Metal Plastic Electronics

First power test for the main control board. Trying some RC filters on the inputs to keep the ADC cores happy. Really just a quick test to see if things are starting to come together. Part 20 of the DCL1 electronic load project.

With the MOSFET power modules being reasonably stable. It’s time to get the ADC module of the dsPIC33CH256MP508 up and running. With both cores’ clocks running wide open I can see what kind of noise I have on the power rails. Tracking down an unexpected switching noise on the 12-volt power rail. The DCL1 project marches on. Part 19 of the DCL1 electronic load project

I bought a DualSense joystick parts kit from Amazon. It’s a Veanic brand kit. Comes with 4 joystick modules, 4 joystick knobs, 4 knobs caps. and a couple of tools. All I need are the knobs but I thought it would be a good test to see if the PS5 kits nowadays actually come with the correct joystick modules. Spoiler, it does. So I take a thorough look at this kit. The kit https://a.co/d/2v8vvkc

Testing out the frequency response of the power MOSFET modules. Trying to understand why just a tiny bit of noise on the input can cause such large current swings in the output. Part 18 of the DCL1 electronic load project.

I tear apart a hard drive that was knocked over. Not dropped or knocked off a desk. It was just knocked over. And it quit working. It was a fun bit of teardown.

I’m taking a look at a low-cost LED light for video and photography use. The Sunpak VL-LED-96. Do a little exploration through the control circuit to see how it works. And take a look at the light it gives out.

Starting a Microchip MPLAB X IDE project for a dsPIC33CH dual-core microcontroller. Using the MPLAB code configurator (MCC) to set up the project. Going over a few of the complexities of getting the project up and running.

I try converting a very cheap oscilloscope probe to a solder-in oscilloscope probe. Using the probes from this https://a.co/d/24e7wok Amazon kit.

I’m testing out an FFG rechargeable air blower from Amazon. I'm planning on replacing most of my canned air use with it. If it works as advertised. Does it, watch and see. And I have to tear it apart and see what’s inside. 01AD-Y20 Teardown begins at: 4:50.

My Simplehuman compact soap dispenser quit on me. Nothing else to do but tear into it, and see if it is salvageable. Oh, the suspense.

I’ve been using the Atten ST-862D for a little over a year now. So felt it was time to give a year-in-use update review. Correcting some of my erroneous initial impressions. And answering the big question, would I buy it again?

Taking apart a Halco 89003 T8 LED lamp. Drawing up a schematic diagram of the internal power supply. And generally seeing how it’s put together. A fun little exploration.

I make a 4-foot T-8 lamp fixture out of some aluminum composite material (ACM). It’s an interesting material to work with.

I install a new ¾ inch MDF spoilboard on a homemade CNC router.

I’m upgrading a 5 and a half year old Gigabyte AB350-GAMING motherboard from a Ryzen 1600 to a Ryzen 5700X. At least that is the plan. Trying a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2 CPU cooler to see if PBO will give any extra performance on this old motherboard.

Searching for a dsPic MPU for my electronic load project. With the chip shortage, it is definitely slim pickings. But there are still a few deals to be found. And I’m trying one of them: dsPic33CH256MP508.

I was needing a few low-power, less than 10-watt, loads for a multi-output power supply project. So this is the result of my attempt to build a low-cost load bank. They have 1-ohm resolution with banana jack value selection.

Making an aluminum knob with a 6 mm diameter by 18 mm long stud. Trying out a knurling attachment for the mini lathe. It’s going to be a wild ride. Well, not really. But I do destroy an oil brush.

I bought this test lead set from Amazon a few months ago. It’s a very cheap 5-piece hook-clip to banana-plug kit. One of the leads had to be repaired, so I go over that. And just a look at the set after using it for a couple of months. The Sumnacon 39-inch multimeter test lead set. Item: https://a.co/d/5gdh6yb

The hopper on my Mr. Coffee BVMC-BMH23 coffee grinder broke. Can it be salvaged from the trash bin?

In doing the final test of the power supply, I ran into a strange instability problem. Doing a bit of exploration of that problem. Part 17 of the DCL1 electronic load project.

A test of the Almhs Universal Mini Bender. Can a decent-looking spiral be easily formed using the pins and dies that come with the bender?

Testing some 2-watt flameproof resistors. Comparing a Stackpole RSF2, a Panasonic ERG2S, and a Vishay PR020002. How much does resistor physical size affect temperature rise?

I’m putting the Zhenyu 5-color fully insulated banana plug kit to use. Digging in a bit on the quality of the plugs. Noting some of the strong points and some of the shortcomings. This Amazon item: https://a.co/d/5EjsQsz

Testing complete, I’m now building the power supply that will go into the electronic load project. A few surprises, and a few mistakes along the way. And when it comes to high-frequency transformers, I find out why more layers more bad. Part 16 of the DCL1 electronic load project.