Electrical Electronic Monthly eNewsletter

Point-of-load supplies place the power management of electronic circuits near the devices that actually use the regulated power. POL supplies help eliminate noise pickup associated with long power leads and reduces voltage fluctuations as other circuits draw power. This chipset...

The ability to store electricity for later use is becoming significantly more important as the U. S. increases its use of renewable power. Storing power lets utility companies...

Hydrogen-based fuel cells have been around a long time, but they have been too expensive for all but the most exotic applications because they use platinum as a catalyst...

OSHA estimates that 2% of workplace deaths, about 122 fatalities, could be avoided in establishments affected by 29 CFR 1910.147, OSHA's "Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout),",,,

Capacitive-sensing technology is certainly nowhere new to the world of electronics. Its first wide use came in the 1960s with capacitive touch switches. But capacitive sensing is new to the field of rotary...

Here are some of the most recent examples of how sensor technology brings efficiency and safety to new application areas such as monitoring dc motor operation, tracking aircraft tire...

Heat pipes are basically vacuum-sealed tubes. Yet they keep high-power electronics cooler than traditional heat sinks. Power semiconductors are encountering the same thermal control situations experienced by the...

A fast-food chain recently began installing control networks running among its steamers, toasters, and other food-prep equipment at its restaurants. But you’d never know it from just eyeballing their...

Magnetics fields are governed by Maxwell's equations. Maxwell's equations can be expressed in either differential or integral form. The two standard methods used for solving Maxwell's equations can be expressed in either...

A new method of nickel-gold plating uses chemicals rather than the more-commonly used electricity-based approach of passing electric current between a substrate and conductive solution. The new technique could lead to...

Switched-reluctance (SR) motors were developed in the 1800s but, apart from a few embedded-drive applications, they have not been widely applied. Their optimum operation depends...

Flex circuitry can be light, compact, and robust. Because it bends, however, a flex circuit has specific needs different from those of traditional rigid circuits. Designers must consider...

Higher-than-normal operating voltages give steppers better torque at high speeds — but higher voltages generate higher currents. Currents that may shorten the life of...

This year MACHINE DESIGN's birthday cake has 80 candles. As part of the celebration, we invited industry experts to peer into the future and take educated guesses as to how the...

Manufacturers test thousands of distribution transformers at worldwide locations each week. The primary incentive is to make sure the transformers meet...

Resolution is only meaningful within the context of system bandwidth, the application, the measurement method, and the unit of measure for the...

To drive safely, a driver must remain focused on the task of driving. One distraction that's unavoidable is the instrument cluster or dashboard, that must...

Electronic speed controls help HVAC units meet new energy efficiency requirements by reducing the speed of compressor motors.

The demand for higher electric-motor efficiency has renewed interest in switched reluctance motors, specifically in areas requiring speed control.

Wireless technology has opened the door to many new innovations and services, but it's also opened doors to unsavory types of characters