Is it posible to make non-mechanical resistor box ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Icarus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 03:25:31 pm
content: Is it posible to make non-mechanical resistor box ?

author: chibiace
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 03:48:24 pm
content: you mean like a microcontroller hooked up to some relays?

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 04:05:50 pm
content: You might research vactrols, photo FETs and digital potentiometers.

author: Icarus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 05:01:48 pm
content: Quote from: TerminalJack505 on July 01, 2013, 04:05:50 pmYeah but is it poisble to achive miliohm resolution with those devices ?

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 05:05:45 pm
content: That's why I saidyoudo the research. Onlyyouknow what your requirements are. Am I supposed to know your requirements from your one-line post?

author: Icarus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 09:58:34 pm
content: Being a smart ass is only tolerable if you are knowledgeable.In this situation, it seems to be just you are try to cover your lack of intelligence

author: WBB
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:01:09 pm
content: Quote from: Icarus on July 01, 2013, 09:58:34 pmAs opposed to what? Being a psychic?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:01:15 pm
content: Translation: "Thanks for trying to help! Sorry I wasn't specific enough. I see you did the best you could with the information I gave, and I'm grateful for that."Hmm... you know, actually I think my translator might need a bit of a tune-up.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:05:07 pm
content: Yeah, the OP was pretty vague in his request.I guess the answer to his first post is "yes".

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:06:46 pm
content: Well, I fixed the translator. (Damn tantalum caps....) But I turned it on and hit "translate", and it just made a rude farting noise. Does anybody know what's wrong with it?

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:12:16 pm
content: If you're looking for a non-mechanical (electronic?) replacement for a resistor box that can do exactly what most typical decade boxes do, then I'd say: no. There is nothing that I can think of that will everything a typical decade box will do. Especially with regards to tolerance, power handling and isolation.

author: WBB
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:20:20 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on July 01, 2013, 10:06:46 pmActually, I think that is the proper translation! It's fixed! Congrats.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:38:59 pm
content: Sigh, Turkey is a country, not a description.All that aside, I've been thinking about doing this too, but all I've come up with so far is a buttload of relays.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:40:57 pm
content: Actually, I think a buttload of relays would be a perfectly reasonable way to do it. If it's computerized you can just use a 1/2/4/8 sequence, no need for enough switches to do actual decade dials.

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2013, 10:48:21 pm
content: Didn't Dave have a digital resistance box with a ton of reed switches? Or was that someone else? It seems like I remember someone doing a video about such a thing.This is still "mechanical" so far as I'm concerned.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 02:07:49 am
content: Readily availablehereandhereandhere

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 02:20:49 am
content: That's friggin' expensive.

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 02:23:30 am
content: Quote from: robrenz on July 02, 2013, 02:07:49 amThat'sthe one I remember seeing. I browsed through all of Dave's videos and didn't see anything so I don't remember were I saw a video about it. At least now I know I didn't just imagine the thing.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 02:33:52 am
content: I'd like to see a teardown of that first one.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 02:41:57 am
content: Yeah, me too. How the hell do they get it so small?

author: cthree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 04:12:17 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on July 01, 2013, 10:40:57 pmA butt is 2 hogsheads so yeah, a load of butts should do it!

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 04:33:50 am
content: Quote from: cthree on July 02, 2013, 04:12:17 amI'm thoroughly convinced that the Imperial units were created as an April Fool's joke that got out of control.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 05:08:59 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on July 02, 2013, 04:33:50 amI think you are on to something.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 05:15:13 am
content: No, it's what happens when a king decides to use his foot as a unit of measurement.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 05:52:00 am
content: And his butt?He either had very small hogs or a very fat ass.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 02:27:05 pm
content: Yes, it is. Now that I've considered the relay idea, I'm thinking about adding that to my project list. I love test gear that can be automated. And I'll definitely throw in a current sensor to open the circuit or snap to highest resistance if the current goes too high.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 03:15:09 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on July 02, 2013, 02:23:40 pmQuote from: c4757p on July 02, 2013, 02:27:05 pmUnless I am missing something (probably am) that feature is useless unless you are in a production environment using the same resistance value. On that IET unit you set the max voltage to limit your current. But for general use of any setting the current/voltage is different for every single resistance value. Unless you had the resistance switch positions or electronic setting automaticaly set the limit it would not work.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 02, 2013, 05:01:46 pm
content: Hey, I'd like to mess with the relay idea too, wanna collaborate on it?