Author Archives: Duane
Push-me Pull-you LEDs
I may never get tired of talking about LED and diode polarities. It’s so much fun. Not long ago, I wrote about two LEDs from the same manufacturer, marked with opposite polarities. I recently ran into another one, but at … Continue reading
Intergalactic Geek Pride Day Quiz
There was a time when “Geek” was far from a badge of honor. Jr. High School (AKA middle school) was developed specifically for the purpose of making geeks miserable. We were told that lockers were designed for holding books, lunches … Continue reading
The Value of Open Source
There were a number of interesting sessions and debates at the DesignWest show. One of the more passion filled, was on the value of Open Source hardware. Some people think it will save the world,if only everyone will do everything … Continue reading
LEDs: Seeing Double
Like I do so often, I’m being a bit redundant. While I’m all for stamping out and eliminating redundancy, this is redundancy with a purpose (not a porpoise). Not long ago, in a galaxy not far away, I blogged about … Continue reading
Posted in Screaming Circuits Blog
Tagged centroid data, design, diode, Layout, LED, polarity, schematic symbol
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Will a Via Fit Between?
I don’t know that it would be accurate to say that BGAs have ever been easy, but with 0.4mm pitch being common and 0.3mm pitch showing up, some of the older size, like a WHOLE millimeter pitch seem positively spacious. … Continue reading
Posted in Screaming Circuits Blog
Tagged circuit layout, IPC-7095B, PCB design, Via-in-pad
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More Cautionary Tails
I recently wrote about the horrors of LED marking variations. Unfortunately, LEDs aren’t the only place to find inconsistencies in our world. Another part to keep a close eye on is the ubiquitous three-terminal voltage regulator. For just short of … Continue reading
Posted in Screaming Circuits Blog
Tagged CAD, CAD parts libraries, footprint, LED, parts marking
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How NOT to Mark a Diode
A while back, I wrote about ambiguity in the markings on electrolytic capacitors. In doing that, I cobbled together a little image to illustrate how surface mount electrolytics are marked. Take a look at the image below: Note how I … Continue reading
More Beagle CAD Paws
Continuing on from my last post … As I said, I do everything I can to avoid reusing the package footprint when adding the the parts library in Eagle CAD. The schematic symbol can be a different story though. It … Continue reading
Posted in Screaming Circuits Blog
Tagged BGA, footprints, land patterns, QFN, QFP, schematic symbol
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Beagle CAD Paw Prints
Unfortunately, I can’t generically hand out Eagle CAD QFN footprints without knowing the specific part, but I can illustrate the areas I initially had difficulty with. All of the traps that used to get me seem blindingly obvious now, but … Continue reading
The ESD Habbit, or An Unexpected Shock
Excitement is building here. In a little over two weeks from today, The Hobbit movie will be released to theaters. I’m sure everyone reading here knows the story, but in case you don’t I’ll spoil it for you. It’s a … Continue reading