By David Herres Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) is a highly successful strategy for combining complementary and symmetrical pairs of p-type and n-type MOSFETs to create logic functions. A CMOS transistor pair is typically a building block for integrated circuits. Among its many applications are image sensors in digital cameras, data converters and transceivers. In a […]
New Articles
Basics of MOSFETs
By David Herres The FET, discussed in a previous article, was widely used for a few short years, from its introduction in 1947 until it was abruptly eclipsed upon the introduction of the metal-oxide semiconducting field-effect transistor (MOSFET) in 1960. The MOSFET is like the FET, only more so. Structurally and functionally, they are similar. […]
Basics of FETs
By David Herres The field-effect transistor (FET) resembles the bipolar transistor in some of its behavioral characteristics, but its inner workings are markedly different. Rather than base, emitter and collector, FETs have gates, sources and drains. The big difference is that the FET notices changes in the voltage level on its input. The FET input current is infinitesimal. […]
Basics of modeling transistors
By David Herres All transistors operate according to the exact same physical principles as diodes, the only difference being that they have greater complexity because there are additional P-N and N-P junctions and accordingly more terminals. As with simple diodes, a transistor junction conducts when it is forward biased and does not conduct when it is reverse […]
The basics of diodes
By David Herres Ordinary crystalline silicon semiconductors work according to the same physical principles as the old-world galena (PbS, lead sulfide) cat’s whisker radio-frequency detectors in early crystal sets. The defining element in a solid-state diode in the P-N junction. It is created when P-type and N-type slabs of crystalline silicon are joined. Wire leads are affixed […]
Video: Tektronix MDO 3104 Oscilloscope Overview, Part 3
Using the Tektronix MDO 3104 oscilloscope built-in arbitrary function generator.
Video: Tektronix MDO 3104 Oscilloscope Overview, Continued
How to set up the front panel controls to make simple measurements using the onboard digital voltmeter.
Flat-screen technology part one: Plasma
By David Herres A previous article discussed the cathode-ray tube, for a long time the only game in town for displaying waveforms. It provided a clear display and was capable of superb color rendition. But it has been almost totally supplanted in TVs, computer monitors, and oscilloscopes by newer flat-screen technologies. The two primary flat-screen […]
Top five T&M threads on EDAboard
Our sister site EDAboard.com hosts technical discussions on a variety of subjects, including test & measurement themes. Here are the top five recent conversations oriented around making measurements. Impedance using Network analyzer and Agilent ADS — “I have a 1 port network. iI connect it to the network analyzer to measure impedance. It gives me a […]
Mixed Domain Instrument Technology
By David Herres The Tektronix MDO4000 is what is known as an integrated oscilloscope. This means it combines the functions of specific electronic test equipment with that of the basic scope. These instruments are not simply packaged in the same box as if to conserve bench space. They are actually wired together in such a […]