KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

PIC

Trade magazine articles: Op amps, microcontroller measures frequency and period, antenna basics

By Leave a Comment

All three articles in this post are from Electronic Design….Dan

Op Amps for Linear Designs: Back to the Basics

Op amps are the basic building blocks for much of linear circuit design. You probably learned about them in college and even designed some products containing an op amp.  As an electronic engineer, you will at some point in your career probably need to design a linear circuit.

If you’re not an advanced linear or analog circuit designer, perhaps the best way to fulfill your linear design needs is to use an op amp. These ICs are widely available, inexpensive, and can be configured in hundreds if not thousands of ways to satisfy most linear requirements. Here’s a summary and update on these versatile devices…..more

Microcontroller Efficiently Measures Frequency and Period

When you need to take accurate timing measurements in hardware without overloading a microcontroller, the signal measurement timer module (SMT) in the Microchip16F1619 PIC microcontrolleris perfectly suitable for this application. The SMT module captures features of a signal such as Period and Frequency, among others. This design measures input frequency signals within the range of 8 Hz to 10 MHz, and Period signals within the range of 0.1 µs to 125 ms…..more

Welcome To Antennas 101

Antennas are much more than simple devices connected to every radio. They’re the transducers that convert the voltage from a transmitter into a radio signal. And they pick radio signals out of the air and convert them into a voltage for recovery in a receiver.

Typically taken for granted and left for the last minute in a design, antennas are nonetheless critical for establishing and maintaining a reliable radio connection. They may look complex and enigmatic to most engineers, especially EEs working with wireless applications for the first time—not to mention that they come in a seemingly infinite variety of sizes and shapes. However, a brief review of the essentials can help allay any design worries….more

From the trade magazines: Op-amp basics, microcontroller measure frequency and period, PCB design accessible for students

By Leave a Comment

Op Amps for Linear Designs: Back to the Basics

Op amps are the basic building blocks for much of linear circuit design. You probably learned about them in college and even designed some products containing an op amp.As an electronic engineer, you will at some point in your career probably need to design a linear circuit.

If you’re not an advanced linear or analog circuit designer, perhaps the best way to fulfill your linear design needs is to use an op amp. These ICs are widely available, inexpensive, and can be configured in hundreds if not thousands of ways to satisfy most linear requirements. Here’s a summary and update on these versatile devices.

…read more

Microcontroller Efficiently Measures Frequency and Period

When you need to take accurate timing measurements in hardware without overloading a microcontroller, the signal measurement timer module (SMT) in the Microchip16F1619 PIC microcontroller is perfectly suitable for this application. The SMT module captures features of a signal such as Period and Frequency, among others. This design measures input frequency signals within the range of 8 Hz to 10 MHz, and Period signals within the range of 0.1 µs to 125 ms.

…read more

Engineering Startup Makes PCBs Accessible to Next-Generation Electrical Engineers

Every circuit design project starts somewhere, whether it’s breadboarded or built up bug-style. Eventually, that project will need to be prototyped. Gerber Labs, a startup based in Tustin, CA, is rolling out a platform that makes custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) accessible to electrical engineering students, hobbyists, and small businesses.

Getting your hands on a custom PCB can sometimes present hassles. If you’re a large business or manufacturer, a traditional PCB house will spin you a prototype in anticipation of a large order down the road. But that often entails working through salespeople and/or overseas reps. PCB’s traditionally have only been accessible for large businesses and manufacturers. Gerber Labs is changing this by making PCBs available in prototype quantities to the consumer and small-business markets.

…read more

Good Stuff from electronic design

By 1 Comment

Here’s a selection of articles from electronic design magazine that I think will be of interest to ham radio operators:

How to get big sounds from small speakers. In recent years, a new generation of “smart amplifiers,” incorporating new driver topologies and digital-signal-processing (DSP) technology allow designers to make big improvements in both the quality and volume of sound from speakers, particularly from the very small and cheap units used in many portable devices. Perhaps hams could do something with this technology to improve the audio in our radios….Dan

Smart amplifiers include several DSP blocks
Smart amplifiers include several DSP blocks

PIC a way to online development.Microchip’s MPLAB Xpress brings cloud-based PIC microcontroller development tools to developers.

The future of AM radio. Lou Frenzel writes, “AM is worth saving; it is a valuable local community resource. AM radio serves a public safety purpose for emergency conditions. It provides valuable services to ethnic and religious populations, as well as high school sports coverage. And still does a great job of news, weather, and traffic coverage. Talk shows are also popular. In short, analog still lives.” What do you think?