Author: joe.farr@gmail.com

  • Update on updating the Retro IC Chip-Tester

    Like most engineers I can’t leave something alone for too long if it’s broke and have to keep picking at it. In my previous blog post I talked about wanting to test some suspect ICs I’d bought and the fact that to accomplish this, I would need to update the firmware on my Retro IC […]

  • Why is nothing ever simple

    I’ve just bought 100 x 74LS590 IC’s for a project. They came from China and looking at them, I’m not sure they are genuine. They look a bit suspect (the laser etching isn’t quite right) and the packing was terrible with the pins bent all over the place, so it makes sense to test them. […]

  • Fixed it…

    I’ve been having a problem with WordPress that I assumed was down to my limited knowledge and experience. Turns out there is a bug. I use “Tags” on posts. This allows me to group like posts easily together. I then use the WordPress “Query Loop” to display a list of all related posts at the […]

  • Oscilloscope Kit Repair – Part 2

    In the first part of this nail-biting adventure, I explained the origins of this oscilloscope and that after some basic investigations and repairs it was now sort of working. Now many of us are used to repairing a piece of equipment with limited or no documentation, but the more complex the equipment is, the harder […]