Ordered print-circuit board for frequency meter and received it recently. Here is top.
Category: Electronics
Frequency meter
Next step in my current electronics project, after idea and schematics, is prototyping. Here is working prototype assembled on breadboard using lab equipment (like power supply etc). In top-left corner is zero-level cross detector, it converts any periodic signal with amplitude from 1 to 5V into square signal with 0 to 5V amplitude, pretty much digital one.
In bottom right corner Atmel’s ATTiny 2313 that measures frequency of this signal and shows it on display.
How I tear apart HD
Hard drive on on of our client’s server went bad so we replaced it. Being curious, I teared it apart just see what’s inside. This is top view before operation. It needed torques not regular screwdriver.
Frequency meter project
Statement of Problem
Occasionally a field engineer will need to quickly measure the frequency of periodic signals. These signals could be in square, sinusoidal, or triangle form. Certainly there are labs with the proper devices that can measure these signals. However it is costly, not portable, and needs an AC power source. We will design and provide a portable, cheap, handheld device to overcome these problems. Our device will work on battery power and contain a built in function that will permit the device to shift into a power save mode when not in use. This will allow for battery life optimization. Continue reading “Frequency meter project”
Quite Universal Circuit Simulator
Was looking some software that able to simulate circuit. It should be free program at least and for MS Windows. Google didn’t offer many. Spice (and its analogs) was for Linux/UNIX or was not free. Multisim Electronic Workbench Evaluation Version is for Windows but 160 Mb and I installed it once already. After some search and research I found that I was looking for. It was Quite Universal Circuit Simulator or QUCS. It weight only few Mb and was enough for my educational purposes; after about 40 minutes I can draw circuit and look at signal shape wherever I wanted. I think I will use it in future too.
