Category Archives: Device Characterization

Why Indeed?

At a recent meeting Scott Hall told us about a $4 Cypress ARM system that his work group intends to use with a port of  an ultra-lightweight Linux called uClinux. Coincidentally there was a recent blurb on Slashdot about uClinux on a Motorola 68k and here is the article, the related Youtube page, and one of the subsequent (in my opinion, classic) /. comments about this subject. The Slashdot article is here.

cynical

Making Component Markings Readable

 

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Here is a fast way to make IC part numbers easy to read (follow this link, then click on “Dicas práticas em eletrônica“).  Thank you Luciano Sturaro!!

This is translated to English with larger graphics in the Stack Exchange Q&A below. However it’s this easy:

  1. Clean the IC surface with alcohol and let it dry
  2. Rub chalk on it
  3. Gently wipe the IC surface

Electronics Stack Exchange Q&A

Update: Reality Bites

Of the few dozens of different chips I’ve tried this chalk trick on in the past few days I’ve found that maybe 15{13079d06258ef9010cea88dee32f3cdfc6f216a54651010f7303ce6140ee927c} are nearly immune to it.

Missing TPS63031 buck/boost temperature data graph

Here’s the graph that got scrubbed out of the list msg about tests of the TI TPS63031 buck/boost DC converter chip (3.3v out for 2-5.5 volts in). When I look at that msg as I got it from the list the graph is there! But I just looked in the archives and see that it was scrubbed. Oh well.

This shows the package temperature measured with a cheapo IR themometer with different input voltages and output load currents. Chip McClelland is going to combine this with his tests for more details later.

TPS63031-thermal1