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Do you guys use an isolation transformer for your lab/workbench?
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MrMobodies:

--- Quote from: tooki on February 01, 2023, 06:46:35 pm ---Let’s put it this way: if you don’t thoroughly understand why and when you’d want an isolation transformer, and what it does and doesn’t protect you from, then you shouldn’t work on mains-powered stuff yet, specifically, things with a live chassis.

If you get one, make sure you don’t let it lull you into a sense of false security, such that you actually let your guard down around mains voltages.
--- End quote ---

I am not an electrician but it reminds me of this video:
youtube.com/watch?v=FBeSKL9zVro
The most deadly project on the Internet (Wood fracking)


--- Quote ---10:30 with a galvanically separated
transformer all it sees is the
current flowing in the primary so if
you're in the secondary which is
reference to earth and the current is
zapping through your body to ground and
finding its way back
that's a closed loop in there it is not
seeing it in that side it thinks it's a
normal load and the circuit protection
will not trip
--- End quote ---
Nominal Animal:
As I play with microcontrollers and very low DC voltages only, I don't have nor need an isolation transformer, but I usually connect the projects to my computer via USB while developing and testing.  Me being the butterfinger I am, I have learned to use a cheap USB isolator (ADuM3160 clones off eBay, they're direct implementations of the datasheet/appnote, with the only difference being the isolated DC-DC converter used – which I recommend checking before relying on > 100mA of current being available) between the project and the computer, just in case.  My gadgets all tend to have native USB support.

I can't really tell if I've actually saved any hardware doing this, but it calms my nerves and reduces stress levels when poking at the project while it is running and powered.  It makes development more relaxed and fun.

(The only downside is that ADuM3160 is limited to full speed, 12 Mbit/s, but faster but roughly equally simple isolators like ADuM4165, ISOUSB211, etc., are still rare enough – chipageddon – to keep high-speed 480 Mbit/s isolator prices relatively high.  My Teensies have native high-speed USB, which is nice.  I guess I'll have to build my own damn isolators?)

Anyway, I wonder how many others use such equipment to limit damage to their tools because of their own butterfingery, and peace of mind, rather than as a necessary precaution for safety?
tggzzz:

--- Quote from: timeandfrequency on February 15, 2023, 03:44:28 am ---
--- Quote from: Zero999 on February 14, 2023, 11:06:11 am ---I notice the original poster has deleted the first post. It does annoy me when that happens. There's no point in doing this. It just implies he's gone off in a strop.
--- End quote ---
I agree. Maybe he prefers being isolated from our answers.

--- End quote ---

When I spot (and remember) someone has done that in the past, any reply of mine will "quote" their message so they can't pull that trick again.
Gyro:
Ah yes, bigfoot22, a repeat offender. I't looks as if he went round and deleted the first post on all of his threads on the 11th.  [Edit: and all of his posts]
Zero999:

--- Quote from: Gyro on February 15, 2023, 01:27:29 pm ---Ah yes, bigfoot22, a repeat offender. I't looks as if he went round and deleted the first post on all of his threads on the 11th.  [Edit: and all of his posts]

--- End quote ---
He's deleted all of his posts.

Here's a link to a quote of one of his now deleted posts.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/your-pet-peeve-technical-or-otherwise/msg4691378/#msg4691378

It appears he's thrown his toys out of the pram and left. Did I miss the fireworks?
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