The most basic type of capacitor is simply two parallel electric plates. If a battery is connected to this capacitor, the battery’s negative terminal will push electrons onto one plate, making it negatively charged. The positive battery terminal will draw an e...

By Gary Elinoff | 22-10-2019

These satellites actually are cubical, and they’re also tiny. Their size is based on a what is designated as the standard CubeSat unit, referred to as a “U”. A 1U CubeSat is sized at 10 centimetres cubed – which is exactly the same as the volume contained in a...

By Gary Elinoff | 07-10-2019

There’s an overall trend towards environmentalism across all sectors. Whether this means restaurants banning plastic straws, transitioning to clean energy sources, or purchasing carbon offsets, society has witnessed an uptick in sustainability. Green technolo...

By Moe Long | 27-09-2019

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants transform carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen. It is an endothermic reaction, which means that it needs to absorb energy from an external source to move forward. In the case of photosynthesis, that exter...

By Gary Elinoff | 23-09-2019

Designing medical equipment? You’ll need a power supply, but not just any power supply will do. The regulations in this area are strict to ensure patient safety. Thankfully, the most pertinent information can usually be found on a power supply’s datasheet. Her...

By Philip Lechner | 15-02-2016

The body is the enemy of wearable devices Wearable devices such as smart watches, smart glasses and fitness monitors present a specific set of challenges for antennas. Firstly, they are by definition held very close to the body at all times, which poses a prob...

By Marco Enge | 18-12-2015

Philip Lechner's career in electronics distribution has spanned 33 years, including 13 years as a field sales engineer covering power, semiconductors and IP&E, and 20 years in product management for power supplies and DC/DC converters for Avnet Abacus. In...

By Philip Lechner | 03-09-2015

The increasing need for speed in high-end consumer electronics such as gaming and entertainment systems shows little sign of slowing down. Faster and faster computer and smartphone processing rates mean data exchange is accelerating. Maintaining signal integri...

By Marco Enge | 07-07-2015

Power supplies for modern digital ICs have stringent requirements for performance, demanding high capacitance and compact capacitors that are also cost-effective. Electrolytic capacitors are the most obvious choice, but when specifying these devices, it’s impo...

By Ekaterina Rachel | 12-05-2015

Mouser Electronics teamed up with celebrity engineer Grant Imahara and experts in the space industry to launch an exciting new Space Exploration Series and Space Challenge that puts engineers in space. The educational program is part of the Empowering Innovati...

By Paul Whytock | 29-04-2015