Enrico S.

RGBW Controller ASIC Part 3 – Design for silicon, colour space conversion algorithm and final block diagram

So far, I’ve documented the original FPGA-based project and the framework used to turn it into an actual Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), along with its functional description in Part 1. In Part 2, I covered a few key design considerations I learnt as a beginner when transitioning from FPGA to ASIC, specifically related to … Continue reading RGBW Controller ASIC Part 3 – Design for silicon, colour space conversion algorithm and final block diagram

Enrico S.

RGBW Controller ASIC, Part 2 – Design for silicon, clock and reset considerations

In the previous article, I shared the initial steps toward creating an amateurial ASIC design. I had a concept for a colour generator, which I first prototyped directly on an FPGA. I also introduced some of the platforms and companies that make ASIC fabrication more accessible by allowing multiple users to share a single production … Continue reading RGBW Controller ASIC, Part 2 – Design for silicon, clock and reset considerations

Enrico S.

RGBW Controller ASIC, part 1 – An FPGA design forged into an ASIC

I initially had an idea to implement an RGBW LED color controller in hardware, but I only had access to an FPGA along with free tools (though not necessarily open-source). Later, while participating in the ETHZ Summer School in Zurich, I discovered how it's possible, even for individual contributors, to affordably create an IC. At … Continue reading RGBW Controller ASIC, part 1 – An FPGA design forged into an ASIC

Enrico S.

Open source ARM based toolchain development and debug on Windows with no emulation

Using a manufacturer independent tooling can have good impacts on autonomy, learning experience and realization on what really works for an engineer regarding the whole embedded development process. I wanted to look for a complete setup working natively in Windows, yet as much as possible open source, to have a manufacturer independent tooling. I will … Continue reading Open source ARM based toolchain development and debug on Windows with no emulation

Enrico S.

Toggling a pin, thoughts on code portability

There are many articles that explain embedded software, bare metal programming, and architectural design, providing a lot of practical tips. The great majority of projects, particularly those that require quick but nice prototypes, are based on Arduino. However, starting an Arduino project seems not to require any theoretical knowledge of firmware architecture, bare metal, and … Continue reading Toggling a pin, thoughts on code portability

Enrico S.

MC34063, the jellybean converter (Part 1) – Introduction design of a voltage inverter

When I needed to design a dual power supply I was looking for parts capable to handle buck, buck-boost, with inverting and non inverting properties. Because I was also looking for a contained budget, I've been fascinated by a single, multipurpose part, capable of doing all of this. I immediately realized it was the 555 … Continue reading MC34063, the jellybean converter (Part 1) – Introduction design of a voltage inverter

Enrico S.

Experiments in implementing the WS2812B protocol in AVR MCUs without bit-banging

I started to experiment with the WS2812 LED, more specifically the WS2812B, which is a better revision in term of connections. These are the very famous individually addressable RGB LED, where tons of sources are available. Mainly due to their low cost, they are spread to the maker scene like a rhinovirus in a primary … Continue reading Experiments in implementing the WS2812B protocol in AVR MCUs without bit-banging