Articles
Maximizing Eight-Channel Data-Acquisition System Performance Using a Single ADC Driver
July 23, 2009 6:59 am | by Jakub Szymczak [jakub.szymczak@analog.com], Analog Devices, Inc. | CommentsThe principal factors that affect data acquisition systems are: speed, accuracy, power dissipation, package size, and component cost, with varying factors becoming critical depending upon the application. This article shows how a single op amp can be used to drive the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in an 8-channel data-acquisition system, reducing the cost and size of the overall system.
Where do we go from here?
July 23, 2009 6:46 am | by Alix Paultre, Editor-in-Chief | CommentsAmerica finds itself at a juncture of many roads, with no clear map on which way to turn. The role of government, health care, energy, race, and disruptive technology have presented us with a myriad of choice on which road to take to the future. The important thing to remember is that we are all in the same boat together.
Low-Cost, High-Resolution Time-Measurement Application
July 16, 2009 10:11 am | by Jim Bartling, Microchip Technology | CommentsTime Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is a measurement of the impedance of a transmission line using the reflected energy of a pulse sent down that transmission line. As a pulse is sent down a transmission line, it travels at the speed of light for the media it is in (typically, 60% to 80% of the speed of light in free space). As the pulse arrives at an impedance, mismatch energy is reflected back to the pulse source and arrives at a time
Leveraging COTS Technology to Advance Stand-Alone Rugged Boxes
July 16, 2009 7:49 am | by Mike Southworth, Parvus | CommentsTechnology developments that reduce complexity and enhance usability are always a welcome addition to rugged applications, since fewer parts means improved reliability. This truth is especially evidenced by the increasing availability of stand-alone rugged boxes. The development of stand-alone rugged boxes has provided a singular computing solution for rugged applications where reliable high performance computing is a must. Previously, rugged computing devices were dispersed among several different computing units
The information bubble
July 15, 2009 9:34 am | by Alix Paultre, Editor-in-Chief | CommentsThe wonderful communications technology infrastructure we have created has given everyone the power to communicate with anyone else on the planet at a moments notice with images, text, voice, and video. All of the focus is on the software tools such as Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube that are at the forefront of the societal sea change, but it is the newly-risen global information network that is the real hero.
When to Use a Clock vs. an Oscillator
July 15, 2009 7:36 am | by James Wilson, Marketing Manager | CommentsHardware design in high performance applications such as networking, wireless/RF transmission, broadcast video and test and measurement is becoming increasingly complex as hardware designers grapple with the need to support a growing number of standards, protocols, and specifications within a single hardware design. A few examples illustrate this trend.
Brainstorm: Sensors and Testing
July 15, 2009 6:33 am | CommentsIn the development cycle, where does test play the most important role?
Brainstorm: Military Electronics Part 2
July 15, 2009 6:18 am | CommentsWhat is the most pressing issue concerning the deployment of autonomous military robots?
Brainstorm: Lighting
July 15, 2009 5:14 am | CommentsWhat do you think is the chief factor preventing the mainstream adoption of solid-state lighting?
When Good Memories Go Bad – Data Recovery of Flash Media
July 2, 2009 7:55 am | by Sean Barry, Kroll Ontrack, www.krollontrack.com | CommentsComputer hard disk drive storage has an impressive history of technological advances, from the RAMAC storage systems in the 1950s to perpendicular recording introduced a few years ago. The advancement of these technologies has increased the density of today’s hard disk drives to the terabyte range. Along the way frustrations with new storage technology have been proprietary equipment formats, initial high investments, and failed expectations of reliability.
Sensors Expo Report, 2009
July 1, 2009 2:12 pm | CommentsEnergy harvesting technology took center stage at this year’s Sensors Expo in Rosemont, IL. Whether the solution obtained its power from the sun, heat, vibration, wind, RF or magnetics, there was a device at the show to take advantage of many of these or other ambient conditions. Infinite Power Solutions’ THINERGY thin micro-energy cells (MECs), in capacities of .0 mAh and 0.4 mAh initially, are positioned as the world’s most powerful batteries for their size and outperform all other micro-batteries.
Design Talk - Harsh Environments
June 19, 2009 10:06 am | CommentsAn application does not have to be in the arctic or a desert waste to be considered operating in a harsh environment.
China expands Internet censorship with new software
June 13, 2009 11:36 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsAutocratic nations rarely feel the need to justify their actions. So China’s recent defense of its new internet filtering software was extraordinary. It also rings hollow. Starting July 1, the “Green Dam Youth Escort” software must be pre-installed on all computers sold within mainland China. The net-filtering software is aimed at protecting users from “harmful content.”
Brainstorm: New Product Development
June 11, 2009 11:53 am | CommentsWhat is the primary consideration when developing a new product? For this Brainstorm question we asked people at ITT Interconnect Solutions, CoActive Technologies KDM, Knight Electronics, Orchid Technologies, and AVX.
Why MAX? – The purpose of WiMAX
June 2, 2009 9:40 am | by John Schwartz, Digi International | CommentsWhenever a new standard is adopted or starts to gain some ubiquity in the marketplace, I always have to ask, “So what? What does this new stuff give me that I don’t already have?” It’s an important question. If there is not any difference, then there is no reason not to just keep on using known and proven technologies. If there are differences, then knowing what these differences consist of can enable the appropriate business and design decisions.
