Project Logs

Collapse

• System design

  Charles Pax • 08/20/2014 at 16:11 • 0 comments

  I've uploaded a system design file (schematic). It's on the side bar. When I click the edit project button I do not see the details section. Weird.

• Pax Instruments on Facebook

  Charles Pax • 08/19/2014 at 21:49 • 0 comments

  The Kickstarter campaign launch is just  a few weeks away. You can sign up for notification at PaxInstruments.com. If you are on Facebook, I would be thrilled to have your support for the Pax instruments Facebook page. Please like, follow, and share.

• T400 thermal debugging

  Charles Pax • 08/19/2014 at 21:41 • 0 comments

  When analyzing or debugging your electronics project one of the easiest places to start is with the finger test. Simply touch your finger to each of the components on your board to which component is misbehaving and heating up.

  When you need quantitative answers, a thermal camera, like the $1000 Flir E4, is a great tool. At $350 the Flir One is bringing down the price of this technology, but it is still out of reach for most home labs. You can use the T400 thermocouple datalogger to achieve adequate results without the need for expensive hardware.

  Let’s use the T400 board as an example. In this setup a thermocouple is connected to the ATmega32U4 using thermally conductive silicone potting compound. This is the same compound used to pot thermocouples into stainless steel tubes.

  We can use theFlir E4 to view our board and compare results to the T400. In this image you can see the ATmega32U4 is the warmest component followed by the MCP5219-3.3V regulator. The Flir E4 and T400 give the same readings of approximately 35 C. This does not indicate the E4 and T400 will always give the same temperature or that either temperature is accurate to the true temperature in this case. The E4 has an accuracy of +/-2 C while the T400 has a yet undetermined accuracy.

  With four thermocouple channels the T400 can monitor four parts of your board while recording that data for later graphing. I hope this gives you a few ideas of how you can use the T400 in your own lab. Please sign up below to be notified when the Pax Instruments T400 Kickstarter campaign launches in September.

• T400 temperature datalogger submitted for the Hackaday prize

  Charles Pax • 08/19/2014 at 21:40 • 0 comments

  You can now find the T400 on Hackaday.io. I also submitted the T400 temperature datalogger for the Hackaday Prize. Let’s go to space! Please vote for the T400 if you see it in the voting queue. Thank you for your support.

• T400 repositories

  Charles Pax • 08/19/2014 at 21:39 • 0 comments

  can now find repositories for the T400 on Github. The design files are being migrated from the monolithic development repository to Github, so it will be at least a few days until everything is uploaded.

  You can find links to the repositories and other downloads on the T400 product page.

  Sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter campaign launches early September by going to http://paxinstruments.com/

View all 5 project logs