What 'Essentials' Electronics Topic would you like to Learn More About?

I think there is already a lot of stuff about the micro-controllers on element14. They include the blue-tooth kits, IOT stuff , NFC and all the good stuff.

The move for adding more FPGA related design challenges is nice but  keep in mind the development times can be longer there.

Personally, I would like to see the community steer more in the analog side exploring new ICs, core ADC, DAC boards, Lidar or radar systems, RF side. But then again not everyone owns an oscilloscope with a good BW to contribute to those kind of tests. Maybe some focus on PCB design and open source tools in the area.

Cheers

S

i personally would like to. see ,ore on identifying unknown transformers and power supply design

Michael, Identifying unknown transformers is a black hole. Sometimes like the other day, I found this neet, really heavy, over 5 lbs, transformer in a stereo. My mind said, "keep it". First I tried just to google the part number. No Love.  So I looked up the stereo's service manual, which gave me connections, and voltages. So. Nothing is really unknown, you just have to know where to look. And BTW Google is your friend, NEVER toss out old Databooks, and in your travels, if you see one you don't happen to have, BUY it you will never know when you will need it. You can try a website PartStat, it is not that good for your older parts. In the last two moves, I have lost upwards of 50 databooks, not including, My prized set of HP catalogs (hardback) from 1958 through 1990.

Early on I had two pieces of HP gear a VTVM 410B and a 175A Osciliscope 50Mhz Hybrid (both Semiconductors and Tubes)

When I bought the scope had been a repaired the focuses control now working backward. Please note the fan housing with the power transistor around it. As I later found out they were germanium ie fastest fuse in the world.  But what you don't see is the power terminal strip just out of the picture by the tube. I'm testing the beast, with the 410 and the RF probe with its nice shiny aluminum cover came swinging down and you guessed it right on the power strip. After many hours (days) of repair, I got the scope working again. If I remember correctly I had to go into the 410 and unsolder the RF test lead. Later I got myself a Fluke and never looked back.

Michael just a very quick note. here is a solution by the way very dangerous! Things will need.

1. DVM (two would be nice)
2. Paper and pen.
3. a very small transformer with 1.0 to 5.0 vac a wall wart will do, btw. (try to find one with a non-fractional output.

Heres the process. tools just paper and a pen and your DVM.

**** Major Hint If you have two sets of pins or wires most likely that one is primary and the other is secondary.

**** transformer primaries come in two forms one coil or two coils

So let's say that one side of your transformer has 4 wires ie most likely this is 110/200 split winding. check the windings label them A B C D, now with DVM check the resistance  and write it down from A to B, A to C, and A to D you should have some value of R between two of the wires, If not use B as the common again C as the common, and then D as the common.

Now do the same thing with the other side of the transformer.

Once the winding pairs have been identified now take your wall wart and hook it up to one of the windings. If you have chosen correctly you should see voltage on all pairs. As Transformers are expressed as Transformer

Wattage ::= Primary == Secondary. And we know what our input voltage was (say 10vac) and you hit a primary (woopie) by using 110vac as the norm your factor is 11 so let's say on one of the other windings about 1 volt you just found the 12 vac winding.

*****BUT*****

lets say you put that 10vac on the 12vac leads probing around could kill you as you will have now 110vac in the wild.

***

Fins use Barrier Strips.

Michael just a very quick note. here is a solution by the way very dangerous! Things will need.

1. DVM (two would be nice)
2. Paper and pen.
3. a very small transformer with 1.0 to 5.0 vac a wall wart will do, btw. (try to find one with a non-fractional output.

Heres the process. tools just paper and a pen and your DVM.

**** Major Hint If you have two sets of pins or wires most likely that one is primary and the other is secondary.

**** transformer primaries come in two forms one coil or two coils

So let's say that one side of your transformer has 4 wires ie most likely this is 110/200 split winding. check the windings label them A B C D, now with DVM check the resistance  and write it down from A to B, A to C, and A to D you should have some value of R between two of the wires, If not use B as the common again C as the common, and then D as the common.

Now do the same thing with the other side of the transformer.

Once the winding pairs have been identified now take your wall wart and hook it up to one of the windings. If you have chosen correctly you should see voltage on all pairs. As Transformers are expressed as Transformer

Wattage ::= Primary == Secondary. And we know what our input voltage was (say 10vac) and you hit a primary (woopie) by using 110vac as the norm your factor is 11 so let's say on one of the other windings about 1 volt you just found the 12 vac winding.

*****BUT*****

lets say you put that 10vac on the 12vac leads probing around could kill you as you will have now 110vac in the wild.

***

Fins use Barrier Strips.