Feed aggregator
Nimo tubes! :D
 | I have some nimo tubes, so i'm just showcasing them here. [link] [comments] |
Close-up pictures of the custom Muxcard flexPCB
 | About a month ago I posted my credit-card sized computer project here and was honestly overwhelmed by the response - and thanks for all the encouraging feedback, that really helped a lot! One thing that came up repeatedly was people asking how it was actually built, so here I have some more details on the actual process. It's actually a bit of a hassle to take photos while working with dangerous chemicals, but it was worth it for sure! Honestly, my first thought after seeng this first picture was like "dang, this is nowhere as clean as I thought..." to the naked eye, everything looks precise and flawless, until you take photos with macro lens mounted on a mirrorless camera. But honestly, this kind of is satisfying too: Not only you can see all the impurities, but also every single overflow of solder paste, which doesn't even look like paste anymore as you can see the microscopic solder balls swimming in flux. Some areas needed some manual rework with additional solder paste, and the bridge over there was a result of my single layer limitation for now. And yes, I see it's almost shorting with another net but it luckily turned out fine. And regarding the actual etching process, that was described in my GitHub repo, but it was basically the normal method of etching PCBs with the difference of using copper foil with kapton tape as substrate. Curing the photoresist layer, developing it with a 5% sodium carbonate solution, etching it with ferric chloride, and lastly stripping the remaining photoresist with a 2% sodium hydroxide solution. Optionally solder mask if needed, but I skipped that step with this one. It's somewhat workable to get fast iterations but has the drawbacks of being extremely fragile. On some photos you can see how uneven the PCB is even though I taped it stretched onto a flat, rigid surface. Note that the pictures of each step is made on different runs, so you might spot some differences as result of trying different techniques. I already ordered a proper PCB from a fab, once that arrives, the Muxcard will be actually durable enough to be used as a daily driver. And for those who asked: Yes, I do plan to launch this soon. And if you're interested, you can find more details on the GitHub page :) But this post is more about these cool pictures I wanted to share here first, I'll add them into the repo as well as reddit doesn't seem to support including pictures in the text body. If there's anything you're curious about, feel free to ask - I'll try my best to answer every comment! :) [link] [comments] |
AV2 decoder joins multi-codec IP family
Allegro DVT’s Pulsar D400 series of multi-format video decoder IP now supports real-time AV2 decoding for advanced SoCs and ASICs. AV2, developed by the Alliance for Open Media, is an open, royalty-free video compression specification designed for next-generation streaming applications. As the successor to AV1, it improves compression efficiency, delivering high-quality video at significantly lower bitrates.
With AV2 capability, the Pulsar D400 series enables streaming applications up to 8K resolution with ultra-low-latency decoding (down to the sub-frame). Its multi-codec architecture supports H.264, HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1, while reducing silicon footprint, DDR memory bandwidth requirements, and power consumption.
Allegro DVT also provides AV2 development and validation tools, including the Sirius AV2 Test Suites and Astralis AV2 Bitstream Analyzer, along with silicon-proven IP and compliance expertise.
The post AV2 decoder joins multi-codec IP family appeared first on EDN.
GaN inverter board drives compact BLDC motors
EPC’s EPC99132 evaluation board is a GaN-based three-phase inverter for small BLDC motor drives in drones and robotic wrists. The design is built around the EPC33110, a 100-V, 20-A three-phase ePower Stage module that integrates three half bridges (six eGaN FETs), gate drivers, level shifters, and bootstrap circuitry in a 6×6.5-mm QFN package.
The EPC33110 co-packaged module requires a 5-V supply and supports 3.3-V or 5-V logic inputs. Its integrated eGaN FETs feature typical on-resistance values of 11.7 mΩ (high-side) and 13 mΩ (low-side). Performance testing demonstrated continuous current delivery of 11 ARMS per phase in a 48-V robotic joint at switching frequencies up to 100 kHz.
The EPC91132 evaluation board operates from a 10-V to 60-V DC input and integrates an MCU, regulated power supplies, DC bus voltage sensing, and current sensing. It also includes an onboard magnetic encoder for rotor position and speed control. The inverter is 23 mm in diameter, making it suitable for small drone motors.
The EPC91132 is priced at $406.25. Design support materials, including schematics, bill of materials, and Gerber files, are available for download on the product page.
The post GaN inverter board drives compact BLDC motors appeared first on EDN.
MCUs optimize control in optical modules
GigaDevice offers the GD32E512 and GD32E252 MCUs purpose-built for high-speed and low-speed optical modules, respectively. The devices target applications in AI data centers, cloud infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and access networks.
The GD32E512 features an Arm Cortex-M33 core operating at 120 MHz and integrates I3C support for high-bandwidth, low-latency, high-density communications in next-generation optical modules. Its peripheral set includes two 12-bit ADCs, up to eight 12-bit DACs, two comparators, two op amps, three I²C interfaces, and one MDIO interface, enabling monitoring, control, and management functions in a compact 3×3-mm chip-scale package.
Powered by an Arm Cortex-M23 core operating at 72 MHz, the GD32E252 delivers a balance of performance, integration, and efficiency for cost-sensitive and lower-speed optical connectivity applications. The MCU integrates one 12-bit ADC, four 12-bit DACs, one comparator, one I²S interface, and three I²C interfaces in a choice of QFN package options.
The post MCUs optimize control in optical modules appeared first on EDN.
Pages
![[link]](https://i.redd.it/s5zt6xf9nw7h1.jpeg){kind=link}