Introduction to Arduino MKR Vidor 4000

Hey Everyone! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino MKR Vidor 4000. The Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 is a powerful board with which you can develop your own controller board. The inclusion of FPGA makes this device unique and separate from other Arduino boards available in the market. With this FPGA feature, you can do audio and video processing which is not possible with other Arduino boards. Using this device, you can design a real-time computer reading sensor information and the best part is this board is compatible with all other Arduino boards. With this board, you can make all pins PWM signals (on the FPGA block side) for handling the speed of motors. Moreover, you can develop a sound effect pedal for your guitar by capturing the sound in real-time. With Arduino IoT cloud, you can also handle the complex laboratory machine connected with a number of motors. Before moving further, I suggest you read the Introduction to Arduino MKR NB 1500 that I’ve uploaded previously. I suggest you buckle up as I’ll walk you through the complete introduction to Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 covering datasheet, pinout, features, programming, and applications. Let’s get started.

Introduction to Arduino MKR Vidor 4000

  • The Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 is a powerful board with which you can develop your own controller board.
  • This board is incorporated with SAMD21 microcontroller and Intel® Cyclone® 10CL016 (FPGA).
  • The inclusion of the most powerful reprogrammable chip FPGA makes this device unique and separate from other Arduino boards available in the market.
  • With this FPGA feature, you can do audio and video processing which is not possible for other Arduino boards.
  • The FPGA carries 504Kbit of embedded RAM, 16K Logic Elements, and 56 18x18 bit HW multipliers that are employed for high-speed DSP (digital signal processing).
  • Every pin is activated at over 150 MHz and normally configured for functions such as (Q)SPI, high res/ high freq PWM, UARTs, quadrature encoder, Sigma Delta DAC, I2C, I2S, etc.
  • Using this Vidor device you can do an experiment with precision as it comes with the RESET button which you can use in case anything goes wrong. As you press and release this button, the board gets reset, helping you program the board from scratch.
  • The operating voltage of this board is 3.3V and one Mini PCI express port with programmable pins is also installed on the board that carries up to 25 user-programmable pins.
  • The board also features a MIPI (mobile industry processor interface) camera connector which is nothing but a set of standards that allow implementing important features of smartphones including displays and imaging devices. In simple words, the MIPI standard is employed to offer connectivity in mobile, multimedia, automotive, augmented reality, and virtual reality, and other related applications.
  • Other features include - Wifi & BLE powered by U-BLOX NINA W102 module, Micro HDMI connector, the MKR interface where all pins are controlled by both SAMD21 and FPGA.
  • The flash memory of FPGA on this Vidor board is 2MB and SDRAM memory is 8MB. There is no EEPROM memory. The flash memory is used to store the Arduino program (sketch) and SDRAM memory is used to produce and manipulate variables when it runs.
  • The flash memory on the microcontroller side is 256KB and the SRAM memory is 32KB. There is no EEPROM memory on the microcontroller side.
  • The power to the board by USB is 5V. Moreover, the board also features a Li-Po charging circuit that runs the board in two ways: either from the external 5V source or from battery power.

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino MKR Vidor 4000.

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 Pin Description

Hope you’ve got a brief idea about this Vidor board. In this section, we’ll cover the description of each pin installed on the microcontroller block side and FPGA block side. Let’s jump right in.

Digital Pins

There are total 22 headers + 25 Mini PCI Express pins installed on the FPGA block side. The PCI Mini Express is a port with programmable pins. There are total 8 Digital pins on the microcontroller block which remain in two states i.e. either HIGH or LOW. When these pins are HIGH they are considered ON and receive 5V and when these pins are LOW they are considered OFF and receive 0V.

Analog Pins

It is important to note that the analog pins on board are not routed through FPGA. These pins are attached to both - FPGA and SAMD. Moreover, using these pins on the SAMD side is totally fine, as long as you're not using these pins as outputs on the FPGA side. On the FPGA block, there is no analog pin applicable. While on the microcontroller block there are 7 analog pins.

PWM Pins

The PWM feature in this board is unique. You can use all pins on the FPGA as PWM pins to control the speed of motors. When these PWM pins are activated, the board produces an analog result with digital means. There are 13 PWM pins on the microcontroller block.

UART Pins

There are two UART pins installed on the microcontroller block side. The Rx is a pin used to receive serial data while Tx is a pin used to transfer serial data. On the FPGA side, up to 7 UART are used depending on the FPGA configuration.

I2C Pins

Two pins SDA and SCL are used for I2C communication. The SDA is a serial data line that carries the data and SCL is a serial clock line used for the synchronization of all data transfer through the I2C bus. Again on the microcontroller block side, there is only one I2C protocol. While on the FPGA side up to 7 I2C protocols can be used.

SPI Pins

The Vidor board comes with one SPI (serial peripheral interface) communication protocol that is mainly used to develop the communication between the controller and other peripheral devices such as sensors or shift registers. There is only one SPI protocol on the microcontroller’s side while up to 7 SPI protocols are used on the FPGA side depending on the FPGA configuration. Two pins… MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) are employed for SPI communication. These pins are used to receive or send data by the controller.

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 Features

Microcontroller = SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU FPGA = Intel® Cyclone® 10CL016 Camera Connector = MIPI camera connector PCI = Mini PCI Express port with programmable pins Digital I/O Pins on FPGA = 22 headers + 25 Mini PCI Express Digital I/O Pins on MCU side = 8 PWM pins on FPGA = all pins PWM pins on MCU side = 13 pins Analog Pins on FGPA = n/a Analog Pins on MCU side = 7 UART for FGPA = up to 7 depending on the FPGA configuration SPI for FGPA = up to 7 depending on the FPGA configuration I2C for FGPA = up to 7 depending on the FPGA configuration UART for MCU = 1 SPI for MCU = 1 I2C for MCU = 1 Board power supply (USB, Vin) = 5V Circuit operating voltage = 3.3 V Flash Memory on FGPA = 2MB SDRAM Memory on FGPA = 8MB Flash memory on MCU = 256KB SRAM memory on MCU = 32KB Clock speed for FGPA = 48 MHz - up to 200 MHz Clock speed for MCU = 32.768 kHz (RTC), 48 MHz USB = Full-speed USB device and embedded host Size = 25x83mm Weight = 43.5 gm

Programming

The Vidor board is programmed using the Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) software. This software is used to program all Arduino boards. This board carries a USB port through which you can connect this device with the computer and send a number of instructions to program the board. This device contains Bootloader which is a built-in feature of this board, setting you free from buying the external burner to burn the program on the microcontroller.

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 Applications

  • Vidor is used to making LED sequencer
  • Used for audio and video processing
  • Employed for making sound effect for guitar
  • You can also make Vidor clock
  • MIPI used for implementing important features of smartphones
That’s all for today. I hope you find this article helpful. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your comment in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share so we keep generating quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

An Overview of The Thin Film Transistor And Its Use in Displays

Hello knowledge seekers! welcome to an overview of thin film transistors. I hope you are doing well. Thin film transistors are crucial components of digital display. These transistors have radically transformed our devices and the lifestyle of digital display electronic users. These are the mainstay of major aspects of our lives, from our daily life devices to the big industries, security, medical equipment, and many other departments. These transistors are the driving force behind the success of flat panel displays and most probably, the displays you are reading this article on, such as laptops, mobile screens, monitors, LCDs, etc., using thin film transistors.

Today, the motto of this long article is the exploration of thin film transistors. We’ll embark on the foundational introduction of this transistor and then we’ll move toward the historical evolution of this transistor. A detailed discussion will follow, covering the workings, types, comparison with other transistors, and the pivotal role in covering modern display screens. This is going to be very informative so let’s get started.

Thin Film Transistor Introduction

A thin film transistor, or TFT, is a specialized type of field-effective transistor (FET) in which the semiconductor material is deposited on a rigid or flexible substrate in the form of a thin film. It is essentially used in a large number of applications, notably in display device technologies such as liquid crystal displays, monitors, and other related fields. It is a lightweight and efficient transistor type and is different from the bulky and power-consuming traditional transistors.

When we look around our world, we can see that optical displays have become an integral part of our modern life that defines and shapes the importance of digital electronics. In flat panel displays, these thin film transistors are arranged within the matrix panel and act as the backbone of the display devices.

Thin Film Transistor Configuration

Just like other transistors, thin film transistors are made with semiconductor materials. These are made with the semiconductor and the configuration of these transistors decides the current flow direction and transistor behavior in the circuit. The configuration of the transistor consists of the semiconductor material arrangement. Before knowing the details, let’s discuss two important terms here:

  1. The N-type material is the semiconductor that is dopped with extra electrons that make up the abundance of electrons in these materials. 

  2. The P-type material is the doped semiconductor, where the doping material has an abundance of holes, so the holes are the main charge carriers in such materials. 

Just like other transistors, the thin film configurations are of two types that are discussed below:

Thin Film Transistor NPN Configuration

The NPN TFT consists of a configuration in which the P-type material is sandwiched between two N-type semiconductor materials. As a result, when the voltage is applied to the gate, the electrons are the main charge carriers, and the current flows from the emitter to the collector. 

Thin Film Transistor PNP Configuration

The PNP TFT has the arrangement of the two p-type semiconductor layers on the sides of the N-type material. As a result, on the voltage application on the gate, the hole flows from the emitter to the collector and serves as the main charge carrier. 

Thin Film Transistor History

Over the past fifty years, thin film translators have changed, updated, and improved, and the story of its life is quite innovative. Here is an overview of the history of thin film transistors and how they have made their place in modern display electronics.

Thin Film Transistor Early Development (1950s-1960s)

In the early 20th century, the physicist Julius Lilienfeld proposed the concept of a field-effect transistor (FET). At that time, this concept did not get that much importance to be utilised int the practical work. However, working on the FETs gained popularity in the 1950s and this has changed the whole era. 

In 1947, John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley, working in the Bell lab, invented the bipolar junction transistor (BJT), and this revolutionized the whole electronic world. This breakthrough led to the invention of other types of transistors. 

In 1962, the first thin film transistor was developed at the RCA laboratories by Paul K. Weimer. This work acted as a groundbreaking because he has fabricated the transistor on the insulating material that no one did before. Till then, transistors were made only on silicon wafers, but Weimer created the transistor with flexible, transparent, and insulated material, and this acted as the base of transparent and better electronic displays.

Thin Film Tnrasistor Progress Era (1970s-1980s)

In this decade, the thin film transistor gained popularity and this led the researchers to work and experiment on this transistor to make it even better. This is specifically renowned for the introduction and usage of amorphous silicon (a-Si) as the semiconductor material for this transistor. 

In 1979, T. Brody developed amorphous silicon-based TFTs and therefore, is often regarded as the "father of the flat-panel display,” because of his work on active-matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs). He knew the properties of the amorphous silicon in TFTs and worked on it in detail. According to him, it can be easily used on large surface areas and has a simple fabrication process even for thin films. 

Before the introduction of thin film transistors, televisions, monitors, and other displays used thick and heavy cathode-ray tubes (CRTs). Yet, after the successful work on the thin film transistors, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) gained traction and took the place of CRTs. 

Early LCDs used passive-matrix displays that had some disadvantages, such as slow response or low image quality. Applying the TFTs in these displays solved these problems and played a crucial role in the success of LCDs. The latest LCDs use AMLCD technology that provides quick response, high quality, captivating colors, and, as a whole, the best quality displays. 

Thin Film Transistor Application Commercialization (1990s-2000s)

In the 1990s, experimentation and research made it possible to represent the TFT displays for commercial use. The introduction of these displays in the market has made the rapid adoption of thin film transistor applications in several devices. 

This was the time when the TFT LCDs were dominating other display technologies for commercial purposes. Companies like Sony, Samsung, and others were adopting this for the displays of computers, laptops, televisions, and other small to large-scale displays. The low power usage, high-quality display, and flat surface display were the major qualities that dominated the large and heavy CRT-based TVs. 

In 1998, the electronics company “Sharp" commercially displayed the first TFT-LCD TV, which was a major milestone for the conversion of CRT-based displays to TFT LCDs. This has made major changes in the whole electronics companies' milestones and working methods. 

Thin Film Transistor Displays Advancements (2000s-2010s)

The new century is considered the advancement era with respect to the thin film translator displays. Not only the displays but also the transistors themselves bear many updating processes and this has made the transistor even better. 

Till the 1990s, amorphous silicon transistors were in use but in the 2000s, polysilicon (p-Si) was introduced as the material for thin film transistors and this has made many changes in its output. Polysilicon has higher mobility than amorphous silicon; therefore, it shows a faster-switching property and, as a result, provides better display quality. The high resolution has made it eligible for better smartphones, digital cameras, and OLED displays.

It seems like the working and experimentation on the thin film transistors never stopped because, in 2012, Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) was introduced as the base material for their production. It offers even faster mobility and low power consumption and thus was considered the best choice for the 4K and 8K displays. The estimate of this technology can be done by knowing the fact that  IGZO technology was used by the Apple company for the iPad Pro and MacBook line displays. 

After this, the market wanted to do something new and better so they started working on the foldable displays. This demand of foldable and flexible devices has intensified the researchers to work on the foldable transistors. As a result, the organic TFTs (OTFTs) came into the conversion that made the displays foldable, rollable, bendable, and provided the best performance. This has revolutionized the electronic industry and the work on wearables and other such displays and devices was the main focus of the companies. 

Currently, the work on the thin film transits is still at its peak, and experts are working on making it better with respect to performance, reliability, and quality. You will learn about the latest trends and work at the end of this article, where we’ll be discussing the TFT applications. 

Thin Film Transistor Structure

The structure of the thin film transistor resembles the other types of field effect transistors. The transistor has three terminals and the introduction of each of them is given in the table below:


Terminal

Function

Gate

It controls the on or off state of the transistor through the voltage application. 

Source 

It provides the input current to the transistor; therefore, it is known as the source. 

Drain 

It received the output current from the transistor. 

Thin Film Transistor Key Components

Let’s define the thin film transistor again with respect to its structure:

“It is a specialized form of  field-effect transistor (FET) in which a thin layer of the active semiconductor layer with dialect layers and metallic contacts is deposited on the supporting substrate.”

The following are the basic key components of the thin film transistors:

Thin Film Transistor Substrate

This is the base material at which the thin film transistor layer is deposited. It provides the foundation of the transistor and is crucial for supporting the whole TFT structure. The older versions of TFT were made of glass and the newer ones use flexible plastic as substrate. The TFTs made with the glass substrates are used in the TFT LCDs and plastic and polymer transistors are usually designed for flexible displays, foldable devices, etc. 

Thin Film Transistor Semiconductor Layer

The purpose of a semiconductor layer is to act as the channel between the source and drain terminals for the electron flow when the gate terminal is applied. We have discussed all these in the history section of this article. The following is the detail of the semiconductor layer material along with their specifications:

  • Amorphous silicon is a low-cost semiconductor material that is widely used in traditional LCDs.

  • Polysilicon (p-Si) has higher electron mobility than amorphous silicon and provides a fast switching speed; therefore, it is considered a good choice for high-resolution and demanding electronic displays. 

  • The Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) also has fast electron mobility and provides transparency; therefore, it is usually utilized in advanced resolution displays that require low power consumption. 

  • Organic semiconductors are used in the latest and most advanced technologies and where the companies require flexible displays. 

Thin Film Transistor Gate Electrodes

The gate electrodes are the conductive material that controls the current flow through the source to the drain. It applied the voltage that influences the semiconductor layer beneath the gate. It is typically made of aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), and other metals. The gate electrode is situated on one side of the thin dialect layer and forms the parallel capacitor with the channel. 

Thin Film Transistor Gate Dielect

It is the thin layer of insulating material that electrically isolates the gate electrode from the semiconductor material. It is so thin as to allow the electrical field to influence the semiconductor's conductivity. The common materials used in the gate dialect are silicon dioxide (SiO₂) or silicon nitride (Si₃N₄).

The thickness of this layer is crucial to the thin film transistor's performance because it determines the efficiency of the gate to control the transistor. 

Thin Film Transistor Electrodes

The source and drain electrodes are made with highly efficient conducting materials such as aluminum (Al), gold (Au), or silver (Ag). The source provides the electrons or hole supply (depending on the type of semiconductor material), whereas the drain collects the electrons once they have been traveled through the semiconductor material. 

The source and drain electrodes work with the gate and provide the current flow through the transistor in order to provide the main working of the transistor. 

Thin Film Transistor Channel

The channel is the transistor’s area of the semiconductor layer where the charges move (either hole or electron) when the voltage is applied to the gate terminal, that is when the transistor is turned on. This voltage results in the charge induction in the semiconductor material and this creates the conductive path between the source and the drain. 

Thin Film Transistor Passivation Layer

The passivation layer is responsible for the protection of the transistor from moisture, dust, and other contaminants to maintain its performance. It is usually made of a dielectric material like silicon nitride (Si₃N₄). This layer is responsible for the transistor’s long life and reliability. 

Thin Film Transistor Working

The thin film transistor is a type of field effect transistor (FET) that follows the principle of modulating electrical conductivity and works through the electrical field. These are the tiny switches that change their on/off situation quickly and charge the pixel accordingly. The state of the thin film transistor or, in return, the pixel’s properties result in the formation of the display. Hundreds of thousands of pixels collectively create the images on the devices, and the combination of brightness, on, off, and other features collectively creates the videos on the devices. The details of the thin film transistor’s working are described below:

Thin Film Transistor Operation Mechanism

There are two operating states for the thin film transistor:

  1. When no voltage is applied to the gate terminal of a thin film transistor, it is considered off. At this point, there is no conductive path between the source and drain; therefore, no current flows through the transistor. In the display applications, the pixel does not have any output. 

  2.  When the positive voltage is applied to the gate terminal, it creates a conductive path from source to drain and the current can now pass through the transistor. As a result, the pixel of the display device is then charged or discharged according to the current flow. This either turns the pixel on or changes its brightness and the combination of these pixels makes the picture on the display devices. 

The state of the transistor is decided on the basis of threshold voltage (Vth), which is defined as:

“The threshold voltage (Vth) of the thin film transistor is the minimum voltage that is required to turn the transistor on.”

 Below this voltage, the transistor is off, and vice versa. The typical threshold voltage depends on the transistor's internal structure and specifications. Usually, lower threshold values are preferable for better performance at low voltage.

Thin Film Transistor Pexel Charging

In the display devices, the TFT acts as a switch to change the pixel state. In the on state, the TFT allows the current flow towards the pixel and charges it until the next cycle. The voltage applied to the transistor decides the amount of current passing to the pixel and that is responsible for the pixel brightness. 

A capacitor is usually added to each pixel to retain the transistor’s charges until the next refresh cycle. The rapid on/off situation of the transistor results in the brightness, illumination, and off state of the pixel. A reason to consider the TFTs best for the display is the analog control of the transistor’s state. The amount of current passing through the source to the drain can be controlled in an analog manner; therefore, the pixel brightness and picture quality may vary. 

Thin Film Transistor Types

The table below shows the fundamental types of thin film transistors along with the material used in the manufacturing as well as the basic features:


Type

Material

Features

Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) TFT

Amorphous Silicon

Low cost, simple manufacturing, lower electron mobility

Low-Temperature Polycrystalline

Polycrystalline Silicon

High electron mobility, faster switching, better performance

Organic TFT (OTFT)

Organic semiconductors (polymers/small molecules)

Flexible substrates, low cost, lower performance

Cadmium Selenide (CdSe) TFT

Cadmium Selenide

High electron mobility, fast response time

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) TFT

Zinc Oxide

Non-toxic, good performance for transparent displays

Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) TFT

Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide

High mobility, energy-efficient, transparent

P-Type & N-Type TFT

P-type (positive) & N-type (negative)

Efficient complementary circuits, more complex design

Thin Film Transistor Fabrication Process

The fabrication process of thin film transistors involves several steps in a clean and contamination-free environment. The process varies for TFT types but here is a general outline of the processes required for thin film transistor fabrication:

Thin Film Transistor Substrate Preparation

The first step in the fabrication process is the preparation of the substrate material. As mentioned before, traditional TFTs use rigid material, such as glass, as the substrate, whereas, the latest TFTs have flexible material, such as transparent, as the substrate. 

The preparation process just involves thoroughly cleaning of the substrate surface to remove any particles or impurities. This seems a simple process but it ensures that the TFT’s performance is not affected by unwanted particles. Based on the type of substrate, the chemical or base is applied to the surface. 

Thin Film Transistor Gate Material Deposition

The step involves the gate electrode deposition on the substrate. The gates are made with reactive materials like aluminum, gold, or chromium, and different techniques are applied for the deposition. The two most common are:

  1. Physical vapor deposition (PVD)

  2. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)

Usually, photolithography is the technique applied for the pattern formation of the gate electrode. It involves the application of photoresist material on the surface. After that, the material is then exposed to the light for the right pattern formation. 

Thin Film Transistor Gate Insulation

The gate insulator layer electrically insulates and separates the gate from the source and drain terminals. Hence, a thin film is applied to the gate that is typically made of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) or silicon nitride (Si₃N₄). Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and sputtering are the common techniques for such processes. 

Thin Film Transistor Semiconductor Layer Deposition

Based on the type of the thin film transistor, the semiconductor layer is applied to the product formed till now. The common materials for this layer are amorphous silicon (a-Si), polycrystalline silicon (p-Si), or organic material for organic TFTs (OTFT), and the processes involved are PECVD, CVD, or spin-coating (for organic materials).

Thin Film Transistors Source and Drain Formation

Just like the pattern process of a gate electrode, the source and drain use photolithography technology for the source and drain formation. Once this process is complete after the light exposition, the excess metal is removed from the surface using the wet etching or dry etching process to get clean and precise patterns. 

This step involves the use of PVD or CVD techniques for the source or drain terminal formation that is also made of aluminum, gold, or chromium. After this step, our three terminals of the TFT are now formed successfully. 

Thin Film Transistor Testing and Quality Control

This is the final step that ensures the perfect quality and performance of the TFT. After the fabrication process, the TFT is now ready for the work, but the electrical testing is done on the transistors to see if they are working ideally. The whole yield is monitored under strict parameters and the only transistors passing this test are sent to the market.

Note: for some types of TFTs, the channel formed during the fabrication process is doped to get the required electrical properties. Moreover, processes like passivation layer formation and annealing are optional during manufacturing and depend on the fabrication team’s choice. 

Thin Film Transistor Key Characteristics

Here are the basic characteristics of the thin film transistors that make them different from the other types of transistors:

Thin Film Structure

The TFTs, as expected from the name, contain a very thin layer of conductors, semiconductors, or insulators on the substrate. The thickness of this film ranges from nanometers to a few micrometers.

Thin Film Transistor Low Power Consumption

The low power consumption feature of this transistor makes it an ideal choice for the devices working on the battery or require low power feature. It consumes very low energy, especially for static images. 

Thin Film Transistor High Switching Speed

The TFTs have a higher switching speed than other types. The rapid rate of high/low states makes it ideal for high-speed applications like display devices that require a quick pixel refresh. Polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) TFTs have an even more rapid rate of switching as compared to the amorphous silicon TFTs. 

Thin Film Transistors Pixel Control

The thin film transistors have precise pixel control and the analog current control makes it a good choice for the varying brightness of the pixels. The TFTs allow the individual control of each pixel, which results in a sharp display and better color contrast as compared to other transistor types. 

Thin Film Transistor Flexible Substrate

This is a unique feature that justifies the popularity of this transistor. The flexible substrate helps the transistor to be used in wearables, flexible displays, mobiles, and other such devices. Organic TFTs (OTFTs) are the ideal choice for flexible electronics because they work in low-temperature ranges and have a high flexibility rate. 

Thin Film Transistor High Mobility

When dealing with display devices, the mobility rate is a crucial parameter. It is defined as:

“The carrier mobility is the rate at which the charge carriers (hole or electrons) can move through the semiconductor material.”

The higher mobility rate means fast switching and the TFTs have a great mobility rate. The p-Si TFTs have an even higher mobility rate as compared to the a-Si TFTs; therefore, they are a preferable choice for high-resolution and high-speed applications such as smartphones.

Thin Film Transistor Transparency

The thin film transistor is made with transparent material as the substrate, conductive layer, and semiconductor layer. Hence, these provide a transparent appearance and are the perfect choice for applications like augmented reality displays, head-up displays, etc.

Thin Film Transistor Cost

The thin film transistor is considered the cost-effective choice because the fabrication process of these transistors is uncomplicated and does not require a high cost and heavy equipment. Moreover, in large-scale production, the cost is reduced more, and cost is the basic consideration when choosing any electronic device. 

 

Thin Film Transistor VS Traditional Transistors

The thin film translator is a type of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) but it has several distinctions from the traditional transistors. The following is the comparison between the TFTs, MOSFETs, and bipolar junction transistors (BJT) that will help you to understand the reason behind the TFT's popularity for display devices.

Fabrication Process

The main distinction between the transistors is the fabrication process that decides its features and applications. The TFTs are made by depositing a thin film of semiconductor material on the glass or plastic substrate. 

On the other hand, the traditional transistors are made through the fabrication process on silicon wafers, which are bulky and cost more. This is the reason why these transistors require complex and rigid substrates. This not only limits the applications of traditional transistors to power electronics and integrated circuits but also requires a more technical fabrication process. 

Application Domain

Thin film transistors have applications mainly in display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), monitors, mobile displays, etc. where there is a need to control each pixel through the transistor and the particular analog current is required. It is an ideal choice for large surface area applications and electronics requiring a flexible and transparent substrate. 

On the contrary, the BJTs are usually considered a good choice for the switching devices and amplification process. This is used in the audio devices that require the frequency change, such as the radio and other devices. 

The MOSFET has applications in digital electronics, power control microprocessors, digital devices, and many others. The power electronics have several applications of MOSFET. 

Operating Principle

The thin film transistor is the type of field effect transistor so the gate terminal controls the current flowing through the source to the drain through the semiconductor channel. The operating principle of MSOFET is the same as the TFT, where the voltage controls the working of the transistor but the bipolar junction transistor has a different operating mechanism than these two. It is controlled by the current flow through the base terminal; hence, the base controls the source and drain. 

Size and Power Consumption

The thin film transistor is different from other transistor family members with respect to size, performance, and power consumption. The core reasons are its fabrication process and internal structure. These are very thin and are designed for transparent screens or other display screens. These are lightweight transistors and require less space; therefore, they are suitable for applications requiring such features. 

On the other side, the BJT and MOSFET are bulky and require more space than the thin film transistors. These are not suitable for display devices but are part of large circuits such as microcontrollers. 


The table below has the summary of all the discussion about the difference between these three basic types of transistors that will help you to understand the topic in just a glance:


Feature

TFT

BJT

MOSFET

Fabrication

Thin film on glass/plastic

Bulk silicon

Bulk silicon

Main Use

Displays (LCDs, OLEDs)

Amplification, RF circuits

Digital, power control

Semiconductor Material

Amorphous/poly silicon, organic

Silicon, GaAs

Silicon, GaAs

Operating Principle

Field-effect control (FET)

Current control (bipolar)

Voltage control (FET)

Substrate

Glass/plastic (flexible possible)

Rigid silicon wafers

Rigid silicon wafers

Flexibility

High (suitable for flexible tech)

Low

Low

Speed

Lower (suited for display pixels)

Fast for analog applications

Fast for digital/power apps


Thin Film Transistor Use in Displays

As discussed before, thin film transistors have a significant role in revolutionizing the display device industry. The impact is so strong that TFTs are the ideal choice for almost every type of display screen. Here are some fundamental real-life applications that have been made extraordinary because of the thin film transistor involvement. 

Thin Film Transistors in LCDs

The thin film transistors are the main technology behind liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The active matrix controls the brightness, states, and working of each individual pixel for the sharp and smooth transitions in the videos. This feature has created room for other display technologies using the same technique. As a result, the thin film transistors are the backbone of several display devices ranging from small smartphones to large surface LCD monitors and televisions. 

Thin Film Transistor in Electronic Paper Display

The electronic paper display (EPD) devices are designed for the paper-like reading experience with low power consumption and less retention for the eyes. These devices use thin film transistors for high contrast and pixel control with high resolution. 

Thin Film Transistor in Touch Screens

A great variety of display devices enable touch screen control and such displays are made with thin film transistors that provide a smooth experience and accuracy in touch screens and result in a more user-friendly interface.

Thin Film Transistors in Medical Imaging

Medical imaging devices are now becoming more attractive and intuitive and thin film transistors have a role in it. These transistors provide high-resolution X-rays, CT scans, and other devices with great details on the results. Moreover, the low power-consuming displays make it easy for the manufacturers to create battery-oriented devices that can be remotely used.

Thin Film Transistor in Automotive Displays  

The automotive displays require a technique with low power consumption and flexibility, so thin film transistors are the ideal choice. These are used in the car dashboard, infotainment displays, and even the traffic signs in some areas. This provides the drivers with a good environment with respect to entertainment, information, and clear visibility at low power consumption. 

Thin Film Transistor in Industrial Automation

The industries are moving towards automation and intelligent systems and this requires monitoring and visual inquiry for critical monitoring. This has enhanced the need and use of thin film transistor displays in industries because these are lightweight screens and can be utilized at any place for continuous use.

Thin Film Transistor for Scientific Instruments

The latest scientific instruments show automatic calculation and measurement and for this, they require a high-definition display that shows the small digits and reading without any visual error. The thin film transistors are present in the modern oscilloscope, electron microscope, and other such instruments. 

Thin Film Transistors in Digital Signage

A significant example of the applications using thin film transistors is digital signage, which makes electronic advertisement inexpensive, durable, and prominent. Digital billboards, public display messages, advertisement screens, and gigantic-sized liquid display screens use thin film transistors for the illumination of a large number of pixels at high resolution. 

Thin Film Transistor Disadvantages

Thin film transistors are the popular choice for modern electronic displays but they have some limitations as compared to some other options and the discussion can not be completed until we mention them:

Thin Film Transistor Limited Viewing Angle

The biggest disadvantage that is the reason to move towards the other latest technologies is the limited view angle of TFT. We all have experienced the issue of LCDs where the side angle of the display may show the screen with the least brightness or distortion. The TFT only shows the right pixel brightness from the front and for the big screens where more than one viewer is using the display may show the incomplete view.

Thin Film Transistor Low Response Rate

The TFT has a low response time as compared to some other latest techniques, such as OLED, and plasma. In some applications, the TFT shows the motion blue and this is especially true for high-speed display applications such as high-definition video games. 

Thin Film Transistor Uniformity Issues

In the case of some TFT applications, the back bleeding and inconsistent image quality fail the thin film transistor in some severe weather, load, or speed applications.

Thin film transistors are one of the most dominant devices for display devices because of their reliability, performance, low power consumption, inexpensive fabrication, and other features. The foldable screens and the high-resolution displays are usually made of thin film transistors. There are some limitations of TFT when compared with the most updated techniques of this era but overall, we can say that TFT has revolutionized the display screen industries. 

Prevent Data Loss Risk In Raid-Based Storage

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll detail how to prevent data loss risk in raid-based storage. RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage virtualization technology used for data redundancy and performance improvement in an Operating System. It has redefined how storage systems store and retrieve data, and its architecture comprises multiple physical disk drive components distributed over one or more logical units.

Prevent Data Loss Risk In Raid-Based Storage

RAID levels vary from RAID 0 to RAID 51 (and beyond). Different levels have different types of redundancy offered; however, a compromise has to be made when it comes to fault tolerance and performance. Although different RAID levels provide significant protection mechanisms against data loss due to hardware failure of hard disks, the technology is not invincible. Therefore, it is advisable to safeguard your data from any unexpected loss when using a RAID array. If one of the hard drives in a RAID storage array fails, one should consider replacing it instantly. Not doing so or delaying it for too long can cause unexpected data loss as it is highly likely that the other hard drives will fail soon. This is because the entire batch of hard drives in a RAID array often has the same manufacturing date and service life. The type, manufacturer, and other atmospheric variations play an important role in the service life of the hard drives.

Contact Data Recovery Specialist

Preventing to get into such conditions of severe data loss is something you should never divert your focus from because it can be debilitating. Especially, it is more complicated to recover data when it comes to a complex storage system. If you are not well-versed in the required knowledge, you should not take the risk of opting for the DIY mode for recovering the lost data from your RAID system. At such times, it is recommended to contact a reliable data recovery specialist. Doing so can help rebuild the RAID system, bypass the hard drive failures, and examine if any updates are needed in the residing virtualized architecture. This can make the recovery attempt quite time-consuming but reassuringly successful. But for this, it is necessary to make sure that you are choosing the right service provider with proper experience and expertise to recover data in varied data loss events.  

Maintain a Back-up

Different types of RAID configurations operate on different redundancies to diminish data loss and develop a storage system architecture that can provide data loss prevention. Monitoring and recording a RAID array usage is an essential task to be included in the data recovery strategy for efficient business continuity. In severe conditions, the pre-defined recovery strategies may not be helpful and can cause severe data loss. Hence, it is crucial to maintain a back-up and be prepared for such unfortunate cases of system failure or data loss. In such severe conditions of RAID failure, the entire data can disappear forever. Even if a corrupted hard drive overtakes the RAID array's redundancy and the hard disks fail abruptly, it is possible to rebuild your RAID array and recover your data by getting in touch with an expert data recovery professional. Among a few renowned data recovery service providers, Platinum Data Recovery Services has been a prominent name in offering considerate services like G-RAID data recovery and other types of RAID data recovery services when your data has been disappeared or made inaccessible due to corrupted hard drives, flash drives, memory cards, or RAID. That's all for today. I hope you've enjoyed reading this article. If you have any questions, you can approach me in the section below. I'd love to help you the best way I can. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino MKR NB 1500

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino MKR NB 1500. The Arduino MKR NB 1500 is mainly developed for working in remote areas where no power or internet connection is available. This board is based on a SAMD21 Cortex-M0+ 32bit low power microcontroller and comes with an operating voltage of 3.3V. Admit it. The Arduino board is a remarkable addition to the development of many automation and embedded projects. These boards are incorporated with a series of digital and analog pins that can be connected with the expansion boards or other breadboards. Most of the Arduino boards are integrated with 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontrollers. And all these boards incorporate different flash memory size to store the code. The two-way serial communication is added in the boards and some boards are given with the facility of the USB port that is used for the direct connection with the computer systems and to program and test the boards on the go. Arduino is an open-source platform that means you can edit and modify the hardware and software based on your requirements. The Arduino IDE software is used to program all kinds of Arduino boards. These boards are programmed using C and C++ language. I suggest you read this post all the way through, as I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino MKR NB1500 covering datasheet, pinout, features, programming, pin description, and applications. Let’s jump right in.

Introduction to Arduino MKR NB 1500

  • The Arduino MKR NB 1500 is an Arduino board based on the SAMD21 Cortex-M0+ 32bit microcontroller that is mainly developed for applications in remote areas with no power or internet connection. On-field monitoring systems use these Arduino boards.
  • These are 22 digital I/O pins incorporated on the board. 7 analog and 12 PWM pins are also included in the chip.
  • The Rx and Tx pins are added to the board for the UART serial communication where Rx is used to receive the serial data and Tx is used to transmit the serial data.
  • Moreover, I2C and SPI communication protocols are also included in the device.
  • The power delivered to the board by USB is 5V. Plus, the board also incorporates a Li-Po charging circuit that makes the board run in two ways: either from the external 5V source or from battery power.
  • The clock speed of the oscillator is 32.768 kHz (RTC), 48 MHz which is required for the synchronization of the internal functions.
  • You can also interface the micro-sim with the board, however, micro-sim is not provided with the board. You need to purchase it separately.
  • You can interface breadboard with this board, giving you the ability to actually test and run your project on a breadboard before switching to the PCB design of the electrical circuit.
  • The board’s flash memory is 256KB. And it doesn’t incorporate EEPROM memory while the SRAM memory is 32KB.
  • The Arduino Program (sketch) is stored in the flash memory and SRAM memory is used to generate and manipulate variables when it runs.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Datasheet

Before you apply this device to your electrical project it’s better to scan through the datasheet of the device that features the main characteristics of the board. You can download the datasheet of Arduino MKR NB 1500 by clicking the link below.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino MKR NB 1500. There are three LEDs on the board. One is a built-in LED, and the other power LED and battery charger LED.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Pin Configuration

Hope you’ve got a brief idea about this board. In this section, we’ll discuss the pin description of the pins incorporated on the board.

Digital I/O Pins

There are total 8 digital I/O pins integrated on the board which you can use as an input or output according to the requirements. They remain either HIGH or LOW. When they are HIGH they receive 5V and when they are LOW they receive 0V.

Analog Pins

There are total 7 analog pins incorporated on the board. As they are analog pins, they can get any number of values in opposed to Digital pins that only get two values i.e. HIGH or LOW

PWM Pins

The board comes with 12 PWM pins on board. When these pins are activated, the board generates analog result with digital means.

SPI Pins

This board incorporates SPI (serial peripheral interface) pins that are mainly employed to develop the communication between the controller and other peripheral devices such as sensors or shift registers. Two pins… MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) are used for SPI communication. These pins are used to receive or send data by the controller.

I2C Pins

I2C is a two-wire communication protocol. That uses two lines i.e. SDA and SCL. The SDA is a serial data line mainly used to carry the data while SCL is a serial clock line mainly used for the synchronization of all data transfer through the I2C bus.

UART Pins

This device supports UART serial communication. Two pins Rx and Tx are used for the transmission and receiving of serial data.

Battery Connector

If you want to power up the board with the battery be sure to find the female 2 pin JST PHR2 Type connector. Polarity:  while you look at the board connector pins… Polarity is Left = Positive and Right = GND Vcc – This pin generates 3.3V using the on-board voltage regulator. 5V – This pin generates 5V when powered from the Vin pin of the board or from the USB connector. Vin – This pin provides power to the board using a regulated 5V source. If you supply power using this pin, the power through the USB port will be disconnected. This way you can power the board not using USB.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Features

Microcontroller = SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU Power Supply (USB/Vin) = 5V Operating voltage = 3.3V Digital I/O Pins = 22 Analog Pins = 7 PWM Pins = 12 I2C = 1 SPI = 1 UART = 1 DC current per I/O pin = 7mA EEPROM = no SRAM = 32KB Flash Memory = 256KB Supported Battery = Li-Po Single Cell, 3.7V, 1500mAh Minimum External Interrupts = 10 (0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16 / A1, 17 / A2) Size = 25 x 67 mm Weight = 32gr

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Programming

  • You can program this board using Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) software. This software is launched by Arduino.cc you can get this software by going to their site.
  • This board comes with a built-in Bootloader where you can burn the internal program, setting free from the hassle of burning and testing the program with the external burner.
  • This tiny device incorporates a USB port through which you can connect this device with the computer and run and test the program directly from the computer.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Applications

This tiny little beast is used for a range of applications. Following are some major applications of this device.
  • Automatic Pill Dispenser
  • USB Joystick
  • USB Trackpad
  • Creating a wireless keyboard
  • Water Level Meter
  • Electric Bike
That’s all for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your comment in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable suggestions around the content we share so we keep producing quality content tailored to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

AD623 Instrumentation Amplifier Datasheet, Pinout, Features & Applications

Hi Friends! I welcome you on board. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to AD623.

The AD623 is an instrumentation amplifier integrated with a rail-to-rail feature. It is mainly used in battery-operated applications due to the low current of 500uA. It features a bandwidth of around 800 kHz which doesn’t require impedance matching since it incorporates buffer amplifiers that are attached to their input pins.

I suggest you buckle up as I’ll detail the complete Introduction to AD623 featuring datasheet, pinout, features, equivalents, and applications. Let’s jump right in.

Introduction to AD623

  • The AD623 is an instrumentation amplifier that falls under the category of differential amplifiers that incorporate buffer amplifiers attached to their input pins, making it a suitable pick for test and measurement equipment.
  • This device doesn’t require impedance matching which is a practice of making one impedance appear like another.

  • Rail-to-Rail feature is used in this amplifier which allows the output voltage to reach its full potential of positive rail voltage or negative rail voltage.
  • In a normal amplifier, this feature is not available as the output voltage of the amplifier is not equal to the supply voltage due to the presence of stage transistors which keep the amplifier from reaching its maximum positive or maximum negative voltage. Rail-to-Rail feature is used to overcome this problem.
  • Moreover, this device comes with very high input impedance, high common-mode rejection ratio, low noise, low drift, and low offset.
  • This kind of amplifier is mainly employed in the circuits where remarkable stability and accuracy is required.
  • Instrumentation amplifier is a type of differential amplifiers where the internal amplifiers are arranged in a way ­– one amplifier is used to generate desired output with enough impedance and the other amplifier is used to buffer each input (+,-)
  • Instrumentation amplifiers can be developed using standard individual amplifiers and precision resistors but also come in an integrated chip. This AD623 amplifier comes in an integrated chip that incorporates laser-trimmed resistors that provide a remarkable common-mode rejection ratio.

AD623 Datasheet

Before you incorporate this device into your electrical project, it’s wise to go through the datasheet of the component that features the main characteristics of the device. Click the link below to download the datasheet of AD623.

AD623 Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of AD623. The following table shows the pin description of each pin incorporated on the device.
Pin Description of AD623
Pin No. Pin Description Pin Name
1 Inverting Gain Terminal connected to a resistor to set gain value Gain (-Rg)
2 The Inverting input pin of the Op-Amp Inverting Input (IN-)
3 The Non - Inverting Input Pin of Amplifier Non- Inverting Input (IN-)
4 Negative supply terminal Power (-Vs)
5 Output reference input. Normally connected to common Reference
6 Amplifier output pin Output
7 Positive supply terminal Power (+Vs)
8 Non - Inverting Gain Terminal connected to resistor to set gain value Gain (+Rg)

AD623 Features

The following are the main features of AD623.
  • Gain Range = 1 to 1000
  • Set gain with only one resistor
  • Rail to Rail Instrumentation Amplifier
  • Bandwidth = 800KHz
  • Can operate on Single and Dual supply voltage
  • Operating current Max. = 550uA
  • Available Packages = 8-Pin PDIP, VSSOP and SOIC packages

AD623 Equivalents

The following are the alternatives to AD623.
  • JRC4558
  • LM4871
  • IC6283
  • AD620
Before you apply these alternatives to your project, it’s wise to double-check the pinout of the alternatives as it’s quite possible the pinout of the alternatives may differ from the pinout of the AD623.

AD623 Applications

The following are the main applications of AD623.
  • Employed in calibration and test equipment
  • Used in difference amplifiers
  • Used in the control system process
  • Employed in data Acquisition devices
  • Incorporated in low Power Medical instrumentation
  • Used in power-sensitive applications

That’s all for today. That was all about the Introduction to AD623. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your comments in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. You’re most welcome to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share so we keep producing quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino Pro Micro

Hi Folks! Hope you’re well today. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino Pro Micro. Arduino Pro Micro is an Arduino compatible microcontroller board that is based on ATmega32u4. It operates at a frequency of 16MHz and 5V. It comes with 4 analog pins, 12 digital I/O pins, and 5 PWM pins. Moreover, it also supports serial communication UART with pins Rx and Tx. Arduino is an open-source platform provided by Arduino.cc that offers both hardware and software customization. Open-source means you can use, edit, or customize the board and software based on your requirements. Arduino boards are introduced in 2005 in Italy with the aim to provide a single platform where non-tech persons can get a hold of these boards and develop electronic devices that can interact with the environment using actuators and sensors. These boards are so easy to operate that even a common man with little knowledge about the boards can use them. These boards come in different sizes, memory space that you can incorporate in your electrical project. Not only can you program these boards, but you can also interface them with other shields and breadboard through digital I/O pins. Loading program from the personal computer is just one click away as some boards incorporate USB (universal serial bus) through which you can test and upload program directly from computers. This board is slightly different from the Arduino Micro board. The Arduino Pro Micro doesn’t include a reset button, 13 pin LED, and ICSP header and is smaller in size compared to the Arduino Micro board. I suggest you buckle up as in this tutorial I’ll detail the complete Introduction to Arduino Pro Micro covering pinout, pin description, features, communication and programming, and applications. Let’s jump right in.

Introduction to Arduino Pro Micro

  • Introduced by Sparkfun, Arduino Pro Micro is an Arduino compatible microcontroller board based on ATmega32u4.
  • This board operates at the frequency of 16 MHz which is required for the synchronization of the internal functions.
  • It comes with a built-in micro USB port that helps you test and program the Arduino board with a computer.
  • Though this tiny beast is small in size, it can perform functions like regular Arduino boards. This board comes with a flash memory of 32KB. And SRAM and EEPROM memories are 1KB and 2.5KB respectively.
  • The flash memory is the memory where the Arduino Program (sketch) is stored. While EEPROM memory is used to store long-term information and SRAM memory is used to produce and manipulate variables when it starts running.
  • In addition, this board is compatible with breadboards which makes it an ideal pick for a range of testing projects before you actually incorporate this device into your electrical project.
  • This board supports UART serial communication with two pins Rx and Tx. The former is the receive data line used to receive serial data while the latter is the transmission line used to transmit serial data.
  • The board incorporates resettable poly-fuse mainly employed to secure the USB port. It keeps the board from consuming too much power from the computer. When the current exceeds the given limit, the resistance of this polymeric material increases while it heats up. When the overcurrent is removed from the device, this fuse cools down and its resistance comes back to its original value.

Arduino Pro Micro Datasheet

Before you install this board into your electrical project, it’s wise to go through the datasheet of the board that contains the main characteristics of the board. Click the link below to download the datasheet of Arduino Pro Micro.

Arduino Pro Micro Features

The following are the main features of the Arduino Pro Micro board. CPU = 8bit Microcontroller = Atmega32u4 Digital I/O pins = 12 Oscillator = 16MHz USB = 1 ADC = 4x 10-bit ADC inputs PWM pins = 5 UART = 1 Reset button = no ICSP header = no Pin 13 LED = no Software Used = Arduino IDE Flash memory = 32KB EEPROM = 1KB SRAM  = 2.5KB Size = 34mm x 18mm

Arduino Pro Micro Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino Pro Micro.

Arduino Pro Micro Pin Description

Hope you’ve got the sneak peek of this Arduino board. In this section, we’ll detail the pin description of pins incorporated on the board.

Digital I/O Pins

There are 12 digital I/O pins available on the board that are either used as input or output based on the requirement. These pins are either OFF or ON. When they are ON they receive 5V and are considered as HIGH and when they are OFF they receive 0V and are considered LOW.

Analog Pins

This board incorporates 9 channels of 10-bit ADC. These are analog pins that receive any number of values in contrast to digital pins that get only two values i.e. HIGH and LOW.

PWM Pins

The Pro Micro board features 5 PWM channels which are used to get some of the analog output’s functions. When the PWM pins are triggered, the board creates analog results with digital means.

UART Pins

Moreover, it supports UART serial communication with two pins Rx and Tx. Both pins are used to transmit and receive serial data.

SPI Pins

This board comes with a serial peripheral interface (SPI) used to layout communication between the microcontroller and other peripheral devices such as and sensors shift registers. There are two pins for SPI communication i.e. MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) and MISO (Master Input Slave Output) – these pins are employed for sending and receiving the data by the microcontroller.

I2C Pins

  • Two pins are used for I2C communication which is a two-wire communication protocol. One is SDA and the other is SCL.
  • The former is a serial data line used to carry the data and the latter is a serial clock line used for the synchronization of all data transfer over the I2C bus.

Programming

  • The Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) software is used to program this Arduino board. This software is introduced by Arduino.cc which is used to program all kinds of Arduino boards.
  • This software is easy to use. As you install the software, you are given some basic LED blinking programs through which you can easily test the board on the go.
  • This tiny little beast contains a built-in Bootloader that is used to burn the program and it sets you free from the drill of compiling and burning the program from the external burner.
  • With a micro USB port, you don’t require a secondary processor as it appears to an attached computer as a keyboard and mouse. With this port, you can test and program the Arduino board directly from the computer.

Difference between Arduino Pro Micro and Arduino Micro

  • Through both boards incorporate Atmega32u4 microcontroller they differ in few features.
  • The Micro board comes with a reset button and ICSP header while the Pro micro board doesn’t incorporate those features.
  • Moreover, pro micro is smaller than micro board thus fewer pins are brought out to the Arduino terminal pins.
  • The missing pins include AREF, A4, A5, SS, 11, 12, and 13. This also projects that pin 13 doesn’t carry LED but it still supports Tx and Rx pins with LEDs for serial communication.
  • In addition, you cannot use the SPI interface in slave mode in the case of the Pro micro board as this board doesn’t bring out SS pin. And since the pro micro board cannot bring out AREF, the external ADC reference voltage ability is absent.
  • It is important to note that, though the board doesn’t carry ICSP connector, still it supports ICSP interface through which you can program the board.

Arduino Pro Micro Applications

The ability to easily groove in hard to reach places makes this board an ideal pick for a range of applications. This board can be used in the following projects.
  • Windows PC lock/unlock application
  • USB Trackpad
  • USB Joystick
  • Water Level Meter
  • Electric Bike
  • Creating a wireless keyboard
  • Automatic Pill Dispenser
That’s all for today. I hope you’ve got a clear idea about this Arduino Pro Micro board. If you have any questions, you can approach me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share, so we keep producing quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino USB Host Shields

Hello Everyone! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino USB Host Shields. With Arduino USB host shield you can interface the USB device to your Arduino board. This USB host shield is based on MAX3421E which is mainly known as the USB host controller that contains the analog circuitry and digital logic required to apply the USB full speed peripheral to USB specifications rev. 2.0. Moreover, this shield is compatible with TinkerKit which projects you can plug this TinkerKit module with the Arduino Boards.

Introduction to Arduino USB Host Shields

  • Arduino USB host shield is used to connect a USB device with the Arduino Board. Simply put, USB host shields provide the USB host capabilities to the Arduino boards.
  • With this USB host shield, you can connect any USB device with the Arduino boards.
  • What does this USB host mean? To understand this, you need to understand the USB protocol that comes with two types of devices. One is called the peripheral (client) and the other is called a host (server).
  • When the mouse or keyboard is attached to the computer through a USB port, your system acts as a host and the keyboard acts like a peripheral (client).
  • Successful communication is carried out using this USB protocol when one of the devices acts like a host which indicates you cannot attach two keyboards for the communication because both are peripheral devices.
  • The USB Host shield incorporates MAX3421E which is a separate chip that is mainly used to provide the USB host support to the Arduino board.
  • Once you connect this shield with the Arduino board, the board starts behaving like a host with you can attach other peripheral devices like a keyboard or mouse.
  • USB host shield is normally installed on the top of the Arduino boards.

Device Classes

The shield supports the following device classes.
  • Game controllers = Nintendo Wii, Sony PS3, Xbox360.
  • ADK-capable Android phones and tablets.
  • Bluetooth dongles.
  • USB to serial converters = FTDI, PL-2303, ACM, as well as certain cell phones and GPS receivers.
  • Mass storage devices: External hard drives, memory card readers, USB sticks.
  • Digital cameras: Powershot, Canon EOS, generic PTP, Nikon DSLRs and P&S
  • HID devices = keyboards, joysticks, mice, etc.

MAX3421E USB Peripheral/Host Controller with SPI Interface

  • Recall, MAX3421E chip known as the USB host controller that contains the analog circuitry and digital logic required to apply the USB full speed peripheral to USB specifications rev. 2.0.
  • This chip comes with a built-in transceiver that contains ±15kV ESD protection with programmable USB disconnect and connect.
  • SIE stands for (serial interface engine) which is mainly employed to control the low-level USB protocol details including bus retries and error checking.
  • The SPI interface can access the register set which is used to operate the chip and works at the frequency 26MHz.
The following figure shows the pinout diagram of the chip.
  • When MAX3421E operates as a host it provides a huge collection of USB peripherals to DSP, ASIC, and microprocessor.
  • The SPI interface operates at a voltage between 1.4V and 3.6V due to the internal level translators.
  • The MAX3421E comes in a 32-pin TQFN package (5mm x 5mm) and 32-pin TQFP package (5mm x 5mm) with operating temperature range from -40°C to +85°C

MAX3421E Datasheet

Before you apply any component to your electrical project, it’s wise to go through the datasheet of the component that contains the main characteristics of the device. Click the link below to download the datasheet of MAX3421E.

Applications

  • Embedded Systems
  • Microprocessors and DSPs
  • Medical Devices
  • Cameras
  • PDAs
  • Custom USB Devices
  • PLCs
  • MP3 Players
  • Set-Top Boxes
  • Instrumentation
  • Desktop Routers
That’s all for today. I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. If you’re unsure or have any questions you can approach me in the section below. You’re most welcome to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share so we keep producing quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

TDA1554 Audio Amplifier Datasheet, Pinout, Features & Applications

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to TDA1554.

The TDA1554Q is an integrated class-B output amplifier mainly used for car radio applications. This device features 4 x 11 W single-ended or 2 x 22 W bridge amplifiers. It comes in a 17-lead single-in-line (SIL) plastic power package.

I suggest you buckle up and read this entire post till the end as I’ll discuss the complete Introduction to TDA1554 covering datasheet, pinout, features, and applications. Let’s get started.

Introduction to TDA1554

  • TDA1554 is a 4*11W single-ended or 2*22W power amplifier IC which means the internal circuitry features a 4*11W single-ended or 2*22W bridge amplifier.
  • It is an integrated class-B output amplifier that comes in a 17-lead single-in-line (SIL) plastic power package mainly used for car radio applications.

  • Out of four amplifiers incorporated in the device, two are non-inverting and two are inverting amplifiers.
  • Moreover, each amplifier comes with a gain of 20dB (26dB in BTL).
  • These amplifiers carry low thermal resistance and are thermally protected.
  • This device generates high output power and fixed gain.
  • Plus, a mute or standby switch is incorporated with the device helping you mute the amplifiers anytime you want.
  • This device can handle high energy on outputs and low voltage offsets at outputs and comes with good ripple rejection.

TDA1554 Datasheet

Before you apply this device to your electrical project, it’s better to scan through the datasheet of the component that features the main characteristics of the component. You can download the datasheet of TDA1554 by clicking the link below.

TDA1554 Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of TDA1554. The following table represents the pin configuration of each pin incorporated on TDA1554.
Pin Description of TDA1554
Pin No. Pin Description Pin Name
1 Non-inverting input 1 NINV1
2 Inverting input 1 INV1
3 Ground (signal) GND
4 Supply voltage ripple rejection RR
5 Positive Input Voltage 1 VP1
6 Output 1 OUT1
7 Power Ground 1 GND1
8 Output 2 OUT2
9 Not connected NC
10 Output 3 OUT3
11 Power Ground 2 GND2
12 Output 4 OUT4
13 Positive Input voltage 2 VP2
14 Mute/Stand-by switch M/SS
15 Not connected NC
16 Inverting input 2 INV2
17 Non-inverting input 2 NINV2

TDA1554 Features

  • Needs a few external components
  • Mute/standby switch
  • Remarkable ripple rejection
  • High output power and fixed gain
  • Flexibility in use - Quad single-ended or stereo BTL
  • Can handle high energy on outputs (VP = 0 V)
  • DC and AC short-circuit-safe to ground and VP
  • Low offset voltage at outputs (important for BTL)
  • Identical inputs (inverting and non-inverting)
  • Protected with Electrostatic Discharge, Load Dump, and Reverse Polarity
  • Low thermal resistance
  • Thermal protection

TDA1554 Power Ratings

  • Output Current = 4A
  • DC output offset voltage = 100mV
  • Supply Voltage Range = 6V to 18V
  • Input Impedance range = 50k? to75k?
  • Total Quiescent Current = 160mA
  • Stand-by Current = 10uA
  • Supply Voltage Rejection Ratio = 48dB

TDA1554 Applications

This component is mainly designed for car radio applications.

That’s for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you have any questions, you can approach me in the section below. I’d love to help you according to the best of my expertise. Feel free to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share so we keep producing quality content tailored to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino Pico

Hi Friends! I welcome you on board. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino Pico.

Arduino Pico is the world’s smallest Arduino compatible board, as said by Arduino Official Page. Because of its small size & low weight, it is normally used in autonomous projects i.e. drones, robots, quadcopters etc. where size is the real issue.

Arduino boards are introduced in modern electronics, to make projects economical and easy to design. A common man with no prior knowledge about programming can get hands-on experience with them. This smallest Pico version is readily available to turn your innovative thoughts into reality.

I suggest you read this post all the way through as I’ll detail the complete Introduction to Arduino Pico covering datasheet, pinout, features, pin description, programming and communication and applications.

Let’s get started.

Introduction to Arduino Pico

  • Arduino Pico is a small-sized(0.6" x 0.6"), breadboard-friendly and Arduino-Compatible Microcontroller board, based on Atmega32u4 Microcontroller, contains 15 pins onboard and developed by MellBell Electronics(a Canadian company confounded by MOHAMMAD MALHAS & AHMAD NABEL).
  • Leonardo compatible bootloader is pre-installed in Arduino Pico.
  • The small size of 0.6” x 0.6” and 1.1g weight is what makes it special for a range of autonomous applications i.e. quadcopters, robots, automation etc.
  • Arduino Pico comes with 8 digital input/output pins.
  • It also contains 3 analog I/O pins used for interfacing analog sensors.
  • Out of 8 digital pins, 1 Pin can also be used for generating PWM pulses and its Pin # D3.
  • Arduino Pico board operates at 5V while the input voltage ranges from 7V to 12V.
  • The maximum current rating of Arduino Pico is 40mA, so we can't attach a load drawing more current than that.
  • The board also contains one micro USB Type-B Port, a reset button and a Reset pin.
  • Arduino Pico supports two types of Communication Protocols: (We will discuss them later in detail)
    • Serial Protocol.
    • SPI Protocol.
  • The flash memory is 32KB out of which 4KB is used by Bootloader. It is the memory where the sketch is stored. (The code we compile on Arduino IDE software is called a sketch)
  • It comes with an SRAM memory of 2.5KB, it's even greater than that of UNO(where SRAM is 2KB).
  • It has a crystal oscillator of 16MHz, so it's as fast as UNO or Nano.
  • On its Kickstarter page, it's available in multiple colors(around 20 different colors).
  • Mellbell also offers an aluminum version of the board that can be used in overheated environments and applications.

Arduino Pico Datasheet

Before you apply this board to your embedded project, it’s wise to scan through the datasheet of the device that features the main characteristics of the board. You can download the datasheet of Arduino Pico by clicking the link below:

Arduino Pico Features

The following are the main features of the Arduino Pico board.
  • Based on the ATmega32u4 microcontroller,
  • Runs at a clocked frequency of 16 MHz
  • 40 mA DC current per I/O pin
  • 2.5KB of SRAM memory
  • Bootloader: Leonardo compatible
  • Reset: 1 pin
  • 3 SPI pads on the back of the board
  • 32 kB of internal Flash (4 kB used by the bootloader)
  • 8x digital I/O pins, 1x PWM channel, and 3x analog input channels.
  • The operating voltage is 5V.
  • Input voltage range = 7 to 12 V.
  • 6 x 0.6 inches size. Weight of 1.1 grams
  • Bootloader compatible with the Arduino Leonardo

Arduino Pico Pin Description

  • Hope you’ve got a sneak peek of this smallest Arduino board. In this section, we’ll detail the pin description of the pins installed on the board.

Analog Pins

  • There are 3 analog pins available on the board. These pins can get any number of values in opposed to digital pins which get only two values i.e. HIGH and LOW.

PWM Pins

  • This board incorporates one PWM channel which is employed to receive some of the analog output’s functions. When the PWM is activated, the board generates analog results with digital means.

Digital Pins

  • Total 8 digital pins are employed on the board. These pins are introduced to be configured as inputs or outputs according to the requirement. These pins remain ON or OFF. When they are in the OFF state they are in a LOW voltage state receiving 0V and they are in HIGH voltage state they receive 5V.

Atmega32u4 Pinout

  • The following figure represents the pinout diagram of Atmega32u4.

Atmega32u4 Pin Description

  • In this section, we’ll detail the pin description of each pin available on Atmega32u4.

Vcc

  • Digital voltage supply pin.

GND

  • Ground Pin.

Port B (PB7...PB0)

  • Port B is attached with pull-up resistors and is an 8-bit bidirectional I/O port. The pull up resistors are mainly employed to limit the current. This port is more efficient and contains better driving capabilities compared to other ports.
  • When the pull up resistors are activated in this port C, it will source current with port pins extremely pulled low.

Port C (PC6, PC7)

  • Port C is an 8-bit bidirectional I/O port that contains pull-up resistors.
  • When the pull up resistors are activated, Port C is used to source current with port pins extremely pulled low - Similar to Port B.

Port D (PD7..PD0)

  • Port D is a bi-directional 8-bit I/O port with pull-up resistors. When the reset condition is activated, the Port D pins are tri-stated.

Port E (PE6, PE2)

  • Only two bits PE6 and PE2 are available on the product pinout. It is an 8-bit bidirectional port that features internal pull up resistors to limit the current.

Port F (PF7..PF4, PF1,PF0)

  • Port F is a bidirectional port that serves as analog inputs for the A/D converter. Two bits PF2 and PF3 are not available on the device pinout.

D+

  • USB Full speed / Low Speed Positive Data Upstream Port. It is connected to the USB D+ connector pin employed with the serial resistor 22W.

D-

  • USB Full speed / Low Speed Negative Data Upstream Port. It must be connected to the USB D- connector pin incorporated with serial resistor 22W.

UGND

  • This is USB pads ground.

UCAP

  • USB Pads Internal Regulator Output supply voltage.

UVCC

  • USB Pads internal regulator Input supply voltage.

VBUS

It is USB VBUS monitor input.

XTAL1

  • Input to the inverting Oscillator amplifier and Input to the internal clock operating circuit.

XTAL2

  • Output from the inverting Oscillator amplifier.

RESET

  • A reset pin. When a low level applied to this pin for a longer period of time, it produces a reset. It is important to note that shorter pulses may not generate a reset.

AVCC

  • AVCC is the supply voltage pin for all the A/D Converter channels.

AREF

  • This pin is utilized as the analog reference pin for the A/D Converter.

Communication and Programming

  • The module comes with different communication protocols including I2C, and UART.
  • The UART is a serial communication protocol that carries two lines Tx and Rx where the former is a transmission line used to transfer the serial data and the latter is a receive data line used to receive the serial data.
  • The I2C is a two-wire communication protocol that contains two lines named SCL and SDA. The SCL is a serial clock line that is used for the synchronization of all data transfer over the I2C bus while SDA is a serial data line mainly used to carry the data.
  • Arduino IDE is the professional software developed by Arduino.cc that is used to program all types of Arduino Boards.
  • Connect the board through USB to the computer and test and program the board as you like better.

Arduino Pico Applications

  • Creating a wireless keyboard
  • Water level meter.
  • Health and security systems
  • Student projects
  • Embedded systems
  • Industrial automation
  • Automatic pill dispenser
It is important to note that all Arduino boards are microcontrollers but not all microcontrollers are Arduino boards. Due to its small size and easy to use functions, most people prefer Arduino boards over microcontrollers. Moreover, you don’t need to include extra peripherals while using these boards, as they come with built-in functions that don’t require the addition of external components. That’s all for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can approach me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. You’re most welcome to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share so we keep sharing quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

PCB Design Online Services for Engineering Students

Hi Friends! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll detail PCB Design Online Services for Engineering Students. PCB designing is a crucial part of making some electrical projects. If you’re a student, you can leverage these services to design PCB online. You can design many PCB layouts for a single layer or multilayer PCB. Moreover, you can test simulation online and see how your design is working that you’re going to execute in real-time.

PCB Design Online Services for Engineering Students

You’ll find a list of online PCB design services. And I can understand, when you’re given a lot of options, it is very difficult to choose the best pick. The reason I have got you covered. In this post, I’ll detail the best PCB online services that you can get online. Some are easy to use and are better than others and give you the ability to design your PCB on the fly. These online design services are open source, which means you can leverage these services free of cost. From making single-sided PCB to multi-layer PCB and from designing complex schematic diagrams to creating final layouts, you can benefit and execute everything online. Plus, these services help you connect with renowned designers online who can give feedback on the submitted designs.
  • Know that… if you find this design process difficult, you can purchase PCB design services from outside.
  • PCBWay is a great platform to help you design a single layer or multi-layer PCBs. They incorporate a team of skilled professionals that go the extra mile to help you with your circuit design.
  • PCBWay is not a broker. They are a PCB manufacturer and PCB assembler. This means you come in direct contact with the PCB producer once you contact them online.
This was a brief introduction to the PCB services online. Let’s jump right in and elaborate further on these services.

1. Library.io

  • Library.io is a remarkable online service that helps you design PCB online. It features many components in the library, moreover, in case you don’t find the required component in the library, you can design your own.
  • As this is an online service, apart from creating your design, you can see what other designers are doing online. You can have a look at their designs and duplicate content you find useful or appropriate for your design.
  • Yes, you can duplicate design because this is an open-source service where you can design your design free of cost, and in case you need any help from skilled professionals, you can just communicate and collaborate with them and get feedback on your design.
  • You can create your design, use them in EAGLE libraries, sync them with Fusion 360, and export them for further usage in your preferred CAD system.

2. CircuitLab

CircuitLab is an online simulator for creating your PCB design. Design with your easy to use and advanced schematic editor. No installation is required and you can launch this simulator with just one click.
  • Make analog and digital simulation within a few seconds. Moreover, you can get help from professional schematic PDF files, wiring diagrams, and plots.
  • In case you find any difficulty in using this program, you can watch an introductory demo that helps you understand all nuts and bolts of this platform.
  • It is free to use and comes with scores of already made schematic diagrams and PCB layouts which give you a good starting point to initiate your design process.
  • One important thing – CircuitLab gives you the ability to make your unique circuit URL which you can use to share your designs online. And this also helps you develop your unique presence online.
  • A nice, smooth and seamless interface helps you work with multiple signals at once with configurable plotting windows, vertical and horizontal markers, and calculations on signals.

3. Upverter

  • Upverter is another amazing tool in the club – A solution for all your electrical design needs.
  • Design schematics diagrams and PCB layouts anywhere anytime right from the comfort of your home.
  • It is incorporated with popular community projects for you to review. Apart from team collaboration, you can leverage free cloud storage with simple and easy to use CAD tools.
  • Plus, the forum is also available where you can communicate and collaborate with the engineers who are working on similar designs. They will help you design your PCB layout and create schematic diagrams.
  • PCB layouts are available on the online browser where you don’t need to install any software. You can simply work with them within seconds.
  • And reverting to the previous state from the current design helps you carefully generate your layout without constantly worrying about your design.
  • And this platform keeps a full track record of the files you worked on in the past, setting you free from the safety and security of your designs.

4. EasyEDA

  • EasyEDA is an online PCB design and circuit simulator.
  • It features scores of libraries with more than 1 million real-time updated components and an integrated LCSC component catalog.
  • Plus, you can create and import your common libraries.
  • You can use this online service anywhere on your Linux, MAC, or Windows operating system.
  • This platform is hosted on several servers, giving you a fast and quick web browser, where you can save your files in the cloud server which can be easily accessed by you and anyone you authorize.
  • You can leverage hundreds of thousands of open-source private projects. From schematic capture to PCB design and libraries design to project management, this platform keeps you covered.
That’s all for today. I hope you find this post helpful. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your query in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable suggestions and feedback around the content we share so we keep producing quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.
Syed Zain Nasir

I am Syed Zain Nasir, the founder of <a href=https://www.TheEngineeringProjects.com/>The Engineering Projects</a> (TEP). I am a programmer since 2009 before that I just search things, make small projects and now I am sharing my knowledge through this platform.I also work as a freelancer and did many projects related to programming and electrical circuitry. <a href=https://plus.google.com/+SyedZainNasir/>My Google Profile+</a>

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Syed Zain Nasir