[HN Gopher] Converting a WW2-Era Engine Cowl Flaps Indicator int... ___________________________________________________________________ Converting a WW2-Era Engine Cowl Flaps Indicator into a USB Peripheral Author : _Microft Score : 35 points Date : 2022-11-26 20:21 UTC (2 hours ago) (HTM) web link (bikerglen.com) (TXT) w3m dump (bikerglen.com) | kebman wrote: | What is an Engine Cowl Flaps Indicator? | | * Frantic Googling * | | Oohhhh! So that's what it is! How useful! | SomeHacker44 wrote: | The original author also answered this in the post. | Animats wrote: | That's straightforward. That 3-wire differential approach makes | the gauge reading mostly independent of the power supply voltage. | Aviation instruments often do that. Some automotive gas gauges in | the past worked that way. Those are the ones that don't go to | Empty with power off, but just stay at the last value. | | From the article: "In this meter, there's also a small spring on | each rotor that pulls the needles out of the minimum and maximum | scale region when the meter has no DC power." Which makes sense | in an application where "retain the last value" is a bad idea. | buildsjets wrote: | Very cool. I have a similar project I've been meaning to build to | use a Playstation controller as a wireless analog joystick for an | Apple ][, also using digipots like this project did. I have the | components but am procrastinating soldering the tiny SMD digipot | to the breakout board just like shown in this article. | sokoloff wrote: | If the board has soldermask (was made at a board house and has | green [or other color] coating), soldering SMD components is a | lot easier than most people would first assume. The surface | tension of the solder and rejection of it by the mask makes it | go much better than you'd think. | kosma wrote: | ...and good flux carries you the rest of the way. | Animats wrote: | > soldering the tiny SMD digipot to the breakout board just | like shown in this article. | | For surface mount soldering, you need good tweezers, a good | soldering station, and magnification. Cheap USB microscopes are | helpful. ___________________________________________________________________ (page generated 2022-11-26 23:00 UTC)