Around The Web on Bald Engineer

Electronic Load Basics | Workbench Wednesdays

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 15:15:24 +0000

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.

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Bench Power Supply Basics | Workbench Wednesdays

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 15:36:25 +0000

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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DCA Pro Transistor Tester Review | Workbench Wednesdays

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 14:19:09 +0000

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.

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Tenma 72-2660 Portable Hand Held Supply | Workbench Wednesdays

Mon, 13 May 2019 13:25:12 +0000

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

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Surface Mount Rework Tools | Workbench Wednesdays

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 03:21:42 +0000

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.

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Signetics Write Only Memory 25120 Datasheet

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 20:18:37 +0000

Signetics started as an IC manufacturer. In 1975 they were bought by Philips Semiconductors, which is now NXP. Interestingly the address in the datasheet, I think, was the original site. Today, it’s home to a Lowe’s Home Improvement Store. According to this Wikipedia article, it was created by John “Jack” Curtis. Apparently, it was included in a real Signetics catalog as a joke! Imagine that happening today. Additional information about the joke is available on sigwom.com. (Which may be written by Jack himself, not entirely sure.)

2017's Best Bald Engineer Tutorials, Articles, and Reviews

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 17:45:25 +0000

As 2017 comes to a close, I looked back to see what readers made the most popular. It was an exciting year. The Arduino family came back together, Adafruit trolled the internet with rumors of a RadioShack buy out, and for me, I changed jobs. Project wise I got my RetroPie SNES build completed, using an old Super Famicom case. This case is one I bought in Japan for 500 yen (about $5.) This work also led me to discuss voltage divider circuits. And I looked at a couple of scopes.

Aluminum Polymer Capacitors on EE Journal's Chalk Talk

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 22:38:05 +0000

What are aluminum polymer capacitors? These are a solid type of capacitor that replaces the liquid electrolyte with a solid polymer material. Sometimes you might hear these capacitors called “organic aluminum.” Technically, they are still “electrolytic” capacitors. However, the colloquial term of “aluminum electrolytic” refers to the traditional wet electrolyte-based capacitors. In this video, I meet with Amelia Dalton of EE Journal, and we discuss these capacitor types. Mouser and EE Journal developed the video in joint with KEMET. (Previously I talked on Amelia’s Chalk Talk about SSD Capacitors.)

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Ripping apart soda cans with an Electromagnet

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 15:31:09 +0000

ArcAttack is a band that performs at the Bay Area Maker Fare, among other places. They feature massive signing Telsa coils. (Here’s a video I show when I saw ArcAttack in 2013.) Singing Telsa coils are awesome. Everyone knows that. Which is why I found when Dianna Cowern, the Physics Girl, visited the band ArcAttack, electromagnets are just as cool. In addition to talking about their music, ArcAttack’s Joe does something amazing. He splits an aluminum soda can with just an electromagnet.

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Wolfenstein 3D on Gameboy Color

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 15:00:41 +0000

Wolfenstein 3D defined the FPS genre in a way no one could have predicted. Just like the Gameboy defined portable gaming in a way no one could have predicted. Cartridge based computing and gaming offered something that disk (or disc?) based media never could: additional hardware.

If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 17:41:43 +0000

A tediously accurate scale model of the solar system When I was growing up, I watched a lot of Star Trek. Over time I’ve looked into other Sci-Fi series. The occasional hit, like the reimaged Battlestar Galactica, caught my attention. But, for me, the voyages of the Enterprise defined “space” to me. Or the stories on Deep Space Nine. (There are no other Star Treks.)

Electron Microscope Analyzing Vinyl Records (and other Spinning Media)

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 13:57:56 +0000

Ben Krasnow from Applied Science on YouTube uses his Electron Microscope to compare spinning media. The part of the video that caught my attention is the Vinyl Record. Not only does he show the groove and needle, but he puts it in motion! It’s a great look at how this technology works. Additionally, I loved how he went into detail about how to prep the record for use in the electron microscope. (Spoiler: he had to make the record and needle conductive.) After the vinyl, he also compares a CD and DVD. The twist is that he also shows how a Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED) compares to the vinyl. You never heard of a CED?

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Neil deGrasse Tyson's 4th Nerdist Interview

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 13:17:49 +0000

You are probably familiar with Neil deGrasse Tyson. He is as brilliant as he is entertaining. That fact is why I was so excited when I saw his name pop-up on my queue for the Nerdist Podcast. Nerdist Podcast In the past, I suggested some electrical engineering podcasts. The Nerdist isn’t like those. Hosted by Chris Hardwick, each episode includes an interview. As the podcast’s name suggests, most of the guests have some roots in today’s nerd or geek culture. So while not an engineering podcast, there may be the occasional guest that interest you.

They're JUST Capacitors?

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 00:20:22 +0000

I was invited to speak at the 11th Hardware Developers Didactic Galactic group at the Supplyframe office in San Francisco. I talked about the misconception that capacitors are a simple device. Chris Gammell recorded the discussion and posted it via PHY Media. This video is about 50 minutes. In this talk, I break down a few things to know about Ceramic, Aluminum, Tantalum, and Supercapacitors. You can see the full video via PHY Media’s YouTube Channel: They’re JUST Capacitors. For links and the slides, check out this post.

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Top 25 Websites, Tools and Resources for Hardware Startups

Mon, 18 Apr 2016 13:00:45 +0000

Check out John Teel’s Top 25 Websites, Tools and Resources for Hardware Startups. Hardware startups have the unique challenge of having to spend real money, to physical products, with the end product being something … real. You need all of the help you can get to succeed, which is why John’s list is worth a few minutes. I am familiar with many of the entries but did catch a few new ones. Personally, #9 is my favorite, but I am probably biased.

Learn the basics of Acrylic

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 14:00:21 +0000

One of the most popular materials to use with a laser cutter is acrylic. Head over to buy some acrylic from Inventables and you’ll see options for “extruded” or “cast” types. Not sure what that means? This Make Skill Builder on Acrylic gives the basics on the material. You’ll understand the differences between the two: especially important if you plan to mill or laser cut it. Additionally, there are tips for bending, shaping, and gluing acrylic.

The Isolated Engineer

Wed, 28 Oct 2015 16:00:27 +0000

This week I am moving! So I asked Andrew from Crash-Bang Prototyping to fill in. While not a tutorial, he has a very unique perspective on engineering, being that he lives in Africa. After reading his outstanding post, make sure you take a look at the excellent AVR/Microcontroller tutorials on his blog. James and I were talking over e-mail the other day, and he said that he felt isolated living in South Florida. Isolated? You should try living in South Africa, James - Then you’ll know what isolation is!

Learn the difference between laser types

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 13:39:39 +0000

inside a laser diode One of the most versatile tools in a shop or makerspace is a laser cutter. The recently funded Glowforge makes having one in your garage a possibility. With so much exciting around laser cutters, you might be wonder what is a laser anyway? There are two primary laser types: Gas and Diode. Jordan Bunker goes into detail in the Make: Skill Builder article, about the difference.

Print your own Graph Paper

Mon, 26 Oct 2015 13:00:54 +0000

Ever need graph paper for a project, but can’t wait for Amazon Prime? No problem, this free online tool lets you generate graph paper on the fly. Multiple types of graph lines are available and each are fully configurable. Once done, you get a clean PDF of graph paper to print. Here’s a short run-down of the graph paper types available: Squares Triangle and Hexagons Circular and Polar (Think Smith Chart) Asymmetric Note Taking Check out the free graph paper generator at incompetech.com.

Additive Manufacturing (aka 3D Printing) Infographic

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 13:00:47 +0000

While I was attending a material science conference, I learned the value of listening to something new. The paper I came to see was finished, and the next was about to start. It was titled, “Additive Manufacturing.” I almost left! What a dull phrase, right? Well, I was stuck in the middle of a row with four people on either side of me. So I decided, it was a good time to catch up on Reddit. What I didn’t realize is “additive manufacturing” is what almost everyone else in the world calls “3D Printing.” Plus, this presenter was talking about doing it with metal!

Huge archive from Project Apollo now on Flickr

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 13:00:49 +0000

moon from apollo project archive Years of hard work, curation, and archiving have brought the Project Apollo Photo Archive to a Flickr album. Kipp Teague writes, “This new Flickr gallery would have not been possible without the support of Mike [Gentry], Steve [Garber], and Eric [Jones], and many others.” In this note, he corrects a misconception that this archive itself was an NASA undertaking. While the photos come from NASA, the archive is an independent effort.

The War On Science - AsapSCIENCE

Thu, 08 Oct 2015 23:41:42 +0000

The latest video from AsapSCIENCE, The War on Science, addresses the preverbal war between science and society we are experiencing today. 100, 200, or 1000+ years ago you could argue the ignorance of science was due to lack of information availability. However, that does not apply to today’s world. The entire World’s knowledge and the sum of collected data are available to virtually anyone, anywhere at any time. This moment isn’t just historical; it is pivotal. Yet. Society as a whole seems to continue the trend of ignoring this data in favor of emotional social media posts.

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Elegant and cheap storage solutions for your shop

Thu, 08 Oct 2015 13:00:04 +0000

lattice as shop storage The article caught my eye because I’m about to make a move, and I’ll be setting up my shop soon. Seeing these clever alternate uses is already giving me some ideas. The perfect shop doesn’t need expensive storage options. While there are stores dedicated to containers, they to tend to run on the expensive side. A workshop, may not need the most expensive storage gear. Especially if it gets as dusty as mine! This Make article offers 5 Simple Shop Storage Solutions.

How Arduino digitalWrite Works – and why AVR is Faster

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 13:00:18 +0000

Previously I looked at the speed difference between digitalWrite and direct port manipulation. It was a chance to check out a Saleae Logic Analyzer. Andrew at !Crash-Bang Prototyping took the analysis a step further. He broke down what is going on inside of digitalWrite(). This study is useful. When you’re ready to move beyond the Arduino IDE or the core functions, you can decide if you need your own version of digitalWrite().

Build your own Ghostbusters Trap

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 13:00:19 +0000

Deck out the rest of your Ghostbuster gear with a Ghost Trap. Dustin McLean from DIY Prop Shop from AWE me builds a trap in this quick 12-minute video. The build uses very basic materials: cardboard, popsicle sticks, tape, PVC, and spray paint. Of course, the tools used are just basic cutting and straight edges. If you aren’t familiar with DIY Prop Shop, the show–as the name suggests–takes a DIY approach to building famous movie props. Totally fun to watch and get ideas for your projects.

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EngineerDog explains why stressed plastic turns white

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:00:51 +0000

Polymer Crazing via engineerdog.com Ever notice when you over-stress plastic, the stress points tend to turn white? The color or type of plastic doesn’t seem to matter, does it? So what is going on? This awesome post from EngineerDog explains why stressed plastic turns white. If you’re starting to work with ABS on your 3d printer, it will help to understand what is happening to the polymer chains. It’s a process called crazing.

Corner Case: 90-deg turns for WS2812

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 13:00:34 +0000

NeoCorner from josh.com If you’re working with the WS2812B and need to turn corners, you’ll want to check out this NeoPixel Corner adapter PCB from josh.com. It’s a pretty simple board. I came across it as a solution for an upcoming lighting project. In josh’s example, he used a CNC to mill the PCBs. If you’re using one-sided FR4, that might work well. You’ll want to double-check thicknesses if you want to use OSHPark or similar.

Makers keep your eyes out for these 8 "Trash" Types

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 13:00:48 +0000

Dumpster diving can be a rewarding experience for a maker. You never know what components you might be able to recover from electronics otherwise discarded. What can be hidden inside of an “obsolete” box? Motors? Sensors? Capacitors? Older technologies like VCRs and Scanners can be a treasure trove of stepper and servo motors. Under-powered, by today’s standards, computers probably have cables that can be re-purposed into your current project.

Cool learning resource: KEMET Engineering Center

Wed, 16 Sep 2015 13:00:21 +0000

Whether you are an engineer with enough experience to be called a graybeard or a novice that keeps grabbing the wrong end of a soldering iron, there is one component that eludes everyone working in electronics. It’s the humble capacitor. A seemingly simple device, turns out, to be incredibly complex. While the basic electrode-dielectric-electrode structure sounds simple, the materials used in that structure drastically changes the characteristics of the device. KEMET Engineering Center Screenshot, Courtesy of KEMET Corporation.

The Bernoulli Box - Where Physics Met Storage

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 06:30:11 +0000

Back in the 1990s, a 1.44mb floppy disk was a reasonable storage size for most documents. For bigger documents or backing up an internal hard drive, other options were necessary. You might remember the Zip Drive, but that wasn’t the first large portable media. The Bernoulli Box was the precursor to the Zip Drive. It used custom media that could store 10s to 100mbs on portable disks. Well, portable compared to carrying around an entire hard drive. Operating using the Bernoulli principal, the drive’s head never comes in contact with the “floppy” material inside the protective case.

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Machine Learning with Super Mario Brothers

Mon, 22 Jun 2015 14:00:02 +0000

Using a learning algorithm known as NEAT, this Super Mario World play through is an example of a machine learning how to beat the level on its own. Using an evolutionary process, a neural network was built–or learned–to complete the level. The name of the program used to control Mario is called… Mar-I/O. N: Neuro E: Evolution of A: Augmenting T: Topologies The initial play through is fascinating as well as the breakdown of what is going on. Well worth the 5 minutes.

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Control a Rigol Scope with Linux

Sat, 20 Jun 2015 22:11:03 +0000

The Rigol DS1052E digital oscilloscopes are very popular for both hobbyist and professional engineers. These are very affordable scopes that pack a lot of value. Most of the software tools offered from Rigol only run on Windows. Al Williams has fixed that with the the qrigol project on GitHub. From the readme file: Uses USB communications with Scope Allows keyboard to be unlocked so you can use both the panel and the software Allows easy reading of all measurements as well as logging of all measurements Control of common scope functions Saves waveforms in CSV format Integrates with external plot software like gnuplot to qtiplot Diagnostic mode to send raw commands to scope There’s a couple of limitations, but I want to draw attention to one. If your region uses a comma (",") as a decimal point, you might run into issues. For more information, you might want to check out the qrigol thread on the EEVBlog.

DIY Battery Powered Apple Watch Charger

Mon, 18 May 2015 14:00:49 +0000

Apple Watch Charger on Thingiverse Using an Adafruit Charger Board, a cut-up magnetic Apple Watch Charger cable and some 3d printing, guypl has created a DIY battery-powered charger for the Apple Watch. The cool thing about the design is that the 2000mAh battery he used, can be recharged with a standard micro USB cable. As someone who travels often, this setup is ideal for me. One less cable to carry and a self-contained charger for the Apple Watch.

Cutting Perfect Breadboard Jumper Wires

Fri, 01 May 2015 14:00:22 +0000

Learning to a breadboard is critical when adding electronics to a project. A skill often overlooked is how to use breadboard jumper wires correctly. For example, when I breadboard a circuit I only use Red, Green, or Blue for positive voltages and Black for ground. Other colors, it depends on the functions of the wire. The idea is to keep it clear when I look at the board, what each wire is doing.

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Apple ][ Watch and It is Real

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 14:00:40 +0000

Today “regular” people will start receiving their pre-ordered Apple Watch. Whether they spent $350 or over $10,000 dollars, they’ll now have a device that connects to their iPhone and tells time. Like their iPhone does. But with Bluetooth! What if you don’t want an Apple watch, but want to celebrate a real computing achievement? Check out this video on an Apple ][ watch. Oh and it is real. That’s right, this isn’t just some clever movie-magic hoax. Following this Instructable, you can build your own Apple ][ Watch.

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Case Study in Optimization: Faster SPI on AVRs

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 13:03:48 +0000

The Arduino Library provides functions like shiftOut() and digitalWrite(). These functions are simple and effective, but they are slow. Of course, they’re doing a lot more than just toggling bits. Faster isn’t always necessary and can sometimes lead to more difficult debugging. And as Donald Knuth said, …premature optimization is the root of all evil. So what happens, when you do need to optimize? For example, if shiftOut() is too slow for your project, what do you do? In Ralph’s post, Fastest AVR software SPI in the West, he breaks down different SPI code implementations into their assembly code.

Vintage Turntable Repaired with Arduino (via pitface123)

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 13:55:21 +0000

element14 is running a Design Challenge called Enchanted Objects. The idea is to add magic, or modern technology, into older objects, enchanting them. How could you turn an ordinary household object into something extraordinary? You can see the content intro video here. With my recent interest in retro-electronics, an entry by Jan Cumps caught my eye. He’s repaired a vintage record player (turntable) using an Arduino and Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control. For more information on his work, the project page is here. Jan’s YouTube channel is at pitface123.

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Sleep Infographic Using Raspberry Pi and Fitbit API

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 14:58:55 +0000

The Fitbit API allows you to get data from a Fitbit and use it in your own applications. Paul wrote a Python script which runs on his Raspberry Pi which extracts the data. Then we processes the data using Excel. Once doing so, he created the above sleep infographic–his first effort. The interesting aspect here, to me, is the idea of these wearable devices and their data. It is great we have large-scale data creation, but it is even better have access to the data for processing.

Arduino Compiler for LabVIEW

Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:20:18 +0000

Aledyne-TSXperts, a National Instruments Alliance Partner, has released an Arduino compiler for NI’s LabVIEW. Now it is possible to build a VI and download it into your Arduino. The price tags from $99 to $499 might seem a bit high to the average hobbyist. However, at least it comes with a 7-day evaluation period. It is also compatible with the Home Edition of LabVIEW.

Five Raspberry Pi Alternatives (via makeuseof)

Mon, 16 Mar 2015 08:05:44 +0000

Not to long ago the only question about embedded boards was: Arduino or Raspberry Pi. Which really breaks the question down to “microcontroller” or “microprocessor.” Once you decide on a microprocessor platform, there are a bunch of Raspberry Pi Alternatives to consider. Of course, no single board will always be the obvious “best.” Heck I’ve even got a pile of them on my bench that I haven’t messed with yet.

Awesome 3D Board (BRD) Viewer for EAGLE

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 15:05:44 +0000

2018-JULY-18 UPDATE: It appears Peter has shut down his rendering tool. It is no longer available. 3D Render of MSO Demo Board Earlier I posted a PCB Checklist of items to double-check when sending your board out to a fab. The Dangerous Prototypes blog pointed to a 3D EAGLE PCB tool from a Bulgarian-based developer called Cytec that takes an EAGLE BRD file and renders it in 3D for you.

Funny video from Rockwell Automation on their "Encabulator"

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 17:03:23 +0000

In this Rockwell Automation video you’ll learn all about their latest Encabulator technology. The presenter goes through each piece of the system expertly describing both its name and its function. Now, since this video is from 2008, it is a little bit older. And in today’s technological terms, may be difficult to understand. (BTW, this is what you probably sound like when you try to explain your projects to your friends.)

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Check out a SDR based on the Teensy

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 15:18:50 +0000

Teensy SDR Panel from Open Emitter Several months ago I used my first software defined radio (SDR). This was a USB Dongle that did the digitizing and used Gqrx and GNU Radio for the actual decoding. Playing with an SDR is really fun. At the time I thought about using my Pi as the decoder, but found some performance issues. Imagine my surprise when I saw this project.

How 3D Printing Filament is Made

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:56:33 +0000

Make joins Joshua Smith at Makergeeks.com to find out how 3D Printing Filament is made. They make their own filament from scratch and not just source it ready-made from China. More information and pictures are available at http://wp.me/p22K2I-1Xt2.

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ECN's 14 Best Engineering Shows on Netflix

Tue, 24 Feb 2015 12:42:32 +0000

Your Netflix might have some hidden gems buried inside of the growing list of streaming TV shows. It is probably well-known that Mythbusters is available on Netflix, but did you know about these 13 other shows? Not only does this list contain shows like Modern Marvels, there are also a couple of stream-able movies like the Andromeda Strain. Which, for me, was the first non-Star Trek or Star Wars Sci-Fi I remember watching. Which is interesting, because it is directed by Robert Wise, the director of the first Star Trek movie.

Awesome Look at Olympic-Class ships (aka Titanic)

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 15:11:22 +0000

The most well-known Olympic-Class ship is the famous Titanic. While known for his maiden voyage’s epic fail, the Olympic-class ships were amazing feats of engineering. Bill Hammock breaks down the engineering and construction of the RMS Olympic, the first of the class. Hammock is one of the Author’s of Eight Amazing Engineering Stories, which I already reviewed here. He gives his usual excellent treatment on a subject. I included his Podcast/Video series on my 5 Electrical Engineering Podcasts you should subscribe.

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5 (Electrical) Engineering Podcasts You Should Subscribe

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 15:25:12 +0000

Podcasts are an amazing way to extend your knowledge in any subject. This (generally) free content is updated often, comes in a variety of formats, and covers nearly every subject. Your definition of Podcast might vary from mine. So for this list it means: content regularly produced with the intention of informing on a particular subject which is available either as audio, video, and ideally a RSS feed. Keep reading to see the different electrical engineering podcasts I listen to.

Help Adafruit test their #RaspberryPi Bootstrap

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:22:41 +0000

When you first get started with a Raspberry Pi, there are a number of operating system images already available. The one most people start with is Raspbian, which is based on Debian Linux. Adafruit created a fork of Raspbian which they called Occidentalis. Their aim, of course, was for hardware hacking with the Pi. Included are some patches that help make accessing the breakout pins easier. Their latest project is the Adafruit Pi Finder, which makes it easier to configure a Pi over a network. Check out the details on Adafruit’s blog.

Neodymium Magnets - Will It Blend?

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 15:12:48 +0000

In this “Will It Blend?” Tom takes on neodymium magnet balls. This is a fun one to watch because the balls spark up while flying around. Some really good slow motion replay work here. If you aren’t familiar with “Will It Blend”, it is a video series presented by the blender maker Blendtec. Tom Dickson attempts to bend various items. Not only the star of the clips, Tom is also the Founder of Blendtec. You can find all their videos at willitblend.com.

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DIY Active Differential Probe Project

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:28:50 +0000

Active Probe Setup (via xellers) Back when I worked for an Oscilloscope company, we were pretty proud of our differential probes. Even the “low-bandwidth” probes were still around 1GHz of bandwidth. Daniel Kramnik built an active differential probe and looks like he is seeing about 400MHz usable bandwidth. And really, it looks relatively flat. Not bad for a DIY effort. I’m impressed. Pretty amazing to think about the possibility of building your own (active) scope probes.

HPDisk - GPIB Disk Emulator

Mon, 26 Jan 2015 15:25:46 +0000

Images from http://www.dalton.ax/hpdisk/ Popular on eBay are old test equipment like Spectrum Analyzers, Oscilloscopes, and Multimeters. HPDisk by Gustafsson Anders creates a virtual GPIB interface that stores data to a SD-Card.This is done by emulating a special HP disk drive, that some HP instruments know how to write to when connected. (As Anders points out, this is not emulating a built-in floppy drive.) Keep reading if you aren’t familiar with GPIB.

Bill Gates talks about the Altair 8800

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 15:49:57 +0000

Go back to 1975. The idea of a computer at home was something that only happened in Science Fiction books. When the Altair 8800 was introduced, not only could you have a computer at home–you could build it yourself! For some “computer” is a bit liberal. Based on the Intel 8080, the “computer” supported some toggle switches and LEDs on the front panel. As Gates explains in this video, there wasn’t even any kind of interactive terminal.

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10 Popular EAGLE Libraries

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 15:34:03 +0000

Having good libraries in EAGLE is critical to making schematic capture and PCB design fast. Dave at element14 put together a top 10 library link, which includes the list below. Remember, if you’re having trouble Add Parts, you might want to look at this tutorial on enabling EAGLE libraries. element14’s RIoTBoard element14’s Raspberry Pi Compute Module Development Kit element14’s BeagleBone Black Linear Technology Molex Vishay Microchip Atmel Arduino Texas Instruments

Quake on an Oscilloscope

Fri, 09 Jan 2015 21:53:43 +0000

Video is rendered on a PC and provide to the analog scope for X/Y graphing.

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Rigol Offers 100MHz and MSO for $1,000 USD

Mon, 05 Jan 2015 17:02:24 +0000

Oscilloscopes are the most critical tool when it comes to debug and analysis of electronic circuits. In recent years, digital oscilloscopes finally surpassed their analog equivalents. (10 years ago I would still make an argument for analog, but not anymore.) The most innovative change to digital scopes came with “Mixed Signal Scopes.” In addition to the high-resolution analog channels, you get 16+ digital channels time-correlated. Digital channel in this context means only seeing a 0 or 1, kind of like a logic analyzer.

Astronomically Correct Twinkle Twinkle | MinutePhysics

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 14:53:39 +0000

MinutePhysics, one of my favorite YouTube channels, has done a collaboration project to provide an animated short on a scientifically correct version of the Children’s song, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” They are also offering an eBook at: http://minutephysics.com/twinkle (Looks like if you pre-order the printed book, you’ll get a free copy of the eBook.)

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Let's connect on element14

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 11:00:36 +0000

What does Silicon have to do with Social Media? Silicon’s Atomic Number is 14. Wait what? Oh… element14 is, basically, a social media site for electrical engineers, embedded designers, makers, and hobbyist. Forums, blogs, videos, and all kinds of resources from “celebrities” around the EE world. It’s one of the most active communities and, in my opinion, one of the cleanest layouts. Over the past few months, I’ve been becoming more active there. If you’re there, check out my activity feed and add me as a contact! It’s a great way to stay in touch.

The sounds of dialup on a Spectrogram

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 12:25:17 +0000

This beautiful Spectrogram video is instant nostalgia for any of us who used BBSes back in the 80s and 90s. The video comes from Scott H on Youtube. Several of the videos I have made incorporate the initial connection sound (until the echo suppression is disabled.)

EDN: What size and type of output wires should I use?

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:51:19 +0000

In an ideal world, wires would be ideal. They’d have no resistance, and therefore, no voltage drop. As we all know, our world is far from ideal which means so are our wires. While copper is an excellent conductor, it does have some resistance associated with it. This means when designing DC circuits, very common in the hobby world, you may need to take into account the size of the wire you’re using.

HackEDA: Collecting and Sharing reusable pieces of electronic designs

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:14:56 +0000

One of the most commonly used phrases when writing software is “reusable code.” From the Wikipedia article on “Code Reuse”. Reusable code is: the use of existing software, or software knowledge, to build new software. Software coders have been sharing and re-using code since they first start programming. So why can’t this same idea be applied to hardware design? Doesn’t it seem silly to redraw the ATmega328 for an Arduino based project or even the really simple linear regulator circuit? Well, it can thanks to HackEDA you can start using reusable code to save time (and from creating mistakes).

100kGarages: CNC Router Bits Demystified

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:28:14 +0000

Early on in planning the design for the Quadrotor, we knew that eventually some of the metal parts would need to be milled. Having very little milling experience, other than a couple of basic-use classes at TechShop, I had no milling experience. When it came time to start buying router bits for the ShopBot and Tormach CNC routers, I didn’t know what kind of bits were necessary.

Guide for finding the right fastener for your project from BoltDepot

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:24:58 +0000

BoltDepot.com sells a huge variety of fasteners which can be useful in hardware projects. One of the resources they provide is a Illustrated Guide to Fasteners. This is a great way to find the name of the screw or bolt you need to hold your hardware projects together. A printed copy is going into my toolbox. PDF available from BoltDepot.com

Math: Animated Factorization Diagram

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 05:26:23 +0000

The web site Data Pointed is run by Stephen Von Worley who is an artist and scientist specializing in data visualization research. He has created a Factor Conga which he describes as a promenade of primes, composites, and their constituents, arranged with an aesthetically-tuned variation of Yorgey’s rules, one per second. Check out the Animated Factorized Visualization, which appears to be all done with javascript.

Reverse Resistor Color Code Generator

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:14:48 +0000

The other night I happened to see a tweet come across my twitter stream from Joe Walnes (@joewalnes) about a resistor color code tool he created. You can find it at the clever domain resisto.rs. Type in a value and see what the proper color code should be. This is great for when you need to go searching through a pile of resistors and want to make sure you have the code right.

Resonant Frequency Calculator

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 09:06:40 +0000

When working with components like capacitors and inductors it is always helpful to know how to calculate a resonant frequency. This Resonant Frequency Calculator is an excellent resource because it allows for calculating for Frequency, Inductance, or Capacitance. Sometimes plugging in what you know is faster than working through some algebra. Check out the: Resonant Frequency Calculator.

BoxMaker: Create a new box - perfect for laser cutters!

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:53:27 +0000

When I was working on BinBoo (A Binary Clock), I decided I was going to create a custom enclosure with a laser cutter. The process took me a couple of iterations. The very first box I had cut didn’t hold together because I didn’t make enough “teeth.” The 2nd box included these and holds together solid. After all of that work, I was pointed to BoxMaker which makes Laser Cutting a Box very simple. Check out how easy it is with these 4 steps.

Are you a Scotty or a Geordi?

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:51:11 +0000

Martin Rowe over at Test & Measurement World asks an interesting question: Are you a Scotty or a Geordi? While both were engineers in the Star Trek universe, they approached their jobs with a different philosophy. Which engineer are you most like? [Via: Are you a Scotty or a Geordi? | Test & Measurement World.]

Engineering Resource: Web Equation

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 09:05:59 +0000

Documentation, Documentation. Documentation. It is always critical to document progress is a log book. If using an electronic tool like Evernote or a Blog, it can be difficult to document equations or calculations you’ve made in a project. Vision Objects has put together a demo tool that allows for writing your equation in freehand which then uses image recognition to covert into LaTeX code.

Simulation: Java Circuit Simulator

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:30:48 +0000

Do you know who Paul Falstad is? If not, you really need to get to know him, or at least, his web site. He’s a Geocacher, a Java programmer, and a Math nerd. [Editor’s Note: I don’t know Paul, I just read his web site.] The easiest book mark I can access in my web browser is a link to one of Falstad’s applets: A Circuit Simulation written in Java. A very functional simulator, at that.

TMW: What's a half digit, anyway?

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 09:30:45 +0000

Martin Rowe over at Test & Measurement World published an article quite some time ago (1994) that explains what it means when a DMM claims to have “½” digits in their display. Intuitively, to me anyway, when I heard this I always thought of gas-pumps and how we pay for 9/10 of a penny with every gallon of gas (in the United States).

Part Stock Checker: Findchips.com

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 00:00:20 +0000

How many times have you been part way through ordering parts for a project when you realize the distributor you are using, doesn’t have any of the part you need in stock? Or maybe you want to design a kit and compare prices of parts. This is where findchips.com comes into play. This awesome free resource will scan inventory across a variety of distributors for a given part number. Not only will you see inventory levels but it is also a fast way to compare prices.

Fuelling Your Arduino - Thermal Look at Arduino Power

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:52:05 +0000

There are many options for powering an Arduino board. The designers did a great job of designing an auto-select circuit that makes it simple to power the boards. However, there are trade offs in how much power is available and how much power gets wasted. Australian Robotoics has a great breakdown of what an Arduino looks like under a thermal camera, when powered from USB and various external sources. I don’t agree with everything that is said in this article, but the pictures are very revealing (and cool to look at).

Build the Enterprise, in 20 Years

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:18:15 +0000

Can you can imagine what people thought about today, 20 years ago? Think of all the crazy things you (or others) thought we would be doing today. Like… Video phone calls from your car, perhaps? Now use the same futuristc imagination to imagine if someone put together a plan to build a first generation NCC-1701 (“No Bloody A, B, C, or D”). Not just a plan, but a plan to do so in 20 years! If successful, we could get to the moon in a matter of days and Mars within College Football season.

Measuring Battery Capacity

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:19:01 +0000

Why is choosing a simple AA battery such a daunting selection process? Manufacturers are keen on giving their products different names and brag about the chemical technology that makes them up. However, it is nearly impossible to make package-to-package comparisons of the battery’s capacitor. Denis Hennessay has a GREAT write up on Measuring Battery Capacity with an Arduino. In addition to full details on how his project works, Denis even shares the results of several AA batteries. Nice!

New Digi-Key tool lets Engineers share schematics - Electronic Products

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:33:36 +0000

Tools like National’s (now TI) WebBENCH have allowed engineers to design power supplies without downloading any software for quite some time. Recently I got an account at Upverter.com. This web application is focused schematic capture with social sharing. Just announced this week, Digi-Key is looking to enter this area with their new web based tool to share schematics, Scheme-It(sm). I haven’t had a chance to put it through its paces yet, but I look forward to comparing to Upverter and Eagle version 6 soon.

Now that's an Apple Pie! - EMSL

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:55:22 +0000

What is more American than an Apple Pie? Why, a Pie designed in California, made in China. This is one pie I’d like to jailbreak. Is applying too much heat to this pie considered an upgrade? Okay, that’s all the lame puns I have for this laser cut pie. Evil Mad Scientist Labratories provides a tutorial on how to bake a Mac Mini Style Apple pie, complete with Laser Cutting Instructions. Yeah that’s right, a laser cut pie.

The Making of Arduino - IEEE Spectrum

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:41:57 +0000

Even knowing that the name Arduino was rooted in Italian, I have often wondered what it meant. David Kushner of IEEE Spectrum has a great write-up on the beginnings of the Arduino project. Great read. The most surprising thing to me is that over 250,000 official boards have sold since 2005. That isn’t counting clones and stand alones. Wow!

One million ARM cores to simulate brain at Manchester

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:22:28 +0000

The lead hardware designer of both the original ARM core and the BBC Micro Computer, Professor Steve Furber, is leading an effort to simulate the human brain with ARM cores. Custom chips with 18 cores each will be used. Check out the story at Electronics Weekly for more information: One million ARM cores to simulate brain at Manche`ster - 7/8/2011 - Electronics Weekly.

Space Shuttle Infographic

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:23:53 +0000

Space Shuttle Infographic A long time fan of the NASA Space program, the last shuttle going up is a little bit sad. Artist Alberto Cuadra has put together this infographic about the shuttle. Originally created by the Houston Chronicle. (Citation missing, please comment if you have one!)

Diodes adds 5V capability to Glue Logic

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:16:11 +0000

These days it is pretty rare to see a press release from a semiconductor company touting 5V TTL capabilities. Diodes is upgrading their 5V TTL logic as reported by Electronics Weekly. While the 5V operating will easily appeal to hobbyist, the package sizes may not. They are not through-hole components. However, the 74ACHT series will provide you surface mount solutions for AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, Inverter, and Schmitt trigger glue logic.

Tamper resistant memory

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:17:55 +0000

Watch an episode of NCIS or CSI and you might get the impression that hacking electronic devices is a simple way to learn all you need to about a person. While these shows tend to gloss over the science of the forensic work, the truth is, most electronic devices only rely on obscurity to keep data safe. Here is an article from Cambridge researchers discussing how to read contents using lasers (but not feverish typing on a keyboard for software that is clearly graphical in nature.). That sound crazy right? Don’t forgot Princeton has guidelines on security based on the fact you can freeze RAM to extend its retention.

NASA Space Shuttle Owner's Workshop Manual Book Review

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:33:30 +0000

Over at Universe Today, there is a review of the book titled “NASA Space Shuttle Owner’s Workshop Manual.” When I first started using the Internet (over dial-up at 28.8kps), I came across JPL’s website. It lead me to the Operations Manual and Reference Guide for the Space Shuttle. At the time I couldn’t believe such information was available to the public. Then I realized, didn’t the public buy those machines in the first place? It is a shame we are garaging them.

Apple A5 vs A4 Floorplan Comparison

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:02:11 +0000

Apple’s latest magic trick was upgrading their previous A4 chip into a dual core variant, the A5. This chip powers the recently announced iPad 2 and is likely to be in the upcoming summer release of the iPhone 5 (4s?) The folks at Chipworks have done some reverse engineering (which may be using actual magic) to see what the inside of the A5 looks like… all 2.9Million gates of it.

EW: Single-chip GPS IC

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:13:14 +0000

Coming Q3 of 2011, ST-Micro will begin selling a Single-Chip GPS IC called the Teseo II. It has an ARM core integrated into it, which should help reduce the time it takes to get a fix, and simplify integration into any hardware project. Pricing is set at $6 in volumes of 500k, so for hobby work it may be a cost/time trade-off. ST selling single-chip GPS IC. - 1/27/2011 - Electronics Weekly.

IBM's 2010: 5 for 5

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:24:13 +0000

From the company that brought us, “There is a worldwide need for no more than 5 computers”. IBM is announcing 5 Innovative Technologies we will see over the next 5 years. In summary they are: 3D Communications Batteries that use air to recharge Citizen Scientists (Sensors Everywhere!) Personalized Commuter Information Smarter Energy Grid

iPad/Arduino Controlled KegBot, by Yelp

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:25:03 +0000

Engineers at Yelp have put together an Arduino and iPad controlled Keg-o-rator. By swiping their RFID they can track how much a person is drinking, collect statistics about how others enjoyed the beer (by rating it), and maintain a leader-board of the office. Everything used in the project is based on off-the-self components. My guess is that they are communicating between the iPad and Arduino over the iPod Dock’s i2c interface. It looks like they are using the PodGizmo iPod Dock Conntector Breakout board available at Kinetka Systems. Drink up!

Purdue Boilermakers are MAKERS!

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:46:07 +0000

George at nbitwonder caught this outside the Armstrong Hall of Engineering Purdue while walking to class. The signs read: I think work should be about making things work. Better. Faster. Smaller. Smarter. So I build bridges between what’s known and what’s not. I tinker. I toil. I write poetically in an abundance of languages (including code). I hack. I dissect. I have an insatiable desire to un-complicate the complicated. I am easily inspired. I believe that just because it hasn’t been thought of doesn’t mean it won’t be. Potential is my thrill ride. Imagination is my most-used tool. I am a maker, and I am what moves the world forward.

LED Calculator

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:44:05 +0000

Rob ’linear’ Arnold has put together a fantastic LED Series/Parallel Wizard. Not only will it calculate the current limiting resistor you need, it will draw a circuit diagram, and give you full statistics on power usage. If you are just getting started with Electronics, this is a great resource for learning about LEDs. Experienced users will enjoy a quick check of their math. The array above is designed for some Blue LEDs I have laying around. I wanted them to run with 15mA which is well below their max, but still very bright. In this case 1/4W resistors should be fine and each should be 120 ohms. I should be safe hooking this array up to an Arduino since each LED will draw less than each I/O pin can handle AND total current draw is only 60mA.

What Capacitor Measurements Mean

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:57:00 +0000

Electronics Weekly has invited Dale Cigoy of Keithley Instruments to talk about how capacitors work. Since capacitors are part of almost any Electronic circuit or project, it is a good idea to understand these basic components a little more. The article is titled “Seeing how capacitors work is invaluable.”

EDN: ICs could run on heat waste

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:05:39 +0000

Joseph Heremans and Roberto Meyrs at the Ohio State University have been studying materials that could be used to turn heat from ICs into electricity. The research is focused on thermo-electricity and spintronics. In theory, this could mean mutual benefits to heavy processing: more effective heat removal from processors while generating the electricity they need to operate. “All of the computers we have now could actually run much faster than they do, but they’re not allowed to - because if they did, they would fail after a short time,” Myers said in the statement. “So a huge amount of money in the semiconductor industry is put toward thermal management.”

Annotated Arduino UNO

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:26:30 +0000

westfw of the Arduino Forums has put together a nice Flickr Annotation of the New Arduino UNO. A couple of changes have been made from the previous Duemilanove. Interestingly they have left pads for either a crystal or resonator on the board. This may allow the end-user to use a crystal for more accuracy without adding additional cost for everyone else.

EW: True Random Numbers from a handful of gates

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:54:27 +0000

Random numbers are a relative concept. In general, random numbers used in digital electronics are called Psuedo-Random sequences. There is a defined algorithm that is used to generate the sequence and does not actually occur in nature. In applications like Flashing a LED, this method is fine. However, for any level of encryption this is unacceptable. Steve Buch at Electronics Weekly writes about how researchers Dr. Marie O’Neill and Dr. Jiang Wu at the University’s Institute of Electronics and Communications Information Technology (ECIT) has developed methods to generate true random bits digitally.

Inside the iPhone 4 Gyroscope

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:10:58 +0000

One of the major feature updates for the iPhone 4 included a gyroscope. There are two applications that a gyroscope can be used for: keeping an object in balance and providing precise positioning data. Obviously, the intended application in an iPhone is improved positioning and control of software objects. One of the questions I had about the iPhone 4 was whether there was something (very tiny) spinning inside of the iPhone or if the device was solid state. Until now, I had no idea that solid state gyroscopes existed. Engineers at iFixIt, with help from Chipworks’s Electron Microscope, have done a teardown of the iPhone 4’s MEMS based Gyroscope.

Flexible Print Circuit version of Arduino

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:57:43 +0000

The folks over at Seedstudio have created a first for Arduino: a FPC version! In the past, it was very common for this material to be used as interconnects between circuit boards in production products. The flexibility makes it simple to use and the ability to attach components directly saves space. These are just prototypes, but Seeedstudio is looking for ideas to help move into higher volume production. Who is going to make the first Arduino watch?

Lighting up fiber with Darkness

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:43:25 +0000

Electronic communications systems are made up of three basic components: a transmitter, a receiver, and a transmission medium. Use a video game system with a wired controller as an example. The controller is a transmitter, while the console is a receiver, and the wire that connects the two is the transmission medium. This wire is typically made up of copper. The distance from a couch to your tv is relatively short compared to the distance two continents separated by an ocean. For this distance fiber optic cables are used. Instead of electrical signals being transmitted, lasers are used to generate light across fibers of glass.

Getting gEDA running on OS X

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:38:43 +0000

Quick schematic in gschem running on OS X. In an attempt to find a free set of schematic and PCB tools for hobby work, I looked back at gEDA. The last time I used it was when the project first started, years and years ago. I was happy to see that OS X had a set of fink packages for the gEDA suite. After figuring out how to get X11 in Leopard (since I didn’t include it when I installed 10.5) and install fink, getting gEDA going was a snap. The user jluciani in the Arduino forums has provided some free pcb footprints he has used from previous projects.

Captain Awesome: FTW!

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:28:40 +0000

Landing on water isn’t easy. In fact, most aerospace engineers never considered it possible. see more Political Pictures

Geocaching 101 by Lifehacker

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 01:01:35 +0000

Lifehacker has put together a description of what they call the modern day pirate hunt. This is their way to honor the soon to be DVD, Pirates of the Caribbean movie coming to DVD. It describes the basics of Geocaching. This is probably a good article for friends you’d like to introduce to Geocaching.

Unite For Diabetes - Geocaching.com's Travel Bug Promo

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 17:06:22 +0000

On today’s PodCacher.com pod-cast I heard that Groundspeak launched the Unite For Diabetes Travel Bug Promotion to help raise awareness for diabetes worldwide. They have a limited number of travel bugs which they will ship anywhere in the world, for free! The goal for each Travel Bug is to reach its city and circulate throughout the city’s geocaches, spreading diabetes awareness as it goes. There is a sign-up page there if you’d like to try get one of the specially designed travel bug tags with a blue diabetes ring. Visit the main site for more information.

Child's Play Charity

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:58:05 +0000

This Year’s Child’s Play Charity is underway. Here is a description from their site: “Since 2003, gamers have banded together through registered Seattle-based charity, Child’s Play. Over a million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception.” Video game players tend to get a bad rep because of the media’s great job of highlighting a few bad stories…

No caching at the Virgin Island National Parks

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 06:03:06 +0000

Officials for the Virgin Island National Parks (VINP) are concerned about the effect Geocaching has on their parks. The officials appear to want to make things right and find a way to regulate caching. For the time being though, caches aren’t allowed inside of VINP boundries. This article serves as an important reminder. You can not just assume you have permission to place a cache! Public lands like parks are often regulated to protect the land. Even though it is public, you can’t just place caches there.

Arkansas commissioners not ready for Geocaching.

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 21:36:31 +0000

Re cently the Game and Fish panel decided not to allow Geocaching permits on agency lands. Doyle Shook, Chief of Wildlife Management, stated they simiply aren’t ready yet. Makes me wonder if permits will be required for placing caches or finding them.

Bomb Squad Visits a Cemetery

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:17:18 +0000

From the St. Petersburg Times: “The two mysterious visitors huddled around the sign to Dunedin Cemetery, poking and snooping around. Someone at former Dunedin Mayor John Doglione’s funeral saw the couple and called authorities.” Source: St. Petersburg Times.

Podcacher - Geocaching Podcast

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:15:34 +0000

The other day I ran across a great podcast called Podcacher. As of this week, they are up to 76 shows. Sonny and Sandy put on a great show with all sorts of Geocaching related information. Their podcast is the most professional sounding non-professional podcast I’ve heard. (Even before their latest equipment donations!) If you search iTMS for “Podcacher” it’ll come up. Or head over to their blog and check out the Forums.