Technical Articles

Zero-drift amplifiers, meaning amplifiers that implement a continuously self-correcting architecture, have received a lot of fanfare due to the high level of DC precision that they enable ... more

For some time now, passive matrix OLED (PMOLED) displays have also been hugely popular, for example in the industrial sector. Vibrant colors, unique contrasts, and high resolutions as well as a slender design make them interesting for product developers of industrial applications, especially when used as a replacement for a passive LCD display to enhance the application’s aesthetic appeal. ... more

With the rapidly accelerating growth of IoT endpoints and increased concerns around security breaches, design engineers are looking for solutions that help reduce power consumption while adding robust security. Enter Microchip, manufacturer of microcontroller, memory and semiconductor devices, with its new SAM L10 and L11 MCU families. ... more

System developers designing high-end embedded control applications with multiple software teams can now benefit from a new family of dual-core Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) in a single chip, enabling easier software integration ... more

Horticulture lighting refers to the illumination of plants with artificial light to achieve both faster and targeted growth; specifically aimed, for example, at bud development and fruit ripening. Light stimulates photosynthesis and is thus decisive for plant growth ... more

With CIPsthe microcontroller doesn’t need to interact with the Central Processing Unit (CPU) to executing tasks. ... more

Kurt Parker, Microchip Technology Brand is everything when it comes to marketing and selling products that customers will buy and more importantly continue to buy. Anything with a display screen is expected to have a polished look and feel and be easy-to-use. Now, especially with the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), more and more simple devices are featuring interactive display screens causing design challenges for engineers. Many microcontrollers (MCUs) do not have the advanced features needed to run these ... more

Kurt Parker, Microchip Technology For me, one of the most difficult components in embedded graphics designs is memory for frame buffers. This memory should be large, high speed and cheap. Unfortunately, compromises often need to be made in order to incorporate memory into embedded graphics designs. At best, these compromises turn into expensive nuisances that drive up cost and eat away at profitability. And worse case, it can cause the need to outsource the design or hire and train new talent ... more

Controlling the color balance of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) accurately and wirelessly can be achieved using an 8-bit microcontroller and a Bluetooth® 4.1 low energy module to control the red, green, blue, alpha (RGBA) color space. ... more

Switched-mode dimmable LED drivers are known for their efficiency and precise control of LED current. They can also provide dimming functionality which allows the end user to create fantastic lighting effects while reducing their power consumption. ... more

Applications that are made easier by using a peripheral trigger generatorRavikiran Shetty, Microchip Technology ... more

The region of South-East Europe is identified as the only one on the continent that will face a major gas security issue in case of an interruption of supply from Ukraine. This was shown by an analysis published by European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSO-G) and by Energy Union Choices. ... more

Digital control in power conversion continues to develop, thanks to the latest improvements in both the analog and digital domainsTom Spohrer, Microchip Technology ... more

A look at how a virtual controller can be set up to save cost and CPU time when rendering graphicsOne of the popular ways of creating graphical embedded applications is to add an internal or external graphics controller. The problem is that this adds cost and can make designs unnecessarily complex, and in most cases for a simple graphical user interface such controllers are not needed. ... more

In early October, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Romanian Ministry of Energy organized a workshop for South East European governments, utilities, regulatory authorities, and other regional energy stakeholders to share their best practices in renewable energy deployment. The event hosted in Bucharest enabled participants to share views on renewable energy target setting, support schemes and the socio-economic benefits of active renewable energies in the region. ... more