3 ms·
> It's used for lots of interesting things, such as temperature control, motor control and positioning, and LED lighting. A pretty slow version of this is used
by eru 2y ago
> It's used for lots of interesting things, such as temperature control, motor control and positioning, and LED lighting.
A pretty slow version of this is used in your microwave or airfryer. But they typically use a temperature sense (like a bimetallic strip) to turn the heating parts on for at least a few seconds and then turn it off again; they don't use a timer.
This is known as bang-bang control.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang%E2%80%93bang_control https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang%E2%80%93bang_control
- Saigonautica 2y agoMicrowaves never cease to amaze me. If I were in some alternate timeline where they weren't ubiquitous, and you told me such a thing would soon be in everyone's homes, there's no way I would believe you. I mean, people putting their foods in a Faraday cage and then pointing a cavity magnetron at them to cook them? It sort of sounds far-fetched. Bimetallic strips are also so awesome. Every time I hear that little 'click' noise, I think about them. Is there a term for knowing just enough about the technology that underlies daily life, that you feel mildly absurd using it for mundane tasks?