I have created a simple No Connection symbol for Eagle CadSoft. At the moment I have only 1 symbol/package included in this library and that is the ‘NO CONNECTION’ symbol. The intent is to add more things as I come across it. No connection symbol for Eagle It is quite simple to use, it simply places an ‘x’ on the schematic. There is no PCB footprint (as there isn’t one) so it is purely for visual aesthetics....
The Whizz-80 is my latest electronic project that I am starting. It is a combination of hardware and software so it aligns both my passions. My Whizz-80 computer will be a retro based computer using the Z80 CPU. The Z80 was used in early microcomputers (such as the Microbee and the TRS-80). It will however run it’s own operating system and it’s own specific hardware configuration. I don’t intend on making a clone, (there are plenty of emulators for that) but a unique computer just for me....
I’ve been playing around with the Arduino for a while now (offline to the blog) and while it is a great platform to get into the embedded arena (and electronics in general), I am yearning for something a little bit more, something beyond the Arduino. I haven’t done a blog post in a while (I had great plans on posting my experiments and circuits as I learned) but the time it takes to create a post on a simple circuit that I built during the learning iteration process just didn’t work....
Learning to fail and how you move on from it: In my previous two posts I had designed and created a pcb layout for a simple 555 timer flasher. I thought it would be a simple thing to do because I really wanted to test the workflow on how to create a pcb from start to finish. 555 PCB with components After placing and soldering all the components on my pcb, and applying power to it, I expected to see some nice flashing lights just like my breadboard model was doing....
My 555 LED Flasher custom made pcb circuit finally arrived. Yay! Previously I had designed this circuit and pcb layout as a test run (see previous post) and sent it off to OSHPark for manufacturing. It turned up in the post for last night. It took about 3 weeks from time to placing the order to me receiving it, which seems quite reasonable for a part time hack like me. I don’t need high turn around times....