Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

ON THE BENCH TODAY: Modded TK Siglent MSO --> HP Pod Adapter

...One HP Pod #7 in unused condition, complete with original baggities. The tails for the clips are a bit stiff, but the coax are all still nice & supple. Included were a full set of 16 HP grabbits, all delightfully tiny and smoooth like buttah.   

   

I finally have all the 3DP fiddly bits all fiddled into something usable, so here's the link:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/diy-logic-probes-alternate-approach-using-tks-adapter-pcb/msg4326775/#msg4326775

If you look closely above, you'll see there's an added "side project" as well!

Cheers!

mnem
 

For those who care; the 3DP bits are now up on Thingiverse:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5444184

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Thanks med!   The plugin is whole again with the replacement of the broken knobs.

Thanks, med for being the spirit of TEA today! 

mnem
*currently nuking a 54621D*

[Vince]

Agree: don't mess with the system until you've finished the the current work, then you can proceed with tinkering/reinstall.
To reinstall the system, you will need the original CD(s). As it stands, I don't recommend to reinstall anything on the current HDD - keep it as backup. Get an Compact Flash - IDE adapter(look for the MB plugin type), a CF card, and you can start experimenting when you have the time. As operating systems, this computer can run up to Windows 2000; I would recommend win98SE.

Oh, you want me to throw money at this thing ! 
Well I guess it all depends on how much this will cost... not going to throw 100 Euros at it, but if it's cheap enough why not.

One problem though, is that I think I don't have a Windows CD. IIRC the machine came with its own install CD that copied a complete "image" of the installed system. It makes 2 partitions and I bet if would crash / not work if it does not see the same hard drive that the machine was designed with.

Now I guess I could try to install a generic copy of Windows 98SE as you suggest, but I don't have one. The only Windows install CD I have is for WinXP SP1 or SP2 IIRC. Got it in early 2002 I think.

That's raises the question: Is Tektool a DOS program, or just a win32 console one. I've tried to run a 16bit DOS under win10, see the result:

It is not a DOS program, it is a 32bit console application. I think Matt never released the sources as he claims, he is "not a programmer and the code is ugly".

That's explains the behaviour; looks like it uses the newer/complete win32 API.
Vince, put the computer aside until we figure out something.

OK so looks like I was on the right track then.
I guess before we give up completely, we could try to figure out what version of Windows did supply a KERNELL32.DLL file with that comes with the function " TimerA " that's missing from mine. Then install that one my machine.

Well, stupid me. The website I linked above tells you just that !

Here again :

https://www.gladir.com/CODER/CWINDOWS/createwaitabletimera.htm

Says it does indeed come in KERNEL32.DLL, but only in NT4+, 2000, 2003, and XP.

So I will look in my copy of WinXP and get that file...

Replacing the kernel32.dll with the XP one will render your system inoperable, since the new kernel don't have the support files needed to function.

Indeed ! 

I am just done experimenting with that.
The XP version of the KERNEL32.DLL file is 2 and half times the size of the Win95 file ! 1MB versus 400KB. So surely it must have lots more functions inside it...

So I replaced that file and... Win95 refuses to boot. Oh well, was worth a try.

Looks like the only option to get wintektool running on your computer is windows NT4.0 or 2000; now this will raise a problem with the pure DOS programs=Dual Boot.

Don't have an install CD for these, assuming they would at all run on that old a machine...
I just looked in the BIOS menus. To be more precise, this computer is 200MHz Pentium with 64MB of RAM, and 8MB of video memory (because I fitted a PCI Matrox Millenium card in it...]
So basically I am sorry Terra, but it looks like it's just no go for TEKTOOL on my old machine.... so unless you have another tool / way of getting the F/W, we are screwed for now, I am sorry ! 

Adapters and pricing: look for CF2IDE and SD2IDE, specifically the 40(NOT the 44) pin version.

Thanks will look for that see how much it costs...

[Vince]

Adapters and pricing: look for CF2IDE and SD2IDE, specifically the 40(NOT the 44) pin version.

OK searched for SD2IDE on Ebay. Paid attention to the 40 vs 44 pin thing as you said.

Found one in Germany for 25 Euros shipped. Not exactly cheap :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304157543256?hash=item46d133cb58:g:jw4AAOSwN4Bgo5Gs

Then found plenty of ads with what looked like the same product, direct from China for only 10 Euros shipped :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284558870887

That's more like it. At that price I am willing to give it a try...

I am asking myself some questions though...SD cards are slow...at least mine is. Whenever I take a pic with my camera, even though it's a small 2MP one, it takes 2 or 3 seconds for the camera to be responsive again once I take a picture. I assume it's because it's busy writting the file on the SD card at snail pace ?! 
Now is it my card that's dog slow, or is it the camera SD card controller, who knows.

So my two issues would be :

1) What are performances of modern SD cards compared to the old 2.2GB hard drive in this Win95 machine ? Is it really a guaranteed, tremendous improvement, or just "meh, yeah I guess it's a bit faster here and there, if you believe in placebo effect.... ".

2) SD cards these days are very big I assume, many GB of capacity... how is the old BIOS (and Win95 !!! ) going to respond to that ? Will it recognoize the entire capacity of the SD card, will it even detect it at all, will it even work at all ?!   The BIOS and Win95 must have some limitations, on how big a " Hard drive " they can recognize and use... but how do we know what it is, so we can buy an SD card of the appropriate size ?

3) Can an SD card of that appropriate size, even be bought these days ? Don't know, say the BIOS and Win95 can't work with drives larger than say 8 or 16 or 32GB... can a modern / super fast SD card that "small" still be bought today ?

4) Or is it seamless, you just stick a huge SD card in there and the BIOS / Win95 will just be happy with it and simply use whatever max size they can, and that will work just fine ?! 

5) What are the pros and cons of using a CF drive vs SD ? I have a card reader on my main computer that can read lots of different cards. I only ever used it for its SD card reader because I needed that, but it also has a rather wide slof marked " CF / MD ", so I guess it can read CF drives. However the SC card slot quit working recently, so not sure if the other slots are working or not.... guess I could buy another card reader, can't be that expensive these days...

Questions, questions....

[Zoli]

Looks like the only option to get wintektool running on your computer is windows NT4.0 or 2000; now this will raise a problem with the pure DOS programs=Dual Boot.

Don't have an install CD for these, assuming they would at all run on that old a machine...
I just looked in the BIOS menus. To be more precise, this computer is 200MHz Pentium with 64MB of RAM, and 8MB of video memory (because I fitted a PCI Matrox Millenium card in it...]

I'm pretty sure that Robert763 can help you out with a win2000 CD&key, if you ask him nicely...
Computer: get in the BIOS, and disable the on-board video(ATI rage, IIRC); check what kind of RAM you have; I"m pretty sure I have a spare stick of 256MB SD-RAM(168 pin); if fits, it's yours.

Adapters and pricing: look for CF2IDE and SD2IDE, specifically the 40(NOT the 44) pin version.

OK searched for SD2IDE on Ebay. Paid attention to the 40 vs 44 pin thing as you said.

Found one in Germany for 25 Euros shipped. Not exactly cheap :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304157543256?hash=item46d133cb58:g:jw4AAOSwN4Bgo5Gs

Then found plenty of ads with what looked like the same product, direct from China for only 10 Euros shipped :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284558870887

That's more like it. At that price I am willing to give it a try...

I am asking myself some questions though...SD cards are slow...at least mine is. Whenever I take a pic with my camera, even though it's a small 2MP one, it takes 2 or 3 seconds for the camera to be responsive again once I take a picture. I assume it's because it's busy writting the file on the SD card at snail pace ?! 
Now is it my card that's dog slow, or is it the camera SD card controller, who knows.

So my two issues would be :

1) What are performances of modern SD cards compared to the old 2.2GB hard drive in this Win95 machine ? Is it really a guaranteed, tremendous improvement, or just "meh, yeah I guess it's a bit faster here and there, if you believe in placebo effect.... ".

2) SD cards these days are very big I assume, many GB of capacity... how is the old BIOS (and Win95 !!! ) going to respond to that ? Will it recognoize the entire capacity of the SD card, will it even detect it at all, will it even work at all ?!   The BIOS and Win95 must have some limitations, on how big a " Hard drive " they can recognize and use... but how do we know what it is, so we can buy an SD card of the appropriate size ?

3) Can an SD card of that appropriate size, even be bought these days ? Don't know, say the BIOS and Win95 can't work with drives larger than say 8 or 16 or 32GB... can a modern / super fast SD card that "small" still be bought today ?

4) Or is it seamless, you just stick a huge SD card in there and the BIOS / Win95 will just be happy with it and simply use whatever max size they can, and that will work just fine ?! 


Questions, questions....

Look for CF2IDE: https://www.ebay.com/itm/313976714528; I can supply you with 2 CF cards(8GB for win2000 and 256MB for DOS).

[Robert763]

That is very presumptious.
I'll check my "quick access stock of OS CDs If none there I'll have to goto the storage unit and get out BIN 49. Unfortunatly there are 78 bins in that stack so it needs a bit of bin shuffling....

[mnementh]

On the Bench Today: HP 54621D Revisited

   

...Now that I know why this scope became a monitor PCB donor, I'm actually even more pissed off than I was before at those fucking g'rillas... 

mnem

As I mentioned earlier, the replacement CDM-7SX191 is supposedly on its way; as such, I figured it is probably time for me to get after that pesky error message.



Battery Low?!?  That battery is dead AF. Guess there's no point in bothering with a bypass battery.   



Cheap Chinesium hot air rework station and solder sucker FTW... had the dead battery out and holes desoldered, and everything cooling off in less time that it would take to set up my old AOYUE. 




A little scrubbery with IPA and a toothbrush and here we are. Hmmm... CR2354 PCB coin cell. I wonder how frightfully expensive that's gonna be. 

Hmmm... DigiKey sez it's a part #CR-2354/GUN; a whopping $2.11 per. Dammit, now I need to make a minimum order for free shipping... 

mnem
 

[Robert763]

Crate update.
It's a mill 
Wedding anniversary gift from SWMBO.

It's a SIEG SX1LP. Small but with long X travel and a high (for non CNC) spndle speed, 5000 RPM.
It's optimised for light alloy and plastics. Apparently the supplier called SWMBO back because she had ordered an "electonics" type mill and they wanted to check what sort of engineer I was. Very good service in this day and age.

[Vince]

Computer: get in the BIOS, and disable the on-board video(ATI rage, IIRC); check what kind of RAM you have; I"m pretty sure I have a spare stick of 256MB SD-RAM(168 pin); if fits, it's yours.

Thanks... unfortunately it's already maxed out. IIRC this motherboard can not handle more than the 64MB it already has presently... 

I googled for the Window2000 minimum requirements... it varies very, very wildly from one website to another.... anywhere from 32MB up to 2GB ! 
So with 64MB maybe it can run. I mean f I don't try to load the GUI , but just boot it in console mode, might do it. I don't need the GUI after all, TEKTOOL is a command line utility.

Robert : I just downloaded an ISO file for Windows2000 Server Pro, something like that... I am burning it onto a CD-R as we speak.
Found it on this website :

https://hitnfind.com/operating-system-2/windows-server-2000-iso-free-download/

But now I think of it... website doesn't give the Licence key so I won't be able to install sqat I guess ! 
Oh well... will show it in the old computer and see what happens....

OOPS : just realized... will the NI GPID MS-DOS S/W still work with Windows 2000 ?! 
I mean from what I understand of Terra's instructions, I first need to use NI's GPIB tools to establish GPIB communication with the scope. Then exit and only then I can use the TEKTOOL utility to get the F/W...

I think it's all getting very messy and I am wasting my and every body's time on a hopeless case..... but well.... you gotta try anyway I guess 

Look for CF2IDE: https://www.ebay.com/itm/313976714528; I can supply you with 2 CF cards(8GB for win2000 and 256MB for DOS).

Wow, SO CHEAP ?!    low single digit US dollar, shipped ?! 

OK, I guess I will get one then !

Thanks for the CF drives, sounds handy ! 
Let me try that Win200 CD first, to make sure the computer is actually usable with only 64MB of RAM, otherwise there is no point...or well, yes maybe there is... could still use a CF drive to speed up the computer and get more storage space I guess. Yes, bring it on, you've got my address now ! 

[Robert763]

Ohh look what I found 

winging it's way to the EU tomorrow

EDIT: Win 2k Pro only needs 32Mb RAM. Got any spare RAM slots in that PC? What type of RAM is installed?

[Robert763]

@ Vince
check for a PM KEY information sent

[Specmaster]

@Vince, the problem with the speed of SD cards and your camera is a function of both the class of SD card, you need at least a class 10 and ideally something like a Sandisk Extreme  for fast saving and reading, and also your camera, older ones are very slow. SLR ones are faster, but there again performance is variable.

[mansaxel]

So I replaced that file and... Win95 refuses to boot. Oh well, was worth a try.

You were told so!

Looks like the only option to get wintektool running on your computer is windows NT4.0 or 2000; now this will raise a problem with the pure DOS programs=Dual Boot.

Don't have an install CD for these, assuming they would at all run on that old a machine...
I just looked in the BIOS menus. To be more precise, this computer is 200MHz Pentium with 64MB of RAM, and 8MB of video memory (because I fitted a PCI Matrox Millenium card in it...]
So basically I am sorry Terra, but it looks like it's just no go for TEKTOOL on my old machine.... so unless you have another tool / way of getting the F/W, we are screwed for now, I am sorry ! 

NT4 will run on that. Not fast, but run it will. NT4 install images are all over the Internet.  I ran NT4 Server on my Thinkpad 760 (P133) with 64MiB RAM back in the bad days when I had to. Also not fast, but usable.

Later, I ran NT4 workstation on 128 and 256MiB RAM, on machines like yours, but, importantly, with SCSI disks. SCSI made all the difference with NT4. It went impressingly far from swap hell to reasonably useful. Once it had booted and done all its morning rituals, it was very responsive and more so predictable, which was good because I used it as sound effects playback machine in theatre.

[mindcrime]

No new test gear around here for a while, aside from picking up one of those Micsig 700V differential probes. Those things, by the way, are fairly nice and are a very handy utility for the price.

But.. I think I need to join "Hand Tools Anonymous" now. For some reason my addiction has shifted to wrenches, ratchets, hex bits, screwdrivers, etc. lately. Damn Youtube "tool review" channels. Every time I start watching those I find out about some new tool brand I wasn't familiar with and immediately a thread kicks in somewhere in my brain going "Hey, I need to buy some of their stuff to try out."  Now I have a whole box full of Icon and Tekton wrenches, Vessel screwdrivers, Wiha screwdrivers, etc. 

Dagnabit. How am I supposed to afford more test gear as long as this keeps up?!?  Then again... what other test gear could I possibly need? OTOH, what other hand tools could I possibly need?

 

[Cubdriver]

No new test gear around here for a while, aside from picking up one of those Micsig 700V differential probes. Those things, by the way, are fairly nice and are a very handy utility for the price.

But.. I think I need to join "Hand Tools Anonymous" now. For some reason my addiction has shifted to wrenches, ratchets, hex bits, screwdrivers, etc. lately. Damn Youtube "tool review" channels. Every time I start watching those I find out about some new tool brand I wasn't familiar with and immediately a thread kicks in somewhere in my brain going "Hey, I need to by some of their stuff to try out."  Now I have a whole box full of Icon and Tekton wrenches, Vessel screwdrivers, Wiha screwdrivers, etc. 

Dagnabit. How am I supposed to afford more test gear as long as this keeps up?!?  Then again... what other test gear could I possibly need? OTOH, what other hand tools could I possibly need?

 

Get some PB Swiss screwdrivers.   


(Had them in the work  toolbox back in my Bal-Tec days and liked them; finally bought some last year.  I've barely touched my Wera screwdrivers since.)

-Pat

[BU508A]

Hubby will hate me.
I won a auction for bagpipes 

A good advice:



SCNR          

[exor]

Here is my new (about 30 years old..) Iwatsu scope calibrator that arrived from Germany last week.

I cleaned it inside out with IPA, de-oxidized the long connector and rotary switches, lubricated their shafts and greased detent mechanisms, cyanoed one slightly cracked knob and re-adjusted them all, re-cable-tied wires to power switch and cleaned flux residues of hand soldered joints and removed remnants of calibration stickers.

Note the nice copper band on mains transformer, three green and strange looking bridge rectifiers and only one IC socketed.

I was tempted to replace the 300ps output with some faster one but maybe I leave it as it is.

The original power cable is too long for my liking and I was about to shorten it on device end but I couldn’t figure out how to open the white strain relief so that it can be re-used.

It would be nice to have also the instruction/service manual but this seems to be quite rare, almost nothing in the net.

[BU508A]

I saw this coil around resistor construction in vacuum tube circuits but never in semiconductor ones.

[bd139]

It's basically usually just a very low Q inductor / RFC.

Just ordered a pile of shit from Mouser 

[Neomys Sapiens]

No new test gear around here for a while, aside from picking up one of those Micsig 700V differential probes. Those things, by the way, are fairly nice and are a very handy utility for the price.

But.. I think I need to join "Hand Tools Anonymous" now. For some reason my addiction has shifted to wrenches, ratchets, hex bits, screwdrivers, etc. lately. Damn Youtube "tool review" channels. Every time I start watching those I find out about some new tool brand I wasn't familiar with and immediately a thread kicks in somewhere in my brain going "Hey, I need to by some of their stuff to try out."  Now I have a whole box full of Icon and Tekton wrenches, Vessel screwdrivers, Wiha screwdrivers, etc. 

Dagnabit. How am I supposed to afford more test gear as long as this keeps up?!?  Then again... what other test gear could I possibly need? OTOH, what other hand tools could I possibly need?

 

I'm not sure you are yet eligible to join. There are some serious thresholds involved. Its not as easy as declaring yourself a TEA fellow.  You would have to own at least two out of the following:
10% of any 80s Belzer catalogue content.
20% of any Bernstein, Erem or Lindstrom catalogue content.
25% of any Wiha, Wera, Knipex, Xcelite, PB or OK/Jonard catalogue content
as well as 10 hand tools not included in the above which represent a new value of 100$ or € each.
You could claim additional points, if:
- your metric wrenches span a 1:10 size ratio (i.e. 3.2...32mm)
- your imperial wrenches are in 1/64" steps
- you have at least 3 different cross-slot screwdriver types (Philips, Pozidrive, JIS, R&P)
- you can show the same tweezer (Swiss code) in 4 different materials

Feel free to point out achievements you claim as being equivalent. And show your tools!

[Cerebus]

Crate update.
It's a mill 
Wedding anniversary gift from SWMBO.

It's a SIEG SX1LP. Small but with long X travel and a high (for non CNC) spndle speed, 5000 RPM.
It's optimised for light alloy and plastics. Apparently the supplier called SWMBO back because she had ordered an "electonics" type mill and they wanted to check what sort of engineer I was. Very good service in this day and age.

I was fearing that she might be making slow preparations to turn you between centres, or buying a very big vise to put some delicate part of your anatomy in.

Let me know how you get on with it. I have toyed with the idea of getting one because it's about all the mill that would fit into my space poor residence.

[mindcrime]

20% of any Bernstein, Erem or Lindstrom catalogue content.
25% of any Wiha, Wera, Knipex, Xcelite, PB or OK/Jonard catalogue content
as well as 10 hand tools not included in the above which represent a new value of 100$ or € each.

I don't know about the exact percentages, but I definitely have Lindstrom, Wiha, Wera, Knipex, and Xcelite stuff in my toolbox(es).  Not sure I have anything that retails for more than $100 each though. Which is probably a Good Thing. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

20% of any Bernstein, Erem or Lindstrom catalogue content.
25% of any Wiha, Wera, Knipex, Xcelite, PB or OK/Jonard catalogue content
as well as 10 hand tools not included in the above which represent a new value of 100$ or € each.

I don't know about the exact percentages, but I definitely have Lindstrom, Wiha, Wera, Knipex, and Xcelite stuff in my toolbox(es).  Not sure I have anything that retails for more than $100 each though. Which is probably a Good Thing. 

Ok, we can accept some rounding. And the latter should be easily fulfilled by aquisition of some quality crimp tools!

[Saskia]

I've been drivin' all day
My hand's wet on the wheel
There's a voice in my head
That drives my heel
It's my pinball callin'
Says: I need you here
And it's a half past four
And I'm shifting gear ...

[BU508A]

Crate update.
It's a mill 
Wedding anniversary gift from SWMBO.

It's a SIEG SX1LP. Small but with long X travel and a high (for non CNC) spndle speed, 5000 RPM.
It's optimised for light alloy and plastics. Apparently the supplier called SWMBO back because she had ordered an "electonics" type mill and they wanted to check what sort of engineer I was. Very good service in this day and age.

I was fearing that she might be making slow preparations to turn you between centres, or buying a very big vise to put some delicate part of your anatomy in.

Let me know how you get on with it. I have toyed with the idea of getting one because it's about all the mill that would fit into my space poor residence.

I had this in my mind: