Five ways to make a schematic (quickly)
Engineers make a schematic to explain their circuits. One time I was looking for a non-tourist pub in Japan. I asked someone for help. She said, “I’m sorry, but I do not speak good …
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EAGLE Trivia Challenge: Why the ratnest?
Your challenge, if you chose to accept it, is to determine why EAGLE is showing a ratsnet connection on the far left of the PCB layout. The pads shown with the yellow unrouted line …
Read MoreEAGLE: Clean up the parts list by disabling libraries
Does it take a few seconds every time you click the “ADD PART” button on EAGLE? Tired of scrolling through an enormous list of parts just to find a capacitor? Here’s how you can …
Read MoreEAGLE: Using the Add Part's Search
If you are anything like me, your copy of EAGLE has an extensive list of libraries. Most of them probably came with the installer, some which you have added. This, of course, leads …
Read MoreLearn how to use a Mixed Signal Oscilloscope
When I teach the Electronics Measurements class at the TechShop in Austin, I take a lot of pride in showing off the Mixed-Signal Oscilloscope. We have a Rigol DS1102D as well as a …
Read MoreMinor updates to the Open Source Reflow Oven Project
The next stage of the reflow oven project is moving to a custom PCB for the controller electronics. Overall the board is based on the ATmega32u4 with a DS3231 RTC. The LCD module …
Read MoreHackEDA: Collecting and Sharing reusable pieces of electronic designs
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 …
Read MoreNew Digi-Key tool lets Engineers share schematics - Electronic Products
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 …
Read MoreTLC5940 Painter PCB
TLC5940NT Painter Board This screen shot is an all-layer view of my TLC5940 painter board. The 1st draft featured two TLC5940s, but I decided it made the board too large. Instead, …
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