Industry News
March 26, 2012
Digilent and Analog Devices Unveil Portable Analog Design Kits For Engineering Students
Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) and Digilent Inc., unveiled two all-in-one analog design kits that enhance engineering students’ educational experience by allowing students to experiment quickly and easily with advanced technologies and build and test real-world, functional analog design circuits anytime – anywhere – right on their PCs.
For the price of a textbook, students can purchase a low-cost analog hardware development platform and components, with access to downloadable teaching materials, online support, textbook, reference designs and lab projects to design and implement analog circuits as a supplement to their core engineering curriculum.
The Digilent Analog Discovery Design Kit ($99 USD) and the more advanced Digilent Analog Explorer Design Kit ($199 USD) allow students to build and test a wide range of analog and digital circuits using their own PC without the need for any other equipment. This approach eliminates the time and space limitations of traditional university lab settings and allows students more flexibility to experiment with real circuits through direct hands-on experience. Digilent is the leading supplier of academic electrical engineering design kits with kits in use at over 1,500 universities in 70 countries. ADI is one of the world’s leading analog semiconductor companies.
"Active learning – learning by doing – helps engineering students understand the process of breaking down larger problems into smaller, more easily solved parts without losing the overall understanding of the complete system," said John Robertson, professor, Department of Engineering Technology, College of Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University. "The two new analog design kits from Digilent and Analog Devices set-up quickly and generate lots of data making any PC a 24/7 design studio for engineering students. I believe that students who own design kits and build circuits frequently learn better, retain more and enjoy the experience."
Both design kits connect via USB to a PC, run Digilent’s Waveforms software and are based on earlier, field-tested designs currently in use at colleges and universities worldwide.
Opinion: Unraveling the Ultra-Low Power Design Issues
"I like the flexibility of Digilent’s analog design kits. The department doesn’t need to maintain and staff the traditional large laboratory classrooms for my engineering students," said Kathleen Meehan, associate professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. "Students instead complete experiments after class where and when they want with the analog design kit they purchased at the beginning of the semester. We provide help in the traditional way as well as online videos that give students assistance when they need it – no matter what time of day or night."
Share this story
Send via E-mail
Post to Twitter
On the Web:
White Papers
March 11, 2013
Power Modules for Charger Applications
Sponsored by Vincotech
February 27, 2013
The Adaptive Cell Converter Topology Enables Constant Efficiency Over Universal Input AC Line in Front-End, High-Density Power Factor Correction Applications
Sponsored by Vicor Corp.
February 27, 2013
From 48 V direct to Intel VR12.0: Saving "Big Data" $500,000 per datacenter, per year
Sponsored by Vicor Corp.
More White Papers
- Altera Acquires Enpirion for $140 Million, Forms Power Business Unit
- Ericsson Saves Board Space with Surface-Mount Digital Bus Converter
- SiC Modules, IGBTs and Super-Junction MOSFETs Introduced on Day One of PCIM
- SiC and GaN Again a Major Focus at PCIM Europe
- PowerbyProxi Joins Wireless Power Consortium
- Vincotech and Infineon Introduce New Packaging Options at PCIM Europe
- Bosch Claims First Sub-$450 240V EV Charging Station
- Eaton and CA Technologies Join to Deliver Infrastructure Management for Data Centers
- DOE Selects Consortium to Develop Next-Generation Batteries for Automobiles
- Dana Receives Grant from NRCan to Improve Thermal Management for EV Battery Packs
- Power-One Gets $1 Billion – ABB Gets Inverters
- Renesas Adds IGBT Drivers with Micro-Isolator for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Inverters
- European Project Reports Achievements in Drive to Shape the Future of Power Microelectronics
- Bosch Claims First Sub-$450 240V EV Charging Station
- Eltek Signs Agreement with Caterpillar on Telecom Hybrid Systems
- LED Lighting Power & Dimming Controls Introduced by Phihong
- Digitally-Isolated Gate Drivers Provide Robust Drop-in Replacements for Opto-Drivers
- Power-One Q1 2013 Results include 4 Cents-per-Share Loss due to Synqor Litigation
- Europeans Establish Dueling Projects to Advance Power Electronics Technologies
- Fairchild's Integrated Low-Side Gate Driver Incorporates 3.3-V LDO in 5-Lead SOT-23
- Green Building Power Forum 2010: Fujitsu Components America
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: CUI Incorporated
- Green Building Power Forum 2010: EMerge Alliance
- Green Building Power Forum 2010: Anderson Power Products
- Green Building Power Forum 2009: Independence Station
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: Coilcraft
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: Champs Technologies
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: EXAR Corporation
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: PMBus
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: Power Plaza
Design Features
October 22, 2012
Energy Efficiency with Class D Amplifier Modules
Class-D switching amplifiers are helping audio designers create personal multimedia devices and home audio/visual systems that demonstrate how compact and stylish equipment can also deliver high sound quality and high audio output power. The key to this breakthrough, providing freedom from the large and bulky boxes housing traditional audio products, lies in the class-D amplifier’s high energy efficiency, which is typically around 90%. This allows designers to reduce or eliminate heatsinks as well as using smaller-sized PCBs and smaller components such as transformers, connectors and power supplies.
Design Features
October 8, 2012
The Role of Hall Effect Sensors in Power Distribution Infrastructure
Power distribution units (PDUs) form an essential part of modern computing and data communications hardware. They provide multiple outputs for transferring electrical power with maximum efficiency, controlling the power capacity and safeguarding against the possible causes of supply interruption. With an ever increasing need from tech savvy consumers for higher data throughput and greater quantities of data storage capacity, as well as tough international legislation now governing CO&sub2; emissions, the demands being placed on these units are proving challenging for engineering teams to satisfy.
Product Focus
August 13, 2012
The Year in AC-DC Power Supply Technology
The past year witnessed significant new product releases, technological developments, and industry news related to the field of AC-DC Power Supply technology.
.gif)


.gif)