A History of Copper Pours
If you compare a modern PCB with a typical 1980s PCB, you might notice — like [lcamtuf] did — that newer boards tend to have large areas of copper known …read more Continue reading A History of Copper Pours
Author Archives: Al Williams
Copper Candle Burns Forever… Just add Fuel
[Zen Garden Oasis] wanted to heat and light a space using a candle. But candles aren’t always convenient since they burn down and, eventually, you must replace them. So he …read more Continue reading Copper Candle Burns Forever… Just add Fuel
A 1962 Test Gear Teardown
Although it sounds like some Star Trek McGuffin, a Q-Meter is a piece of test gear that measures the Q factor of a tuned circuit. [Thomas] got a Boonton meter …read more Continue reading A 1962 Test Gear Teardown
Forgotten Internet: Giving (or Getting) the Finger
Hey, you know that guy in accounting, Marco? If you want to find out more about him, you’d probably go surf LinkedIn or maybe a social media site. Inside a …read more Continue reading Forgotten Internet: Giving (or Getting) the Finger
Inside Vacuum Fluorescent Displays
VFDs — vacuum fluorescent displays — have a distinctive look, and [Anthony Francis-Jones] is generally fascinated with retro displays. So, it makes sense that he’d build a VFD project as …read more Continue reading Inside Vacuum Fluorescent Displays
Parcae: A Trio of Spy Satellites
Did you ever hear of a satellite called Parcae (pronounced like park-eye)? If you haven’t, don’t feel bad—it was, after all, a top-secret project only revealed in July 2023. [Ivan …read more Continue reading Parcae: A Trio of Spy Satellites
Testing at Scale
We’ve said it before: building one-offs is different from building at scale. Even on a small scale. There was a time when it was rare for a hobbyist to produce …read more Continue reading Testing at Scale
Your VAX in a Cloud is Ready
For many people of a certain age, the DEC VAX was the first computer they ever used. They were everywhere, powerful for their day, and relatively affordable for schools and …read more Continue reading Your VAX in a Cloud is Ready
DIY Strontium Aluminate Glows in the Dark
[Maurycyz] points out right up front: several of the reagents used are very corrosive and can produce toxic gasses. We weren’t sure if they were trying to dissuade us not …read more Continue reading DIY Strontium Aluminate Glows in the Dark
Time-of-Flight Sensors: How Do They Work?
If you need to measure a distance, it is tempting to reach for the ubiquitous ultrasonic module like an HC-SR04. These work well, and they are reasonably easy to use. …read more Continue reading Time-of-Flight Sensors: How Do They Work?