1. JESD204B over optical fiber enables new architecture for phased-array radars
A digital phased array requires every antenna element to have its own data converters. Analog phase-shifting is no longer performed between the antenna and data converters in this architecture. Instead, phase-shifting and beamforming are performed using purely digital functions.
2. Closing the security gap with microcontrollers
Given how connected our world is today, addressing security concerns is becoming a ubiquitous need. However this involves securing a diverse and evolving range of “links” starting from large data servers down to the smallest connected node. Recent attacks on payment transactions have made the news and prove that a system is only as secure as each of its nodes. What are these nodes? How do we start approaching the task of ensuring the required level of security and what measures can we take to arm ourselves against threats? What are the expected threats and what system functions do they target? Answering these questions is the first step towards closing security gaps and ensuring your system is protected from threats that can weaken it or make it non-functional.
3. Design considerations for resolver-to-digital converters in electric vehicles
This guide presents an overview for the architecture of a RDC interface circuit.
4. Simplify LCD designs and reduce power consumption
Core LCD design considerations in the context of a television remote control application. It will then explain how the new ultra-low-power MSP430FRxx FRAM Microcontroller (MCU) family, and specifically the MSP430FR4x MCU series, can help minimize the physical footprint and power consumption of designs with segmented LCDs, while simultaneously providing the flexibility to simplify application development.
5 . Simple battery monitoring in ultra-low-power applications
A common requirement in battery-powered applications like metering, handheld or wearable products is to know the charge level of the battery. With this information, the system MCU can estimate the runtime and signal when the battery needs replacing or recharging.
The easiest way to get the status of the battery is to feed the battery voltage into an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and process the data. Scaling down the battery voltage to match the ADC input range requires an external resistor divider. Figure 1 shows a simple implementation.
6. Using op amps to reduce near-field EMI on PCBs
This article reviews sources of EMI and discusses op amp characteristics that aid in mitigating near-field EMI on sensitive PCB designs.
7. Two-step calibration of sensor signal conditioners
This guide helps you with the calibration of sensor signal conditioning algorithms implemented in signal conditioners that transmit data in analog form. Note that sensor calibration includes the sense-element non-idealities as well as signal-conditioner non-idealities, such as offset and gain errors. The calibration scheme will take care of analog signal-chain errors of the analog circuit that are in front and back of the digital circuits.
8. Tips and tricks for high-speed, high-voltage measurement
This article describes a few high-speed and high-voltage probe circuits and methods to measure probe performance. The objective is to show how to bring high voltages down to safe levels with good DC accuracy and high AC fidelity, and then be able to route these signals over coax into 50-W equipment.
9. MSP432P401x Mixed-Signal Microcontrollers
A guide to a very efficient ultra-low-power mixedsignal MCUs. The MSP432P401x family features the ARM Cortex-M4 processor in a wide configuration of device options including a rich set of analog, timing, and communication peripherals, thereby catering to a large number of application scenarios where both efficient data processing and enhanced low-power operation are paramount.
10. Wireless connectivity for the Internet of Things with MSP430 MCUs
The early stage of the Internet of Things (IoT) has already started to change the way we live, do business and make decisions. This guide will help you get best power efficiency in any IoT application for developers that truly care about low power (and ultra-low power). With help of this guide you can create scalable platform to support consumer, industrial, and health and fitness applications.
