Schmittsäätimet

Schmittsäätimet, a term derived from German, literally translates to "Schmitt regulators" or "Schmitt controllers." In the context of electronics, it refers to circuits that exhibit hysteresis, a property where the output state depends not only on the current input but also on the input's past history. This hysteresis is often achieved through a Schmitt trigger.

A Schmitt trigger is a comparator circuit with two different switching thresholds for rising and falling input voltages. When the input voltage rises above the upper threshold, the output switches to one state (e.g., high). The output remains in this state even as the input voltage falls, until it drops below a lower threshold, at which point the output switches to the other state (e.g., low). The difference between these two thresholds is known as the hysteresis voltage.

This behavior makes Schmitt triggers useful for noise immunity. In the presence of noisy signals, a standard comparator might switch erratically between states. A Schmitt trigger, with its hysteresis, requires a more significant voltage change to flip its output, effectively filtering out small fluctuations. They are commonly employed in digital electronics for tasks such as debouncing mechanical switches, converting slow-moving analog signals into clean digital pulses, and in oscillator circuits. The specific application and design of a Schmittsäätimet will dictate its precise function and characteristics.