Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Saskia]

oh woe ees me.

I just had an 11h work day.
and almost missed the ebay auction that I was watching
and then bid on it ...

and I actually won it.
Arrrrghhh

another 178 kg boat anchor.

oh eff is me ...

[bd139]

Excluding the car I don’t think I actually own 178Kg of stuff 

[ch_scr]

So, is that a yes ?! 

Will PM you 

If no one else want's some, you can get the whole bag 

[Saskia]

I am not into designing or repairing complex modern FPGA stuff, I prefer vintage electronics, old school basic stuff, the stuff that pioneered the field. That does excite and interest me way more than any multi-billion gate 1,500 pin BGA FPGA...

Having to design and build a custom programmer for them is just the more exciting, gives me another cool little design project to add to my list !

hey Vince, if you want to help out with some stoopeed programmable logic, I have a chicken to pluck w/ a tech company. I need to just flash a firmware onto a board. Problem is: the fw is no longer available, as this was an evaluation board and xilinx removed the fw ...
so I need someone who can fart around and get the prod firmware onto the eval silicon.
It's a simple chip, a versal, which has about 2300 pins and eats around 120 amps ...

currently the board is an effing brick.

[Saskia]

https://www.ebay.de/itm/234622714973?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1431.l2649&autorefresh=true

mah back hurtz

[Saskia]

will be on discord later ...

[Cerebus]

That is the same position here. I surely could design something with bang up to date modern tech but I'm not being paid to so I'm doing it with what feels good to use

Software I like to avoid also having enough problems with that during the day 

(unless it's something mucky like machine code)

If you think machine code is good and mucky then bit twiddling in an FPGA is positively filthy.

C'mon big boy, hit me with that logic probe again, hit me, hit me. J'adore, Ich leiber dich. Hit me, hit me, hit me. Hit me slowly, hit me quick...

[Brumby]

O.... K......               

* withdraws quietly *

[bd139]

That is the same position here. I surely could design something with bang up to date modern tech but I'm not being paid to so I'm doing it with what feels good to use

Software I like to avoid also having enough problems with that during the day 

(unless it's something mucky like machine code)

If you think machine code is good and mucky then bit twiddling in an FPGA is positively filthy.

C'mon big boy, hit me with that logic probe again, hit me, hit me. J'adore, Ich leiber dich. Hit me, hit me, hit me. Hit me slowly, hit me quick...

Got that t shirt. Back before they made good tools.

Can’t talk about that until 2046 

[Brumby]

Talk about this, then...

I saw the tile and wondered what the twist was.  Freakin' hilarious!

[Saskia]

That is the same position here. I surely could design something with bang up to date modern tech but I'm not being paid to so I'm doing it with what feels good to use

Software I like to avoid also having enough problems with that during the day 

(unless it's something mucky like machine code)

If you think machine code is good and mucky then bit twiddling in an FPGA is positively filthy.

C'mon big boy, hit me with that logic probe again, hit me, hit me. J'adore, Ich leiber dich. Hit me, hit me, hit me. Hit me slowly, hit me quick...

if you are into that and need a fix, I can offer a forum discount.

[Brumby]

I started my programming career in IBM assembler (application software).  It doesn't scare me.  FPGAs, however, have intrigued me - but their reputation has me reluctant to peek into that Pandora's box.

[Neper]

Speaking of coding and programming...

Anyone in need of a handful of NOS Motorola MC68705? Just found ten of them while I was looking for something else. Still no trace of something else, though.

[Vince]

Oh I am in luck, it's vintage stuff day today it seems ! 

Can you make combined shipping with the ROMs from ch_scr ?! 

No, I don't NEED them... but I would sure LOVE to have them ! 


I could use them to make the custom programmer for ch_scr ROM chips  ! 
As good an excuse as any, to write some assembler for an old MCU 

A vintage MCU to program a vintage ROM, sounds perfectly fitting to me 

[xrunner]

Oh I am in luck, it's vintage stuff day today it seems ! 

Can you make combined shipping with the ROMs from ch_scr ?! 

No, I don't NEED them... but I would sure LOVE to have them ! 

Vince,

Since you got a job you're going to have to go night-night and get a good nights rest. You can't be up @ 3am (your time) conversing with us anymore can you? We'll miss you across the pond at that time. 

[Vince]

I start only in 2 weeks !!! 

... but after that yes, won't have much time for TEA anymore, that's for sure.
I don't know how all of you people with busy jobs manage to keep up with TEA, never mind post all the time... but I am not that super hero for sure.... quick check once a day in the evening after work, maybe Another before going to bed, but that will be about it I think, time doesn't grow on trees ! 

[Cerebus]

O.... K......               

* withdraws quietly *

Not an Ian Dury and the Blockheads fan I take it?




Possibly my favourite hit single of all time. I remember being in the back of Dave Fellingham's car when I heard it for the first time. It came onto the radio, my mate Dougie (now guitarist for Saxon) goes "Oh, this is brilliant, you've got to listen to this. Turn it up Dave!". It knocked the spots off anything lese that was in the charts in 1978.

[Vince]

I am not into designing or repairing complex modern FPGA stuff, I prefer vintage electronics, old school basic stuff, the stuff that pioneered the field. That does excite and interest me way more than any multi-billion gate 1,500 pin BGA FPGA...

Having to design and build a custom programmer for them is just the more exciting, gives me another cool little design project to add to my list !

hey Vince, if you want to help out with some stoopeed programmable logic, I have a chicken to pluck w/ a tech company. I need to just flash a firmware onto a board. Problem is: the fw is no longer available, as this was an evaluation board and xilinx removed the fw ...
so I need someone who can fart around and get the prod firmware onto the eval silicon.
It's a simple chip, a versal, which has about 2300 pins and eats around 120 amps ...

currently the board is an effing brick.

Uhhhhhhh...... 

If it has more than 64 pins and can't run from a 9V battery, I can't help you I am sorry ! 

[Vince]

https://www.ebay.de/itm/234622714973?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1431.l2649&autorefresh=true

mah back hurtz

It would hurt my WALLET way more than my back ! 

Costs 3+ times my car ! 

The back problem can be solved with tools, proper vehicle and an engine crane and careful planing.

The wallet part however, I don't quite see how to solve that !!! 

[AVGresponding]

Discord is awake

[bd139]

Incoming after I've eaten toast

[TERRA Operative]

https://www.ebay.de/itm/234622714973?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1431.l2649&autorefresh=true

mah back hurtz

It would hurt my WALLET way more than my back ! 

Costs 3+ times my car ! 

The back problem can be solved with tools, proper vehicle and an engine crane and careful planing.

The wallet part however, I don't quite see how to solve that !!! 

Geez, it's what I spent on rims and tyres for my car! (I was lusting over my rims for like 15 years though...)


In TE news. I replaced the front plastic panels on my FG502 and PG502 TM500 modules.
And now the FG502 don't work. It briefly powered up then went pftfppftpfptpffpt at me...   

Seems the voltage rails are close to nothing, so I'll have to get the schematics out tomorrow and poke away.
'Twas the son's 5th birthday today so I'm pooped, at 4am in the morning now... Had to get in just a little TEA time.

[Specmaster]

O.... K......               

* withdraws quietly *

Not an Ian Dury and the Blockheads fan I take it?




Possibly my favourite hit single of all time. I remember being in the back of Dave Fellingham's car when I heard it for the first time. It came onto the radio, my mate Dougie (now guitarist for Saxon) goes "Oh, this is brilliant, you've got to listen to this. Turn it up Dave!". It knocked the spots off anything lese that was in the charts in 1978.

Interesting character was Ian Drury, born in London (Middlesex) but pretended that he was an Essex boy from Upminster. In fact through out his career he had a love affair with Essex, living in Essex and many of his songs had references to it and the characters in Essex.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Dury

[Specmaster]

Watching a documentary on BBC iPlayer about global warming and how big oil has lied to us all. It was known in the 80's that fossil fuels were destroying the planet but big oil (Exon in the main as the biggest player, and then joined by all the other energy companies). If only positive action had taken then, such as limiting the engine size to say 2 litres, and maximizing the efficiency of those engines and reducing the CO2 emissions and cleaning up industry emissions, the problems we are having today might well have been avoided.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0cgqlv1/big-oil-v-the-world-series-1-1-denial

[ch_scr]

Look at the chemicals used in Teflon manufacturing next, it's "PCB oil" (not circuit board related) all over again - just harder to replace this time 
Then look at the Arsenic dust canada has in underground mines on a biiig lake shore. Then look at uranium manufacturing residue and let's not get started on spent fuel reprocessing Only upside is, we'll make the place inhabitable for humans looong before it's inhabitable for "nature".