Blog

Exploring Automation Possibilities with the ADALM1K Learning Kit

ak95

Summary: During my search for a low cost electronics learning module, I came accross the ADALM1K which has interesting features for the price point (approx. 70$). It incorporates a source measure unit (SMU), an oscilloscope and a function generator. ...
- 5 Dec 2025
Finding the Right Fit for your Industrial Automation Need - AGVs or AMRs

SarahCrowe28

by Shane O'Meara This blog marks the second instalment in our ongoing series, delving into the fast-evolving landscape of industrial mobile robots. We initially examined how Industrial Mobile Robotics are revolutionizing the Factory of ...
- 7 Oct 2025
Industrial Mobile Robotics - Revolutionizing the Factory of the Future Today

SarahCrowe28

by Anders Frederiksen & Margaret Naughton Welcome to the first installment in our blog series exploring the dynamic world of industrial mobile robots. As industries continue to push the boundaries of automation, mobile robots are becomi...
- 4 Sep 2025
Rev Up Your Motor Control with Current Sensing

brianc

We examined the power inverter, the power electronics block that sits at the heart of every motor drive, in the previous blog in this series . It is the controllable power element that enables modulation of the power to the motor in or...
- 7 May 2025
The Inverter Stage: Unlocking the Power of Power Electronics

brianc

The inverter stage is the “muscle” of the drive – a power electronics block that provides the regulated, conditioned power directly to the motor, driving it in the manner required by the end application, providing the amperes needed...
- 28 Mar 2025
Powering Your Drive – Final Thoughts

brianc

We addressed the requirements and circuits needed within a variable speed drive (VSD) to provide the main control power supply and the power supplies for the inverter electronics – namely gate drivers and current sense circuits in the prev...
- 3 Mar 2025
Powering Your Drive - It's More Than Just Plugging It In

brianc

The last blog addressed the AC input stage of the motor drive. This is primarily an AC-DC power conversion stage where the AC input power is converted to a DC level that provides the input to the main three-phase inverter. Several other power do...
- 14 Feb 2025
Getting Plugged In: The AC Input Stage of a Variable Speed Drive

brianc

The previous blog in the series gave a snapshot overview of the different elements that make up a variable speed drive (VSD). The block diagram is expanded in more detail in Fig. 1 below, where the different parts of the drive as well as th...
- 2 Jan 2025
Variable Speed Drive 101

brianc

This blog is focused on the basic working of the variable speed drive - a critical component in enabling precise and accurate motor control in applications such as conveyors, winding, printing, extrusion machinery, and many other industrial applicati...
- 10 Dec 2024
Motor Control for the 4th Industrial Revolution

brianc

This blog looks at how motor control architectures and functions are evolving to meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 – from simple grid-connected motors to complex multi-axis servo drive solutions. This evolution has been accelerated by the i...
- 21 Nov 2024
Saving the Planet One Motor at a Time

brianc

This blog series will look at motor drives from many different angles - from architectures to power management, from connectivity to cybersecurity, and much more in between. We are starting from the top down and this first blog looks at how making mo...
- 9 Oct 2024
Battery Fuel Gauge Accuracy Helps Build Consumer Trust

christineyoung

There's been a flurry of news about smartphone manufacturers slowing down older models in order to prevent phones with older batteries from shutting down unexpectedly. Even though the intent was good, there still has been customer backlash. Customers...
- 9 Mar 2018
Maxim's Secure Micros Safe from Meltdown and Spectre

christineyoung

You rely on secure microcontrollers to protect your designs from reverse engineering, tampering, and side-channel attacks. So you may be wondering: Are they safe from Meltdown and Spectre? Maxim's DeepCover secure microcontrollers are unaffected by t...
- 25 Jan 2018
A Crossword Challenge Just for You

christineyoung

If you're ready for a mental break with some good mental stimulation, check out the EE-Sim Power Designer Challenge. This crossword puzzle tests your knowledge of things like transistor types, AC loop analysis results, resistor colors, and more. Comp...
- 12 Sep 2017
White Paper: Lower Quiescent Current for Longer Battery Life

christineyoung

If you're designing small, battery-powered devices, you're probably trying different techniques to extend the battery life of your product. Have you considered the quiescent current, the circuit's quiet state? While typically nominal, quiescent curre...
- 30 Aug 2017
White Paper: Fuel Gauging Accuracy Without Battery Characterization

christineyoung

Behind an accurate battery state-of-charge for your device is, of course, a good fuel gauge. Traditionally, designing accurate fuel gauges has required costly, time-consuming battery characterization. Now, fuel gauge ICs are available that do not req...
- 14 Aug 2017
Power System Design Videos with Bob Mammano

christineyoung

Need to design smaller, simpler, and cooler power supplies? We have just the video series for you. Maxim has teamed up with Bob Mammano, the father of the first switch-mode power supply, on a three-part online Power System Design Seminar. While Mamma...
- 29 Jul 2017
Smartwatch Helps Seniors Stay Independent with Dignity

christineyoung

Jean Anne Booth's mother was not about to wear an emergency alert device. "She thinks they're ugly, they are limited outside the home unless they are tethered to a smartphone (which she doesn't have), and she finds those big help buttons socially sti...
- 28 Jul 2017
Smart Stethoscope Augments Sound with Visual Heart Waveforms

christineyoung

HD Medical has created an electronic stethoscope that augments sound with visual displays of heart waveforms. The audio quality is up to 30x better than that of traditional stethoscopes, too. For Arvind Thiagarajan, the company's founder and CEO, thi...
- 28 Jul 2017
What's Better than Flyback Converters? Iso-Buck Converters

christineyoung

When there's a need to protect sensitive loads and preserve long-term reliability of equipment, you're likely to see the use of isolated power supplies. Isolation protects against ground loops, which could produce nasty parasitic currents that could ...
- 20 Jun 2017
IoT DevCon Talks on Trust and Security

christineyoung

Security was a key theme at this year's IoT DevCon in Santa Clara. "In order to achieve the benefits of a connected world, you have to create trust in that connected world," noted Bill Diotte, CEO of Mocana, which protects more than 100 million IoT d...
- 20 Jun 2017
What Would You Build with the Pocket IO™︎ Development Platform?

rscasny

The Pocket IO™︎ programmable logic controller (PLC) development platform from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. addresses the challenges of industrial automation and Industry 4.0 designers who need to keep a manufacturing line running 24 hours a day, 7 ...
- 20 Apr 2017