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Category: Blab

Blab, Hardware, The Home Automation System

2019-08-01

2019-08-04

Finally success.  FINALLY.  I finally have inrush current management under control.  In case a refresher is needed, here are a few posts discussing the problem. https://www.simkus.com/2017-10-01/ https://www.simkus.com/2018-07-21/ https://www.simkus.com/2018-08-24/ To recap: Attempt #1 – relay.  When the relay would turn on, the power supply would dip causing havoc. Attempt #2 – PWM drive of the low side.  Electrical current is like love – it finds a way.  By disconnecting the low side (negative rail), the positive Read more…

Blab, Hardware, Software, The Home Automation System

2019-07-30

2019-07-30

I have been playing with the latest revision of the VPSB (Vic’s Power and Serial Board).  I was hoping that this would be the last revision, unfortunately the fact that I crewed up the power supply footprint will prevent that from happening.  I got the pin order backwards. This is the worst kind of failure since I can’t blame anyone else.  Anyways, here’s the potato-cam picture:   You can see the power supplies in the Read more…

Blab, Blab, The Home Automation System, Uncategorized

2019-07-13

2019-07-13

I had a touch of panic when I received a text from DHL that my PCB order from Elecrow would be delivered Tuesday, July 16th.  Tuesday July 16th, you see, is when I’m scheduled to be flooded. The following is the river gauge closest to where I live.  Tuesday July 16th is when we’re scheduled for a flood event thanks to tropical storm Barry. The even more disconcerting prediction is for the Comite river.  They’re Read more…

Blab, Hardware, The Home Automation System

2019-01-04

2019-01-04

Long story made short:  more failure.  One very basic failure was mixing up SSOP footprints with TSSOP footprints.  I have a laundry list of excuses for screwing it up, but at the end of the day a lesson has been learned that should have been learned many times over in the past – don’t try to hand-wave things away.  Experience is the name we give to our failures, I suppose. A more subtle failure was Read more…

Blab, Hardware, Software, The Home Automation System

2018-12-15

2018-12-16

Looking back at the post history, and it appears that I am quite the Chatty Cathy this month. Lots of progress being made.  First order of business: I screwed up the naming in a bunch of places.  Instead of referring to the expansion board as VSPB (Vic’s Serial and Power Board) I referred to it as VPSB (Vic’s Power Serial Board).  Well it’s easier to rename it than to change all of the references, so Read more…

Blab, Hardware, The Home Automation System, Uncategorized

2018-12-09

2018-12-09

Because I can not leave well enough alone, I decided to add insulation to my reflow toaster.  Bellow are the results of the “learn mode” of the reflow controller.  Basically what the controller does is ramp the heaters up and down and measure the temperature change vs time vs relay on-time.  For more details go here: http://www.whizoo.com/intelligent .  The hope was that as more insulation was added the oven score would improve.   This is Read more…

Blab, Hardware, The Home Automation System, Tools

2018-12-04

2018-12-04

So anyone that has had boards manufactured by Elecrow (https://www.elecrow.com/) knows what that picture means – the stuff is in the mail.  For those that do not partake in hobbies that involve custom fabrication by Chinese firms, every time Elecrow completes an order, they email you a picture of it before sending it out.  I am exited.  This is the first four layer board I have done and this is the first time I have Read more…

Blab, The Home Automation System

2018-11-25

2018-11-25

Long story made short, time has been scarce lately.  School is sucking up most of my free time.  BRCC math department stays true to its two principles: A) math was hard for me to learn and so it should be hard for you to learn and B) the championing of rote memorization over anything else.  There’s an expectation of the the suckers students to memorize trig tables.  Just mind-blowingly idiotic. On to positive things. I Read more…

Blab, Hardware, The Home Automation System

2018-09-13

2018-09-13

I have been playing with the PIC24 which will be the basis for the serial and power board.  Side track:  need a catchier name for the serial and power board.  SPB? S and PB? SaPB? VSPB? Vic’s SPB?  Executive decision made: VSPB – Vic’s Serial and Power Board.  Boom.  Done. I have been playing with the PIC24 which will be the basis for the VSPB.  I don’t know if I like Microchip PICs because they’re Read more…

Blab, Hardware, The Home Automation System

2018-09-08

2018-09-08

Onto the Beaglebone shield.  The goal of this project is to produce an expansion board for the Beaglebone that breaks out the RS232 ports, provides power for the Beaglebone, and controls the power to the IO boards.  There are several reasons for wanting to control the power to the IO boards: The Beaglebone can not have any voltage applied to its inputs until a specific stage of the boot process. While we could achieve above Read more…

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