Voltage to frequency converters (VFCs) are a popular method of noise-tolerant analog to digital conversion. Synchronous VFCs (like the Analog Devices AD652) in which an external, usually crystal-derived, clock provides timing for the conversion process, have significant performance advantages (speed, linearity, precision independent of passive components) over the free-running type in which conversion timing must … Read more
Mikroe’s 8th-generation universal development board, the UNI-DS v8, now packs a programmer/debugger that works over Wi-Fi. Other features that simplify and speed prototyping include extensive MCU support, additional standard interfaces, and and a connector for adding a TFT display. The board’s integrated Codegrip programmer/debugger supports more than 3300 microcontrollers from different vendors. Along with its … Read more
In February 2015, early users of the Raspberry Pi 2 noted that the single-board computer would reboot if you took a flash photograph. Wags soon dubbed this phenomenon the Xenon Death Flash, in the spirit of the Blue Screen of Death, and the Click of Death predecessors. In a class act, and to show companies … Read more
My family has a cabin in the woods of Northern California. We built the “new cabin” in the late 1950s when the one built in 1922 had too many maintenance issues. Before our recent overhaul, its lighting was supplied by a combination of the original propane lamps and AC driven fluorescent tubes. The AC power … Read more
CircuitMaker will be available worldwide to all interested electronics designers, and aims to address the specific needs of the electronics maker and hobbyist community with a free software offering. All those interested in participating in the open beta can register now at the CircuitMaker website. “We’re excited to see how the CircuitMaker community will grow … Read more
In my previous post, I discussed key embedded system characteristics that in many cases require optimization. These characteristics include system timing, code size, RAM usage, and energy consumption. While optimizing each characteristic typically requires its own methods and techniques, there are several general tips developers can follow when optimizing their embedded software. Tips #1 – … Read more
Distributor element14 has launched the Microstack range, a series of accessories for the Raspberry Pi that will make it quicker and simpler for all levels of user to create and prototype physical devices; the first Microstack products are GPS positioning, accelerometer and prototyping modules. Microstack modules are positioned as the “building blocks for The Internet … Read more
I've said it before, and I'll say it again … one really good reason for attending events like the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) — say the forthcoming ESC Boston, April 13-14, 2016, for example — is that we all get to rub shoulders with our peers. In addition to all of the nitty-gritty techno-weenie technical … Read more
Beeping continuity testers have been around for a long time, but for PCB reverse engineering purposes they leave a lot to be desired. They respond to a “short circuit” of several ohms whereas one would much prefer to discriminate PCB trace and test probe resistance of less than 1Ω to avoid false alarms. Then one … Read more
World Maker Faire drew masses of crowds to the New York Hall of Science in Queens last weekend for the largest gathering of the maker community on the East Coast of the US. While final numbers are yet to come in, as an attendee who has been to 5 out of 6 World Maker Faires, … Read more
