Electrospinning promises major improvements in wearable technology

Researchers examine some of thelatest advances in wearable electronic devices and systems being developed using electrospinning -- the fabrication of nanofibers with tunable properties from a polymer base -- and showcase the many advantages electrospun materials have over conventional bulk materials. Their high surface-to-volume ratio endows them with enhanced porosity and breathability, which is important for long-term wearability, and with the appropriate blend of polymers, they can achieve superior biocompatibility.

Flexing the power of a conductive polymer

For decades, field-effect transistors enabled by silicon-based semiconductors have powered the electronics revolution. But in recent years, manufacturers have come up against hard physical limits to further size reductions and efficiency gains of silicon chips. That has scientists and engineers looking for alternatives to conventional metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors.

3D printing of 'organic electronics'

A research group has explored the potential production of micro-scale organic electronics for use in bioelectronics via multiphoton 3-D printers.

A Simple 555 PWM Circuit with Motor Example

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to build a 555 PWM Circuit. The 555 timer is one of the most popular integrated circuits for hobbyists. And one of the cool features is its ability to produce a PWM signal.

The circuit is fairly easy to make, and it can control a great variety of things, including motor speed and LED brightness.

555 PWM Circuit Diagram

Note: For VCC, you can use anything from 5V to around 15V. What to choose will depend mostly on the size of the motor you are using. If it is small, you can control everything with 5V.

Components Needed

• 555 Timer IC
• IRLIZ44N MOSFET (or any other n-type MOSFET with a suitable gate threshold)
• 10 kΩ Potentiometer
• 1 kΩ Resistor
• 5 kΩ Resistor
• 1 nF Ceramic Capacitor
• 100 nF Ceramic Capacitor
• 1N4001 Diode
• Any DC motor

How the PWM 555 Circuit Works

The PWM 555 Circuit is known as an improved 555 oscillator. This is because it makes use of a couple of extra components to improve the output signal that the most common astable multivibrator circuit would give. It uses R1 and C2 to control the frequency of the signal. And you can modify the duty cycle with RV1.

With the duty cycle, you can control the average voltage in the output of the 555, which makes it a very functional analog controller for your projects. For example to control the speed of a motor or dim an LED.

In the example below, we’ll connect a motor.

How to Build the PWM 555 Circuit

Here you can see the circuit already built:

Here is a closer look, be aware of the placement of R1 and one of the diodes, which are placed in a way to not take too much space:

The Result

In this video you will be able to see the output of the PWM 555 Circuit, and how the duty cycle changes while changing the value of the potentiometer. It is also visible that the change in speed of the motor depends on the duty cycle.

Copyright Build Electronic Circuits

Organic bipolar transistor developed

Researchers have developed a highly efficient organic bipolar transistor. The work opens up new perspectives for organic electronics -- both in data processing and transmission, as well as in medical technology applications.

Topological superconductors: Fertile ground for elusive Majorana ('angel') particle

A new review investigates the search of Majorana fermions in iron-based superconductors. The elusive Majorana fermion, or 'angel particle' simultaneously behaves like a particle and an antiparticle -- and surprisingly remains stable rather than being self-destructive. Majorana fermions promise information and communications technology with zero resistance, addressing the rising energy consumption of modern electronics (already 8% of global electricity consumption), promising a sustainable future for computing. Majorana zero-energy modes in topological superconductors makes those exotic quantum materials the main candidate materials for realizing topological quantum computing.

Researchers harness the power of a new solid-state thermal technology

Researchers have discovered a way to make a versatile thermal conductor, with promise for more energy-efficient electronic devices, green buildings and space exploration. They have demonstrated that a known material used in electronic equipment can now be used as a thermal regulator, too, when it is in a very pure form. This new class of material gives engineers the ability to make thermal conductivity increase or decrease on demand, changing a thermal insulator into a conductor and vice versa.

Next gen television and computer screens: Creating optically active polymers

A University of Tsukuba researcher describes a new method for obtaining conjugated polymers in a helical configuration. By using twisted liquid crystals as a template, the resulting polymers were found to be able to convert linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light. This work may be used for next-generation television and computer screens.

Electrically conductive paints and other polymer alloys now produced easily

Researchers have synthesized electrically conductive polyaniline polymer in common organic solvents. A small quantity of added iodine facilitates the radical chain reaction that is critical to polymer synthesis. This protocol will facilitate processing of polyaniline in printed circuit boards, electrically conductive paints, and other advanced technologies, in a cheap and versatile manner.

Researchers change the game when it comes to activity tracking

The creation of high-resolution extrusion printing -- think 3D printing but with ink that conducts electricity -- has enabled researchers to explore the potential of wearable human motion devices. Wearable technology -- smartwatches, heart monitors, sleep aid devices, even step counters -- have become part of everyday life. And researchers have now created even smaller, lighter and highly-accurate sensors that can be integrated into clothing and equipment.

New material paves the way for remote-controlled medication and electronic pills

Biomedicines are produced by living cells and are used to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases among other things. One challenge is that the medicines are very expensive to produce, something that limits global access. Now researchers have invented a material that uses electrical signals to capture and release biomolecules. The new and efficient method may have a major impact in the development of biomedicines and pave the way for the development of electronic pills and drug implants.

Engineers build artificial intelligence chip

Engineers built a new artificial intelligence chip, with a view toward sustainable, modular electronics. The chip can be reconfigured, with layers that can be swapped out or stacked on, such as to add new sensors or updated processors.

Researchers solve mystery surrounding dielectric properties of unique metal oxide

A research team has solved a longstanding mystery surrounding strontium titanate, a metal oxide semiconductor, providing insight for future research on the material and its applications to electronic devices and data storage.

Researchers demonstrate 40-channel optical communication link

Researchers have develop a silicon-based optical communications link that can improve data-intensive internet applications from video streaming services to high-capacity transactions for the stock market. This device could enable the next generation of optical interconnects for use in data-center networks that form the backbone of the internet.

Scientists observe effects of heat in materials with atomic resolution

Using cutting-edge electron microscopes and novel techniques, a team of researchers has found a way to map phonons -- vibrations in crystal lattices -- in atomic resolution, enabling deeper understanding of the way heat travels through quantum dots, engineered nanostructures in electronic components.

Yolk-shell nanocrystals with movable gold yolk: Next generation of photocatalysts

Owing to their unique permeable, hollow shell structures with inner, movable cores, yolk-shell nanocrystals are suitable for a wide variety of applications. Yolk-shell nanocrystals consisting of a gold core with various semiconductor shells have been developed using a novel sequential ion-exchange process. These metal-semiconductor yolk-shell nanocrystals can serve as highly effective photocatalysts for many applications.

A novel all-optical switching method makes optical computing and communication systems more power-efficient

Photonics researchers have introduced a novel method to control a light beam with another beam through a unique plasmonic metasurface in a linear medium at ultra-low power. This simple linear switching method makes nanophotonic devices such as optical computing and communication systems more sustainable requiring low intensity of light.

Scientists develop a 'fabric' that turns body movement into electricity

Scientists have developed a stretchable and waterproof 'fabric' that turns energy generated from body movements into electrical energy.

Controlling the waveform of ultrashort infrared pulses

An international team of laser physicists has achieved unprecedented control over light pulses in the mid-infrared wavelength range.

6G component provides speed, efficiency needed for next-gen network

An international team led by researchers has developed 6G components that will allow future devices to achieve increased speeds necessary for such a technological jump.

'Fruitcake' structure observed in organic polymers

Researchers have analysed the properties of an organic polymer with potential applications in flexible electronics and uncovered variations in hardness at the nanoscale.