How to Apply DC-to-DC Step-Up/Step-Down Regulators Successfully

High efficiency dc-to-dc converters come in three basic topologies: step-down (buck), step-up (boost), and step-down/step-up (buck/boost). The buck converter is used to generate a lower dc output voltage, the boost converter is used to generate a higher dc output voltage, and the buck/boost converter is used to generate an output voltage less than, greater than, or equal to the input voltage.

Oversampled ADC and PGA Combine to Provide 127-dB Dynamic Range

The need to measure wide dynamic range signals is common, but current technology often has difficulty meeting system requirements. This article presents an alternative that uses a high-speed, successive-approximation ADC, combined with an autoranging programmable-gain amplifier front end with gain that changes automatically based on analog input value to provide a dynamic range of more than 126 dB.