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In: Design, Handheld Portables

I once worked in Tek for a very short period. I got to experience the 2235 and 2465 analog scopes and their controls. The 2465 was a 400 MHz Digitally Controlled Analog Scope.

I also used the Plugin Scopes and Calibration systems that were Tek Culture and Tech contribution to the Instrumentation world, it probably evolved into VXI-PXI as uC systems took over.

delabs designs – The code has been moved from Google Code Hosting to github – delabs-dapj

delabs Web Widget and Application Interface Usability Experiments 2003-2008

I also had a chance to look at DSO/Logic Analyzers and the just developed TDS Series. The older tek analog scopes made me understand about usability and panel layouts. Many controls are inevitable in a Analog Scope with Electromechanical Interface.

In a Digital World that can be largely changed using the Monitor and Trackballs. The older BlackBerry phones are also good study for usability before Touch Screens came.

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In: Instrumentation, Power Electronics

This is a Regulated 0-30 V DC Power Supply manufactured by me in small numbers, 0-30V 5A and 5V -5A. It had a Switching Preregulator. This keeps the Vce across Transistor Bank at the Back of Instrument, at the lowest possible level, in order to keep them Cool. When Vce and Ic both are more in a Power transistor it will get heated more, then the efficiency of power supply is low.

Power Supplies Section – delabs

Variable Regulated Power Supply

The Output had both Constant Current Control and Constant Voltage Control. The CC control is also a Short circuit protection. The Output was protected from outside voltages damaging output circuits even when equipment is switched off. The back panel is a finned anodized black aluminum heat sink with many transistors.

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In: ASIC EDA

Mentor Graphics is a technology leader in electronic design automation (EDA), providing software and hardware design solutions that enable companies to develop better electronic products faster and more cost-effectively.

The company offers innovative products and solutions that help engineers overcome the design challenges they face in the increasingly complex worlds of board and chip design.

EZwave can analyze time or frequency domain waveform of any type: analog, digital, eye diagram, smith chart, polar or complex chart, and histogram. ”

Mentor Graphics – EDA Technology

“The EZwave Joint Waveform DataBase (JWDB) is a high-performance waveform database for manipulating huge waveform databases from leading simulators, loading gigabytes of data in seconds.

LP Viewer

LP Viewer

“View Physical Component and Land Pattern superimposed for visual accuracy. You can turn layers on/off, print datasheets, see component dimensions, land pattern dimensions, calculator setting, global settings, Toe, Heel and Side statistical data.”

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In: Process Control

Below is a Electrical Control Panel, It has a Strip Chart Recorder which is electro-mechanical, It has a PLC Inside. A handheld PLC Programming unit. The computer is showing the Ladder Logic Program. PLC is based on a embedded uC. The DIN Controllers are Analog + Digital circuits. So you see it is a Electrical Control Panel with Electronics and the PLC Ladder Logic means, Software too.

Process Control Application Notes

This is a PID Controller based Control Panel using a PLC from GE Fanuc Automation. The Computer is a 386 40MHz with 40MB HDD.

PID Controller PLC

Electrical Control Panel Wiring

Control panes have many DIN Instruments like Indicators, Controllers and Recorders. They also have in the back end contacters, drives and circuit breakers with orderly wiring and cable management.

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In: Basic Electronics, Design

Many may already know about these EE Educational pages with Circuits of J. B. Calvert.  These pages are valuable as they are like a summation of Important and Practical Sections in many EE Subjects. If you want to master the basics of EE, these pages will propel you in the right direction.A Welath of Information is at the site – Dr James B. Calvert Associate Professor Emeritus of Engineering, University of Denver and Registered Professional Engineer, State of Colorado. An EE-Encyclopedia Almost.

Engineering and Technology – James B. Calvert
“An extensive series of pages based on experiments that can be done in the personal or home laboratory. The emphasis is on enjoyment and intellectual pleasure, but there is much practical matter as well.”

Electronics Index – Includes vacuum tubes and cathode-ray tubes, with many experiments for the home laboratory. Nixie clocks too.

The Electronics Index of J. B. Calvert

The Atmel AVR microprocessors are very similar functionally to the PIC microprocessors, with the same range in size from 8-bit, 8-pin PDIP to 32-bit processors with 100 pins, and similar features.
Atmel AVR 8-Bit Microcontrollers

The ATtiny13A will operate from a supply voltage as low as 1.8V (maximum clock speed 4 Mhz), and with a full 20 MHz clock speed at 4.5V and above. The current drain is much reduced at the lower supply voltages and clock frequencies.

A Magnetometer
It is easy to measure moderate magnetic fields using a Hall sensor, such as the Allegro A1302 linear Hall sensor, available from Jameco. A PIC12F675 can digitize the output of the sensor and display it on a serial LCD display, such as the Newhaven NHD-0216K3Z-FL-GBW 2 line x 16 digit display. This system is shown breadboarded in the figure at the right, measuring the field between the poles of a horseshoe magnet.

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In: Design Services, Embedded

CompuPhase Services include contract programming of applications and embedded systems, and also the design and production of custom electronics.

CompuPhase Projects and Programmable MP3-player

Domains of Expertise

  • Signal processing (audio & video) and compression
  • Edutainment, computer based training (CBT), multimedia and kiosk applications
  • Databases and the integration of databases with statistical computation
  • International software, multi-lingual or easily translatable software (internationalization)
  • Embedded applications
  • Special lighting projects, using fibre optics or high-power LEDs

On the right is a Programmable MP3-player for scale models, broadcast systems and special applications. High quality audio, based on a 24-bit D/A converter with 8× oversampling digital filter, low noise and low distortion.

CompuPhase Projects and Programmable MP3-player

Termite Terminal – RS232 Interfacing – CompuPhase

Termite is an easy to use and easy to configure RS232 terminal. It uses an interface similar to that of “messenger” or “chat” programs, with a large window that contains all received data and an edit line for typing in strings to transmit. This terminal ought to help serial port SBC development.

Plug-in interface for pre-processing or alternative views of the data, logging received data to a file, adding a toolbar to Termite, and other functionality that you may think of.

It can also do ..

  • A history of commands that you typed, with auto-completion.
  • Support for non-standard Baud rates (MIDI, DMX512).
  • Data can be forwarded between two RS232 ports.