Category Archives: Teardowns

The core memory inside a Saturn V rocket’s computer

A closer look at an LVDC core memory module: The Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC) had a key role in the Apollo Moon mission, guiding and controlling the Saturn V rocket. Like most computers of the era, it used core memory, storing data in tiny magnetic cores. In this article, I take a close look […]

Teardown of an Amrel PPS 35-2 programmable power supply

Kerry D. Wong did teardown on a single-channel Amrel PPS 35-2 programmable power supply: A while back, I did a teardown on a dual-channel Amrel PPS-2322 programmable power supply, and was quite impressed by its solid construction. Recently, I found another Amrel power supply on eBay and this time it is a single channel version […]

A look inside a Marconi signal generator

A closer look at a Marconi Instruments signal generator @ jaeblog: Recently I got a Marconi Instruments 2019 signal generator, capable of generating signals from 80Khz up to 1040Mhz. It can also modulate these signals with AM, FM and more. This instrument is from the mid 80s and is, as far as I can test, […]

Teardown and modification of an Electrophoresis power supply

Kerry Wong did a teardown of an EC600-90 electrophoresis high voltage power supply: Electrophoresis power supplies are commonly found in biology and other life sciences laboratories. These power supplies are usually capable of supplying high voltages and high currents required for gel electrophoresis–a method used for separating DNA, RNA and other protein fragments based on […]

Looking inside a 1970s PROM chip that stores data in microscopic fuses

Ken Shirriff did teardown of a 1970s PROM chip: The MMI 5300 was a memory chip from the early 1970s, storing 1024 bits in tiny fuses.1 Unlike regular RAM chips, this was a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory); you programmed it once by blowing fuses and then it held that data permanently. See the full post […]

Teardown of a Marconi 2305 modulation meter

Kerry Wong did a teardown of a Marconi 2305 modulation meter: I picked up a Marconi 2305 modulation meter off eBay the other day. As the name indicated, a modulation meter is used to measure the modulation characteristics of a source signal. The Marconi 2305 is capable of measuring amplitude/frequency and phase modulated signals from […]

Teardown of a LogiMetrics A300/S traveling wave tube amplifier

 LogiMetrics A300/S TWTA teardown by Kerry Wong: I just picked up a LogiMetrics A300/S 2 GHz to 4 GHz (S band) traveling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) on eBay. I had done an extreme teardown of an HP 493A TWTA a while ago and it was quite fascinating to see what’s inside of a TWT. This LogiMetrics […]

Crystal oscillator teardown

Here’s a tear down of a crystal oscillator and a look at the silicon controller from Electronupdate:  Inside is a ceramic circuit board.  Ceramic has a low coefficient of thermal expansion which is probably very desirable here. It will also not absorb moisture.  All of this would affect the frequency. More details on Electronupdate blog. Check out the […]

Teardown of a Spex HS1000 monochromator controller

Kerry Wong did a teardown of a SPEX HS1000 monochromator/spectrometer controller: Monochromator is one of those things that has always fascinated me. Over the years, I have done quite a few experiments (I, II, III) with an EP200Mmd monochromator and it was a lot of fun. Because monochromators are such highly specialized equipment, decent ones […]

Teardown of a Piezoelectric vibrating gyroscope

Kerry Wong did a teardown of an old analog piezoelectric vibrating gyroscope: Gyroscopes nowadays are based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. They are low cost and extremely miniaturized. A device combing both a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometers (sometimes these devices are referred to as 6DOF devices) such as the MPU-6500 for example can be […]

Teardown and repair of an GW Instek PSW80-40.5 1080W multi-range programmable power supply

Teardown and repair of an GW Instek 1080W power supply from The Signal Path: In this episode Shahriar investigates the failure of a GW Instek 1080W power supply capable of providing up to 80V and 40A of programmable output voltage and current respectively. The power supply does not power on. However, relay noises can be […]

Teardown of an Array 3711A 300W DC electronic load

Kerry Wong did a teardown of an Array 3711A 300W electronic load: I have made many electronic loads in the past. For instance this simple harddrive cooler housed small dummy load, this more sophisticated constant current/constant programmable load and this heavy-duty electronic load that is capable of sinking over 1kW under peak load. In this […]

Inside a two-quadrant power supply – Agilent 66312A teardown and experiment

Kerry Wong did a teardown of an Agilent 66312A dynamic measurement DC source: Typically, a lab power supply can only operate within a single quadrant. Take a positive voltage power supply for example, it can only output or source current. If any attempt is made trying to sink current into the power supply by connecting […]

Glowing mercury thyratrons: Inside a 1940s Teletype switching power supply

Ken Shirriff take a look inside a bulky DC power supply REC-30 rectifier, how it works and contrast it with a MacBook power supply: We recently started restoring a Teletype Model 19, a Navy communication system introduced in the 1940s.14 This Teletype was powered by a bulky DC power supply called the “REC-30 rectifier”. The […]

Tool battery teardowns: Craftsman 19.2V and Ridgid 12V

Russell Graves did teardown of a Craftsman 19.2V DieHard battery and a Ridgid 12V battery: It’s time for more tool battery teardowns!  This week, I’ve got a Craftsman 19.2V DieHard battery, and a cute little Ridgid 12V battery.  They’re both lithium, and I’m going to dig into both of them, because that’s what I do with […]

Tutorial, experiment and teardown of a 24GHz Doppler radar module

Shahriar posted a detailed analysis of a CDM324 24GHz Doppler radar module from IC Station: Opening the module reveals a series of microwave PCB components and several active devices. A complete analysis of the module is presented. The unit is then measured and the impact of antenna impedance and power supply voltage on the output […]

Inside a Datum 9300 time code generator

Kerry Wong did a teardown of a Datum 9300 time code generator: IRIG time code generators (not to be confused with the ones used in video and film industry) are often used for clock synchronization among various connected equipment and is commonly used in power generation and distribution industry as well as in the military. […]