Recent Posts

1

Test Equipment / Re: Magnova oscilloscope

« Last post by Darkover on Today at 09:29:12 am »

Maybe more information can be squeezed from it.

They claim a very good usability with the encoder on the right side and connecting the probes on the right side.
So it is only made for right handed people? I am 101% left handed and can not imagine to use
this scope because my arm will hide the text at the encoder and the probe cable is to short when it is
connected to right side.

Olaf

2

PCB/EDA/CAD / Re: Looking for CADSTAR pcb Uplaod Program

« Last post by Doctorandus_P on Today at 09:29:04 am »

The concept of footprints (components) does not exist in Gerber files. (Except maybe for the newest X3 variant) "Pads" also do not exist in older Gerber files. As a result there is no way to directly export the coordinates of the footprints. Even now there is still a separate placement file with this information. But it's not as bad as it seems. It is quite easy to delete the remnants of the pads, and then place real footprints on the same locations as the old ones. You can use the ends of the tracks to snap to, and this is either perfect, or very close (Depending on differences between the old and the new footprint).

If a set of Gerber files is is converted to a KiCad project, then you can generate a placement file via the regular methods of course.

3

Buy/Sell/Wanted / Re: FS: Used SMT machines & Inspection machines.

« Last post by mairo on Today at 09:29:03 am »

Annyeonghaseyo Global, can you post a link to your website.

4

Test Equipment / Re: Vevor SDS1104 for first oscilloscope?

« Last post by tautech on Today at 09:28:46 am »

You get what you pay for and the 800X HD offers one hell of a lot, so much so it will take some time to outgrow it.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/sds800x-hd-review-demonstration-thread/

5

Beginners / Re: Replacing SRAM IC with Flash

« Last post by Retep on Today at 09:28:22 am »

The main reason this won't work is that the way to write data to flash is very different from writing data to SRAM (or MRAM/FRAM for that matter). Where with with SRAM one can write a single byte by putting the address on the address bus and the data on the data bus and asserting the Write pin, with flash on needs to erase a sector and rewrite the entire sector. Also a flash sector can only be written a limited number of times. I.e. it would require significant changes to the software.

6

Beginners / Re: Convert US standard 115V to International 230V

« Last post by BeBuLamar on Today at 09:25:39 am »

He doesn't need to do any of that.

7

General Technical Chat / Re: $20,000 dollars of software or licences on a thumbdrive ?

« Last post by Ranayna on Today at 09:24:14 am »

In some thread on here, I think some guy was working on embedded systems programming, and then Enterprise software mangement or something. Including stuff with AMD software or something he said he had $20,000 worth of, on a USB thumbdrive, and it broke. And so he would have to buy all the software or licences again.


Now I'm wondering about a legal aspect of this, like, say this thumbdrive had been stolen. Or even suppose it was built into a toy, and some bully at highschool or a bar/night club, decides to snatch it from you, and won't give it back.

Now would that count as stealing $20,000 ? So you could rightfully call the cops right away ?? What if they stomped on it, but had no idea what it was ?

I just hate bullies, so I just thought of that post I read on here.

Sure, it is easy to have $20,000, or even $100,000 "worth" of software on a thumb drive. But having the software on the key does not make the key that valuable. Software can be copied at will. If you have your only copy of your irreplacable software on a thumbdrive, i have only few words for you: Reckless and stupid come to mind immediately.
Thumbdrives, especially modern ones, are 99% crap. The crappiest flash chips that are barely usable get used for thumbdrives.

If this "thumbdrive" is a licensing dongle, this may be a bit different, true. But as long as you have a proper support contract, you can always get the dongle replaced, since these things can die even if they are never moved. If you can't get it replaced, the software does not sound very enterprise-y, it sounds like extortion.
If you don't have a support contract in this scenario, and your livelyhood depends on this software, i come back to my previous statement: At best you are a reckless miser.

8

FPGA / Re: Lattice has silently removed free iCEcube2 license and now charging $471

« Last post by mikeselectricstuff on Today at 09:24:12 am »

How did it work before? For how long was a free license valid? Did it require internet connection to run?

From memory in the case of ISPLever, I think it was a free renewal every 6 months or a year, fairly sure it only needed internet connection for renewal so  potentially amenable to clock manipulation hacks.

9

Test Equipment / Re: DC coupled 2.7 GHz Active Probe Project - Now Available!

« Last post by lasmux on Today at 09:23:58 am »

I think one of the biggest things I've learnt from this project is that manufacturing (more than one-offs) things which aren't just straight PCBs is really hard, despite having some R&D experience in many of these aspects. It's also been surprising how long seemingly trivial tasks take. I had a bunch of estimates on how long various tasks would take for each probe. Pin assembly, testing, customs paperwork, etc. For almost everything I've underestimated the time requirements, despite having some experience in all of these things in the past.

I have been thinking on ways to improve my workflow for subsequent batches, including test jigs, and assembly jigs for the pins. It's definitely tricky as these kinds of tooling jobs take time to set up, and the time-saving payoff will take a while to reach.

10

Power/Renewable Energy/EV's / Re: Totem Pole PFC is over-hyped?

« Last post by SlimEddie on Today at 09:23:57 am »

Had a chuckle reading this, while doing a bring up of 3.3kW TTPLPFC