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India’s Ministry of Defence announced on September 23 that it has entered into a contract with the government-owned enterprise, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), to procure 160 Satellite Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons for the Indian Air Force, worth roughly 811 crores. The contract is a step towards augmenting the Air Force’s precision-strike capabilities and promoting a robust domestic defence production ecosystem. BDL is a state-owned defence company that manufactures guided weapons and other equipment.

BDL Contract Supports Indigenous Air-Launched Weapon Procurement

A satellite-guided weapon uses its positioning information to estimate the location and guide the weapon to programmed points. There are two possibilities depending on the weapon type: some cartridges use inertial navigation combined with satellite information, which means the weapons estimate a displacement between two waypoints based on an internal inertial navigation device. The fusion of the two-navigation mode allows better guidance continuity in a degraded environment. An anti-airfield weapon is designed for an airfield-related target.

Such cartridges need to be suited to the aircraft as well as specific mission planning and release procedures. They must meet preconditions such as accuracy, navigation capabilities, robustness, and compatibility with the launch platform. The statement also mentions that Indian defence manufacturers will be providing the supply of equipment to the armed forces. India has to develop industry and supply chains, along with maintenance skills, with respect to indigenous manufacturing. The timings of manufacturing, milestones, and operationalisation are subject to contractual obligations and the procurement process.

The post India Signs Rs 811 Crore Contract for 160 Satellite Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons appeared first on ELE Times.

​The Indian Coast Guard recently announced the interception of a transnational syndicate linked to a seaborne narcotic haul worth about 3,000 crores, in a Ministry of Defence press release dated September 30, 2026. This seaborne drug haul exemplifies a maritime security agency’s effort to combat illicit trafficking in coastal and wider maritime domains. Maritime traffic’s vast ranges of maritime traffic and the immense extent of the maritime domain’s 24×7 tracking and surveillance challenge maritime security agency interdiction efforts.

Coast Guard Operation Highlights Maritime Surveillance and Interdiction

Maritime interdiction often relies on a series of interrelated capabilities. Information gathered from sensitive surveillance networks, shipborne radar and electro-optical sensors, protected communications and data sharing systems enables authorities to develop a picture of activity at sea. This targeted activity can then draw on the deployment of patrol vessels or other assets authorised to stop and search vessels if required.

This operation will be successful if it is possible to share information, encourage watch locations, maintain security over sensitive areas, and make best use of resources. Using fusion techniques, operators can combine information, but a detection still has to be identified and verified before a vessel can be stopped and identified. The seizure of large quantities of drugs can help break up trafficking networks and reduce the impact of the network’s actions, but this is only part of understanding its size and shape.

The post Indian Coast Guard Reports Major Narcotics Seizure in Anti-Smuggling Operation appeared first on ELE Times.

The Indo-ASEAN joint Exercise, AIME-26, has started in Subic Bay, Philippines, as per the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The statement was uploaded on 30 September 2026 by the official website of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), and the exercises represent one of the most significant elements of India’s interaction with ASEAN in the maritime sphere, as they constitute a forum for maritime cooperation. Such exercises facilitate participating navies to operate in close coordination, practice SOPs and conduct liaison at sea.

AIME-2026 Strengthens Regional Maritime Engagement

Maritime operations might include the planned manoeuvres, the communication exercise, the search-and-rescue drill, and other professional exchanges arranged as part of the exercise schedule. These activities allow participating forces to familiarise themselves with each other’s procedures and build the capacity to work together in actual maritime-security operations. Location matters. Numerous commercial shipping lanes exist throughout the Indo-Pacific, with ships from all nations moving along these commercial routes.

Naval ships are also expected to be prepared to respond to maritime security threats, including piracy, smuggling, accidents at sea, and other navigation hazards. Maritime coordination can be achieved without ships. Secure communications, navigation aids, radar, identification methods, operational information sharing, and similar programs all contribute to the awareness picture at sea; while exercises can help service personnel practice using them with partner forces, it should not be assumed that all countries’ equipment and operating procedures align.

The post ASEAN–India Maritime Exercise 2026 Begins in the Philippines appeared first on ELE Times.

India and France are stepping up their partnership in space technology into the realm of satellite production and defence related monitoring, the Financial Express has reported, quoting a $5 million deal between India’s Dhruva Space and France’s Safran Space on the construction of 275 satellites. The report suggests that while India’s space-based surveillance capacity is growing, this particular partnership falls under the Space-Based Surveillance Phase III programme, which is a larger and more ambitious mission to improve monitoring of India’s land and water territories via an expanded satellite fleet.

Dhruva Space–Safran Partnership Highlights Satellite Manufacturing

Distributed satellite constellations allow monitoring many sites on several continents repeatedly to detect changes to land borders, coastlines, and seascape approaches. The spacecraft can be equipped with an optical payload, a radar, or other sensors. Especially with radar imaging, observation can be more independent of clouds or limited sunlight, and distributed constellations can lower reliance on a small number of large spacecrafts.

However, the operational utility of constellations depends on the constellation and orbital designs, including, for example, the ground infrastructure, the revisit time, the sensor capabilities, and the downlink capabilities. The large share of the private sector in the reported agreement indicates an increased importance of private players in India’s space activities, their manufacturing capabilities, specialised components, and also the potential for cross-border collaboration.

The post India–France Space Cooperation Targets Military Surveillance Capabilities appeared first on ELE Times.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association (which develops standards for the microelectronics industry) has announced the release of ‘JESD264: Silicon Photonics Qualification and Reliability Requirements’, the first industry-wide standard designed to bring consistent qualification and reliability practices to silicon photonics devices. By establishing a common baseline for testing and manufacturing controls, the standard helps to reduce deployment risk and supports broader adoption of silicon photonics in high-speed data-center, telecoms and AI networks...

The Indian Army is taking further strides in drone security by working through a network of six specialised laboratories to identify flaws in unmanned aerial systems (UAS). As per a report published by Financial Express on October 1, 2026, this network, named AASHVAST (Assessment and Analysis of Electronic Systems Hardware for Vulnerabilities and Security Threats), is expected to test software bugs, firmware flaws, and electronics that might be compromised by a drone, which could, in turn, threaten the platform. One of these facilities has already been commissioned in Delhi.

AASHVAST Labs to Examine Drone Hardware, Firmware and Software

Indian military drones’ on-board systems include flight controllers, navigation receivers, sensors, communications modules, and embedded computing systems that can all be points of attack if the systems are compromised. Hardware and Firmware Testing can identify rogue components, verify supply-chain traceability and confirm whether the electronics work as they should. These are critical considerations for surveillance, reconnaissance and other security drones that require reliable transmission and precise navigation. In addition to the trial at the laboratory, another programme by Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies and the Tamil Nadu Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Corporation plans to train over 2,000 people over three years, providing skills in drone operation and maintenance.

The post Indian Army Plans Drone Vulnerability Labs to Strengthen Cybersecurity appeared first on ELE Times.

FREE-WILi 2 is an open-source electronic multitool that fits in your pocket and replaces an entire workbench. It combines a complete electronics lab, a software-defined radio bench, and a video game console. It supports wireless, GPIO, analog, RFID, CAN, retro-gaming, Linux onboard, and AI agents that write firmware. The project is documented on the maker’s website, where you can find schematics, firmware, and instructions.

The board features an unusual and powerful hardware setup. A primary RP2350 handles I/O and scripting, while a second RP2350 drives the display, buttons, audio, and DVI output. The ICE40UP5K FPGA covers functions that the PIO cannot handle, such as SPI-slave emulation or multicore RISC-V I/O. It also manages 8 MB of SRAM that can be dynamically swapped with the main CPU.

Processors, FPGA, and shared memory

The Raspberry Pi CM0 adds full Python scripting and onboard compilers. The ESP32-C5 provides wireless access to Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth LE, and IEEE 802.15.4. Each RP2350 has 8 MB of serial SRAM and 16 MB of flash. The ICE40UP5K FPGA has another 8 MB of SRAM. Computing power is thus distributed across multiple architectures, each with a specific role.

An ultra-low-power microcontroller supervises 17 power domains. Its job is to optimize the battery life of the 3000 mAh cell. The capacitive touch display measures 3.5 inches with a 480×320 resolution. Analog outputs reach about 4.84 V at 25 kHz. The programmable power supply provides from 1 to 5.5 V at 1.5 A, so you can power external sensors and modules directly from the board.

Firmware, scripting, and the OneWili API

The default firmware includes several onboard scripting engines. You will find rThon, WiliBlocks, ZoomIO, and a WASM engine called WiliWasm. The OneWili API unifies access from Python, Rust, C/C++, and rThon, both from a host PC and directly on the board. This API is generated by the firmware itself, so it always stays aligned with the device’s actual functions.

AI agents are supported natively and can write and debug firmware code. The project also integrates Claude Code and LM Studio. For those who want to get started, the board supports CAN FD at 8 Mbit with a SIC transceiver. The ST25R3916B RFID module and the BMI323 and BMM350 sensors complete the package. All of this is enclosed in a device that also works as a retro-gaming console.

• Primary RP2350 for I/O and scripting
• Second RP2350 for display, audio, and DVI output
• ICE40UP5K FPGA for advanced functions
• Raspberry Pi CM0 for full Python
• ESP32-C5 for Wi-Fi 5 GHz, BT LE, and 802.15.4
• STM32WLE5JC for long-range communications
• ST25R3916B for RFID
• BMI323 and BMM350 for motion and magnetic field

A similar project can be partially built with simpler components, but FREE-WILi 2 compacts everything into a single tool. For those who want to approach the world of wireless microcontrollers, a board like the ESP32-C6-Zero kit is a good starting point to learn. Instead, a Raspberry Pi 5 offers more power for software development, but it does not have the same hardware integration as this multitool.

FREE-WILi 2 represents a step forward for makers who want a complete and portable tool. The combination of FPGA, dual RP2350, and Raspberry Pi CM0 offers rare flexibility. Native support for AI agents opens new scenarios: the board can write its own firmware based on your needs. Anyone working on electronics, radio, or gaming projects will find a powerful ally in this device.

Source: https://freewili.com/

Related products

• ESP32-C6-Zero Wi-Fi 6 IoT Development Kit
• Raspberry Pi 5 – 2 GB memory version

The post FREE-WILi 2: The Pocket Electronics Lab with AI appeared first on Open Electronics.

When standard capacitors succumb to parasitic inductance, feed-through capacitors (or feed-thrus) step in to save the day. Here is how these three-terminal devices act as the ultimate shield against high-frequency EMI.

Step into the EMI compliance chamber—a place every engineer both dreads and respects. You’ve built a shielding enclosure that looks like a fortress: milled aluminum walls, tight seams, and the confidence that nothing inside will leak out. But reality intrudes the moment you need to power the circuit or route a few low‑frequency signals.

Figure 1 An aluminum RF enclosure employs a feed-thru capacitor option to supply power to the unit. Source: Gquipment

A copper wire piercing that flawless wall becomes the perfect antenna. It happily scoops up the high‑frequency clock noise buzzing inside and radiates it outward, undoing all your careful shielding. What seemed like a sealed stronghold is suddenly riddled with invisible leaks, and the compliance test chamber makes sure you see every one of them.

The ESL trap: When your capacitor retires at 100 MHz

Engineers love to talk parasitics, and few are as sneaky as equivalent series inductance (ESL). Every multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) you drop onto a board comes with hidden baggage: the inductance of its leads, pads, and traces. At low frequencies, the capacitor behaves exactly as you expect—shunting noise to ground. But as frequency climbs, that inductance dominates (the math is simple: XL=2πfL).

At 100 MHz, even a modest 5 nH of lead and trace inductance yields an inductive reactance of about 3 Ω. Suddenly, your “decoupling” capacitor is no longer a capacitor at all; it’s acting like a tiny inductor. Instead of shorting high‑frequency noise, it lets clock harmonics sail right through.

This is why the compliance chamber laughs at your fortress enclosure: the copper feed‑through wire plus its “fake” capacitor combines into a broadcast antenna. The lesson is clear—standard MLCCs retire early in the RF game, and parasitics write the rules.

As frequency climbs into the hundreds of megahertz or even the gigahertz range, that “tiny” parasitic inductance becomes a brick wall. The impedance shoots upward, and your capacitor stops behaving like a capacitor at all. This is where the concept of self‑resonant frequency (SRF) comes in. Every real capacitor has a frequency at which its capacitive reactance and inductive reactance cancel.

Below SRF, the device does its job—shunting noise to ground. But once you cross that threshold, the capacitor has secretly retired. It flips roles and behaves like a pure inductor, blocking the very high‑frequency currents you wanted to suppress. The punchline is brutal: your expensive decoupling capacitor, chosen with care, is now actively preventing noise from finding ground.

Instead of helping your shielded enclosure pass compliance, it’s amplifying the problem. That’s why engineers who live in the RF world treat SRF as the “expiration date” of a capacitor. Past that point, you’re not buying capacitance—you’re buying inductance.

Figure 2 Drawing highlights the performance advantages of an SMT feed-thru capacitor over a discrete capacitor. The key difference between the two filtering methods is that the feed-thru offers significantly lower parasitic inductance between the signal line and ground. Source: Kyocera AVX

Thinking coaxially: Demolishing lead inductance

The feed‑thru capacitor earns its reputation not by adding more layers, but by changing geometry entirely. Instead of two parallel leads soldered onto a board, it’s built as three‑terminal device. The signal or DC power line passes straight through the center of a cylindrical dielectric, like a wire threaded through a bead. Around that dielectric, the outer electrode wraps a full 360°, forming a coaxial sleeve that mounts directly into the metal shield wall.

This construction cheats parasitic inductance in a brilliant way. Because the ground electrode is omnidirectional and bonded directly to the chassis, the effective shunt lead length is zero. There are no long traces or dangling wires to add nanohenries of inductance. The result is a capacitor that maintains its low‑impedance shunting behavior well into the gigahertz spectrum.

Where a conventional MLCC would have “retired” at its self‑resonant frequency, the feed‑thru capacitor keeps working, shorting high‑frequency noise to ground and preserving the illusion of a perfect shield.

From wall to board: Form factors and practical applications

While chassis-mounted cylindrical feed-throughs guard outer metal enclosure walls, 3-terminal SMD capacitors bring this same low-ESL geometry directly onto PCB layer boundaries. They are the unsung heroes of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), serving as critical boundary filters across demanding applications in RF shielding, aerospace avionics, medical equipment, and high-frequency power supplies.

In practice, these devices are available in several mechanical packages tailored to different structural needs. Solder-in and bolt-in bushings are ideal for direct installation through bulkhead walls or shielded enclosures, providing high mechanical stability and maximum chassis grounding contact.

For automated PCB assembly, compact SMD chip packages offer localized decoupling right at layer boundaries or internal compartment shields. Additionally, filtered connectors integrate feed-through filtering directly into multi-pin interconnect housings to protect entire cable bundles at once.

Because the system’s DC current flows directly through the central pin, selecting the right device requires looking beyond capacitance alone. You must rigorously evaluate maximum continuous DC current, peak voltage limits, and mechanical mounting requirements to ensure high-frequency attenuation doesn’t come at the cost of thermal or electrical failure.

Figure 3 Feed-thru capacitors leverage specialized geometries—from miniature threaded bushings and SMD chip packages to high-current stud mounts—to eliminate parasitic shunt inductance and extend EMI suppression into GHz frequencies. Source: Author

AC, DC, and EMI variants: Choosing the right flavor

Feed‑thru capacitors aren’t one‑size‑fits‑all. Manufacturers tailor them for different environments: DC feed‑thrus handle steady current rails and must be rated carefully for amperage; signal‑line feed‑thrus are optimized for AC or communication paths where impedance matching matters; and EMI/RFI feed‑thrus are designed specifically to crush broadband interference across wide frequency ranges. In practice, DC versions dominate power‑supply filtering, signal‑line types appear in communication links, and EMI‑rated parts guard shield walls in aerospace, medical, and defense systems.

Beyond capacitance and current ratings, the real measure of a feed‑thru capacitor’s effectiveness is its insertion loss curve. Datasheets plot attenuation in decibels versus frequency, showing how much noise is suppressed across the spectrum. Two parts that look identical mechanically may differ dramatically in their high‑frequency roll‑off. Reviewing these curves ensures you select a feed‑thru that matches the specific EMI threat in your design.

C, L, and Pi: Tailoring your insertion loss

Once you’ve mastered the geometry, the next step is topology. Feed‑thru capacitors don’t live alone—they pair with inductors to sculpt insertion loss curves that dictate how much noise gets crushed, measured in decibels.

• Pure C‑filters: A single feed‑thru capacitor to ground works beautifully in clean, high‑impedance circuits.
• L‑filters: Adding a series inductor creates an asymmetric filter, ideal when source and load impedances vary.
• The heavy‑hitting Pi (π) filter: Two feed‑thru capacitors with a central inductor form a steep attenuation wall that obliterates harmonics from switching regulators.

Figure 4 C, LC, and Pi feed-thru topologies attenuate unwanted high-frequency noise by shunting interference to ground while passing direct current and low-frequency signals unimpeded. Source: Author

Bench realities

For completeness, T‑filters (Inductor–Capacitor–Inductor) deserve a mention alongside L and π topologies, since they are the preferred choice when both source and load impedances are very low. Equally important is clarifying the inductance story: while the feed‑thru’s 360° ground contact drives the shunt path inductance virtually to zero, the central pin itself still carries a small amount of series inductance along the pass‑through path. Recognizing this distinction prevents the misconception that the signal path is entirely inductance‑free and helps engineers make more accurate high‑frequency design decisions.

Feed‑thru capacitors look bulletproof on paper, but the bench has a way of exposing their weak spots. The first trap is current. Unlike a board‑mounted MLCC, the system’s DC current flows directly through the central pin. Push a 5-A rail through a feed‑thru rated for 1 A and you’ve built a very expensive fuse—complete with smoke and a failed prototype. Always check current ratings before routing power lines.

The second trap is thermal shock. Ceramic feed‑thrus, especially solder‑in types, are notorious for cracking if hit with uneven heating. A cold solder iron or sloppy thermal profile can fracture the dielectric; the soldering process should be controlled such that the component does not experience any thermal shocks which may induce thermal cracks in the ceramic dielectric.

The failure may not show up immediately; instead, it lurks as an intermittent short that appears only after the unit leaves the lab. Treat feed‑thrus with respect—they’re mechanical as much as electrical, and ignoring their limits can turn a compliance win into a manufacturing nightmare.

Fundamental truths

In high‑frequency design, geometry matters as much as capacitance. A shield only works if its inputs are guarded, and feed‑thru capacitors are the ultimate checkpoint. They don’t just block noise; they enforce discipline at the boundary.

Every compliance battle begins at the shield wall, and feed‑thru capacitors are the guards that decide who gets in. If you want your next design to survive the chamber, treat geometry as seriously as capacitance. Audit your inputs, choose the right filter topology, and make feed‑thrus part of your default toolkit.

Don’t wait for the test lab to expose the leaks—engineer your defenses now.

T. K. Hareendran is a self-taught electronics enthusiast with a strong passion for innovative circuit design and hands-on technology. He develops both experimental and practical electronic projects, documenting and sharing his work to support fellow tinkerers and learners. Beyond the workbench, he dedicates time to technical writing and hardware evaluations to contribute meaningfully to the maker community.

Related Content

• Trends in capacitors
• Capacitor matchmaker
• Care and feeding of capacitors
• The Many Benefits of FeedThru Capacitors
• Power Tips #51: Be aware of capacitor parasitics

The post Demystifying feed-through capacitors: How to stop EMI in its tracks appeared first on EDN.

Researchers at the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH) of Berlin, Germany, and the Institute of Photonics at University of Strathclyde and the LiFi Research and Development Centre at University of Cambridge in the UK, have transmitted data at up to 1.5Gbps using novel far-UVC LEDs. Developed at FBH, the devices set a record for wireless optical communication at wavelengths below 235nm. Far-UVC technology offers a distinct advantage for outdoor communication: Sunlight generates virtually no background signals in this spectral range. The technology could therefore enable reliable optical links outdoors and complement radio-frequency communication where it reaches its limits...

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) says that its £160m 10-year Investment Zone program is moving into delivery, marking a major step forward in the region’s ambition to become a global hub for advanced manufacturing and digital technologies...

Hey all, In 1986, NSF funded NSFNET, the backbone that grew into the modern internet. Last month it kicked off PCLNet, a $400M network of 20 AI-driven cloud labs, and NSF itself draws the comparison: the goal is to put real labs and hardware on the network the way NSFNET put computers on it. One of those labs is electronics. I'm the CEO of Adom, the company running it in Fort Worth, and part of that funding goes into tools any electronics engineer can use today, from their own desk. Here's what's available now, free: AI that drives your tools: KiCad, Altium, Fusion 360, SOLIDWORKS, Blender, and other GUI tools like SPICE simulators. Bring your own AI account (Claude, Codex or Grok). Download: https://adom.inc Open-source bridges, so you can see exactly how the AI drives each tool, and extend it. A free, AI-first component library, where every part comes with skills that teach the AI how to use it correctly, traced back to the datasheet. Example: your DC-DC converter comes back from fab running hot, and you're guessing at copper pours and thermal vias for another spin. Here the AI runs thermal and current density analysis and fixes them before you ever order the board: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKUMzy261zs NSF's announcement: https://www.nsf.gov/tip/updates/nsf-announces-400m-investment-new-national-network-ai Feedback welcome: what works, what breaks, and what tools you'd want the AI to drive next. John submitted by /u/jlauerjlauer [link] [comments]

YuzukiNeko is a Linux development board built around the Allwinner F101 RISC-V SoC, in a form factor reminiscent of the Raspberry Pi Pico. Its dimensions are roughly 51 x 21 mm, but don’t be fooled: inside there’s a XuanTie C907 processor running at 1.008 GHz with 32 KB of L1 cache for instructions and 16 KB for data. The board carries 16 MiB of SiP PSRAM and 16 MiB of external NOR Flash with XIP (execute-in-place) support. Additionally, the Allwinner F101S3 SoC integrates a graphics engine capable of driving RGB888, single-link LVDS, and 4-lane MIPI DSI displays.

The project comes from YuzukiHD, which has released everything as open source under the CC0 license. Those who want to dig deeper can check the YuzukiHD repository for code, schematics, and configurations. The board includes an FEL button for firmware download mode and a USB-C connector for data, power, and programming. There is also a microSD slot and a 2×20-pin GPIO header, with multiplexed pins configurable through the pinctrl software.

Multimedia and display with Allwinner F101

The strong point of this RISC-V board is the video section. The processor handles displays through RGB888, single-link LVDS, and 4-lane MIPI DSI interfaces. Video outputs reach notable resolutions: RGB888 goes up to 1280 x 720@60 fps, single-link LVDS reaches 1366 x 768@60 fps, and 4-lane MIPI DSI reaches 1280 x 800@60 fps. Furthermore, JPEG decoding supports resolutions up to 16384 x 16384 pixels, while PNG decoding reaches 2048 x 2048 pixels.

For compression, the JPEG/MJPEG encoder reaches 720p@30 fps with a maximum resolution of 8192 x 8192. The de-interlacer reaches 720p@60 fps. These figures make YuzukiNeko suitable for display, audio, and general I/O projects. The PSRAM is 8 MB or 16 MB at 252 MHz, and the NOR flash is 128 Mbit, that is 16 MiB. The whole system is enclosed in a QFN68 package measuring 7 mm x 7 mm.

The electrical schematics show the component layout and the connections between the SoC, flash, and connectors. The board is designed for embedded systems where computing power and video output are needed in a small space. XIP support allows code to be executed directly from NOR Flash, reducing boot times and the need to copy firmware into RAM.

GPIO, pinmux, and Buildroot software

The GPIO pins are multiplexed through pinmux: each pin can be configured for only one alternate function at a time, using the pinctrl software. This approach offers flexibility but requires care in circuit design. The board exposes 2×20-pin headers, compatible with breadboards and rapid prototyping. In addition, there is a USB-C connector for data and power, and a microSD slot for storage.

The software is based on Linux and Buildroot. Buildroot simplifies creating a minimal embedded system, with toolchain and kernel configured for the SoC. The YuzukiHD repository contains the configurations to compile the system and boot the board. For those who want to get started, the main steps are:

• Connect the board to the PC via USB-C.
• Hold down the FEL button to enter download mode.
• Load the firmware compiled with Buildroot.
• Insert a microSD with the root filesystem.
• Configure the GPIO pins with pinctrl for your peripherals.

YuzukiHD’s RISC-V board positions itself as a compact solution for those who want Linux and graphics in a minimal format. The comparison with the Raspberry Pi Pico is inevitable given the size, but the capabilities are superior. The presence of PSRAM and NOR Flash with XIP, together with the video outputs, makes it interesting for information displays, media players, and computer vision projects.

Source: https://github.com/YuzukiHD/YuzukiNeko

The post YuzukiNeko: A Compact RISC-V Board for Multimedia appeared first on Open Electronics.

Disassembled YIG microwave oscillator, a high-performance frequency source that uses a magnetically tuned yttrium iron garnet sphere to achieve exceptionally low phase noise and highly linear, wideband tuning across multi-octave microwave frequencies. Photographed with macro lens and a camera, sample from our collection. Hope you guys enjoy it! We couldn't find high-res images of the spheres online, so we decided to shoot them ourselves. submitted by /u/theperiodicmuseum [link] [comments]

The Arduino core for Zephyr RTOS has reached version 1.0.0. This release marks the completion of the transition away from the old MbedOS-based core. The new core provides a modern and flexible foundation for current and future Arduino boards. It also lets you use Zephyr RTOS features and APIs directly from the Arduino IDE, Arduino CLI and Arduino App Lab tools.

The project is built on a two-component architecture. The core generates a standalone elf file that is loaded dynamically by a precompiled Zephyr firmware called the loader. The loader handles the interaction between sketches and the underlying Zephyr system. After the initial bootloader installation, the loader automates the sketch loading process. Version 0.90.0 made the Zephyr loader installation procedure fully automatic.

The loader and its operating modes

The loader’s behaviour is set through the IDE’s Mode menu. In Standard mode, the loader loads the sketch automatically. In Debug mode, on the other hand, it requires you to type ‘sketch’ in the Zephyr shell. This flexibility makes debugging much easier. The loader design is generic: board-specific changes are made in the DTS overlay or fixup files.

The core is validated with version v0.16.8 of the Zephyr SDK. Development uses the standard tools of the Zephyr ecosystem, such as west and sync-zephyr-artifacts. The core also relies on components such as llext, the dynamic extension mechanism, and zephyr-sketch-tool for compiling sketches. Everything rests on ArduinoCore-API to maintain compatibility with the Arduino ecosystem.

What you need to get started

To try the Zephyr core you need a supported board and an up-to-date development environment. Here are the main steps:

• Install Arduino IDE 2.x.x or Arduino CLI
• Add board support through the Board Manager
• Install the Zephyr core from version 1.0.0
• Configure the loader mode from the IDE’s Mode menu

Version 1.0.0 of the Zephyr core is a milestone release. The move from MbedOS to Zephyr is complete. The new core offers a more solid foundation for the future of Arduino boards. Among the new features, support for the project’s code repository includes all the loader and core sources. In addition, the new Arduino UNO Q board is among the first devices to benefit from this architecture.

The Zephyr core represents a paradigm shift for Arduino. It is not just an update: it is an infrastructure built to last. The separation between loader and sketch makes the system safer and easier to update. What’s more, using Zephyr RTOS opens the door to advanced features such as support for numerous protocols and optimised power management. For anyone developing IoT applications, this is a solid foundation to build on.

The transition from MbedOS to Zephyr was not only technical, but also strategic. Zephyr is an open source RTOS with an active community and a regular release cycle. This guarantees long-term support for Arduino boards. In addition, version 1.0.0 of the core is validated with the Zephyr SDK v0.16.8, ensuring stability and compatibility. The future of Arduino boards goes through here.

Source: https://github.com/arduino/ArduinoCore-zephyr

Related products

• Arduino UNO Q 4GB – Complete kit with accessories

The post Arduino Zephyr core 1.0.0: the move away from MbedOS is complete appeared first on Open Electronics.

Let’s discover and try out the benchtop tools that every good electronics technician should have.

 

Nowadays, experimenters and technicians alike use and appreciate portable and handheld measuring instruments. Over the years, these instruments have multiplied and diversified, reaching even the professional user: this is the case of the Hantek 2000 series handheld instruments, which we have tested and described in this article, whose characteristics and interfaces place them fully in the category of semi-professional instruments. More precisely, we focused on two models (both available on the website www.open-electronics.org).

The basic model (HANTEK2C42, part number 6072-MHO2C42) combines a two-track digital oscilloscope with a maximum frequency of 40 MHz with a digital multimeter with automatic readout, while the oscilloscope of the top model (HANTEK2D72, Open Electronics part number 6072-MHO2D72GEN) reaches a frequency of 70 MHz.

The digital multimeter function of both is identical, but the higher-performance model additionally features a waveform generator with the maximum frequency depending on the type of signal generated: sine 25 MHz, square 10 MHz, other types 5 MHz and 1 MHz, maximum amplitude 2.5 Vmax (corresponding to 5.0 Vpp).

From this initial information, it is easy to see that just by putting one of these instruments and a power supply in a case, you have a good portable laboratory bench for analysis or repair on site.

Of course, as we shall see, our HANTEKs will also play their part in a stable laboratory, as their size allows them to be positioned close to the circuit, within easy reach, avoiding the constant twisting of the neck required to display what we need on the bench-top instruments.

In order to prove the truth of this statement, we decided to test these instruments from the comfort of our home PCs, not in the laboratory, by simulating an off-site operation.

Fig. 1 shows all the tools and accessories that we put in a small hard case, all supplied by Open Electronics to carry out this test.

 

Fig. 1

 

The instruments and accessories used for testing HANTEK handhelds:

• HANTEK2C42 handheld;
• HANTEK2D72 handheld;
• Velleman 8220-EDU06 kit  (Oscilloscope Tutor);
• kit FT1464K (Waveform generator – to be mounted);
• Cables and connectors are required for connections.

 

We specify that all tests have been carried out on both models (except, of course, those relating to the waveform generator) but, for obvious reasons, the measurements will be reported only once, having however verified by comparison the total of the results. Finally, for convenience, we will describe the two instruments as if they were one.

Inside the sturdy cardboard packaging, we find a beautiful rigid transport bag, complete with a handle, as well as a quick guide in Italian, of which we will report in this article the images necessary for understanding the operation of the instrument; for everything else we refer to the complete manual in Italian (in the package you will find instructions for downloading the relative pdf).

When you open the zip, you can see that the bag is well organized, in fact, the base has a space in which the instrument, the 230 Vac – 5 V – 2 A mains power supply and the USB cable type C are housed, so not the cable of common smartphones, but that of some new generation models; on the lid of the bag there is a net that contains all the supplied cables: a BNC probe for an oscilloscope with switchable 10x-1x attenuation, with typical accessories, a pair of test leads for the multimeter, a BNC to R/N cable (two in the case of the 2D72 model). Refer to Fig. 2.

For those who wish to equip themselves with a second probe, in order to use both traces with 10x attenuation, we recommend the model 6072-PROBE100, available at www.open-electronics.org.

 

Fig. 2

 

Some details

The HANTEK handheld has a 2.8″ 64,000 colour LCD screen in TFT technology; its resolution is 320 horizontal pixels x 240 vertical pixels with adjustable contrast.

The apparatus is heavier than a normal digital multimeter, partly because of its metal case, covered by a strong rubber, whose purpose is to isolate the circuitry as much as possible from external disturbances.

The two batteries, 18650 type 3.7 V and 2,600 mAh, are already installed inside, and are correctly charged to about 50% of full charge; remember that this type of battery should never be left fully charged or fully discharged for long periods of time, otherwise they can be irreversibly damaged. The instrument has a removable bracket on the back that allows it to be kept in an upright position, and covers the two screws of the battery door. On the right side, there is a rubber cap that allows access to the USB port type C for charging batteries and for connection to the PC; although the cap shows the symbol of an SD CARD, in reality, the slot does not have any housing and in any case is not declared anywhere. In the upper part, there are 3 BNC: the first two for the oscilloscope channels (CH1 and CH2), the third for the output of the waveform generator (Gen out), which of course is operational only on models equipped with this function (2Dxx series).

 

Front panel

Fig. 3 describes the front panel, which is organized in three sections, from top to bottom: the display, the control buttons, and the digital multimeter input jacks.

 

Fig. 3

 

The control keys are as follows:

–  Scope: Oscilloscope mode;

–  DMM: Multimeter mode;

–  AWG: Waveform generator mode (only active on 2Dxx versions);

–  Menu: utility menu;

–  Trig: Trigger setting menu;

–  Enter: In Scope, saves the oscilloscope user-defined settings; in AWG it is used to confirm the character just entered via the digital keyboard;

–  Auto: automatically adjusts the horizontal and vertical scales of the oscilloscope and automatically sets the attack, type, position, slope, level and trigger mode, etc., to ensure a stable waveform display;

–  Channel: menu for setting the two channels (vertical);

–  Time: Horizontal setting menu;

–  F1/F2/F3/F4: in each menu mode, operate the selection of the corresponding menu items on the screen.

–  Zoom and direction keys: perform different actions depending on the menu selected;

– in the Trigger menu, the Left and Down arrows move the trigger level down, while the Right and Up arrows move it up;

– in the Channel menu, the Up and Down arrows change the zero-level position of the track, while the Left and Right arrows change the Volts/DIV of the channel;

– In the Time menu, the Up and Down arrows change the Time/DIV, while the Left and Right arrows change the position relative to the horizontal trigger;

– In Multimeter mode the arrows change the measurement function;

– In Generator mode, after selecting a parameter, the Left and Down arrows will reduce the parameter value, the Right and Up arrows will increase the parameter value; the four arrows are also used for selecting keys on the digital keyboard;

 

We then have buttons marked with icons:

= Pressed and held down, it allows you to access the shortcut menu and to select the desired function by means of the specific key (F1÷F4); after having selected the function, press the Shortcut key once to confirm or cancel the selection (the functions of this menu are described in the specific paragraph);

= RUN/STOP, in Scope mode, stops or executes waveform acquisition; in DMM mode, retains measured data or updates it; in Generator mode, turns waveform output on or off;

= POWER ON/OFF; is the on/off button.

 

On the front panel, we also have the digital multimeter input sockets (DMM Input Connector), from left to right: A (ammeter input 4 A and 10 A capacity, unprotected), mA (ammeter input 40 mA and 200 mA capacity protected by fuse), COM (common input, black ferrule), V/Ω/C/ (voltmeter input, ohmmeter, capacimeter, diode measurement, and short circuit).

Table 1 shows the general characteristics of this family of instruments, while Table 2 shows the main technical characteristics of the oscilloscope section, the arbitrary waveform generator and the multimeter.

 

Tab 1

 

 

Tab 2

 

 

Preliminary operations

After checking that the instrument’s equipment corresponds, the first step is to recharge the instrument’s internal batteries, using the power supply and the cable provided; the POWER button will light up solid red (if it flashes it means that the batteries are not installed or are defective) and will only switch off when the batteries are fully charged.

Now you can turn on the instrument and perform the preliminary operations: firmware update, auto-calibration and Utility menu setting.

 

Software installation and firmware update

Since the instrument can be interfaced with the PC, the management software must be downloaded from the download section of the Hantek site; once the folder has been unzipped, it will contain both the setup and a subfolder with the updated drivers. Connect the handheld to the USB port of the PC, go to the Windows Device Manager and update the driver with the one just downloaded.

The next step is to install the DFU (Device Firmware Update) software and driver. At this point the instrument’s firmware can be checked for updates. The procedure is automatic, so within a couple of minutes, the instrument will be updated to the latest version of the firmware (ARM) and FPGA.

 

Auto-calibration

The oscilloscope has an auto-calibration feature that helps to optimise the signal path for maximum measurement accuracy. It can be performed at any time, but the manufacturer recommends performing it if the ambient temperature changes by at least 5 °C. For more accurate calibration, wait 20 minutes after the oscilloscope has been switched on for it to reach its steady-state temperature.

In addition, the auto-calibration must be performed without any input signal, otherwise, the instrument may be damaged.

 

Utility menu

After auto-calibration, press the Menu key, access the Utilities and make the necessary settings by pressing the keys indicated (those not listed are not needed at this stage):

-F1         : leave English selected (the only alternative at the moment is Chinese);

-F2         : Activate or deactivate key sounds;

-F3         : Set the intensity of the display backlight;

-F4         : Go to page 2 of the Utility Menu;

-F1         : Set the backlight duration;

-F4         : Go to page 3 of the Utility Menu;

-F2         : enable or disable the panel for measurements of the signals shown on the display (for the initial phases it is definitely preferable to leave this panel enabled);

-F3         : View information about the hardware and software versions of the instrument for possible upgrade;

-F4         : Go to page 4 of the Utility Menu;

-F1         (shutdown): Set the automatic shutdown time;

-F2         (calibration): carry out self-calibration (to be done every 12 months or whenever the ambient temperature changes by more than 5°C);

-F3         (default): reset to factory settings (in case you have any doubts about the manoeuvres carried out);

-F4         : Go to page 4 of the Utility Menu;

-F1         (boot logo): enable or disable the display of the logo when the handheld is switched on.

 

At this point we begin to see how to use the instrument, pressing Scope to start with the most important function: the oscilloscope.

 

Setting up the oscilloscope

To obtain a correct image display of the signal detected by the probe, three sets of parameters must be set:

-Vertical: V/DIV for signal amplitude;

–  Horizontal: Sec/DIV for signal width;

-Trigger: synchronisation for signal stability.

 

We would like to point out that our oscilloscope is equipped with an Auto function (activated by the key of the same name) that searches and finds (where possible) the best combination of Volt/DIV, Sec/DIV and Trigger to display in a stable manner the signals applied to one or both of the CH1/CH2 inputs.

But in some cases, you cannot get the expected result, so it is important to learn how to adjust the oscilloscope manually.

To make the adjustment manually, you must move through the function menu, setting the channel operating parameters first; then press the Channel button to enter the channel menu.

-F1         allows you to select the channel to be adjusted;

-F2         is used to enable/disable the selected channel;

-F3         is used to set the probe coupling:

• DC sets DC coupling, useful for reading DC voltage values or the offset of alternating or variable signals;
• AC sets the coupling to alternating, which shows only alternating signals;
• GND shorts the probe to the ground and shows no signal (typically used to calibrate the vertical position of the track);

-F4         allows you to go to the second page of the menu, where:

– F1        allows you to set the attenuation of the probe used, it must have the same value as the switch position on the probe;

– F2      is used to activate bandwidth limiting, in order to eliminate high-frequency noise that may affect the displayed signal;

– F3     reverses the signal in phase.

 

The next step is to set the time base by pressing the Time button:

-F1         is used to set the mode (for normal measurements set Mode YT);

-F2         is used to set the length of image recording.

 

Once this is done, the trigger settings are made by pressing the Trig key to enter the corresponding menu:

-F1         allows you to select the channel to be synchronised;

-F2         allows you to select the slope to be considered for synchronisation:

• Rising;
• Falling: downhill;
• Double: both uphill and downhill.

-F3         sets the synchronisation mode:

– Auto: triggers the signal even in the absence of normal conditions;

– Normal: triggers the signal in the presence of a valid trigger condition;

– Single: locks the display as soon as it acquires a valid waveform.

-F4         allows you to switch to the second page of the menu, where:

-F1         forces the trigger in difficult conditions, completing the acquisition even in the absence of a valid trigger signal.

These are the general settings; now we will see how to set some parameters according to the type of signal we are going to detect, whether we know the maximum values or they are unknown.

 

Probe compensation

The first time a new probe is used on an oscilloscope, the compensation operation must be performed. The procedure consists in applying a known square wave, typically with a frequency of 1 kHz and an amplitude of 2 Vpp, to the probe connected to CH1, then using a small screwdriver, possibly plastic, turn the compensator screw on the probe itself, until a perfect square wave is seen, without overshoots, bevels or inclined edges (see Fig. 4).

 

Fig. 4

 

For the 2Dxx versions, everything is simplified by the fact that you can use the built-in waveform generator, but the 2Cxx versions don’t have one, so we thought we’d use a low-cost kit instrument that will come in handy for both probe compensation and oscilloscope verification. Now we are ready to view and measure our signals with the oscilloscope.

Once the FT1464K kit has been assembled, we have arrived at the point where we have a valid waveform generator (sine, triangle and square), with adjustable frequency from 50 Hz to 6 kHz (in two ranges: 50 Hz÷600 Hz and 600 Hz÷6 kHz) and amplitude 2 Vpp AC (sine), 11 Vpp AC (sine) and 11 Vpp AC (sine). (sinusoid), 11 Vpp AC. (square), 3.5 Vpp AC. (triangular).

The generator in the kit and the 2Cxx handheld computer will be mutually useful, as the oscilloscope will allow the various trimmers in the generator to be calibrated once the probe is calibrated, but also during the calibration phase.

Let’s proceed in order: we know the amplitude of the generator signal (11 Vpp ac) and we know that we need a 1 kHz frequency, so let’s see how to pre-set the two instruments. We start with the FT1464K generator in which:

-trimmers VR3 and VR4 must be positioned at about half stroke;

-the potentiometer must be turned all the way to the left;

-the flow switch is set to FR-H to set the range >600 Hz.

 

Once this is done, plug the probe BNC into the CH1 socket of the oscilloscope; set the attenuation switch to 10X and connect the probe tip to the square wave output and the alligator clip to the generator ground.

We now go to the oscilloscope, where we set CH1 to AC coupling, then press F4 and F1 in sequence to set the attenuation to 10X.

Since we expect a signal with an amplitude of about 11 Vpp, to see it as wide as possible it is best to set the V/DIV to 2 V~ using the Right and Left arrows.

The period relative to the frequency of 1 kHz is its inverse, i.e., 1/1000 Hz=1 ms, so a single square wave lasts 1 ms; the horizontal grid is composed of 12 divisions, let’s consider 10 for convenience; each of them must be worth 1/10=100 us; we must therefore set the Time/DIV to 100 µs. Then press Time and the Right and Left arrows to set the horizontal cursor T to 0.000 ns; then            Time and the Up and Down arrows to set the Time/DIV to 100.00 us.

At this point, we can power the generator with 12 Vdc using any power supply; if everything has been set up according to our instructions, the display will show a very large square wave and the box in the top right-hand corner (if it is not visible, re-read the section on the Utility Menu and enable it) will show the yellow values close to these:

-MAX   5.5 V;

-MIN     5.5 V;

-FRE      600.0 Hz.

 

These values may vary due to the fact that our generator is not a professional instrument, if they vary a lot there will be a circuit problem in the generator or some wrong setting in the instruments or in the probe.

Start by turning the potentiometer very slowly to the right until you obtain a value as close as possible to 1000 Hz, the multiturn trimmer VR2 will be used to obtain the most precise value possible.

Referring to Fig. 4 above, if necessary, adjust the probe compensation until a perfect signal is obtained.

 

Fig.5

 

Calibration of the waveform generator

Once the probe has been adjusted, we can calibrate the generator, starting with the duty cycle of the square wave; except for future requirements, the value to be set is generally 50%; if necessary, turn the VR3 trimmer until the HIGH period of the signal occupies the same number of divisions (squares) as the LOW period, specifically, each of the two periods must occupy exactly 5 divisions. In fact, each division is worth 100 us, a 1 kHz cycle lasts 1 ms, therefore 10 divisions, the duty cycle at 50% means exactly 5 divisions for each of the two periods LOW and HIGH.

At this point we can move on to the calibration of the sinusoidal signal:

• Volts/DIV must be           set to 500 mV;
• Time/DIV must be           set to 200.0 us;
• Connect the probe to the sine wave signal output.

 

Now turn the VR4 trimmer until a sine wave is obtained in which the two half-waves are as equal as possible to each other.

The last check is made by connecting the probe to the output of the triangular wave, if everything is in order you will see two cycles that will completely fill the display both vertically and horizontally.

Both tools are now ready to be used for their respective functionalities.

 

Using the handheld computer software

We have already mentioned the installation of the software in the preliminary operations. The software obviously requires the use of a PC, which obviously affects the question of portability, but on the other hand, greatly simplifies operations, as well as provides the instrument with additional features, such as a series of additional measurements, not available on the handheld, and the possibility of automatic firmware updates; in addition, the PC can easily be a small tablet (or a netbook), which would not affect the overall size and weight of the instrument.

For our purposes, we will only use it to easily take pictures of the various sizes, while for its in-depth use we always refer you to the excellent and comprehensive user manual in Italian.

 

Using the oscilloscope

To test our oscilloscope, we use the other small accessory tool supplied by Open Electronics, the Velleman Oscilloscope Tutor. This is a PCB without a case, already assembled and tested, which, by simply using a normal mains power supply, with a 9-12 Vac output, makes it very easy to carry out eight experiments with any oscilloscope. Let’s take a look at two of them as examples, which we think are suitable for a good evaluation of our instrument.

–  Measure an AC voltage: connect the probe (10x attenuator – CH1) to the test point (tp1) and the alligator clip to tp2. Set the Vertical stage (Channel) to AC and 10 V/DIV, the Horizontal stage to 10 ms/DIV, and the Trigger to Rising and Auto.

The display grid is set at 10 Vpp/DIV and therefore the signal, in this case, is about 34.8 Vpp, which represents the sum of the VMAX and VMIN visible on the instrument; if you want to know the actual (or effective) value of the signal, you must activate the RMS measurement in the software.

Then in the software we use the Measure – Edit options menu option and activate the Peak to Peak, Frequency, and RMS boxes. The result is in Fig. 6. The frequency, as expected, is 50 Hz, the VRMS is 12.3 V, while the Vpp is 34.8 V.

–  Comparison of two out-of-phase waveforms: connect the probe (attenuator 1x – CH1) to tp9, the alligator clip to tp4 and the red clip of the BNC-alligator cable (CH2) to tp10 (the black one can remain free). Set the Vertical stage (Channel) to AC and 5 V/DIV for both CH1 and CH2 (must be enabled), the Horizontal stage to 20 ms/DIV, the Trigger to Rising and Auto. Also in the software, if the green signal does not appear, enable CH2 (Vertical section on the right). With Measure – Edit options activate the VRMS and Frequency measurements for both channels. Finally, using the side arrows 1 and 2 on the left, adjust the height position of the two tracks, so that they are both clearly visible on the screen. The result is visible in Fig. 7.

 

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

 

Using the built-in waveform generator (2Dxx series)

The connection between the two instruments is made by connecting the probe (in 10X mode) to CH1 and the BNC crocodile probe to the BNC Gen Out, with the two black crocodile clips connected together and the probe hooked up to the red crocodile clip (Fig. 8). We will see, again, three different signals.

 

Fig. 8

 

–  Generation of a 5 MHz 2 V square wave signal: click on the AWG key, set type = Square, Freq = 5 MHz and Amp = 2 V; for the latter two settings, you can press the relevant function key (F2 or F3) twice to enter keyboard mode, and enter the desired values with ease.

Press the RUN/STOP button so that the OUTPUT symbol on the display turns green. Click on Scope to switch to oscilloscope mode and set CH1 to 2 V/DIV, AC coupling, Time/DIV to 100.0 ns. Via software, we can activate the VRMS, Vpp, and Frequency measurements to confirm the correctness of the settings made on the Generator (Fig. 9).

 

Fig. 9

The signal we see in the image, being at very high resolution, shows a typical characteristic of square wave generation, the irregularities of the LOW and HIGH zones of the signal, it should be considered that the effect is found, at high frequencies, even in instruments of much higher cost.

However, those who are familiar with digital logic know that this is not a problem at all, since the range of reading of the logical states provides that a signal is considered HIGH when its level is greater than or equal to 2/3 of the value of the power supply, it is instead considered LOW when its level is less than or equal to 1/3 of the value of the power supply; it is easy to understand how small variations in amplitude, both on the HIGH and LOW levels, do not create any problem for the operation of a digital circuit. At low frequencies this effect is practically invisible.

–  Generating a 25 MHz 2.5 V sinusoidal signal: click on the AWG button, set type = Sine, Freq = 25 MHz and Amp = 2.5 V. Press the RUN/STOP button so that the OUTPUT symbol on the display turns green.

Click on Scope to switch to oscilloscope mode and set CH1 to 2 V/DIV, DC coupling, Time/DIV to 20.0 ns. We activate via software the VRMS, Vpp and Frequency measurements (Fig. 10). You can see with this test that the oscilloscope has no difficulty in showing a high-frequency signal on the display, and as we all know, depending on the model, these instruments read signals up to 40 or even 70 MHz without any problems!

 

Fig. 10

 

–  Generation of a
1 MHz 1 V triangular signal
: click on the AWG button, set type = Ramp, Freq = 1 MHz and Amp = 1 V.

Press the RUN/STOP button so that the OUTPUT symbol on the display turns green. Click on Scope to switch to oscilloscope mode and set CH1 to 500 mV/DIV, AC coupling, Time/DIV to 500.0 ns. Again, activate VRMS, Vpp and Frequency measurements (Fig. 11).

 

Fig. 11

 

Using the digital multimeter

The digital multimeter is a universally known instrument, if only because it is always the first tool purchased to equip a laboratory. In our case, in addition to the usual voltage, current and resistance measurements, this instrument offers the possibility of checking the integrity of the junctions of semiconductor components (diodes, transistors, jFETs, etc.), measuring the capacitance of capacitors and searching for short circuits, signaled by the sound of a buzzer.

To activate it, press the DMM button, then set the type of reading to be taken and connect the two test leads accordingly, remembering that the black lead always goes into the COM (common, GND, ground) socket, while the red lead goes into one of the three red sockets.

A special feature, not found in the vast majority of multimeters in circulation, is that depending on the measurement set, the display clearly shows where the two test leads should be inserted, which is useful not only for beginners but also for experts who, in a moment of distraction and haste could make a mistake and certainly obtain undesirable results.

Another useful feature is the lack of measurement scales. Once the measurement has been taken, our multimeter displays it at the highest possible resolution, automatically choosing the scale from those indicated in the technical characteristics table.

–  Measurement of a direct voltage: once again we use our bench power supply, we set a voltage of 20.8 V and read it on the display; to set the multimeter, simply press F1 (DC V) and insert the black test lead into the COM socket and the red one into the V/Ω/C socket, then connect the ends of the test leads to the two crocodile clips on the power supply cable, respecting the colors. Instantly, the display of the multimeter will show the measured value (in our case 20.72 Vdc); the slight difference between the two values is partly due to the tolerance of the two instruments and partly to the fact that the multimeter has two decimals to show the actual value, while the display of the power supply used for the test has only one decimal (Fig. 12).

 

Fig. 12

 

–  Measurement of a direct current: in this case, we will supply a low-voltage LED and measure its absorption.

Let’s set up the instruments: the power supply has to be set to 3 V, while on the multimeter you have to press F4 – F2 (DC mA) and then move the red tip to the mA socket (indicated by the display). Connect the black alligator clip to the black test lead, the red test lead to the anode of the LED (the longest pin) and the red test lead to the cathode of the LED (the shortest pin).

Again, the measurement will be instantaneous, the LED will light up and the display will show the power consumption: in our case 2.33 mA, which is too low to be shown on the power supply’s display, which has a resolution of 10 mA (Fig. 13).

 

Fig. 13

 

Conclusions

Well, we will stop here with the description of the Hantek multifunction oscilloscopes and our impressions of their use on the bench. We believe that what we have outlined in these pages is sufficient to allow you to evaluate the potential of HANTEK handheld instruments in the main measurements that a technician might have to make, both on the bench and in the field.

 

From openstore

Oscilloscope 2CH – 70 MHz+Multimeter

Oscilloscope 2CH – 70 MHz+Waveform Generator+Multimeter

Tutor Oscilloscope

Waveform generator

 

 

 

 

The post HANTEK 2000 series: The all-in-one handheld instruments appeared first on Open Electronics.

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This is an LED blinkenlights type of thing, driven by 74HC14 Schmitt-trigger inverters driving the LEDs directly; and 74HC157 multiplexers to select different sequences. It's my first time using such tiny components - the matrix area of the board needs to be clear of components but I needed to keep the rest of the board as small as possible while cramming in lots of capacitors and resistors. I know some of you solder this stuff but I can't begin to imagine doing so so I left it to JLCPCB - OTOH I'm still an electronics novice so I'm impressed/amazed/astounded it worked! submitted by /u/GuzziGuy [link] [comments]

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With European Microwave Week 2026 approaching, here is an overview of Qorvo’s plans for the show and its participation in the technical program.

Qorvo, a leading global supplier of connectivity and power solutions, will present RF technologies and system-level expertise for radar, satellite communications, defense and space applications at European Microwave Week (EuMW) 2026, which will be held at ExceL London from 4 to 9 October.

At stand B30A, where Qorvo exhibits together with authorized distributor RFMW, Qorvo experts will bring a system-level perspective on current RF programs and design challenges. Visitors to the stand will be able to explore RF architecture and signal chain trade-offs, power and thermal considerations and the integration issues that affect system performance, as well as approaches for increasing bandwidth and output power while maintaining RF performance.

During the week, Qorvo will also contribute to a series of technical sessions and forums, including:

• Sunday 4 October – SS-01, EuMC: Ryan Jennings, Director of Si, SATCOM and Systems Engineering at Qorvo, and Dean White, Senior Director of Aerospace and Defense at Qorvo, will co-chair the workshop “Challenges and Payoffs in Next-Generation SATCOM: Multi-Band, Multi-Orbit, Multi-Constellation Ground Terminals”. The workshop will explore the technical and architectural challenges of delivering affordable, energy-efficient ground terminals for multi-band and multi-orbit satellite networks.
• Monday 5 October – IEEE MTT-S Inter-Society Technical Panel: Greg Clark, Senior Director of Defense and Aerospace Products, will take part in the panel “Building a Sustainable and Resilient RF Semiconductor Industry”, which examines the challenges of building sustainability across materials, devices and applications, including RFIC and MMIC design, for telecommunications, sensors and emerging applications.
• Wednesday 7 October – Defense Forum: Dean White will present “Future European Defense Systems – RF Technology for Smaller, More Capable Platforms”. The forum will examine microwave technologies for radar, electronic warfare, secure communications and drone detection.
• Thursday 8 October – Space Forum: Ryan Jennings will present “Advances in RF Architecture for Next-Generation Ground Terminals: Multi-band, Multi-orbit, Multi-constellation”. This forum will examine RF, microwave, millimeter-wave and terahertz technologies for future space systems and ground terminals.

Visitors can meet Qorvo throughout the exhibition at stand B30A or arrange a meeting with a Qorvo expert through the Qorvo EuMW 2026 event page.

The post Qorvo Brings RF Expertise to European Microwave Week 2026 appeared first on Open Electronics.

We manufacture a machine able to obtain any kind of shape starting from expanded materials, by cutting with hot wire.

Since hobbyist versions of these machines have been made, machines for shaping solid objects have spread widely, trespassing industrial terrain and landing in schools and the homes of ordinary people: we speak mainly of 3D printers that work by additive printing, but also of other printers for solid objects that in a sense are 3D, while operating with the subtractive technique (CNC mills) or cutting; an example is the Foam Cutter proposed in these pages, which is basically a two-axis printer but able to cut, from slabs of foam and foams of various kinds (sponges, slabs of polystyrene foam and expanded or compact polystyrene, as well as EPP), even 12 cm thick, any kind of figure, even very complex.

In fact, while operating in only two dimensions, this machine allows you to create three-dimensional objects. Cutting is done by hot wire, that is, through a thin metal filament of NiCr alloy (nickel-chromium) that is crossed by a current regulated in order to stabilize the temperature reached and obtain an extremely precise cut and thin passages from the external to the eventual internal. The wire is moved vertically by a mechanism that slides on the uprights of the horizontal carriage, moved by a motor located at the base.

But let’s get to the heart of the project, analyzing first the electrical and electronic part, which basically follows that of a 3D printer but with a few less parts and a revised hardware.

THE CONTROL UNIT

The electronics of the printer is composed of an Arduino Mega board with applied a RAMPS shield, which is the basis of many 3D printers with Arduino architecture and contains all the drivers for stepper motors (in our case it supports 5, but having two stepper-motors we mount only two, namely those of the X and Y axes) and for the heaters of two extruders, as well as manage the limit switches needed to stop the motors when their relative drives arrive at the end of the stroke (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

The Arduino Mega governs the printing machine through the RAMPS shield and through the USB Device port it is equipped with, it interfaces with the Personal Computer from which it receives the files to be printed and all the settings requested from time to time.

On the electromechanical level, we have two NEMA17 stepper motors, one to slide the carriage horizontally and the other to raise the guide that supports the hot wire on the carriage; in both cases the coupling is a toothed belt.

Then there are the limit switches for these two movements.

The filament is powered through the D10 output of the RAMPS shield, which is connected to a power MOSFET normally used (in the 3D printers the shield is intended for) to power the resistance of extruder no. 1 in PWM; for this reason, as will be clear later, to raise or lower the temperature of the filament we will act on the control of the print client (for example Repetier Host) which acts on the fan speed.

The RAMPS shield is now a standard on which different documentation exists on many websites; we limit ourselves to saying that it contains a certain number of Pololu stepper-motor drivers configurable by jumper in order to set and select multiple microstepping modes and MOSFETs for controlling the extruders.

It also has inputs for reading the NTC thermistors which can be used to read the temperatures of the extruders (not used here) and of the limit switches; everything is interfaced through the headers to the analog and digital I / O of the Arduino Mega.

As you can see in the photo of the shield, between the sockets of each driver module there are three jumpers that are used to define the division factor for the microstepping mode; in our machine the caps must be mounted on all three, in order to set the division factor to 16 (Fig. 2).

For the power supply of the machine (12Vdc) is used the 5 A input of the RAMPS shield.

Fig. 2

To this electronics, if desired, you can add a control panel that allows the use in stand-alone mode; it is basically a unit similar to that provided for the stand-alone use of the 3Drag printer, but programmed with a specific firmware that allows you to display on the LCD screen only the parameters and menu items relevant to the Foam Cutter.

Let’s go back to the D10 output and the fact that the filament power is regulated by the client as if it were the speed of the extruder fan: this, for those who know 3D printers may seem strange; the trick is that the firmware of our machine cutter-polystyrene has been modified with respect to that from which it derives (that of 3D printers) especially in the part that concerns the extruders and the hot plate.

In particular, the extruder 2 is not managed and for the 1 the relative output D10 does not consider the feedback operated with the thermistor (here absent) but behaves like the one of the fan; therefore, the firmware interfaces with the printing client and associates the command to set the extruder fan speed to the PWM signal produced by D10.

That’s why with the fan command we actually vary the current, the power and therefore the filament temperature.

CUTTER MECHANICS

As for the mechanics, it is composed of a base resting on two plexiglass shoulders and formed by two aluminum profiles, two uprights always in aluminum profile, a horizontal carriage (X axis, Fig. 3) formed by a sheet of plexiglass with a stepper-motor applied (for the horizontal axis) and two uprights composed of aluminum profiles that support the mechanism of elevation of the hot wire, composed of two mini-carriages (Y axis) and driven by a toothed belt from a second stepper-motor located in the plexiglass base of the carriage. This belt runs in the hollows of the profiles that act as uprights of the trolley, so as not to be accessible from the outside (Fig. 4).

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

The hot wire fastening system is the same as that used for vertical movement, i.e. up or down, and consists of two small trolleys that slide, by means of wheels, in the slots of the uprights of the horizontal axis trolley. Each of these half trolleys supports and stretches the nickel-chromium filament by means of a helical spring with terminal eyelets that works under traction and has one of the eyelets fixed on the trolley by means of a screw and the other fixed to one end of the hot wire (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5

To stop the foam slab during processing, a series of “pins” have been fitted to the uprights of the machine so that they can slide up and down when the slab is positioned; in practice, to assemble the slab, after making sure that it is as wide as the inside of the machine shoulders minus the thickness of the moulded support points, the latter are applied to the edges of the slab itself by sticking them in and then sliding them down into the slots of the uprights until the lower part of the slab touches the profiles of the base.

INSTALLATION AND USE

Now let’s see how to use the cutter: first of all we need to create the pattern of the object to cut and to do that we need to download from https://inkscape.org the latest version (at the moment 0.92.4) of Inkscape software. Then you have to install the FoamCutterPlugin plugin (downloadable from https://github.com/open-electronics/foamcutter) by copying the files contained in the .zipper file in the InkScape extensions folder (typically C:Program Files (x86)Inkscapeshareextensions).

Then open Inkscape and define the size of the document (Fig. 6), then draw or write in the area of the document what you want to get from the machine; in the example we propose we’ll print the Elettronica In logo, then write the text and place it in the lower left corner (Fig. 7).

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Whether they are writings or drawings, in order to print them, in Inkscape they must be converted into paths using the appropriate command From object to path (for texts) or Vectorize bitmap (for images) accessible from the Path menu (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8

Subsequently, from the Extensions menu, the command FoamCutter is given (available because you have already installed the relative plugin for Inkscape) and this opens the procedure that allows you to obtain the G-code to be opened, when operating the machine, in the print client, starting from the created path. In the dialog box accessed (Fig. 9) it is possible to select where the G-code is to be created, the dimensions of the foam plate, the execution speed (a value of 300 mm / min is good for a polystyrene of approx. 1 cm), the power to be applied to the wire in percentage (25 is fine for a polystyrene of about 1 cm) and if the curves need to be rounded. In general, temperature and speed must be configured according to the thickness of the material to be cut. In any case, set the document properties according to the size of the polystyrene plate, foam or other material to be processed, in millimeters and apply the appropriate settings. For the example proposed, you must set the parameters as shown in Fig. 9, at least as regards the Setup tab.

Fig. 9

Leave the default settings in Usage for the moment and then click Apply; so confirm the plugin settings and exit the Inkscape extension, saving the created file and going to the print client for the next step. Inkscape will create the G-code related to the writing that we will print.

At this point, open Repetier Host and import the G-code you are interested in. First you need to configure the machine: from the Settings menu, select the virtual COM port to which the FoamCutter is connected and a communication speed of 115,200 baud (Fig. 10). Then:

• select the maximum cutting dimensions of the machine (480x500mm);

Fig. 10

• enable the visualization of the route (for this purpose click on the eye-shaped icon (Fig. 11);

Fig. 11

• after connecting and powering up the FoamCutter, from the Manual Control menu you can move the axes and bring them to Home (Fig. 12); Home for this machine corresponds to the X carriage towards the min endstop and the Y carriage at the top towards the min endstop); this configuration allows you to avoid breaking the wire and work the slab from above;

Fig. 12

• with the Load button you can import the G-code created (Fig. 13); the writing will be positioned near the home, then the object will be cut starting from the top, then reversed vertically.

Fig. 13

Now position the plate and bring the wire near the upper corner of this, then start the cut, waiting for the writing to be cut and at the end of the work remove the plate, taking care not to damage the nickel-chromium filament.

Here, your first realization will then be finished. Of course, this was a useful example to explain the procedure by which the graphic idea is passed to the creation of the G-code file, which will then be printed using the popular Repetier Host print client. Recall that the temperature of the hot wire can be varied with the client’s Fan slider, raising it if you want a higher cutting speed or if the filament is straining, or lowering it if not and if you see that the cut trace gets too wide.

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