Save Power By Managing Unused CMOS I/O Pins

 By Jonathan Dillon, Microchip Technology

It's easy to overlook unused digital inputs when designing with a CMOS device, but doing so invites problems. When unused digital inputs are left unconnected they will float, which can cause both unexpected logic behavior and excessive current draw. Several simple approaches for managing these unused inputs can save significant debugging grief.

Turn A Compensated Current Sink Into A Common Emitter (CE) Amplifier

 By Bill Reeve, Lockheed Martin Corp.

By adding only a few components, you can turn a temperature- and beta-compensated current sink into a common-emitter (CE) amplifier that maintains a stable biased operating point. This architecture is useful for building stable and device-tolerant BJT Class A amplifiers.

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12-Bit, 1-Gsample/s ADC Provides Buffered Input

For simplifying analog front-end design in wide-bandwidth applications, the Texas Instruments ADS5400 emerges as the industry's first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that combines 12 bits of resolution with a 1-Gsample/s sampling rate and a buffered input, according to the company.

Fixed Resistor Line Adds 1-kW Stripline Termination

The Bourns Inc. Model CHF190104KxBF500L radio-frequency power termination is the industry's first stripline 50-Ω termination with a 1-kW rating, according to the company. It also can run at very high power due to excellent thermal impedance, Bourns says.

LED Power Supplies Deliver Up To 12.6 W

Designed for LED lighting and display applications with output ratings up to 12.6 W, the latest LED power supplies from TDK-Lambda offer both constant-voltage and constant-current models. The 12-W ac-dc, encapsulated components meet IP66 standards and operate with universal power inputs from 90 to 265 V ac.

VID Controllers Handle IMVP-6.5 CPUs

The MAX17030 and MAX17036 three-/two-phase step-down VID power-supply controllers from Maxim Integrated Products support IMVP-6.5 notebook CPUs. They integrate two drivers to support two-phase standard voltage (SV) cores while an optional external driver configuration supports three-phase extreme edition (XE) cores.