December '24

Dear Reader,

December is here, bringing the end of the year closer. It’s a perfect time to reflect on what we’ve built, learned, and shared on The Road to Embedded Dexterity. As the days grow shorter and colder, many of us find warmth in the spark of creativity and the glow of our projects.

Join me as we wrap up this year with curiosity and excitement, setting the stage for even greater things in the months ahead.

I'm also excited to continue our partnership with Mouser Electronics , a collaboration that consistently adds value to our shared explorations.

At your service!

Hardware

2.5W Isolated DC/DC Converters with 5 kVAC isolation

RECOM Power R12C2T25/R 2.5W Isolated DC/DC Converters (https://mou.sr/3CC9w8s) offer high 5kVAC/1min isolation, 1.4kVDC?working voltage, high 150kV/μs CMTI, and remarkable stability up to 125°C (>0.5W). These devices?are versatile solutions designed for isolated gate bias voltages, particularly for transistors such as IGBTs, Si and SiC MOSFETs, and Cascode GaNs.

• Programmable asymmetrical output voltages
• 9VDC?to 18VDC?input voltage range
• High 5kVAC/1min reinforced isolation / 1.4kVDC?working voltage

4.5-65 Vin, up to 10 A Iout synchronous buck converter

德州仪器 LM706x0/LM706x0-Q1 (https://mou.sr/3ATnYIQ) Buck Converters feature a 4.5V to 65V input voltage range and up to 10A of output current at fixed output voltages of 3.3V, 5V, 12V, or an adjustable output. The LM706x0/LM706x0-Q1 low-IQ, wide-VIN synchronous buck converters utilize a peak current-mode control architecture for easy loop compensation, fast transient response, and superior load and line regulation. A pair of LM706A0-Q1 converters can be set up in an interleaved mode (paralleled outputs) with accurate current sharing for applications needing up to 20A of output current.

• AEC-Q100 qualified for automotive applications with device temperature grade 1 of -40°C to +125°C ambient operating temperature
• Functional safety-capable documentation available to aid functional safety system design
• 2.3μA shutdown mode current
• 6mm x 6mm thermally optimized, RoHS compliant, QFN-29
• Supported by the WEBENCH? Power Designer
• Switching frequency 200-2000 kHz

USB Type-C PD VBUS Current-Sink Protection Load Switch

Kinetic Technologies KTS1673 (https://mou.sr/40WTArF) is a low-resistance, high-current load switch with soft-start, over-voltage protection, reverse-current blocking, over-current protection, short-circuit protection, and overtemperature protection. It is optimized to protect systems with USB Type-C PD ports and barrel connectors that sink up to 100W at 20V and must withstand up to 29V on VBUS.

• 3V to 24V Operating Voltage Range
• 29V Abs. Max. Rating at IN and OUT
• 5A Continuous Current Rating
• 12.5A Pulse Current Rating (duration Pd limited)
• 22mΩ typ. On-Resistance from IN to OUT

Ultra-miniature AT-Cut MHz quartz crystals

Abracon ABM14N Crystals (https://mou.sr/4fIQKLm) are ultra-miniature AT-Cut MHz quartz crystals that offer industry-standard frequencies of 40MHz, 48MHz, 52MHz, 59.97MHz, 60MHz, 76.8MHz, and 80MHz.

• 40MHz to 80MHz frequency range
• Ultra-miniature At-Cut MHz crystals in 1mm x 0.8mm x 0.25mm package
• Optimized for low capacitance load of 8pF

Wireless Qi Compliant Power Receiver

德州仪器 bq51013C-Q1 Wireless Receiver Qi (WPC v2.0) (https://mou.sr/3Zj5DhM) Compliant Power Supply is a single-chip, advanced, flexible, secondary-side device for wireless power transfer in portable applications delivering up to 5W.

• Qualified for automotive applications
• Supports 20V maximum input
• VQFN 20 4.5x3.5 mm

High-Frequency Transformer Driver

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. MPQ18913 High-Frequency Transformer Driver (https://mou.sr/3OlowKL) is ideal for use as the primary-side MOSFET in isolated power supplies for biasing silicon carbide (SiC) field-effect transistors (FETs), silicon FETs, and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).

The MPQ18913 simplifies an isolated biased supply’s design by integrating the following:

• the control part,
• the switching power stage and
• protection circuitry.

Features:

• Vinmax 30V, Ioutmax 0.3 A
• 400kHz to 5MHz configurable switching frequency (fSW)
• Available in a tiny QFN-10 (2mm x 2.5mm) package with wettable flanks

3-Channel LDO Power GreenPAK?

瑞萨电子 SLG51003V 3-Channel LDO Power GreenPAK? (https://mou.sr/3Z2sixs) includes three compact and customizable low-dropout regulators and offers industry-leading high-performance PSRR. This completely integrated 3-channel LDO solution comes in a small, convenient 14-pin TQFN package that is designed for advanced sensor applications.?

• Output current range max 800mA (LDO_LV)
• 300nA shutdown mode IQ
• Small plastic TQFN package for affordable PCB solutionTQFN-14 package (2mm x 2.2mm x 0.55mm)

?? How to Build a Minimalist BLE Badge That Advertises Custom Data in Under 2 Minutes

I’ve been following InPlay’s products for a while now, and their #NanoBeacon line kept catching my attention. For this project, I finally dove in, creating a simple badge device powered by a single CR2032 coin cell—perfect for low-power needs.

A few months ago, I got my hands on the IN100 development kit, which comes with everything you need, including the programmer unit. I started by following InPlay’s video tutorials on their site.

I built around the InPlay Inc IN100 chip, including a 26 MHz crystal, a PCB antenna, LED switches, and a programming interface. The small form factor worked perfectly with my minimalist design.Using the NanoBeacon Config Tool, I set up the device name as EASY_IN100. I configured it to advertise:

? The VCC voltage in a single-byte format.

? The internal temperature in a 2-byte big-endian format.

? A sequence number to keep track of each advertisement cycle.

After loading the configuration, the LED started blinking on each advertisement cycle—a simple but satisfying way to visualize it working. I used a BLE scanner app to verify that the badge was advertising the exact data I set: voltage, temperature, and a custom ID.

In the video below, you can see how to decode the values into Voltage and Temperature.

The best code for a hardware designer? #nocode. The IN100 NanoBeacon made this process incredibly straightforward, letting me focus on the design without getting bogged down in software. Configuring a BLE beacon to advertise custom data in under two minutes was a game-changer.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5IKWv1dKitY

EASY Design Templates

Do you enjoy my EASY demos? You can get the design files for the price of a coffee. Currently available are:

• VEML3328 color sensor.
• LDC0851 inductive sensor.
• MAQ473 rotary encoder sensor.
• MLX90394 magnetic sensor.
• VCNL36828P proximity sensor.
• TSHA2101 high-speed AMR sensor.
• NMH1000 magnetic switch.
• RV-8263-C8 ultra minuature RTC module.
• IQS7222A ProxFusion? sensor device.
• IQS227D Touch button
• WSEN-ISDS IMU eval design
• TMC2130-LA stepper driver eval design
• IN100 eval design

The Hardware Design Template Schematic package contains the following:

• A minimal and verified and fully functional schematic drawing.
• A minimal and verified and fully functional PCB layout.
• Clean and easy-to-order BOM of all components used in the schematic.

The Hardware Design Template Schematic package covers verified design files in KiCAD v8 format.

?? You will not get any physical device or any piece of material.

Have a lovely day

That’s it for this month’s journey through December’s highlights! Thank you for exploring the world of embedded systems with me. It’s been inspiring to dive into the latest tools and ideas together, and I’m already excited about what’s coming next.

Are you working on something new or have thoughts about this month’s topics? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s keep sharing ideas and learning from each other.

Until next time, stay curious, keep building, and enjoy every step of your creative journey!

Warm regards,

Petr Dvo?ák , Your Hardware Designer