Designing Ideas

Peltier devices, also known as solid-state refrigerators, or TECs (thermoelectric coolers), actively cool temperature-sensitive electronic components, such as optical detectors and solid-state lasers. However, one TEC data sheet proviso that designers sometimes miss is that you always measure these parameters with the TEC mounted on an effectively zero-thermal-impedance—that is, perfect—heat sink. Use thermoelectric coolers with real-world heat sinks presents derating curves for TECs.

Interface MIDI instruments to a PC through a USB port uses the FT-232BM from Future Technology Devices International, a USB-to-UART interface IC that you need not program, to interface a USB port to the MIDI (musical-instrument-digital-interface) bus. With this Design Idea and some freeware, you can control synthesizers with a PC.

Using Transmission lines simulate digital filters in PSpice you can simulate digital filters. The main components in a digital filter are delay elements, adders, and multipliers. Although you can implement adders and multipliers using operational amplifiers, you can simulate a delay element with a transmission line. The transmission line in PSpice is a long-forgotten element that can realize a delay of seconds.

Some applications require clock-timing adjustments, such as generating precision clocks for time-interleaved ADCs, or delay adjustments in a variety of precision-timing and pulse-delay applications. As the headline suggests, Dual flip-flop forms simple delayed-pulse generator describes a delayed-pulse generator using a dual-CMOS D-type flip-flop. The circuit provides precision time delays of a trigger input.