I've discovered the easier way to check the thermal conditions of parts without touching them and electrocuting yourself is to use an IR thermometer.
[QUOTE=pentium;41546438]I've discovered the easier way to check the thermal conditions of parts without touching them and electrocuting yourself is to use an IR thermometer.[/QUOTE]
It's less accurate though. You have to work with different emission coefficients, and reflections of IR-radiation, which can cause you to measure a higher temperature.
[QUOTE=DrDevil;41546751] which can cause you to measure a higher temperature.[/QUOTE]
if anything thats good, it just means that your components are safer! :D
[QUOTE=nuttyboffin;41554617]if anything thats good, it just means that your components are safer! :D[/QUOTE]
Not really. Worst case it could mean that you think that you need an extra heatsink where you didn't need one, resulting in higher production costs.
[QUOTE=DrDevil;41555131]Not really. Worst case it could mean that you think that you need an extra heatsink where you didn't need one, resulting in higher production costs.[/QUOTE]
Or when you're trying to melt something but it's too cold.
[QUOTE=DrDevil;41555131]Not really. Worst case it could mean that you think that you need an extra heatsink where you didn't need one, resulting in higher production costs.[/QUOTE]
Thats why we have my favorate part of electronics.. destructive testing!
Licking your finger and feeling the FET's is an essential part of debugging.
When I was new, I got a blister because a H-bridge wasn't working. I didn't notice that I had accidentally shorted one of the transistors, making the H-bridge open on one side. The power supply was delivering 10A at 15V into the two FET's, and as I discovered, made them [I]very[/I] hot.
Aaah, the good old noobie days.
I always stick a LED in parallel with my circuit, if it goes out you know you have a short, if it dims you may be drawing too much current.
[QUOTE=Chryseus;41565018]I always stick a LED in parallel with my circuit, if it goes out you know you have a short, if it dims you may be drawing too much current.[/QUOTE]
Or have a power supply with current limiting and set it just a tad above the expected current flow.
Got a $900-1800 loop analyzer thing that I'm just using as a multimeter for free :)
[img]http://i.imgur.com/oRShCeo.jpg[/img]
I should probably sell it and get a multimeter.
[QUOTE=Shadaez;41566154]Got a $900-1800 loop analyzer thing that I'm just using as a multimeter for free :)
img
I should probably sell it and get a multimeter.[/QUOTE]
Or two, or four, one is never enough.
Not sure If I should post it in this thread. By the way, my BF made smart home system so he can, for example, turn on\off TV\light\sound system. Couple days ago he made a device that can read mp3s from SD card and play it.
My friends presented me IR RC helicopter for b-day. And then I was like "hey, what if we make a program to control helicopter via computer. We have to decode IR signal..". So we made it.
Wiimote->Bluetooth->GlovePIE->mouse->program->network->router->USB adapter->CLUNET(name of smat home system) network>IR-emmiter->helicopter.
(video isn't on english..sorry) [video=youtube;lrCEQx9_05k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrCEQx9_05k[/video]
Look what I found in the post today:
[t]http://u.cubeupload.com/Chryseus/UyX9dU.jpg[/t]
[t]http://u.cubeupload.com/Chryseus/1hlp1M.jpg[/t]
:dance:
[QUOTE=Chryseus;41590311]Look what I found in the post today:
Glorious lab power supplies.
:dance:[/QUOTE]
I'm so jealous that you have no idea. Nice haul!
[QUOTE=Fuxed;41590438]I'm so jealous that you have no idea. Nice haul![/QUOTE]
Was not all that expensive really, each one cost £74 which compared to some other decent supplies is fairly cheap considering each does 0-30V, 0-5A.
The build quality is really good as well, with a big ass toroid transformer in there I'm surprised they can get it that cheap.
Can't recommend enough if you have the cash to spare.
[QUOTE=Chryseus;41590482]Was not all that expensive really, each one cost £74 which compared to some other decent supplies is fairly cheap considering each does 0-30V, 0-5A.
The build quality is really good as well, with a big ass toroid transformer in there I'm surprised they can get it that cheap.
Can't recommend enough if you have the cash to spare.[/QUOTE]
Please check if you have the same turn-off spike as ddrl
[QUOTE=DrDevil;41590521]Please check if you have the same turn-off spike as ddrl[/QUOTE]
Will do!
If it's there I will fix it.
[QUOTE=DrDevil;41590521]Please check if you have the same turn-off spike as ddrl[/QUOTE]
I doubt they have changed anything between me buying mine and Chryseus buying his.
[QUOTE=ddrl46;41590610]I doubt they have changed anything between me buying mine and Chryseus buying his.[/QUOTE]
[del]Well my outputs came connected for one thing[/del] :v:
Nevermind.
[QUOTE=Chryseus;41590626]Well my outputs came connected for one thing :v:[/QUOTE]
So did mine?
[QUOTE=ddrl46;41590610]I doubt they have changed anything between me buying mine and Chryseus buying his.[/QUOTE]
It might be a production error.
[QUOTE=Chryseus;41590482]Was not all that expensive really, each one cost £74 which compared to some other decent supplies is fairly cheap considering each does 0-30V, 0-5A.
The build quality is really good as well, with a big ass toroid transformer in there I'm surprised they can get it that cheap.
Can't recommend enough if you have the cash to spare.[/QUOTE]
I'll certainly look into them when I've got more money, I've been limping along on a refurbished Thurlby for a while. Currently, I've blown all my money on a National Instruments USB DAQ. I will post porn-shots of it when it arrives!
Edit- Holy crap the edit system is broken today.
I, nuttyboffin, have now got a 3D printer!
[url]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300936173875?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649[/url]
rather good bargin :D
cant wait til i can have some fun with it~
[img]http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Thing-O-Matic-style-3d-Printer-/00/s/MTU2N1gxMTE2/z/ep8AAOxySqpR6D8O/$(KGrHqJHJCoFHN9mN4gqBR6D8Od)Qw~~60_12.JPG[/img]
I have a similar bench supply too where it can do up to 30V but only 3A.
They're really only confined to small projects as generally I have uses whose starting load exceeds the unit output.
Take a guess at what I'm building.
[IMG]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/Computer%20related/CGS_0089.jpg[/IMG]
Here's a [url=http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/Computer%20related/CGS_0091.jpg]hint[/url] if you are stuck.
i think... your building a punch tape reader
[editline]26th July 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=MIPS;41596669]I have a similar bench supply too where it can do up to 30V but only 3A.
They're really only confined to small projects as generally I have uses whose starting load exceeds the unit output.[/QUOTE]
I myself have 2 Lockmaster PSUs designed for schools, they are quite neat, very well made and only cost £20 each. Each are 0-15v and 9.5A IIRC
However they run on 110v while i am in the uk with 240v, so im looking out for a third site transformer (the big yellow things used at construction sites) cause my other 2 are bolted together for a 6KVA isolation transformer.
I decided to make a quick and dirty AM modulator for AM radio alignment, needless to say it turned into a 2 hour job but I got there in the end, like most of the stuff I design this is completely from scratch I avoid even looking at other peoples circuits.
[t]http://u.cubeupload.com/Chryseus/xtw4kN.png[/t]
[t]http://u.cubeupload.com/Chryseus/bvsttc.png[/t]
The output sounds fairly decent, certainly more than enough to align a radio or listen to some music if you don't mind the less than perfect quality.
The most complicated part was actually getting the audio signal from my PC to breadboard, since my scope and signal generator are both earth referenced I can't just go inserting signals any place, so I used a salvaged 20PT1024X coupling transformer array (originally for ethernet usage) to isolate the signal from my sound card, of course these things are designed for many MHz so there is a significant insertion loss so I added a 100x amplifier and buffer on the end.
The JFET is not critical to the design I just had some 700MHz ones laying around, any other should work as long as you get the DC bias right or even a BJT.
I finished the optical assembly. It's a sandwich of transparency plastic and cardboard guides between two PCB's and bolted together.
[IMG]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/Computer%20related/CGS_0092.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/Computer%20related/CGS_0093.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/Computer%20related/CGS_0094.jpg[/IMG]
The alignment is a little bit off but I think it will still work without having to tear it apart and rework the guides.
Right. Fuck.
I used IR phototransistors which are just about useless with my light sources.
Lets order IR LED's and try again in two weeks. :suicide:
What are you making with it?
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