Adding a “fudge factor” is actually a thing in engineering, but there’s a more formal-sounding name for it: de-rating. Both refer to the process of providing more robustness than is called for. There are many reasons for doing this. Sometimes new components are on the low side of average. For instance, electronics components are rated […]
EPCOS
Low-noise MEMs microphones target IoT apps
TDK Corporation announces an expansion of its ultra-low noise MEMS microphone family with the ICS-40740, delivering 70 dB (A) SNR with 133 dB sound pressure level Acoustic Overload Point. The low self-noise coupled with wide dynamic range makes the ICS-40740 ideal for voice controlled IoT applications, especially those with integrated loudspeakers, as well as wearable […]
Teardown: Inside a cable modem
The device which brings cable TV and high-speed internet into homes has a simple design but sports a couple of tricky secrets. Lee Teschler Executive Editor If you’ve got broadband internet from a cable company, it comes into your house through a cable modem. Estimates are that some $8.6 billion-worth of cable modems will be […]