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Workbench Wednesdays

Electronic Load Basics | Workbench Wednesdays

During the Bench Power Supply basics video, I made use of my electronic load. An electronic load can sink current from power sources such as power supplies or batteries. Loads are useful to test a power supply’s design margin or verify a battery’s capacity. See how three different instrument options from ultra low-end to midrange to high-end compare. After this element14 Presents Workbench Wednesday video, you will understand how to use modes on an electronic load like constant current and constant resistance to make different measurements.

In the video, I compare three different types of tools: a $50 battery tester from eBay, BK Precision 8540 Electronic Load, and a high-end Rohde & Schwarz NGM202. They are all capable of acting as a constant current sink. In other words, you program the current and let the supply under test run. In the case of batteries, this mode is useful to test battery life. The 8540 and NGM202 both feature other capabilities like constant resistance which, as you can imagine, acts as an electronic resistor. The cool thing about using an electronic load as a power resistor is that some of them are capable of sinking up to 10s of amps.

After submitting the video to the producers, I realized I focused very heavily on batteries. More often, you use an electronic load to test power supply boards or modules. I wish I had shown those more, but it didn’t seem like it was missing until the end. So maybe in the future, I can convert tools for measuring DC/DC power supplies? However, I did cover one topic significant to me. I show just how bad 9V batteries are, a topic which I like to come back to often. So I made sure to show off just how bad they work when driven past 100 mA. (It is terrible!)

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Workbench Wednesdays

Bench Power Supply Basics | Workbench Wednesdays

A bench power supply makes powering circuits easy and safe. Learn how to adjust basic controls like voltage. Finally, see how “current limiting” works (and why you should use it.) See how you can use built-in series or parallel tracking to increase a bench power supply’s voltage or current output. Last, if you are in the market for a power supply, do not forget to add some leads like mini-grabbers, alligator clips, and banana plugs.

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Workbench Wednesdays

DCA Pro Transistor Tester Review | Workbench Wednesdays

When it comes to transistors, there are only so many things a multimeter can measure. The DCA Pro from PEAK Electronics makes short work of testing parts like a transistor. This small device can determine pinout, component type, and essential parameters in a matter of seconds. Not only that but it can be connected to a (Windows) PC and draw parameter curves.

Check out the video review to see how the device and software work. Then head over to the element14 page where you can download a zip file full of example parts I measured for you. Use the free DCA Pro software to open them.

You might also want to check out this MOSFET Curves post, which complements this video tutorial. Another resource you might find helpful on semiconductors, or transistors, is this post on MOSFET Myths.

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Workbench Wednesdays

Tenma 72-2660 Portable Hand Held Supply | Workbench Wednesdays

The TENMA 72-2660 portable power supply offers bench supply capability in a backpack-friendly package. The single output is capable of 45 watts with up to 30 volts and 3.75 amps out. The built-in USB ports offer an easy way to power 5 Volts Arduino or Raspberry Pi projects while limiting their current. See how this portable supply performs, the things the Bald Engineer likes about it, and the points to consider before buying

This $100 power supply, model number 72-2660, is cool. It’s about the size of a digital multimeter but can output 45 Watts. Both voltage and current are adjustable. It can output up to 30 volts and 3.75 amps, but not at the same time. It does have a flaw in its design though. Fortunately, I was able to find and apply a fix for it. Overall, if you want a portable adjustable supply, this one is worth checking out.

If you are new to bench or lab power supplies, check out this bench power supply basics video.

To answer a common question: yes, I did injure my shoulder. Right before shooting the A-Roll, the parts with me on camera, I tripped. As I went to catch myself falling, I tore two of the muscles in my shoulder. It took about 6 weeks to completely heal. Yuck!

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Workbench Wednesdays

Surface Mount Rework Tools | Workbench Wednesdays

In this element14 Workbench Wednesdays episode, I review tools provided by Weller which are suitable for surface mount soldering. Throughout the soldering series, I have been using mini-projects to see how the gear works. Making this particular video was special to me. The subject was a TI-85. Back when I was a kid, one of my first soldering projects was to replace a capacitor in the TI-85. At the time, all I knew is that the change would make it run faster. I didn’t know why I just knew it worked.

Today, I now know that capacitor was part of an RC oscillator for the Z80 CPU. It clocked the processor. By putting in a lower value, such as 2.2 or 4.7 pF, the calculator would speed up. The trade-off, of course, is that it means the batteries drain faster! But hey, before someone created Zshell, this was the only way to make Breakout run fast.

Of course, the focus of the episode is the gear from Weller. So please, hit-up element14 and check that stuff out. You can also find the polls I mention at the end of the video there.

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