Don Tuite wrote his first technical article (on circular antenna polarization) in 1973 for Microwaves magazine, which is a sister publication of Electronic Design. He went on to author four books for electronics hobbyists. Since 1985, he has concentrated on semiconductors, working on his own as well as within chip manufacturers, for public relations agencies, and as a trade-press editor. He holds an MS degree in communications and technical writing from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) and a BS in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Email address: dtuite@penton.com Web site: http://www.elecdesign.com/
509 results found for Don Tuite, displaying items 1 - 20
November 5, 2009[Design FAQs] Clocking Data Converters Sponsored by: ANALOG DEVICES
What is the most critical performance characteristic for clock chips used with high-performance data converters? The clock signal’s phase noise (or jitter— the time-domain representation of phase noise) is the most critical spec. But also, pay attention to the band over which the jitter has been integrated. Phase noise limits signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). For converter applications, broadband RMS additive jitter is a good...
November 5, 2009[Design FAQs] Non-Isolated Point-Of-Load Regulator Modules
Analog & Power Editor Don Tuite answers some frequently asked questions about non-isolated point-of-load regulator modules, including: What is the Intermediate Bus Architecture? Functionally, what does a POL regulator comprise? How do newer packages deal with the switching inductor? Are there disadvantages to an integrated inductor? And more! Fill out this brief form to download the FAQ: ...
November 5, 2009[Engineering Essentials] Motor-Control Resources
A good general view of field-oriented control (FOC) can be found in Texas Instruments’ 1998 white paper, “Field Orientated Control of 3-Phase AC Motors”, which can be downloaded for free. For a more recent treatment, though its references go back at least as far as 1980, readers can check out “A Seamless Whole Speed Range Control of Interior PM Synchronous Machine without Position Transducer” by Filka, Balazovic, and...
November 5, 2009[Engineering Essentials] A Multi-Level Approach Makes Understanding Motor Control Easier
Regardless of their primary field, sooner or later, most designers have to deal with motor controls. Broadly speaking, there are two methods to incorporating these components in your design. First, designers can start with one of the many choices of microcontrollers that are available and then address the challenges of making the control do what they want. Or second, designers can start at the other end and examine the interaction between motors and...
October 22, 2009[TechView: Analog & Power] Tree-To-Earth pH Difference May Generate Harvestable Energy
An experimental wireless mesh network for monitoring forests for fire danger was recently demonstrated while being powered by the trees themselves during the Global Semiconductor Alliance Emerging Opportunities Expo & Conference, held earlier this month in Santa Clara, Calif. The demonstration used energy-harvesting hardware developed by a Massachusetts company called Voltree Power. The test took place at the National Interagency Fire Center...
October 8, 2009
[Editor's Notebook] $10 Million Light Bulb Prize Remains Unfunded
Philips Electronics is the first company to submit a prototype LED replacement for the common 60-W bulb in the U.S. Department of Energy’s $10 million Bright Tomorrow Lighting Contest. However, Congress has yet to appropriate funding for the prize, and questions remain about contest eligibility.
October 8, 2009[TechView: Analog & Power] Powerline Carrier Modem Chip Facilitates Design Beyond Remote-Reading Meters
On Semiconductor’s AMIS- 49587 powerline carrier (PLC) modem does more than remotely read smart electric automatic meters. It invites a closer look at street lighting control, smart power plugs, building automation, and other applications that are part of the Smart Grid, which is a potentially disruptive technology that may offer new opportunities for design engineers (see “...
September 30, 2009
[Technology In The News] NIST Approves G.hn For In-Home Use On The Smart Grid
G.hn, a technology for existing-wire home networking that is intended to complement Wi-Fi, has been approved for use in Smart Grid applications by the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST).
September 24, 2009[TechView: Analog & Power] Transformer-Isolated RS-485/422 MEMS Transceivers Integrate DC-DC Converters, Terminations
There are other RS-485/422 transceivers with inductive isolation available, but Linear Technology has taken a step forward. Its LTM2881 µModule includes its own complete, isolated dc-dc power supply, including the transformer, eliminating the need for any external components. The integrated power supply powers the transceiver and provides an isolated 5-V supply output for powering any supporting external components. (ADI’s ADM2485 has an on-chip...
September 10, 2009[Leapfrog: First Look] Back-Illuminated CMOS Imagers May Increase Cell-Phone Camera Sensitivity By Two F-Stops
Tessera Technologies reports a conflict (and resolution) between the need to reduce cell-phone imager chip cost and size by producing everhigher- resolution imagers on smaller die and the consumer demand for digital-camera image quality in cell phones. The most recent solutions separate image capture from image processing—in other words, moving that processing, which can be accomplished using relatively cheap CMOS, off the more expensive imager chip. The...
September 10, 2009[Leapfrog: First Look] Haptic Feedback Chips Make Virtual-Button Applications On Handheld Devices A Snap
V irtual pushbutton switches on handheld screens may work well, but users also want haptic feedback telling them their button-push was effective. Haptic feedback enthusiasts fondly remember the “buckling spring” technology of the IBM Model M keyboard, but time moves on. Designers who want to include haptic feedback for virtual buttons on a flat piece of glass today should look at Maxim’s MAX11810 and MAX11811 (25-MHz SPI or 400-kHz I2C). These...
September 2, 2009
[TechView: Analog & Power] Digital Power Forum Comes To Santa Ana In Late September
The sixth annual Digital Power Forum (DPF ’09) is scheduled for Sept. 21-23 in Santa Ana, Calif. Organized by the Darnell Group, DPF ’09 will concentrate on “digital” power. That’s a slightly elusive term that can mean anything from closing the power-supply control loop in the digital domain to a wide variety of power-management technologies, from ICs for handhelds to power distribution in the data center and telco central office to the Smart Grid.
July 22, 2009
[Design FAQs] Chopper-Stabilized Op Amps
New developments that lower the cost and simplify the design of chopper-stabilized operational amplifiers mean that these low offset-voltage, low 1/f-noise alternatives to conventional op-amps now fit many more applications in industrial-control, medical and automotive systems. To learn more about what’s new, how they work, and how to understand their specs, check out this Design FAQ’s sponsored by Intersil.
July 23, 2009[Design FAQs] Chopper-Stabilized Op Amps
What is a chopper-stabilized operational amplifier (op amp)? Chopper-stabilized amps constantly correct low-frequency errors across the inputs of the amplifier. This makes them attractive alternatives to conventional op amps in many industrial, medical, energy, and automotive applications to simplify and accelerate the design process. When designing with chopper-stabilized op amps, you do not need to be concerned about...
July 23, 2009[Leapfrog: First Look] Smart-Grid Report Maps Opportunities For U.S. Engineers
In late June, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) released its “Report to NIST on the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Roadmap.” The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) had engaged EPRI and other Smart Grid stakeholders to develop a draft interimstandards roadmap that NIST could use to begin developing standards. The document runs 291 pages, and the Smart Grid probably offers the potential for as much engineering work in the...
July 9, 2009[Technology Report] Motion-Sensing MEMS Gyros And Accelerometers Are Everywhere
In a conference room at Analog Devices (ADI), Howard Wisniowski holds a demo board a little bigger than a commemorative stamp about a meter above the table top. An ADI motion sensor and associated circuitry are on the board. Wisniowski drops the board into his other hand. As soon as the board starts to fall free, the motion sensor detects a change in acceleration. Before the board reaches Wisniowski’s lower hand, an LED flashes red and a tiny transducer on the...
June 25, 2009[TechView: Analog & Power] 50-MHz Op Amps Self-Calibrate Offset
The MCP65X 50-MHz rail-to-rail operational amplifiers from Microchip Technology include an on-chip “mCal” calibration circuit that calibrates offset voltage at powerup or on-command. An internal power on-reset detector or a signal on an external pin initiates calibration. Self-calibration provides a lower initial voltage offset than conventional op amps, along with a means to continually control drift over time and temperature, Microchip says (...
June 25, 2009[TechView: Analog & Power] USB Isolator Simplifies Safety In Medical, Industrial Apps
In embedded applications that use the PC architecture, the USB interface has supplanted RS-232 for remote control, diagnostics, firmware updates, configuration of operational settings, and data exchange. As with its predecessor, one drawback to USB in medical and certain industrial applications is the lack of a provision for isolation in the basic standard, though mains-powered patient monitors require it for safety cer tification, and...
Don Tuite wrote his first technical article (on circular antenna polarization) in 1973 for Microwaves magazine, which is a sister publication of Electronic Design. He went on to author four books for electronics hobbyists. Since 1985, he has concentrated on semiconductors, working on his own as well as within chip manufacturers, for public relations agencies, and as a trade-press editor. He holds an MS degree in communications and technical writing from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) and a BS in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
prev. page
[1]
