Acroname Blog

  Sharp infrared ranging modules boast a small package, very low power consumption and a variety of output options. In order to maximize each sensor's potential, it is important to understand how these types of IR sensors work, their effective ranges, and how to interface to them. Sharp…

The Sharp family of infrared ranging modules These modules are used extensively for robotics and automatic distance measurement applications. Unfortunately, the output of these sensors are inherently non-linear. In other words, a big change in output voltage does not always indicate a big…

high power loads using low-level voltage signals A common automation system requirement is to drive or actuate high power loads using low-level voltage signals. Motors, solenoids, relays and capacitive loads can be actuated with appropriate circuitry that is only possible using small…

PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) refers to the concept of rapidly pulsing a digital signal on a wire. Along with many other uses, it can be used to simulate a varying static voltage. PWM is commonly used for driving motors, heaters, LEDs or lights in varying intensities or speeds. TERMINOLOGY…

ElectroMotive Force Electromotive force (EMF) refers to the voltage generated by a spinning motor. Measuring this voltage in order to determine the rotational speed of a motor is commonly called Back-EMF since the voltage tends to "push-back" against the circuit driving current into a motor's…