EEVblog #1291 - Mailbag

More Mailbag!

SPOILERS:
WTF: A soldering iron mouse controller?
27:20 The world's worst user interface oscilloscope? And it's a Tektronix?
The Tektronix T201/T202 oscilloscope.
Createc SC01 Signal Computer
49:19 Siemens Rat Pee?

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[bretttatman]

Dave, thanks for the shout-out. I hope you can put our metal dome sample kit to good use. If you need anything at all, just give us a shout. Brett Tatman, Chairman & CEO Snaptron Inc.

[pourquoiunidentifiant]

i mostly think this have been made from overstock of clear wired mouse shells as it would be common thing to do in china to recycle old stuff

[sbalogh]

26:38 Little coin cell battery in each one? Nope! Enough crap that need expensive batteries already. Don't need more.

[StarkRG]

4:15 "What was the design pitch meeting for this thing?"
I assume it went something like this: "My cousin's factory used to produce Logitech mice and they have a bunch of the old molds and equipment ready to go so the setup cost is basically nil."
To be honest, I think that's fair enough. The electronics probably cost them a couple cents, why bother spending money on creating your own bespoke case when there's one readily available that isn't being used anymore? That style of mouse has all but disappeared at this point so there's bound to be equipment set up for it that's just sitting there.

[FrankGennari]

The display on that I2C board has a piece of green tape that's probably attached to a protective film on the LCD. Is it any brighter when you remove it?

[MattStum]

No power at home? Solar Freakin' Roof DEBUNKED! ;-)

BTW, I love the new mailbag editing format... nice and crisp. It's been awhile since I've watched one.

[xbenedikt]

42:19 I personally use the ELV USB I2C and the Microchip Serial Analyzer, as well as the decoder in my scope

[damo]

Hey, love your videos! I'm a software engineer over here at Snaptron, so I was super excited to see your first video on the domes that we make and then to see you open our kit has been awesome! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

[vysmirnov]

5:25 - Tiny little SOT-23 is probably Adjustable Precision Zener Shunt Regulator like LM431 in feedback with optocoupler. Main Off-Line AC-DC controller is DIP-8 on primary side.

[williamsquires]

Yeah, next thing you know, they’ll be selling a “wireless” mouse soldering iron! The follow-up to the “wireless” ESD wrist strap! 🤣😆

[martinda]

Dave I just rewatched the ''White Van Speaker Scam'' video...I couldn't believe it was five years ago!! Aaaaarrgghh!
Congrats on long service (That and a fair bit more..). The best electronic engineering channel without doubt.

[teardowndan]

5:45 - the wheel is supported by posts when the board is inside the housing. All wheel-mice I've ever taken apart are also arranged that way.

[smmyjnkins]

Hi Dave,


I think that the powersupply in the mouse is a secondary side regulated flyback and not a primary side regulated one, since it has an optocoupler connecting the sec with the prim side.
Cheers Peter

[AL_O]

18:48 So that's where my DS stylus went

[ErikTheAndroid]

1st package is from Sweden not Switzerland :)

[gryzman]

here's how that meeting went: "how much for design of the enclosure? - can we not just use an existing design? -- looking down at their desk -- how about we just pick an industrial design of a mouse! "

[grantrennie]

29:00 These portable scopes are from the 1980s? I can remember way back in 1999 when I first went to college I bought a velleman HPS5 5Mhz personal scope, they went up to the 40mhz HPS40 then got discontinued I think..

The coming years saw Fluke come along with offerings including 400mhz models then after that they brought out a new model every year of fluke scope meter every year and they went on to very fancy ones that we have today with multi gigahertz functionality, 4 channel input, WiFi, Bluetooth, suites of signal analysis software apps, Internet connectivity and probably built in digital camera and thermal imager as well by now..

There are also offerings from megger and there are pocket multimeters from different makers with basic scope functionality..

Plus dozens of manufacturers making good offerings of compact, not so portable but definitely backpack carriable benchtop digital oscilloscopes at really quite inexpensive prices..

I know that there are £70, 000/$100, 000 lab and benchtop oscilloscopes and £25, 000/$30, 000 handheld scopes available to buy today (March 2020) and by the time this is read in years to come there will be a lot more advanced offerings as well..

You can pick up a digikey scope for £300/$380 and the old historic companies such as tektronix and Panasonic aren't really around anymore after many mergers and closures etc..

The first oscilloscopes that I used at age 17 as a student in 1999/2000 were the old green line cathode Ray tube 2 channel 40Mhz benchtop oscilloscopes with the rotary switch and push button controls, they weighed about 15kg and a LOT has changed in the last 20 years, my how the time has passed so quickly and you feel old all of a sudden sitting here in 2020 (and beyond) 😳

I know that the early digital 4 channel versions with software menus and the old style 1.4MB floppy disk drives and a few software signal analysis tricks, save to floppy disk and Windows/Linux PC software (early USB and RS232 port connection) were. Around back then in 1999/2000 but they were in industry and were out of the financial price level for colleges and universities to issue to classrooms/student practical classes back then..

Nowadays I will assume that there is more money available and also that industrial companies gift money and equipment a lot more to colleges and universities for higher end electrical and electronic equipment and test gear...

Anyway that's my thoughts on oscilloscopes for now..

[Heimbasteln]

No wonder that Siemens output module is well engineered, it costs at least half a grand

[CobaltHex]

incorrectly polarized led on the i2c driver?

[Hagisk]

Hahaha throw that soldering Iron in the bin where it belongs, I can not even understand why Farnell is selling this? Oh god!