Tag Archives: test equipment

Bus Pirate review

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Stephen Trier

The Bus Pirate: It sounds kind of shady, and maybe it is, but it is also a handy little tool. A few weeks ago, I received a Sparkfun Bus Pirate as a birthday present. This little board is a USB-to-nearly-anything … Continue reading →

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A Trip to Electronic Surplus in Cleveland

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Stephen Trier

Yesterday my son and I took a trip to Electronic Surplus, Cleveland Ohio’s candy store for electronics hobbyists and professionals. From a warehouse building in Mentor, ESI operates both a brick-and-mortar store and the website electronicsurplus.com. This is my home-town … Continue reading →

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Crazy PCB Layout from the Big Hair Decade

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Stephen Trier

Check out the bizarre PCB layout on this power supply.  A Pulse Instruments PI-702, I bought it for a few dollars at a hamfest. It was made in the mid-80′s and plugs into Tektronix TM500-series mainframes. When I powered it … Continue reading →

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Smoke testing the A3PN250 FPGA board

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Stephen Trier

There comes a point in any project when one has to find out if it works, but first, there is the “smoke test”: Turn on the power and see if anything goes up in smoke. I smoke tested the A3PN250 … Continue reading →

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Cleaning the Basement: When Junque is just Junk

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Stephen Trier

I don’t know who coined the term “junque”, but it used to be used on the QRP-L mailing list to describe questionable treasures brought home from a hamfest. “But honey, it’s not junk, it’s high-class junque!”  Like many engineers, I’m … Continue reading →

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