Is my power supply OK, and what if it isn’t? Is my microprocessor still working? In part 1, we examined the operation of power supply supervisory ICs that can detect when the supply voltage is too low, and what might happen if so. We will continue that analysis and then consider ways to keep an […]
analogdevices
Power-supply supervisors keep circuits in check: part 1
Is my power supply OK? What about my microprocessor? What if something goes wrong? Simulations show what happens if DC voltage drops. Microprocessors can behave in unwanted ways when their power supplies don’t deliver the expected voltage. Errors can occur, circuits can unexpectedly reset or even go rogue. To prevent such problems, many devices use […]
How op amps work and why you should use them: part 3
Operational amplifiers (op amps) are almost the perfect amplifier. As long as you keep a few important details in mind, their imperfections will seem invisible. In part 1, Equations 2 and 3 used the term AV for the voltage gain of the simple noninverting amplifier shown in Figure 1. The equations use α for the […]
Single-chip AFE integrates optical, ECG, and bio-impedance measurement systems
Simplify the design of wearable remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices by measuring four vital signs with one MAX86178 triple-system vital signs analog front end (AFE) from Analog Devices, Inc. This single-chip AFE integrates three measurement systems (optical, ECG, and bio-impedance) to obtain four common vital signs: electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), heart rate (ECG or optical […]
One chip, multiple LTE signals for 3G, 4G, and 5G macro cell TDD base station work
Matt Purvis from ADI recently took us through a demo of a super-wideband RF transceiver chip that targets the expanding 5G telecom area. The point of the chip is to transmit multi-carrier LTE signals and to simplify the task of designing MIMO systems. Called the ADRV9009, it is a single-chip time division duplex (TDD) design […]
Analog Devices expands cable infrastructure solutions with acquisition of broadband GaAs and GaN amplifier expert OneTree Microdevices
Analog Devices, Inc. announced the acquisition of OneTree Microdevices, Inc., a privately held company based in Santa Rosa, California. ADI is a leading supplier of mixed-signal solutions for cable access ranging from data converters through clocking and control/power conditioning. With the acquisition of OneTree Microdevices’ GaAs and GaN amplifier portfolio, which offers best-in-class linearity, output […]
Dual differential amp/ADC driver delivers 10 GHz gain-bandwidth with 1.1nV/√Hz noise
Analog Devices, Inc., which recently acquired Linear Technology Corporation, announces the LTC6419, a dual 10GHz gain bandwidth product differential amplifier with very low input voltage noise density of 1.1nV/√Hz, delivering outstanding SNR performance for wideband signal amplification. Additionally, the LTC6419 offers low distortion, providing 85dB spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) at 100MHz while driving 2VP-P signals. […]
How should grounds and commons be connected to each other?
We have already looked briefly at Earth ground (if any), chassis ground, and commons (often misnamed as “grounds”). These do not exist as unrelated connections in a system. The issues related to connecting commons and ground is the subject of countless articles, academic papers, vendor application notes, anecdotes, and even books. There are many rules […]
Ultra-low power accelerometer for IoT asset-health monitoring
Analog Devices, Inc. announced a next-generation accelerometer designed for long-period monitoring of the physical condition of high-value assets. With its extremely low power capabilities, the ADXL372 micropower high-g MEMS accelerometer targets Internet of Things (IoT) solutions where shock and impact on a unit during storage, transit, or use would adversely affect its function, safety, or […]
What are some specialized op amp variations?
The operation amplifier – commonly called the op amp – is the key building block of analog circuits. In its basic configuration, it is most often used to amplify a signal, of course. It can also be configured to perform mathematical operations such as implementing multiplication or division of two signals, take a square root, […]









