Monthly Archives: August 2023

blog.jj5.net

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I’ve been meaning to make this change for a while now, and finally got around to it this evening.

I started blogging at blog.jj5.net back in November 2003 and continued through to May 2005. After that I stopped blogging for a while, but I started again at progclub.org in August 2011.

The ProgClub blog was imagined to be a group blog, my plan when I set it up was to have all the ProgClub members have an account on the blog, but that turned out to be a pretty poorly received idea. Eventually, and for a long time now, it has just been me (your host, jj5) over on the ProgClub blog.

Since this has become a personal blog, I figured it was time to move it from ProgClub back to blog.jj5.net, where it all began.

The transition should be seamless, old links should be properly redirected, old logins should continue to work, but if you run into any problems please let me know.

Complex Programmable Logic Device

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ChatGPT explains a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD):

A CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device) is a type of digital integrated circuit that is used for creating custom digital logic designs. It’s a step between simple PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices) and more complex FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays).

Click through for further details.

Number pad

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I have various workspaces in my lab, and I call one of them my “booth”. It’s called the booth because I use it when I need to take photos of things which I’m selling on eBay, usually Xbox consoles or games.

Anyway the booth is also setup with two video cameras, one for a view of the booth bench and the other for a view of my face while I am working in the booth. There’s a retractable drawer bolted under the booth bench too which is full of breadboard jumper wires, so this is the place where I do some of my electronics projects, particularly my Maxitronix X in 1 projects. It’s also a convenient workspace when I’m breadboarding something, as I have ready access to my component drawers above.

Today I’ve installed a number pad in the booth so that I can control my cameras in OBS Studio while I’m working at that bench:

How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet

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Here’s a fun essay from Douglas Adams: How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet. He says that attitudes toward technology go like this:

  1. everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal;
  2. anything that gets invented between then and before you turn thirty is incredibly exciting and creative and with any luck you can make a career out of it;
  3. anything that gets invented after you’re thirty is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it until it’s been around for about ten years when it gradually turns out to be alright really.

Costume

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I was chatting with my brother about my new video blog and he said I should do something to make myself distinctive, so I thought a lab coat, ID badge on lanyard, and pocket protector full of tools would do the trick.

To that end I got myself a lab coat, set of five multicolored lanyards, a pocket protector, and a screwdriver with clip.

Cosplay! I’m such a nerd. :P

My inspiration was mostly Stetmann of StarCraft II fame, although my outfit isn’t exactly the same.

I made some ID badges for myself, I figured I could give myself various job titles and choose a different one from time to time…

Studio upgrade

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The computer I’m using to do the recording for In The Lab With Jay Jay is called ‘wonder‘ and it only has six USB ports. I currently have ten USB cameras, and I’m getting more, so I don’t have as many USB ports as I can use. Also ‘wonder’ only has 2TB capacity (non-RAID) for storing the videos I record, which will probably get used up fairly quickly.

So I have been planning an upgrade for ‘wonder’ known as ‘victory‘. My new studio workstation ‘victory’ will have 52TB of RAID storage for video data, 2TB of SSD RAID storage for video recording, 12x USB ports on the back panel, and 4x USB ports on the front panel.

Along with this new studio workstation I intend to get a new camera, a Canon Rebel SL3.

Now all I need to do is save up a cool eight grand!

Jaycar kit: Audio Playback Adaptor for CD-ROM Drives

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This Audio Playback Adaptor for CD-ROM Drives was released with a Silicon Chip article back in November 2007, approaching two decades ago.

I just purchased the last two available from Jaycar, they no longer have any stock.

I now own three of these babies, and it is my hope that I can use their components to build some electronics that implements enough of the ATA protocol to unlock OG Xbox hard drives. I reckon my chances of success are pretty slim, but it will be fun trying!

This is them:

They’ve been on the shelf in a warehouse for years, check out how dirty they were:

For the record here is a screenshot of this item on the Jaycar website after I purchased all their stock:

Bluetooth signal quality on MacBook Pro

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If you press the Option key then click the Bluetooth icon on your MacBook Pro then MacOS will show you the signal strength (RSSI) and other info about your Bluetooth devices. RSSI is the “Received Signal Strength Indicator” as explained by ChatGPT. The current RSSI for my bluetooth speakers is -67dBm, which ChatGPT explains:

An RSSI value of -67 dBm is generally considered a good signal strength when it comes to WiFi, and the same could be roughly said for Bluetooth and other wireless communication technologies. In terms of qualitative interpretation:

  • -30 to -50 dBm: Excellent signal strength. This is about as good as it gets. Usually, this is only seen when you’re very close to the access point or device.
  • -50 to -70 dBm: Good signal strength. For most general applications, this range provides a reliable, strong connection. Voice, streaming, and even video applications usually work well in this range.
  • -67 dBm: This specific value is often cited in WiFi scenarios as the minimum strength for reliable voice applications.
  • -70 to -90 dBm: Fair signal strength. The connection is more susceptible to interference and might not be reliable for all applications. Data rates will be lower, and minor obstructions can cause the signal to drop.
  • Below -90 dBm: Poor signal strength. The connection is unreliable and might drop frequently. It’s challenging to maintain a stable connection in this range.

So, an RSSI of -67 dBm is generally good for most applications, including voice and streaming. However, the actual performance can vary based on the specific wireless technology in use, the environment (presence of physical obstructions, other interfering signals), and the application’s specific requirements.