It is sometimes suggested that a mains power isolation transformer might be used to solve the ground loop problem. It is true, that many times a mains isolation transformer does help, but not always. A system with properly used isolation transformer is still safe, it can be even safer than system without isolation transformer. Remember →
One of the most common direct coupled noise sources is when the ground which is being used for reference or return is not referenced to earth as expected. This is especially prevalent in sensitive high-gain circuits. Grounding and Shielding Existing Equipment – How to effectively minimize EMI issues when best practices are not available is →
Grounding and shielding is an often misunderstood process. It is common to hear quotes ranging from “it’s just black art!” to “the rules change all the time!” and “there’s no way to understand it!” These statements are often repeated but not true. There is a process, it hasn’t changed, and the more one knows about →
Reverse engineering salvaged part footprints article mentioned an interesting idea to use a microscope software to process an image of the board. Measuring with Software article mentions an interesting free computer-based microscopy software MiCam. MiCam software allows (once you have calibrated it) you to draw more lines on the photos and calculate and display the →
Fun for this Friday: Lighten up! Light-Emitting Dudes video. Light Emitting Dudes takes a team of freerunners, geared up from head to toe with LED lights, and sets them loose on the streets of Bangkok at night. →
Need to fix your Nokia? I have published earlier several tips on fixing Nokia phones, for example fixing N73 and Lumia 800. Here is something fore the newest Lumia phone owners: How to take the Nokia Lumia 920 apart – for the DIY crowd Here is another video that shows how to replace the battery →
U.S. government warns of hack threat to network gear article tells that The Department of Homeland Security urged computer users on Tuesday to to disable a feature known as Universal Plug and Play or UPnP because new security bugs were initially brought to the attention of the government by computer security company Rapid7. UPnP is →
After I build my Atari joystick to USB conversion I saw news that the folks at Arduino seem to be stepping up their game on the same application area. With the new Arduino Leonardo board able to emulate USB keyboards and mice right out of the box, it seems the perfect time for Arduino designers →
RS-232 serial interface is still quite widely used in many applications. Usually RS-232 Mini Tester with LEDs for indicating state of different signals is all that is needed to make things work. But sometimes seeing signals with your eyes is not enough for troubleshooting and testing. There are nowadays cheap logic analyzers (like Saleae Logic →
Electronics industry hopefully starts to glow after not so good year 2012. It’s safe to say that 2012 has been a wild ride for all of us. The global semiconductor industry has demonstrated impressive resilience in year 2012, despite operating in a challenging global macroeconomic environment. Many have already ratcheted back their expectations for 2013. →