Posts

Showing posts from May, 2020

Zeus LT — -A multi-function interface board for the Commodore 64

Image
Amigastyle, who is a big fan of Commodore 64 computers, designs Zeus LT Board, a multi-function interface board for Commodore 64. Plugging the Zion adapter into the Zeus LT, you could open up a world of more possibilities: Control smart home devices; Design, test, and debug Internet-of-Things (IoT) solutions Develop retro games Learn or teach basic electronics and basic programming Zion is a simple but essential interface between your Commodore 64 and your Zeus LT. It comes in two versions — -Zion LT and Zion F. The Zion LT includes the exposed made edge connector for the C64 expansion port, reset button and one 15-pin D-sub connectors for Zeus LT boards. The Zion F has the same function as the LT. It includes exposed male edge connector for C64 expansion port, reset button, four 15-pin D-sub connectors for Zeus LT boards and female pass-through cartridge slot(for when Zeus LT is not in use). The Zeus LT adds external I/O support to Commodore 64. It includes a single-15-pin D-sub conne

Good PCB Substrate Selection Makes Your PCB Design Half-successful

Image
Many characteristics of PCB are determined by the substrate,improper selection of the substrate will not only affect some performance of the product. Such as heat resistance, product operating temperature, insulation resistance, dielectric loss, etc. It will even affect the cost of the manufacturing process, so understanding the characteristics of the PCB substrate, selecting the substrate, and choosing the substrate reasonably is one of the important contents of PCB design. However, many PCB designers are specialized in circuit design, and some PCB designers believe that the choice of substrate is a matter of PCB manufacturing process, ignoring an important point that the design specifications should be selected according to the product assembly process environment, and the result is the design products cannot meet the technological requirements of mass production. The factory’s staff sometimes cause improper selection of the corresponding welding process in production due to insuffic

MNT Reform---Maybe the Most Open Source DIY Laptop

Image
Undergoing many changes from its earlier version, the latest version of the MNT Reform is the most friendly open source DIY laptop for hacking, customization, and privacy. It’s comprised of eight different 3D-printed parts. Designed with customization, repair, and longevity in mind the MNT Reform laptop can be amended and appended with 3D printed parts. It has a hard-wearing aluminum case and a long-life battery that is user-replaceable. Almost all of the firmware, hardware, and software on this laptop are free and open source. Saved for a bit of non-ARM firmware at the start of the boot, there are no binary blobs in use. They selected the "Nitrogen8M SOM" module for Reform because it is the only available module for which the user can download the complete schematics and understand what every component does. The SoM plugs into the Reform motherboard’s central 200-pin SO-DIMM connector. This means that anyone will be able to design a replacement SoM to power Reform with a co

Through-Hole Assembly

Image
Through-hole technology (also spelled "thru-hole"), refers to the mounting scheme used for electronic components that involve the use of leads on the components that are inserted into holes drilled in printed circuit boards (PCB) and soldered to pads on the opposite side either by the manual assembly (hand placement) or by the use of automated insertion mount machines. The quality of the solder joint is important for several reasons. The solder joint is the actual connection between the component and the board. The quality of the solder joint is equivalent to the quality of the connection. The "look" of the solder joint is less important but is usually indicative of the quality of the solder joint. Through-hole assembly in PCBWay Factory  Characteristics While through-hole mounting provides strong mechanical bonds when compared to SMT techniques, the additional drilling required makes the boards more expensive to produce. They also limit the available ro