Blog

Using a MAX2870 Frequency Synthesizer / Signal Generator

shabaz

Table of Contents Introduction What Is It? Is it a Sine Wave? Using It Measurements Problems Recommended or Not? Summary Introduction I have a few simple tools for generating RF signals, and they all have benefits and disadvantages. I recently d...
- 19 Feb 2024
A JBC Soldering Station Non-Repair and Teardown

shabaz

The soldering station in the photo below (JBC DI 3000) has provided me with many years of good service! I’ve regularly used it for perhaps a decade, and I purchased it fairly cheap in used state, so it’s had a long life. It has been a ple...
- 16 Feb 2024
Vector Network Analyzers for the General Reader, Part 2: Inductance Measurement!

shabaz

Introduction In an earlier blog post, the use of a Vector Network Analyzer was introduced for the general reader. Continuing the simple no-maths approach, this short blog post walks one through how to use the VNA to perform an easy but exciting exerc...
- 31 Jan 2024
Vector Network Analyzer (VNA): A Practical Getting-Started Guide for the General Reader

shabaz

Table of Contents Introduction Briefly, what is a VNA? And what is a Smith Chart? Solving a Practical Problem: Impedance Matching Open, Short, Load (OSL) Calibration Calibration Standards Building DIY OSL Calibration Standards Identifying the ...
- 23 Jan 2024
How Many Chucks Would A Woodchuck Chuck?

dougw

If a woodchuck could chuck chucks, how many chucks would a woodchuck chuck? The curious case of mini chucks galore.... https://youtu.be/nGavV6BRevI A little light tool blog - part of my new year's reorg activities ... All my mini chucks are now in a ...
- 2 Jan 2024
Low-Cost Linux: Re-purposing a Microsoft Surface Pro Tablet!

shabaz

Table of Contents Introduction Buying a Surface Device What Else is Required? Surface-izing Linux Choose a Linux Distribution Install the Linux Distribution Add Sudo Capability for the User Download the Linux Surface Patch Download the Linux Kerne...
- 31 Dec 2023
PST.. Pico SCPI labTool can run multi-core on FreeRTOS SMP

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico.In this post: you can run it - with multi-core support - on FreeRTOS SMP. What's different, c...
- 20 Nov 2023
PSA.. SCPI firmware for Pico Data Acquisition Board as a plug-in module

Jan Cumps

The Data Acquisition Board for Pi Pico is an analogue front end for the Raspberry Pico. I turned the SCPI firmware for into a submodule that you can plug in your PST.. based designs. What is that module? It's a libr...
- 13 Nov 2023
PSA.. SCPI firmware for Pico Data Acquisition Board

Jan Cumps

The Data Acquisition Board for Pi Pico is an analogue front end for the Raspberry Pico. I created SCPI firmware for it. To validate shabaz 's sample code for the board. And to see if our Pico SCPI framework...
- 12 Nov 2023
Do you want to create your own Pico SCPI device, based on PST.. Pico SCPI USBTMC labLib (and labTool)?

Jan Cumps

How to: start your own Pico SCPI project, based on Pico SCPI USBTMC labLib? You can start from the example source: PST.. Have you worked with the Pico SCPI labTool? and adapt it to your needs. Git and GitHub will help you to get...
- 10 Nov 2023
Probing Signals: Sensepeek PCBite Hands-Free Probes!

shabaz

Table of Contents Introduction What’s the Problem? A Possible Solution What’s Supplied? Using the Probes Storing the Probes Summary Introduction After trying to DIY a probe setup for tiny QFN parts (see here: Probing Signal...
- 10 Nov 2023
Yet Another C210 Compatible Soldering Iron: KSGER C210 Portable

shabaz

Table of Contents Introduction Background Look and Feel Display, User Interface, and Menu Settings Power Source Grounding Performance Reliability Summary Introduction In the quest to find a decent low-cost soldering iron, I’ve examined quit...
- 2 Nov 2023
A New C210 Tip Soldering Iron: Meet the E210!

shabaz

Table of Contents Introduction First Impressions and Ergonomics User Interface Iron Stand Power Source Performance Grounding Summary Other blogs with related content: USB-C Soldering Iron Quick Review: Sequre S60 USB-C S...
- 30 Oct 2023
Probing Signals: Snooping an I2C Bus on a Tiny Surface-Mount QFN Part

shabaz

Table of Contents Introduction What’s the Problem? What’s a Solution? Summary Introduction I had a nice "Sensirion SHT31 Smart Gadget" temperature and humidity board, which unfortunately had no connections broken out for the k...
- 29 Oct 2023
PST.. Release 7.1 for the Pico SCPI labTool firmware: what's new?

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico.In this post: new functionality available in the Release 7.1. What's new? Release 7 firmware ...
- 27 Oct 2023
Soldering Tiny Temperature Sensors

shabaz

I've been experimenting with temperature sensors, and really liked Sensirion products, since they are pretty accurate and reasonably low cost, and have a sensible board-level interface, I2C. However, they are quite small! The good thing, is that they...
- 24 Oct 2023
PSL.. Pico SCPI USBTMC labLib makes it easier to write your own PST.. Pico SCPI labTool

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico. To make it easier to create several specialised lab instruments, the project is now spl...
- 22 Oct 2023
PST.. Release 5 for the Pico SCPI labTool firmware (experimental functionality release): what's new?

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico. In this post: new functionality available in the Release 5. What's new? This release a...
- 15 Oct 2023
PST.. Experimental event / trigger support for Pico SCPI labTool - 7: Test Service Request from Instrument to LabVIEW flow

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico. It would be nice if the PST could supports device dependent SCPI registers. They can be used...
- 15 Oct 2023
PST.. Experimental event / trigger support for Pico SCPI labTool - 6: Service Request from Instrument to LabVIEW flow

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico. It would be nice if the PST could supports device dependent SCPI registers. They can be used...
- 14 Oct 2023
Simpson Model 260 Series 5 Repair

fmilburn

I was at my mother's house last week and stumbled across several valuable items (?) and brought them back home. Simpson 260 Series 5 VOM Simpson 10mA analog panel meter new in box Minerva Stop Watch Two inexpensive plastic slide ...
- 7 Oct 2023
understand TinyUSB USBTMC protocols

Jan Cumps

In this post, I attempt to understand the flows that the USBTMC class driver follows for: standard SCPI query / response standard SCPI command only *STB? status byte requests service requests triggers For each scenario, I'll try to figure...
- 4 Oct 2023
PST.. Release 4 for the Pico SCPI labTool firmware (experimental functionality release): what's new?

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico. In this post: new functionality available in the Release 4. What's new? This release adds ex...
- 30 Sep 2023
PST.. Experimental event / trigger support for Pico SCPI labTool - 5: Propagation to IEEE488.2 SCPI Registers Test

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico. It would be nice if the PST could supports device dependent SCPI registers. They can be used...
- 22 Sep 2023
PST.. Experimental event / trigger support for Pico SCPI labTool - 4: let TinyUSB USBTMC code use SCPI-LIB's Status Byte register

Jan Cumps

The Pico SCPI labTool (PST) allows you to connect your PC to equipment to control and monitor all sorts of things. It runs on a Raspberry Pico. It would be nice if the PST could supports device dependent SCPI registers. They can be used...
- 22 Sep 2023