Kerry Wong did a teardown of the Waveform 395 12 bit arbitrary waveform generator: I picked up a Wavetek 395 arbitrary waveform generator on eBay a few weeks ago. Wavetek 395 is a single channel, 12-bit resolution DDS AWG with a maximum clock frequency of 100 MHz. While the operation manual is readily available, I […]
Category Archives: Teardowns
Amazon’s cheapest multimeter teardown: The DT-830B
A teardown of Amazon’s cheapest multimeter the DT-830B by Electronupdate: Purchased the cheapest multimeter I could find so I could extract the integrated circuit. A surprisingly simple IC! The actual meter design was much as expected. Poor attention to detail for higher voltages, concerning lack of fuses on current measurements… pretty thin feeling probe set. […]
Analysis, operation, and modification of a switchmode power supply (SMPS) for variable output voltage
Lindsay Wilson did a teardown/modification of a Chinese SMPS to allow an adjustable output voltage: I’m currently working on a product which uses a size 2430 “hobby” brushless motor and 25A electronic speed controller (ESC). In its “intended” use, the controller runs from two lithium-ion batteries with a total voltage of around 7.4V, but I […]
Teardown, repair and experiments with the Anritsu 37347A 20GHz Vector Network Analyzer
Here’s another great video teardown from TheSignalPath: In this episode Shahriar repairs an Anritsu 37347A 20GHz Two-Port Network Analyzer. The unit does not boot up and as a result its internal state is unknown. The boot fault is traced to a bad RTC module which has a built-in integrated battery. A replacement unit is located […]
Lockitron Bolt teardown
The crew from Fictiv wrote in to let us know about their special edition teardown video of Lockitron Bolt, which includes insights from the co-founder on material decisions, engineering insights, prototype development, and lots more. More details at Fictiv blog. Via the contact form.
Philips T8 LED tube teardown
In a previous post Electronupdate did a teardown of a 48″ T8 Cree LED tube, this time a 48″ T8 Philips LED tube.
Teardown: A couple of laptop batteries (aftermarket vs original)
Viktor writes: I’ve recently opened up a few laptop batteries and decided to take some pictures. Keep reading if you’ve ever wondered just how different the Chinese aftermarket batteries are compared to the originals. More details at Karosium homepage.
48″ T8 Cree LED tube teardown
Electronupdate has posted a teardown video of 48″ T8 Cree LED tube: LED based replacements for old T8 fixtures are finally becoming reasonably priced. I see two old competitors back at it again: CREE, and Philips. Both bulbs attractively priced, both 4000K. I tore down the Cree 1st. Longest circuit board that I have ever […]
Counterfeit Macbook charger teardown: convincing outside but dangerous inside
Ken Shirriff writes, “What’s inside a counterfeit Macbook charger? After my Macbook charger teardown, a reader sent me a charger he suspected was counterfeit. From the outside, this charger is almost a perfect match for an Apple charger, but disassembling the charger shows that it is very different on the inside. It has a much […]
555 timer teardown: Inside the world’s most popular IC
Another great teardown article by Ken Shirriff, a look inside the 555 timer chip: Given the popularity of the 555 timer, I thought it would be interesting to find out what’s inside the 555 timer and how it works. While the 555 timer is usually sold as a black plastic IC, it is also available […]
Teardown, repair & calibration of a Valhalla 2701C Programmable Precision DC voltage standard
A teardown and repair of a Valhalla 2701C Programmable Precision DC voltage standard from The Signal Path: In this episode Shahriar examines a faulty Valhalla 2701C Programmable Precision DC Reference instrument. Valhalla Scientific’s 2701C Programmable Precision DC Voltage Calibrator delivers ultra-precision, ultra-stable DC voltage from 100 nanovolts to 1200 volts. This unit does not have a working […]
FLIR MR160 thermal imaging and moisture meter review, teardown and experiments
Another great video review from TheSignalPath: FLIR MR160 Thermal imaging and moisture meter review, teardown & experiments In this episode Shahriar takes a close look at the FLIR MR160 Thermal Imaging and Moisture Meter. Featuring Infrared Guided Measurement (IGM) technology powered by a FLIR Lepton® thermal imaging sensor, MR160 helps you quickly see temperature patterns that […]
CSI Premier 75W and Hakko 936 solder station teardowns
Todd Harrison did a teardown of the CSI Premier 75W and Hakko 936 solder station: I did the teardown of the CSI 75W solder station as well as the Hakko 936. The Hakko of course had all analog circuits using operational amplifiers and potentiometers as well as a temperature sensor in the iron tip to signal back […]
Keysight EXA Signal Analyzer/Spectrum Analyzer review, teardown & experiments
Another video review from TheSignalPath, Keysight EXA Signal Analyzer/Spectrum analyzer: In this episode Shahriar reviews the Keysight EXA Signal Analyzer / Spectrum Analyzer (N9010A). The X-Series Signal Analyzers and Spectrum analyzers from Keysight are compared against each other. The EXA is a general purpose spectrum analyzer with extensive applications. The full instrument block diagram is […]
Macbook charger teardown: The surprising complexity inside Apple’s power adapter
A teardown of a Macbook charger by Ken Shirriff: Have you ever wondered what’s inside your Macbook’s charger? There’s a lot more circuitry crammed into the compact power adapter than you’d expect, including a surprisingly capable microprocessor. This charger teardown looks at the numerous internal components and explains how they work together to keep your laptop […]
Rigol DSA875-TG 9kHz – 7.5GHz Spectrum Analyzer & tracking generator review, teardown & experiments
Rigol DSA875-TG 9kHz – 7.5GHz Spectrum Analyzer & tracking generator review, teardown & experiments from TheSignalPath: In this episode Shahriar takes a close look at the top-of-the-line Rigol DSA875-TG 7.5GHz Spectrum Analyzer. This unit which, offers a built in tracking generator for the full frequency range, has a portable form-factor. I offers the following performance: 9 […]
Teardown & analysis of a Keysight InfiniMax III N2802A 25GHz active probe
A teardown & analysis of a Keysight InfiniMax III N2802A 25GHz active probe from TheSignal Path: In this episode Shahriar takes a close look at one of Keysight (Agilent) InfiniMax III active probes. The model N2802A offers 25GHz of analog bandwidth, 17.5pS of rise time and a total differential input capacitance of 32fF at 10k-Ohm […]
EDC/Krohn-Hite MV216A DC voltage standard teardown and Tempco measurement
Kerry Wong did a teardown of the Electronic Development Corporation’s (acquired by Krohn-Hite) MV216A battery/external powred DC voltage standard: In this blog post, we are going to take a look at Electronic Development Corporation’s (EDC, acquired by Krohn-Hite in 1998) MV216A battery/external powered DC voltage standard and also measure its voltage reference’s temperature coefficient (tempco). A […]
Teardown, repair & analysis of a Rohde & Schwarz FSH3 3.0GHz portable spectrum analyzer
A teardown and repair of a Rohde & Schwarz FSH3 3.0GHz portable spectrum analyzer from The Signal Path: In this episode Shahriar examines a faulty R&S FSH3 100kHz – 3.0GHz Portable Spectrum Analyzer. This exceptionally dirty unit does not power on and is missing a power supply and battery. After verifying the correct operation of […]
Teardown & repair of the Siglent SHS810 100MHz 1GS/s portable oscilloscope & multimeter
Here’s a teardown & repair of the Siglent SHS810 100MHz 1GS/s portable oscilloscope & multimeter from The Signal Path: In this episode Shahriar examines the failure of a Siglent SHS810 100MHz 1GS/s portable oscilloscope and multimeter. The instrument’s multimeter inputs are functional, however the neither of the oscilloscope inputs display the correct waveform. The displayed […]