Blog

Atomic movement using a 4D microscope can be recorded

Catwell

Scientists from UCLA have discovered a new way to look at nucleation. By using 4D atomic resolution (which is three dimensions of space and time), the team was able to record how atoms rearrange. Their new discovery, which can be found in the journal...
- 9 Jul 2019
Programmable Electronic Load - Java GUI Part 2: Support for Current Mode, Input On/Off, Error Log

Jan Cumps

I'm building a GUI for the electronic load we made here on element14.The development will be in a few incremental steps. This is the second iteration:add error loggingmake the LCD display emulation worka few dedicated controls to set current and enab...
- 6 Jul 2019
MIT Researchers use Machine Learning to Translate Dead Languages

Catwell

The researchers created a neural network system that can decipher text from lost languages. (Image credit: Sharon Mollerus via Wikipedia) Researchers from MIT’s CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory) and Google Brain ha...
- 5 Jul 2019
Programmable Electronic Load - Java GUI Part 1: Basic Functionality

Jan Cumps

I'm building a GUI for the electronic load we made here on element14.The development will be in a few incremental steps.communication with the instrumentbasic GUI with a SCPI command line and resultsIn the next iterations:add error loggingmake the LC...
- 5 Jul 2019
Troubleshoot my Electronic Load - part 2: DAC/ADC

Jan Cumps

My electronic load failed. In this second post, I test the remaining parts of the DAC/ADC board. Tests Approach The eload DACs and ADCs are on a separate PCB, together with the voltage reference and the I2C isolator.The voltage reference is...
- 3 Jul 2019
DIY Logic Analyzer and Protocol Tester – L.I.S.A.!

shabaz

IntroductionThis blog post discusses a project to build a simple logic analyzer (hobby-grade; it samples at up to 24 Msps, good enough for basic debugging when other tools are not available), but it has a few extra features too. This project could be...
- 3 Jul 2019
Troubleshoot my Electronic Load - part 1: MOSFET and Voltage Reference

Jan Cumps

My electronic load failed. I was trying new hardware and software options. At a certain moment the power MOSFET died.There was no magic smoke, but the source, drain and gate are all shorted (source, drain and gate all measure a few Ohms in both direc...
- 2 Jul 2019
Using an Electric Tongue to Find the Best-Tasting Fish

coward.cameron

If you run a restaurant, or simply enjoy cooking at home, you are going to want to select the best ingredients available. Salt and other simple commodity ingredients probably don’t require much thought—one brand of table salt is likely as good as any...
- 20 May 2019
Epson introduces new affordable smart glasses

Catwell

The Moverio BT-30C will only cost you $499. These glasses may be smart, but the design isn’t so pretty. (Image credit: Epson) My dream is to have smart glasses showing me AR info as I work on a project. But first, I suppose we need the basics.&n...
- 17 May 2019
Scientists develop a decoder that turns brain activity into speech

Catwell

An implanted electrode picks up electrical signals, which are then translated to vocal movements and then speech sounds. Researchers use electrodes similar to this one to decode brain activity. (Photo from UCSF) There are many diseases that can...
- 7 May 2019
Billion point laser could help reconstruct Notre Dame

Catwell

On April 15th, 2019, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, was set on fire, causing extensive damage to the historic gothic building. One of the main pieces of the cathedral, the spire, had collapsed during the inferno and the damage to its roof...
- 6 May 2019
Microsoft donates equipment, adaptive controller, to rehab centers for therapeutic use

Catwell

A new collaborative effort between Microsoft and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was announced on April 30th. The aim of this collaboration is to provide a greater range of opportunities for education, recreation and therapy for...
- 3 May 2019
The decay of Xenon-124 is the rarest event ever recorded

Catwell

Scientists are on the verge of discovering dark matter by using a very powerful detector filled with liquid xenon located a mile beneath Italy's Gran Sasso mountains. While searching for the dark matter particle, they were able to examine a rare ...
- 29 Apr 2019
Researchers have created the world’s first 3D printed heart

Catwell

This 3D printed heart was made using human fatty tissues (Image credit: Tel Aviv University) 3D printing can be used for various applications, like creating toys, clothing, and even food. But thanks to a new breakthrough it can even be used to c...
- 26 Apr 2019
DNA storage concepts put into practice by Microsoft

Catwell

A $10,000 prototype took 21 hours to convert “HELLO” into DNA and back. Microsoft’s fully automated $10,000 prototype. (Image credit: Microsoft) We have a looming data problem that companies like Microsoft are looking to solve. As more and more ...
- 18 Apr 2019
Borophene Looks to Replace Graphene as the New Wonder Material

Catwell

Borophene (derived from boron) is stronger and more flexible than graphene, and has a high electronic conductance, making it an excellent material for sensors, batteries, and other applications. (Image credit: James L. Marshall via Wikipedia) I...
- 12 Apr 2019
Amazon Looks to Launch Thousands of Tiny Satellites for Global Broadband

Catwell

Amazon’s Project Kuiper will deploy 3,236 satellites that will orbit the earth at various altitudes, and provide broadband service around the globe. (Image credit: Pixabay) Back in September of last year, reports started surfacing about Amazon ...
- 5 Apr 2019
RS Pro IIT1500 Insulation Tester Review

three-phase

Introduction This is the next instalment in my insulation tester review series, in a bid to find a more suitable tester for the type of work that I do. The previous testers reviewed are; Keysight Insulation Multimeter Failure Megger MI...
- 24 Mar 2019
Keithley DMM6500: Measure Amp-Hours of an Arduino MKR WIFI 1010

Jan Cumps

I'm designing a low power IoT in the Cloud framework for the Arduino MKR WIFI series. A firmware proof of concept that uses the low power option of this Arduino as much as possible, only to wake up to make a measurement and beam it to Amazon Web Serv...
- 21 Mar 2019
Wireless sensors are the first to monitor babies in the NICU

Catwell

www.youtube.com/watch A team from Northwestern University has created a body sensor to help monitor babies in neonatal intensive care units (NiCU). The sensors are wireless, soft and flexible and have an advantage due to replacing other sensors ...
- 15 Mar 2019
Energizer 50807 Car Jump Starter Half Review, Half Teardown

shabaz

IntroductionMy car battery died recently, and I thought I’d try out an Energizer car jump-starter. This was a new product to me – I had not realized that such compact lithium ion jump starters were available! It reduces the need to find someone else’...
- 13 Mar 2019
Comparison of Sensor Types

lab1971

Platinum Resistance ThermometerThermocoupleThermistorSensorPlatinum-wire wound or flat-film resistorThermo-element, two dissimilar metals/ alloysCeramic (metal oxides)Accuracy (typical values)0.1 to 1.0°C0.5 to 5.0°C0.1 to 1.5°CLong term Stabi...
- 13 Mar 2019
Building Custom Helping Hands

shabaz

IntroductionFor years I’ve been “helping hand”-less. Since I was a kid, the design of the classic helping hands has not really changed - it has stood the test of time, but just for lightweight tasks. For anything large/heavy, it all goes wrong. ...
- 12 Mar 2019
Pt100 Sensors for Industrial Use

lab1971

Pt100 Sensors for Industrial Use The use of a platinum resistance thermometer probe in industrial and scientific applications will normally result in good, accurate temperature sensing without the need for special cables (unlike thermocouples). ...
- 5 Mar 2019
Flexible LabVIEW Flow: PSU, DC Load, Oscilloscope and DMM

Jan Cumps

Now that I have a programmable psu, dc load, oscilloscope and multimeter, it's time to build a flexible test bed.It's main purpose is to specify efficiency of switch mode regulators. But with some tweeking itcan also be used to measure ripple...
- 2 Mar 2019