Category Archives: tools

Semiconductor analyser determines part type and value

Here is an interesting electronics gadget. It’s a semiconductor component tester that displays the type, pinout, and some relevant specifications of the device connected to its probes. It doesn’t matter how you connect the test clips to the component, the Atlas DCA can analyse a vast number of different component types including bipolar transistors, enhancement […]

TI debuts sub-GHz CC430 based spectrum analyzer

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player TI has introduced a sub-GHz spectrum analyzer using the SA430 chip. Known as the MSP-SA430-SUB1GHZ, the CC430 microcontroller that the SA430 is based on is a highly integrated system-on-chip featuring an on-board sub-GHz radio chip based on the CC1101. As TI describes it: The MSP-SA430-SUB1GHZ Spectrum Analyzer is a CC430-based […]

Soldering iron driver parts: Weller PES51 pencil

Lots of progress is being made on the soldering iron driver. We’ll be testing our version with the Weller PES51 50W soldering pencil. We like the placement of the temperature sensor on this iron. It’s is located in the center of the iron and fits into a recess at the back of the tip. This […]

MSP430 Launchpad 3D model in Sketchup

lpm0 writes to inform us of a 3D model he found of the MSP430 Launchpad at 43Oh. The 43Oh crew describes their design: We were looking out for a 3D model of the Launchpad for one of our projects, but could not find any. So we whipped our own Sketchup Model. As far as we […]

Solomon soldering iron review

While working on his soldering iron driver Arhi did some research on Solomon soldering irons (machine translation). Solomon is one of the largest OEM manufacturers of soldering irons, it can be bought under various names like Nedis, Elanco, Tenma, etc. Replacement irons are cheap, under $16, making them perfect for his driver. The most common […]

HAKKO 907 and compatible soldering iron pencils

Arhi posted a roundup of HAKKO 907 (machine translation) soldering irons and compatible clones that are used with HAKKO 937 soldering stations. Hakko 907 replacement soldering irons are high quality and relatively cheap irons, and there are many compatible clones on the market. Arhi says there is only a slight build quality difference between the […]

Soldering iron tip selection guide from Hakko

Arhi contacted us about this useful guide for selecting the right size and shape tip for your soldering iron. First part of the article compares various diameter tips used over the same soldering point. Graphs show that for the fastest work-flow is when using larger or same size tips as the solder point. The second […]

Xilinx vs. Altera tools for hobbyists

Big Mess o’ Wires compared Xilinx and Altera’s FPGA tools: I used to believe that Altera’s FPGA tools were much more hobbyist-friendly than the comparable Xilinx tools, and I frequently bashed the Xilinx tools whenever the topic came up. But after giving them a head-to-head comparison recently, I think I may have to eat my […]

andLinux: seamlessly run Linux apps on Windows

Michael Reed of LinuxJournal has posted this review of the andLinux distro. Primarily he gives it positive marks, while pointing out concerns about security and the age of the distro from which it’s derived (Ubuntu 9.04), as well as the fact that Linux apps cannot make use of a processor’s multicores. You can tryout the […]

CodeSecure static source code analysis tool

Armorize is making available a free download version of their CodeSecure v4 software. CodeSecure is a static source code analysis platform that leverages third generation software verification technologies to identify web application vulnerabilities throughout development. Our web-based solution provides automated compiler-independent code analysis that models tainted dataflow within the application. Reports pinpoint vulnerable code locations […]

eLabBench digital laboratory workbench

Researchers at the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO), Aarhus University, have just started using a combined computer and laboratory bench. This will not only streamline their research, but also kickstart the transition to the paperless laboratory. The bench is essentially a large touchscreen with combined capabilities allowing researchers to simultaneously work with data and equipment while […]

Tektronix breaks new ground

Tektronix has released thier new MDO4000, mixed domain oscilloscope, combining the standard digital storage oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and RF spectrum analyzer. this appears to do more than just save space on the workbench. We do not have access to one for testing, but lets look at some the specs. The MDO4000 series has 2-4 analog channels capable of 500MHz or 1GHz bandwidth, […]

How to build still another passive ethernet tap

firestorm_v1 from yourwarrantyisvoid has published this detailed tutorial on building and using a passive ethernet tap. His goal in this project is to facilitate network monitoring for intrusion detection purposes, and wanted hardware which will allow the monitoring for traffic without degrading performance.