Transistor Basics: Quick Guide
So what are transistors, what do they do, and how can I use them?
How-To Guides and Technical Workflows – Digilent Blog
Pulse-Width Modulation
Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is a technique that takes advantage an electronic device’s capability to rapidly “pulse” one of its digital pins between logic high and logic low voltage states. The idea is that the switching between the two voltage states in a desired pattern will produce an “average” voltage somewhere between the high and low voltage inputs. If, within a given period, the pin is at a high voltage level more often than a low one, an overall higher voltage (but less than the full strength input voltage) will be observed.
What Is a Debugger?
As an an engineer, regardless of your specific engineering sub-field, you are going to have to use a debugger at some point in your career. Interestingly enough, most people, whether it …
Pmod Communication: Serial Peripheral Interface
A while ago, we learned that one of the ways that Pmods are able to communicate with their host board is through SPI. We learned then that serial peripheral interface is a type of communication protocol where the “master” board and the “slave” device (in this case, a Pmod) are able to send bits of data to each other at the same time with the host board controlling the timing of the communication. Although this is a nice overview, it is my personal experience that theoretical overviews are not the most helpful in actually implementing what we are learning. This begs the question: how do you use SPI? Lets find out!
Proximity-Sensing LEDs Part 1: On a Breadboard
Who doesn’t love interactive LEDs? This project started because I wanted to make a simple circuit that I could later move on to a printed circuit board (PCB) that I designed myself. (The original goal was to learn PCB design and layout.) This idea was given to me by my manager, Larissa, and was inspired by Evil Mad Science’s Octolively. Being an analog enthusiast, I came up with my own design that doesn’t use any ICs.
What are Arrays? Different Dimensions Explained
Some of you may have wished at one point that there was a way to conveniently keep track of a series of inputs that you are providing to your system. Luckily, an array is an excellent way to solve this predicament, and it has the added bonus of being easy to use!
3D Modeling with Blender
We have made a few posts showing off our 3D printers and some of the classes on 3D printing that we have done here at Digilent. Garrett Mace from macetech.com showed us some of the basics on how to use various 3D modeling software like AutoDesk Inventor, Autodesk 123D Design, OpenSCAD, MeshMixer, and SketchUp. Today, I’m going to introduce some of the basic modeling tools available in the free but robust Blender.
FPGA Products: What They Are & How to Use Them - Digilent / How-To Guides and Technical Workflows – Digilent Blog
Online Embedded Linux Course for ZYBO: Hands-On Training
If you have gone through the Embedded Linux Hands-On Tutorial created by Kaitlyn and now want to learn more about embedded software design using ZYBO and Linux, check out the online embedded software design class …
What Are Op-amps and How Do I Use Them?
Operational amplifiers (op-amps) are everywhere, in everything, and can do just about anything. Well, okay, maybe not quite, but there is no doubt that they are one of the most useful ICs ever to hit the market.
AC to DC conversion
Are you wanting to build something that requires DC power but changing batteries would either be inconvenient or just plain annoying? Here’s a simple how-to for converting AC mains voltage to rectified and regulated DC voltage.
WF32 Pin Diagram
I’m a big fan of the chipKIT WF32. It’s a powerful little board with a WiFi card and SD card reader built in, but there’s a lot more to this board than meets the eye. There are a ton of communication lines, external interrupts, output compare pins, and more hidden in all those GPIO pins, but how do you tell what is what? That’s where the WF32 pin diagram comes in. I’ve compiled, color coded, and listed what each pin is capable of.
Uses of Different Soldering Tips
Many of you have likely done some soldering before, but if you are like me, you may not be familiar with all the different soldering iron tips that are out there. I know that I used to be under the impression that there were only two types of soldering iron tips and only one useful type–the one currently on the soldering iron.
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