When we do textbook analysis, we tend to ignore the real-world concerns for the sake of learning. So, a typical theoretical voltage divider is simply two resistors. But if you examine a low-pass RC filter, you’ll see a single resistor and a capacitor. What if you combine them? That’s what [Old Hack EE] did in […]
Many people who get analog electronics still struggle a bit to design oscillators. Even common simulators often need a trick to simulate some oscillating circuits. The Barkhausen criteria state that for stable oscillation, the loop gain must be one, and the phase shift around the feedback loop must be a multiple of 360 degrees. [All […]
A hacker’s view on ESD protection can tell you a lot about them. I’ve seen a good few categories of hackers neglecting ESD protection – there’s the yet-inexperienced ones, ones with a devil-may-care attitude, or simply those of us lucky to live in a reasonably humid climate. But until we’re able to control the global […]
You can get just about any gear reduction you want using conventional gears. But when you need to get a certain reduction in a very small space with minimal to no backlash, you might find a wave drive very useful. [Mishin Machine] shows us how to build one with (mostly) 3D printed components. The video […]
For most of us, mirrors are something we buy instead of build. However, [Unnecessary Automation] wanted to craft mirrors of his own for a custom telescope build. As it turns out, producing optically-useful mirrors is not exactly easy. For the telescope build in question, [Unnecessary Automation] needed a concave mirror. Trying to get that sort […]
DIY mechatronics always has some unique challenges when relying on simple tools. 3D printing enables some great abilities but high precision gearboxes are still a difficult problem for many. Answering this problem, [Sergei Mishin] has developed a very interesting gearbox solution based on a research paper looking into simple rollers instead of traditional gears. The […]
Intuitively, you think that everything that you stretch will pull back, but you wouldn’t expect a couple of pieces of plastic to win. Yet, researchers over at [AMOLF] have figured out a way to make a mechanism that will eventually shrink once you pull it enough. Named “Counter-snapping instabilities”, the mechanism is made out of […]
You think of op amps as amplifiers because, no kidding, it is right in the name. But just like some people say, “you could do that with a 555,” [Doctor Volt] might say, “you can do that with an op amp.” In a recent video, you can see below, he looks at simulations and breadboards […]
You can still get moving-needle meters off the shelf if you desire that old school look in one of you projects. However, if you want a more flexible and modern solution, you could use round displays to simulate the same thing, as [mircemk] demonstrates. At the heart of the build is an ESP32 microcontroller, chosen […]
How far can you stretch a measuring tape before it buckles? The answer probably depends more on the tape than the user, but it does show how sturdy the coiled spring steel rulers can be. [Gengzhi He et. al.] may have been playing that game in the lab at UC San Diego when they hit […]