Switching with molecules for pioneering electro-optical devices

An international research team has developed molecules that can be switched between two structurally different states using an applied voltage. Such nanoswitches can serve as the basis for a pioneering class of devices that could replace silicon-based components with organic molecules.

Understanding light-induced electrical current in atomically thin nanomaterials

Scientists demonstrated that scanning photocurrent microscopy could provide the optoelectronic information needed to improve the performance of devices for power generation, communications, data storage, and lighting.

Atomic-scale manufacturing now a reality

Scientists have applied a machine learning technique using artificial intelligence to perfect and automate atomic-scale manufacturing, something which has never been done before. The vastly greener, faster, smaller technology enabled by this development greatly reduces impact on the climate while still satisfying the insatiable demands of the information age.

Beyond the limits of conventional electronics: Stable organic molecular nanowires

Scientists have created the first thermally stable organic molecular nanowire devices using a single 4.5-nm-long molecule placed inside electroless gold-plated nanogap electrodes.

How a circuit simulator can help you understand any circuit

A circuit simulator is a tool for “seeing” what a circuit does. In comparison to mechanical machines such as a bicycle and a lever, electronics cannot be easily inspected by the naked eye.

When you look at a bicycle you can observe it and see that stepping on the pedals makes a chain turn, and that this chain moves the bicycle wheels.

In contrast, if you open up an audio amplifier, it will be really hard to tell what it does if you don’t have previous experience in designing and building electronic circuits.

Simulating To Understand A Circuit

Circuit simulators give you the flexibility to look at the voltage and current of every wire and component in a circuit.

If you are having trouble understanding a circuit, you can try drawing it up in a circuit simulator such as LTSpice (free). You can change the input voltage and components parameters and see how the circuit reacts. And this will give you an idea of what the circuit does.

Circuit Simulator Example

I’ve created a circuit that might be difficult to understand for electronics beginners. But by using a circuit simulator you can figure out the function of it and how its individual parts work:

Instead of having many images and long texts, I have made a video to go through the explanation of how to use LTSpice to figure out the function of this circuit. I am not telling you what it does, it’s in the video

To download the simulation file click this link

Remember that you have to add the LM339 to the components library in order for the simulation to work.

How To Understand What A Circuit Does

In summary, in order to find out how a circuit works through simulation you should:

1. Think in terms of I/O:

If you are analyzing an analog circuit, then its main purpose will be to take an input signal, process it and output it as something else.

Find out what’s the input parameter, change its value and see how it affects the output. This way you will find out what’s the primary function of the circuit.

2. Divide the circuit into stages (if applicable):

Some analog circuits do more than one kind of processing, they could convert a current into a proportional voltage signal and then output another voltage to trigger a switch after a certain amount of time has passed.

Analog functions can do: conversion, switching, timing, filtering, amplifying, attenuating and more. In order to understand how your circuit works, divide it into stages so you can analyze each stage individually.

What you are basically doing is creating a smaller structure where you can apply the I/O principle again.

3. Analyze each stage:

Change the input parameter and the components values and see how it affects the output, probing different parts of the circuit. This way you will see and find out how this circuit works and relates to the rest of the bigger picture.

Hopefully, after reading this article and watching the video, you have one more tool in your arsenal as an electronics maker.

This was a guest post by Roberto Weiser. Please visit his website Developpa to find more useful circuit design tips that will help you both to understand electronics better and to complete your electronic product development. You can also join his mailing list to receive regular content and access to the downloadable resources.

Copyright Build Electronic Circuits

Flexible, highly efficient multimodal energy harvesting

A 10-fold increase in the ability to harvest mechanical and thermal energy over standard piezoelectric composites may be possible using a piezoelectric ceramic foam supported by a flexible polymer support, according to researchers.

Self-healing material a breakthrough for bio-inspired robotics

Many natural organisms have the ability to repair themselves. Now, manufactured machines will be able to mimic this property. Researchers have created a self-healing material that spontaneously repairs itself under extreme mechanical damage.

Keep the light off: A material with improved mechanical performance in the dark

Researchers found that zinc sulfide crystals were brittle under normal lighting conditions at room temperature, but highly plastic when deformed in complete darkness. Deformation of zinc sulfide crystals in the dark also narrowed their band gap, which controls electrical conductivity. The team's findings showed the mechanical and electronic properties of inorganic semiconductors are sensitive to light, revealing a possible route to engineer the performance of inorganic semiconductors, which are important in electronics.

Researchers control the properties of graphene transistors using pressure

Researchers have developed a technique to manipulate the electrical conductivity of graphene with compression, bringing the material one step closer to being a viable semiconductor for use in today's electronic devices.

Glass-forming ability: Fundamental understanding leading to smart design

Researchers studied the glass-forming ability of two simple systems, establishing the 'thermodynamic interface penalty,' which is an indicator of the extent of the structural difference between a crystal and its melt. The fundamental understanding acquired is expected to lead to physics-driven design of glassy materials, allowing for better control and tailoring, and aiding advances in the manufacture of numerous materials including metallic alloys.

New device could increase battery life of electronics by a hundred-fold

Among the chief complaints for smartphone, laptop and other battery-operated electronics users is that the battery life is too short and -- in some cases -- that the devices generate heat. Now, a group of physicists has developed a device material that can address both issues. The team has applied for a patent for a magnetic material that employs a unique structure -- a 'honeycomb' lattice that exhibits distinctive electronic properties.

Plug-and-play diagnostic devices

Researchers have developed modular blocks that can be put together in different ways to produce diagnostic devices. These 'plug-and-play' devices can test blood glucose levels in diabetic patients or detect viral infection, among other functions.

High-sensitivity microsensors on the horizon

A new article explains how scientists borrowed concepts from quantum mechanics to build new microsensors that can enable data gathering from hard-to-monitor environments.

Engineers on a roll toward smaller, more efficient radio frequency transformers

The future of electronic devices lies partly within the 'internet of things' -- the network of devices, vehicles and appliances embedded within electronics to enable connectivity and data exchange. Engineers are helping realize this future by minimizing the size of one notoriously large element of integrated circuits used for wireless communication -- the transformer.

How a pinch of salt can improve battery performance

Researchers have discovered how a pinch of salt can be used to drastically improve the performance of batteries.

Shedding light on a cyclic molecule with a twist

As suggested by their name, Möbius molecules have a twisted loop structure, a special characteristic with many potential applications. A research team has revealed the properties of a type of Möbius aromatic molecule that expresses magnetism and retains high energy levels when exposed to light. These characteristics could potentially be applied in organic solar batteries, lights, and conductive materials.

Waterloo chemists create faster and more efficient way to process information

Chemists have found a much faster and more efficient way to store and process information by expanding the limitations of how the flow of electricity can be used and managed.

Strain improves performance of atomically thin semiconductor material

Materials scientists show conclusively for the first time that the properties of atomically thin materials can be mechanically manipulated to enhance their performance. The finding could lead to faster computer processors and more efficient optical sensors.

Flexible, wearable oral sodium sensor could help improve hypertension control

For people who have hypertension and certain other conditions, eating too much salt raises blood pressure and increases the likelihood of heart complications. To help monitor salt intake, researchers have developed a flexible and stretchable wireless sensing system designed to be comfortably worn in the mouth to measure the amount of sodium a person consumes.

Atomically thin magnetic device could lead to new memory technologies

Scientists have discovered a method to encode information using magnets that are just a few layers of atoms in thickness. This breakthrough may revolutionize both cloud computing technologies and consumer electronics by enabling data storage at a greater density and improved energy efficiency.

3-D batteries pack power into tiny footprints

Batteries might seem like they come in every shape and size that you can imagine. But as electronic devices become tinier and skinnier without reducing their power and energy demands, they challenge engineers to design batteries that can fit into smaller spaces without compromising on performance. Researchers have used non-traditional techniques to fashion one possible solution -- a powerful 3-D lithium ion battery with a footprint on the order of one hundred grains of salt.

My new favorite sound-creating chip

I like to create sound.

It’s one of my favorite things to do with electronics.

To create sound you need to make a circuit that makes a voltage go up and down very fast.

Like a few hundred (or even thousand) times per second.

In fine electronics term – an oscillator.

Connect this oscillating voltage to a speaker, and voila! You have sound.

To create oscillators, I’ve often used the 555 timer.

It’s relatively easy to build a circuit with it.

You can learn more about the 555 timer here:

https://www.build-electronic-circuits.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-555-timer/
But understanding how it works isn’t straightforward for a beginner.

On Monday, Captain Credible and I had our second playdate.

We used a Schmitt-Triggered Inverter to create the base tone.

It’s a fancy-schmancy name, but it’s actually quite easy to understand the concept of it.

The base circuit we built was circuit number three from this article (only with smaller resistor and capacitor values):

https://www.build-electronic-circuits.com/blinking-led-circuit/
Then we added some fun circuitry to manipulate the sound and create some really cool effects.

I’ll upload a video of it soon.

But, after two playdates with Captain Credible, I am now convinced:

The Schmitt-Triggered Inverter is now my goto-chip for creating sound.

Keep On Soldering!
Oyvind @ build-electronic-circuits.com

Copyright Build Electronic Circuits

Custom silicon microparticles dynamically reconfigure on demand

Researchers at Duke University and North Carolina State University have demonstrated the first custom semiconductor microparticles to exhibit dynamically selectable behaviors while suspended in water. The study presents the first steps toward realizing advanced applications such as artificial muscles and reconfigurable computer systems.

Improving 3-D printing of plastic parts

Robots that can build homes, marathoners' running shoes and NASA's upcoming spacecraft all have one thing in common: 3-D printed parts. But as enthusiasm for 3-D printing continues to grow and expand across markets, the objects printed by the process can have weaknesses. Now, one group reports that using a simple modification to the manufacture of the starting materials improves the toughness of these printable plastics.

Organic printing inks may restore sight to blind people

A simple retinal prosthesis is under development. Fabricated using cheap and widely-available organic pigments used in printing inks and cosmetics, it consists of tiny pixels like a digital camera sensor on a nanometric scale. Researchers hope that it can restore sight to blind people.

Arduino discount closing soon

Earlier this month I published a new course bundle.

It’s called Getting Started With Arduino and includes four courses/tutorials to help you kickstart your Arduino learning.

For a few more days you can get it at 25% off.

All you need to do is to use the code TWENTYFIVEOFF:

https://learn.ohmify.com/p/getting-started-with-arduino-bundle/?product_id=612624&coupon_code=TWENTYFIVEOFF
You’ll learn to build things with the Arduino and start building projects with buttons, LEDs, mini speakers or displays.

It’s both fun and useful.

Keep On Soldering!
Oyvind @ build-electronic-circuits.com

Copyright Build Electronic Circuits

What is Blockchain? Working, History, Applications & Future

The power of existing ledgers is limited because the data stored on them can be altered or deleted. Therefore they cannot be trusted to provide a clear transparent image. There exists a gap of trust in current business transactions.  This is why we depend on third parties to maintain our finances and ensure that our ledgers reflect our true operations. We cannot do business without them. What if we didn’t have to depend on third parties? What if we had some way to preserve the integrity of our ledgers on our own? That would eliminate the dependencies on all external intermediaries and empower individuals to manage their own affairs. This is exactly what blockchain can do for us. Blockchains are distributed ledgers that are open to everyone. Everyone can look at them, but once data has been created not even the editor can tamper with them. Blockchain functions like Wikipedia, anyone can alter the data in the blockchain and create new data. However, unlike Wikipedia, the data is not stored on a central server or regulated by a central party.  Rather the data is stored in millions of computers worldwide and regulated by all the computers in the network. Once the data has been recorded inside the blockchain, it becomes extremely difficult to alter that data.  In simpler words, a blockchain is a decentralized online ledger that records all transactions permanently without needing any authentication from any third party or intermediaries. How does Blockchain Technology Work? Blocks are the building blocks of the blockchain technology. Each block in the blockchain consists of three elements: Data Hash Previous Hash Data This is the information that has been stored inside the block. It varies from one blockchain to another. A blockchain containing the health record of the patient may record the temperature, blood pressure and heart rate of the patient at any particular time. Hash The Hash is the unique identification code of every blog. No two blocks in the blockchain can have the same hash code it is like the digital fingerprint of the blocks. If data inside the block is changed, the hash of the block changes as well thus creating a new block. This is what makes the blockchain so secure. Previous Hash Each block contains the hash of the previous block that it has evolved from. The common hash address between the newly created block and the original block is what creates the chain. It is this technology of digital stamping that makes the block chain so secure. For instance, suppose there are three blocks A, B and C. The first block, called Genesis block, is unique because it is the first one in the chain, therefore, it will not have a hash address of the previous block. The Blocks A, B and C are chained together due to the commonality in the hash address of two consecutive blocks. If someone tries to tamper block B and change the data stored on it, the hash address of block B will change. This will make the chain invalid as the hash address of block B will no longer correspond to the hash address of Block C. Such a change can easily be detected in the system. However, only hashing is not enough to keep the data secure. As modern computers are fast, hackers may override the whole chain by tampering with all the blocks in the chain and recalculating the hash codes. A mechanism called proof of work is used to add another layer of security to the blockchain. This mechanism slows down the creation of new blocks. In the...
read more

The post What is Blockchain? Working, History, Applications & Future appeared first on Electronic Circuits and Diagrams-Electronic Projects and Design.

Physicists find properties of magnetic soliton of interest for brain-inspired computing

A team of physicists has uncovered properties of a category of magnetic waves relevant to the development of neuromorphic computing -- an artificial intelligence system that seeks to mimic human-brain function.