The Tektronix Vector Signal Analysis Software SignalVu has a great mapping tool, Tektronix RSA Map. Unfortunately, the default map supplied is extremely coarse and not really useful for real world measurements. This short article is going to show how to acquire free map files from openly available sources. If you use Tektronix SignalVu, odds are […]
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PCB Layout Design with DipTrace – An Overview
DipTrace is a sophisticated schematic and PCB layout software. I had it installed on my computer for over a year but have never really used it. Since I needed a super simple PCB for some 78XX / 79XX type linear regulators, I decided to use this opportunity for my first steps with DipTrace. DipTrace offers […]
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Yaesu FT-8800 Extended TX (MARS/CAPS) Mod
The Yaesu FT-8800 and FT-7900 are very popular radios. For some activities, it may be desired to be able to transmit outside of the amateur radio bands. This article will show how to do this modification with minimum effort at home. Driving a transverter, participating in the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) or Civil Air […]
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Look Inside: Teledyne LeCroy HDO4024
True beauty lies within, or so they say. For an exclusive look under the hood, I decided to break the warranty seal on my Teledyne LeCroy HDO4024. It took me a while to debate with myself whether or not I should void the warranty on this scope. Curiosity won and I couldn’t resist, I just […]
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Review: ADSP-BF592 EZ Lite Kit
Blackfin processors from Analog Devices (ADI) precede their reputation. Anyone who has even remotely thought about Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) has come across ADI’s Blackfin processor series. ADI considers the BF592 as the low-cost entry point into the Blackfin portfolio of processors. To make evaluation a piece of cake, ADI offers the BF592 EZ-KIT Lite […]
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L-Network impedance matching
Impedance matching is an everyday problem for RF circuit designers. The L-Network is one of the easiest lossless ways of matching a low source impedance to a higher load impedance. This article shows how they work and how to design them. Matching a transistor amplifier’s low output impedance with the higher impedance of an antenna […]
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12-bit vs. 8-bit – What’s the difference?
Teledyne LeCroy and Agilent offer brand new 12-bit oscilloscopes and promise clearer, crisper waveform displays than an 8-bit oscilloscope can deliver. But what does it really mean for a real world application to have 12 instead of 8-bit resolution? I have no idea if that was just my perception or if the year 2012 was […]
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Repairing a MRC DAR Plus Receiver
This is another piece of industry story time. This time it’s about Vislink MRC DAR Plus receivers and transmitters. It shows that even highly integrated devices in the 1 each including shipping. After carefully replacing the MMIC on the PCB, I tested the IF module by applying a 70 MHz signal again. This time the […]
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JM38510/10901BPA – Military grade 555 timer IC
When parts are being used in military or aerospace applications they need to meet special quality standards. Using off-the-shelf parts is a big no-go and should be avoided at all times. While inventorying all my electronic parts, I stumbled across a few old forgotten parts from a fairly old project which was designed according to […]
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Atmel AVRISP mkII and BASCOM AVR
More and more computers (especially laptops) aren’t equipped with serial and / or parallel ports anymore. Therefore, more and more programming interfaces utilize USB instead. However, some people are extremely attached to their older serial / parallel programmers and often oversee how a USB based device can simplify their life a lot. Atmels’s AVRISP mkII […]
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