hybridfree/eevblog-posts huggingface dataset:
Found Used Pace MP-1 | Suction Works but No Heat - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: HallmanLabs
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 17, 2017, 09:23:20 pm
content: I found aPace MP-1desoldering station w/ SensaTemp SODR-X-Tractor Handle for $75 shipped to my door. I know that Pace is considered by many to be one of the best desoldering branded tools on the market and rarely do they show on Ebay in any type of working condition.Quote1. There are two bolts+nuts/washer on the back of the unit that holds the transformer in place. These two parts were gone and the entire transformer was sliding around inside which damaged the main filter capacitor on the PSU board. Where does the green wire (assuming ground) go by default running towards the rear of the unit? I assumed any of the two screws to anchor the green wire/(assumed) ground to the chassis would work.2: The same green wire was floating around inside the handle. I need to know if this is a general ground where any of the 3 mounting places in the end of the handle, all should be the same unless I am missing something.Nothing else in the entire unit looked damaged except that capacitor from getting hit. The previous owner of this unit didn't even bother to inspect the cause of the "moving parts inside". Those moving parts (aside from the transformer sliding) were a dozen or more replacements tips in a storage area near the center of the unit held by a magnet.Power Transformer part numbers (first two are unclear): (T?)(1?) 92-0048 MLI TX-S722 4781I have been unable to find a transformer that matches those numbers in order to get the datasheet for the tranny. I assume it converts 120VAC -> 12VDC based on the fact the unit runs off either AC+Transformer or 12V DC (input on the front of the unit).I changed out that primary power cap (4700uF/25V) and now the handle/iron is getting a lot hotter (using AC+Trans), but still not hot enough to desolder. It's probably 100-150F, I have attached a few pictures showing the internals of this unit.The IC found on the Blue PCB looks to me like it is nearly melted, so I ordered a replacement (TI LM339N Voltage Quad Comparator) just to be safe. It is insanely hard to get a picture of the circuit between the switches/dials to the face plate.Does that Blue PCB (pic #3) look like stock parts or something someone tried to repair? I can't find internal shots of this unit to compare anything to. Also, I took out the diaphragm before taking pictures to allow more room.So the question now is, what could prevent the tip from heating up past 50% of it's normal operating temp? I'd think either you'd get almost no heat or full heat, not sure how I fixed it 50% of the way w/ regard to tip temperature. Could this be due to the RCA 286386 NPN 40W? I am running out of ideas unless there is something I can check out in the actual handle/iron.If anyone would like more pictures or better pictures of a specific part of the unit let me know.
Four pad crystals - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Emil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2017, 11:40:23 am
content: I'm planning to use a four pad quartz crystal. The datasheet shows pad 1 and 3 to be connected to the crystal. Pad 2 and 4 are not shown to be connected to anything, but it doesn't explicitly say NC either.What should I do with pad 2 and 4?1. Leave unconnected.2. Connect to gnd.3. Connect 1-4 and 2-3 together (saves space by not needing to route a trace around the pad)The part is ABM10-167-12.000MHz-T3, datasheet:http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/3/ABM10-167-12.000MHz-962396.pdf

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2017, 11:54:34 am
content: In general i connect them to the same ground as the crystal capacitors, and have that ground trace run right back to the oscillator ground pin before it meets the ground plane.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2017, 06:59:31 pm
content: I've seen justifications for both 1 and 2. But don't do 3, for sure, since in some cases top metal can is connected to one of those unconnected pins, and you will short your crystal.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 15, 2017, 07:28:32 pm
content: Quote from: ataradov on March 15, 2017, 06:59:31 pmActually not some cases but everything I've seen has those pads connected to the metal cover and internal metallization. It's strange that datasheet does not say anything about those pads.First random datasheet which I found for similar crystalhttp://www.ndk.com/images/products/catalog/c_NX2520SA-STD-CSW-4_e.pdf(says should be connected to GND)

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2024, 11:30:19 pm
content: I just had the same question about this same part. Asked google first, found this, then checked Abracon's website for extra info.'Package drawing' on their website show 2 and 4 should be grounded. It also shows a recommended land pattern that is slightly smaller.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2024, 11:36:42 pm
content: My feeling is that this was solved 7+ years ago...
Four-terminals shunt resistors - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: jackjr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 23, 2012, 12:29:26 pm
content: Hi,I'm working on a 3-phase brushless motor controller project, and I need to sense the current and voltage passing through the MOSFETs.I'm using theTI DRV8301 IC, a MOSFET gate driver, which also includes 2 current shunt amplifiers for current measurements.The reference design in the datasheet uses 2 separate shunt resistors. (See attachment for the schematic).While looking for an ideal resistor, I came acrossthese four-terminals shunt resistors.So the question is, can I substitute the 2 resistors by only one of these?

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2012, 12:40:34 pm
content: i would think not, as those 10 milli ohm resistors look to be acting as ballast resistors to even out the current between the mosfets

author: baljemmett
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 23, 2012, 12:43:12 pm
content: Quote from: jackjr on August 23, 2012, 12:29:26 pmNo -- the four-terminal shunt resistors you've found are still only individual resistors, so you'd still need two of them. The extra pair of terminals are your sense connection -- you pass the current through the 'outer' pair of terminals, and read the voltage drop across the 'inner' pair. That way you measure the real voltage drop across the resistor, instead of the combined voltage drop across the resistor and the current-carrying connections to it; the technique is called four-wire (or Kelvin) measurement.(ETA: as, in fact, mentioned in the datasheet you linked!)

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2012, 12:51:46 pm
content: No. You can use that resistor but you still need two of them. The 4 terminal resistor will be more accurate at 10m ohms because it eliminates all voltage drop variations that would be in the connection of a 2 lead resistor. Your circuit board has to have the proper layout for the 4 terminal resistor and you have to orient the resistor properly or it may give inaccurate readings if reversed. There are also board layout techniques for shunts with only 2 leads to give maximum accuracy. It is in this excellent paperhttp://www.analog.com/static/imported-files/rarely_asked_questions/moreInfo_raq_resistors.htmlEDIT: baljemmett, Sorry I ignored the post warning.

author: jackjr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 23, 2012, 04:23:21 pm
content: Too badThanks for the link Robrenz.All this seems to be way more complex than I thought…
Fourier Series analysis of Triangular waveform - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: khatus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2019, 03:08:56 pm
content: Fourier Series of Triangular waveformthis is the solution of Fourier series of a triangular waveform from the book Circuits and Networks: Analysis and Synthesis by Shyammohan S. Palli.In this problem they have take the time period of the triangular waveform from -π to +π instead of 0 to 2π.Now, from -π to 0 the equation of the waveform is as shown belowand from 0 to +π the equation of the waveform isWhich givesMy question is,If i take the interval from 0 to 2π.then from 0 to +π the equation of the waveform will beand from +π to +2π the equation of the waveform will beBut this giveswhich did not match with previous.My question is why they took the interval from -π to +π instead of 0 to 2π.I post my calculation here

author: Andy Watson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2019, 03:57:00 pm
content: Check the limits on your last integration and note that the upper limit is \$2\pi\$ - when you run the figures this should translate to \$(2\pi)^2\$, you appear to have used \$2(\pi^2)\$.

author: khatus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2019, 04:33:03 pm
content: ThanksAndy Watson.silly mistake causes problem

author: rhb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 02:05:02 am
content: Because the discrete Fourier transform is periodic over the semi-closed interval from (-Pi,Pi] by definition.I had a very miserable couple of weeks at work because I overlooked the semi-closed part.
Fourier series signal - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: username
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 13, 2017, 09:37:30 pm
content: Derive the expression for coefficients of Fourier series in exponential form for the sequence of rectangular pulses (with amplitudeA, periodTand duration?) shown in this image:Derive the expression for signal power depending on the coefficients of Fourier series.Attempt:For the case when k is equal to zero, the integral becomesAverage power is given by:Average power is not dependent on Fourier series coefficients. Is this a mistake in evaluation? Is the signal power depending on the coefficients of Fourier series equal to the average power? How to evaluate the signal power depending on the coefficients of Fourier series?

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2017, 07:18:30 am
content: You found the power of the signal s(t), do it for a_k(t) = sin(n w t) thingys instead. Then you get a series p_k.Tim

author: egonotto
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2017, 09:36:12 am
content: Hi,your doubts are justified. But in this case there is no mistake.It is a consequence of Parseval's identity.In your case it states, that the sum of the average power of the elements of the Fourier series is the average power of s.Fourier series are not easy at all.Books:Walter Rudin: Principles of Mathematical AnalysisOtto Forster: Analysis 1 (in german)Best regardsegonotto

author: orolo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2017, 09:51:30 am
content: If you want to integrate the Fourier components, due having an orthonormal basis, you will be adding the series \$\sum a_k^2 = \sum_{k}\frac{1}{k^2}\, \sin^2(k\cdot t/2) \$, where in your case \$ t = w_0\cdot \theta\$.Summing that series is easy, but a bit of a hassle. Use \$\sin^2 x = \frac{1- cos(2x)}{2}\$ to remove the square from the sine, and you get a classical series \$ \sum\frac{1}{2k^2} = \pi^2/12\$ and another Fourier series \$\sum\frac{1}{2k^2}\cos(k\cdot t)\$ which is just the integral of a sawtooh wave (a parabolic wave) evaluated at 't'. From there, computing the series is easy, and you arrive at the same value than you got using the simpler way.Or, as said above, you can trust Parseval and save yourself the trouble.
FoxCloud WiFi Stick lost Configuration - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: RedArrow
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 05, 2023, 03:32:50 pm
content: HiI have a FoxESS Inverter System with the Wi-Fi Stick. The stick will lienk to my home network but is shown as Off Line by FoxCloud. I moved my router and suspect that the DNS and Gateway addresses have become corrupt as other devices show both as 192.168.1.231 and not what it should and needs to be 192.168.1.254.Can anyone suggest how to alter to the correct address?Regards
Fpc connector  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Kaalin
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 18, 2018, 05:27:08 pm
content: Just a general sourcing question but a have a number of tft lcds with 18 pin .8mm pitch and have searched everywhere for connectors. Any advice on where I might find such a part? Tried google, aliexpress, digikey and no luck. Any help would be appreciated.

author: perieanuo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2018, 08:04:15 pm
content: Search ebay for ' fpc connector 18 pin 'And 8 mm pitch, I doubtEnvoyé de mon iPad en utilisant Tapatalk
FPGA Dev board recommendations (Mojo V3 vs Digilent Cmod S6?) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: theramenman
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 14, 2017, 07:21:12 am
content: Hi everyone, this is my first post here so sorry if I selected the wrong section, but anyway:I'm a uni student looking for a FPGA dev board on a tight budget. I can spend maybe $75 max. I was looking at some popular options and I can get a MOJO V3 for around $39 or the CMOD S6 for around $69. Both of these are within my price range and seem to have somewhat similar features (except the Mojo seems to lack external RAM).I'm just trying to self learn VHDL mostly (I've used Xilinx FPGA's before for some intro courses but that was using the schematic view in Xilinx ISE, not with VHDL or Verilog) and I have a large amount of parts (common IC's, switches, buttons, LED's, breadboard, etc) sitting around, so not having a bunch of things on the board itself to fiddle around with isn't a big issue for me since I can just tack my parts on a breadboard. Anyone here have any experiance with either and could recommend one? Or maybe I should get the Digilent CMOD A7 since its slightly newer, has some extra flipflops compared to the older models, etc for around $75?

author: KE5FX
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2017, 07:36:57 am
content: The CMOD A7 looks really handy. I'd go with that. 7-series has some advantages over the old Spartan6 chips, notably the use of up-to-date software.

author: theramenman
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 15, 2017, 10:51:58 am
content: I caved and forked over the extra bucks (Digilent charges an arm and a leg for shipping: $16 for their cheapest option! Turns out mouser is an authorized distributor, 3.99 shipping on their end) for the CMOD A7. You get nearly 4.5 times the slices and upgrades in almost every other aspect for about $5 more.Just a reference for others who might be looking at the Mojo V3 or CMOD S6, keep in mind that the CMOD S6 is more or less deprecated in terms of support from digilent and the amount of tutorials available for it are far less numerous. The Mojo V3 is a pretty good bang for buck at $40 (get it on ebay) than both of them and seems to come highly recommended on reddit and other places.
fpga driving multiple leds, high amp concerns - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: aussie_laser_dude
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2020, 10:02:12 am
content: Hi everyone,this is my first forum post, hoping to enjoy my time reading through the forumsCan a DE0 nano FPGA evaluation board (a cyclone IV fpga) drive 16 standard LEDS (just the kind of common LEDS you get in hobbyist packs). I'm concerned that trying to light them all up at once could damage my fpga due to all the current passing through it. I'm unsure on how much current the fpga can handle?I've just discovered fpgas, pretty blown away by the stuff they can do!cheers

author: TheHolyHorse
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2020, 12:15:31 pm
content: You should be able to find that information in the datasheet of the fpga.Also in what configuration will the LEDs be in? Series, parallel?Series will result in lower current but higher voltage (the forward voltage if the LEDs added together) which is probably gonna be way higher than the fpga can output.The best solution is to get some external led driving circuitry.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2020, 01:16:54 pm
content: Table 1.15 shows a value of +-4 mA for pin current:https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/programmable/us/en/pdfs/literature/hb/cyclone-iv/cyiv-53001.pdfDigilent tends to use transistors to drive the LEDs - see page 2https://reference.digilentinc.com/_media/reference/programmable-logic/arty-a7/arty_a7_sch.pdf

author: Jan Audio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2020, 01:24:38 pm
content: Or use higher resistors to keep it low current ( and less bright )

author: TheHolyHorse
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2020, 04:48:52 pm
content: Quote from: Jan Audio on April 07, 2020, 01:24:38 pmHe still needs the higher voltage. 4mA is enough to make the LEDs emit light, but if he connects them in series he's still gonna need like 32V assuming that the LEDs have a 2V forward voltage.

author: aussie_laser_dude
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2020, 09:40:58 pm
content: Thanks everyone. Table 1-15 for cyclone IV link given by rstofer saying +-4mA is what I was after. Looks like it'll handle 16 low power (<2ma) leds on 16 different I/O pins with no problem. Transistors are a nice idea if I need more power.Thanks again guys

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2020, 09:16:26 am
content: Quote from: aussie_laser_dude on April 07, 2020, 09:40:58 pmThat is absolutely fine, I think many people were thinking you wanted to drive all those LEDs from one pin which wouldn't work well.

author: TheHolyHorse
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2020, 10:29:15 am
content: Quote from: aussie_laser_dude on April 07, 2020, 09:40:58 pmI haven't read the datasheet but check the total allowed IO current. Just because max IO pin current is 4mA doesn't mean you can do that on to many pins at the same time.Be sure to check that before you accidentally toast a chip.
FPGA input protection (solved) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: OM222O
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2022, 04:12:08 pm
content: Hi,I'm using a CMOD S7 (spartan 7) FPGA as a motor controller (reading an encoder, performing PID, and outputting a PWM). The encoder is a 5V device but the FPGA is not 5V tolerant. I already purchased a TXS0108E level shifter, but I'm still a bit paranoid because this is the only FPGA I have and it's fairly expensive (around 70$) so I don't want to take any chances (for example if somehow the level shifter IC fails short, I don't want 5V to be sent to the FPGA input). From what I could gather by googling, using 2 clamp diodes and a series resistor should be sufficient, but I'm not sure if this fully protects the board.Another method I could think of was using a comparator or CMOS inverter chips supplied by 3.3V to act as a level shifter. Again, I know I'm being overly paranoid, but let me know which method is best for input protection.Edit: I'm really dumb ... For this application, a simple voltage divider should be enough as FPGA isn't communicating with the encoder at all. I'm just used to connecting bi-directional buses between two boards (for example I2C between raspberry pi and Arduino) which require an IC.
FPGA programming - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: balavinayagambt
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 06, 2017, 05:27:49 am
content: Hi!!!I am using the Lattice iCE40 ultraplus mobile development platform and I encountered a problem while programming it.The error is :ERROR-Failed to scan board.ERROR-Scan Failed - Creating Blank Programmer Project.I am using Lattice diamond programmer 3.9 in Windows 10 and UWG30 package in the iCE40Ultraplus MDP.Can anybody give some suggestion or idea to solve it?Expecting a solution soon...

author: Ammar
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2017, 09:26:00 am
content: Hello,A picture of your set up would be helpful.
FPGA SDR SDRAM control for frame buffering - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Axk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2018, 06:12:40 pm
content: Please correct me if I'm wrong.I'm thinking about buffering frames coming from a 30fps camera module (640x480) in SDR SDRAM to match this to a 60fps VGA output.In my understanding with this specific task it should be fairly straightforward to write an SDR SDRAM controller in Verilog (they call it a static controller in this presentation:http://www.es.ele.tue.nl/premadona/files/akesson01.pdf).With its 64 ms refresh interval the DRAM won't need explicit refreshing because at 30fps each row in the utilized area of the DRAM will be read from or written to at least each 33 ms (I'm thinking of a double buffer one part written to while the other is read from and then they switch roles).I could interleave writes with reads with internal SRAM FIFO buffering to make up for the gaps in the reads and writes and gaps because of changes of rows.

author: Axk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2019, 07:23:11 pm
content: So I can confirm that a primitive controller (without refresh even) for SDR SDRAM for a frame buffer is relatively straightforward.What was not easy is to debug the whole chain of Verilog modules: camera -> FIFO -> Sdram -> FIFO -> VGA considering SDRAM is not a dual port memory.There is even a good Verilog model of the Micron SDR SDRAM I used (MT48LC8M16A2) which makes testbenching the whole RTL design much easier.
FPGA stopwatch - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: kishores
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 12:05:13 pm
content: Hi ,I am from microcontroller background delving into FPGAs . I am trying to implement a seconds stopwatch and show the output on LEDs in binary. I have implemented a seconds counter . However , I am having trouble with the stopwatch.Code:library IEEE;use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_1164.ALL;-- Uncomment the following library declaration if using-- arithmetic functions with Signed or Unsigned valuesuse IEEE.NUMERIC_STD.ALL;use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_UNSIGNED.ALL;-- Uncomment the following library declaration if instantiating-- any Xilinx primitives in this code.--library UNISIM;--use UNISIM.VComponents.all;entity counter isPort ( clk : in STD_LOGIC;switch:in STD_LOGIC;--inp:in STD_LOGIC;leds : out STD_LOGIC_VECTOR (7 downto 0));--leds : out STD_LOGIC);end counter;architecture Behavioral of counter issignal count : STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(25 downto 0) := (others=>'0');signal second :STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(7 downto 0) := (others =>'0');signal startTime:STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(7 downto 0) := (others => '0');signal endTime:STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(7 downto 0) := (others => '0');begin--Challenge 2:Switch timermyprocess:process(clk,switch)beginif(rising_edge(clk)) thenif(count = 50e6) thensecond <= second + 1;count <= (others => '0' );elsecount <= count + 1;end if;end if;if(switch = '1') thenstartTime <= second;endTime <= (others => '0') ;elseendTime <= second;endTime <= endTime - startTime;#not concurrent behaviourend if;end process;leds <=endTime;By definition a statements inside 'if' statements are concurrent but I doubt that is what is going on .Also I am getting plenty of latch and combinatorial loop errors . What am I doing wrong?

author: Dave
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 02:19:16 pm
content: Replace:Code:endTime <= second;endTime <= endTime - startTime;#not concurrent behaviourWith:Code:endTime <= second - startTime;You're currently trying to set endTime to be two things at the same time.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 02:55:18 pm
content: I think your if (switch = '1') stuff needs to be clocked if startTime is to be remembered.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2019, 04:31:51 pm
content: If you are still having problems, you might Google for 'FPGA Stopwatch Project' There are many!
FPGA Synthesis - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: loftusmi
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 19, 2024, 03:21:56 pm
content: Hello,I'm trying to use Vivado 2023.2 Standard ML to synthesize the VHDL code found here:https://intantech.com/products_RHS2000_RhythmStim.htmlHowever, it appears that I'm missing some files, as evidenced by the attached image. I suspect that they're from some kind of code library since they're not included in the VHDL code that's provided on the website.Does anyone know how I can add these files to my project for successful synthesis?

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2024, 03:31:22 pm
content: it is verilog not vhdl, there's readme file, do as it says ...

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2024, 06:07:58 pm
content: There is an entire forum dedicated to FPGA stuff here on EEVBLOG.

author: loftusmi
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 19, 2024, 08:59:57 pm
content: The README takes care of it, thanks!
fr4 breakdown voltage - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: LaserTazerPhaser
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2019, 04:33:48 am
content: Whats the dielectric strength of ordinary low cost 1.6mm 2 sided FR-4 PCBs?Going offhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FR-4says >50kv but no dimensions. Which means it can be >50Kv per 20mil or something else.

author: adamcord
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2019, 03:32:19 pm
content: I would be looking at the "Dielectric strength" on that table, which is given as 20MV/m, meaning a breakdown voltage of 32kV for a 1.6mm board.I think the table is kinda unclear, but I believe the (A) in parentheses is indicating a 1/8" thickness (based on rows 8 & 9), which works out to 63kV breakdown voltage, which is indeed greater than 50kV.
Free edX course Embedded Systems - Shape the World starts for this year - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: a_beaglebone
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 02, 2017, 04:53:40 am
content: I was following the previous year course and today I received this news to my mail. Hope this information will be useful to beginners.Quote

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2017, 06:24:30 am
content: thanks

author: DenzilPenberthy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2017, 12:47:52 pm
content: I got a decent way through it last year but life etc got in the way. I'm looking forward to getting it finished off. Looks like now I can get back on it and still get a certificate at the end.

author: richnormand
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 02, 2017, 06:01:44 pm
content: Took it about two years ago.Highly recommended to learn about ARM Cortex and/or spruce up your rusty C programming.
Free electronics courses from MIT available - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: garymck
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2017, 10:11:00 pm
content: Hi,just discovered some fabulous free electronics courses from MIT in the US.https://www.edx.org/course?search_query=electronicsRun as part of the EDX project. these are the same courses that MIT runs for its undergraduate programs. Free if you don't want a certificate at the end... $99 if you do....Perfect for a beginner like me, I understand at least the early stuff.cheersGary
Free embedded Real-Time EdX course UT.6.10x starts in September - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: ade
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 12:55:55 am
content: Hi all,The follow-up course to UT Austin's the hugely successful6.03x Embedded Systemson EdX is now open for registration:https://www.edx.org/course/real-time-bluetooth-networks-shape-world-utaustinx-ut-rtbn-12-01xThis new course will start in September and will cover Real-Time Networks using Bluetooth. From the course description:"In this lab-based computer science course, explore the complexities of embedded systems and learn how to develop your own real-time operating system (RTOS) by building a personal fitness device with Bluetooth connectivity (BLE). An operating system (OS) is a software system that computers use to manage the resources of a computer. The OS decides which tasks are performed when and decides how resources are utilized. Simple embedded systems, which are a combination of electrical, mechanical, chemical, and computer components designed to perform a dedicated function, originally did not need an OS. However, as embedded systems have evolved, so have their complexities. To manage this, an RTOS is now required."The course is free to join. You can optionally get a Verified Certificate for a nominal cost. Students will need to purchase lab materials to complete to course. The lab will be based on the same TM4C123 LaunchPad used in 6.03x, an I/O booster pack, and your choice of TI's CC2650-based Bluetooth LE modules. The MSP432 LaunchPad can also be used in lieu of the TM4C123.Course SyllabusLab 1) Introduction to I/O using the BSP and debuggingLab 2) Thread management for a personal fitness deviceLab 3) Thread synchronication and scheduling for a personal fitness deviceLab 4) Real-time operating system for a hand-held video gameLab 5) File system using the flash ROM of the microcontrollerLab 6) Bluetooth personal area network"This course is intended for students and professional engineers wishing to improve their skills in the fields of embedded systems, product development, computer architecture, operating systems, and Bluetooth networks."

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 03:59:00 am
content: Thanks

author: ElectricGuy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 08:52:17 am
content: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/free-course-ut-6-03x-embedded-systems-on-edx-starting-now/msg846982/#msg846982

author: made2hack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 09:02:02 am
content: thanks for the heads up. The first course was pretty good

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 10:59:25 pm
content: One thing about these courses is once you sign up, you can have access to the lessons and materials for a long time after the course ends. I think for 2 years. I still can see the old course.

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2016, 04:50:48 am
content: Or, if you don't want to rely on edx goodwill, you can download the course material to your computer:https://github.com/coursera-dl/edx-dl
Free FPGA Software Suggestion - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2020, 03:20:35 am
content: I've tinkered with FPGAs in the past and had a copy of Xilinx ISE through my company (maybe back in 2010). Now I no longer have a free copy, but think Xilinx is too expensive and more for high end users.Does anyone know a good piece of software that's free and is something that will be supported in the future?

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2020, 03:44:35 am
content: All vendors provide free software for low end FPGAs. And if your FPGA costs $700, you can probably afford the software too.Also, there won't be free generic software, since there is no documentation for the FPGAs.There is an open source project for Lattice ICE40, but that's pretty limited.Also, specifically for Xilinx, ISE is discontinued in favor of Vivado.
Free Multisim Live Webinar from Diligent - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: watchmaker
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 01, 2024, 12:25:41 am
content: I got this from Diligent as a text and signed up. It is a free webinar on Multisim Live.I could not cut and paste from the text, so I snipped it.
Free online control theory course - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2015, 06:13:55 pm
content: EdX has a new MIT course starting in January 4th.Introduction to Feedback Control TheoryThe best part is it has a hands on lab component building an "Arduino controlled propellar-levitated arm".Based on the Digikey and Amazon parts lists it should be fun.

author: kg4arn
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 20, 2015, 07:40:38 pm
content: Did you have to sign up for the course to see the parts list? Could you publish it here?

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2015, 07:54:49 pm
content: They sent an email to those who registered.Here ya go.http://www.digikey.com/classic/Ordering/AddPart.aspx?WT.z_cid=Shared_Carthttps://www.amazon.com/gp/school-lists/parent-interim/1E146QPX99G3X/ref=hsx_sl_pil_exI have most of the parts already. I just need the Hall effect position sensor, power transistor, project box and the quadcopter. The position sensor is on backorder but should arrive on time. Email said a substitute would be given if delay is too long.There's no harm in registering. It's free and there is no consequence if you choose not to do the course.

author: boza.ricardo@gmail.com
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 21, 2015, 03:46:52 pm
content: mtdoc,Thanks for the links, but I can't see the Digikey list, is that the correct link or I'm missing something?Thanks.

author: Jope
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2015, 05:18:16 pm
content: Brian Douglas has a youtube channel with courses on control theory; these are the best intro to this topic I have seen so far.Intro video:

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2015, 05:56:11 pm
content: Quote from: boza.ricardo@gmail.com on December 21, 2015, 03:46:52 pmSorry, try this:http://www.digikey.com/short/t2nb5t

author: boza.ricardo@gmail.com
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 21, 2015, 06:04:33 pm
content: Thanks. That works.

author: fuffy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 23, 2015, 02:14:45 am
content: Wow, thank you! Save them for weekends for watching!
Free online courses from Rohde and Schwarz on test and measurement fundamentals - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2024, 09:51:30 am
content: Rohde & Schwarz has a "Test and Measurement Fundamentals" playlist of over 200 videos on our YouTube channel, and one thing we've been asked for is to organize these videos into "courses" as well as to provide some way of testing and recognizing basic competency for T&M-related topics.Well, we listened and just launched a series of nine free, self-paced, online courses covering oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, power sensors, phase noise, etc. You can register for the courses using this link:https://tinyurl.com/mv7a4vb6Each courses consists of 4-7 short (~10 mins each) videos with a multiple-choice quiz at the end. The courses cover basic technology and are not specific to any particular product or company, so they should be helpful no matter what kind of test and measurement instruments you use.If you have any questions or feedback about the courses (or their content, since I'm the author of all the videos), please feel free to post them here!(And many thanks to Dave for giving us permission to post about this here on the EEVblog forum)

author: shabaz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2024, 03:32:45 pm
content: Nice : ) Works well, I just tried the VNA Fundamentals.I have not attached a screenshot of it, but at the end, a nice PDF certificate is also generated.
Free online power electronics course - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 06:01:23 am
content: Another good free MOOC starting now:Introduction To Power ElectronicsIt's the first of a 6 course series on power electronics.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 06:11:54 am
content: Its not free !Its 270$Will wait for a free one from another university.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 06:19:33 am
content: It is free.It only cost money if you want a certificate.$270 is for the whole series certificate but you can take the courses without payng anything if you don't care about the certificate.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 06:25:10 am
content: Have you manage to enroll ?I tried and had only the possibility to pay 45$ for one month or 270$ for the full course.No possibility to follow wfor free without certificate.Give me the link if there is one.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 06:31:04 am
content: Quote from: JacquesBBB on January 27, 2016, 06:25:10 amYes, i enrolled a week or two ago and already started the course. Looking at the other courses in the series (For examplemagnetics) it looks like i can enroll for free in the same way. When i click on the Enroll button it gives me 3 choices. 1) Purchase specialization $294, 2) Purchase course $49 and 3) Full course no certificate (free).Maybe that changes once the course starts? I can't check for this one now since I'm already enrolled.

author: bitshift
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 06:51:21 am
content: Just enrolled. Thanks for posting this

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 06:56:54 am
content: Quote from: bitshift on January 27, 2016, 06:51:21 amYou're welcome. Could you still enroll for free?Like your sig says: "too much to learn, too little time"I'm taking 3 MOOCs right now! In my "spare time" after work and family duties...

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 07:10:37 am
content: If You enroll then prepare for a relatively heavy ride. It says introduction and i guess it is, but it will be heavy going unless You already have a clue about a number of topics on electronics.I did this a couple of years ago when certificates were still free, and later as one of the course assistants.Some of the homework were far from trivial so dont expect to wing it.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2016, 07:25:20 am
content: I tried again from my laptop, and then I had the possibility of registering for free !The other time was from the Ipad. The free option was not displayed. Strange ...
Freelance CAD - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Oslaw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2019, 05:55:15 pm
content: Any one here doing freelance CAD/EDA online? How did you start and attract customers?

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2019, 06:08:06 pm
content: I was offered work by a former colleague. In his new job, he had a technical problem which nobody there could solve, but he reckoned I probably could.I accepted the challenge, and that was the start of my consulting business.My other customers have all come through word of mouth. Once I made it known that I was available for freelance work, word soon got around amongst people whom I'd worked with, and the phone started to ring.
Freelancer beginner - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: mr315
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 07:15:48 pm
content: Hello,Well I'm new here, but not in electronics, recently I receive an proposal to start as freelancer in pcb routing and as i never done it professional I have some questions regarding work estimates, the target pcb is 180.0x75.0mm and >100 components, I'd like your opinion how to calculate the pcb routing cost.Regards

author: 8086
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 07:23:15 pm
content: Set yourself an hourly pay rate, and estimate how many hours it will take.Multiply together and quote the result to your client.

author: johnboxall
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 11:18:01 pm
content: Quote from: mr315 on February 11, 2014, 07:15:48 pmIn which country are you located?

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 11:22:13 pm
content: I'll give you the answers, but it'll cost 'ya.That's right, meta-freelancing.Tim
FreeRTOS on STM32 which IDE to choose?? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: rakeshm55
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2017, 06:05:39 pm
content: Hi ,Recently I procured an STM32F411 discovery board to play with freertos....http://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/32f411ediscovery.htmlFor this purpose which IDE should I choose??Any suggestion welcome

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2017, 09:17:59 pm
content: There's a really good book on the subject:"Mastering The STM32" which goes through installing Eclipse and the GCC-ARM toolchain.https://leanpub.com/mastering-stm32It includes material re: setting up FreeRTOS.The book is still undergoing additions and improvements.

author: jhe_electronics
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 28, 2018, 03:16:29 am
content: Personally I use MDK for most of the STM32 project. Also try using STM32CubeMX to generate the initial project. You can choose to install freeRTOS middleware to the project so you don't need to add the file one by one. Also I have seen friends using GCC to develop STM32. Quote from him the advantage for using GCC comparing to other IDE like MDK or IAR is that there were some odd bug happen occasionally when using IDE and you don't know where to start debugging. While using GCC you can see all the setting in the Makefile and the compiling will be more transparent.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 28, 2018, 07:59:59 am
content: If you're using STM32, then IMHO you need a very good reason NOT to use TrueSTUDIO, which is now free.Personally I use CrossWorks, which (for non-professional use) is ridiculously cheap for what you get.

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 28, 2018, 08:01:16 am
content: HiI beleive ST bought the company that produces Atollic Truestudio, which is Eclipse based. This will avoid having to install all the add on packages to get Eclipse working for ARM.Personally, I hate anything Eclipse based. The way is does projects is stupid, it is based around directory structure, usually needing the base directory being "workspace". This makes creating multiple copies of the same project a pain. Then there is the bizare concept of where the Eclipse bases the project when you start the project, this can be somewhere completely different to where the "workspace" is and then it goes and creates loads of hidden project file thereProject files! God help you if your project files go wrong. Trying to fix them is near impossible.Which retard thought forcing you to use tabbed edit windows was a good idea? Personally, I find it far more useful to arrange windows on my screen so that I can see all the defs, code without having to constantly switch tabs.Rant out of the way.I found Atollic to be buggy when debugging. It frequently froze and it was not clear whether it was Eclipse doing background updates or the target.For target debugging I prefer IAR Workbench. Editor is not great but the debugger is rock solid.Lauterbach is also en excellant debugger but there is no free version and it is difficult to use unless you know how.
freesat vs gps - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: ME
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2025, 12:59:27 am
content: why does a freesat dish need to be aligned but a gps antenna doesent

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2025, 02:45:39 am
content: GPS sats are not geostationary..they move around a lot

author: Andy Chee
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2025, 04:51:56 am
content: Freesat is high definition video.GPS data is essentially text messaging.HD video requires much higher bandwidth, compared with slow text messaging.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2025, 05:17:32 am
content: To further expand for a beginner. Noise in any signal is more or less proportional to the square root of bandwidth. Hence a high bandwidth signal like video will have more noise than a low bandwidth signal like GPS. For the two signals in question the relative noise is around a hundreds to perhaps thousands of times higher for the video signal. But any communication channel needs a fairly good signal to noise ratio to operate. And signal strength is roughly inversely proportional to the inverse square of the distance traveled. The TV satellites are in an orbit around 30 times higher than the GPS satellites. So for similar transmitter powers the TV signal will be almost a thousand times lower. You can improve signal to noise ratio by increasing power, increasing antenna size and increasing antenna directionality. Power in a satellite transmitter is very expensive and quite limited so usually made as small as possible. So the TV receivers use very directional antennas that are far larger than GPS antennas. The combination of directionality iand size is sufficient to overcome the penalties from bandwidth and distance. Because they are very directional they have to be aimed carefully.

author: Bicurico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2025, 06:57:44 am
content: TV Satélites are geostationary, which means that they orbit around the earth at a height of approximately 36.000km.The signal you receive is weak and you must collect it from a big surface, "to harvest" enough radiation that allows for signal reconstruction.The beauty of the parabolic dish is that all radiation reflected onto the LNB in the focus travel the exact same distance due to the shape of the dish.None of this is necessary with GPS, because the satellites orbit earth at a height of a few hundred km, hence they can be received with a much smaller antenna. Also, their transmitted radiation is not viewable as parallel lines from a unidirectional source, but rather as omnidirectional.

author: rteodor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2025, 07:28:25 am
content: Quote from: ME on March 03, 2025, 12:59:27 amA dish would greatly help GPS reception but the main reason is much more simple: The dish has gain in one direction and loss everywhere else. GPS must receive multiple signals from different directions that are unknown in advance and change a lot.
Freezing Solder paste and Flux ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2011, 05:18:33 pm
content: I am starting out on a voyage of discovery having just purchased my first Hot Air Station for SMD reflow and repair work.Having read about the various solder pastes and fluxes I have started with some of the cheaper products that are available to see how well (or not) they perform before considering some of the much more expensive products.The solder paste is a 50g tub of 'Mechanic' MCN300 Sn63/Pb37. I bought two types of flux for rework, an alcohol based 'no clean' liquid and a thicker Chinese RMA-223 that claims to be Amtech and definitely is not !I understand that these chemicals tend to deteriorate with time and temperature such that they can become unusable after a few months. Refrigeration is required to prolong their useful life. I further understand that the solder paste tends to separate with the lead beads ending up at the bottom and flux at the top. Again refrigeration apparently slows the process down to extend useful life.I am unlikely to use all of the material that I have bought and it may sit around for weeks awaiting the next requirement for its use. Has anyone had any experience of the general useful life of these materials in the hobbyist domain as opposed to the strict industrial environment that requires guaranteed quality ?I am also wondering if anyone has tried freezing solder paste to extend it's operational life ?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2011, 05:55:32 pm
content: If refrigerated it usually lasts a lot longer than its rated shelf life - can be a few years.Make sure it's sealed as evaporaiton and moisture ingress are the main problems.

author: metalphreak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2011, 09:03:58 am
content: If it dries out, you can always mix in some more flux paste to make it usable again. This is obviously not the best practice for a production environment, but for hobby use and such its fine.