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Multilayer PCB
04/29/2021 at 13:08 • 0 commentsInitially, electronic components were available in DIP packages only and PCB boards were used to be large-sized, thus having more space for the PCB wirings/connections. But with the research in nanotechnology, electronics get introduced with SMD(Service Mount Device) components. SMD components are very small-sized components and their sole purpose is to reduce the overall size of electronic kits/circuits. So, now when SMD components are used in PCBs, they are placed very close to each other, and in complex designs, there's not enough space to pass the tracing lines of connection wires. So, to overcome this issue, Multilayer PCBs are introduced, where connections/wirings are split across different PCB boards(called layers) and these layers are laminated to keep insulated from each other and glued together. So, any PCB having 3 or more layers is termed a MultiLayer PCB.
- A PCB is called Multilayer PCB if it has 3 or more layers(sheets) of copper foil, insulated from each other(by lamination or coating) and joined together to form a single piece.
- A Multilayer PCB has an Inner Layer Core present at the center of all the layers and coated with a Copper layer from both sides, while layers of prepreg(woven glass cloth with epoxy resin) are used for insulation.
- In Multilayer PCB, outer layers(top & bottom) are single-sided PCBs, while the inner layers are double-sided PCBs.
- In multiplayer PCBs, few layers might be assigned with fixed tasks and are termed as planes i.e. power planes, ground planes.
Multilayer PCB
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IoT
04/29/2021 at 13:06 • 0 comments- The IoT harnesses the power of the internet to connect physical devices in real-time. So any physical object connected through the internet can be converted into an IoT device. For example, how are you reading this article… over a smartphone, tablet, or PC? You’re already connected through the internet and are using an IoT device.
- Similarly, a light bulb, which is a physical object itself, will be considered as an IoT device when connected through a smartphone app to turn it on and off. IoT examples may include washing machines, refrigerators, watches, laptops, phones, cars, and pretty much everything we can connect with the internet.
- Generally, the internet of things examples include quick access to the appropriate information at the right time, be it related to exercising, traveling to a meeting, socializing, shopping, or visiting a doctor.
- Sensors are a crucial part of the IoT network. That means millions of sensors connected through IoT sensor technology worldwide to collect a rich set of context-aware and informational data including images, location, and weather conditions, and inject into the networks and applications for the data processing.
- IoT can help connect the people living in the remotest corners of the world. Plus with devices functioning at incredibly low power, IoT provides solutions without risking the system’s accuracy. This is possible since at the smallest level we can incorporate these things with smart technology for them to communicate over the internet.
- Don’t see IoT as an individual system, but as an integrated infrastructure that can handle many services and applications at a time. Such applications include city-wide activities like efficient transportation systems, waste management systems, others include worldwide activities like global delivery systems, security systems while others include personalized activities like bridging the gap between the digital world and physical world.
What is IoT?
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LM317
04/29/2021 at 12:54 • 0 commentsLM317 is a positive voltage regulator with three different terminals Adjust, Vout, and Vin respectively. It can supply the output voltage in a range of 1.25-37V and a current of more than 1.5A. It has advanced line regulation and load regulation standards as compared to the general regulators. It has a lot of applications in real life e.g. motor controllers, power bank solutions, hydraulic valve, ethernet switch, battery chargers, etc.
LM317 Working Principle
LM 317 works on a very simple principle. It is a variable voltage regulator i.e. supports different output voltage levels for a constant applied input voltage supply. A variable resistor is connected at its Adjustment (Adj) terminal in order to control the level of the output voltage according to the requirements of the circuit. In other words, we can say that LM 317 can step down the voltage from 12V to several different lower levels.
LM317 Pinout
- LM 317 has three (3) pins in total Adjust, Vout, and Vin respectively.
- Each of the pins has its own functions, all the pins along with their name and numbers are shown in the table given below.
LM317 Applications
LM 317 has a very wide range of applications, a few of which are given below.
- Washing machine.
- Waveform generator.
- Refrigerator.
- Programmable Logic Controller (PLC).
- Power quality meter.
- Motor controllers.
- Fingerprints.
- Ethernet switch.
- Private branch exchange.
- Constant current regulators.
- Microprocessors supplies.
- Automotive LED lighting.
- Battery chargers, the proper design of the circuit is shown in the figure below.
LM317 Pinout
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ULN2003
04/29/2021 at 12:48 • 0 comments- ULN2003 is a 16 Pin IC, consisting of 7 Darlington pairs (each pair protected with suppression diode) and thus has the capability to handle a maximum of 7 loads (could be inductive).
- In simple words, we have 7 drivers in a single ULN2003 chip and thus can control maximum 7 loads.
- Each Darlington pair can handle a maximum of 500mA load, while the peak value is 600mA.
- Similarly, the maximum output voltage of each Darlington pair is 50V.
- In the below figure, you can see ULN2003 has 16 Pins, where inputs and their respective outputs are placed in front of each other (for ease of circuit design).
- Other than I/O Pins, we have Ground Pin where we need to provide 0V & Vcc (Common) Pin.
ULN2003 Pinout
- ULN2003 has 16 pins in total:
- 7 Input pins (Pin # 1 to Pin # 7)
- 7 Output pins (Pin # 10 to Pin # 16)
- 1 Ground pin (Pin # 8)
- 1 COM pin (Pin # 9)
ULN2003 Datasheet
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What is Mechatronics Engineering ?
04/29/2021 at 12:43 • 0 commentsMechatronics Engineering is not a pure engineering branch, instead of a merger of various engineering fields, major ingredients are mechanical, electronics, control & computer engineering and is used to design smart & intelligent machines. Its name is also taken from the first two major fields i.e. "Mecha" from Mechanical & "Tronics" from Electronics. Apart from these two main engineering fields, it also has the flavor of computer, telecommunication, robotics, control, systems engineering, etc. Mechatronics has a wide range of advanced fields & a few of them are Robotics, Automation, Embedded Systems, Control Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, etc.
Before Mechatronics Degree, machines were quite simple and weren't smart enough to work on their own so human operators were required to operate them, which resulted in human error, cost-inefficiency, time wastage, etc. With the evolution of technology, engineers got to know about Machine Learning & they started designing smart systems for controlling mechanical machines/structures with electronics(embedded to be precise) circuitry i.e. Electric Locomotive. Let's understand it with an example. You must have seen robots in sci-fi tv shows, they have a mechanical structure and electronics circuitry embedded inside them. So, if you want to design robots, you need to hire two different engineers i.e. mechanical engineer for structure/body designing & an electronics engineer for designing the circuitry. So, in order to fill this gap & to make the process cost-efficient, Mechatronics Degree was introduced. The degree of Mechatronics has further evolved with the addition of computer-aided design software. Another example is a car rear-view mirror. Initially, it was a simple mirror. Now it has cameras, compass direction, register temperature, sensory systems, etc. Mechatronics is behind these revolutionary changes. Mechatronics devices are also used in medicine, home, commercial buildings, agriculture, toys, etc.
Mechatronics Engineering
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What is Physics ?
04/29/2021 at 12:26 • 0 commentsFundamentally, this universe is divided into 3 main categories:
- Extremely-Large matter: It involves planets, galaxies, etc.
- Extremely-Small matter: It involves micro-structures i.e. electrons, neutrons, protons, etc.
- Middle-Sized matter: It involves a wide range of matter ranging from small objects to Earth itself.
- Physics is all about this middle-sized matter & its energies. In physics, we analyze all naturally occurring processes/laws and their effects on matter i.e. motion laws, space & time quantum, forces holding objects together, the transmission of energy, physical properties, compositions of different matter, etc.
Physics Definition
- Physics(originated from Latin word Physica means ‘natural thing’) is a field of science, mainly focuses on matter & energy and the relationship between them.
- It provides the mathematical formulas for all-natural activities happening on our planet earth.
- Physics involves the study of all-natural laws defined for matters or forces i.e. heat, light, magnetism, sound, nuclear, etc.
- Physics is considered the most fundamental branch of science and is divided into numerous sub-branches.
- Physics has also provided many fundamental laws which formulated the basis of other science branches.
Branches of Physics
As we have discussed, physics deals with middle-sized matter so its applications range from a simple tire to nuclear energy, and thus it is further divided into several branches.
Few Physics branches are as follows:
Mechanics
- It deals with the motion of objects, why & how is motion produced in different objects and what are the effects of different types of motions.
Thermodynamics
- It deals with heat energy, how is heat transferred from one object to another, and the effects generated by heat.
Sound
- It studies the physical behavior of sound energy, how is it produced, traveled, and transformed.
Light (Optics)
- It studies the physical behavior of Light energy, how is it produced, traveled, and transformed.
Electricity & Magnetism
- It studies the physical behavior of electrical charges i.e. either moving or at rest, along with its relationship with magnetism.
Atomic Physics
- It deals with the study of the physical structure & activities of atoms.
Nuclear Physics
- It deals with the study of nuclei & the energy it releases under different circumstances. GeoPhysics
- It studies the structure, behavior, forces, etc. related to Earth.
Biophysics
- It is the deep experimental study of biological problems using laws of physics.
- One of the outstanding and remarkable discoveries that happened under this branch is the DNA structure by James Watson.
Astrophysics
It deals with the study of the universe i.e. planets, galaxies, and stars using the laws of physics.
What is Physics?
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MOSFET
04/13/2021 at 09:28 • 0 commentsWhat is MOSFET?
- MOSFET is an advanced type of FET, having 4 Terminals, named as:
- Drain(D)
- Gate(G)
- Source(S)
- Body(B)
where,
- Gate(G) Terminal is practically insulated from the entire assembly by a thin layer of Silicon-oxide(SiO2).
- Body(B) Terminal is connected internally with Source(S) Terminal & thus the MOSFET package consists of 3 pins.
MOSFET stands for "Metal-oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor". Although MOSFET has 4 terminals, as I have mentioned before, the 4th terminal is internally connected with the Source terminal & thus the package consists of 3 Pins, such as the MOSFET Symbol. MOSFET symbols are shown below figure:
- Unlike BJT, MOSFET requires almost no input current & controls heavy current at the output.
- MOSFETs are quicker in operation than FETs, thus used in fast switching applications.
- FET has high drain resistance, while it's too low in MOSFET.
MOSFET Symbol
- MOSFET is an advanced type of FET, having 4 Terminals, named as:
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Microcontroller
04/10/2021 at 07:18 • 0 commentsWhat is a Microcontroller?
The microcontroller is considered as the backbone of Embedded Systems(please read it once, before moving forward) & its most important feature is: "It can think". A Microcontroller looks like a simple electronics chip, but in actual it's too powerful (also called Embedded Computer) because it's programmable. Using programming code, we can control all I/O pins of a controller and can perform multiple functions (We will discuss them later). Before microcontrollers, DLD gates were used to create logics i.e. adding delays, turning signals ON/OFF etc. DLD is still in practice for small projects but if you are working on big industrial projects, then DLD circuits become too messy & thus too difficult to handle. In the below figure, I have added two circuits of traffic signal lights:
- Left Circuit: 555 Timer is used for creating the LED sequences.
- Right Circuit: Microcontroller is used for controlling LEDs.
As you can see, the DLD circuit is quite messy as compared to the microcontroller one. Moreover, the 555 Timer circuit is controlling 3 LEDs only, if we want to add more LEDs, we have to replicate the circuit, thus more components, so it won't be cost-efficient. On the other hand, a single microcontroller can easily control 4 sets of traffic lights, as shown below the image and it can still control a lot more. Moreover, Microcontroller's circuit is too simple, easy to handle/debug.
Microcontroller Programming
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NodeMCU
04/10/2021 at 07:10 • 0 commentsIntroduction to NodeMCU V3
NodeMCU V3 is an open-source firmware and development kit that plays a vital role in designing your own IoT product using a few Lua script lines. Multiple GPIO pins on the board allow you to connect the board with other peripherals and are capable of generating PWM, I2C, SPI, and UART serial communications.
- The interface of the module is mainly divided into two parts including both Firmware and Hardware where the former runs on the ESP8266 Wi-Fi SoC and later is based on the ESP-12 module.
- The firmware is based on Lua - A scripting language that is easy to learn, giving a simple programming environment layered with a fast scripting language that connects you with a well-known developer community.
And open-source firmware gives you the flexibility to edit, modify and rebuilt the existing module and keep changing the entire interface until you succeed in optimizing the module as per your requirements.
- USB to UART converter is added on the module that helps in converting USB data to UART data which mainly understands the language of serial communication.
- Instead of the regular USB port, the MicroUSB port is included in the module that connects it with the computer for dual purposes: programming and powering up the board. The ability of the module to establish a flawless WiFi connection between two channels makes it an ideal choice for incorporating it with other embedded devices like Raspberry Pi.
- The board incorporates a status LED that blinks and turns off immediately, giving you the current status of the module if it is running properly when connected with the computer.
NodeMCU Pinout
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ESP32
04/10/2021 at 07:03 • 0 commentsIntroduction to ESP32 Module
Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to ESP32 DevKitC Board. The ESP32 is an entry-level development board that belongs to the ESP32 series. This device comes with a rich peripheral set. You’ll get hassle-free prototyping with the built-in ESP32 Pinout..
- ESP32-DevKitC ( Produced by Espressif ) is an entry-level development module, used majorly in IoT cloud-based embedded projects.
- ESP32 module is an efficient quality board customized for scores of applications and is perfectly compatible with Arduino IDE.
- The I/O pins on board are installed as female pin headers on each side of the board. This provides easy and hassle-free interfacing.
- ESP32 features Bluetooth and WiFi functions, where the rich peripheral set is available for rapid prototyping.
- This tiny component comes with ready-made system requirements. All you need to do is plug this device using a USB cable and play with it on the fly.
- Boot-mode and Reset buttons are incorporated on board and it includes various ESP32 modules covering ESP32-SOLO series of modules, ESP32-ROVER series, and ESP32-WROOM series.
- USB micro connector and USB-UART Bridge, and LDO regulator are also included in the device.
- The ESP32 pinout allows the prototyping on a breadboard.
- The LDO output onboard is mainly used to power up the off-board additional electronics.
- The outputs of peripherals are joined together to provide easy prototyping.
ESP32 Projects & Applications
- Used in Network projects.
- Employed for beginner level DIY projects.
- Employed in the prototyping of IoT devices.
- Used in projects that require Multiple I/O interfaces.
- Used in low power battery-operated applications.
ESP32 Datasheet
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What is ESP8266 ?
04/02/2021 at 14:01 • 0 commentsHello friends! Hope you are doing well. Today, we will have a look at the detailed Introduction to ESP8266 WiFi module. ESP8266 is a very low cost & user-friendly WiFi module, which develops a simple TCP/IP connection and can easily be interfaced with microcontrollers via Serial Port. The first chip in this series was ESP-01 that gained sheer attention in the market. In this tutorial, we will discuss the ESP8266 WiFi module along with its pinout, features, specifications, applications and datasheet. Let's dive in and nail down everything related to this device.
ESP8266 WiFi Module
- ESP8266 (also called ESP8266 Wireless Transceiver) is a cost-effective, easy-to-operate, compact-sized & low-powered WiFi module, designed by Espressif Systems, supports both TCP/IP and Serial Protocol.
- It's normally used in IoT cloud-based embedded projects and is considered the most widely used WiFi module because of its low cost and small size.
- It runs at an operating voltage of 3V and can handle a maximum voltage of around 3.6 V, so an external logic level converter is required if you are using a 5V supply.
- ESP8266 WiFi module can easily be interfaced with microcontrollers board (i.e. Arduino UNO) via Serial Port.
- There are numerous breakout boards available based on the ESP8266 WiFi Module (i.e. ESP8266 NodeMCU V3).
- Because of its compact size, it is mostly used in autonomous projects (i.e. Robotics).
ESP8266 Datasheet