Reverse engineering the popular 555 timer chip (CMOS version)
https://www.electronics-lab.com/reverse-engineering-popular-555-timer-chip-cmos-version/
Ken Shirriff reverse engineer the CMOS version of 555 timer IC and explains how it works. This article explains how the LMC555 timer chip works, from the tiny transistors and resistors on the silicon chip, to the functional units such as comparators and current mirrors that make it work. The popular 555 timer integrated circuit […]
Hot rods keep the die cool
https://www.electronics-lab.com/hot-rods-keep-die-cool/
Clemens Valens @ elektormagazine.com shows us a new IC Package that keeps the IC cool. Texas Instruments’ HotRod QFN is a thermally enhanced plastic package with solder lands on all sides as well as power buses for enhanced current carrying capability. Inside the package the die is mounted on a copper lead frame which eliminates the […]
Reverse engineering the popular 555 timer chip
https://www.electronics-lab.com/reverse-engineering-popular-555-timer-chip/
Ken Shirriff wrote an article on reverse engineering the 555 timer chip, He writes: This article explains how the LMC555 timer chip works, from the tiny transistors and resistors on the silicon chip, to the functional units such as comparators and current mirrors that make it work. The popular 555 timer integrated circuit is said […]
A biometric sensor for wearables – LG Innotek
https://www.electronics-lab.com/a-biometric-sensor-for-wearables/
LG Innotek has released an ultra-thin optical biometric sensor module designed to be used in wearables and smartphones to measure health parameters such as heartbeat, stress indicators and blood oxygen saturation level. The new sensor is more accurate than it’s predecessors achieving ±5 bpm range of error and consumes very little power to operate. At stable heartbeat […]
555 Timer Teardown
https://www.electronics-lab.com/555-timer-teardown/
Ken Shirriff has done a detailed teardown of the popular 555 timer IC. Let’s take a look inside this little chip: Given the popularity of the 555 timer, I thought it would be interesting to find out what’s inside the 555 timer and how it works. While the 555 timer is usually sold as a […]
200 chip definitions everyone should know
https://www.electronics-lab.com/200-chip-definitions-everyone-should-know/
Andreas Olofsson @ parallella.org has compiled a long list of acronyms used in the chip industry. If you would like to be an expert on IC field, take your time and check it out. Given how important chips are to modern society EVERYONE should understand and appreciate how they are made. Every field has its […]
Hack-proof RFID chips claimed by MIT
https://www.electronics-lab.com/hack-proof-rfid-chips-claimed-by-mit/
Researchers at MIT has announced a new RFID chip that is almost impossible to hack and it could mean that an identity thief couldn’t steal your credit card number by sitting next to you. The researchers’ new chip uses a bank of 3.3-volt capacitors as an on-chip energy source. But it also features 571 1.5-volt […]
Microchip to Buy Atmel for Nearly $3.6 Billion
https://www.electronics-lab.com/microchip-to-buy-atmel-for-nearly-3-6-billion/
Microchip Technology to Buy Atmel for Nearly $3.6 Billion @ The New York Times. Microchip Technology agreed to acquire a fellow chipmaker, the Atmel Corporation, for about $3.6 billion, part of a wave of mergers and acquisitions within the semiconductor industry. Chip makers have been combining to cut costs and build scale for their […]
LTC3643 – 2A Bidirectional Power Backup Supply
https://www.electronics-lab.com/ltc3643-2a-bidirectional-power-backup-supply/
Linear Technology Corporation introduces the LTC3643, a bidirectional, high voltage boost capacitor charger that automatically converts to a buck regulator for system backup. The proprietary, single-inductor topology with integrated PowerPath™ functionality does the work of two separate switching regulators, reducing size, cost and complexity. The LTC3643 operates in two modes – boost charge mode and […]
Precision programmable current source uses two ICs
https://www.electronics-lab.com/precision-programmable-current-source-uses-two-ics/
by Stefano Salvatori & Pietro Oliva @ edn.com: This Design Idea mates a precision current source IC with precision difference amp chips to create a programmable current source or sink. The resistor-programmable current source/sink in Figure 1 illustrates the basic topology, taking advantage of tightly matched on-chip resistor ratios instead of relying on absolute tolerances. Precision programmable […]