Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[nixiefreqq]

Currently attempting to persuade the SDS1202X-E to do its protocol decoder thing so I don't have to go in the cupboard and get the Saleae

Good luck with that. I tried with my Owon and just abandoned the idea. Saleae software is way easier and better.

Sussed it. Decode SDA trigger was pointing at the wrong channel. Could be clearer that you need a serial trigger AND the decode trigger thresholds set up separately. They look the same in the menu. That'll teach me not to RTFM

Quick video. Excuse the voice - it's not great today...

when you post a video in a foreign language please consider adding subtitles in english so that we in the colonies can enjoy and learn too.

[capt bullshot]

I'm currently playing with chibios/giving it a try. It has its own HAL.

Look up my messy demos, I've combined STM HAL with ChibiOS.

http://wunderkis.de/gitweb/
http://wunderkis.de/thestm32files.html

Beware, this stuff isn't up to date with the latest CubeMX

[0culus]

Dug up a PNP transistor, played around a bit and came to two conclusions:

- I have no idea what I'm doing with this thing
- This thing just works, doesn't it?

It looks like it is vertically inverted, and at least horizontally over sized. It seems like the curve tracing start point is on the upper left corner, when it should be on the lower left corner.
And like med6753 said, it looks a bit tilted.

This is how a curve trace for an NPN BC547B looks like in my Tek2445

What's the circuit you've built up there?

[bd139]

I'm learning that slowly. Also ST HAL is a pile of shit.

Ack. I use HAL only to route / initialize the pins, clock system and some other basics. Often basic initialization of a peripheral through HAL does the job good enough so I don't need to cope with all the details. For the real stuff (anything after basic initialization) I access the HW directly where it is needed or write my own basic driver layer.

I'm still working on the approach that I'll continue to use HAL for now until I understand the hardware a little better or it truly makes me die inside  . That happened with Arduino / AVR. The Arduino is basically like a HAL and a steamer of one as well and I lasted about 3 hours on that and then ripped out the insides and used them instead (avr-gcc).

I suppose the question is: is there a series of microcontrollers with some grunt that isn't a pile of shit? Needs to run FreeRTOS or something as I need multiple tasks.

There are many series of microcontrollers with some grunt available, but you'll find you pile of shit with them too, maybe at some other place.
HW wise the STM32 aren't too bad, for some peripherals the others are better, for some other peripherals STM32 is better. CortexM and it's typical associated toolchains is all over the place anyway and no need to switch to another architecture.

Fair assertion. There is never better software, just different

Edit: I suppose at least the ST Link has half decent debugger built in 

Works for me. The ST Link debugger exists long enough to evolute from absolute crap to a decent useful level, the modern ones also incorporate a working USB CDC for printf() debugging onboard (nearly all nucleo boards have that).

Yep. I haven't figured that out yet. I will do in time. I'm quite happy with the ability to dump breakpoints in at the moment. At least it's not like the old days of PIC where your only debugging tool was a spare IO port and an LED 

when you post a video in a foreign language please consider adding subtitles in english so that we in the colonies can enjoy and learn too.

A guide for you 

[tautech]

Currently attempting to persuade the SDS1202X-E to do its protocol decoder thing so I don't have to go in the cupboard and get the Saleae

Good luck with that. I tried with my Owon and just abandoned the idea. Saleae software is way easier and better.

Sussed it. Decode SDA trigger was pointing at the wrong channel. Could be clearer that you need a serial trigger AND the decode trigger thresholds set up separately. They look the same in the menu. That'll teach me not to RTFM

The key to simple decoding is to set the clock channel to the correct edge type and trigger holdoff a shade more than the packet width. Check thresholds are right and away you go.
IME you don't need decode triggers unless you want to trigger on a particular bit.

[capt bullshot]

Just for comparison: could you do a PNP, e.g. a BC 557 or so?

BC546B and BC556B - polarity inverted, and otherwise the same settings on a Tek 577

Edit: someone fucked up rotation of the picture ...

[Mortymore]

Now I'm fried! 

...

Just for comparison: could you do a PNP, e.g. a BC 557 or so?

Thanks

...
What's the circuit you've built up there?

For further details, please take a look here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/can-i-build-this-curve-tracer-circuit-with-an-awg/msg2887496/#msg2887496

Thanks

[URI]

A bit offtopic, but on the other hand outstanding in my opinion. Lots of electronics involved though.   
I was surfing youtube when I came across this cover of 'sweet child in time':


I'm relieved now. rock isn't dead when youngsters cover classic rock songs like this.
Sends me shivers down my spine like the original. 

edit: Hell, how do I insert youtube links correctly...?
2nd edit: Ahh, made it   
3rd edit: corrected some spelling, am relieved now..

[bd139]

Currently attempting to persuade the SDS1202X-E to do its protocol decoder thing so I don't have to go in the cupboard and get the Saleae

Good luck with that. I tried with my Owon and just abandoned the idea. Saleae software is way easier and better.

Sussed it. Decode SDA trigger was pointing at the wrong channel. Could be clearer that you need a serial trigger AND the decode trigger thresholds set up separately. They look the same in the menu. That'll teach me not to RTFM

The key to simple decoding is to set the clock channel to the correct edge type and trigger holdoff a shade more than the packet width. Check thresholds are right and away you go.
IME you don't need decode triggers unless you want to trigger on a particular bit.

Thanks for tip. I'm playing with segmented memory and this now as one of the tasks this will be doing only occurs every couple of minutes on one address so I'm trying to set up a trigger that will catch the destination packets in a storm of other ones. I haven't added the other packets yet 

It's getting a baptism of fire basically from a monkey with a gun (me):

[Cerebus]

A bit offtopic, but on the other hand outstanding in my opinion. Lots of electronics involved though.   
I was surfing youtube when I came across this cover of 'sweet child in time':


I'm reliefed now. rock isn't dead when youngsters cover classic rock songs like this.
Sends me shivers down my spine like the original. 

Hell, how do I insert youtube links correctly...?

Keep Mnem away from the drummer. She looks like she could break him...

[tautech]

Thanks for tip. I'm playing with segmented memory and this now as one of the tasks this will be doing only occurs every couple of minutes on one address so I'm trying to set up a trigger that will catch the destination packets in a storm of other ones. I haven't added the other packets yet 

Get a handle on dedicated Roll mode using a sloooow timebase and History. That should give you more flexibility.

[capt bullshot]

A bit offtopic, but on the other hand outstanding in my opinion. Lots of electronics involved though.   
I was surfing youtube when I came across this cover of 'sweet child in time':

Great - downloaded, converted and will be added to the collection - looks like that drummer has some more stuff to explore ...

[med6753]

A monkey with a gun is always preferable to a gorilla with a screwdriver. 

Edit, that drummer is extremely talented. Check out her other U tubes.

And she's a redhead. 

[nixiefreqq]

I'm learning that slowly. Also ST HAL is a pile of shit.

Ack. I use HAL only to route / initialize the pins, clock system and some other basics. Often basic initialization of a peripheral through HAL does the job good enough so I don't need to cope with all the details. For the real stuff (anything after basic initialization) I access the HW directly where it is needed or write my own basic driver layer.

I'm still working on the approach that I'll continue to use HAL for now until I understand the hardware a little better or it truly makes me die inside  . That happened with Arduino / AVR. The Arduino is basically like a HAL and a steamer of one as well and I lasted about 3 hours on that and then ripped out the insides and used them instead (avr-gcc).

I suppose the question is: is there a series of microcontrollers with some grunt that isn't a pile of shit? Needs to run FreeRTOS or something as I need multiple tasks.

There are many series of microcontrollers with some grunt available, but you'll find you pile of shit with them too, maybe at some other place.
HW wise the STM32 aren't too bad, for some peripherals the others are better, for some other peripherals STM32 is better. CortexM and it's typical associated toolchains is all over the place anyway and no need to switch to another architecture.

Fair assertion. There is never better software, just different

Edit: I suppose at least the ST Link has half decent debugger built in 

Works for me. The ST Link debugger exists long enough to evolute from absolute crap to a decent useful level, the modern ones also incorporate a working USB CDC for printf() debugging onboard (nearly all nucleo boards have that).

Yep. I haven't figured that out yet. I will do in time. I'm quite happy with the ability to dump breakpoints in at the moment. At least it's not like the old days of PIC where your only debugging tool was a spare IO port and an LED 

when you post a video in a foreign language please consider adding subtitles in english so that we in the colonies can enjoy and learn too.

A guide for you 

thanks!  enjoyed it very much. 

but am still confused.  swmbo just brought me a cup of tea.  she claims to be from london but have never had any trouble understanding her. (picture hyacinth bucket...only much smaller......and louder.  and don't ever ever ever touch the little soaps in the guest bathroom.)

[McBryce]

A monkey with a gun is always preferable to a gorilla with a screwdriver. 

Edit, that drummer is extremely talented. Check out her other U tubes.

And she's a redhead. 

You think so?



McBryce.

[med6753]

[0culus]

My favorite "Keeping up Appearances" situation of all time:



 

[tautech]

A monkey with a gun is always preferable to a gorilla with a screwdriver. 

Edit, that drummer is extremely talented. Check out her other U tubes.

And she's a redhead. 

You ain't kidding ! 
https://www.youtube.com/user/sinadrumming

[Cerebus]

I'm currently playing with chibios/giving it a try. It has its own HAL.

Look up my messy demos, I've combined STM HAL with ChibiOS.

http://wunderkis.de/gitweb/
http://wunderkis.de/thestm32files.html

Beware, this stuff isn't up to date with the latest CubeMX

Thanks for that, and I will take a look (in furtherance of Med's education: "take a butchers"), but just for the ChibiOS stuff. The hell that is the native STM HAL is what has propelled me in the direction of looking for something more sensible. I can and could just hard-code everything from the register maps quite happily but it would be nice to have an environment that: (1) made that unnecessary and, (2) was a bit kinder on other people who might not be so comfortable with low-level code as I am, also (3) portability.

[Cerebus]

A monkey with a gun is always preferable to a gorilla with a screwdriver. 

Edit, that drummer is extremely talented. Check out her other U tubes.

And she's a redhead. 

You ain't kidding ! 
https://www.youtube.com/user/sinadrumming

Stop drooling boy! 

[tautech]

A monkey with a gun is always preferable to a gorilla with a screwdriver. 

Edit, that drummer is extremely talented. Check out her other U tubes.

And she's a redhead. 

You ain't kidding ! 
https://www.youtube.com/user/sinadrumming

Stop drooling boy! 

Yeah but ain't it refreshing to see such a clean cut and capable gal right into this stuff.
Watching some of her stuff now.

[URI]

A monkey with a gun is always preferable to a gorilla with a screwdriver. 

Edit, that drummer is extremely talented. Check out her other U tubes.

And she's a redhead. 

You ain't kidding ! 
https://www.youtube.com/user/sinadrumming

Stop drooling boy! 

Yeah but ain't it refreshing to see such a clean cut and capable gal right into this stuff.
Watching some of her stuff now.

...so am I.

[med6753]

A monkey with a gun is always preferable to a gorilla with a screwdriver. 

Edit, that drummer is extremely talented. Check out her other U tubes.

And she's a redhead. 

You think so?



McBryce.

Yep, the monkey with the gun kills off the gorillas with the screwdrivers which makes my life so much more enjoyable.   

[Ice-Tea]

Dug up a PNP transistor, played around a bit and came to two conclusions:

- I have no idea what I'm doing with this thing
- This thing just works, doesn't it?

It looks like it is vertically inverted, and at least horizontally over sized. It seems like the curve tracing start point is on the upper left corner, when it should be on the lower left corner.
And like med6753 said, it looks a bit tilted.

I think the vertical is by design (for a PNP). The tilt: you guys probably have a point. It should drop from left to right. The scale and position can be adjustred, so probably not an issue. Still, think it's in good enough shape to toss it on eBay. I think a prospective buyer would be dissapointed if there was *no* work at all to be done.

I'll still toss a few more devices at it on Monday. If I'm allowed to go out.

[Specmaster]

Here is the latest from the Chelmsford Main Tesco store today, I really wondered if it was worth their while being open TBH, the same goes for Farmfoods  and also Morrisons, although did have a few items on some shelves in Morrisons.

I managed to speak to some staff members in these shops, and they kind of implied that their suppliers themselves are unable to obtain stock, and until they can they will only be getting dribs and drabs in IF they are lucky.  I did remember to get my phone and snap a few photos in Tescos and even the pet food has also all gone so there will be a few starving pets if this continues. In fact I predict that an awful lot of pets will be kicked out to fend for themselves over this.

Is this preview to what it will be like once Jan 2021 gets here, and we cut all trading ties with the EU?

Tesco Chicken shelves


Pet food and paper goods (TP etc)


Frozen vegetables