, you will find practical insights to kickstart your own design. Belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic or…
The Smart Ring: Passing fad, or the next big health-monitoring thing?
The battery in my two-year-old first-gen Pixel Watch generally—unless I use GPS and/or LTE data services heavily—lasts 24 hours-plus until it hits the 15%-left Battery Saver threshold. And because sleep quality tracking is particularly important to me, I’ve more or less gotten in the habit of tossing it on the charger right before dinner, for…
How SAR Transforms Earth Observation & Defence Today
– Advertisement – Synthetic Aperture Radar unlocks an all-weather view of Earth, reshaping science, defence, and daily life. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a high-resolution imaging radar system that captures detailed images of the Earth’s surface, regardless of weather conditions or time of day. It is extensively used in remote-sensing applications, including environmental monitoring, mapping,…
EMI fundamentals for spacecraft avionics & satellite applications
OEMs must ensure their avionics are electromagnetically clean and do not pollute other sub-systems with unwelcome radiative, conducted, or coupled emissions. Similarly, integrators must ensure their space electronics are not susceptible to RFI from external sources, as this could impact performance or even damage hardware. As a product provider, how do you ensure that your…
Contactless potentiometers: Unlocking precision with magnetic sensing
In the evolving landscape of precision sensing, contactless potentiometers are quietly redefining what reliability looks like. By replacing mechanical wear points with magnetic sensing, these devices offer a frictionless alternative that is both durable and remarkably accurate. This post offers a quick look at how contactless potentiometers work, where they are used, and why they…
Tearing apart a multi-battery charger
As regular readers may recall, I’m fond of acquiring gear from the “Warehouse” (now renamed as “Resale”) area of Amazon’s website, particularly when it’s temporary-promotion marked down even lower than the normal discounted-vs-new prices. The acquisitions don’t always pan out, but the success rate is sufficient (as are the discounts) to keep me coming back…
Building Better Cars, One Layer At A Time
– Advertisement – Traditional manufacturing has long dictated the boundaries of automotive design, favoring symmetry, uniformity, and production-friendly shapes that could be formed by traditional manufacturing equipment. Additive manufacturing (AM), however, changes what is possible. Instead of being limited by conventional tooling, engineers can use AM to design parts with complicated shapes and features. A…
Mixed signals, on a power budget: Intelligent low-power analog in MCUs
It goes without saying that battery-powered devices are sensitive to power draw, especially during periods of inactivity. One such use case is in sensor nodes or portable sensors—these devices passively monitor a specific condition. When the threshold is exceeded, they trigger an alarm or log the event for further analysis. Since most devices incorporate some…
Power Tips #144: Designing an efficient, cost-effective micro DC/DC converter with high output accuracy for automotive applications
The ongoing electrification of cars brings new trends and requirements with every new design cycle. One trend for battery electric vehicles is reducing the size of the low-voltage batteries, which power either 12-V or 48-V systems. Some auto manufacturers are even investigating whether it’s possible to eliminate low-voltage batteries completely. Regardless, you’ll need isolated high-…