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Today, the FPGA company revealed an array of new announcements at its annual Altera Innovators Day developer conference.

One of my electronics interests is building radios, particularly those featured in older UK electronics magazines such as Practical Wireless, Everyday Electronics, Radio Constructor, and The Maplin Magazine. Most of those radios are designed to run on a 9-V disposable PP3 battery.

Wow the engineering world with your unique design: Design Ideas Submission Guide

Using 9 V instead of the 3 V found in many domestic radios allows the transistors in these often-simple circuits to operate with a higher gain. PP3 batteries are, at a minimum, expensive in circuits consuming tens of mA and are—I suspect—hard to recycle. A more environmentally friendly solution was needed.

In the past, I’ve used single 3.6-V lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells from discarded e-cigarettes [1] with cheap combined charger and DC-DC converter modules found on eBay. They provide a nice, neat solution when housed in a small plastic box, but unfortunately generate a lot of electromagnetic interference (EMI), which falls within the shortwave band of frequencies (3 to 30 MHz) where a lot of the radios I build operate. I needed another solution that was EMI-free and environmentally friendly.

Solution

One solution is to eliminate the DC-DC converter and string together three or more Li-ion cells in a battery pack (B1) with a variable linear regulator (IC1) to generate the required 9 V (V1) as shown in Figure 1. Li-ion cells, like all electronic components, have tolerances. The two most important parameters are cell capacity and open circuit voltage. Differences in these parameters between cells in series lead to uneven charging and ultimately stressing of some cells, leading to their eventual degradation [2]. To even out these differences, Li-ion battery packs often contain a battery management system (BMS) to ensure that cells charge evenly.

Figure 1 Li-ion battery pack, with 3 or more Li-ion cells, and a variable linear regulator to generate the required 9 V.

As luck would have it, on the local buy-nothing group in Ottawa, Canada, where I live, someone was giving away a Mastercraft 18-V Li-ion battery with charger as shown in Figure 2. The person offering it had misplaced the drill, so there was little expense for me. Upon opening the battery pack, it was indeed found to contain a battery management system (BMS). This seemed like an ideal solution.

Figure 2 The Mastercraft 18-V Li-ion battery and charger obtained locally.

Circuit

The next step was to make a linear voltage regulator to drop 18 V to 9 V. This, in itself, is not particularly environmentally friendly, as it is only 50% efficient, and any dropped battery voltage will be dissipating as heat. However, assuming renewable power generation is used as the source, this would prove a more environmentally friendly solution compared to using disposable batteries.

In one of my boxes of old projects, I found a constant current nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery charger. It was based around an LM317 linear voltage regulator in a nice black plastic enclosure sold by Maplin Electronics as a “power supply” box. The NiCad battery hadn’t been used for over 20 years, so this project would be a repurpose. A schematic of the rewired power supply is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 The power supply schematic with four selectable output voltages—6, 9, 12, and 13.8 V.

In Figure 3, switch S1 functions as both the power switch and selects the output voltage. Four different output voltages are selectable based on current needs: 6 V, 9 V, 12 V, and 13.8 V can be chosen by adjusting the ratio of R2 and R3-R6 as shown in the LM317 datasheet [3]. R2 is usually 220 Ω and develops 1.23 V across it, the remaining output voltage is developed across R3-R6. To get the exact values, parallel combinations are used as shown in Table 1.

Resistor #	Resistors (Ω)	Combined Value (Ω)
3	910, 18k, 15k	819
4	1.5k, 22k, 33k	1.35k
5	2.2k, 15k	1.92k
6	2.2k	2.2k

Table 1 Different values of paralleled R3 to R6 resistors and their combined value.

A photograph of the finished power supply with a Li-ion battery attached is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4 A photograph of the finished power supply with four selectable output voltages that can be adjusted via a knob.

Results

Crimp-type spade connectors were fitted to the two input wires, which mated well with the terminals of the Li-ion battery. Maybe at some point, I will 3D-print a full connector for the battery. With the resistor values shown in Figure 3, the actual output voltages produced are: 5.96 V, 9.03 V, 12.15 V and 13.8 V. While these are not the actual designed values due to the use of preferred resistor values, it is of little consequence as the output voltage of disposable batteries varies over their operating time and there is of course a voltage drop due to cables. With this power supply, though, the output voltage of the power supply will remain constant during this time, even as the output voltage of the Li-ion drops due to its discharging.

Portable power

Although the power supply was intended for powering radio projects, it has other uses where portable power is needed and a DC-DC converter is too noisy, like sensitive instrumentation or some audiophile preamplifier [4]. 

Gavin Watkins is the founder of GapRF, a producer of online EDA tools focusing on the RF supply chain. When not doing that, he is happiest noodling around in his lab, working on audio electronics and RF projects, and restoring vintage equipment.

Related Content

• Drive any electronic clock with a high-precision 10-MHz reference
• Analogue charge pump produces high-frequency, high-voltage pulses
• Investigating a vape device
• Double Lithium-Ion/Lithium-Polymer USB Type-C Charger
• Low Cost Universal Battery Charger Schematic

References

1. Reusing e-cigarette batteries in a e-bike, https://globalnews.ca/news/10883760/powering-e-bike-disposable-vapes/
2. BU-808: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries, https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-808-how-to-prolong-lithium-based-batteries
3. LM317 regulator datasheet, https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lm317.pdf
4. Battery powered hifi preamp, https://10audio.com/dodd_battery_pre/

The post An off-line power supply appeared first on EDN.

Welcome to the first All About Circuits Summit Day of 2025! This guide will introduce the features of our first Wednesday schedule and help you plan your month-long participation.

Anritsu Corporation will participate in the upcoming India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, taking place in New Delhi, India, from October 8 to October 11, to showcase its latest innovations in communications test and measurement solutions.

As the mobile and connectivity industry continues to expand with the rapid adoption of 5G, IoT, and emerging technologies such as AI-driven services, cloud computing, and immersive XR applications, the demand for robust, reliable, and efficient test solutions has never been greater. At IMC 2025, Anritsu will highlight its comprehensive portfolio designed to meet these evolving needs, supporting operators, device manufacturers, and ecosystem partners in accelerating their technology development and deployments.

Virtual Signalling Tester

5G Network Simulator, a software-based solution for 5G IoT chipset and device testing. It enables virtual 5G network simulation on a PC, supporting RedCap tests and efficient device verification.

Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A

All-in-One Support for RF Measurements, Protocol Tests and Applications Tests in FR1 (to 7.125 GHz) and FR2 (Millimeter-Wave) Bands. MT8000A is used by Mobile Chipset, Mobile Handset, IoT Device, 5G base Station R&D and manufacturing companies.

Field Master Pro MS2090A

Handheld Spectrum Analyzer delivers the highest continuous frequency coverage up to 54 GHz and real-time spectrum analysis bandwidth up to 150 MHz to address current and emerging applications such as 5G &LTE Base Station Measurement, Satellite System Monitoring, Interference Hunting, EMF measurement and much more.

Anritsu Collaborates with Altair to Demonstrate Integration of Anritsu Monitoring Systems with Spectrum Management Software WRAP.

Altair WRAP integrates georeferenced data from Anritsu spectrum analyzers to validate coverage, interference, and spectrum compliance with field reality.

VectorStar Broadband VNA ME7838

The VectorStar ME7838 Series broadband VNA offers the widest available 2-port single frequency sweep from 70 kHz to 110, 125, 145, and 220 GHz with mmWave bands up to 1.1 THz. Vector Star is a cost-effective solution for OnWafer Measurements, RIS, Novel Channel Sounding applications along with active and passive devices measurement supporting 5G and 6G technology.

Optical Spectrum Analyzer MS9740B

MS9740B offers Single mode and Multimode Fiber application and high-speed optical devices such as optical transceivers, VCSEL, and DFB light sources testing R&D and production.

The post Anritsu Showcases 6G and NTN Test Solutions at IMC 2025 appeared first on ELE Times.

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has expanded its CoolSiC MOSFETs 400V G2 portfolio with the top-side-cooled (TSC) TOLT package as well as the TO-247-3 and TO-247-4 packages. In addition, three new products in the TOLL package have been introduced, with rated voltages of 440V (continuous) and 455V (transient)...

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has expanded its CoolSiC MOSFETs 400V G2 portfolio with the top-side-cooled (TSC) TOLT package as well as the TO-247-3 and TO-247-4 packages. In addition, three new products in the TOLL package have been introduced, with rated voltages of 440V (continuous) and 455V (transient)...

The industrial scenery is getting reshaped by digital twins and physical AI. These virtual replicas of factories, facilities, or even processes were once mainly conceived for planning purposes and now have become more operationally oriented, mainly concerned with training autonomous robots, AI-powered machinery, and operational systems to perform their tasks safely and efficiently in the real world. High-tech OpenUSD, immersive simulation tools, and AI-driven modeling are helping developers create high-fidelity digital twins at scale, removing most of their manual labor and fast-tracking industrial AI deployment.

Scaling Industrial AI and Physical AI with Digital Twins

Digital twins provide a virtual environment within which physical AI agents such as autonomous robots or smart factory systems can learn and adapt before deployment. Simulations of a finer quality came at the cost of much manual effort. Today, with advanced OpenUSD, neural reconstruction, and world foundation models (WFMs), developers can now set about constructing these complex digital replicas far more rapidly.

Key developments include:

SDKs bridging between simulators: They allow people to simulate robots and systems in diverse simulators, thus virtually providing access for robotics developers anywhere in the world.

• Neural rendering and 3D reconstruction libraries: These allow the capture and reconstruction of sensor data from the real world, simulation, and photorealistic rendering.
• Open-source robotics frameworks: Offer readymade environments and schemas for robots and sensors to help reduce the simulator-to-reality gap.
• World foundation models (WFMs): Used to create synthetic datasets and to carry out higher-order reasoning on these datasets for the benefit of physical AI applications.
• Advanced rendering and AI-assisted material modeling: Provide scalable ways to create industrial-grade digital twins.

OpenUSD: Powering the Future of Industrial 3D Innovation

OpenUSD constitutes the backbone of industrial 3D workflows, having become a standard for digital twin creation with interoperability between industrial and 3D data. By now, the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) has been extended to include Accenture, Esri, HCLTech, PTC, Renault, and Tech Soft 3D, thus showing great endorsement of OpenUSD and present objectives of uniting industrial 3D workflow.

To support this growing ecosystem, NVIDIA has introduced an industry-recognized OpenUSD development certification and a digital-twins learning path, helping developers gain the skills needed to build the factories and industrial systems of tomorrow.

Industry Applications Driving the Future:

Some of the global leaders use digital twins and OpenUSD for transforming industrial operations:

• Siemens: Teamcenter Digital Reality Viewer allows working with large-scale digital twins for visualization and collaboration, thereby reducing physical prototyping and faster time-to-market.
• Sight Machine: Operator Agent platform amalgamates live production data with AI-driven recommendations and digital twins for better plant visibility and faster decision-making.
• Rockwell Automation: Emulate3D Factory Test creates physics-based digital twins from simulation to optimize automation and autonomous systems.
• EDAG: Uses digital twin for project management, production layout optimization, worker training, and data-driven quality assurance.
• Amazon Devices & Services: Uses digital twin environments to train robot arms for assembly, testing, packaging, and auditing, all with no physical intervention.
• Vention: Offers plug-and-play digital twin and automation solutions so intelligent manufacturing systems can be deployed more speedily.

Conclusion:

The combination of OpenUSD, digital twins, and AI-driven simulation is transforming industrial operations on the ground. By proving the exact, scalable virtual environment, they allow manufacturers, robot developers, and physical AI engineers to innovate faster, cut down expenses, and systematize safer and smarter solutions faster than ever before.

(This article has been adapted and modified from content on NVIDIA.)

The post OpenUSD and Digital Twins: Transforming Industrial AI Workflows appeared first on ELE Times.

Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA — which makes silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices — has completed its financial restructuring process and emergence from Chapter 11 protection...

Epirus Inc of Torrance, CA, USA says that, in an invitation-only demonstration on 26 August at Camp Atterbury, Indiana (attended by representatives from throughout the US Department of Defense, other US Government agencies and nine allied countries), its Leonidas solid-state high-power microwave (HPM) system — which uses gallium nitride (GaN) transistors to minimize size, weight and deployment time — delivered weaponized electromagnetic interference to counter swarms of robotic, asymmetric threats...

The global energy sector is at a historic turning point. Renewable energy integration, EV promotion, and AI-driven consumption create more demand on already complex grids. The transformation calls for a new era of energy professionals who can build a bridge between traditional engineering and digital technologies-the infrastructure upgrades alone cannot solve the equation.

The Digital Shift in Energy Systems

Modern power systems evolve into interconnected, intelligent networks. Smart grids, real-time balancing, and consumer-driven energy management are redefining how electricity flows. Still, the digital revolution carries many challenges requiring upskilling and interdisciplinary knowledge to solve.

Top Challenges Facing the Next Generation Workforce:

1. Dual-Skill Gap

Engineers today need expertise in network-relevant issues and traditional grid operations, plus in cybersecurity matters. Still, there are few professionals with an engineering background and digital expertise; this scarcity leads to inefficiency in troubleshooting and system reliability.

2. A Shift Toward Virtualization

Careful changes from hardware-based to software-driven operations have increasingly taken protection and control functions onto a virtual platform. Hence, engineers will have to embrace digital tools with data analytics and server technologies that are not traditional to the power area.

3. Cross-system Collaborations

Data exchanges must be smooth as renewable assets such as solar and battery storage interfacing with distribution and transmission networks. Therefore, engineers must manage various protocols and formats, settling voltage, frequency, and power flows after the interface in real time.

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Such challenges require: Full-training in digital communication, grid standards such as IEC 61850, and advanced networking.

Simplified Tools and Platforms that reduce technical complexity and enable engineers to focus on system optimization.

Collaborative Ecosystems where power engineers, IT experts, and operators work together to maintain resilience across distributed networks.

Conclusion:

The future of energy will be shaped as much by people as by technology. Companies that invest in digital skills, upskilling programs, and collaborative frameworks will lead the transition to resilient, intelligent grids. Industry leaders such as Moxa, with their training initiatives and global expertise, are playing a vital role in equipping professionals to thrive in this new era ensuring the workforce is ready to power the grids of tomorrow.

(This article has been adapted and modified from content on Moxa.)

The post Future-Proofing the Energy Workforce in a Digitally Driven Era appeared first on ELE Times.

ANRITSU CORPORATION has developed and launched its new 60 GHz optical sampling oscilloscope MP2110A-080 option for the BERTWave MP2110A. This option verifies the performance of 200G/Lane optical transceivers forming the foundation of faster data-center communications and growing AI deployment. It delivers high PAM4 TDECQ evaluation accuracy and measurement productivity for next-generation high-speed optical transceivers, such as 1.6T and 800G, supporting strong quality assurance of large-capacity, high-speed communications infrastructure.

This test solution was exhibited as a reference at the China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE 2025) on September 10, 2025, and will also be showcased at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2025), one of the world’s leading international conferences in the field of optical communications, to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 29 to October 1, 2025.

Development Background
With the growth of AI data centers, optical communication speeds are increasing from 800G to 1.6T, and transmission rates are shifting from 50 Gbaud (100G/Lane) to 100 Gbaud (200G/Lane). As transmission speeds increase, there is a growing need for wideband sampling oscilloscopes capable of evaluating higher frequency components in optical transceiver signals.

Product Features
The all-in-one MP2110A solution integrates the necessary functions for physical-layer evaluation of optical transceivers during development and manufacturing. This new 60 GHz oscilloscope MP2110A-080 option enables evaluation and analysis of next-generation high-speed 200G/Lane communication standards.

• High-Accuracy PAM4 TDECQ Measurement: With the performance of a reference receiver supporting PAM4 signals up to 120 Gbaud, the MP2110A offers reliable TDECQ evaluations by leveraging the high measurement accuracy of existing models.
• Improved Efficiency with Simultaneous 4-Channel Measurement: By measuring four optical signals simultaneously, the MP2110A cuts measurement time and improves operation efficiency. Batch evaluation of multiple channels simplifies measurement systems and processes to enhance productivity.
• Further Productivity Gains with Faster Measurement: Increasing the MP2110A sampling speed fourfold compared to previous models shortens measurement times even further. Stable operation with a built-in PC improves R&D and manufacturing efficiency.
• Cost-Effective 4-Channel Software Upgrade Option: With a software upgrade path to 4-channels, the 2-channel option lowers initial costs, allowing flexible deployment supporting future expansion matching budget and evaluation environment.

The post Anritsu introduces a 60 GHz Optical Sampling Oscilloscope for 200G/Lane 1.6T Transmission appeared first on ELE Times.

Built on Nordic’s 22-nm technology, the latest addition to the nRF54L series promises robust communication, long battery life, and compact designs.

OSHW Lab project link: OSHW Lab link Demonstration video on YT: YT video This is an active power splitter/divider/doubler which is meant as an addon for basically any lab PSU alowing it to produce symetrical output voltage, eg. split 30 V into +-15V for various power projects (audio amplifiers etc.). I designed this splitter for total maximum voltage of 60 V (eg. maximum output on Riden PSUs) and maximum peak virtual ground load of 6A on any voltage. It uses forced continuous conduction mode synchronous buck topology to create a virtual ground at half the total input voltage. As a side effect of forced synchronous CCM it is also reversible, meaning it can also work as a boost/inverting/doubling stage and be fed by eg. 15V, pass it through as one rail, and then produce the other rail (as shown on the second photo). Normally its self powered, but that limits its minimum input voltage to 12V, so when you need to split lower voltages, down to zero, you can use external power just for the switching circuitry. Efficiency is consistently greater than 85% for 12V and higher input voltages, however for lower voltages the efficiency drops quite rapidly. Virtual ground is stable across frequency with its low frequency impedance peaking at 160 mOhm (740Hz 12V input) and higher frequency response being dependant mainly on wiring inductance. Feel free to ask any questions or point out any weakspots I might have overlooked, I'll be happy to answer them or fix them. submitted by /u/MrSlehofer [link] [comments]

The board of directors of nanoelectronics research center imec of Leuven, Belgium has appointed Patrick Vandenameele as CEO. Effective 1 April 2026, he will succeed Luc Van den hove, who (after 17 years as CEO) will then become chair of the board...

In booth C1130 at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2025) in Copenhagen, Denmark (29 September–1 October), CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre (C-PIC), formed in 2014 and the UK’s dedicated Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) for silicon photonics (SiPh) prototyping foundry (affiliated with the University of Southampton and the University of Glasgow, as well as the UK government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council), has unveiled its new Open Platform...

The new feature makes the MCUs a fit for battery and low-power consumer electronics and industrial applications requiring capacitive touch control.

More than a decade ago, I visited my local doctor’s office, suffering from either kidney stone or back-spasm pain (I don’t recall which; at the time, it could have been either, or both, for that matter). As usual, the assistant logged my height and weight on the hallway scale, then my blood pressure in the examination room. I recall her measuring the latter, then re-measuring it, then hurriedly leaving the room with a worried look on her face and an “I’ll be back in a minute” comment. Turns out, my systolic blood pressure reading was near 200; she and the doctor had been conferring on whether to rush me to the nearest hospital in an ambulance.

Fortunately, a painkiller dropped my blood pressure below the danger point (spikes are a common body response to transient acute pain) in a timely manner, but the situation more broadly revealed that my pain-free ongoing blood pressure was still at the stage 2 hypertension level. My response was three-fold:

• Dietary changes, specifically to reduce sodium intake (my cholesterol levels were fine)
• Medication, specifically ongoing daily losartan potassium
• And regular blood pressure measurement using at-home equipment

Traditional measurement techniques

Before continuing, here’s a quick definition of the two data points involved in blood pressure:

• Systolic blood pressure is the first (top/upper) number. It measures the pressure your blood is pushing against the walls of your arteries when the heart beats.
• Diastolic blood pressure is the second (bottom/lower) number. It measures the pressure your blood is pushing against your artery walls while the heart muscle rests between beats.

How is blood pressure traditionally measured at the doctor’s office or a hospital, specifically via a device called a sphygmomanometer in conjunction with a stethoscope? Thanks for asking:

Your doctor will typically use the following instruments in combination to measure your blood pressure:

• a cuff that can be inflated with air,
• a pressure meter (manometer) for measuring the air pressure inside the cuff, and
• a stethoscope for listening to the sound the blood makes as it flows through the brachial artery (the major artery found in your upper arm).

 To measure blood pressure, the cuff is placed around the bare and extended upper arm, and inflated until no blood can flow through the brachial artery. Then the air is slowly let out of the cuff. As soon as blood starts flowing into the arm, it can be heard as a pounding sound through the stethoscope. The sound is produced by the rushing of the blood and the vibration of the vessel walls. The systolic pressure can be read from the meter once the first sounds are heard. The diastolic blood pressure is read once the pounding sound stops.

Home monitoring devices

What about at home? Here, there’s no separate stethoscope—or another person trained in listening to it and discerning what’s heard, for that matter—involved. And no, there isn’t a microphone integrated in the cuff to listen to the brachial artery, coupled with digital signal processing to analyze the microphone outputs, either (admittedly, that was Mr. Engineer here’s initial theory, until a realization of the bill-of-materials cost involved to implement the concept compelled me to do research on alternative approaches). This Reddit thread, specifically the following post within it, was notably helpful:

Pressure transducer within the machine. The pressure transducer can feel the pressure within the cuff. The air pressure in the cuff is the same at the end of the line in the machine.

So, like a manual BP cuff, the computer pumps air into the cuff until it feels a pulse. The pressure transducer actually senses the change in cuff pressure as the heartbeat.

That pulse is only looked at a little, get a relative beats per minute from the cuff. Now that the cuff can sense the pulse, keep pumping air until the pulse stops being sensed. That’s systolic. Now slowly and gently release air until you feel the pulse again. Check it against the rate number you had earlier. If it’s close, keep releasing air until you lose the sense. The last pressure that you had the pulse is the diastolic.

 It grabs the two numbers very similarly to how you do it with your ears and a stethoscope. But, it is able to measure the pressure directly and look at the pressure many times per second, instead of your eyes and ears listening to the pulse and watching the gauge.

That’s where the specific algorithm inside the computer takes over. They’re all black magic as to exactly how they interpret pulse. Peaks from baseline, rise and fall, rising wave, falling wave, lots of ways to count pulses on a line. But all of them can give you a heart rate from just a blood pressure cuff.

Another Redditor explained the process a bit differently in that same thread, specifically in terms of exactly when the systolic value is ascertained:

OK, imagine your arm is a like a balloon and your heartbeat is a drummer inside. The cuff squeezes the balloon tight, no drumming gets out. As it slowly lets air out, the first quiet drumbeat you “hear” is your systolic. When the drumming gets too lazy to rattle the balloon, that’s your diastolic. The machine just listens for those drum‑beats via pressure wobbles in the cuff, no extra pulse sensor needed!

I came across a couple of nuances in a teardown of a different machine than the one we’ll be looking at today. First off, particularly note the following bolded-by-me emphasis phrase:

The system seems to be quite simple – a DC motor drives a pump (PUMP-924A) to inflate the cuff. The port to the cuff is actually a tee, with the other port heading towards a solenoid valve that is venting to atmosphere by default. When the unit starts, it does a bit of a leak-check which inflates the cuff to a small value (20mmHg) and sits there for a bit to also ensure that the user isn’t moving about, and detect if the cuff is too tight or too loose. From there, it seems to inflate at a controlled pressure rate, which requires running the motor at variable speed depending on the tightness of the cuff and the pressure in the cuff.

Note, too, the following functional deviation of the device showcased at “Dr. Gough’s Tech Zone” (by Dr. Gough Lui, with the most excellent tagline “Reversing the mindless enslavement of humans by technology”) from the previous definition I’d quoted, which had described measuring systolic and diastolic pressure on the cuff-deflation phase of the entire process:

As a system that measures on the inflation stroke, it’s quicker but I do have my hesitations about its accuracy.

Wrist cuff-monitoring pros and cons

When I decided to start regularly measuring my own blood pressure at home, I initially grabbed a wrist-located cuff-based monitor I’d had sitting around for a while, through multiple residence transitions (therefore explaining—versus frequent usage, which admittedly would have been a deception if I’d tried to convince you of it—the condition of the packaging), Samsung’s BW-325S (the republished version of the press release I found online includes a 2006 copyright date):

I quickly discovered, however, that its results’ consistency (when consecutive readings were taken experimentally only a few minutes apart, to clarify; day-to-day deviations would have been expected) was lacking. Some of this was likely due to imperfect arm-and-hand positioning on my part. And, since I was single at the time, I didn’t have a partner around to help me put it on; an upper-arm cuff-based device, conversely, left both hands free for placement purposes. That said, my research also suggests that upper-arm cuff-located devices are also inherently more reliable than wrist cuff alternatives (or alternative approaches that measure pulse rate via photoplethysmography, computer vision facial analysis, or other techniques, for that matter)

I’ve now transitioned to using an Omron BP786N upper-arm cuff device, which also includes Bluetooth connectivity for smartphone data-logging and -archiving purposes.

Dissecting the Samsung BW-325S

Having retired my wrist cuff device, I’ll be tearing it down today to satisfy my own curiosity (and hopefully at least some of yours’ as well). Afterwards, assuming I’m able to reassemble it in a fully functional condition, I’ll probably go ahead and donate it, in the spirit of “ballpark accuracy is better than nothing at all.” That said, I’ll include a note for the recipient suggesting periodic redundant checks with another device, whether at home, at a pharmacy or a medical clinic.

Opening and emptying the box reveals some literature:

along with our patient, initially housed within a rugged plastic case convenient for travel (and as usual, accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for size comparison purposes).

Open Sesame:

I briefly popped in a couple of AAA batteries to show you what the display looks like near-fully digit-populated on measurement startup:

More generally, here are some perspectives of the device from various vantage points, and with the cuff both coiled and extended:

There are two screw heads visible on both the right side, whose sticker is also info-rich:

And the left, specifically inside the hard-to-access battery compartment (another admitted reason why I decided to retire the device):

You know what comes next, right?

Easy peasy:

Complete with a focus shift:

The inside of the top half of the case is comparatively unmemorable, unless you’re into the undersides of front-panel buttons:

That’s more like it:

Look closely (lower left corner, specifically) and you’ll see what looks like evidence that one of the screws that supposedly holds the PCB in place has been missing since the device left the factory:

Turns out, however, that this particular “hole” doesn’t go all the way through; it’s just a raised disc formed in the plastic, to fit inside the PCB hole (thereby holding the PCB in place, horizontally at least). Why, versus a proper hole and associated screw? I dunno (BOM cost reduction?). Nevertheless, let’s remove the other (more accurately: only) screw:

Now we can flip the assembly over:

And rotate it 90° to expose the innards to full view.

We want to pump you up

The pump, valve, and associated tubing are located underneath the PCB:

Directly below the battery compartment is another (white-color) hole, into which fits the pressure transducer attached to the PCB underside:

“Dr. Gough” notes in the teardown of his unit that “The pressure sensor appears to be a differential part with the other side facing inside the case for atmospheric pressure perhaps.”

Speaking of “the other side,” there’s an entire other side of the PCB that we haven’t seen yet. Doing so requires first carefully peeling the adhesive-attached display away:

Revealing, along with some passives, the main control/processing/display IC marked as follows:

86CX23
HL8890
076SATC22 [followed by an unrecognized company logo]

Its supplier, identity, and details remain (definitively, at least) unknown to me, unfortunately, despite plenty of online research (and for what it’s worth, others are baffled as well). Some distributor-published references indicate that the original developer is Sonix, but although that company is involved in semiconductors, its website suggests that it focuses exclusively on fabrication, packaging, and test technologies and equipment. Others have found this same chip in blood pressure monitoring devices from a Taiwan-based personal medical equipment company called Health & Life (referencing the HL in the product code), which makes me wonder if Samsung just relabeled and sold a blood pressure monitor originally designed and built by Health & Life (to wit, in retrospect, note the “Healthy Living” branding all over the device and its packaging), or if Samsung just bought up Health & Life’s excess IC inventory. Insights, readers?

The identity of the other IC in this photo (to the right of the 86CX23-HL) was thankfully easier to ascertain and matched my in-advance suspicion of its function. After cleaning away the glue with isopropyl alcohol and my fingernail, I faintly discerned the following three-line marking:

ATMEL716
24C08AN
C277 D

It’s an Atmel (now Microchip Technology) 24C08 8 Kbit I²C-compatible 2-wire serial EEPROM, presumably used to store logged user data in a nonvolatile fashion that survives system battery expiration, removal, and replacement steps.

All that’s left is to reverse my steps and put everything back together carefully. Reinsert a couple of batteries, press the front panel switch, and…

Huzzah! It lives to measure another person another day! Conceptually, at least …worry not, dear readers, that 180 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) systolic measurement is not accurate. Wrapping up at this point, I await your thoughts in the comments!

 —Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Vision Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the company’s online newsletter.

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• Blood Pressure Monitor Design Considerations

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Hello, its my first post here and my first designed pcb board, so if you can please check if everything is okay and workable, before i give it to production. Thank you very much, bellow is the system description. System Description 1. Overview The system is a 24 V DC motor control unit based on the ESP32-WROOM-32E microcontroller module, combined with a Pololu G2 high-power motor driver (21 A version), a buck converter (XL4015), a 3.3 V LDO regulator, and a CAN bus transceiver (SN65HVD230). It is designed to: Control a 24 V brushed DC motor via PWM and direction control. Allow both local control (buttons and sensors) and remote control via CAN bus. Provide robust power supply and protection circuitry for safe operation in an industrial/vehicular environment. 2. Power Supply Chain Main input: +24 V DC from battery or industrial power supply. Protection: TVS diode (5KP30A-E3) clamps voltage surges and transients. 1 A fuse on the logic branch protects the buck converter and microcontroller. Conversion: Buck converter (XL4015) steps 24 V → 5 V. LDO regulator steps 5 V → 3.3 V for the ESP32-WROOM-32E and CAN transceiver. Decoupling capacitors (electrolytic + ceramic) are used at every stage to suppress noise and voltage ripple. 3. Motor Control Motor is driven by the Pololu G2 21 A driver, powered directly from the 24 V rail. ESP32 provides control signals: PWM (GPIO27) → controls motor speed via duty cycle. DIR (GPIO23) → sets rotation direction. SLP (GPIO21) → enables/disables the driver (sleep mode). FLT (GPIO22) → fault feedback from the driver (open-drain, pulled up to 3.3 V). 4. User Interface (Local Control) Buttons (GPIO25, GPIO26): Forward button → run motor forward. Reverse button → run motor in reverse. Sensors (GPIO34, GPIO35, GPIO36, GPIO39 – input only): Four digital sensors provide system feedback (limit switches, safety inputs, etc.). Buzzer (GPIO16): Used for audible alerts or status signaling. 5. Communication (Remote Control) CAN bus interface (SN65HVD230 transceiver): Connected to ESP32’s TWAI controller on GPIO32 (CANTX) and GPIO33 (CANRX). Provides differential CANH/CANL signals to external CAN bus. Used for remote commands (e.g., motor start/stop, direction, speed) and status reporting (sensor states, faults). Termination resistor (120 Ω) can be enabled only if the device is at the bus end. 6. ESP32-WROOM-32E Connections Essential pins: 3V3, GND → power supply. EN → 10 kΩ pull-up to 3.3 V, reset button to GND. IO0 → 10 kΩ pull-up to 3.3 V, boot button to GND (for programming). !!!THE BUTTONS EN AND BOOT WILL NOT BE ON THE BOARD!!! TXD0 (pin 35), RXD0 (pin 34) → connected to CP2102 USB-to-UART bridge for programming and debugging. Functional pins in this design: Motor: GPIO27 (PWM), GPIO23 (DIR), GPIO21 (SLP), GPIO22 (FLT). Sensors: GPIO34, 35, 36, 39. Buttons: GPIO25, 26. Buzzer: GPIO16. CAN bus: GPIO32 (TX), GPIO33 (RX). submitted by /u/kustajucan [link] [comments]

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