DIY - Repair Tools for modern electronics

Started by Elantric, September 15, 2015, 04:52:10 PM

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billbax

#50
Making your own PCBs is an essential skill for any electronics enthusiast. Single-sided boards are simple to make, while double-sided requires a lot more patience and skill. Generally costs are very low, and a basic 50 component PCB can be made for as little as £0.50GBP.  Having said all that, spare a thought for Codesmart, Sixeight and others hear at the forum.  Most of their work involves PCB track widths of less than 0.3mm, and the use of SMD components. Here it wouldn't make any sense fabricating your own PCBs.

The big question: In analog audio, does it make a difference whether a PCB tracks width is 0.2mm or 1mm+? Wide tracks provide lower resistance, although track capacitance is higher.  Food for thought.

MILLIOHM MULTIMETER ADAPTOR. Simple to make, and it works well!
http://users.tpg.com.au/pschamb/lom.html




Elantric




admin


admin

#55
SPI is a dominant communication protocol for inter-chip communications (Flash Memory, Sensors,  A/D, CODEC, D/A  IC's, DSP, etc)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Peripheral_Interface



Excamera SPIDriver
by Excamera

USB to SPI interface with a built-in graphical display
all signals color coded to match included hookup jumpers
USB line voltage monitor to detect supply problems, to 0.01 V
target device high-side current measurement, to 5 mA
GUI, command-line, C/C++, and Python 2/3 host software provided for Windows, Mac, and Linux

https://www.amazon.com/Excamera-SPIDriver/dp/B07P2HTKZC/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=bus+pirate&qid=1589383596&sr=8-6


admin



admin

#59


My current Soldering Iron
Is a Quicko T12 Electronic Iron STM32,
an ARM STM32 based "smart" Soldering Iron with excellent precision tip temperature control.
With a Quicko T12-M8 handle
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32994824865.html

Employs Hakko type "T12 soldering tips which include built in temperature sensor".
Aliexpress for $40


I dock the hot Iron with Aven 17530 Solder Iron Holder with tip cleaner ($8 at Home Depot
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Aven-Soldering-Stand-with-Soft-Coiled-Tip-Cleaner-17530/206312432?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US

Superior to recent Weller models




Shingles

I am amazed to see so many people (I was going to write 'experts' but... maybe not) handling complex electronic assemblies without taking - or mentioning - adequate anti static precautions. I would lose my job pretty quickly, and maybe endanger lives, if I didn't use anti static shoes, lab coat, bench mats and wrist strap whenever handling integrated circuit components and assemblies.
Nik
--------------------------------
Tonelab, VG99, Axon AX100, EDP, Repeater
Godin, PRS, Crafter and Roland guitars
Center Point Stereo Spacestation V3

gumtown

Only basic antistatic precautions (bonded wrist-strap and bench top, conductive bags) are required these days,
as semiconductor devices are built to withstand small amounts of static discharge.

Not like the chips of the 70's and 80's where they would die instantly if handled in bare hands. 
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

philjynx

#65
What surprises me is the amount of time chips can endure under hot air without requiring fish, salt and vinegar to go with them. They're tougher (in that respect) than I thought. I've been using solder paste and hot air to assemble my boards for a while now, so much easier, quicker & reliable than using an iron, excepting components that are not suited to that method.

kenact

Quote from: gumtown on May 25, 2021, 05:25:04 PM
Only basic antistatic precautions (bonded wrist-strap and bench top, conductive bags) are required these days,
as semiconductor devices are built to withstand small amounts of static discharge.

Not like the chips of the 70's and 80's where they would die instantly if handled in bare hands.

I used to install banking terminals in the late 70s. One day I installed 22 teller machines for a training center. Between the carpet and several other factors, there was so much static in that room, I lost about 1/4 of the equipment, including memory cards, motherboards, disk drives (washing machine sized disk drives), CRTs and power supplies.
Godin Session & Montreal FTP, LGXT, LGX SA, Redline, ACS, A12, A11, A10, A4
Danoblaster Baritone w/GK-3
Gretsch Nashville, Viking
Fender Strats
Fret King Supermatic
Larrivee DV03RE
Parker Midi Fly
Seagull, S&P 12
VOX Phantom XII
GR-55, 33, 30, 20, GI-20, RC-50, US-20, VG-99, VP-7
Sentient 6
Cyr 7

gumbo

#67
"disk drives (washing machine sized disk drives)"   :D

......nothing like being called in by security at 3 am in the mid-70s to deal with one of them that let loose with one of its mag heads, plowed that into a 10-stack platter, and then just about filled the room with bits of aluminium (my spelling)...

...Wasn't a particularly nice way to spend the early morning hours..  ::)
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

vtgearhead

Quote from: gumbo on May 26, 2021, 04:48:20 AM
"disk drives (washing machine sized disk drives)"   :D

......nothing like being called in by security at 3 am in the mid-70s to deal with one of them that let loose with one of its mag heads, plowed that into a 10-stack platter, and then just about filled the room with bits of aluminium (my spelling)...

...Wasn't a particularly nice way to spend the early morning hours..  ::)

"Real men use disk drives that require a 3-phase motor to spin up" :-)

Shingles

Quote from: gumtown on May 25, 2021, 05:25:04 PM
Only basic antistatic precautions (bonded wrist-strap and bench top, conductive bags) are required these days,
as semiconductor devices are built to withstand small amounts of static discharge.


Yes, that would be enough.

'Walking wounded' is a major problem we see caused by static damage. ICs and discrete semiconductors that still function but have a drastically shortened working life.
I guess this isn't such a problem for those repairing equipment for others. 😉
We design and build stuff for aeroplanes so maybe I am a little over sensitive to such matters.
Nik
--------------------------------
Tonelab, VG99, Axon AX100, EDP, Repeater
Godin, PRS, Crafter and Roland guitars
Center Point Stereo Spacestation V3

pasha811

I like this thread a lot! Thank you!
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

gumtown

Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

kenact

Quote from: gumbo on May 26, 2021, 04:48:20 AM
"disk drives (washing machine sized disk drives)"   :D

......nothing like being called in by security at 3 am in the mid-70s to deal with one of them that let loose with one of its mag heads, plowed that into a 10-stack platter, and then just about filled the room with bits of aluminium (my spelling)...

...Wasn't a particularly nice way to spend the early morning hours..  ::)

At Wang, we had 288mb drives, where the cover unlocked as soon as you started spinning the drive down. And more than once, someone stuck the plastic cover in to lift it out, before the disk stopped spinning. Trying to clean up plastic is almost as bad as cleaning up aluminum. :)
Godin Session & Montreal FTP, LGXT, LGX SA, Redline, ACS, A12, A11, A10, A4
Danoblaster Baritone w/GK-3
Gretsch Nashville, Viking
Fender Strats
Fret King Supermatic
Larrivee DV03RE
Parker Midi Fly
Seagull, S&P 12
VOX Phantom XII
GR-55, 33, 30, 20, GI-20, RC-50, US-20, VG-99, VP-7
Sentient 6
Cyr 7

kenact

Quote from: gumtown on May 26, 2021, 05:35:15 AM
They don't make 'em like they used to


I used to write Cobol & RPG II for a Honeywell 2000 Special, that had 5 of those. The RPG II compiler, was only 48K. :)
Godin Session & Montreal FTP, LGXT, LGX SA, Redline, ACS, A12, A11, A10, A4
Danoblaster Baritone w/GK-3
Gretsch Nashville, Viking
Fender Strats
Fret King Supermatic
Larrivee DV03RE
Parker Midi Fly
Seagull, S&P 12
VOX Phantom XII
GR-55, 33, 30, 20, GI-20, RC-50, US-20, VG-99, VP-7
Sentient 6
Cyr 7

philjynx

Quote from: kenact on May 26, 2021, 05:48:56 AM
I used to write Cobol & RPG II for a Honeywell 2000 Special, that had 5 of those. The RPG II compiler, was only 48K. :)
Level 88 :) and I want my DEC VAX back.