Circuits with PIC micro's & analog IC's

Electronic design, PIC micro, analog circuit, Arduino projects

Software for the RF Spectrum Anlyzer

The wideband, RF spectrum analyzer spans a frequency range of about 24 MHz up to 1766 MHz, which makes it ideal for use in a broad array of RF-related applications.

Make relative measurements on antenna to find directivity
Compare the gain of one antenna to another
See what signals are in the air
Listen to radio communication
EMI testing
and much more

SDR (software defined radio) hardware is usually too expensive, but thanks to few guys and their discovery that cheap Realtek 2832U tuners

actually can receive much more than original wanted.

Download Software here

Free spice circuit simulation program from Linear Tec.

Fine program where you can use spice models from other manufactors too.

Click here for download

FREE Gerber Viewer

Gerbv is a viewer for Gerber RS-274X files, Excellon drill files, and CSV pick-and-place files. Click here for download

Cheap PCB boards comparison

Let's look back at and summarize the PCB shops I reviewed for the "Quick-Turn" project.

Admittedly, "Quick-Turn" is a bit of a misnomer, though I think it communicates the basic idea. What I'm really referring to are PCB shops with an automated Website that lets you get instant quotes on relatively simple (2-4 layer) designs, then upload your files and place an order. That's the "quick" part. Delivery can be quick or slow, depending on how much you're willing to pay. See more here

PCB from Makerstudio

Cheap 2 layer PCB from Makerstudio. Click here for more info

Soundcard scope probe

A simple tool for basic audio waveform viewing, click here for more info

Free Soundcard Scope

The PC based Soundcard Oscilloscope receives its data from the Soundcard with 44.1kHz and 16 Bit resolution. The data source can be selected in the Windows mixer (Microphone, Line-In or Wave). The frequency range depends on the sound card, but 20-20000Hz should be possible with all modern cards. The low frequency end is limited by the AC coupling of the line-in signal. Be aware, that most microphone inputs are only mono.

The oscilloscope contains in addition a signal generator for 2 channels for Sine, Square, Triangular and Sawtooth wave forms in the frequency range from 0 to 20kHz. These signals are available at the speaker output of the sound card. These can be fed back to the oscillocope in order to generate Lissajous figures in the x-y mode. Click here for more info

FREE Schematic and PCB design program

Express SCH and PCB is very easy to use!

Click here for down load

Before you start it is good to learn how to use it. Tips

Turn a Smart Phone into a Signal Generator

Signal generators are a handy thing to have around the lab. They are perfect for testing inputs on a new hardware design and verifying the behavior of a circuit before connecting all the pieces together. In recent years these lab tools have not only decreased in size but also in cost. The result has been a plethora of portable versions that now exist on the market. Click here for more info.