As a physics professor, I’ve discovered that the biggest impediment to success in college physics is a shaky foundation in high-school level algebra. If you are unsure of your algebra ability or want to review key concepts in preparation for physics, this page is for you. Let’s review: Order of Operations Consider the following mathematic

A bipolar junction transistor (either PNP or NPN type) can be used as an analog amplifier or as a digital switch. These days, it is probably much simpler to use an operational amplifier to achieve amplification of analog signals instead of building an amplifier using individual transistors but there are many situations where using a

When I installed a Enphase microinverter based ground-mount PV system for my home, I had to be keenly aware of the voltage drop (really voltage rise) from my array to my main load center. My array is in my back yard, approximately 150 feet from my load center. A run of wire this long will

A bit mask (or bitmask) is a sequence of bits that can be used with bitwise operations to change or flip bits in a byte or nibble. That may be a convoluted definition so let me give an example using Arduino-style code to try to clarify. byte myByte B01001011; myByte = myByte & B00010001; This

Using a shift register like the 74HC595 you can convert a serial signal to a parallel output. This is incredibly helpful if you need more digital outputs then the 14 that the ATmega328 on the Arduino Uno provides. The Arduino IDE includes a shiftOut() function that can be used to control an 8-bit shift register