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  • First ever atomic movie reveals hidden driver of radiation damage
    Researchers have visualized atoms in motion just before a radiation-driven decay process occurs, revealing a surprisingly dynamic scene. Instead of remaining fixed, the atoms roam and rearrange, directly influencing how and when the decay unfolds. This “atomic movie” shows that structure and motion play a central role in radiation damage mechanisms. The findings could improve […]
  • MIT scientists finally see hidden quantum “jiggling” inside superconductors
    MIT physicists have built a powerful new microscope that uses terahertz light to uncover hidden quantum motions inside superconductors. By compressing this normally unwieldy light into a tiny region, they were able to observe electrons moving together in a frictionless, wave-like state for the first time. This discovery opens a new window into how superconductors […]
  • A lab mistake at Cambridge reveals a powerful new way to modify drug molecules
    Cambridge scientists have discovered a light-powered chemical reaction that lets researchers modify complex drug molecules at the final stages of development. Unlike traditional methods that rely on toxic chemicals and harsh conditions, the new approach uses an LED lamp to create essential carbon–carbon bonds under mild conditions. This could make drug discovery faster and more […]
  • Scientists just found a way to 3D print one of the hardest metals on Earth
    Scientists have found a promising new way to manufacture one of industry’s toughest materials—tungsten carbide–cobalt—using advanced 3D printing. Normally, producing this ultra-hard material requires high-pressure processes that waste large amounts of expensive tungsten and cobalt. The new approach uses a hot-wire laser technique that softens the metals rather than fully melting them, allowing manufacturers to […]
  • Scientists turn scrap car aluminum into high-performance metal for new vehicles
    Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a new aluminum alloy called RidgeAlloy that can turn contaminated car-body scrap into strong structural vehicle parts. Normally, impurities introduced during recycling make this scrap unsuitable for high-performance applications. RidgeAlloy overcomes that challenge, enabling recycled aluminum to meet the strength and durability standards required for modern vehicles. […]
  • Electrons catapult across solar materials in just 18 femtoseconds
    Electrons in solar materials can be launched across molecules almost as fast as nature allows, thanks to tiny atomic vibrations acting like a “molecular catapult.” In experiments lasting just 18 femtoseconds, researchers at the University of Cambridge observed electrons blasting across a boundary in a single burst, far faster than long-standing theories predicted. Instead of […]
Illustration of a 3-phase AC motor showing three sets of stator coils (U, V, W) around a rotor with north and south poles. A waveform graph of phase shifts for Phase 1, 2, and 3 is included. On the right, text reads "Types of AC motors – Working principle" with an MPLAB X IDE microcontroller chip visual at the bottom.
Actuators & Motors, Embedded systems

Types of AC Motors – Working Principles

Motors are primarily categorized as either AC or DC, with further classifcation based on their inherent rotation characteristics. In this article, we will commence by explaining the operation of the induction AC motor. The subsequent section delves into another type, specifically the synchronous AC motor. Finally we will provide an ...
Diagram showing SPI communication between PIC16F877A microcontroller (master) and a slave device using SCK, MOSI, MISO, and SS lines, with MPLAB X IDE branding.
Communication, Embedded systems

SPI for microcontrollers

In this article we will take a closer look at Serial Peripheral Interface, also called SPI. This is the third and last serial communication module in the PIC16F877A. Previously we have seen UART and I2C, and we discussed how those modules operate. Here we focus solely on SPI; what it ...
Featured image of I2C for PIC microcontrollers
Communication, Embedded systems

I2C for PIC Microcontrollers

In this article, we will take a closer look at the I2C serial communication protocol. This is the second in a series of three articles covering serial communication; the others focus on USART and SPI. In this post we will explain what I2C is, how it functions, and how you ...
Diagram showing USART communication between two microcontrollers labeled µC1 and µC2, with TX of µC1 connected to RX of µC2 and vice versa. Includes MPLAB X IDE logo and microcontroller image.
Communication, Embedded systems

USART for PIC Microcontrollers

The USART module, also referred to as the Serial Communications Interface (SCI), is a crucial hardware module that enables a microcontroller to communicate with other devices via serial communication. This mode of communication transmits data one bit at a time. In this tutorial, we will discuss the two different modes of ...
Educational graphic showing the analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) process using the PIC16F877A microcontroller. On the left is a graph of a smooth analog voltage waveform sampled at discrete points (shown as red dots), and on the right is the PIC16F877A chip with MPLAB X IDE branding. The image illustrates how analog voltages are digitized for processing in microcontroller-based systems.
Core tutorial, Embedded systems

PIC16F877A Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)

The ADC module in microcontrollers indeed allows them to interface with the analog world by converting continuous analog signals into discrete digital values. This capability is crucial for various applications such as sensing, control systems, and communication. It is distinct from PWM (Pulse Width Modulation), which uses discrete pulses to ...
Graphical illustration of PWM signal showing narrow and wide pulses with varying duty cycles. Includes a 10V signal graph, labels for voltage levels, and mentions PIC16F877A microcontroller and MPLAB X IDE.
Core tutorial, Embedded systems

Using PWM in PIC16F877A

Digital signals (0 or 1) and analog signals (range of values) are both used in electronics. Analog inputs can be converted to digital through an ADC. To control analog devices with a microcontroller, DACs are used but they're costly and space-consuming. PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is a cost-effective technique that ...
Educational slide introducing Timer2 of the PIC16F877A microcontroller. It includes a stopwatch icon with the phrase “Alarm, Timers, how does it work?” on the left, and an image of the PIC microcontroller with MPLAB X IDE branding on the right. The tutorial focuses on Timer2's use in generating precise delays and pulse-width modulation (PWM).
Core tutorial, Embedded systems

PIC16F877A Timer2 tutorial

The Timer2 module is an 8-bit timer/counter within most PIC MCU devices. Timer2 can increment up to a value of 255 before it overflows back to zero. Timer2 has other built-in features that make it very useful for many different applications.
Educational slide introducing the Timer1 module of the PIC16F877A microcontroller. The left side shows a stopwatch icon and the question “Alarm, Timers, how does it work?”, while the right side features the microcontroller image and MPLAB X IDE logo. The tutorial focuses on Timer1's role in timing, delays, and interrupts.
Core tutorial, Embedded systems

PIC16F877A Timer1 Tutorial

The Timer1 module is a 16-bit timer/counter within most PIC MCU devices. Timer1 can increment up to a value of 65535 before it overflows back to zero. Because the timer is built into an 8-bit device, the 16-bit timer register is broken into two 8-bit registers (TMR1L and TMR1H) and ...
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