Author Topic: Curve tracer designs?  (Read 9564 times)

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Offline bd139

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #25 on: November 26, 2018, 05:52:11 pm »
Another one. Heathkit IT-3121: https://www.rsp-italy.it/Electronics/Kits/_contents/Heathkit/Kits/Heathkit%20IT-3121%20semicond%20curve%20tracer%20schem.pdf

For low voltage stuff I have a 33120A which has a floating output

Simples - one resistor + 33120A + two probes:



Tunnel diode (both channels inverted here because I was half asleep):



1N4148:

 
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Offline 0culusTopic starter

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #26 on: December 04, 2018, 05:54:39 am »
Got some books today, rhb.

 

Offline bd139

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #27 on: December 04, 2018, 07:50:26 am »
Excellent books. Have both as well :-+
 
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Offline Conrad Hoffman

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #28 on: December 04, 2018, 09:00:41 pm »
I'm pretty sure this is the same circuit National Semi published many years ago. It only does a single curve, but might be useful for some ideas- https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/AN-6610.pdf.pdf
 
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Offline 0culusTopic starter

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #29 on: December 04, 2018, 10:56:42 pm »
Excellent books. Have both as well :-+

Was thinking of picking up his filter cookbook as well! Really enjoying his accessible writing style.

I'm pretty sure this is the same circuit National Semi published many years ago. It only does a single curve, but might be useful for some ideas- https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/AN-6610.pdf.pdf


Thanks!
 

Offline rhb

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #30 on: December 05, 2018, 02:35:15 am »
Now you have some inkling of why when the "Was Don Lancaster Really A Guru" thread appeared I was ROFL.

His Active Filter CB, TTL CB and CMOS CB were his major works.  But with the (according to Dave)  32 others he wrote, I'd say its a safe bet he sold close to 10 million books in total.  Quite possibly more.  If that is is not superstar status for a tech writer, I don't know what is.

Realistically only 3-5% of the population has the interest and motivation for STEM.  And as a society, that's all we need.  The same thing applies to the skilled trades and other professions.  In the 70's and 80's if you did not have several Don Lancaster books you simply were not STEM material.

You have really got to know the subject to write that well on complex topics.

BTW What printing are your copies?  I have a very worn 2nd printing of the TTL CB which I bought and a near new 3rd printing which I scavenged at work.  Both of mine are the original green cover.
 

Offline 0culusTopic starter

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #31 on: December 05, 2018, 06:48:01 am »
Now you have some inkling of why when the "Was Don Lancaster Really A Guru" thread appeared I was ROFL.

His Active Filter CB, TTL CB and CMOS CB were his major works.  But with the (according to Dave)  32 others he wrote, I'd say its a safe bet he sold close to 10 million books in total.  Quite possibly more.  If that is is not superstar status for a tech writer, I don't know what is.

Realistically only 3-5% of the population has the interest and motivation for STEM.  And as a society, that's all we need.  The same thing applies to the skilled trades and other professions.  In the 70's and 80's if you did not have several Don Lancaster books you simply were not STEM material.

You have really got to know the subject to write that well on complex topics.

BTW What printing are your copies?  I have a very worn 2nd printing of the TTL CB which I bought and a near new 3rd printing which I scavenged at work.  Both of mine are the original green cover.

I'm not entirely sure...the TTL cookbook has a blurb in the cover about how to read the printing code, but I can't find the code! The CMOS book says "transferred to digital printing in 2010".
 

Offline JoeO

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #32 on: December 05, 2018, 12:44:02 pm »
Now you have some inkling of why when the "Was Don Lancaster Really A Guru" thread appeared I was ROFL.

His Active Filter CB, TTL CB and CMOS CB were his major works.  But with the (according to Dave)  32 others he wrote, I'd say its a safe bet he sold close to 10 million books in total.  Quite possibly more.  If that is is not superstar status for a tech writer, I don't know what is.

Realistically only 3-5% of the population has the interest and motivation for STEM.  And as a society, that's all we need.  The same thing applies to the skilled trades and other professions.  In the 70's and 80's if you did not have several Don Lancaster books you simply were not STEM material.

You have really got to know the subject to write that well on complex topics.

BTW What printing are your copies?  I have a very worn 2nd printing of the TTL CB which I bought and a near new 3rd printing which I scavenged at work.  Both of mine are the original green cover.

I'm not entirely sure...the TTL cookbook has a blurb in the cover about how to read the printing code, but I can't find the code! The CMOS book says "transferred to digital printing in 2010".
You make no sense.  "in the cover" you wrote?  Where exactly is that? 
What version TTL book are you referring to?

You are either a troll or someone with a room temperature IQ.
The day Al Gore was born there were 7,000 polar bears on Earth.
Today, only 26,000 remain.
 

Offline 0culusTopic starter

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #33 on: December 05, 2018, 06:44:02 pm »
Now you have some inkling of why when the "Was Don Lancaster Really A Guru" thread appeared I was ROFL.

His Active Filter CB, TTL CB and CMOS CB were his major works.  But with the (according to Dave)  32 others he wrote, I'd say its a safe bet he sold close to 10 million books in total.  Quite possibly more.  If that is is not superstar status for a tech writer, I don't know what is.

Realistically only 3-5% of the population has the interest and motivation for STEM.  And as a society, that's all we need.  The same thing applies to the skilled trades and other professions.  In the 70's and 80's if you did not have several Don Lancaster books you simply were not STEM material.

You have really got to know the subject to write that well on complex topics.

BTW What printing are your copies?  I have a very worn 2nd printing of the TTL CB which I bought and a near new 3rd printing which I scavenged at work.  Both of mine are the original green cover.

I'm not entirely sure...the TTL cookbook has a blurb in the cover about how to read the printing code, but I can't find the code! The CMOS book says "transferred to digital printing in 2010".
You make no sense.  "in the cover" you wrote?  Where exactly is that? 
What version TTL book are you referring to?

You are either a troll or someone with a room temperature IQ.

Love you too, mate. <3 It takes one to know one, as they say.  :-DD
 

Offline rhb

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #34 on: December 06, 2018, 03:25:08 am »
@JoeO  Perhaps you should make sure you understand what people are talking about before commenting.  And introducing yourself by insulting people won't get you very far around here.  At best you will be ignored.  And people do get banned for bad behavior.  This is Dave's establishment.  You should read the rules.

My copy of the CMOS CookBook is a 5th printing from 1980.  The book was copyrighted in 1977.  So based on the 2010 date at a minimum it was still being sold 33 years later.  That's really quite astonishing for a book on device level  electronics technology.  And a very strong testimony to the quality of Don's writing.

BTW typical printing code now is a list of integers from 1 to N  and the first integer in the list is the printing. It appears on the copyright page.
 

Offline 0culusTopic starter

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #35 on: December 06, 2018, 04:16:12 am »
**snip**

My copy of the CMOS CookBook is a 5th printing from 1980.  The book was copyrighted in 1977.  So based on the 2010 date at a minimum it was still being sold 33 years later.  That's really quite astonishing for a book on device level  electronics technology.  And a very strong testimony to the quality of Don's writing.

BTW typical printing code now is a list of integers from 1 to N  and the first integer in the list is the printing. It appears on the copyright page.

Here's the copyright page on mine, attached below. Is it part of the ISBN? I'm confused about the little explanation because I can't find any numbers that match what it describes.
 

Offline Simon

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #36 on: December 06, 2018, 07:30:43 am »


You are either a troll or someone with a room temperature IQ.

Calm down!
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #37 on: December 06, 2018, 08:16:22 am »
I don’t think that lame insult is as bad in the US as it is here :-DD
 

Offline Simon

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #38 on: December 06, 2018, 08:19:26 am »
Yea well nuf said, if in the US they want hot houses and silly temperature measuring systems that is up to them, the rest of the world reads that differently.
 
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Offline rhb

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #39 on: December 06, 2018, 06:19:47 pm »

Here's the copyright page on mine, attached below. Is it part of the ISBN? I'm confused about the little explanation because I can't find any numbers that match what it describes.

I think it's the switch to "book on demand" printing which was something Don championed.  So there no longer are printings in the traditional sense for low volume books.  But there's actually a 2nd edition in 1997, but it's pricey.  I'd guess it's being used in college and votech courses.  You still have to learn digital logic even though you're more likely to use an FPGA.  The fact that the 2nd ed has a 2nd author is a clear sign that Don just didn't want to keep writing books.  So when Sams asked for a revised edition, Don told them to hire another writer.

The thing that is *really* amazing is that Don's major classics are still in print after over 40 years!  I cannot think of any electronics book that has been in print that long.  Wow!!!!

That's not a guru, that's a Bodhisattva!!!

 

Offline Wimberleytech

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #40 on: December 06, 2018, 07:12:09 pm »

Realistically only 3-5% of the population has the interest and motivation for STEM.  And as a society, that's all we need.  The same thing applies to the skilled trades and other professions.  In the 70's and 80's if you did not have several Don Lancaster books you simply were not STEM material.


I guess I had seen those books around in that time period, but never picked one up  :'(.  Since my focus was IC design, they did not support the path I was on.

They are still available...maybe I should pick one up.  Like...I need more books...lol
« Last Edit: December 06, 2018, 07:21:31 pm by Wimberleytech »
 

Offline icpart

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #41 on: January 22, 2019, 08:45:28 am »
Hi guys. I think I found the BEST ever DIY curve tracer so far  :-+. Very interesting project with full source of PC program and MCU firmware. Also I think the software have the function to be used also as Impendance analyzer which is great. Recently for that I bougth Analog Discovery Impendance meter board and so far is also great. Only downside of that project is the author use old MCU which is expensive and USB-serial board which are the most expensive parts in that project.

Project page: http://www.kc4zvw.us/project5.html

Descriprion of project: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST%20Binaries/Apr2015/Expanded%20Text.pdf

Source code and PC software: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST%20Binaries/Apr2015/Source-Codes-and-More.zip
 
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Offline 0culusTopic starter

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Re: Curve tracer designs?
« Reply #42 on: January 29, 2019, 12:21:29 am »
That site is unreachable for me.  :-//
 


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