Post Av5tvaComQP7wmQMtc by sb@metroholografix.ca
(DIR) More posts by sb@metroholografix.ca
(DIR) Post #Av5pDcLR4BPE1TEe8m by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T16:19:55Z
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This educational “logic password” circuit I’m building to see if my students should do it has a 9V AC bridge rectifier in the corner which I find odd— It’s not like providing 5V DC is a big mysterious thing. And it makes you BUILD the switch to turn it on with header pins and a coupler like a cavewoman. I think it’s amusing but I worry I’m missing one if the educational goals of the board designer who is probably a teacher and a better engineer than me. Thoughts?
(DIR) Post #Av5pIEAgN0jyUwP65Q by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T16:20:45Z
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This is amusing but why not just say “supply 5V of clean DC”?
(DIR) Post #Av5pO8DVQCTBlgXWIi by dlakelan@mastodon.sdf.org
2025-06-13T16:21:46Z
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@futurebirdLike a USB charger...
(DIR) Post #Av5pSkAYG22idLMCP2 by LinuxAndYarn@mastodon.social
2025-06-13T16:22:26Z
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@futurebird The design looks old enough to me that it could be from the days when 9v batteries were more ubiquitous than USB.
(DIR) Post #Av5pWhsIjJc4fyi66q by dlakelan@mastodon.sdf.org
2025-06-13T16:23:14Z
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@futurebirdGiven what that board looks like I'm gonna go with the design was made in 1983 when 9v transformersaurus ruled the world.
(DIR) Post #Av5r6UhdHSbkCdLgjg by andytiedye@sfba.social
2025-06-13T16:41:01Z
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Have you looked at any of the Raspberry Pi stuff? That would be a lot more current and could teach them a lot more.@futurebird
(DIR) Post #Av5rrmpThj1i21ZM1o by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T16:49:36Z
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@dlakelan well a usb charger you can’t plug into the wall just a 9v battery.
(DIR) Post #Av5sEmmy1MK2ZBMU5o by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T16:53:39Z
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@becomethewaifu Ah the backwards battery makes sense! I saw “AC” and thought “there is no way this is for mains wtf”
(DIR) Post #Av5sQD20n92P8rqUq0 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T16:55:49Z
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@andytiedye I want them to work with logic gates… not code. And see that some problems don’t need a processor or memory to be solved. They do a tons of coding of things like that later in the class. This is right after their unit in binary.
(DIR) Post #Av5sXA3KGVBJvkm8Dw by dlakelan@mastodon.sdf.org
2025-06-13T16:57:02Z
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@futurebirdWait it wants you to plug in a 9v battery? And its using an AC bridge rectifier? I guess that could be a polarity protection feature, in case people wire up the battery leads backwards you dont let the magic smoke out of the board.
(DIR) Post #Av5sbpAlK9qgcVTeRE by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T16:57:55Z
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@dlakelan yes this seems to be the reason!
(DIR) Post #Av5suECJ1M2tRhyUkq by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T17:01:13Z
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@andytiedye I will not be the teacher responsible for the kid who makes a lamp that turns on when it senses low light levels and the thing needs and OS and internet connection to function! Not on my watch!
(DIR) Post #Av5tAI6OGt7UBmrpoW by RustedComputing@discuss.systems
2025-06-13T17:04:06Z
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@futurebirdThe older I get the closer I am to that guy in engineering fabrication who swears his soldering iron is all the damned IDE he needs.@andytiedye
(DIR) Post #Av5tg5XUW0voUbhoCO by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T17:09:42Z
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@RustedComputing @andytiedye We can’t turn on the light because the cloud AI doesn’t agree it’s dark enough to need a light.
(DIR) Post #Av5tvaComQP7wmQMtc by sb@metroholografix.ca
2025-06-13T17:07:07Z
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@futurebird If I had to guess it's to enable the circuit to be powered from a typical "wall wart" style AC or DC power supply. The reason for 9 volts instead of 5 is to supply the linear voltage regulator IC which will in turn provide the stable 5vdc output. You could skip most of the front end if you were already using a CV source like USB or a bench power supply.
(DIR) Post #Av5wPZ6tcLKN944wca by gbargoud@masto.nyc
2025-06-13T17:40:28Z
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@futurebird @andytiedye Have they discovered nandgame.com yet? That's a good way to kill an evening or two and come out of it understanding a lot more about how things work on a logic gate level
(DIR) Post #Av5wQeDG8DEBGCZTLE by crankylinuxuser@infosec.exchange
2025-06-13T17:40:34Z
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@futurebird @andytiedye Sorry, but the (smart) watch does need an OS and internet connectivity!😂
(DIR) Post #Av5xzs5CeeW2MpA9gG by ephesossh@mastodon.online
2025-06-13T17:58:15Z
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@futurebird @andytiedye I work in tech and increasingly feel like an old man telling at cloud, with so many directives to use AI for everything. Got an email from IT saying my Copilot subscription was about to be reclaimed and I nearly wept for joy lol
(DIR) Post #Av5zykgqr5753dMn0S by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T18:20:31Z
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@crankylinuxuser @andytiedye Where is the "detention" button on this thing?!? :(
(DIR) Post #Av607xcg8o3Nm2o1HE by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-13T18:22:10Z
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@gbargoud @andytiedye Absolutely! And they love it!Now you wouldn't think a modern child would be impressed by eight lights blinking out binary. But it hits different when YOU made it happen and know why it's working. And it's all just gates-n-switches.
(DIR) Post #Av62zX9GzITtD9j00v by grant_h@mastodon.social
2025-06-13T18:54:11Z
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@futurebird what grade is this?