[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)