Author Archives: dyoung
Altium Expert Article: Take the Risk Out of Prototype PCB Assembly
I’ve been making prototype PCBs since my first technical job in 2004, and have learned a few things the hard way. I wrote this article for Altium to explain a few lessons to those looking to save some time (and … Continue reading
Supercon 2019 Talk: Scrounging, Sipping, and Seeing Power
Supply Frame put on a great conference which I was happy to attend and honored to give a talk. I spoke about different alternative energy options for small scale projects and a few pitfalls to avoid along the way. Slides!
Altium Industry Expert Article: The Art of Selecting Connectors
Check out this article I wrote about how to select connectors! The best part is this video I reference:
Altium Industry Expert Article: Should I Make, Find, or Download my PCB Symbols?
Check out this article I wrote for Altium’s Industry Expert Series about the options designers have for generating parts for their libraries!
e14 Project: Raspberry Pi 2 Laser Dog Watcher
My dog Penny is one of the best. She has the two critical commands of ‘come’ and ‘stay’ down pat so well that I can go for a run with her off-leash here in Denver. She’s gentile with our newborn … Continue reading
Using a Raspberry Pi 2 and ownCloud v8 to Control My Cloud Data
A couple years ago, I showed how to setup an ownCloud server on a Raspberry Pi. The system worked, but there were some performance hiccups. Most importantly was the ability for the system to handle large files and for the … Continue reading
Rocky Mountain SMTA Brings its A-Game to the 2015 Expo at Mile High Stadium
Last week the Rocky Mountain chapter of the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) held their 2015 expo at the United Club of Mile High Stadium (home of the Denver Broncos). The event, which was free to the public, brought together … Continue reading
e14: EAGLE ULPs Every User Should Know
I love designing PCBs. It’s more than just connecting wires in a given area; it’s devising clever ways to make connections while controlling the design for things like EMC, switcher noise, signal integrity, heat dissipation, and many more. But the … Continue reading
e14: Laser Doorbell in the Cloud!
Sometimes the notion of the Internet of Things (IoT) strikes me as silly; why would anyone want to connect their dishwasher to the internet? But still, I wanted to develop a hobby project that would explore some of the tech. … Continue reading
How to Characterize a Switch-Mode Power Supply Design with a Tek MDO3000 Scope
Most of the designs that I work on require some sort of power supply design. The power supply rails are the foundation of a good design, allowing one to hit not only the desired voltage level, but also low noise, … Continue reading