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1500 questions
29
votes
7 answers
Can I develop with the Arduino using an IDE with more features?
The simplicity of the open source Arduino IDE is great, but a bit limiting sometimes - I like to use Netbeans for instance for other work that I do. Do any plugins exist for more fully featured IDEs that would allow me to develop for the Arduino…
berry120
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29
votes
5 answers
What does the term "bias" mean?
I've see a number of terms that make reference to the word "bias". I've read the wikipedia article but I'm after are more practical answer.
Some examples of what a forward or reverse biased device is would also be well received.
Brad
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29
votes
6 answers
Why can I put an electrolytic capacitor on AC?
I have seen here and there schematics with electrolytic capacitors put on AC. This sounds weird to me.
Electrolytic capacitors have a polarity, right? If we invert the polarities on DC, bad things happen. As far as I understand, AC inverts polarity…
Antoine_935
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29
votes
1 answer
How is it possible that HDDs are mechanically so robust?
Hard disk drives (HDDs) rely on a small read-write-head which hover about 70 nm over the platter 1, 2. The physical effect on which this hovering is based seems to be the ground effect 3, so it seems as if there is no electronic closed-loop control…
cakelover
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29
votes
8 answers
What's up with the operating voltages 5 V, 3.3 V, 2.5 V, 1.8 V, etc.?
Integrated circuits seem to have standard voltages of 5 V, 3.3 V, 2.5 V, 1.8 V, etc.
Who decides these voltages?
Why do smaller devices require lower voltages?
Thomas O
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29
votes
3 answers
Can an oscilloscope be used as an EKG?
I was at my doctor's office and noticed an EKG machine that looked like a standard oscilloscope. In fact, its case was almost identical to my dual channel Tektonix 1104b. The main difference was that it had more probes, but I didn't check if they…
user148298
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29
votes
3 answers
Are coin cells a suitable replacement for AA batteries?
I am currently using AA batteries in my projects but would like to look at cell batteries for my next project, due to their compactness.
Apart from the physical appearance, how do cell batteries differ from the more chunky AA batteries? (I am…
Mr. Hedgehog
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29
votes
6 answers
Do power plants supply their own electricity?
I tried looking it up but there's no answer for this. This is mainly concerning nuclear power plants or natural gas plants, where they would have other buildings attached on site to operate the plants.
When they run the plants does it go to the grid…
Z_F
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29
votes
5 answers
How are logic gates created electronically?
So we have AND, NOT, NAND, NOR, OR gates, but how are they created electronically/electrically?
For example, what makes NOT gate reverse the value?
user17534
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29
votes
6 answers
Why don't we have a circular USB port?
From what I understand, USB has 4 lines just like an audio port. So why can't we have a USB port which is circular? I feel it can be more convenient to plug in and also would have a smaller form factor. May be, we can have the same 3.5 mm jack port…
samwise_the_wise
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29
votes
4 answers
Why is Ethernet So Power Hungry?
I was just perusing the Microchip ENC28J60 Ethernet Controller datasheet and saw that the operating current can be as high as 180mA while transmitting and 120 mA typical while active but not transmitting. At 3.3V we're talking 400 to 600 mW of…
vicatcu
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29
votes
6 answers
How to convert AC to DC
I am designing a circuit that needs to output 5VDC @ 1A. I'm trying to use a wall transformer to step the voltage down to 12VAC. The next step is the diode bridge and ripple capacitor.
The ripple voltage equation is:
$$V_{ripple} =…
Robert Deml
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29
votes
4 answers
"Starter Kit for electronics" - What to buy?
I'm going to buy some things for back to the electronic world.
Starting with an Resistor Assorted Kit.
Need to buy some kits containing the most common capacitors and transistors... what to buy???
[I want to buy to create a lot of things that there…
Andrew
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29
votes
7 answers
Basic diode question about voltage-drop
We have been begun studying diodes in electronics 1 and I have really basic question that may be really dumb but I cannot find an answer online.
If a diode is in series with a resistor and a voltage source that is set at the exact forward voltage…
ModularMan
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29
votes
2 answers
What type of glass fuse is this and what does the spring do?
This is a standard sized glass fuse like what cars used before the 80s. I can faintly make out 20A, but I’m not sure what to call it in order to find a replacement. The fuse in the picture has not blown, but it is the only one I have. I don’t…
JPhi1618
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