The Engineering Projects

Arduino 74HC165 Interfacing: Increase Input Pins

Hello friends, I hope you all are doing great. In today's tutorial, I am going to do an Arduino 74HC165 Interfacing and we will have a look at How to increase Input Pins of Arduino. 74HC165 is a shift register and works on the principal of Parallel In Serial Out. In my previous tutorial Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing: Increase Output Pins, we have seen How to increase the output pins of Arduino and today we are gonna do exact the opposite and we will increase the input pins. 74HC165 will take 8 parallel inputs from different sensors or buttons etc and will send them to serial OUT Pin, which will be connected to Arduino. So, if you are working on a project where you want to get data of 15 or 20 digital sensors then you can use this shift register and just using a single pin of Arduino you can read data of all those sensors. We can only get digital inputs, we can't get analog input through this shift register. So, let's get started with Arduino 74HC165 Interfacing:

Arduino 74HC165 Interfacing

• I will design a Proteus Simulation of Arduino 74HC165 Interfacing, I have given the files for download at the end of this tutorial, but I would recommend you to design it so that you could learn.
• I will connect simple Logic buttons with this shift register and will read their status on the Serial Port.

• So, first of all design a simple Proteus Simulation as shown in below figure.
• I have used Arduino UNO and have connected Virtual Terminal so that we could have a look at Serial data.

• As you can see in the above figure that I have connected four pins between Arduino and 74HC165, which are:
  • Pin # 8 of Arduino  ==> Shift (SH) of shift register.
  • Pin # 9 of Arduino  ==> Clock Enable (CE) of shift register.
  • Pin # 11 of Arduino ==> Serial OUT (SO) of shift register.
  • Pin # 12 of Arduino ==> Clock (CLK) of shift register.
• Now open you Arduino software and copy paste the below code in it:

#define NUMBER_OF_SHIFT_CHIPS   1
#define DATA_WIDTH   NUMBER_OF_SHIFT_CHIPS * 8

int LoadPin    = 8;
int EnablePin  = 9;
int DataPin    = 11;
int ClockPin   = 12;

unsigned long pinValues;
unsigned long oldPinValues;

void setup()
{
    Serial.begin(9600);

    pinMode(LoadPin, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(EnablePin, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(ClockPin, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(DataPin, INPUT);

    digitalWrite(ClockPin, LOW);
    digitalWrite(LoadPin, HIGH);

    pinValues = read_shift_regs();
    print_byte();
    oldPinValues = pinValues;
}

void loop()
{
    pinValues = read_shift_regs();

    if(pinValues != oldPinValues)
    {
        print_byte();
        oldPinValues = pinValues;
    }

}

unsigned long read_shift_regs()
{
    long bitVal;
    unsigned long bytesVal = 0;

    digitalWrite(EnablePin, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(LoadPin, LOW);
    delayMicroseconds(5);
    digitalWrite(LoadPin, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(EnablePin, LOW);

    for(int i = 0; i < DATA_WIDTH; i++)
    {
        bitVal = digitalRead(DataPin);
        bytesVal |= (bitVal << ((DATA_WIDTH-1) - i));

        digitalWrite(ClockPin, HIGH);
        delayMicroseconds(5);
        digitalWrite(ClockPin, LOW);
    }

    return(bytesVal);
}

void print_byte() { 
  byte i; 

  Serial.println("*Shift Register Values:*\r\n");

  for(byte i=0; i<=DATA_WIDTH-1; i++) 
  { 
    Serial.print("P");
    Serial.print(i+1);
    Serial.print(" "); 
  }
  Serial.println();
  for(byte i=0; i<=DATA_WIDTH-1; i++) 
  { 
    Serial.print(pinValues >> i & 1, BIN); 
    
    if(i>8){Serial.print(" ");}
    Serial.print("  "); 
    
  } 
  
  Serial.print("\n"); 
  Serial.println();Serial.println();

}

• The code is quite simple but let me give you a quick explanation of  it.
• First of all, I have assigned names to all 4 pins of 74HC165 connected with Arduino.
• Function read_shift_regs() is used to read the eight input pins of 74HC165 and print_byte() function is used to display that data on Serial Monitor.
• So get your hex file from Arduino software and upload it in Proteus software.
• Run your Proteus simulation and if everything goes fine then you will get results as shown in below figure:

• If you change any input of your shift register then you will get the new value on your Virtual Terminal.
• Now let's add another 74HC165 and increase our input pins by 16.
• So, design a simple circuit as shown in below figure:

• Now, in the above code, simply change the first line and make #define NUMBER_OF_SHIFT_CHIPS 2.
• Simply changes 1 to 2, as we are using 2 shift registers now.
• Now get your hex file and run the Proteus simulation.
• Here's the output of our 16 increased inputs:

• That's how you can easily interface multiple 74HC165 chips with your Arduino board and can increase the input options.
• You can download these Proteus simulations and code for Arduino 74HC165 Interfacing by clicking the below button:

[dt_default_button link="https://www.theengineeringprojects.com/ArduinoProjects/Arduino 74HC165 Interfacing.rar" button_alignment="default" animation="fadeIn" size="medium" default_btn_bg_color="" bg_hover_color="" text_color="" text_hover_color="" icon="fa fa-chevron-circle-right" icon_align="left"]Download Proteus Simulation & Code[/dt_default_button]

• You should also have a look at this video in which I have shown How to run these simulations:

So, that was all for today. In my coming tutorial, I will interface both 74HC165 and 74HC595 with Arduino UNO and will show you How to increase both input and output pins at the same time. Thanks for reading. Take care!!! :)

Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing: Increase Output Pins

Hello friends, I hope you all are doing great. In today's tutorial, I am going to show you Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing and we will have a loook at How to Increase Arduino Output Pins with 74HC595. Suppose you are working on some project where you need to control 20 LEDs with Arduino UNO and you know we will 12 digital Pins so we can't control all of these 20 LEDs with Arduino UNO. We can use Arduino Mega as well but if we wanna stick to Arduino UNO then we need to increase its Output Pins and we will use 74HC595 for that purpose. You should read this basic Introduction to 74HC595, it will help you to better understand this shift register. It's a Serial In Parallel Out Shift register and we will give it value serially from single Pin of Arduino and it will output that data to 8 output pins. Moreover, we can also connect these registers in parallel to increase the output pins even further. So, let's have a look at Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing:

Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing

• As I told earlier 74HC595 is a serial In Parallel Out Shift Register and is used to increase the output pins of Arduino.
• I am gonna use Proteus software and we will design its simulation and then will check out How it works.
• So, design a simple circuit as shown in below figure:

• As you can see in above figure, I have done the following connections between Arduino and HC595:
  • Pin # 5 of Arduino ==> ST_CP
  • Pin # 6 of Arduino ==> DS
  • Pin # 7 of Arduino ==> SH_CP
  • All output pins of 74HC595 are connected to LEDs.

• Now upload the below Arduino code and get your hex file.

int RCLK = 5;
int SER = 6;
int SRCLK = 7;

#define TotalIC 1
#define TotalICPins TotalIC * 8

boolean Data[TotalICPins];

void setup()
{
  pinMode(SER, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(RCLK, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(SRCLK, OUTPUT);

  ClearBuffer();
}              


void loop()
{
   for(int i = TotalICPins - 1; i >=  0; i--)
   {
      Data[i] = HIGH;
      UpdateData();
      delay(300);
      ClearBuffer();
   }

   for(int i = 1;i < TotalICPins - 1;  i++)
   {
      Data[i] = HIGH;
      UpdateData();
      delay(300);
      ClearBuffer();
   }
   
}

void ClearBuffer()
{
    for(int i = TotalICPins - 1; i >=  0; i--)
    {
       Data[i] = LOW;
    }
    UpdateData();
} 

void UpdateData()
{
   digitalWrite(RCLK, LOW);
   for(int i = TotalICPins - 1; i >=  0; i--)
   {
        digitalWrite(SRCLK, LOW);   
        digitalWrite(SER, Data[i]);
        digitalWrite(SRCLK, HIGH);

  }
  digitalWrite(RCLK, HIGH);
}

• The code is quite simple but let me explain it a bit.
• First of all we have given names to our 3 Pins connected to Arduino UNO.
• After that we have made all those 3 Pins as OUTPUT as we are gonna send the data.
• We are using single chip of 74HC595 that's why I have made it 1.
• In the UpdateData function, you can see we have to make RCLK Low and after that we have sent our data.
• But for sending each bit of Data we have to make SRCLK from LOW to High.
• SER is our Serial IN from Arduino to 74HC595.
• So, in loop section, I am simply sending HIGH from first Pin to Last and then from last Pin to first and we are getting below results:

• Now let's have a look at How to connect two 74HC595 chips in parallel to increase the output pins to 16.
• I have also given these Proteus simulations for download at the end of this tutorial but I would recommend you to design them on your own so that you got better understanding of this shift register.

Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing: 2 Chips in Parallel

• Now we are gonna place two shift registers in parallel and we will be able to control 16 outputs from single Arduino Pin.
• Although we are using 3 Arduino Pins but the data is sent through Pin # 6 of Arduino and Pin # 5 and 7 are CLK Pins.
• Now design a circuit as shown in below figure:

• Now in Arduino Code, you just need to change the TotalIC to 2 and as you have seen we have already multiplied it with 8 so now our for loop will move from 0 to 15.
• Pin # 5 and 7 will simply connected to same pins of second shift register but DS will be connected to Q7' of first shift register.
• Now get your hex file from Arduino software and if everything goes fine then you will get something as shown in below figure:

• Now let's make it a bit more complex by adding 4 shift registers in parallel.
• So, design a Proteus Simulation as shown in below figure:

• We have followed the same principal, Q7' of second chip is connected to DS to 3rd chip and goes on.
• I have placed these default Pins instead of connecting the wires, it works the same.
• If this image is not clear then open it in new tab and zoom out to check the connections.
• Now in your Arduino code, you need to change the TotalIC to 4, as now we are using four chips.
• Get your Hex File and run Proteus simulation and if everything goes fine then you will get similar results:

• So, that's How you can quite easily do the Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing and can increase Arduino outputs as much as you want.
• You can download these Proteus Simulations along with code by clicking the below button:

[dt_default_button link="https://www.theengineeringprojects.com/ArduinoProjects/Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing.rar" button_alignment="default" animation="fadeIn" size="medium" default_btn_bg_color="" bg_hover_color="" text_color="" text_hover_color="" icon="fa fa-chevron-circle-right" icon_align="left"]Download Proteus Simulation & Arduino Code[/dt_default_button]

• I have also designed this YouTube video to give you a better understanding of Arduino 74HC595 Interfacing:

So, that was all for today. I hope you have enjoyed this Arduino 74Hc595 Interfacing. If you have any questions, then ask in comments and I will try my best to resolve them. In my coming tutorial, I will show you How to increase the Arduino Input Pins. So stay tuned and have fun. :)

Use of Silk Screen Technology in Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing great. In today's tutorial, we are gonna have a look at usage of Silk Screen technology in Printed Circuit Board (PCB). This article is written by PCBgogo ( a PCB Manufacturing company ) on our request and they have explained this Silk Screen technology in detail. It's always better to hear from the expert and as they are already working on this technology so they have explained it really well. If you have any questions or queries then ask in comments and I will try to resolve them all. So, let's first have a look at what is Silk Screening:

What is silk screening?

Silkscreen is a layer of ink traces used to identify components, test points, parts of the PCB, warning symbols, logos and marks etc. This silkscreen is usually applied on the component side; however using silkscreen on the solder side is also not uncommon. But this may increase the cost. Essentially a detailed PCB silkscreen can help both the manufacturer and the engineer to locate and identify all the components. The ink is a non-conductive epoxy ink. The ink used for these markings is highly formulated. The standard colors we normally see are black, white and yellow. PCB software also uses standard fonts in silkscreen layers but you can choose other fonts from the system too. For traditional silk-screening you require a polyester screen stretched on aluminum frames, a laser photo plotter, spray developer and curing ovens.

Methods of Silk Screening

There are three basic ways to apply silkscreen.

1. Manual Screen-printing

Manual screen-printing is done when the line widths are greater than 7 mil (0.007”) and the registration tolerance is 5 mil. For this method you require a stencil of the text and traces made of nylon. The ink is pushed through the stencil onto the laminate. Next the board is baked in a curing oven for the ink to cure. The application and set up is easy but the result is least precise.

2. Liquid Photo Imaging (LPI)

This method is used when the line widths are greater than 4 mil. Liquid Photo Imaging is quite similar to the process used for the application of solder mask. In this a liquid photo-imageable epoxy is coated on to the laminate and then exposed with UV light. After this the board is developed and cured. It is much more accurate than manual screening.

3. Direct Legend Printing (DLP)

DLP is the most accurate of all these processes but is more expensive. In this process an inkjet projector is used with acrylic ink that is applied onto the raw PCB directly from the CAD data. The ink is cured with UV light as it is printed. It should be noted though that the acrylic ink does not cure on boards with silver finishes.

Importance of Silk Screen Technology

A properly designed silk-screen can prove to be highly useful as it can reduce the chance of error and can reduce time taken to spot the error. The silkscreen can easily label the passive components of the PCB no matter how packed the board may be. There are a few things you should keep in mind regarding silk-screening. For example, the silkscreen epoxy should not be printed over pads or land PCBs that will be soldered as it will melt into the solder joint. This is why it should be applied over the solder mask. While designing you should keep the component outlines away from the pins (almost at a distance of 0.25 mm). Also you should check to see if the width of the silkscreen graphics is suitable to the design. Try to keep the line widths no less than 6 mil. Knowing more about PCB and silk-screening can help you to reduce your PCB costs. For example, applying silk screen on only one side and choosing the standard colors will give you better overall pricing and give you the same benefits.

---

------------------------------------------------------------------ This ARTICLE is Proudly Presented by PCBGOGO http://www.pcbgogo.com?code=y

PCBgogo: Placing Your Order Made Easy | Best PCB manufacturers

How Companies Can Protect Their Users' Data Privacy

Hello friends, I hope you all are doing great. In today's tutorial, I am going to show you How Companies Can Protect Their Users' Data Privacy. As data breaches become more and more common, it is imperative that companies go the extra mile to protect their users’ data to the best of their ability. Hackers today are not forcing their way into sites like they used to. Instead, engineers are thoughtfully and strategically sneaking their way in. In order to prevent this, companies needs to make sure they are aware of and educated on the potential threats and how they could prevent hackers from getting into their own data and the data of their users. Here are a few of the many ways a company can better protect themselves and their users from these breaches.

Make sure your company is educated

Bringing in a cyber security team can be very beneficial in preventing future data breaches at your firm. It is important that employees are well-educated on the previous breaches the company experienced and know how to prevent them so that they do not repeat previous mistakes. The reality of it is no company, big or small, is ever fully protected from hackers, but the more careful you are and the more protection you have the better chance you have to avoid data breaches. Making sure you have the right security systems in place and know how to use them is extremely important. There are some programs you can use that can automatically protect you from these threats, a security system if you will. However, it is also helpful to teach employees how to encrypt data, store data, create strong passwords, and take all other preventative steps that they can.

Keep personal and business internet use separate

Encourage your employees not to use their work email, or even computer, for personal use. Most security breaches happen on accident. So the last thing you want to do is put your company and their users’ data at risk because an employee opened an email about homes for sale in NJ. Now I understand this is a hard thing to do because employees don’t always listen, but monitoring their email use and again encrypting data can help prevent this from happening. However, you should also have website restrictions in place and have network, data, and email protection to prevent unusual or potentially dangerous emails from being opened and report them.

Having an established plan

Not only do you want to have a plan for preventing breaches in place, but also a plan in case a breach does occur. Now, your prevention plan may be solid enough that you never have to act on your emergency plan, and that is the goal. However, even if you think you are taking all of the necessary precautions, encrypting everything, and that your company’s data is all air tight- it is not. Nothing is ever fully protected, and just in case, a plan B is always recommended. If a breach were to occur, you need to make sure there is a sense of urgency in correcting it and protecting your company and users’ information. So, that was all for today. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial on How Companies Can Protect Their Users' Data Privacy. Let me know if you have any questions. Take care. :)

How to use analogRead in Arduino?

Hi Friends! Welcome you onboard. I have been writing these Arduino tutorial for beginners for quite a while now and today we are having the next episode. Today, I'll discuss How to use analogRead in Arduino. The analogRead is mainly used to program and address analog pins on the board. In our previous tutorial, we have seen How to use digitalWrite Arduino Command, which deals with digital pins of Arduino but today's one deals with analog pins. There are many types of boards available in the market ranging from Arduino UNO, Arduino Mega2560, Arduino Micro and many more, which you can use based on your technical requirements. Arduino Programming is made simple by the Arduino.cc - the manufacturer of Arduino Boards, providing an open source software and hardware features and give you the flexibility to modify and tweak the boards as per your requirements. In this post, I'll discuss how you can easily program the Arduino Board using analogRead if you intend to target the analog pins on the board. Let's dive in.

How to use analogRead in Arduino

The analogRead is a command mainly used to program the analog pins on the board. If you are using analogRead functions, it indicates you are making the pins as input i.e. you can connect the Arduino analog pins with any sensor and read its value by making the analog pins as input. Following figure shows the placement of analog pins on the Arduino Uno Board.

• If you have already got a hold of some features of Arduino Board, you must have known that analog pins are 10-bit pins. It means each pin can store 0 - 1023 values.

Analog pins are different than digital pins as the later can store only two values: HIGH and LOW while the former comes with an ability to store any random value ranging from 0 - 1023 where 0 will indicate the ground signal or zero volts while 1023 will be representing 5 volts. The voltage values are directly proportional to the values stored in the Arduino Pins. For example, if the sensor voltage is around 2.5 V then the value we get on an analog pin will be half the total value it can store in the pin i.e. 512. Syntax:

• The syntax of analogRead is given as follows:

int data = analogRead(int pin);

where:

• Pin defines the number of a pin you are targeting. Most of the Arduino Boards come with 6 analog pins and marked as A0 to A5 while Arduino Pro Mini and Arduino Nano come with 8 pins, marked from A0 to A7 and Arduino Mega stands out in terms of having the most number of analog pins, around 16, marking from A0 to A15 on the Mega.

Return:

• analogRead returns value anywhere between 0 to 1023 depending on the voltage it gets in return.

Example:

data = analogRead (4);

Note: 

• If you are aiming to read analog pins from digitalRead, you must write A4, instead of simply pointing the required pin number i.e. analogRead(A4).

Here's a sample code for testing the analogRead Arduino command:

int sensorPin = A0;
int sensorValue = 0;  

void setup() {
 
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() 
{
  sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin);
  Serial.println(sensorValue);
}

I have written an Article on Introduction to Arduino IDE - An Official Software used to program the variety of Arduino Boards. In this Article, I have broken down everything in simple steps, detailing how to select the relevant board you are working on and make it compatible with the software. That’s all for today. I hope you have got valuable information out of this read. However, if you are unsure or have any question you can approach me in the comment section below. I’d love to help you according to the best of my knowledge. In the coming tutorial, we will have a look at How to use analogWrite in Arduino, which is used to update the status of analog pins. Thanks for reading the article.

Introduction to S8050

Hey Guys! Hope you are doing well. I always strive to keep your technical needs and requirements quite in line with valuable information that helps you excel and thrive in engineering and technology. Today, I'll unlock the detailed Introduction to S8050 that is an NPN Epitaxial Silicon Transistor mainly used for push-pull amplification and general purpose switching applications. It is a low voltage and high current transistor, featuring collector current up to 700 mA and Collector-Emitter voltage around 25 V. I'll try to cover each and everything related to S8050, so you don't have to scratch your head browsing the whole internet and find all the information in one place. Let's dive in and kick off the nitty-gritty of this transistor.

Introduction to S8050

S8050 is an NPN Epitaxial Silicon Transistor that comes with low voltage and high current capabilities. It proves to be a bright spot for push-pull amplification and general purpose switching applications.

• This transistor mainly contains three terminals known as an emitter, base, and collector that are used for the external connection with the electronic circuits.

These terminals are different in terms of doping concentration where emitter terminal is highly doped as compared to base and collector terminals.

• The base terminal is lightly doped and the collector terminal is moderately doped where former controls the number of electrons and later collects the number of electrons from the base terminal. The small current at one terminal at one terminal is used to control large current at other terminals.

This transistor incorporates three layers where one P-doped semiconductor layer is encapsulated between the other two N-doped layers. The P-doped layer represents the base terminal while other two layers represent emitter and collector respectively.

• There are two types of transistors known as Unipolar Transistor and Bipolar Junction Transistors. The S8050 falls under the category of Bipolar Junction Transistor - as the name suggests it comes with two charge carriers: electrons and holes, however, electrons are the major charge carriers.

This transistor features two PN junctions: emitter-base junction that is forward biased and the collector-base junction that is reverse biased.

• It is important to note that, S8050 must be operating in a forward biased mode for a better performance. If a transistor is not forward biased, there will be no collector current, no matter how much voltage is applied at the base terminal.

The amplification is carried out a simple way when a voltage is applied at the base terminal, transistor draws small current which is then used to control large current at other terminals.

S8050 Pinout

S8050 mainly consists of three terminals. 1. Emitter 2. Base 3. Collector  Following shows the pinout of this transistor. The electron movement is mainly triggered by the voltage applied at the base terminal, resulting in the diffusion of electrons from the base to collector terminal.

• As the voltage is applied the electron from emitter terminal triggers and enters the base terminal, combining with the hole already present in the base terminal and the resulting pair disappears.

The number of electrons entering the base terminal from the emitter is greater than the number of holes diffusing into the emitter region that's why electrons are major charge carriers in case of NPN transistor.

• The base terminal is unable to handle all electrons entering it, subsequently, electrons move from the base to collector terminal.

S8050 Circuit Diagram

Following figure shows the circuit diagram of the S8050. In this NPN transistor, electrons are main charge carriers, unlike  PNP transistor where holes are major charge carriers.

• The base is more positive with respect to the emitter and the voltage on the collector must also be more positive than the base.

The collector is made physically larger than the base for two reasons: allowing a collector to deal with more heat without damage and increasing the chance of carriers that enter the collector terminal.

• Two current gain factors: common-emitter current gain and common-base current gain play a vital role to determine the characteristic of the transistor.

The common-emitter current gain is a ratio between collector current and base current. This is called Beta, denoted by ß, and more often than not ranges between 20 to 1000, however, the standard value is taken as 200.

• Similarly common-base current gain is a ratio between collector current and emitter current. It is called alpha, denoted by a, and its value mainly ranges between 0.95 to 0.99, however, most of the time its value is taken as unity.

S8050 Absolute Maximum Ratings

Following figure shows the absolute maximum ratings of S8050.  

• These are the stress ratings which if exceed from the absolute maximum ratings, can damage the device at large, which ultimately affect the project performance.

These ratings are determined on the basis of the maximum junction temperature of 150 °C.

• Additionally, if ratings are applied for a maximum period of time above normal operating conditions, they can affect the device reliability.

Applications

• This NPN transistor is mainly used for push-pull amplification.
• Some general purpose switching applications feature this transistor, aiming to control large current with a small current.

That’s all for now. I hope I have given you everything you needed to know about S8050. If you are unsure or have any question, you can ask me in the comment section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. You are most welcome to keep us updated with your valuable suggestions, they help us provide you quality work. Thanks for reading the article.

Finding the Value in Your Utility Data

Hi Guys! Hope you are doing well. I am back to give you a daily dose of valuable information as per your needs and requirements so you can excel and grow in your relevant field. Today, I'll discuss a number of ways about Finding the Value in Your Utility Data. The expansion of technology in the business sector brings unlimited possibilities.  The business portal all corporate executives and entrepreneurs want, which contains all the data needed to monitor statistics and other data that is essential to know if a business is succeeding or failing, is available at a simple keystroke.  

Finding the Value in Your Utility Data

Utility data, or a business intelligence portal, is the way to be completely aware of assets, liabilities, capital, and expenses. Following are the number of ways you can find value in your utility data. 

Features

If you wish to get value from your utility data, be familiar with the features it entails.  Many utility data portals contain various types of data in an excel spreadsheet. 

• Some of the data you can have access to would be comparison reports, product capability reports, multiple templates, and financial reports.

Not only is management given various reports to examine to evaluate business success, but business intelligence portals also provide information to explain how a product might be breaking down as well as steps to resolve an issue. Leveraging a business intelligence portal can help streamline this.

Collect, Store, Organize

Depending on the type of framework involved, business data must be stored in the portal, and a system must be implemented to organize information collected by management or designated person.  

• A knowledgeable person must input the data required on an as-needed basis. There are a variety of software packages available from which management can choose.

Once the needed information is gathered (sales, other income, expenses, liabilities, etc.), the data is entered into the system.  At this point, the system organizes the given information.

• Depending upon the way your business has structured its utility data, your graphs, charts, reports, or statements can be arranged in a variety of ways.

Analyze and Share

Although the business intelligence portal will display various projections for you, some analyzation is up to you.  The gateway will analyze data and supply suggested strategies for you to implement; however, you will still need to make the final decision as to the steps you will take resulting from the data you have obtained from your portal.

• To get the value from your utility data, it is essential that you are sure you can rely on accurate information given from your own sources; however, it is equally important that you know when to implement the strategies offered.  

Of course, a good portal will provide you with the who, what, when, where, how, and why; yet, you will have the final say. A valuable portal will give you good projections, but those will be based on the data entered. Checking to ensure that the data presented is accurate will be up to you or your management.

Data is Everything

The data in which you supply the portal will determine the usefulness of the various reports and strategies you receive.  Several types of data can be utilized by a business intelligence portal.

• Enterprise data which is shared across locations and departments.

Structured data which is organized in a database or spreadsheet. Semi-structured data contains tags and markers to separate elements, but it is not what is found in typical databases.

• Unstructured data is that which is not organized in a predictable manner such as PDF's, Videos, or PowerPoint Presentations.

If you want both internal and external data to compare, it is essential to supply your portal with a variety of information.

• Any executive or entrepreneur wants business data that is organized and easily accessible but to get the most value from your utility data, have a wide variety of information to input from both internal and external sources.

That's all for now. I hope you have found this read valuable. If you are unsure or have any question, you can approach me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you the best way I can. Thanks for reading the article.

PCBWay - PCB Solution at Your Doorstep

Hi Guys! Hope you are getting along with life pretty well. I feel pleasure to guide you with valuable information related to engineering and technology that helps you make a final decision before selecting the relevant component or service for your next project. Today, I'll unlock the detailed Introduction to PCBWay - PCB Solution at Your Doorstep. The introduction to PCB has revolutionized the electrical field drastically where different components are to be placed on a single board with flawless wiring connection without compromising the quality of the board.

PCBWay - PCB Solution at Your Doorstep

It is good practice to shape your project using breadboards when you are in the initial stages of your project and testing different methods to meet your technical requirements.

• Nevertheless, once you are done with your initial testing of the project and have concluded the final design, it is advised to develop your design into the PCB board that turns out to be longlasting and provides both quality and authentic approach to your project where you are sure the components are interlinked with a solid connection.

The layers with broken traces will consume your lot of time and you will be wrestling your mind to hunt down the broken trace with no idea if you really succeed in the end. This is why you should pay special heed before selecting the PCB fabrication house for your project.

• If you require quality PCBs with solid copper traces placed on them and no matter how complex your design is, you get the actual result in real time, I'd prefer PCBWay. Why? I need your 5 precious min for that. Please follow along and get down to the complete review of this company.

If you are an expert you may already be getting services from someone for meeting your technical requirements related to the development of the PCB board. I won't be advising you to switch your company right away. But, I assure, if you review this company with unbiased thinking, you will definitely be ending up to secure your first order.

Christmas Gift

Christmas is near and it would be highly injustice if we fail to bring a little smile on your pretty faces. You can claim your Christmas gift with little effort. It is easy.

• Just design your Christmas PCB (it represents and conveys the idea of Christmas in any way i.e. traces are connected in such a way, they shape the Christmas tree, Santa Claus or any other way related to Christmas) and share it on this page. Don't forget to add keyword "Christmas2018" during the submission.

• Once you upload the project, you will get the generated link. Just note that link with the order number and email to eric@pcbway.com.

In doing so, you will be getting the full cash coupon of worth $40  with remaining amount paid by yourself. Time is money so don't waste it scratching your head with the project's prerequisites that you can put off as this deal will be ending on 10th December.

Top-Notch Quality

You don't want to compromise the quality anyway. Some fabrication houses spread across the web, are claiming to give you the lowest price PCBs but what they offer for a price they cover up by providing the low-quality product.

• This is where PCBWay comes handy. They stand firmly on their words and deliver exactly what they promise. They are a one-stop shop housing low price and best quality PCBs. You may be thinking I'm becoming a little bit narcissistic about this company, but you will be speaking the same, if not more than that, once you are done working with it.

PCBA Facility

Getting a quality PCB is a half work done unless you are pretty nifty about placing the electrical components on it. Apart from producing quality PCBs, they offer PCBA (Printed Service Board Assembly) service, setting you free from the hassle of placing components on board. There are two ways to connect components on PCB board

• SMT
• Thru-hole

You can pick any of them based on your technical needs. Yes, you need to pay little extra if you plan to order both PCB and PCBA services.

Types of PCBs

They come with an ability to produce almost every kind of PCB ranging from a single layer, double layer, flex, rigid-flex to high-frequency PCBs. You name it, they have it.

• Every PCB you get will come with Stencil printing and exact placement of solder mask with silkscreen. The stencil is nothing but a process that represents solder paste deposit on the board. It is available in two types: framework type and non-framework which you can use based on your requirements.

They work with third-party testing service called Huizhou Lier Laboratory that plays a vital role for thermal stress detection which is very handy for both appearance observation and section observation. This company keeps a deep eye to the manufacturing quality and strives to keep the customers' requirements quite in line with the production process.

Team of Skilled Professionals

A team of skilled professionals is available to serve you with prompt help. If you are unsure about your design, they will help you make a decision and recommend the product that best suits your technical needs.

• Be sure to highlight the complete features and requirements of the required product before securing your order. However, if you think the product you get doesn't meet your requirements, you can ask for the replacement. They will compensate you with a full refund or alternative product, what resonates with your field of interest.

Quick Delivery

More often than not, the delivery time is somewhere between 1 to 3 days, nevertheless, it all depends on the complexity of the product. Following table shows the delivery time of the PCBs with features you plan to order.

Live Chat Support

Live chat support is an amazing feature added on the site interface. Whenever you come over the site, a prompt chat window will open, asking you if you have any query to be answered quickly.

• They will help you from the citing the quotation to picking the right product for your project. You can get an instant quote from here

Summary

Finally, I have arranged the common points highlighting why you should be preferring this PCB fabrication house.

• Christmas Gift worth $40
• Priceless quality
• Outstanding PCB Manufacturer Located in China
• PCB and PCBA available at one place
• Worldwide trusted experience with potential customers
• Team with highly skilled professionals
• Quick delivery time supporting DHL
• 24 Hour Tech Support with Live Chat Support Service
• Competitive pricing

That's all for now. This is enough to get you started and make a final decision. If you are unsure or have any question, you can ask me in the comment section below. I’d love to help you in any way I can. You are most welcome to keep us updated with your valuable suggestions, we shape our content based on them, so keep them coming. Thanks for reading the article.

Introduction to USB

Hey Everyone! Hope you are getting along with life pretty well. I always strive to keep your technical appetite filled with the recent and valuable development in engineering and technology. Today, I'll unravel the detailed Introduction to USB. The USB stands for Universal Serial Bus which is an industry standard mainly developed for laying out the communication between a computer and peripheral devices. The first USB was developed in 1996 by the collaborative effort of seven companies - DEC, Microsoft, Compaq, Nortel, IBM, Intel, and NEC

• The USB device not only helps in establishing a flawless communication but also assists to power up the connected peripheral devices, setting you free from the parallel ports and the external power chargers that turn out to be costly and cover more space.

The lastest USB 3.2 is introduced in 2017 with the maximum speed capability for communication - around 20 GBits/s which is quite adequate to transfer the data from the peripheral device to the computer with some remarkable pace. In this post, I'll cover each and everything related to USB, its main features, need of use, advantages and main applications. Let's dive right in.

Introduction to USB

The USB is an industry standard mainly developed for laying out the communication between a computer and peripheral devices.

• Additionally, unlike some traditional connector, USB doesn't require any user adjustable interface setting, it serves more like a plug and play device. You just need to connect the one end of the USB cable with a peripheral device and another end to the computer and start playing and controlling the peripheral device.

Communication between the devices is an essential part of the electronics. More often than not, the computer serves as a host with which the peripheral devices are connected. It is important to note that, it is impossible to connect the two peripheral devices using USB unless there is a separate host available that controls the communication and serves as the main handling device in the whole arrangement of communication between the peripheral devices.

• The USB is unable to handle multi-master arrangement and can support one host per bus. However, the "USB on the GO" is designed with the purpose, if there is no host available, two devices collaborate with each other to define, which one is appropriate to serve as a host in the whole protocol.

USB Pinout

Following figure shows the pinout of the Universal Serial Bus.   A number of USB connectors are available. The connector attached with the host (computer) or device is called male port or receptacle, and the connector coupled with the cable is called female jack or plug. There are 7 USB connectors introduced until now

• Standard-A Type
• Standard-B Type
• Mini-A
• Mini-B
• Micro-A
• Micro-B,
• Type-C

Standard A and B type come with 4 pins while Mini and Micro-USB interface is incorporated with total five pins where four pins work similar to the standard USB connectors and the additional pin is nothing but a device indicator. Following figure shows the pinout of USB Type C connector.   Type C connector is a new connector that stands out in terms of power capabilities as it comes with an ability to deliver 100 W which far larger than its standard predecessors that can deliver in a range between 2.5 to 5 W.

• It comes very handy in a variety of fast charging applications, as it features power delivery, video, audio, and data capability in a single package.

Pin Description

As mentioned above USB is a serial bus that is housed with 4 shielded wires where two are reserved for power (+5v & GND) while the other two are used for carrying differential data signals. They are marked as D+ and D- on the pinout given above and are transmitted on a twisted pair.

• The NRZI (Non-Return to Zero Invert) encoding scheme is mainly employed to send data with a sync field while ultimately helps in synchronizing the host and receiver clocks.

Note: The half-duplex differential signaling is used to brush off the effects of electromagnetic noise where long lines are a major concern.

Capability

A single USB bus can handle around 127 devices at a time. If you plan to connect more devices, you need to add another host to the arrangement.

• The earlier USB hosts came with two ports that were enough to control the peripherals devices at that time. However, with the invention of new devices and as all workload was shifted to computer technology, it ultimately put the burden and erupted the need for more ports incorporated into the USB hosts.

Recently the USB host comes with 4 or ports on a single interface, giving you the flexibility to connect more devices on the fly. At the start, the hosts were featured with only one USB controller, where both ports sharing the same bandwidth. However, as there came a surge in the requirement of bandwidth, multiple port cards were coupled with two controllers, giving you the ease of handling individual channels.

• The USB 1.1 comes with a maximum cable length of 5 meters that can easily support peripheral devices running at speed around 12 Mbit/s, however, it varies as the cable length differs i.e. cable length of around 3 meters is a good fit for devices running at a low speed of around 1.5 Mbit/s.

Similarly, USB 2.0 is an improvised version of the USB 1.1, supporting a maximum cable length of 5 meters with devices running at high speed 480 Mbit/s.

• The USB 3.0 is not reserved for specific cable length, however, the cables used under this standard must meet some electrical specifications i.e. the maximum practical length is 3 meters for copper cabling with AWG 26 wires.

USB Versions

A number of USB versions have been released until now with every new version disguising the features of its predecessors with some added speed and connection capability. Following table shows the list of USB versions introduced till date. You can see from the table, how USB speed capability has been modified over the years ranging from 1.5 Mbits/s to 20 Gbits/s. This is a huge shift indeed.

Architecture

The USB architecture is mainly based on tiered star topology that is identical to 10BASE-T Ethernet. The topology interface supports the need of hub as per requirements. Recently, some devices like Keyboard come with a USB hub and instead of directly connecting the mouse or any digital camera with a computer, you can connect them with the hub incorporated on the keyboard and use them similar as you connect them with the computer, as eventually the keyboard will be connected to the computer at the other end.   The tiered star topology comes with a number of advantages that put it ahead of using a daisy-chaining connection for the peripheral devices.

• It is incorporated with built-in protection interface that disconnects the connected device immediately in case it comes under the radar of sheer current - more than it can handle. You can use other devices as usual with the disconnection as it won't be affecting other devices in the whole arrangement.

The USB hub comes with an ability to support both low speed and high-speed devices. As the low-speed device is connected with the hub, it will automatically block the full speed transactions, making sure low-speed device doesn't come under the influence of the high-speed signals.

How does it Work

As the peripheral device is connected to a USB host, the enumeration process is activated which is nothing but the process of detecting, identifying and loading drivers for a USB device.

• It all gets triggered by sending a reset signal to the USB device. Once the connected device is reset, it is assigned a unique 7-bit address by the host.

The reset signaling plays a vital role in determining the data rate of the connected device. No or minimal operator action is involved during this whole process as the configuration starts immediately as you connect the peripheral device, automatically loading the required drivers for the communication between USB host and device.

Advantages

The USB comes with a number of advantages that make it an ideal choice for communication purpose. Yes, parallel and serial ports come handy in some PLC programming and computational purpose, but where communication is required with a decent pace that involves no human interference, USB grooves its way brilliantly. Following are some major advantages of USB over other means of communication.

• It is a user-friendly and common person with no technical skills can easily get benefit from the sheer advantages of USB protocol. And the flexible interface of USB sets you free from the hassle of using a plethora of connector and wires at the back of your PC, that may turn your working space into a lot of mess.

As you connect the USB peripheral device with the USB hub on the computer, it starts configuration automatically and strives to keep the device quite in line with the working environment of the host, giving you the prompt signal your connected device is ready to use for the required operation. ----- For example, when you connect your phone with the computer, it gets configured automatically. And some phones which don't get connected will give you the option, indicating you need to install the specific driver in order to control the cell phone from your computer.

• Recent computers come with USB hubs that can easily support 4,5 ports as per your needs. In case your requirements surpass the given ports, you can add external USB hubs to incorporate more ports into the computer.

Low cost and power consumption are remarkable features that make USB stay ahead of its counterparts. It mainly works on 5V with little power consumption around 500 mA for USB 2.0 and 2.5 mA for USB 3.0.

• As mentioned earlier, the USB comes with a built-in current protection interface that saves the host from going over current that can ultimately put the host in a total stall. The current protection feature blocks the current that gets beyond the recommended ratings.

Limitations

There are some limitations involving the use of USB in terms of bigger perspective. The USB cables are limited in length, making them vulnerable for their use in distant areas.

• You can benefit USB protocol on the same surface, covering less distance where whole arrangement for communication between the peripheral devices and computer is laid out in a single tabletop surface.

Similarly, the USB converters may not be working as expected with they are connected with some external devices for the transformation of bi-directional data.

• For example, the USB to parallel port converter supports connection with a printer, but it doesn't work properly with the scanner due to the absence of bi-directional data pins.

That's all for now. I hope I have given you everything you needed to know about USB. If you are unsure or have any question, you can comment me in the section below. I'd love to help you the best way I can. You are most welcome to keep us updated with your valuable suggestions, we shape our content strategy based on them, so keep them coming. Thanks for reading the article.

Introduction to CD4046

Hey Guys! Hope you are doing well. Welcome you onboard. Today, I'll discuss the detailed Introduction to CD4046 which is a Micropower Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) that comes with a common comparator input and a common signal input amplifier between a low-power linear voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and two different phase comparators. The phase locked loop, as the name suggests, is a loop where the phase of the output signal is compared with the phase of the input signal using a phase detector between two signals.

• Phase detector operates with the aim to adjust the two signal and make them quite in line with each other so they generate signals with the same magnitude.

In this tutorial, I'll walk you through the main details related to CD4046 by breaking down the whole nitty-gritty in simple steps, making it easy for you to grab the main concept. Let's jump right in.

Introduction to CD4046

CD4046 is a Micropower Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) that comes with a phase detector for comparing the phase of the output signal with the input signal and adjust them in order to make the matching signals from both ends.

• It comes with a common comparator input and a common signal input amplifier between a low-power linear voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and two different phase comparators.

The input signal can be operated in two ways: capacitively layered with a self-biasing amplifier for creating a small voltage signal or directly coupled for a large voltage signal.

• The VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) is an integral part of the IC that mainly generates oscillated frequency based on the applied input. The generated frequency is then used for phase modulation.

The chip features two phase comparators i.e. Phase Comparator I and Phase Comparator II. They are also known as Phase Detectors. Phase comparator I is nothing but an exclusive OR gate that produces a digital, maintaining 90° phase shifts at the VCO.

• It is important to note that both signal input and comparator input are set at 50% duty cycle where Phase Comparator I can lock the input frequencies that match with the magnitude of the VCO center frequency.

Similarly, Phase comparator II is known as an edge-controlled digital memory network and maintains a 0° phase shift between signal input and comparator input, providing a lock-in and digital error signal.

CD4046 Features

Following table shows the main features of CD4046.

Number of Pins	16
Min Supply Voltage	3 V
Max Supply Voltage	18 V
Number of Phase Comparators	2
VCO linearity	1%
Power consumption	70 µW at VCO Frequency= 10 kHz and VDD = 5 V
Technology	CMOS Phase Locked Loop
Operating Temperature Range	-55 to 125 ºC

• These ratings will help you make a final decision before you intend to incorporate this device into the relevant project.

CD4046 Pinout

Following figure shows the pinout of CD4046.

• VSS represents the ground voltage while VDD represents the supply voltage.
• A 5.2-V Zener diode is added with the aim to supply regulation if required.

CD4046 Pin Configuration

Following table shows the pin configuration of each pin.

Pin#	Pin Name	Pin Description
1	Phase Pulse	Phase pulse applied to the IC
2	Phase Comp I Out	An output of Phase Comparator I
3	Comparator IN	Input at the Comparator
4	VCO OUT	Output Signal at VCO
5	INHIBIT	Allows to electronically turn on or off the output voltage power supply
6	C1A	Capacitor 1 connected to VCO
7	C1B	Capacitor 2 connected to VCO
8	VSS	Ground Pin
9	VCO IN	Input Signal at VCO
10	Demodulator OUT	Extracting the original signal
11	R1	Resistor 1 connected between VCO and Supply Voltage
12	R2	Resistor 2 connected between VCO and Supply Voltage
13	Phase Comp II OUT	Generated oscillated output at Phase II Comparator
14	Signal IN	Input Signal applied to the Phase Comparator I
15	Zener	5.2 V Zener diode for voltage regulation
16	VDD	Voltage supply pin

 

• I hope this configuration will help you understand the major functions associated with each pin on the chip.

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Following figure shows the absolute maximum ratings of CD4046.

• These are the stress ratings above which the device may stop working. Before you start your project, make sure your technical requirements match with the ratings of the device otherwise it may cause more damage than good.
• As mentioned above DC supply voltage ranges between -0.5 to 18, however it is advised to keep the DC supply between 3 to 15 V for better results, similarly recommended operating temperature range lies from -55 to 125 ºC.
• The ground voltage is zero unless specifically recommended by the manufacturer.

CD4046 Dimensions

Following figure shows the dimension of CD4046.

• The dimensions in the numerator are given in inches and dimensions appearing in the denominator are given in millimeters.
• It is a low weight tiny chip that can easily stand fit in the hard to reach places.

Applications

CD4046 comes with a variety of applications aiming to compare the output signals with the input signals and produce them with the same frequencies. Following are the major applications of CD4047.

• FSK modulation
• Voltage-to-frequency conversion
• Motor speed control
• FM demodulator and modulator
• Frequency discrimination
• Frequency synthesis and multiplication
• Tone decoding
• Data synchronization and conditioning

That's all for now. I'll be writing more tutorials on some basic components mainly used in engineering and technology. If you are unsure or have any question, you are most welcome to approach me in the section below. I'd love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to feed us with your valuable feedback and suggestion, so we keep producing quality content and you keep coming back for what we have to offer. Thanks for reading the article.