Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

mnem
 

[mnementh]

gawd, we're into WWII already

this thread really moves

... and at the rate we're going, we'll be getting ahead of ourselves by the end of February.

You're way behind... we done that about two years ago; we're now about to lap ourselves for like the third time. 

mnem
I'm afraid I've gotten lost again; I'm going out to look for myself now. If I should return before I get back, please tell me I said to to wait.

[WastelandTek]

(Attachment Link)

mnem
 

FREE CALLS!!

[worsthorse]

OTOH learning C is far from sufficient w.r.t. the art of programming. I'd argue an appropriate set of realtime/embedded design patterns would be a better starting point.

This is a very astute observation, as I have spend much time, in multiple projects, to teach far better programmers and SW engineers than I could ever claim to be about such things.
Like the processing of analogue inputs, ensuring the actuality and validity of data in heterogenous distributed control systems, how to propagate information between various levels of control, how to apply diagnostic functions to a physical thing under SW control, etc.

Or even absolute basics such as how and when to use Finite State Machines, plus several different coding strategies. FSMs are useful for more than "just compilers" believe it or not

Finite State Machine?  That made me smile and is a phrase I don't think I've heard uttered aloud since 1984, which is when I last used them to design a couple of memory and graphics boards.   

In video games we use it a lot. Everything is built out of finite state machines. It's not working really well when you try to expose them (via visual scripting) to non programmers though. I had to create some sort of heavily parallel state machine where the states (actions in this case) can be expressed in their own vocabulary and concepts.

I mostly used them for controller designs: laser printers, memory, and graphics, along with stuff wrapped around bit slice processors. If I remember correctly, I used PALs to implement a lot of them. It was all pencil-on-paper work. The only engineering software tools we had were an in-house coded schematic capture program that generated BOMs and wirelists with rudimentary wiring checks. 

[mnementh]

mnem
 

FREE CALLS!!

Back in the day, (while I was working in the AV Lab at my high school) I used to host a late night filler segment on the sister campus' college radio station and my handle was Cap'n Crunk as a nerdy nod to Draper. I was left pretty much to my own devices; allowed to play anything not r-rated and a few things that were, and we talked about anything as long as there wasn't any dead air and we kept the language clean. Mostly I'd spin prog peppered with a little alt; occasionally I'd throw in some ELO and Eagles just to mess with the stoners' heads.

I'd guess my biggest adventure was "discovering" Flaming Lips during a road trip out west with my mom and introducing them to the Pittsburgh area; had some pushback from admin but eventually it all blew over.

mnem
yo Crunk.

[mnementh]

Holy fucking asscrackers! 5 full sets of Fischer leads...? You could probably keep the 3 nicest and still hold a successful Vulcan kal-if-fee for the sloppy seconds right here on eevBlog...

mnem
 

I wish it was five, but there are three Fischer terminated leads for the front or rear measurement inputs and the other two are for the rear ratio input which is a different type of connector...

I honestly don't know if that's less exciting or more!  well & truly earned, I think!

mnem
*Toddling off to ded*

[tggzzz]

That's the one, the CT24. It wasn't me that found or fixed that bug. I guess it was already fixed as the phone had already been out for some time before I worked on validating the state transition diagrams. (You know how it is with those parts of projects sometimes; they only get done when the customer starts shouting!)

After doing the verification job, ...

V&V of FSMs is a known "difficult" topic. 

Of course "conventional" software is a giant hairball FSM, but the giant hairball allows the see-no-evil softies to ignore that makes V&V even more intractable! So they satiisfy themselves by believing that testing is sufficient to ensure quality. (Old engineering aphorism: you can't test quality into a product)

I really got to respect the 1802 when I wrote that stuff. The indexed load and compare instructions were really useful for the application The fact that it has 16 completely general purpose 16 bit registers on an 8 bit CPU was something I also admired. Program Counter? Nah, just a four bit register that lets you designate any of your 16 general purpose registers to be the program counter. It doesn't even have a stack! Clean and simple.

I seriously compared it with the 8085 and 6800 back in 76 when I build my first computer. Since doing conventional nested subroutines in the 1802 was a pain, I opted for a 6800 with 128 bytes of RAM. That cost me a week's wages, which was well spent since it looked very good during job interviews on the milk round. I still have the ics in a drawer

[med6753]

Back in the day, (while I was working in the AV Lab at my high school) I used to host a late night filler segment on the sister campus' college radio station and my handle was Cap'n Crunk as a nerdy nod to Draper. I was left pretty much to my own devices; allowed to play anything not r-rated and a few things that were, and we talked about anything as long as there wasn't any dead air and we kept the language clean. Mostly I'd spin prog peppered with a little alt; occasionally I'd throw in some ELO and Eagles just to mess with the stoners' heads.

I'd guess my biggest adventure was "discovering" Flaming Lips during a road trip out west with my mom and introducing them to the Pittsburgh area; had some pushback from admin but eventually it all blew over.

mnem
yo Crunk.

"The Wizard of Oz" and "Dark Side of the Moon" don't seem to mesh very well. I fail to see the connection. 

Cap'n Crunch is my absolute favorite forbidden cereal.  About 99% sugar.   

[bd139]

Better than lucky charms. That’s 150% sugar 

[Specmaster]

gawd, we're into WWII already

this thread really moves

Yep, another day, another topic

[beanflying]

Thing of scary and random from local evilbay. I worry about some sellers 

I blame extreme boredom and a total lack of TEA worth buying for the search 45C, 42C then followed up with 40mm of rain ..... Climate gone wild.

[grizewald]

Holy fucking asscrackers! 5 full sets of Fischer leads...? You could probably keep the 3 nicest and still hold a successful Vulcan kal-if-fee for the sloppy seconds right here on eevBlog...

mnem
 

I wish it was five, but there are three Fischer terminated leads for the front or rear measurement inputs and the other two are for the rear ratio input which is a different type of connector...

I honestly don't know if that's less exciting or more!  well & truly earned, I think!

It gets better!

I asked the seller if they have the calibration key and if they could tell me any history about the meter. No, he couldn't find the key, but it turns out that he bought the meter as the first owner when it was brand new. He put the meter up for sale after moving house and not really having space or use for it any more. Apparently the meter was last calibrated in 2011 and has only been used a couple of times since then.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it hasn't been stored in a garage all that time and that the backup battery hasn't leaked. If it was stored in a garage, a good cooking should drive out any moisture. The battery is thankfully at one edge of the digital board and well away from sensitive tracks and components, so even if it has leaked, cleanup shouldn't be too bad. (As long at it wasn't stored on one side with the battery uppermost of course. )

I can't wait for it to arrive! I shouldn't have to wait too long as the meter is coming from The Netherlands.

A teardown and test thread will be duly created when it does.

[tggzzz]

I asked the seller if they have the calibration key and if they could tell me any history about the meter. No, he couldn't find the key,

I've seen cal keys for 7081s on fleabay, and have a "Solartron Schlumberger (Enertec) 7061; 7062; 7071 and 7081 Calibration Key WW.SH". It is probably copyable, but you will have to consider importing it from the UK

[grizewald]

I asked the seller if they have the calibration key and if they could tell me any history about the meter. No, he couldn't find the key,

I've seen cal keys for 7081s on fleabay, and have one. It is probably copyable, but you will have to consider importing it from the UK

There's a guy selling the right kind of key on eBay right now. The only problem is that he wants £13.98 postage for a key costing £3.40!

[tggzzz]

I asked the seller if they have the calibration key and if they could tell me any history about the meter. No, he couldn't find the key,

I've seen cal keys for 7081s on fleabay, and have one. It is probably copyable, but you will have to consider importing it from the UK

There's a guy selling the right kind of key on eBay right now. The only problem is that he wants £13.98 postage for a key costing £3.40!

I got my "Solartron Schlumberger (Enertec) 7061; 7062; 7071 and 7081 Calibration Key WW.SH" from bielli-int, who is selling cables/connectors for EUR105+P&P
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solartron-Schlumberger-7061-2-7071-2-7075-7081-w-Fischer-connector-NEW/254494512696

I hope that price makes you feel better

[bd139]

Thing of scary and random from local evilbay. I worry about some sellers 

I blame extreme boredom and a total lack of TEA worth buying for the search 45C, 42C then followed up with 40mm of rain ..... Climate gone wild.

Prison shower defence multi-tool  . 11 whole degrees here so I buggered off out for a run. Managed 6.8km but am nearly dead now  . Will work on my RF PA project this afternoon.

[grizewald]

I hope that price makes you feel better

Much! 

What I don't understand about these Solartron leads is the banana plugs. They look to me like they're nickel plated.

For a 7.5 digit meter? 

They will be replaced with low thermal EMF versions.

[Kosmic]

It gets better!

I asked the seller if they have the calibration key and if they could tell me any history about the meter. No, he couldn't find the key, but it turns out that he bought the meter as the first owner when it was brand new.

If you want a key, let me know. Got 3 here, and can probably make more.

[tggzzz]

I hope that price makes you feel better

Much! 

What I don't understand about these Solartron leads is the banana plugs. They look to me like they're nickel plated.

For a 7.5 digit meter? 

They will be replaced with low thermal EMF versions.

Indeed, and the construction may mean there is an extra internal interface between the wire bits and the other parts.

But all you have to do is keep all terminals at the same temperature

[grizewald]

I have these 4mm plugs for low thermal EMF leads, but haven't worked out a good way to crimp wires to them.



I'm sure the correct tool will probably cost as much as another 7061 meter, so if anyone has worked out a good way of not having to use solder on these, please speak up!

[bd139]

That sort of problem is why I’m limiting myself to 4.5 digits 

[grizewald]

That sort of problem is why I’m limiting myself to 4.5 digits 

I just checked the datasheet for these and it seems they are intended to be soldered.

[tggzzz]

That sort of problem is why I’m limiting myself to 4.5 digits 

Go and stand in the corner, facing the wall.

[Specmaster]

That sort of problem is why I’m limiting myself to 4.5 digits 

Why when, the  HP 3478A, 3468A, Fluke 8840A, 8842A (all 5.5) and the Solartron 7150, Brymen 869, 867, and Thurlby 1905A are 6.5 digits and still use standard 4mm banana plugs?

EDIT: Just seen the other comments, are you still standing in the corner? 

[bd139]

My measurements are mostly logarithmic in nature therefore 4.5 digits is appropriate relative resolution within the selected multiplier or at frequencies which embarrass multimeters. Thus detecting the thermal fluctations from the farts of a gnat on top of a skyscraper from the ground is not a priority

With respect to standing in the corner, to quote med, go piss up a rope!