DesignSpark Forums

Hopefully this is a simple one ~ I've created a new version of a component by copying an existing one. But every change I make in the new component is duplicated in the old one. How do I separate the two? Thanks.

Hi,  In older generations of DesignSparkPCB, I was able to draw a board without a schematic.  With DS version10, I seem to be required to draw schematic first.  Am I missing a setting?  How can I draw my simple boards without a schematic on version 10?

Hello All, Electronic product compliance is a topic that has baffled me for years. I have spoken to seasoned engineers and reputable test houses, but I have yet to get a definitive answer regarding when it is acceptable to conduct self-certification on electronic products you intend to sell. The requirements for CE directives like EMC seem especially vague and while test houses are more knowledgeable, they are obviously unlikely to suggest anything that does not involve their services in some capacity which ultimately affects the feasibility of small-scale electronics manufacture. I have heard that observing best-practices and conducting due-diligence may be enough for the vast majority of low-risk products, so would it be sufficient enough to do this for something simple like a flashlight, and then place a CE sticker on the box? I’ve also noticed you can even buy products that actively state they are not CE marked! It’s clear as mud, so I thought it would be interesting to hear the experiences of anyone who has successfully navigated this process and their policies regarding CE marking, self-certification and when you would actually need certified testing?

Do you think that AI will soon be able to know what ingredients you have in the fridge and the cupboard and workout that it is Tuesday so you don't want to spend a long time preparing food so here are some recipes?

Hi Everyone, Single Pair Ethernet connectors are being introduced into the factory.  The suppliers are saying they are going to revolutionise the smart factory as it means ethernet can go the last few feet to the factory floor. However, I've also heard another expert in the world of connectors say that only a few will actually need ethernet down to the factory floor, when other technologies such as IO-Link are available.   So, my question is...   Will Single Pair Ethernet change the industrial space forever,  or is it just another option for installers to have to cope with?

小学校中学年の自由研究でつくった犬の貯金箱が、初めての設計プロジェクトでした(設計プロジェクトと言えるほどのものではないかもしれませんが(笑))。犬の舌に硬貨をのせると、硬貨の重みでスイッチが入り、喜んでお金を食べてくれる、といったものです。仕組みは単純で、尻尾に見立てた消しゴムをDCモータにとりつけ、それを回転させることで、本体が震え、だんだんと硬貨が飲み込まれていくようなものでした。目には豆電球をつけ、モータとあえて直列に接続することで、豆電球の明暗を常に変化させ、ご飯をもらえて喜んでいるワンちゃんのように見える工夫なんかもしていましたね。   My first design project was a "doggy" piggy bank that I made as a summer science project(summer homework at Japanese elementary school) in the middle grades of elementary school (although it may not have been much of a design project). When you put a coin on the dog's tongue, the weight of the coin triggers a switch and the dog happily eats the money. The mechanism is very simple: a rubber eraser which look like a tail is attached to a DC motor and when the motor is rotated, the dog's body tremble and the coin is gradually swallowed. The bank also have two light bulbs as dog's eyes. By connecting the light bulbs in series with the motor, the light and darkness of the light bulbs would constantly change so it looks like a dog that was happy to receive food.

Back in the mid 80's when I was 13, I attempted to build a Flux Capictor out of stuff my Dad had in the garage.  He was a Security Alarm Engineer at the time and our garage was an Aladins Cave of components and I loved playing with some of it. Of course, I wasn't succesful, but the Movie Back to the Future is probably responsible for my interest in gadgets and technology!   My actual first project was fuse tester, think I still have it somewhere...

I wanted to share a cool tool we discovered when enaging with Maxim Integrated last year. If you're new to DC-DC power design and are looking for a tool to speed up your design, you should check out EE-SimHow to Design a Power Supply in Five Minutes or Less with the EE-Sim Online Design Tool https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/how-to-design-a-power-supply-in-five-minutes-or-less-with-the-maxim-ee-sim-online-design-tool         

Ｖ２において、ライセンス番号の入力を求められ、起動できなくなりました。 拡張パックの番号を入力しましたが、すでに登録されているというようなメッセージが表示され、修復もできません。サーバーの情報を一度リセットしていただく必要があるのかと思います。 Ｖ２で使用していた拡張パックは、Ｖ５でも引き続き使用できるのでしょうか？ サイト内に記述が無いため、Ｖ５への移行を保留しています。 よろしくお願いいたします。  

You can see a selection of some of the past Ask The Expert interviews here.   In these interviews DesignSparks own Greig interviews experts in different technologies and subjects about the things you want to know about. Add to this forum the technologies, poeple, manufacturers that you'd like Greig to interview and the questions you'd like him to ask.  

  It actually makes me physically uncomfortable to have no idea how something I am using works. I hate it. I hate it so much, the feeling will overcome any natural inertia and force me to (at the very least) get the gist of the principles the device operates on. I have always had this affliction. If what I find particularly interests me, I will dig deeper and learn more; going wherever the rabbit hole takes me. That is pretty much the path that lead me into electronics and, by extension, computers and programming. It is also how I have ended up knowing some pretty obscure things too – like ‘F4’ is a common error code on gas boilers for ignition failure.

Power supplies driving "normal" loads are generally straightforward.What are the requirements or pitfuls of using a switch mode PSU driving a pulse width modulated speed controller with a PM motor load?I assume during start-up and running with and increasing motor load is just typical loading, but what about when suddenly reducing the motor loading, could this cause problems with the back EMF generated?

ファイル変換してから急にメニュー画面がすべて英語になってしまいました。 どこに言語設定のボタンがあるのか分からず困っています。 助けてくださいお願いします。

I grew up in a family that encouraged education and learning, both technical and hands-on. One grandfather taught technical classes, including teaching some army classes about radio back around the end of World War 1. My dad's basement workshop included wordworking and metalworking equipment, and I still have a toolbox and tools received as presents when I was young. My dad worked at a research institute as well, so I saw things like lasers and an electron microscope, provoking my interest at an early age. I was also an avid reader of both science fiction and biographies, particularly of scientists and inventors. Both provided inspiration for exploring new ideas.I also credit the space program and some excellent public schools and teachers for encouraging my curiosity. I've attached a photo of a multimedia project a friend and I made in Junior High School, about the space program. (I described this project in a comment on my matrix lightbulb display project post.)I think growing up in the 1960s and 1970s also was somewhat of a golden age. Many parents at that time had lived through the depression, developing an appreciation for making things yourself out of necessity/frugality. And many of the toys of the era reflected a building/making bent. I had toys that let me explore vacuum forming plastic, casting plastic, printing, building, and even a combination drill/lathe/scroll saw that, while quite limited in power and precision to meet the constraints of toy pricing, still encouraged creative work.

There is now a PCB Part Libraries area in Resources. Here you will find two great suppliers of Electronic component models, both SnapEDA and Samacsys. Both of these suppliers are world renowned to provide a incredible range of schematics and footprints from most electronic component manufacturers.   https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/pcb-part-libraries   You can download the schematics and footprint and import directly in to you PCB CAD Software