Category Archives: Electronics

Phone Loads For Backup Time Testing

Posted on 17-April-2012 by mathscinotes

Introduction I often have to assist with writing test procedures. One of our procedures involves testing the battery backup time for the equipment we install at the subscriber's home, which is called an Optical Network Unit (ONU). Nearly all ONUs … Continue reading →

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Dimensional Analysis and Submarine Running Time

Posted on 13-April-2012 by mathscinotes

Introduction Part of my job is looking at backup power sources for remote telecommunications gear. I recently have been doing some reading on fuel cells, which we are starting to see in some backup power applications. I started googling to see … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | 3 Comments

Battery Self-Discharge Math

Posted on 3-April-2012 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. — George Bernard Shaw:" Introduction I deal with a lot of battery issues. Our products generally ship with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) that contains a … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Circuit Design Review: Optocoupler-Based Power Measurement Circuit

Posted on 10-March-2012 by mathscinotes

I just got back home after attending the Optical Fiber Communications conference in Los Angeles. This is my favorite trade show and I learned quite a bit. The flight home from Los Angeles to Minneapolis (I live near Minneapolis) takes over 3 hours, so I had time to relax on the flight and do a little bit of circuit analysis -- yes, that is my idea of relaxation. Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | 3 Comments

Spare Parts Math

Posted on 27-February-2012 by mathscinotes

Introduction I received a phone call from a panicked account manager at our headquarters last Thursday. A proposal needed to go out Friday and the proposal team did not have all the information that a customer had requested. The account … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | 96 Comments

Beamforming Math

Posted on 20-January-2012 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all. — Michael LeBoeuf, writer and management professor. Introduction I was at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week and spent a lot of time talking to … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Approximation Math

Posted on 9-January-2012 by mathscinotes

Introduction Back in 2003, I used an approximation for the logarithm function in a hardware application. When originally implemented, the function only had to work for a limited range of input. Recently, a customer has requested that we expand the … Continue reading →

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Electronics for Kids

Posted on 5-January-2012 by mathscinotes

One of our software engineers asked me today if I could recommend any educational material that he could use to train his kids in basic electronics. As far as I am concerned, the best material I have ever seen for … Continue reading →

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Nuclear Battery Math

Posted on 3-January-2012 by mathscinotes

My sons always tease me about my interest in space. In order to understand my interest in space, you need to understand what it was like being a boy during the 1960s. I had my own October Sky boyhood. I built rockets, read everything I could about space, built electronic circuits, and dreamt of someday being an engineer and space traveler. While the space traveler part didn't work out, I was fortunate in that I did everything else that I dreamt about it. I have met numerous engineers who are now in their 50s who had the same experiences. Continue reading →

Posted in Batteries, Electronics | 14 Comments

Potentiometer Math

Posted on 22-December-2011 by mathscinotes

Introduction I have an application where a potentiometer may be useful. In fact, it would be useful if the potentiometer had a logarithmic resistance characteristic, which is also called an audio taper for reasons that I will cover later. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , | 14 Comments