DC vibration motors failure analysis by Precision Microdrives. Link here Reliability is an important consideration for engineers and product designers. It is also very context specific. For example consider a car, which is made from lots of individual components. If the radio antenna should fail, the car still operates. However this is not the case […]
Author Archives: DP
36dB power attenuator for 20W
Lex PH2LB designed and built a 36dB power attenuator for 20W using PA1B power attenuator calculator: The attenuator can handle a maximum power of 20 watt and is used to reduce the power of a 5 watt transceiver. At first I did not realized why Lex designed the attenuator for 20 W. Like many HAMs I […]
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 […]
GPS Disciplined Oscillator review and teardown
Andy Brown did a teardown of a GPS Disciplined Oscillator: The design did actually surprise me. I was expecting to see an OCXO pulled from something else together with a modern GPS unit and an MCU to co-ordinate the synchronisation all mounted on a custom PCB. What we’ve actually got is an entire Symmetricom GPSDO pulled […]
SMD edge connectors
Facelesstech has written an article describing a technique he used for connecting two boards together. More details at Facelesstech’s blog. Check out the video after the break.
The BF 15+15W open source power amp
Boris Landoni from Open Electronics writes about the BF 15+15W open source power amp: The amplifier revolves around a monolithic integrated circuit for universal use, that is composed of two BF amplifier stages having a bridge output, that may be equated to operational amplifiers connected by a bridge and supplied with a low impedance output […]
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: Advantages of eFuses versus PTC resettable fuses
The advantage of eFuses an application note from ON Semiconductors. Link here (PDF) Overcurrent protection is a basic necessity for electrical devices. While many people are familiar with fuses and household circuit breakers, few are intimately familiar with the kinds of overcurrent protection devices that are found in electronics. Though not a comprehensive list, there […]
App note: LDC0851 quick-start guide
Texas Instrument’s differential inductive switch LDC0851 application guide. Link here (PDF) Texas Instruments introduced the LDC1000 in 2012, the industry’s first inductance to digital converter. LDC1000 revolutionized the world of proximity sensing by delivering increased reliability, high resolution, and lower total system cost. The LDC1000 was soon followed by second generation multi-channel LDC devices like […]
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 […]
XBOX 360 GPU die decap: A look at the graphics processor silicon
A teardown video of an XBOX 360 and analysis of GPU silicon die from Electronupdate. So, what makes an XBOX tick? One of the most notable parts will be the graphics sub system… and at the heart of it, the GPU. The GPU die is bonded onto a substrate with an associated frame buffer just […]
100W AF dummy load
Dilshan Jayakody has published a new build: This is a quick post to showcase 100W 4 channel AF dummy load which we build to test the output stages of audio power amplifiers. This dummy load use 4, 8Ω 100W wire wound resistors which are available in eBay. In this unit all 4 resistors are mounted on […]
ChipKIT based weather station using BME280 sensor module
A comprehensive tutorial on making a chipKIT based weather station using BME280 sensor module from Embedded Lab: BME280 is a fully integrated environmental unit from Bosch that combines sensors for pressure, humidity, and temperature in a tiny 8-pin metal-lid LGA package of size 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.93 mm³. Because of its compact size, ease […]
First GD32 tests
Sjaak has published a new build, the STM32/GD32F103 QFN32 breakout board: Uptill now I used 0603 sized resistors and capacitors but for this project I switched to 0402 to save a few mm on the board. I have soldered many challenging chip packages so I felt confident. The technique is the same as for bigger […]
#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 […]
Yet another Arduino clock
Sverre Holm blogged about his Arduino clock project: Its main features are: Controlled by a GPS module outputting data over an RS232 serial interface, and handled with the TinyGPS++ library Shows raw GPS data such as UTC time and date, position, altitude, and number of satellitess Shows derived GPS data such as 6-digit locator Finds local […]
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: Inductor performance in high frequency DC-DC converters
Coilcraft’s application note on inductor performance or efficiency when used in high frequency applications. Link here (PDF) ESR vs frequency curves can be used to predict inductor losses in higher frequency converters, but careful consideration must be given to the wave shape (ripple current) of each application.
App note: General design considerations for MEMS microphones
Proper mounting of miniaturized MEMS from Cirrus Logic application notes. Link here (PDF) This application note offers recommendations in mechanical, PCB land pattern, and solder paste stencil design to deliver the best microphone performance in the final application design.
App note: Vibrating mesh nebulizer reference design
Vibrating mesh nebulizer reference design from Microchip, application here (PDF!) This application note demonstrates an implementation of driving a piezo mesh disk in a vibrating mesh nebulizer demo. The demo system features a Microchip 8-bit microcontroller-based piezo mesh disk driver board and a nebulizer plastic housing.