The process of creating electronic products, including components and end-user devices.
1
vote
1answer
37 views
Technology mapping
The function given is:
g=ACFG + ADEG + DHJ + BCFI
and i am asked to perform the reconverge theorem on this function which means taking all possible pairs of LUT that share the same input merge them ...
-4
votes
1answer
77 views
Cow tipping robot plans [closed]
Does anyone have plans for a cow tipping robot? Its hard to do by hand so we are thinking a robot would be good. I remember seeing a robot wars or some other show where one bot tried to tip another, ...
0
votes
1answer
66 views
Is it possible to build a CPU from content-addressable memory?
Every modern programming language use objects and not C/C++ style struct/class.
In C/C++ every data member has a size, so addressing a struct member is basically a memory address + offset. But script ...
-2
votes
0answers
24 views
Asic Ideas (FFT, AES, Motion Estimation) [duplicate]
Could you give me a list of applications with kernels that can be accelerated in hardware?
Some examples would include FFT, AES, Motion Estimation, Viterbi Decoder. I'm just looking for others.
I'm ...
0
votes
2answers
195 views
Number of bits for tag, index, and block in a direct-mapped cache
Suppose you have a 64-byte cache on a system with 16-bit memory addresses. If the cache is direct-mapped and it has 10 bytes of tag overhead in total, how many bits are used for the tag, index, and ...
4
votes
0answers
62 views
How to create a noise budget and what to do with it afterwards?
While reading some questions/answers on this site, I came across this answer from Scott Siedman and I found it interesting.
So, work out your noise budget, figure out how many bits you need, and ...
3
votes
2answers
120 views
Circuit version of a simple if else program
I have written a simple program that controls two motors (outputs) each with two states ( positive, negative) with an Arduino. The motors states based on the status of four buttons (inputs) (Up, Down, ...
16
votes
4answers
629 views
Do engineers still design for volume using discrete through-hole bipolar transistors?
As a hobbyist who likes plugging BJTs and discrete components into solderless breadboard for entertainment and education, I recognise that people like me are an insufficient market to make it ...
2
votes
1answer
55 views
Detached antenna and connecting wire length
Since my this particular question didn't get any answer, I thought of asking a more focused question, along a path which seems a bit more feasible after few tests.
Is it possible to install the ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
Interactive Art with Wooden Mirrors - How are the pixels controlled?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZysu9QcceM
This video shows a mirror made up of moving wooden pieces. Please have a look. He achieves different intensity levels by motion of the wooden pieces and ...
1
vote
1answer
106 views
how to select capacitor values
I am trying to find information on formulas used to calculate capacitance required for a given circuit. Not a circuit in particular, just in general how to figure out what value should be used. I know ...
4
votes
4answers
3k views
How do I build a bracelet that vibrates once every n minutes?
I intend to establish a few new personal habits that eventually become second-nature to me. To assist myself, I want to wear a bracelet that vibrates every, say, 5 minutes all throughout the day as a ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
Questions about RD snubber circuits
I am not too familiar with designing snubber circuits.
Can somebody sanity check the following sizing calculation for a snubber circuit?
Also: Is the undampened rise rime of the voltage due to the ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
What to change when migrating designs from Altera DE2 to DE2-115?
I'm migrating a working design from Altera DE2 to Altera DE2-115 and I'm running into problems. First everything works with DE2 just like mentioned in the exercises doing what is instructed. Now I ...
0
votes
0answers
41 views
DC circuit breakers in automation plant
I am currently working on designing the power grid of a automation plant. Since i already have a background in automation, the rule of thumb i usually follow is to have circuit breakers in front of ...
2
votes
0answers
62 views
Wireless water level sensor, in sump. Installation best-practices for longivity
My wireless water-level sensor is working fine, and when deployed in the sump-well, it is giving me periodic readings quite well. At this stage, I have the circuit still on a breadboard, and now plan ...
2
votes
1answer
51 views
connecting IC with external components
i want to understand the thought process and ideas behind these:
see the schematic
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/2124
1 - what is the n-FET and diode (Q1 and Q2) component means?
2 - why ...
1
vote
2answers
111 views
180 Phase shift for oscillator
I am currently learning how to design/build a crystal radio receiver, transmitter and have a question for the 180 degrees phase shift for the carrier amplifier/oscillator system.
I commonly see this ...
2
votes
3answers
77 views
Video Controller Design
I'm designing my own computer based on the Zilog Z80. It has 256KiB of static RAM with paging as well as a few megabytes of flash memory. Everything is going along pretty well until * BAM * I hit a ...
4
votes
1answer
18 views
What are these spots on the PCB that are by the mounting holes?
When you look at the board, there is a weird part of the PCB right of the top left mounting hole. There is also another one above the top right mounting hole.
...
3
votes
1answer
134 views
Bandpass Filter Design 6Mhz/6.5Mhz Center Approx +/- 250khz passband for ATV system
I'm looking to build two bandpass filters centered at 6Mhz and 6.5Mhz, with an approximate passband of 250kHz. I want to replace these two filters:
http://www.yoketant.com.tw/yoketant/ceramic-7.htm
...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
Interactive Single Color LED Matrix
I'm trying to build an LED matrix (32x16) that lights up in certain areas in response to movement, as detected by another matrix (8x16) of infrared phototransistors.
Here's where I'm at:
Main ...
1
vote
1answer
38 views
Regulated power supply from thermostat to zigbee module
I have a thermostat that outputs a DC power supply for a communication daughter board. When I read it with the voltmeter, it reads ~3.9v, but the zigbee module that I want to use requires 3.3v ...
3
votes
3answers
172 views
BJT Bias Design and Operating
I'm to the task to design a BJT Common-Emitter Amplifier with resistance at the emitter as in the figure, and for that I need to:
get the values for \$R_{1}\$, \$R_{2}\$, \$R_{C}\$ and \$R_{E}\$
...
16
votes
3answers
1k views
Making a battery last a long time in a microcontroller circuit
I'm hoping to power an ATtiny85V for a nice long time on some small battery, probably a coin cell.
I've looked into the software side, and my code is watchdog timer driven, has unused analog and ...
22
votes
6answers
1k views
Why is open hardware so rare? [closed]
I'm trying to understand why open hardware is so much harder to come by than software. I've tried looking around online and I couldn't find as satisfactory explanation.
I understand that hardware is ...
0
votes
1answer
120 views
Wrist-based Pulse Oximeter
I'm quite new to EE. I'm trying to design a wrist-based Pulse Oximeter. I have looked through a lot of literature and short listed these:
PhD thesis using 6 LEDs
A Single-Chip Pulsoximeter Design ...
2
votes
2answers
120 views
Power Electronics for 3.3v or lower MSP430 + 10v sensor
After asking around I realized that switching regulators should be used to regulate the power going to the MSP430. I'm wondering (I'm not very informed in the topic of power electronics) how can I ...
9
votes
4answers
347 views
From C to Silicon: How to implement software/firmware solution as hardware?
In light of this question, I was wondering if there was a fairly standard process for turning a software solution into a hardware implemention. Forgive me and my imagination, but would there be a ...
1
vote
1answer
96 views
Leaving target processor paused nios ii multiprocessor application
I m using the multiprocessor tutorial, to have a MPSOC application, but when i finish all steps and running the nios application
I have this message in the terminal,
...
31
votes
13answers
3k views
What are low cost circuit and PCB design software?
Do you know of any freeware or low cost circuit / PCB design software?
I know a few which I have listed below but I was wondering if there were more of its kind. Please mention the good features and ...
2
votes
2answers
171 views
What can I do as a student to be a better candidate for a hardware design job? [closed]
If you were looking to hire a student still in school for an internship position at a high-tech company (say, Microsoft, Apple, or Google) for hardware design. What kind of skills would you be looking ...
0
votes
2answers
77 views
How to choose and design a waveform generator such that it generates signals of mentioned rms voltage, Vi and of frequency f given below?
Type: Sinusoidal
Vi = 35 mV
f = 30 kHz
3
votes
1answer
79 views
How do I determine the proper FM transmitter strength?
I want to build an FM transmitter that will transmit (on an unused frequency) from my laptop (near my video projector) to my receiver (about 20' away on the other side of the room). Then, I thought ...
2
votes
1answer
239 views
XOR gate; transistor level design [duplicate]
What would a transistor level design of an XOR gate look like?
6
votes
6answers
1k views
How to choose an IC to use with your project?
This may be somewhat contrived, but I'm going to use an illustration. Let's say you're building a desktop computer for yourself. Now, one way that you could go about do this is just to visit a site ...
2
votes
1answer
206 views
Designing a PI controller for my power system
I have a power system which is given as:
Using MATLAB, I found the system's response to be:
As you can see, the system is not stable. So, I need to design a PI controller, so that, the transient ...
5
votes
2answers
130 views
How to get UL approval for lamps and pendants
I'm a glass artist and designer and would like to make lamps and pendants. I'm told that I need UL approval for the electrical part. That is all the wiring etc. I know I can have an electrician who ...
2
votes
3answers
209 views
Why does active low even exist?
In my career I've often encountered signals that are active low (Reset being the most common). I've even seen interfaces where all control signals are actively low.
To me, this is very unintuitive ...
4
votes
2answers
75 views
Considerations For Motor Cables: what are the downsides to ribbon cable?
My friend (a Mechanical Engineering student) is building machine that uses an array of motors in an application where they are under almost no load. He showed me the thin, old, ribbon cable he intends ...
3
votes
1answer
93 views
What are FIT's and how they used in reliability calculations?
In Military, Medical, Space, Professional eqt. design there is a need to be able to prove that your device can last a certain length of time with a certain confidence level. Or that reliability must ...
1
vote
2answers
101 views
180 degree motion servo that can take a hit
I was looking into servos and I need some help choosing the proper one. I need a servo that has complete 180 degree motion but it's going to get hit by dogs a lot so it needs to hold it's position ...
-5
votes
1answer
53 views
General electronics [closed]
I have got a Power Supply Unit of PC, which blew off, then I extracted the PSU from the PC Cabinet and opened the PSU, I saw number of Capacitors,transistors,transformers, diodes, resisters and many ...
-2
votes
3answers
180 views
How do I calculate the required value for a pull-down resistor in a PWM circuit?
I'm using 74HC595 with SoftPWM to control some LED's.
When the 74HC595 is off, its outputting about 0.57v, enough to turn my LED's on somewhat.
How do I work out the value of the pull-down resistor ...
34
votes
17answers
4k views
What are good microcontrollers available today?
I have experience with assembly and C programming for microcontrollers, but I'm not familiar with the various MCU and DSP families offered by today's companies. (eg: Texas Instruments, Atmel, Renesas)
...
0
votes
2answers
401 views
How to design Yagi-Uda Antenna? [closed]
I would like to know the theory concept behind how to design the Yagi-Uda Antenna. And how it works? Can anybody give the ideas and suggestions?
-3
votes
2answers
220 views
0
votes
1answer
136 views
Lux meter - Voltage range problem measurment
I'm about to build a Luxmeter. I want it to give me a respons of 1mV/lux and be able to detect 10.000lux.
Here is part of the solution I'm about to use (4. Luxmeter): ...
9
votes
8answers
1k views
Newbie projects on an FPGA?
I'm two weeks away from completing my first college digital logic design course, and apparently there isn't going to be a final project--just a tedious final exam.
So as any curious student would ...
3
votes
1answer
123 views
Can I use ICSP if components share MOSI/SCK pins?
I'm designing a circuit with an ATmega32U4 where I will need to burn a boot loader once installed on the PCB. I currently have 4x 74HC595 Shift registers, sharing the MOSI & SCK pins.
Will I ...
