Passive Components

5055 articles · Page 3 of 211

FPGA Design Suite Supports Graphical Block-Based Design Entry: Efficiency, Accuracy, and Real-World Implementation

A technical deep dive into how modern FPGA design suites—including Xilinx Vivado, Intel Quartus Prime, and Lattice Diamond—leverage graphical block-based design entry to accelerate development, reduce errors, and improve collaboration across hardware and firmware teams.

James Park

800W Switchers Are Only 26 mm High: Why Ultra-Low Profile Power Supplies Are Reshaping Industrial and Telecom Design

An in-depth engineering analysis of modern 800W AC-DC switch-mode power supplies with 26 mm height—covering thermal architecture, magnetics optimization, PCB stacking, regulatory compliance, and real-world trade-offs using data from TDK-Lambda, Cosel, XP Power, and Delta Electronics.

Robert Kim

Switch Fabric Technology Enables On-Chip Networks: Architecture, Scaling, and Real-World Implementation

How modern switch fabrics—built with silicon photonics, advanced SerDes, and mesh/ring topologies—power high-bandwidth, low-latency on-chip networks in AI accelerators, multi-die CPUs, and HPC SoCs. Includes die area, latency, power, and bandwidth data from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, and TSMC.

James Park

Tegam Amplifier Stretches PXI Measurement Range: Extending Precision Beyond Native Limits

How the Tegam 1750A Precision DC Voltage Amplifier enables PXI systems to measure signals as low as ±20 nV and as high as ±10 V with 0.5 ppm linearity—unlocking new capabilities in metrology-grade test setups.

Emily Zhang

Tiny SSR Can Switch 2A at 250 VAC: Real-World Performance, Thermal Limits, and Design Tradeoffs

A detailed engineering analysis of miniature solid-state relays rated for 2 A at 250 VAC — covering thermal derating, zero-crossing behavior, creepage/clearance compliance, and comparative data from Omron, Panasonic, and Vishay devices.

David Chen

MTS-209 Selected to Support Thailand’s T-50TH Trainer Aircraft: Precision Passive Integration for Advanced Flight Training

The MTS-209 high-reliability passive component module from Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has been selected by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) and its prime contractor, Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI), for integration into the T-50TH advanced jet trainer fleet. This article details the technical rationale, environmental qualification, signal integrity performance, and supply chain advantages driving this selection.

Lisa Wang

DSP Emulator Achieves Bidirectional Data Streaming at Video Speeds

A breakthrough in real-time signal processing: the ADSP-SC589-based emulator delivers sustained 2.4 Gbps bidirectional throughput with sub-1.2 µs latency—enabling frame-accurate HDMI 2.0 and MIPI CSI-2 co-simulation for embedded vision systems.

David Chen

Communications Wireless Chip Sets Comply With IEEE 802.11n and Deliver 300 Mbps Throughput: Engineering Analysis and Component Selection Criteria

A technical deep dive into IEEE 802.11n-compliant wireless chip sets delivering 300 Mbps PHY data rates, covering RF architecture, passive component requirements, real-world performance validation, and design trade-offs for embedded communications systems.

Lisa Wang

Kontron Delivers Industry’s Lightest HMI Products: Engineering Breakthroughs in Industrial Human-Machine Interface Design

Kontron’s latest generation of ultra-lightweight HMIs—featuring the KBOX-2000 series (starting at 395 g) and KPanel-1500 series (as low as 780 g)—redefines weight, thermal efficiency, and ruggedness for industrial automation. This article details material science innovations, mechanical design trade-offs, EMI mitigation strategies, and real-world deployment metrics across automotive, rail, and medical OEM applications.

Robert Kim

Design FAQ: Managing Embedded Storage Using ECC-Enabled Flash Memory

A practical engineering guide to selecting, configuring, and validating ECC-enabled NAND and NOR flash for mission-critical embedded systems — covering bit error rates, correction strength, layout trade-offs, vendor-specific implementations (Micron, Samsung, Winbond), and real-world failure mode mitigation.

Maria Santos

Compact 45W Single-Output DIN Rail Power Supply with Integrated EMI Filter: Engineering Insights and Real-World Deployment

A technical deep dive into compact 45W DIN rail power supplies featuring built-in EMI filters—covering regulatory compliance, thermal design, filter topology, efficiency benchmarks, and comparative analysis of leading models from Mean Well, TDK-Lambda, and Phoenix Contact.

Emily Zhang

11 Myths About SOSA OpenVPX Chassis Platforms — Debunked by a Circuit Design Engineer

A circuit design engineer debunks 11 persistent myths about SOSA-compliant OpenVPX chassis platforms—covering thermal management, power delivery, interoperability, scalability, and real-world deployment constraints—with verified data from Curtiss-Wright, Mercury Systems, and GE Aerospace systems.

Emily Zhang

Green Patent Applications Promised a Speedy Review: Accelerating Innovation in Sustainable Electronics

How the USPTO’s Green Patent Pilot Program and subsequent Track One prioritization reshaped patent timelines for energy-efficient circuits, low-loss magnetics, and eco-conscious passive component designs — with real-world data, component benchmarks, and strategic filing insights.

Lisa Wang

Self-Faced Foam Absorbs Unwanted Noise: Engineering Performance Through Integrated Surface Integrity

A technical deep dive into self-faced acoustic foam—its material science, performance metrics, real-world applications, and comparative advantages over traditional open-cell foams. Includes measured NRC, STC, and impedance data from leading manufacturers including AcoustiFelt, ATS Acoustics, and Kustom Felt.

David Chen

Test Equipment Must Keep Pace With New High-Power Semiconductor Developments

As silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) devices push switching frequencies beyond 2 MHz, handle 3.3 kV blocking voltages, and operate at junction temperatures above 200°C, legacy test instrumentation fails to capture critical dynamic behavior—leading to design over-margining, thermal runaway risks, and field failures.

Michael Brown

FRAM MCUs in Motorsport Data Acquisition: Race-Grade Reliability, Real-Time Power Efficiency, and Raze-Optimized Firmware

A technical deep dive into ferroelectric RAM-based microcontrollers for high-fidelity race data logging—covering endurance under 100g shock, sub-50ns write latency, power consumption below 120 µA/MHz, and firmware architectures validated on Formula E Gen3 powertrains and WEC LMDh prototypes.

Maria Santos

Solid-State Relay Pair Sets: On-Resistance Standardization, Measurement Practices, and Design Implications

A technical deep dive into the on-resistance specifications of solid-state relay (SSR) pair sets—dual-channel, complementary, or matched SSR configurations—covering industry measurement standards, test conditions, real-world data from leading manufacturers, thermal derating effects, and design-critical implications for precision analog switching, battery management, and high-fidelity signal routing.

Robert Kim

How Small-Power Amplifiers Cut Component Cost Without Sacrificing Performance

Engineers are increasingly adopting small-power amplifiers (≤1 W RF output) to reduce BOM cost, simplify thermal management, and shrink PCB area—while maintaining signal integrity in IoT, wearables, and industrial sensor nodes. This article details real-world cost savings using Murata, Qorvo, and Skyworks devices, quantifies passive component reductions, and presents validated design trade-offs.

Robert Kim

Serializer-Deserializer ICs in Fiber Optic Systems: Performance, Selection Criteria, and Real-World Deployment Insights

A technical deep-dive into SerDes ICs for fiber-optic communication—covering data rates up to 112 Gbps PAM4, jitter budgets under 0.3 UI, power efficiency metrics (e.g., 4.2 pJ/bit for Marvell Alaska C), compliance with IEEE 802.3ck and ITU-T G.709.2, and design tradeoffs across datacenter, telecom, and coherent transmission applications.

David Chen

SMT Crystals Have Wide Frequency Range: Engineering Reality, Not Marketing Hype

SMT crystals span 1 kHz to 260 MHz with precision and reliability—backed by real-world data from Murata, TXC, NDK, and Abracon. This article details frequency coverage, stability trade-offs, package constraints, and application-specific selection criteria.

Maria Santos

How a 480 kWh Battery Storage System Slashed Demand Charges by 72% for Oakwood Senior Living — Saving $90,000 Annually

Oakwood Senior Living, a 220-unit retirement community in Tempe, Arizona, reduced its peak demand from 312 kW to 87 kW using a Fluence Cube 480 battery system and advanced load-shifting controls—cutting annual demand charges by $89,760 under APS’s Commercial Time-of-Use Rate 23. This article details the engineering rationale, component selection, tariff analysis, and verified financial impact.

Sarah Mitchell

What’s All This 3D Scanning Stuff Anyhow?

A practical, component-focused engineer’s guide to 3D scanning technologies—covering principles, hardware trade-offs, metrology-grade accuracy benchmarks, real-world PCB and enclosure use cases, and how passive component selection impacts scanner performance and reliability.

Maria Santos

All Wireless Cellular Devices Must Be Secured: A Circuit-Level Imperative for Modern Connectivity

Why securing wireless cellular devices isn't optional—it's a foundational requirement rooted in RF physics, regulatory mandates, and real-world attack vectors. This article details hardware-level vulnerabilities, validated mitigation strategies, and component selection criteria for engineers building LTE-M, NB-IoT, and 5G NR devices.

Michael Brown

Industry Competitors Cooperate to Advance CMOS: How Rival Chipmakers, Foundries, and IP Providers Are Uniting to Extend Moore’s Law

A deep technical analysis of unprecedented cross-competitive collaboration in the CMOS ecosystem—covering joint node development, shared PDKs, standardized interface IP, and co-funded R&D initiatives among Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Arm, Synopsys, and GlobalFoundries.

Michael Brown