Seven segment LED displays are known to be resource and power hungry. But because they are visually so charming and readable from a far viewing distance and at a much wider viewing angle as compared to any other electronic displays, they are still hugely popular. The required number of I/O pins to drive the LED […]
High-voltage seven segment LED display driver with SPI interface Read More »
I’ve worked on this « project » for weeks now, and I think that it’s time to share. In the beginning, I just wanted to play with these cheap TFT screens available on eBay (displaying some pictures & text, nothing more); step by step, I finally designed a PCB and a built a consequent software with many
PIC32 controller board for 2.8′ TFT touchscreen Read More »
Low-power microcontrollers have done much to improve longevity in energy-harvesting systems. Clever architectures and use of low-power modes lets micros draw nanoamperes of current while preserving registers and configuration data. This allows designers to use smaller and less dense energy storage solutions that were not feasible in the past. Nevertheless, energy storage, which plays a
Supercapacitor Options for Energy-Harvesting Systems Read More »
This mini breakout board is designed to simplify prototyping and experimentation work with the popular 18-pin PIC16F series microcontrollers. It is small in size (1.95″ X 0.75″) and is breadboard friendly. – See more at: http://embedded-lab.com/blog/?p=7092#sthash.24mX1R2X.dpuf It supports PIC16F84A, PIC16F628A, PIC16F88, PIC16F648A, PIC16F1827, PIC16F1847, and other 18-pin microcontrollers in the same series. We are selling
Mini breakout board for 18-pin PIC16F series microcontrollers Read More »
A buck-boost DC/DC converter delivers a regulated output voltage even when the input voltage is below or above that required by the load. Buck-boost converters adequately serve the needs of battery-powered consumer devices where the required input range is rather narrow; in many cases from 1.8 to 5.5 VDC. However, the situation is different when
Buck-Boost DC/DC Handles Wide Input-Voltage Range Read More »
The FabISP is an in-system programmer for AVR microcontrollers, designed for production within a FabLab. That is, it allows you to program the microcontrollers on other boards you make, using nothing but a USB cable and 6-pin IDC to 6-pin IDC cable. It’s based on the USBtiny and V-USB firmwares, which allow the ATtiny44 to
FabISP, a fab-able in-system programmer Read More »
What are the key needs of an Energy Harvesting (EH) power supply? Well, first of all, battery redundancy power needs to be available at times when the ambient power is not available. Of course, we want to extend battery life by harvesting ambient energy from thermal, vibration, solar, etc. To make the front end of
LTC nano-power buck-boost DC/DC Read More »
The DIY Cellphone is a working (albeit basic) cellphone that you can make yourself. It can make and receive phone calls and text messages, store names and phone numbers, and display the time. It builds on the hardware and software in the Arduino GSM Shield but extends it with a full interface, including display, buttons,
Open-source, do-it-yourself cellphone (built with Arduino) Read More »
We often receive comments that while our microchip photos are beautiful and interesting, it is completely unclear how integrated circuit implements basic elements and form larger circuit. Of course it is impossible to do a detailed review of an 1’000’000 transistor chip, so we’ve found simpler example: ULN2003 – array of Darlington transistors. Despite it’s
What’s inside the ULN2003 Darlington driver chip Read More »
The MAX15062 high-efficiency, high-voltage, synchronous step-down DC-DC converter with integrated MOSFETs operates over a 4.5V to 60V input voltage range. The converter delivers output currents up to 300mA at output voltages of 3.3V (MAX15062A) and 5V (MAX15062B). The device operates over the -40°C to +125°C temperature range and is available in a compact 8-pin (2mm
High-Efficiency Synchronous Step-Down DC-DC Converters Read More »
