Electronics and Embedded Programming V3

[TTSDA]

Just got the stuff I ordered from bitsbox and ebay on the mail :D
Going to take some pictures!

[SUB][B]Edit:[/B][/SUB]

Here's the Fluke 17B I bought from eBay for 53.99£, It seems really accurate, but I really don't have anything to compare it too.
[T]http://i.imgur.com/GApSR.jpg[/T][T]http://i.imgur.com/WxYaV.jpg[/T][T]http://i.imgur.com/DxQYn.jpg[/T]

The bitsbox order, there's some stuff missing because there was an error with the cart that made some items disappear (and some items quantity increase, but that was solved before dispatch)
[T]http://i.imgur.com/ayWBm.jpg[/T]

And for bonus, here are some enclosure samples I got from serpac :v:
[T]http://i.imgur.com/CKdyU.jpg[/T]

I think this stuff will last me for a while :dance:

[MIPS]

[QUOTE=ddrl46;37077152]You could maybe space out the selectors at the bottom a bit, the way it is right now I'm not sure for what switch the "normal" position is.[/QUOTE]

Labels always describe the switch immediately right of it. Holes are cut so I'll try dropping the font size.

[VistaPOWA]

I took a lil' trip to my grandfather's storage. Knowing that he worked at Tungsram and designed vacuum tubes for them, I was bound to amazing stuff.

Rectifier tube
[t]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KN66HpmddrUYgA5s91SpmCcGILm_afMT1fX_p5NMUy3xEe7QUhI9CxNFa1Nvws4MR_dpb4SXDlw[/t]

Box of Pentacon film
[t]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7ByEnaazAsYpCi-NKjhiyi43w7nr2RJCXXqjJDyJSDccVkNYZ6rfYIW7H4eYN7eUA3oaqydnyBw[/t]

Magnetic tapes for data storage
[t]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3XleLNs7m88gVuhzudXgnv-EPuuTyC8hCh6wF_8HduOZTxPEdLezBD1iPiP0b5zl5t-CL4eDqP4[/t]

Cabinet full of stuff
[t]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UwVdW6yQldQyt2jjsiH49mFhX0YzZxl1kSgVhsQS4UrF_8BuZAl6w4EEPglcRWddhXX-Z5mtfuM[/t]

Weird thing
[t]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ARO5Zpq8blLcSOukEonkk9Hhv4DxFpRuvKxxeYBUrdAD0uuq8o3g6Fnkp2QX3dothMZ0pFt1_YI[/t]

His workbench
[t]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/uGBupOb4Rwgk06YmTwB0GrztLBowarJpVBuld-lNH-onBhXW4Vzhl_awi6J-GSsVt-V4ohHR38E[/t]

Possible variac?
[t]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Qysly3DlX7RBCIrSmw88tHUArxZ8tXha4bJ1mljBbHUp953K4Bw56zu4cJbvYRu5crXHNvRSORE[/t]

ß-meter (for testing transistors, I presume).
[t]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/B1BAzDQRfkIylgiU_KTD3kykGmwFVFKQacT2dd7QVtPTDzpn3G61rJ9uKhJXQrlzgK8lEKaNuaU[/t]

Closeup of the right side of the bench, various taps and ampmeter
[t]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AJ3TE9h7FECFE-71RjuEpfkXTAE23fYC4BoYP1wqES3dOayElbyH97dFUHSYtI-EV3XRgjPcLDk[/t]

Left side of the bench, variable load and voltmeter.
[t]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ctPvh4U4CwwWqBa6rJiFQb1Cd3G8hq0Yd7F9Gf4ZlDm69KWAvdXZX2smktdTZQ4-0J94tzKxMqE[/t]

and then I looked up...

and saw...

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the MOTHER OF ALL VACUUM TUBES

[t]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pyqI_LzdPkA4ElOQj36ROr1pVyJdvaoagiQi90E-S2KIHIb0FyGVZ9iUVGbV9DMUqdApvvKPYkY[/t]

measured at 50 cm height and about 10kg in weight, this big boy was used for transmitting at one of the biggest radio towers in Hungary.

Also, he has a nice radio.
[t]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5hdhHHYFXLVwFmSVIVM_Vq9epq6mj6OSAosOk4KDFYLGAg2XyIk3QfE94r9kFh8Hq47z-ifQEzU[/t]

[editline]5th August 2012[/editline]

Damn, Google Drive doesn't allow hotlinking to images.

[editline]5th August 2012[/editline]

Here, have an imgur album: [url]http://imgur.com/a/rRZVe#0[/url]

[Ddrl46]

Just gotta love audiofools.
[IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cry6_zbv3LI/UB1kzjzLQ2I/AAAAAAAAAz4/4qIO0IzDlrM/s1600/Scan0010.jpg[/IMG]
[url]http://paulinthelab.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/more-audiowankery.html[/url]

[Tezzanator92]

Audiophile gear ruins my day. I'm glad I'm not in that crowd.

They've took some random facts and used them to present fictitious product features :v:

[Ddrl46]

[QUOTE=Tezzanator92;37088698]Audiophile gear ruins my day. I'm glad I'm not in that crowd.

They've took some random facts and used them to present fictitious product features :v:[/QUOTE]

Ah well, at least companies like Panasonic / Rubycon etc can make some extra money off of them for selling ~audio grade~ components (capacitors etc) which are just the same component with a different wrapper.
Free money.

[BuG]

[QUOTE=ddrl46;37088981]Ah well, at least companies like Panasonic / Rubycon etc can make some extra money off of them for selling ~audio grade~ components (capacitors etc) which are just the same component with a different wrapper.
Free money.[/QUOTE]

Actually "audio grade" capacitors usually implies a low ESR (and ESL).

It's not always that ESR is a problem, to the point where you want to pay extra to get a lower ESR.

And then some choose to make the internals with vibration dampening stuff, but I don't really care about that. General low ESR caps is as good imo.

Edit: But a lot of the "audio grade" capacitos are indeed normal capacitors.

[Ddrl46]

[QUOTE=BuG;37093033]Actually "audio grade" capacitors usually implies a low ESR (and ESL).

It's not always that ESR is a problem, to the point where you want to pay extra to get a lower ESR.

And then some choose to make the internals with vibration dampening stuff, but I don't really care about that. General low ESR caps is as good imo.

Edit: But a lot of the "audio grade" capacitos are indeed normal capacitors.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but a normal low ESR capacitor might cost 80 cents while an audio grade one costs 80 euros.

[Chezburger]

So, I decided, Yo, let's build some Clapp oscillator right over here! And since I always built replica's of circuits I found online, I decided to make it some learning process aswell.

[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/35bt45x.png[/IMG]

Why does the amplitudo get smaller with time?
What am I doing wrong?

What is the function of the two capacitor in the midst?

Yea - it's time to learn some shit.

[Ddrl46]

[QUOTE=Chezburger;37096311]So, I decided, Yo, let's build some Clapp oscillator right over here! And since I always built replica's of circuits I found online, I decided to make it some learning process aswell.

[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/35bt45x.png[/IMG]

Why does the amplitudo get smaller with time?
What am I doing wrong?

What is the function of the two capacitor in the midst?

Yea - it's time to learn some shit.[/QUOTE]

Use a different simulator, java circuit sim is horrible with anything above a blinking led.

[Chezburger]

I'm done with simulators, they are all horrible, not one excluded. Just going waste good ol money on real components.

[masterburner]

The amount of power your PC consumes when simulating a circuit costs more then just buying those 5 components and sticking them on a breadboard, anyway...

[KGS]

Does anybody have an idea how much i would be able to get for my TSX 17 PLC + TSX T317?
I would also be able to provide a manual + some exercises but they are dutch.
Iv'e seen prices ranging from 200€ to 750€ so i don't know what to expect if i were to sell it.

Pics:
[img_thumb]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64443729/ele/DSCI0120.JPG[/img_thumb]
[img_thumb]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64443729/ele/DSCI0121.JPG[/img_thumb]
[img_thumb]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64443729/ele/DSCI0122.JPG[/img_thumb]
[img_thumb]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64443729/ele/DSCI0123.JPG[/img_thumb]

The PLC is on a testing board, but it can obviously be disconnected from that very easily.

[Ddrl46]

Electrolytic capacitors have shrunk quite a bit over the years.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/KB2tp.jpg[/img]

The big blue capacitor is a 1600µF 40V capacitor and the brown one in the front is a 2200µF 50V capacitor.
(That ugly bridge rectifier mod isn't mine)

[Chryseus]

Well they don't fail quite as often the old ones, my radio is still running on 50 year old electrolytics.
Although you're quite right about the size, the 160uF 400V in my radio is about the same size as that blue one.

[b]Edit[/b]

Finally got my power supply done after having problems, turns out for some crazy reason I soldered my feedback network to the transformer tap which caused the negative rail to fail :rolleye:
I'll post some pics and the schematic tomorrow.

[MIPS]

[QUOTE=Chryseus;37122058]Well they don't fail quite as often the old ones, my radio is still running on 50 year old electrolytics.
Although you're quite right about the size, the 160uF 400V in my radio is about the same size as that blue one.
[/QUOTE]

It's all about environment. I too have seen caps in 60+ year old TV sets work like the day they left the factory and then find caps in an LCD power supply that fail in less than 90 days not because of crappy caps but because they were trapped in a tight space with a lot of heat.
I gotta recap my microwave one of these days. 25 years of high humidity hot/cold cycles really did a number on them and the computer can't run presets anymore, let alone keep the time right.

[Chryseus]

[QUOTE=Chezburger;37102868]I'm done with simulators, they are all horrible, not one excluded. Just going waste good ol money on real components.[/QUOTE]

I built it and it refuses to oscillate.

[LoneWolf_Recon]

[QUOTE=Chryseus;37137543]I built it and it refuses to oscillate.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps a short duration bias to just kick start it?

[Chryseus]

[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;37138037]Perhaps a short duration bias to just kick start it?[/QUOTE]

Good idea

[Chezburger]

because it didn't oscillate longer then 5 seconds in the simulator too :o
Let me know how that worked out btw.

[Chryseus]

Nothing so far, I'm going to get a few books on oscillator design and have a read.
As far as I can tell so far the series inductor and capacitor form a resonant LC tank circuit, the two capacitors connected to the source of the FET control the amount of feedback which is critical in getting it to oscillate although I've tried several values.

I think the problem is the FET has no DC bias, I'll need to add in a few resistors and have a play around.
Biasing FETs is more tricky compared to BJTs due to wide variation in Vgs(th) and IDSS

[Chezburger]

RF is interesting yet frustrating. Building the exact same oscillator twice can give two completely different results (read: working / not working).

Anybody know where to look for some good probes?
I once bought over-priced original TEK probes from those shady ebay asians, and they sent me utter broken shit, so not going to do that a second time.

I didn't dare to touch my scope at first, because wether it are plants or oscilloscopes, they always spontaneously break down or, spontaneously combust.
[IMG]http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs4/1837670_o.gif[/IMG]
But ddrl gave me the balls to do it, so I wanna get this thing in a better shape
[IMG_Thumb]http://i.solidfiles.net/847f048b9a.jpg[/IMG_Thumb]
Anybody know how to clean this shit? It's dirty like hell.
Other than that, I need some probes for starters.

100 MHz, 1M Ohm Input Resistance, 20pF

Somehow I can't find anything that will do the job.
(Yes I own this oscilloscope for over a year now, with absolutely no probes.)

Anyone?

[Chryseus]

DealExtreme sell a good quality probe [url]http://dx.com/p/100mhz-oscilloscope-probe-32422?item=1[/url] only really 70MHz bandwidth but it's good enough for most applications and cheap.

As for cleaning the scope go over it with some isopropyl alcohol or a similar solvent, if you have trouble shifting the dirt a fine grade of wire-wool will help a lot.
For the tight places use q-tips and the knobs and buttons are best cleaned by removing them and letting them soak for several hours, the glass front panel (I assume it's glass) can be cleaned with a mild abrasive polish although if there are deep scratches you will need to go over it first with some medium / fine glass paper.

[LoneWolf_Recon]

Lost a few schematics and a couple idea vlogs on my laptop(Typing from my desktop)....Remember, don't place a screw driver on a shelf that could easily roll off, fall, and impact your HD to make it fail...

Thankfully, I have most of my hobby work on my flash drive. .__.

[Chrispy_645]

Mo' Arduino:

[img]http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/549650_4431161216012_1394221605_n.jpg[/img]

Hanging under the wall shelf ^

[video=youtube;28xQ40RmeKg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28xQ40RmeKg[/video]

[duno]

Can anyone give me the most simple transmitter circuit? (no spark gaps please)

[Chryseus]

[img]http://talkingelectronics.com/projects/Spy%20Circuits/images/bug-sch.gif[/img]

Modify as needed.

[SubbyV-2]

What kind of calculations are required to build a spark gap tesla coil?

[DiplIng.Luke]

[QUOTE=SubbyV-2;37149052]What kind of calculations are required to build a spark gap tesla coil?[/QUOTE]

don't

[Ddrl46]

[QUOTE=DiplIng.Luke;37149531]don't[/QUOTE]

Gee DrLuke, that's like the 4th alt you've made this week.

And subby, if you have to ask us how to make one it's probably not a good idea for you to make one.