The short answer is no. Here’s why. Solid-State Drives (SSDs) have no mechanical or moving parts, which makes them ideal for mobile devices. SSDs are associated with flash memory and as a replacement for hard disk drive storage for computers. At the lowest level, SSDs are based on transistors (similar to DRAM), but SSD is […]
A short primer on resistor types
In general terms, a resistor is a passive electrical component (with two terminals) that is designed to limit the flow of electric current through a circuit. Resistors work by dissipating electrical energy as heat and reducing the flow of electricity through the resistor. Resistors are found in almost all electrical networks and electronic circuits and […]
RISC vs. CISC Architectures: Which one is better?
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) is a type or category of the processor, or Instruction Set Architecture (ISA). Speaking broadly, an ISA is a medium whereby a processor communicates with the human programmer (although there are several other formally identified layers in between the processor and the programmer). An instruction is a command given to […]
Arm TrustZone explained
Arm TrustZone is a system-wide approach to embedded security option for the ARM Cortex-based processor systems. Cortex-based cores are used in everything from microcontrollers (MCUs) to high-performance processors. Arm TrustZone is an embedded security technology that starts at the hardware level by creating two environments that can run simultaneously on a single core: a secure […]
Making sense of displays: OLED, AMOLED, POLED, PMOLED and T-OLED
Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) displays are made using organic light emitting diodes, which emit light when current runs through them. The basic colors of light for these diodes are Red, Green, and Blue (RGB), which combine to create an extensive range of colors of visible light. OLED displays are different from Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) […]
Asynchronous serial communication explained (including TTL, UART, and RS232)
A microcontroller can communicate with a computer or another device by using a standard method of communication that has been worked out ahead of time. Serial communication is a very common means of communication. Unless you’ve been working in electronics for a while, you might not have a full handle on the plain facts about […]
NOR flash and NAND flash memory usage trends are evolving
Not everyone is familiar with the jargon that experienced engineers and technicians use when they talk about Microcontrollers (MCUs) and memory. NAND and NOR flash memories are used both externally and integrated with MCUs onto System-on-Chips (SoCs) and memory usage trends are evolving around other changes in technology. Both NOR and NAND flash have a […]
The improved inter-integrated circuit (I3C)
A new successor to the Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C or I2C) bus communication interface is under development, hosted by the Sensor Working Group at the MIPI Alliance. The Improved Inter-Integrated Circuit, I3C, (pronounced “Eye-three-See”) is backward compatible with I2C but will be better suited for handling an abundance of sensors. The I3C specification was released in […]
Magnetic Reed switch: an amazing addition to your design toolbox
Reed switches are simple, passive, electromechanical components that were invented circa the 1940s. Reed switches aren’t mentioned much in electronic literature or forums that much, but they have some amazing capabilities. Reed switches are sometimes called magnetic switches. Reed switches open or close when exposed to a magnetic field. The reed switch consists of a […]
Driving high-wattage output with a solid-state relay
Microcontrollers are designed to handle only low voltage and current signals on their input and outputs. So how does one control and drive a high wattage load such as an electric heater using an MCU? One of the easiest and most efficient ways is to use a Solid-State Relay (SSR). An SSR allows you to […]
