I’m working on a new project; implementing a NMEA 2000 stack on a PIC. NMEA is a protocol that sits on-top of CAN bus, and allows devices on-board boats to communicate. Anyway, this task is producing lots of audit printouts, and I mean, pages and pages of 132 column wide listing paper print-outs. It’s much…

So the Christmas break is over and it’s back to the grind. I did however manage to get most of my KIM-1 activities completed. I’ve now got seven KIM-1 machines in various states of completeness and am just waiting on parts to arrive from the four corners of the globe. The original machine is fully…

I know, I know, I’ve not posted anything for ages, and for my New Years resolution I’m really going to try harder. I’m just so darn busy with work… and more work. I’ve undertaken a project that is really sucking all my time right now, but it could be my escape strategy to help get…

To remind myself that even I can do stupid things 🙂 here’s a list of some of my more stupid things I’ve done this week. I spent a day and a half wondering why an input to a PIC MCU wouldn’t work. It would sometimes change state, but never when I wanted it too. It…

I don’t know if this is related to the terrible weather we are having here but I’ve received several questions regarding how I store my electronic components from people who have decided to rearrange and sort their electronic components. Traditionally parts are stored in small storage drawers with a label on the front, so they…

The other day, a friend had asked me about the difference between a BC108 and BC108C, and this got me wondering about part numbers. The 2N3055, 1N4001, BC108 etc… what do these part numbers actually mean. Well it turns out that these codes aren’t exactly random and do mean something… sort of… JOINT ELECTRON DEVICE…