A Controller Area Network (CAN) bus is designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other in applications without a host computer. This three-part series will give you the knowledge you need to utilize this protocol. First up: Learn how to use a CAN bus with a Propeller MCU.
For low frequency control, switching, and DC power, it is possible to get the job done without worrying too much about wiring and cabling practices. However, when RF gremlins begin to appear, suddenly, a whole new set of cautions and constraints gets piled on to your “simple” project. This article provides an overview of shielding, including some practices you should know as a defense against these gremlins.
Much as we learn about ourselves from our mistakes, we can learn a great deal about transformers from their imperfections.
When RF energy travels in a transmission line and encounters a load or different type of line, the resulting reflections create standing waves of voltage and current, just as water waves do when they encounter an obstruction. This can create problems with digital signals and can result in extra losses. However, there are several techniques for dealing with these reflections.
Any conductor carrying an AC current can be treated as a transmission line. Here, we'll talk about a basic element of transmission lines: the standing wave ratio. Find out why it’s important and how to measure it.
I can hardly imagine an electronics enthusiast without some sort of test bench. This can be as simple as a folding table and a couple of hand tools, along with a cheap DMM (Digital MultiMeter). Or, it can be as elaborate as a spare room just loaded with TE and a full complement of tools and accessories to go with it.
Construction articles found in electronics magazines use printed circuit boards for all but the simplest circuits, so investing time and money into the PC board fabrication process seems to be the next logical step, albeit a bit daunting for the new hobbyist. PC board fabrication is not necessarily the next step. There is another alternative … wire wrap.
The phenomenon known as RF interference — RFI to its many friends and acquaintances — involves interference caused by signals propagated wirelessly as radio waves. Most people don’t know (or care) about RFI until their garage door opener won’t work.
Rings, beads, cores ... find out exactly what ferrite is and what makes it ideal for a variety of uses in electronics. First created in 1930, they have since become important materials in the electronics and RF world.
Listening to shortwave radio is very interesting, and filled with the voices and music of far-off lands. Digging a bit deeper, there is another world of shortwave radio that does not use conventional sounds. It is the realm of data transmissions.
