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Конференція до 100-річчя професора В.М. Чермалиха "Сучасні технології автоматизації в електротехніці та електромеханіці" Інформація КП пн, 06/29/2026 - 17:30

Need just one more network port than you’ve currently got available (often: none)? A splitter can do the trick; just spend a few extra bucks to make sure you’ve made the right pick.

I’ll begin this teardown with an analogy. Imagine you’re grilling weekend hamburgers for the family. After the patties are cooked (medium-rare, of course), you slot them in buns and load them up with per-recipient preferred extras—lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions, mustard, and the like. The one condiment everyone wants is catsup (of course, again). But then you belatedly realize that there’s not enough of the tomato-derived sauce left in the bottle for everyone; specifically, one of the kids is about to be catsup-deprived.

Obviously, this just won’t do. But if you run to the store for more, the food will be cold by the time you get back. Plus, everyone’s already starving. And none of the neighbors, specifically those that you know well enough to even think of knocking on their doors and asking to borrow some of their catsup, are home. But then you remember the spare catsup packets from a recent take-out meal, jammed in the back of the refrigerator. An imminent condiment crisis is averted!

Or take this one. Your four-cylinder car is already paid off, in solid cosmetic condition and (mostly) equally great functional shape. But it just doesn’t have the “get up and go” that you’re now looking for. You could finance a more powerful replacement. But assuming you could even find someone to sell your existing vehicle to, or a dealer willing to take it in trade, you won’t get what you think it’s worth. And did I already mention that the one you already have is debt-free?

But then you realize you’ve only been putting regular (vs premium-octane) gas in it all this time. And/or that it’s been a while since you’ve taken it to the shop for a spark plug swap and broader tune-up. And/or maybe just that its tires are underinflated, or your trunk is overfilled. Rectifying these shortcomings transforms your existing vehicle, making it sufficiently spunky such that you can shelve the alternative of a replacement, keeping money in your pocket in the process.

An RJ45 in every port

What’s this all got to do with technology, specifically with Ethernet splitters? Well, multi-port Ethernet switches commonly come in the following configurations:

• 5-port
• 8-port
• 16-port
• 24-port
• 48-port

(10- and 12- port models, and other variants, also exist but are less common and therefore tend to be much more expensive on a per-port basis).

What happens if, as I’ve repeatedly experienced over the years, I have an eight-port switch  already in service and fully populated, but then add another wired Ethernet device to my LAN (for example, another NAS)? This leaves me needing one more port, but I don’t have any available spares. I could:

• Replace the 8-port switch with a 16-port successor: an expensive transition proposition that also leaves me with a perfectly good but now-unused 8-port switch predecessor, or
• Add a separate 5-port switch to the mix, connected to the original 8-port switch using a short span of Ethernet cable. While this is more economical than the prior approach, it “wastes” a port on both switches, dedicated solely to the interconnect between them, plus it takes up more space on the networking equipment shelf (along with another power strip spot).

Passive deficiencies

But there’s a third option, which I’ll be analyzing today. It’s a splitter, most commonly found in 1:2 ratio variants such as today’s dissection victim, although larger configurations are also available at least in active, versus passive, splitter form. What’s the difference? Passive splitters, as their name suggests, are unpowered (I’m also assuming here that they’re not self-powered, specifically via PoE). They’re also quite inexpensive, as this $8.99-total pair of them exemplifies:

Alas, they’re not a perfect panacea. Not even close. In this particular implementation case, notice the “(Can’t Run Both at The Same TIME)” qualifier right in the product title, conceptually replicated in another stock image, although the embedded verbiage muddies the waters as least as I’m interpreting it:

What’s basically going on with this particular implementation of the concept (with thanks to a knowledgeable Amazon reviewer, whose graphics I’m “borrowing”) is that the eight Ethernet wires flowing into one end of the splitter are duplicated at both connectors on the other end:

The upside? From a performance standpoint, both split-end (see what I did there?) connectors use all eight original-end wires (hold that thought). The downside? If you plug active devices into both “split” connectors at the same time, neither of them will go online. Not to mention all the short-circuiting going on between all three devices mated to the splitter, which should instead be called a duplicator (or maybe an overly complicated and potentially tragic coupler).

In the other implementation of the concept, which as my Amazon reviewer friend points out, often looks identical from the outside, four of the eight original-end connector wires go to one split-end connector, with the other four going to the other.

There are upsides to this variant approach, potentially. No short circuits, for one thing. And depending on how the wiring is handled at the other end of the cable plugged into the splitter’s original-end connector, gear plugged into both split-end connectors may be able to coexist. But since each of them is only using four wires of the total eight-wire strand, they’re each restricted to 100 Mbps peak bandwidth, since GbE connectivity requires the use of all four two-wire sets.

Active rationalization

Powered (active) splitters are the real deal. Essentially, they’re mini-switches, with a subset of the total number of connectors found in a “true” five-port (or larger) switch. Take today’s Goalake 2:1 patient, for example, which set me back only $6.49 post-35%-off-promotion when I bought it from Amazon in December 2024.

Along with its 3:1 sibling, which I’d purchased at the same time for only $9.09.

No inter-device packet collision issues, plus full GbE bandwidth to both “split end” devices, albeit subdivided between them if they’re concurrently transmitting or receiving.

With the stock image out of the way, let’s now look at the “real thing”, starting with box shots accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for size comparison purposes, as usual.

Packaging contents

Open ‘er up, and inside you’ll find a slip of paper up top:

with the rest of the goodies below:

Extras first, also including a USB-A to USB-C cable, whose purpose you’ll see shortly:

And now for our patient, initially translucent-swathed:

And now “unclothed”:

This side you’ve already seen in the “stock” image:

These two are, like the bottom, bland:

And this one explains why the aforementioned included USB cable exists:

It’s for the USB-C incoming power connection:

To my earlier “takes up more space on the networking equipment shelf (along with another power strip spot)” crack, this device in contrast is pretty tiny (58.1 mm x 23.4 mm x 62.8 mm). And although you could plug the USB-A end into a dedicated “wall wart”, the power requirements (5V@1A) are low enough that you could instead leverage an already-available and otherwise-unused USB connector coming out the back of a nearby NAS or UPS, for example.

Unsurprising (and highly integrated) innards

Time to get inside. You probably already noticed the four screws, two on each end. And you probably already guessed what comes next:

Turns out, I didn’t necessarily need to remove both ends’ plates; I could slide the PCB out either:

Oh well…nothing wrong with being thorough:

Note the lingering glue on the inside-chassis slot, to hold the PCB in place as originally installed:

Speaking of which, not much of note on this PCB side, save for more glue remnants and the fact that the manufacturer went with multiple smaller LAN transformers per-connector versus one unified per-connector alternative, as I’ve seen in other wired Ethernet-inclusive products.

The other side’s more interesting, albeit only a bit, reflective of the minimized bill-of-materials cost for this low-priced device.

That thermal pad presses up against the lower half of the (aluminum, I presume) chassis when the PCB is in place. Let’s see what’s underneath:

Surprise, surprise (not)…an Econet (later merged with Airoha Technology, both subsidiaries of MediaTek) EN8850DHE five-port switch with embedded 10/100/1000Base-T PHY!

That’s all I’ve got for you today. Reader thoughts are as-always welcome in the comments!

—Brian Dipert is the associate editor, as well as a contributing editor, at EDN.

Related Content

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• Modern UPSs: Their creative control schemes and power sources

The post Dissecting an active Ethernet splitter appeared first on EDN.

A breakthrough could lead to huge breakthroughs in battery performance, as per scientists. The findings, from researchers at Dundee and Warwick universities, could lead to the development of batteries for electronics and vehicles that charge faster, last longer, and are safer to use. The researchers say that for the first time they have identified the key role oxygen plays in storing and releasing a battery’s energy.

Previously thought that during the charging process, much of the activity happens in metal elements inside the battery, such as nickel, cobalt, or iron, and that oxygen in the battery was “passive”. However, the team said advanced computer modelling and laboratory experiments have shown that oxygen plays a much more active role in the charging and discharging process.

Dr Hrishit Banerjee, a theoretical physicist at Dundee’s faculty of science, engineering and business, said: “Global populations have become increasingly reliant on renewable energy technologies and advanced energy storage systems, from everything from the mobile phones in our pockets to the cars we drive. “By improving our knowledge of what is occurring at a tiny, atomic level within batteries, we can make big leaps in improving their performance in the real world.

This has made understanding the technology underpinning electronic processes inside battery materials increasingly important. This research is crucial and showcases a new understanding of how batteries function at a fundamental level. The study compared two of the main lithium-ion battery cathodes in daily use, phosphates and layered oxides.

Together, these forms of batteries are used for a host of applications, including electric vehicles and portable electronics such as mobile phones and laptops. The study found that while phosphates showed little oxygen participation, the layered oxides showed “significant” electron extraction from oxygen. Current technologies are limited by the understanding of the underlying physics of how and why batteries fail over time. This general framework will help design batteries with much longer lifetimes.

The post New Battery Breakthrough Leads to ‘Big Leaps’ in Electronic Performance appeared first on ELE Times.

КПІ — серед лідерів сталого розвитку за версією THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 kpi пн, 06/29/2026 - 14:25

The global tech supply chain is undergoing a massive structural realignment, and India is positioning itself to be more than just a destination for product assembly. In a significant move to bolster the nation’s hardware and clean-tech ecosystems, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath officially laid the foundation stone for major manufacturing facilities, led by Amber, Ascent, and SAEL Industries Limited. Their goal is to develop a manufacturing capacity of 6 gigawatts for solar cells and 5 gigawatts for solar modules from this plant. This development marks a critical transition from local product assembly to deep-tier component manufacturing, and the production of green technology is a fundamental requirement for true technological self-reliance.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the vision is to transform India into a global hub for electronic components manufacturing. ‘The goal is to transform India into a hub for electronic components, and this very vision has brought us to where we stand today, a moment that brings joy to us all.’

Expanding the Grid: Mass-Scale Solar and Component Infrastructure

While the state is aggressively pushing toward general electronics production, a massive anchor of this new manufacturing hub is dedicated to renewable energy hardware. The newly initiated plants are targeting staggering production capacities to fuel both domestic infrastructure and global markets:

• Solar Cell Production: The facility is designed to scale up to a manufacturing capacity of 6 Gigawatts (GW) for solar cells.
• Solar Module Assembly: Alongside the cells, the plant will house a 5 Gigawatt (GW) capacity line for fully fabricated solar modules.
• Upstream Electronics: By focusing on core electronic components and advanced fabrication alongside partners like Amber and Ascent, the hub addresses critical raw hardware gaps in India’s tech supply chain.

The launch also coincided with the inauguration of the “Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Training Mega-Campaign,” a structured initiative designed to upskill local workers and prepare engineers to operate these highly automated facilities. As these production lines spin up, the project provides a vital sandbox for localized engineering talent, ensuring that the youth of Uttar Pradesh are positioned to lead the region’s emerging green economy.

The post India is Engineering a Domestic Tech and Clean-Energy Supply Chain appeared first on ELE Times.

Сергій Струтинський: від фундаментальної науки до практичних інновацій Інформація КП пн, 06/29/2026 - 12:06

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has introduced a 24kW battery backup unit (BBU) DC–DC reference design for high-voltage (HV) DC bus architectures in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The design is said to be the first of its kind to operate directly from a battery stack to an 800V DC bus, using 650V and 1200V silicon carbide (SiC) technology. It achieves a power density of 450W/in3 and efficiency exceeding 99% within the same physical form factor as existing low-voltage (LV) BBU implementations, addressing a key infrastructure bottleneck as data centers transition to higher-voltage DC distribution...

With artificial intelligence workloads redefining the power requirements of modern data centers (and rapidly increasing GPU power levels and denser rack configurations pushing server power infrastructure to its limits), Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has hence introduced two system-level solutions targeting server ODMs and OEMs: an 18kW three-phase power supply unit (PSU) reference design optimized for 50V rack architecture, and a 30kW three-phase interleaved T-Type power factor correction (PFC) evaluation board designed for 800VDC or ±400VDC rack architectures with power sidecar. Both are part of Infineon’s broad AI server power delivery portfolio, helping customers to accelerate time-to-market while achieving higher rack power, improved efficiency, and better thermal performance...

In the world of retail, security is not always about cameras or guards; it’s often about technology you barely notice. Electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags are a prime example: small, lightweight devices that quietly safeguard billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise every year. Their strength lies in simplicity; an elegant mix of materials science and signal engineering that creates a reliable deterrent against theft.

For engineers and technologists, EAS tags are more than just retail accessories; they are a case study in how discreet design and robust physics converge to solve a persistent, real-world problem.

Principle of operation: Resonance and detuning

EAS tags are built on the physics of resonance. In RF systems, tag’s circuit is tuned to the frequency of the detection gates, producing a clear signal when energized. Acousto-magnetic (AM) systems rely on magnetostrictive strips that vibrate under alternating magnetic fields, creating a distinct response. In both cases, the tag’s resonance or detuning is what makes it detectable—a simple but elegant exploitation of electromagnetic behavior.

Detection gates: Antennas at the exit

The tall panels at store exits are more than just barriers; they are antennas transmitting and receiving fields. As a tag passes through, it interacts with these fields, altering the electromagnetic environment in a way the system recognizes. That interaction—a resonant “signature”—is what triggers the alarm. Without it, the gates remain silent, underscoring how precise the tag–antenna relationship must be.

The shielding challenge: Countering the Faraday cage

While EAS systems are robust, they face a persistent challenge from tag shielding, a technique where shoplifters use “booster bags” lined with conductive materials like aluminum foil. This creates a Faraday cage—a metal barrier that blocks the electromagnetic or magnetic fields from reaching the tag, preventing it from resonating or “talking” to the detection gates.

Because the tag’s signal cannot penetrate the shield, the system remains silent even as the item passes through the antennas. To counter this, modern engineering has introduced metal detection sensors within the antennas that trigger an alert when a large volume of metal is detected, ensuring the system isn’t bypassed by simple physical interference.

Ink security tags: Benefit-denial strategy

Developed in 1984, ink security tags feature an ampoule of indelible dye that ruptures and seeps into a product when tampered with, rendering the stolen item useless. This benefit-denial strategy has since evolved to work alongside EAS, combining electronic monitoring with a visible deterrent that discourages thieves from attempting removal.

Modern designs integrate ink ampoules directly into EAS housings, available in both AM and RF frequencies to suit all common systems, while ink dye pins can also be added to existing tags as an extra layer of protection.

Types of EAS tags

Retailers deploy different tag formats depending on the product and security need. Hard tags are the familiar plastic housings with locking pins, designed to be durable and reusable. They’re common on apparel and electronics, where reusability offsets cost. Soft labels are adhesive-backed and disposable, often hidden in stickers or packaging. These are ideal for books, cosmetics, and boxed goods, where speed and convenience matter.

Finally, specialty tags are engineered for unique shapes or high-value items—think liquor bottles, eyewear, or luxury accessories. Their design ensures protection without interfering with the customer’s ability to handle or try the product.

Figure 1 Composite image captures a black RF security hard tag pinned to jeans, a second detached tag with its metal pin exposed, and a white rectangular AM soft label marked with a barcode pattern. Source: Author (composite); individual images belong to their respective producers

Deactivation vs. removal: Two paths to clearance

Checkout counters handle tags in two distinct ways. Soft labels, often hidden in stickers, are electronically deactivated by disrupting their resonant circuit. Once deactivated, they no longer respond to the exit gates.

Hard tags, however, are mechanical devices locked onto the product. These require a physical detacher to release them, ensuring they can be reused. The dual approach reflects retail priorities: speed for disposable labels, security and sustainability for reusable tags.

Engineering behind the scenes

The effectiveness of EAS systems rests on careful engineering choices. Materials science plays a central role: ferrite cores and resonant circuits are tuned for reliable response, while adhesives ensure soft labels stay in place without damaging products. Signal processing is equally critical, with systems designed to operate within specific frequency ranges, reduce false alarms, and manage interference from other electronics.

Finally, engineers face constant design trade-offs: balancing cost, durability, and detection reliability. A tag must be inexpensive enough for mass deployment, rugged enough to survive handling, and precise enough to trigger only when it should. This interplay of physics, electronics, and economics is what makes EAS technology both ubiquitous and invisible in everyday retail.

EAS tag frequencies: RF vs. AM

The performance of EAS systems hinges on their operating frequencies. RF tags typically resonate at 8.2 MHz, making them cost-effective and widely used for general merchandise. Acousto-magnetic (AM) tags, by contrast, operate at 58 kHz, using magnetostrictive strips that vibrate under alternating magnetic fields to deliver stronger detection in environments with metal shelving or foil packaging.

These frequency choices are deliberate: RF systems provide scalable protection for everyday goods, while AM systems excel in challenging conditions, reducing false alarms and ensuring consistent reliability. Frequency engineering, in short, is what makes EAS technology both practical and precise in modern retail.

Figure 2 8.2-MHz RF tags display the internal resonant coil structure and the standard barcode-printed adhesive backing. Source: Author (composite); individual images belong to their respective producers

Dual-frequency and RFID integration

Dual-frequency EAS tags combine AM (58 kHz) and RF (8.2 MHz) technologies into a single housing to ensure universal compatibility across different retail security systems, regardless of which hardware a specific store uses. This makes them the gold standard for source tagging, where manufacturers apply the security tags during production rather than at the store; because the tag is “universal,” the manufacturer can ship the same protected product to any retailer worldwide without worrying about system compatibility.

By further integrating RFID into this setup, the tag evolves into an all-in-one solution that not only triggers exit alarms to prevent theft but also provides item-level data for real-time inventory tracking and supply chain visibility from the factory floor to the point of sale.

Figure 3 This dual-technology label integrates a UHF RFID inlay and an EAS tag to provide item-level tracking and secondary loss prevention for retail apparel. Source: Avery Dennison

Just to clear the mist…

At the core of the above dual EAS technology lies the NXP UCODE 9 chip, a high sensitivity “brain” engineered to deliver superior read ranges and maintain stable signals even under physical interference or shifting environmental conditions. Operating within the global ultra-high frequency (UHF) band of 860–960 MHz, it ensures seamless tracking across international regulatory standards, enabling long-range detection far beyond the proximity limits of standard “tap-to-pay” systems.

Data management is anchored by a 96-bit Electronic Product Code (EPC) memory, a rewritable digital barcode for precise item identification, complemented by a 96-bit Tag Identifier (TID). This TID serves as a permanent digital fingerprint, factory-locked with a 48-bit unique serial number that provides hardware-level authentication and protection against counterfeiting—an identity that cannot be duplicated or altered.

Smarter EAS for modern retail

The evolution of EAS technology is not just about new features; it’s about reshaping retail practice. As mentioned before, source tagging embeds protection at the point of manufacture, streamlining store operations and ensuring every item arrives shelf-ready. Likewise, integration with RFID merges theft prevention with inventory intelligence, giving retailers real-time visibility into stock while safeguarding assets.

Smarter systems, powered by AI-driven analytics, further reduce false alarms by distinguishing genuine threats from background noise. The practical results are clear: shrink reduction delivers measurable savings, customer experience improves through unobtrusive security, and operational efficiency rises with reusable tags and scalable systems. Together, these innovations transform EAS from a silent guard at the exit into a strategic enabler of modern retail.

The harmonic handshake: Integrating EM physics and DSP intelligence

Modern electronic article surveillance systems achieve reliability through the sophisticated interplay of electromagnetic (EM) physics and digital signal processing (DSP).

EM tags, built around high-permeability amorphous metal, generate a distinctive non-linear magnetic response when exposed to a low-frequency interrogation field (typically between 10 Hz and 1 kHz). Thin, durable, and capable of indefinite activation or deactivation, these tags remain the gold standard for high-security applications such as libraries and pharmaceuticals. Yet the low-frequency spectrum they inhabit is increasingly crowded with electronic noise.

Figure 4 These adhesive electromagnetic strips integrate seamlessly into book gutters for discreet security. Source: The Library Store

Here the DSP becomes the system’s discerning ear, applying advanced algorithms to isolate the harmonic signatures produced by the EM strip. By analyzing the timing and ratios of these harmonics—especially the unique “spikes” created as the tag’s magnetic material reaches saturation—the DSP can instantly distinguish a genuine tag from background interference like power lines or moving metal doors.

This synergy preserves the physical strengths of EM technology, including detection through foil and ease of concealment, while adding digital intelligence that virtually eliminates the false alarms once common in legacy analog systems.

From security tags to ambient intelligence

The humble EAS tag is no longer just a one-bit alarm. It’s evolving into the foundation of ambient IoT—a world where everyday objects speak digitally without batteries or costly processors. By merging chip-free EAS principles with conductive inks and AI-driven signal processing, we’re entering the age of computational matter. Imagine a cereal box that not only sets off a gate alarm but also tells a recycling sorter what it’s made of and quietly alerts your smart kitchen when it’s nearing expiration.

And this isn’t just theory—it’s a call to action. For makers, the playground now includes conductive filaments and paints, where a 3D-printed resonator might shift frequency when bent or a touch sensor could be embedded directly into a wooden desk. For engineers, the challenge lies not only in faster chips but in mastering signal-to-noise ratio using machine learning to extract meaning from the messy electromagnetic echoes of chipless tags and designing packaging tech that’s as recyclable as the cardboard it’s printed on.

The future of IoT isn’t merely connected—it’s ambient, invisible, and accessible. Whether you’re hacking RF readers or sketching with graphene ink, remember that sophistication isn’t measured in transistor counts, but in achieving the most with the least. Keep tinkering, keep questioning, and let’s weave an internet into the very fabric of our world.

T. K. Hareendran is a self-taught electronics enthusiast with a strong passion for innovative circuit design and hands-on technology. He develops both experimental and practical electronic projects, documenting and sharing his work to support fellow tinkerers and learners. Beyond the workbench, he dedicates time to technical writing and hardware evaluations to contribute meaningfully to the maker community.

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The post EAS tags: The invisible backbone of retail security appeared first on EDN.

This is the final update on the I2C-PPS project. For more details see its repository - github.com/condevtion/i2c-pps. Pictures show a load test example, the load test setup, load emulator (set of 30 each 360 Ohm resistors), voltage regulation errors for 3.3v and 26v, efficiency at 3.3v. output current at 4.5v and input current at 26v (both with current limiting to 5A). I planned the load test as a final step before wrapping up active work on the power supply project. Let's see where it's ended up. First of all, I mounted all devices on a plexiglass sheet to make the setup handling easier. It consists of MeanWell AC/DC 5V 35W source, Raspberry PI 2 Zero W, NUCLEO-474 and adjustable voltage divider as a 4-channel voltmeter, I2C-PPS itself, load, and a screw terminal to connect all the boards. Additionally, I used two multimeters to independently measure input and output currents. As it appeared later they both had pretty significant resistance to affect high current operation of the power supply. Initial specification limited output to 25W or 5A (what came first) in 3.3 to 26V range and input current to 5A at 5V. It's pretty demanding numbers. For example, you need just 660 mOhm load to get 5A at 3.3V. As well you'd like to make it adjustable to cover the output current range at different voltages. I decided to hack it with several sets of 2W resistors. Set of 20 Ohm resistors (30 count) covers 3.3-6V range, 43 Ohm - 6-9V, 91 Ohm - 9-13V, 180 Ohm - 13-18V, and 360 Ohm - 18-26V. Each set soldered to a half of a pretty standard 30 position breadboard. Ordinary 100mil jumpers were used to connect necessary number of resistors. Unfortunately, with no active cooling this design becomes really hot within a minute. So I didn't really test reliability of the power supply under significant load. Still results are quite good for the first revision. The power supply provides requested voltage with around 2% accuracy for 3.3V as controller's datasheet states. Frankly, I got a bit higher than 2% error while the datasheet limited it to 2%, but it's still the first revision. Peak efficiency is 94% at 3.3V and 1.5A down to 87% at 26V and 0.6A. Being overloaded the power supply switches to current limiting mode and properly holds both input and output currents under 5A. Internal ADC doesn't look that good and shows even higher error (up to 6%) for output voltage. Current sensors disappoint even more. They aren't sensitive to current under 400mA (for analog IIN and IOUT pins) and to current under 1.2A for digital readings. Both showing 10% to 70% error for low currents (but the error goes down significantly for values above 1A). As far as I've dived in it, it works for current limiting within controller specifications but doesn't really suits for measurements. Also the datasheet doesn't mention ADC accuracy so I'd like to think that this is what the controller is designed for - high current applications and safety in the case. So it really works! And close to what's expected from the controller's datasheet. While doesn't really suit my small projects needs - lack of output below 3.3V and inaccurate internal sensors for most of my projects, it was really interesting project which put to test my HW design abilities and revealed a lot of fascinating things at every stage from discovering KiCAD features, through selecting parts, ordering and assembling PCB, to emulating load and measuring characteristics of the power supply. submitted by /u/WeekSpender [link] [comments]

First fully working assembly of a 6x IN-14 Nixie board I've been putting together. Sharing the build because I'm happy with how the layout and the HV section came out. Quick rundown of the circuit: 6x IN-14 tubes, multiplexed HV supply generating ~170V DC from 12V input via a boost stage (MC34063-based), anodes through current-limiting resistors Cathode driving via 74141 / K155ID1 decoders Logic level shifting between the low-voltage control side and the HV cathode side A separate OLED handles the non-numeric characters since the tubes only render 0–9 The part I spent the most time on was the HV rail. Under load, when all six tubes switch digits simultaneously, there's a bit more ripple than I'd like, so I reworked the filtering on the output cap stage. Multiplexing refresh rate also took some tuning to kill the visible flicker on the lower cathodes. Data comes in over GPIO from a small controller, but the interesting part here is really the analog HV side and the cathode switching, which is what most of the board real estate goes to. Posting it as a show-and-tell. Always nice to see this old Soviet hardware still glowing decades later. submitted by /u/Nixiepulse [link] [comments]

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More details here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/diy-1980s-style-autoranging-dc-voltmeter-(icl7107cmosne555)//) submitted by /u/Reasonable_Quail_425 [link] [comments]

Im aware this is a very bulky (and very open) smart watch but its just a simple side project i made for fun with the few resources i had left around. I currently dont have a 3d printer so I chose to just leave it open with all the electronics out and about and tbh I think it gives it some personality. Im currently working on the Bluetooth connection aspect of it so it can tell me when I get a notification but even then just by itself it has a few games, some productivity apps like notes, checklist, etc. and some simple apps used in engineering such as a calculator, resistor color code calculator, and other useful apps when it comes to building projects. Here's some info for the nerds: Microcontroller: esp32 Display: 0.96 in oled Other features: 4 buttons, 2 indicator leds used in certain apps and games as well as a tiny vibration motor used for small noise and alerts. submitted by /u/RogerRoads [link] [comments]

In response to growing demand from AI data centers and the shift towards solid-state power protection, Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany is expanding its CoolSiC JFET portfolio with new devices, package options and configurations, aiming to support high-performance power distribution and protection systems...

The demand for higher power densities in increasingly space-constrained environments continues to grow, whether in on-board chargers for electric vehicles or power supplies for AI data centers. At the recent PCIM Europe 2026 (Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion, Renewable Energy and Energy Management) Expo & Conference in Nuremberg, Germany (9–11 June), Munich-based Infineon Technologies AG hence introduced EasyPACK S, a compact power module and packaging concept specifically designed to meet these requirements. With a package height of only 5.6mm and a footprint of about 33mm x 36mm, EasyPACK S is said to enable significant system miniaturization while ensuring reliable thermal performance and reduced electromagnetic interference. The first modules available in the new package integrate Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFETs 1200V G2 as well as IGBT4 and IGBT7 1200V technology...

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has begun sampling silicon carbide (SiC) bidirectional switches (BDS) built on rugged 750V CoolSiC G2 technology. A vertically integrated dual-die with common drain design in a top-side-cooled Q-DPAK package integrates two power switches into one to simplify design and enable the evolution of legacy topologies. The 750V CoolSiC BDS is said to deliver the reliability margin that modern grids and energy systems demand, resulting in the lowest total cost of ownership during the application lifetime...

With power conversion architectures in automotive and industrial applications evolving rapidly (placing new demands on switching topologies, thermal management, and system integration), Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has made available samples of the H-DPAK, a new addition to its top-side-cooling package family, housing integrated half-bridge (HB) devices in 750V CoolSiC G2 technology...

Екскурсія на Броварський завод котельного обладнання: як теоретичні знання трансформувати в практичні рішення Інформація КП пт, 06/26/2026 - 16:00

Sometimes, getting true stress levels can be tricky because things happen that are sneaky.

Stress analysis is often required to confirm that a designed product will perform properly in hazardous environments. Rather than trying to ascertain a “mean time between failures” (MTBF) or a “mean time to repair” (MTTR), the required assumption can also be that failure is simply unacceptable, no matter what, with the further assumption that repairs will simply not take place. For example, when spacecraft are sent out, they usually had better just work…period.

Among the tools that can be brought to bear toward that end, we have MIL-STD-975M (NASA), in which derating guidelines are given for all kinds of electronic parts. If your components all operate within stress limits as defined in that document, it will be assumed that your product will function as required after having been launched.

Sometimes though, getting true stress levels can be a bit tricky because sneaky things can happen, as in the following case study. It exemplifies the following lesson: when doing a stress analysis on the components that have been incorporated into a product, don’t overlook the possibilities of transient conditions. Your design might not be as safe and secure as you think.

Imagine we have a half-bridge switch mode inverter. We can make a very simple SPICE model for it and see what happens when the circuit is first energized.

Figure 1 A simple SPICE model for an also-simple circuit shows what happens when it is first energized.

L1 and R3 are a crude model of the primary winding of a loaded inverter transformer. We look at the voltage excursion that capacitor C1 undergoes when the circuit is first energized and see that the voltage there follows an under-damped wave shape.

Even though the final value of the C1 voltage is headed for half the rail voltage (minus just a little bit of that half to account for switching losses), there is a momentary voltage excursion that goes to a positive peak which is well above that final settling point.

Excerpting from MIL-STD-975M, we find the following.

Figure 2 These excerpts from MIL-STD-975M are relevant to the example half-bridge switch mode inverter circuit.

Taking one particular CLR81, 220 µF capacitor whose nominal voltage rating is 75 volts, if we apply the derating requirement of 0.4, we have an allowable maximum voltage of 75 x 0.4 = 30 volts.

If we are so blithe as to say that C1 will have 14 volts across itself, we will find a stress level of 46.7%, but what we really have is a peak excursion during power-on rising to 21.451 volts, which means a stress level on C1 of 71.5%. We will still be okay, but we will have significantly less of a safety factor to the maximum stress level than we might have originally thought.

Sneaky stuff like this could result in you overlooking an over-stress condition. It is therefore important to consider every circumstance, from stead-state service to any kind of transients to which your designed product’s components may (or maybe more accurately, will?) be subjected.

John Dunn is an electronics consultant and a graduate of The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (BSEE) and of New York University (MSEE).

Related Content

• Semiconductor Reliability and Quality Assurance–Failure Mode, Mechanism and Analysis (FMMEA)
• Design for reliability: You have the tools
• Electronic Components Derating – Made Easy
• Connector voltage stress, Part 1 and Part 2

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