The circuit has been constructed to test and measure the voltage rating of zener diodes. To be able to test the voltage rating of a zener diode up to 50 VDC, a small transformer and a single 555 timer ...

My recent columns discussed the physics and applications of discrete-zener-diode references, and the conclusion they reached is that discrete zener diodes make poor references because of tolerance ...

As active devices go, it doesn’t get much simpler than a diode. Two terminals. Current flows in one direction and not in the other. Simple, right? Well, then there are examples with useful side ...

Normally, when you want a low DC voltage from the AC line, you think about using a transformer of some kind. [RCD66] noticed that an AC monitor meter must have some sort of power supply but had no ...

Many embedded systems require a stable, low-noise DC reference. This reference can be a stable current or voltage source. These references are used in many ways. Some typical uses are listed as ...

Electric clutches and brakes sometimes fail for lack of proper electrical-suppression circuitry. But it’s not difficult to design a suppressor • Electric brakes and clutches operated directly from ...

For over a decade, controlling domain-wall injection, motion and annihilation along nanowires has been the preserve of the nanomagnetics research community. Revolutionary technologies have resulted, ...

The circuit in Figure 1 sinks a constant current (ICE3) through Q3’s collector and emitter. This design is balanced so changes in Q3’s base-emitter voltage (VBE) don’t affect the current sink’s ...