I was running some CAD and simulation jobs on my main machine and was shocked, but then resigned to how much memory was being used without me trying. I wanted to take on some modelling and simulation work for a local client and was thinking of ways to speed things up a bit so that […]
Upcyling An HP Proliant DL380-G6 Read More »
At some point, pretty much anybody who does electronics prototyping needs to master reflow soldering. There are a few ways to do it. The simplest is to set up the PCB with solder paste and components pre-applied on a preheater to get it up to a starting temperature. Then, apply the additional reflow heat with
PCB Reflow Toaster Read More »
I picked up a Chinese K40 laser cutter a few years back. I played with it and decided the software was abysmal, the controller was horrible, and it was grossly unsafe. I stashed it on the ‘forgotten projects’ shelf and left it there. Now, since our hackspace is still closed due to COVID-19, I’m really
K40 Laser Conversion Read More »
Many timing-type instruments, such as frequency counters, AWGs, and oscilloscopes, can be tied to an external frequency reference, most commonly 10 MHz. This enables the correlation of measurements from different instruments and vastly improves their accuracy and repeatability. Impedance and Termination It is useful to mention impedance at this point. Many single-ended clocked signals are
Repurposing a video distribution amplifier – part 1 Read More »
During the latest COVID-19 lockdowns, I shut down my main workshop and rebuilt from the ground up. The storage rack is in and is quite full of all my parts, projects, and tools. This worked out well. The next area of concern is my working space. My previous two workbenches were too small, too low, and wobbly,
Desks are wasteful—they collect junk and waste precious space with their fixed shape and hard-to-move bulkiness. Why not just hang some monitors on a stand and get a comfortable chair? I’ll worry about the keyboard rest another day. I do a lot of CAD work as an electronics designer and felt that even a dual-monitor
Quad-monitor floor stand Read More »
Don’t buy a new one – just fix it up! Electronics’ thermal design is essential. Electronic parts get hot, and the resistance of materials results in heat. Nothing in modern mass-produced products gets much hotter than the CPU in a PC. It’s simply the sheer size of the circuits on the die, billions of transistors
On a Budget: Fixing my ACER V3-731 Thermal woes Read More »
