App note: Basics of linear fixed resistors

App note from Vishay going back to the fundamentals of humble fixed resistors. Link here (PDF)

In the shadow of microelectronics, passive components such as discrete resistors would seem to have fallen out of the field of view in electronics. Yet, it is the rare circuit that can do without resistors. And a look at a modern circuit board will show that it has become more difficult to locate them visually.

Improvements to Cynthion Hardware

Note: This is a crosspost of a Cynthion update on Crowd Supply: https://www.crowdsupply.com/great-scott-gadgets/cynthion/updates/improvements-to-cynthion-hardware

Since our last hardware design update in April, we have been hard at work refining the Cynthion design in preparation for production. Believe it or not, we’ve completed and tested six design revisions since r0.6 described in April!

In r0.7 we increased the maximum pass-through current by selecting FETs with lower resistance and by improving heat dissipation of the PCB layout. We added filters to the buttons, reducing the need for debouncing in firmware and gateware. We added a zero ohm series resistor to the oscillator so that it...

Новая жизнь старого GPS-приёмника

В этой статье я расскажу о том, как я использовал старый GPS-приемник в качестве приёмника для захвата "сырых" данных GPS. Также я постараюсь рассказать о базовых принципах приема и декодирования данных GPS.

App note: Nexperia load switch ICs

Nexperia’s app note on their load switches, combining multiple load switch functions in to one chip. Link here (PDF)

Nexperia load switch ICs are highly integrated Power Management Integrated Circuits (PMICs) designed to efficiently control power rails within electronic systems. Load switches serve as indispensable components for managing power distribution and enabling the smooth operation of various loads.

Thoughts on the unreleased Tangara audio player

A brief analysis of the Kicad source files. Surprisingly uses two 32-bit microcontrollers.

Эпичные подделки HC-06

Я расскажу об актуальной проблеме – а именно, наводнении контрафактом рынка Bluetooth-модулей.
Что, конечно присутствовало всегда, но только сейчас дошло до размаха, когда оригинальные модули HC сталичто угодно, но не BC417. дефицитом.
Так же, познакомлю вас со своим способом изучения китайских подделок, основанным на исследовании и сравнении кристаллов микросхем под металлографическим микроскопом. Готовьтесь лицезреть красоты микроэлектроники. :)
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Halloween Projects and Specials

It’s time for our annual reminder that we love Halloween! Our Halloween Project Archives is a great resource for inspiration and ideas.

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays, and … we’ve organized dozens of our Halloween projects into categories: costumes, pumpkins, decor and food.

A new pen clip for AxiDraw

https://player.vimeo.com/video/871130951?badge=0

Tiny product update: A new version of the pen holder for AxiDraw, with slots for quick adjustment between the vertical and 45 degree angle positions.

Запуск Тетриса на осциллографе из 90-х

В этой статье я хочу рассказать о том, как я запустил Тетрис на старом цифровом осциллографе. Без пайки и бега по граблям не обошлось... Зачем я это сделал — просто Just for fun.

Free Stuff - August 2023

The August recipient for the Great Scott Gadgets Free Stuff Program is The Factory, a student-run hardware design lab at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The Factory aims to give students access to advanced tools for their hardware projects, space to work on their projects, and support in developing technical skills.

The Factory has previously offered workshops on VIM, VHDL, C, and PC building. They also run a Hackathon called The Forge. In one instance of The Forge students formed teams and built a line tracing robot to race against the other teams. In non-event related times, students in this lab...