Voltmeters and ammeters

In this photo we see three voltmeters (across the top) and five ammeters (across the bottom) attached to a voltage divider connected to a load.

30 V is applied then 2 mA flows through R1 and then splits with 1 mA going through R2 and 1 mA going through Rload. 20 V drops across R1 and there is 10 V across R2 and Rload.

Five ammeters and three voltmeters connected to a voltage divider attached to a load

The circuit on the left in the schematic below is the one being tested. In this case R1, R2, and Rload are all 10 kΩ. As R2 and Rload are connected in parallel their effective resistance is 5 kΩ. R1 being 10 kΩ gets two thirds of the voltage because R2 || Rload is 5 kΩ getting one third of the 30 V being 10 V.

The schematic of the voltage divider being tested

The Bang Preventer – aka DIY Current Limiter with isolation transformer

I asked Tony359 about his current limiter and he referred me to the video below in which he explains his home made contraption. Very cool. I think I should make one of these.

Update: I also found a video covering a similar topic:

The voltmeter used in the second design is this one: Digital AC Voltmeter.

Oh, and here’s another one!

Specs for M5 Pro MacBook Pro

My IRC friend @ngoldbaum got a new MacBook Pro and I was reading about about the specs over here: Apple introduces MacBook Pro with all‑new M5 Pro and M5 Max, delivering breakthrough pro performance and next-level on-device AI.

One feature which jumped out at me was the insanely fast memory bandwidth. This “unified” memory is on the CPU die and shared between CPU and GPU, which, apparently, can eliminate duplication. The M5 Pro supports up to 307 GB/s and the M5 Max supports up to 614 GB/s.

Electronic components to avoid in a product

In this latest video from John Teel, electronic components to avoid in a real product:

  1. USB Micro-B Connections → use USB-C instead
  2. Through-Hole Components → use SMD instead
  3. Barrel Jack Power Connections → use USB-C instead
    • Note: 5.5 × 2.1 mm (5.5×2.1mm) is the common DC barrel jack size, 5.5 × 2.5 mm (5.5×2.5mm) is less common
  4. Unshielded DC-DC Converter Inductors → use shielded inductors instead
  5. Cheap No-Name Electrolytic Capacitors → buy from reputable brand instead, or, better, switch to ceramic or polymer aluminium capacitors
    • If you want no surprises, stick to: Nichicon, Rubycon, Panasonic, Nippon Chemi-Con (aka United Chemi-Con), Elna
    • For professional/industrial designs, also consider: KEMET, Vishay, TDK
  6. Bare Pin Headers as Production Connectors → use connectors rated for your application instead
  7. Mechanical Relays → use solid state instead, for DC consider MOSFET
  8. Single-Source or End-of-Life Components → use widely available components instead
  9. Counterfeit of Clone ICs → buy from authorized distributors instead:
  10. Hobby-Grade Sensors → look for higher grade instead with I2C or SPI digital interfaces