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Exploring RISC-V in Embedded Systems

Overview: This article discusses RISC-V, an open-source instruction set that helps create customizable and efficient processors for embedded systems, promoting teamwork and technological ...

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Exploring RISC-V in Embedded Systems Mar 17, 2025

Overview: This article discusses RISC-V, an open-source instruction set that helps create customizable and efficient processors for embedded systems, promoting teamwork and technological innovation. The main functions of a processor are to fetch, de...Read More

Introduction to USB Technology Feb 13, 2025

Overview: The article introduces USB technology, its evolution, and its significance in modern electronics. It explores the nRF52840 Dongle, its USB connectivity, key features, and applications in wireless communication projects. USB or universal se...Read More

An Overview of Switching Regulators Jul 16, 2024

Overview: The article reviews the efficiency, types, and advantages of switching regulators. It also discusses the working principles of buck converters, highlighting the TSR1-2450 series as a high-efficiency step-down regulator with precise output v...Read More

Kaluma - Run JavaScript on the RP2040 Oct 23, 2023

Once intended as an animation tool for web browsers, JavaScript has had a fantastic career. Thanks to the browser wars, runtime performance improved consistently. As of now, JavaScript can be run on microcontrollers. Kaluma embodies this concept for ...Read More

X7R vs. X7S DC-bias & TCC Considerations Oct 19, 2023

The most common MLCCs (multi-layer ceramic capacitors) in the industrial and automotive markets come with a TCC (temperature co-efficient of capacitance) known widely as X7R, where the ‘X’ stands for -55°C, the ‘7’ for +12...Read More
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ABX00063 - Arduino Giga R1 Wifi Board Jul 28, 2023

Bucking the trend of miniaturization, Arduino introduces the Giga R1 WiFi, a behemoth of a board based on the Due form factor. With an impressive 76 GPIO pins and substantial compute power, this board packs a punch, offering immense possibilities for...Read More

RL822-3R3K-RC: A Classic Barrel Inductor Jul 5, 2023

The RL822-3R3K-RC inductor is a well-known and widely used barrel inductor that was originally introduced by J.W. Miller and continues to be produced seamlessly after its acquisition by Bourns. This classic inductor is specifically designed to serve ...Read More

Top 5 Circuit Breakers Jul 15, 2022

This article will focus on the very best circuit breakers that are available right now. Each of these circuit breakers can be found using oemsecrets.com with the help of our wide range of distributors that supply these products. The article will high...Read More

The MBRS360T3G Diode by onsemi Sep 9, 2021

In this article, we will describe everything you should know about the MBRS360T3G diode. This particular electronic part has been manufactured by ON Semiconductor now rebranded as onsemi. And it is available for purchase right now courtesy of oemsecr...Read More

The TPSD107K010R0065 Tantalum Capacitor Sep 9, 2021

Today we are going to explain everything that you should know when it comes to the TPSD107K010R0065 tantalum capacitor. This electronic part is manufactured by AVX Corporation, with its current distributors on our website including the likes of Mouse...Read More

The AQY221R2S Relay from Panasonic Sep 1, 2021

This article will highlight all the primary benefits and the main technical specifications pertaining to the AQY221R2S relay. This is a product that is manufactured by the globally recognised Panasonic, which adds a real sense of legacy and credibili...Read More

EK-K7-KC705-G FPGA by Xilinx Jul 6, 2021

The EK-K7-KC705-G or Kintex-7 FPGA KC705 by Xilinx is an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) evaluation board. Described as a high-performance and versatile base platform, it offers several advantages and benefits to engineers and designers. The mos...Read More

LL4148 Diode by Vishay Intertechnology Apr 15, 2021

Manufactured by Vishay Intertechnology, the LL4148 is a small/signal fast switching diode that has silicon epitaxial planar coating. It also has a unidirectional single configuration. Applications that use LL4148 diodes include LED state detection (s...Read More

ULTIMAKER S5 - 3D Printer by Ultimaker Apr 8, 2021

The Ultimaker S5 is an industrial desktop 3D printer. It is an FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printer created by Dutch company Ultimaker, a pioneer and respected authority in the field of 3D printing. The S5 comes after the Ultimaker 3, which cam...Read More

SHT85 Humidity Sensor by Sensirion Mar 23, 2021

The SHT85 humidity sensor is a pin-type device, so it’s easier to change. It can also convert data from analog to digital and is considered the higher-end version of SHT75 (EOL) and SHT71, which most consider as the standard.  Although pe...Read More

E2K-C25ME1 High-Grade Sensors Mar 21, 2021

E2K-C25ME1 is a proximity sensor from Omron. It is used to detect metallic- and non-metallic objects. E2K-C25ME1 is a capacitive, unshielded component that operates at low voltage and offers customization. Proximity sensors are industrial components...Read More

HC-SR501 PIR Motion Sensor Mar 19, 2021

The HC-SR501 sensor is a highly versatile component often used in automated lighting, security systems, and other devices that are sensitive to motion. Depending on how this is set up, HC-SR501 can operate in wide distances or various ranges, as well...Read More

Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (HC-SR04) Mar 15, 2021

HC-SR04 is a low-cost but highly accurate proximity sensor that can be used as a stand-alone unit or as an integration to Arduino. Users can add this to their tech projects, while its concept is now being applied to next-generation systems, such as s...Read More

Panasonic AMG8833 – FLIR for cheap Mar 12, 2021

FLIR made infrared thermal sensors cool – sadly, their parts are all but cheap (and suffer from export control problems). Panasonic’s Grid-EYE family is a low-resolution alternative that comes at a significantly lower cost. From a techni...Read More

Vishay's NTCS0805E3222JMT Case Resistor Mar 12, 2021

NTCs and other thermosensors traditionally come in through-hole packages. Vishays NTCS0805E3222JMT is an excellent SMD part which can be placed right next to the heat source or ground plane whose temperature value you wish to monitor. Just as in the...Read More

Takachi's TWN4-2-6W Mar 12, 2021

A frequently repeated bit of advice by the oemsecrets.com crew involves looking off the beaten path. When looking for a ready-made case for your electronic trinket du jour, taking a look at the offerings of Takachi is an interesting alternative to cl...Read More

On Semiconductor's LM324DR2G Mar 12, 2021

When the LM324 opamp showed up in our oemsecrets search trends, more than one engineer in our team was shocked - the 324 is one of the most beloved general-purpose operational amplifiers on the market. A more detailed analysis of the issue, however,...Read More

What is Low Pass Filter Mar 12, 2021

When working with electrical parts and electronic signals, it is important to consider both time and frequency domains. The time-domain reflects the voltage value of the signal at a specific time. While frequency domain represents information about t...Read More

BMP180 Barometric Pressure Sensor Mar 12, 2021

BMP180 is a next-generation sensor that performs a wide variety of functions, including working as an altimeter. It provides high-precision reading and runs with its proprietary firmware or software for a more convenient digital use. Another term fo...Read More

ESP8266 Arduino Wi-Fi Module Mar 12, 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT) is sure to fire up in the coming years. According to Statista, the global market for IoT could hit a whopping $1.6 trillion by 2025 for end-user solutions. Those who like to capitalize on its growth or dabble on wireless ...Read More

LoRa SX1278 Module Mar 12, 2021

The LoRa SX1278 module is a high-sensitivity component with long-range spectrum communication capabilities. Its heart is the LoRa tech that uses patented modulation. The LoRa SX1278 is a chip designed by Semtech, which is capable of broad-spectrum c...Read More

LM2653MTC-ADJ from Texas Instruments Mar 12, 2021

Texas Instruments offers engineers a set of switching regulator evergreens which combine high efficiency with simple PCB layouts. The highly efficient LM2653, first introduced in 1999, usually stands in the shadow of his SimpleSwitch-branded brothers...Read More

BlueNRG-1 bluetooth without hassle Mar 12, 2021

Designing and impendance matching RF-related circuitry is an art of its own. STMicroelectronics’s SPBTLE-1S combines a Bluetooth 4.2 radio module with a Cortex-M0 processor intended to handle RF communications. A look at the block diagram conf...Read More

Texas Instruments’ OPA333 & OPA2333 Mar 12, 2021

No matter how advanced your digital circuitry is: sometimes, you need an OpAmp. Technology improvements allow for low-power rail to rail OpAmps such as the OPA333. Running operational amplifiers from a single supply is a sure-fire way to cause probl...Read More

Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840-dk Mar 12, 2021

Nordic semiconductor is the king of the wireless hill. Their chips support a variety of protocols used in the internet of things. The recently announced nRF52840 Dongle uses the nRF52840 chip on a USB stick-like PCB. The $10 planar can plug into a P...Read More

NXP PCF2127 – Lord of the Time Mar 12, 2021

Adding real time clock information to microcontroller driven systems is problematic. As time goes by, small errors in computing routines add up. Given that users hate entering system times, a real-time element is valuable. NXP – once Philips S...Read More

NXP’s MMA8451QR1 Mar 12, 2021

Process computer designs usually start out with an accelerometer. As reliability problems creep in, making the switch to a more “professional” solution is beneficial. Accelerometers are based on the MEMS principle: instead of being a pur...Read More

Texas Instruments’ PGA20 x series Mar 12, 2021

Test equipment and sensors both profit from amplifiers which change their gain on the fly. One of Texas Instruments evergreens recently saw quite a bit of additional attention. From a technical point of view, the part is extremely simple. As shown i...Read More

BAV99 and BAS16 – Smart Diodes Mar 12, 2021

Two-terminal diodes are among the best-known components in electrical engineering: electronics 101 cannot be passed without them – BAV99 and BAS16. Combining multiple diodes reduces part count and assembly cost. Candidate number one is the BAS...Read More

AD9833 from Analog Devices Mar 12, 2021

While arbitrary waveform generators are among the most helpful tools in the laboratory, they tend to spend most of their time outputting sines, triangles, and rectangles intended to stimulate sensors or actors. Analog Devices AD9833 is a compact IC d...Read More

Analog Devices’ AD215 Mar 12, 2021

Galvanic insulation is God‘s gift to man – whether optocoupler or light waveguide line, being able to transfer things without creating a physical connection is extremely valuable. Sadly, most optocouplers are not particularly smart &ndash...Read More

Panasonic’s popular EXB-28V470JX Mar 12, 2021

Be it pull-up resistors, pull-down resistors or just any other thing – many, if not most PCB designs come with a group of similar resistors. The knee-jerk reaction involves hitting the add a resistor button until the PCB is populated. Resistor ...Read More

Littelfuse’s RUEF300 Fuse Mar 12, 2021

Surface-mount fuses do a good job at protecting components from burning up – sadly, exchanging them is not a simple task manageable by end users. LittelFuse‘s RUEF series provide an attractive alternative, which is not widely known. Part...Read More

Wurth’s 150353 LED Family Mar 12, 2021

One of the issues making underground real estate unpopular with engineers is the lack of the ability to grow plants. Artificial lighting has low efficiency – recently, Würth introduced a set of LEDs targeted to the needs of plants. High s...Read More

Analog Devices’ LT4412B and LTC4412 Mar 12, 2021

Jack Ganssle, publisher of the legendary EmbeddedMuse newsletter, once stated that the embedded space is ideal as things permanently improve. When looking at diodes, the reverse is true – silicon-based diodes have had a drop of 0.7V for ages. A...Read More

Weidmüller 1469530000 and TMR 1212 Mar 12, 2021

Power supply design has always been a bit of a topic – long-term followers of the OEMsecrets article series know that repairing TMI usually starts out with power supply trouble. Due to that, buying an off-the-shelf module can be attractive. Her...Read More

TPS7B68 – Watchdog Meets LDO Mar 12, 2021

Power supply problems and software lockups are amongst the most common issues plaguing embedded systems. Watchdog timers alleviate the latter – they are now embedded in almost all microcontrollers. Some standards, however, demand the use of ded...Read More

Analog Devices’ AD534 Series Mar 12, 2021

Digital to analog converters usually come with one or two channels. Sadly, analog output needs tend to flock – in that case, Analog Device’s eight-converter AD534x family is an excellent contender. As with most DACs, the functional block...Read More

A Spike’s Mortal Enemy Mar 12, 2021

Disturbances of the power supply are common – in the automotive space just as much as in classic AC grids. Additional demands imposed by various forms of alternate energy will only make the issue worse, thereby ensuring that surge protection wi...Read More

ASEM-Series by ABRACON Mar 12, 2021

Generating a stable clock is far from easy: while current microcontrollers usually have some kind of embedded clock source, accuracy requires external components. Integrated oscillators provide a very interesting alternative, one of which we will loo...Read More

RS485 Driver Mar 12, 2021

RS485 sounds like just another serial protocol which no one really uses anymore. Sadly, this cannot be further from the truth – read on to find out about its benefits and about an IC which makes implementing it really easy. Differential signal...Read More

SMBJ5342B-TP – SMBJ Diode Mar 12, 2021

When adjusting voltage levels for process computers, accuracy is not always important: in many cases, good isolation from the incoming high voltage spikes is of more significance. A primitive design for an attenuator usually follows the lines shown ...Read More

LCB710 – An engineer's dream Mar 12, 2021

Controlling a large current with a small one without a physical connection, traditionally leads to a knee-jerk reaction of relays. Optocouplers traditionally were limited to low currents. For quite a bit of time, solid-state relays have been on the ...Read More

NRF51 – To Spend or Not to Spend Mar 12, 2021

Some years ago, development kits were expensive by definition. As the “maker revolution” redistributed electronics development into smaller and smaller companies, prices fell. Whilst Boeing or UAC might not flinch at a 600€ PCB, some...Read More

Understanding the T Flip-Flop Jan 11, 2021

Digital circuits are the basic building blocks for most computing devices. Digital circuits are divided into two main types: Combinational Logic Circuits, and Sequential Logic Circuits. In combinational logic circuits, logic gates form the basi...Read More