Launch of Youtube Channel: My First Videos - Embedded World 2017
Stephane Boucher turned his Embedded World 2017 trip into a debut YouTube series of short booth highlight videos. He walks through the steep learning curve of trade-show filming, the specific gear he bought and rented to cope with low light and noise, and the practical mistakes he plans to fix. The post lists filmed vendors and asks readers for feedback to improve future episodes.
The Other Kind of Bypass Capacitor
Most engineers treat bypass capacitors as supply decoupling, but Jason Sachs digs into the other kind: a capacitor placed in the feedback path to tame unpredictable high-frequency plant behavior. He walks through real examples, Bode plots, and a simple RC model to show how the cap forces unity-gain feedback at high frequency, stabilizing switching regulators and wideband amplifiers while revealing the speed versus stability tradeoff.
New Comments System (please help me test it)
DSPRelated just got a practical upgrade, Stephane Boucher has released a new comments system built from his earlier forum work. It supports drag-and-drop or Insert Image uploads, MathML, TeX and ASCIImath rendered by MathJax, syntax-highlighted code via highlight.js, and in-place editing and deletion of comments. Improved email notifications alert authors and commenters to replies, and readers are invited to post test comments and report problems.
Use DPLL to Lock Digital Oscillator to 1PPS Signal
Michael Morris demonstrates a practical DPLL that locks a Direct Digital Synthesizer to a GPS 1PPS signal, achieving sub-microsecond alignment and removing reference-oscillator frequency error. The design uses a Phase-Frequency Detector for 0 degree phase lock, a multiplier-free α-filter, and a limiter to prevent saturation, and includes coast and re-lock logic plus a synthesizable Verilog reference core.
Digital PLL's -- Part 2
Neil Robertson builds a Z-domain model of a second-order digital PLL with a proportional-plus-integral loop filter, then derives closed-form formulas for KL and KI from the desired loop natural frequency and damping. The post explains the s → (z - 1)/Ts approximation, shows how to form the closed-loop IIR CL(z) for step and frequency responses, and highlights when the linear Z-domain model falls short of nonlinear acquisition behavior.
Digital PLL's -- Part 1
A hands-on introduction to time-domain digital phase-locked loops, Neil Robertson builds a simple DPLL model in MATLAB and walks through the NCO, phase detector, and PI loop filter implementations. The post uses phase-in-cycles arithmetic to show how the phase accumulator, detector wrapping, and loop filter interact, and it contrasts linear steady-state behavior with the nonlinear acquisition seen when initial frequency error is large. Part 2 will cover frequency-domain tuning of the loop gains.
Stability or insanity
Tim Wescott presents a hands-on exploration of oscillator stability using a custom electromechanical pendulum. He converts a hard‑drive head actuator into a pendulum resonator, winds a 220‑ft #40 coil, and mounts the assembly on low‑friction ball bearings before integrating it into an electronic oscillator. Iteration and careful modeling—treating the pendulum as a resonator and including coil inductance in the circuit—prove essential to obtain sustained oscillation. The resulting prototype functions as an intentionally inaccurate electro‑mechanical clock driven by a "tick‑toc" circuit that minimizes load to preserve a high loaded Q and requires manual start to demonstrate a hard limit cycle. The project highlights practical tradeoffs between stability, Q, and the realities of prototyping.
PID Without a PhD
You do not need control theory to implement useful PID loops in embedded projects. Tim Wescott walks through simple, ready-to-use C code, clear explanations of P, I and D terms, and a practical tuning recipe you can apply to motors, precision actuators, and heaters. The article highlights anti-windup, sampling-rate guidance, and when to call in a control expert.
3 Good News
Stephane Boucher reports three quick wins for the EmbeddedRelated community: two sponsors have seeded a $1,000 rewards pool, the site now serves all pages over HTTPS, and the new forums have their first active discussions. If you want a share of the sponsor-funded rewards, jump into the forums and check the Vendors Directory for opportunities. Stay tuned for more updates.
The New Forum is LIVE!
The EmbeddedRelated forum just got a major interface refresh, and Stephane Boucher is rolling it out in beta. The new editor makes it easier to drop in images and files, add LaTeX equations with MathJax, and publish highlighted code snippets with highlight.js. Access is gated by approval for now, mainly to keep trolls, spammers, and bots out.
The Other Kind of Bypass Capacitor
Most engineers treat bypass capacitors as supply decoupling, but Jason Sachs digs into the other kind: a capacitor placed in the feedback path to tame unpredictable high-frequency plant behavior. He walks through real examples, Bode plots, and a simple RC model to show how the cap forces unity-gain feedback at high frequency, stabilizing switching regulators and wideband amplifiers while revealing the speed versus stability tradeoff.
Going back to Germany!
A conference conversation turned into a return trip to Germany for Stephane Boucher, this time to visit SEGGER’s headquarters in Dusseldorf and produce videos. The post shares how a chance introduction at ESC Boston led to the invitation, and it teases coverage from SEGGER’s 25th anniversary celebration. He also invites local tips and customer questions before the trip.
Feedback Controllers - Making Hardware with Firmware. Part 8. Control Loop Test-bed
Built around modest FPGA hardware, this post presents a practical test-bed for evaluating high-speed, low-latency feedback controllers. It covers ADC/DAC specifications, basic and arbitrary test signals, and an IFFT-based generator that can produce thousands of simultaneous tones for rapid Bode, phase, and latency measurements. The article also compares two IFFT strategies, explains turbo sampling, and shows open- and closed-loop test configurations.
Who else is going to Sensors Expo in San Jose? Looking for roommate(s)!
Stephane Boucher is heading to Sensors Expo in San Jose for the first time, and he is bringing cameras to capture demos and build a highlights video. He is also looking for roommates for a roomy Airbnb near the convention center, plus local tips for making the most of a free day in the Bay Area. If you are attending, there is also a registration discount code and a VIP pass giveaway in the mix.
Analog-to-Digital Confusion: Pitfalls of Driving an ADC
Wayne's thermistor board showed one ADC channel changing when another was heated, a classic case of ADC input cross-coupling. The post walks through how multiplexed ADCs, the small sample-and-hold capacitor, source impedance, sampling time, repeated sampling rates, and added charge reservoirs interact to create errors. Learn practical fixes including increasing sample time, sizing external caps, adding op-amp buffers, and using an RC dampener with PCB layout tips.
Launch of EmbeddedRelated.tv
Stephane Boucher launches EmbeddedRelated.tv to host live broadcasts from Embedded World, starting next week. The site will show a constantly evolving schedule, a Live! tab to find ongoing streams, and ad-hoc demos added from the show floor. Expect schedule conflicts and small hiccups, and plan to refresh the page and join the forum thread for real-time updates and feedback.
Helping New Bloggers to Break the Ice: A New Ipad Pro for the Author with the Best Article!
Breaking the ice can be tough. Over the years, many individuals have asked to be given access to the blogging interface only to never post an article.
Live Streaming from Embedded World!
Stephane Boucher will bring Embedded World to engineers who cannot attend, streaming high-quality HD video from the show floor. He plans to use a professional camera and a device that bonds three internet links to keep the stream stable, and he is coordinating live sessions with vendors and select talks. Read on to learn how to vote for the presentations you want streamed.
First-Order Systems: The Happy Family
Jason Sachs takes the modest topic of first-order systems and makes it useful, showing how RC filters behave in both time and frequency domains and why they all share the same shape. He steps through step, ramp, and sinusoidal responses, explains poles, zeros, and Bode behavior, and uses Python plots to make tracking error and the role of tau easy to visualize.
Embedded World 2018 - The Interviews
Stephane Boucher brought video gear to Embedded World 2018 and teamed up with Jacob Beningo to capture concise vendor interviews that focus on real product news. The videos showcase Percepio's new Tracealyzer with a drone demo, Intrinsic ID's method for creating device-unique IDs from manufacturing variations, and SEGGER's broader toolset including embOS now certified by TÜV SÜD. Watch for short demos and expert explanations.
Launch of Youtube Channel: My First Videos - Embedded World 2017
Stephane Boucher turned his Embedded World 2017 trip into a debut YouTube series of short booth highlight videos. He walks through the steep learning curve of trade-show filming, the specific gear he bought and rented to cope with low light and noise, and the practical mistakes he plans to fix. The post lists filmed vendors and asks readers for feedback to improve future episodes.
Welcoming MANY New Bloggers!
A big influx of new voices just joined DSPRelated, and Stephane Boucher introduces the growing roster of contributors and their backgrounds. The post lists dozens of newly approved bloggers, highlights the range of DSP and embedded expertise they bring, and asks readers to leave constructive feedback on posts. It also explains why some applicants may not have been accepted yet and how to apply properly.
Part 11. Using -ve Latency DSP to Cancel Unwanted Delays in Sampled-Data Filters/Controllers
Negative-latency DSP can cancel ADC, FPGA/DSP, DAC and propagation delays to deliver near-zero unwanted latency filtering. Steve Maslen explains how to split a digital filter into a simple feed gain b0 and an advanced DF3 block that produces samples one sample early, then recombine them so sampled-data delays cancel. MATLAB c2d examples, a PID case study and FPGA test-bed results show the technique is practical and proven, with active IP noted.
New Comments System (please help me test it)
DSPRelated just got a practical upgrade, Stephane Boucher has released a new comments system built from his earlier forum work. It supports drag-and-drop or Insert Image uploads, MathML, TeX and ASCIImath rendered by MathJax, syntax-highlighted code via highlight.js, and in-place editing and deletion of comments. Improved email notifications alert authors and commenters to replies, and readers are invited to post test comments and report problems.
Optimizing Optoisolators, and Other Stories of Making Do With Less
Jason Sachs digs into how to squeeze speed and reliability from low-cost optoisolators, showing practical tweaks that often outperform default datasheet usage. He mixes hands-on circuits — using 4N35 base-emitter resistors, Schottky clamps, input speedup caps, and output buffering — with transistor-switching theory and a cautionary production story to show when to optimize and when to splurge on pricier isolators.
Stairway to Thévenin
Jason Sachs strips away classroom mystique to show how Thevenin and Norton equivalents are practical tools for real embedded work. Using a simple two-terminal black-box example he shows how two measurements give Vth and Rth, then applies that model to voltage-divider references, potentiometer RC filters, and combining multiple sources with Millman's theorem. Read it for fast, practical ways to predict output impedance, droop, and filter time constants.
How precise is my measurement?
Precision is quantifiable, not guesswork. This post walks through practical, measurement-oriented statistics you can apply to static or dynamic signals to answer the question, "How precise is my measurement?" It focuses on using multiple samples, checking distribution assumptions, and constructing confidence intervals and levels so you can trade measurement time for a desired precision.
Basic hand tools for electronics assembly
Though the software tools vary with different microcontrollers, many hardware tools are the same.
What IS an electron?
The post surveys historical and theoretical perspectives to ask what an electron actually is, treating the electron as a working scientific model rather than an absolute object. It traces the concept from early electrical technology and J.J. Thomson’s discovery through Maxwell’s relativistic field laws and Dirac’s relativistic quantum equation, noting spin, positrons, and radiation puzzles that led to quantum mechanics. The article discusses collective behaviors — Langmuir’s paradox, exchange-correlation in plasmas, density functional theory in solids, and superconducting pairing — and emphasizes that an electron can appear pointlike at high energies, wave-like in atoms, and collective in materials, so the practical answer depends on experimental context and timescale.
Sensors Expo - Trip Report & My Best Video Yet!
Stephane Boucher turns a first-time Sensors Expo visit into a fun travelogue and a polished conference highlights video. He mixes candid trip anecdotes from Moncton to San Jose, electric-scooter discoveries, Santa Cruz detours, Airbnb tips, and on-the-floor expo footage. The post culminates in what he calls his best highlights reel yet, plus a follow-up video focused on embedded and IoT.
