Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters. The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder . More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three […]
Author Archives: DP
Battery adapter teardown and Sony A6000 power-off current draw
Kerry Wong did a teardown of a battery adapter for the Sony A6000 mirrorless digital camera and measured the poweroff current draw of the the camera: With the battery adapter on hand, I decided to take a look at what’s inside and then use the adapter to measure the power-off/stand-by current of the Sony […]
Bus Pirate v3 free PCB build
@vijayenthiran tweeted picture of his free Bus Pirate v3 PCB build. The Bus Pirate is an open source hacker multi-tool that talks to electronic stuff. If you build a free PCB we’ll send you another one! Blog about it, post a picture on Flicker, whatever – we’ll send you a coupon code for the free PCB […]
#FreePCB via Twitter to 2 random RTs
Every Tuesday we give away two coupons for the free PCB drawer via Twitter. This post was announced on Twitter, and in 24 hours we’ll send coupon codes to two random retweeters. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times a every week: Hate Twitter and Facebook? Free PCB Sunday is the classic PCB giveaway. Catch […]
Pogo pin test board for ADB-USB Wombat
A pogo pin tester for the ADB-USB Wombat board from Big Mess o’ Wires: Here’s a test rig for the ADB-USB Wombat board: my first-ever project whose sole purpose is to facilitate testing of another project. It uses spring-loaded pogo pins to create a bed of nails that fit into test points on the Wombat board. […]
Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB
We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. Our PCBs are made through Seeed Studio’s Fusion board service. This week two random commenters will […]
App note: Linear power MOSFETS basic and applications
Some examples of power MOSFETS application from this app note from IXYS Corporation. Link here (PDF) Applications like electronic loads, linear regulators or Class A amplifiers operate in the linear region of the Power MOSFET, which requires high power dissipation capability and extended Forward Bias Safe Operating Area (FBSOA) characteristics. Such mode of operation differs […]
App note: Depletion-Mode power MOSFETs and applications
IXYS Corporation’s N-Channel power MOSFET selection and application. Link here (PDF) Applications like constant current sources, solid-state relays, telecom switches and high voltage DC lines in power systems require N-channel Depletion-mode power MOSFET that operates as a normally “on” switch when the gate-to-source voltage is zero (VGS=0V). This paper will describe IXYS latest N-Channel Depletion […]
Akafugu modular VFD clock review
Manuel Azevedo did a review of Akafugu’s modular VFD clock: I discovered this wonderful tiny VFD clock by chance, while browsing Tindie for novelties. As I’m a newcomer to this Nixie/VFD world, I was not aware that Brian Stuckey already did an article in 2014 on a previous incarnation of this clock (Akafugu Modular VFD […]
Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters
Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters. The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder . More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three […]
Inside Intel’s first product: the 3101 RAM chip held just 64 bits
Ken Shirriff writes: Intel’s first product was not a processor, but a memory chip: the 31011 RAM chip, released in April 1969. This chip held just 64 bits of data (equivalent to 8 letters or 16 digits) and had the steep price tag of $99.50.2 The chip’s capacity was way too small to replace core […]
#FreePCB via Twitter to 2 random RTs
Every Tuesday we give away two coupons for the free PCB drawer via Twitter. This post was announced on Twitter, and in 24 hours we’ll send coupon codes to two random retweeters. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times a every week: Hate Twitter and Facebook? Free PCB Sunday is the classic PCB giveaway. Catch […]
Halogen floodlight SMT reflow
David Sanz Kirbis built his own reflow device with an halogen floodlight, that is available on Github: First test was to check the speed of the temperature rise inside a standard halogen floodlight. Reflow soldering temperature curves are quite demanding, and some adapted ovens can’t reach the degrees-per-second speed of the ramp-up stages of these curves. […]
Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB
We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. Our PCBs are made through Seeed Studio’s Fusion board service. This week two random commenters will […]
App note: Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy with the SFH 473X – Background & technology
Infrared spectroscopy by OSRAM and their SFH 473X broadband light emitters. Link here (PDF) Imagine you can check if the mangos on the market are sweet – without even touching them… Imagine you can verify if your prescribed medical tablets contain the life-saving compound – or if they are counterfeits… Imagine you can check the […]
App note: Ambient light sensors – General application note
Different ambient sensors differs on their ability to sense specific wavelength and introduce different ambient levels compared to human eye, here’s a general application note from OSRAM. Link here (PDF) This application note introduces discusses ambient light sensing. The different types of ambient light sensors are described and related to specific applications.
Bitcoin mining on a vintage Xerox Alto computer
Ken Shirriff writes: I’ve been restoring a Xerox Alto minicomputer from the 1970s and figured it would be interesting to see if it could mine bitcoins. I coded up the necessary hash algorithm in BCPL (the old programming language used by the Alto) and found that although the mining algorithm ran, the Alto was so […]
Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters
Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters. The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder . More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three […]
MQ gas sensor correlation function against temperature and humidity
Davide Gironi writes: We have taken a look at the MQ sersor in this post here. As I said those sensor are electro-chemical. Accuracy of those sensor is not the best. Also they will react to many gases. It means that if you are trying to measure the ppm of a certain gas with this […]
65C02: Tear down, a look at the CMOS version of the 6502 CPU
A teardown video from Electronupdate: The CMOS version of the commercially significant 6502: a processor architecture which launched the personal computer era. This particular version was plucked off of an embedded industrial controller… a place where this processor still finds design wins.