Category Archives: Electronics

RoadTest Review: Rohm REFRPT001-EVK-001 8-Ch Power Tree Eval Board

Posted on November 16, 2021 by lui_gough

For the past month or so, I’ve been quietly reviewing yet another item bestowed upon me by the generous gods at element14 … … this very nice-looking Rohm Semiconductor REFRPT001-EVK-001 eight-channel power tree evaluation board. This board is targeted at … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Notes: Hyper Extension JN-1360 (H) 750W/1HP Treadmill Repair

Posted on November 13, 2021 by lui_gough

It would have been a long time, perhaps close to a decade, since my Dad decided to buy a treadmill. The treadmill in question was a bottom-end, abnormally-cheap K-Mart special. Branded Hyper Extension, it was obviously an import product which … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Electronics | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Random: NBN HFC Speed/Spectra, Fixing Old Electronics, Scam Calls, Oven Sabotage & More

Posted on November 6, 2021 by lui_gough

It’s been too long between random posts, so without further ado … here’s another bunch of random thoughts from my mind and scraps which didn’t really deserve their own post. NBN HFC Speed Testing Recently, my aunt faced the looming … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, DIY, Electronics, Telecommunications, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Micsig DP10007 (700V,100MHz,10/100x) High Voltage Differential Probe

Posted on October 31, 2021 by lui_gough

My recent review of the Infineon 3-Phase FOC Motor Drive Evaluation Board (EVAL_DRIVE_3PH_PFD7) had me wishing that I had more high-voltage differential probes to allow for safe probing of high-voltage circuits. Luckily, an online shop felt the same by having a … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Project: Arduino-based Agilent/Keysight USB-to-IR Adapter to LAN Adapter

Posted on October 30, 2021 by lui_gough

It was many moons ago when I treated myself to a proper name-brand DMM with some decent accuracy, an Agilent/Keysight U1241B complete with a U1173 USB to IR interface cable and a few other accessories. In the intervening years, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tested: More Vishay PowerPAK SO-8 MOSFETs: SiR178DP, SiR167DP

Posted on October 24, 2021 by lui_gough

Having been guilty of being ignorant of the developments in low-Rds(on) MOSFETs as of late, I used to think that 30mOhm was a pretty decent Rds. But then I decided to stray outside of the parts I used to use … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Review, Teardown: Zendure SuperPort 4 100W Desktop Charger with Dual PD

Posted on October 17, 2021 by lui_gough

A few weeks ago, a generous reader asked whether I’d be interested in reviewing a USB-C PD charger rated at 100W that could be obtained at the suspiciously low price of AU$28 on a promotional sale. The price alone piqued … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics, Tablet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Experiment: NI-VISA+Win10 vs. pyvisa-py+pyusb+pyserial+Linux

Posted on October 4, 2021 by lui_gough

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my scpibenchv1 post about benchmarking SCPI commands on compatible test and measurement equipment. In that post, I did mention that the use of different VISA layers would likely affect the results in some … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RoadTest Review: Aim-TTi QPX750SP 750W PowerFlex+ Programmable DC Power Supply

Posted on October 3, 2021 by lui_gough

If you’ve been wondering why it’s been a bit quiet recently around the blog, well there’s a perfectly good reason for that. I’ve been very busy pulling together everything for the Aim-TTi QPX750SP RoadTest Review. It’s no big secret that … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Project: scpibenchv1 – A Benchmark for SCPI Controlled Instruments

Posted on September 19, 2021 by lui_gough

I have been fortunate enough to have been selected as a reviewer for numerous types of test equipment over the years and have been a big advocate for the use of SCPI automation, I have seen differences between different products … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RoadTest Review: Infineon 3-Phase FOC Motor Drive Evaluation Board (EVAL_DRIVE_3PH_PFD7)

Posted on September 18, 2021 by lui_gough

Things have been a little quiet around here lately and part of the reason is this – the Infineon 3-phase sensorless motor control evaluation kit (EVAL_DRIVE_3PH_PFD7) board which I was selected to RoadTest. This particular board features Infineon’s IMC101T-038 iMOTION … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Project: Crude Inverter V2 (Downlight Transformer) & Efficiency Measurements

Posted on September 16, 2021 by lui_gough

Apologies for the inconsistent blogging schedule – I’ve been totally swamped with work (as usual), but some things take more time than expected as I keep thinking of new things to try. This post is a follow-up to my previous … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Electronics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Project: A DIY Parts-Bin Crude Square Wave DC to AC Power Inverter

Posted on September 7, 2021 by lui_gough

It’s been a while since I’ve done a project of my own, but I had a bolt of inspiration all of a sudden thanks to my recent repair of a sub-standard modified sine-wave inverter from China (and a brief mention … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Electronics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Review: ZMI zPower Trio (HA932) 65W 2xUSB-C+USB-A Desktop Charger

Posted on September 5, 2021 by lui_gough

This is another post that probably belongs to the “long overdue” pile. Back in 2019, I decided to buy a USB-C PD capable charger to allow me to charge my work laptop while at home. At the time, the safest … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Tablet | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Note: Potential Issues of Using a USB Powerbank as a UPS

Posted on September 3, 2021 by lui_gough

On my recent review of the Blitzwolf BW-P12 10000mAh Power Bank, a reader commented asking whether that particular power bank could be used as a makeshift uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for USB-powered devices. This is an excellent question and one … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Review, Teardown: Blitzwolf BW-P12 10000mAh 2xUSB-A+USB-C Power Bank

Posted on September 1, 2021 by lui_gough

As a person that’s tested many power-banks, it should come as no surprise that I literally have so many of them that I will probably never use them all. I need another power-bank in my life as much as I … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Tablet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quick Review: YZX Studio ZY12PDN USB-C PD Decoy Board

Posted on August 31, 2021 by lui_gough

This post was meant to be a short post to be published right after the delivery of my Microchip PoE to USB-C Adapter RoadTest Review, but somehow, I must have dreamed of publishing it because when I came to look … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Experiment: Output “Off” State on Test Equipment – Is It Really Off?

Posted on August 29, 2021 by lui_gough

It’s time to run a few experiments. You get to your lab and turn on your power supplies and electronic loads and they start-up, ready for action. For safety, most of them start up with their outputs off. Seems simple … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Teardown, Repair: 500W “Pure Sine Wave” 12VDC to 220VAC+USB Inverter

Posted on August 21, 2021 by lui_gough

I would usually not have much need for an inverter, as I do have a pair of HIP-300 units which are still serving me well, but recently that changed as I was entrusted to review a fairly beefy power supply … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Project: All Outputs Parallel Adapter for Rohde & Schwarz HMP4040 Power Supply

Posted on August 11, 2021 by lui_gough

While recently getting a PCB made for a specific review requirement, I had the opportunity to build a few more designs and bundle it in for some cost savings in the form of combined shipping. I figured since I was … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

RoadTest Review: Microchip PoE to USB-C Power & Data Adapter (PD-USB-DP60)

Posted on July 30, 2021 by lui_gough

If you’ve been following along the blog, you might have wondered why I recently took a look at some Power-over-Ethernet injectors, specifically one that supported 802.3bt Mode 4 “90W” power. At last, it is time to unveil my latest RoadTest … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick Review, Teardown: 802.3at/bt Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) Power Injectors

Posted on July 11, 2021 by lui_gough

I’ve been quite busy recently, in part, because I’m doing a few RoadTest reviews. One of them in particular involves the use of Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), but as I don’t already have any “standards-complaint” PoE equipment, I needed a cost-effective means … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics, Telecommunications | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Tips: Debugging SCPI & VISA Automation (Including NI I/O Trace)

Posted on July 4, 2021 by lui_gough

If I’ve lured you into the realm of SCPI automation using pyvisa to get the most from your test equipment, sooner or later, you’re probably going to end up in a situation where something doesn’t work and you don’t know … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Tech Flashback: Kodak DC290 Zoom 2.1MP Digital Camera

Posted on June 20, 2021 by lui_gough

Digital photography is so ubiquitous – literally almost everyone has a digital still and video camera in their pocket at almost all times in the form of their smartphone. Analog photography, on the other hand, has withered into a niche … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics, Photography, Tech Flashback | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

RoadTest Review: Maxim MAX31343SHLD# 5ppm MEMS Real-Time Clock Evaluation Kit

Posted on June 19, 2021 by lui_gough

Part of the reason it’s been quiet on the blog recently, aside from being overloaded with work, is that I’ve been busy doing a RoadTest of the Maxim MAX31343SHLD# MEMS-based highly-accurate real-time clock. There are many instances where you might … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Opinion | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Tested: ZMI 10,000mAh High-Speed Rechargeable Li-Ion Portable Power Bank (QB810)

Posted on June 14, 2021 by lui_gough

It’s coming up to the end of a long-weekend and I’ve still not made any postings … lets rectify this! In fact, I’ve been too busy with my day job and several product evaluations on the side which will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Power Bank | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Quick Review: Google Nest Hub (7″ Display, 2nd Gen, GUIK2)

Posted on May 29, 2021 by lui_gough

Readers who know me and who know technology in general would probably find it very unusual to hear that I am in possession of a Google Nest Hub, specifically the 7″ second generation model. I think it’s no exaggeration to … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Review: Trouver POWER 11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (VPL4)

Posted on May 23, 2021 by lui_gough

It seems that the era of cordless-everything is here, ever since Dyson announced they would stop developing corded vacuums and instead would focus on cordless models instead. While they certainly do have a few iconic cordless stick vacuums in their … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Electronics | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Review: The WORST 4-Port USB 2.0 Hub Ever? XHUB-3009A1

Posted on May 22, 2021 by lui_gough

In need of a USB 2.0 hub for a quick project, I made the mistake of jumping onto eBay and grabbing whatever cheap hub was available. It looked okay in the images, but what I received definitely didn’t meet my … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Notes: Tektronix PA1000 Power Analyser with pyvisa & SCPI Quirks

Posted on May 21, 2021 by lui_gough

I think it’s fairly self-evident that I think test equipment automation is awesome. If you’ve mastered the basics and learned a bit about the intricacies of status reporting, you’re well on your way to being able to drive almost any … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment