Month: March 2018

Logic Level MOSFET

Logic Level MOSFET

Logic Level MOSFET

03/13/18

“How can we make a MOSFET that can operate at lower voltages?”

 

MOSFETS are some of the most useful appliances in electronic circuits. It’s ability to act like a turn a circuit on or off just through a voltage spike has been a paradigm shift in electronics. However, many of these MOSFETs might require a voltage of around 10 V to operate, and sometimes we don’t have the ability to generate that amount (such as working with a microcontroller). So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this problem? Well, what if we were to build a special MOSFET that can work under lower voltage levels? It turns out that these have been invented, and are called Logic Level MOSFETs. 

Electrical Relays

Electrical Relays

Electrical Relays

03/12/18

“How can we make an electrical switch in our circuit?”

 

Switches are very useful in circuit elements. With them, we can turn parts of a  circuit on and off. But sometimes we can’t mechanically activate them. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this problem? Well, what if we were to use an electromagnet that could actuate upon a switch based upon the current applied? Well, this is the fundamental idea behind electrical relays and are used in circuits applications worldwide.

Transistor Saturation

Transistor Saturation

Transistor Saturation

03/11/18

“How can we get a transistor to pass current?”

 

Transistors are some of the most commonly used electronic devices in the world because of their ability to act like an electrically controlled switch. However, what exactly is it called when they act like an open circuit? Well, after many years of studying this, engineers and scientists have termed such an effect Transistor Saturation. Transistor Saturation occurs when the voltage difference between the base and emitter is around 0.7 volts and the collector and emitter is 0.1 volts.

Darlington Pair

Darlington Pair

Darlington Pair

03/10/18

“How can we amplify the current from one transistor using another?”

 

Transistors are very useful for amplifying current. However, sometimes the current gain from a single module is not enough. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this problem? Well, what if we were to simply hook two transistors up to each other? This way, we current amplification will be squared. This setup is known as a Darlington Pair and is used in the control of motor relays.

Bipolar Junction Transistor

Bipolar Junction Transistor

Bipolar Junction Transistor

03/09/18

“What is one of the more typical types of transistors?”

 

Transistors come in all different types of shapes and sizes. However, what is one of the most typical types? Well, let’s use our engineering mindsets to find out. First, the model is made up of two doped semiconductors attached end to end with a common joint. One one side is the collector, the other the base, and the end the emitter. The current that goes into the base will allow the current from the collector to the emitter to pass through. This setup is known as a Bipolar Junction Transistor and can be found everywhere from semiconductor processing to microcontrollers.

Radium

Radium

Radium

03/08/18

“What is one of the most fundamental radioactive elements?”

 

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we here at Isaac’s Science Blog thought that it would be appropriate to talk about one of Marie Curie’s most famous discoveries, the element Radium. Radium is a soft, shiny and silvery radioactive metal that belongs in the second group and seventh period of the periodic table. Although it is now deemed to be too radioactive for common use, it used to be used as a paint for clock and watch dials. The discovery of Radium led Marie Curie to receive a Nobel Prize. However, due to not patenting the element, she received few monetary benefits (despite kickstarting an entire industry). In fact, her intense work with the radioactive element had ravaged her health. Never the less, we must honor her work, and spend this International Women’s Day thinking about the countless sacrifices that women have made to advance our knowledge of science.

Detection Theory

Detection Theory

Detection Theory

03/07/18

“How can we discern real data from noise?”

 

When working with signal processing, we often want to try to discern real data from random noise. However, doing so requires complex thinking. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this? Well, we can simply use an organization of mathematical theorems known as detection theory to solve these problems.

Signal Processing

Signal Processing

Signal Processing

03/06/18

“How can we analyze time-dependent data signals?”

 

Signals are one of the fundamental components of modern day electronics, whether it be with the radio we hear in our cars, the broadband that powers our internet, or the electricity that is driven to our homes. However, this data can be bundled with a lot of noise and complications, making analysis very difficult. So how can we use our engineering mindset to circumvent this problem? Well, what if we were to simply apply numerical methods to filter, modify, and extract this data? This is the fundamental idea behind Signal Processing and is one of the foundations of modern control engineering.

Simpson’s Rule

Simpson’s Rule

Simpson’s Rule

03/05/18

“What is a more accurate way for approximating integrals?”

 

If we have a particular function, then there are many simple ways to approximate the area under the curve without integrating. However, is there a more accurate way to do this? Well, let’s use our mathematical mindset to find out. If we were to fit a third-degree polynomial over our function and then take its integral, we would arrive with an area very close. This method is known in the English speaking world as Simpson’s Rule, and is represented by the formula Area = (b-a)/6 * ( f(a) + 4f((a+b)/2) + f(b) ), with a being the start point and b being the endpoint.