digital led vu meter

oops,  sorry wrong image

Be not guided by morality, but rather, integrity.

It's fun stuff. Puzzling and complex & headbashing at times, but once something is built... Alas I seem to have little desire for such stuff now. I used to do a lot of automotive stuff, but now that that's "standard". LOL - I had flashers on mirrors and DRLs etc and was told they were illegal. So much for wanting speed related flash rates (for immediate & fast initial flashes for motorbikes and road racing) or third-brake lights and initial brake flashing (proportional to pressure of course!). As to those that want to try (ha!) to smear me because of my UIBi is superior to voltage sensing stance (for battery isolators and other controls) or that oil pressure should NOT be used for electric fuel pump control (to preserve the engine - LOL!) or Continuous Audio (or Average) Power being rubbish etc, if only they realised I am typically ahead of my time (usually by 10-20 years depending on the topic) I'd have far less writing to do. Maybe I should get back into a position of authority and innovation and write specs and policies that permeate internationally...? But enough FIGJAMming. These days I prefer to watch the intolerant and ignorant waste their 10 years of effort and expense (and engines or equipment) only to eventually apply my sort of solution. Some call that DIY. I call it reinventing the wheel... As to the watching, I think some call that "grump old men". (I call it "humor amongst the select in the know".) I might get back into old stuff like etchants etc. With modern printers and tools - and SMD components - it'd be worthwhile for some of my stuff like my basic "universal" PIC-08M2 PCB (for use as the UIBI-3, programmable electronic ignition, smart sequential timing, etc). Yeah - one day. I think I'll adopt a FILO approach. If I do FIFO (first in, first out) I'm certain they will have banned ignition type vehicles. Besides, electric cars already have digital gauges with analog displays LOL, and they should not require rip-off commercial battery isolators.

I missed your pic. Nice job!!

not so nice,  I must have gotten somthing wrong.  because i smoked it.  Thats what i get for rushin, to get to the next part.  Oh well,  Tommorrow Ill make another one :PBe not guided by morality, but rather, integrity.

Ah - that's good. You should now be eligible to join our club... A warning for first power-ups - wear safety glasses. I remember my first "back to front" 555 - the reversed supply polarity blew the center out of the chip. I felt it whiz past my cheek and eye before it hit the ceiling. After passing that you merely need burn creams for fingers. In extreme cases, a fire extinguisher - and a bigger can of burn cream. It'd be interesting to know if it was a wiring issue (it usually is) or an excess power (too much LED current?) or voltage issue... However, now being a member of said club, an "I don't know, but the new one works" is totally acceptable. A 2nd smoke means instant promotion, but that requires a non-admission of the 2nd smoke. (Most claim that promotion status after a delay with a mere reference to some anonymous or vague project - that's assuming anyone interrogates your promotion - we do have Standards you know!) ok, it's still morning (3:55PM Zulu)...

I would be happy to tell you exactly what happened. But after that; I can no longer uphold the high level of respect you have towards me.  ..............bahhahahahah

Seriously.  This is the honest tyruth.  So Moderators feel free to delet this one,  As I will probably never live it down.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the board,  or the wiring, or the components,  or the manner in witch i tested - re tested.  and here we go,  tested this little baby.  No it was nothing except pure lack of planning.  I knew for a fact I was low on solder.  I knew for a fact that the only other solder I have at the moment is the solder that wa practically given to me by er- go Amazon.com  seller for spending my hard earned cash in well, lets face it.  "a bunch of robot parts"  and to put them all togeteher, this nice brand new pound of neatly spooled solder.  With the kind words on the side...........Advanced Solder Wire.   And yes I knew this is the most horrific solder on the planet.  Clearly manufactured by terrorists hoping we will use it on our defense electronics.  Because this stuff is clearly defective. 

But I was impatient,  I wanted this regulator finished so i could get on with the good stuff.  Well my little Radio Shack 25 watt solder iron just cant melt this stuff to a flow thats sopports the buisness end.  And since I cant increase my heat,  Im pullin out the big guns!!  Honey!  grab the kids and take the cooler,  Your headed off to Grandmas house.  Cause daddy is pullin out ....wait for it...............The propane plumbers torch!!!   yup I smoked it.  Litterally.  Then after the silicon melted off the underside of the regulator,  I realized once again,  what happens when you mix a 10 hor day at the office, with alergy season; two benyadryl.  And a couple bock beers,

A slight Momentary Lapse of Reason.

Clearly Not my best work.  And Clearly Its past my bed time.

Be not guided by morality, but rather, integrity.

Ah well, I'd argue that's a mechanical failure. That may mean instant demotion since it isn't an electrical initiation, however it may be a borderline case - it is solder and hence an electrical problem. (Unlike the Naval engineer that complained that an electronics kit did not work. The "fault inspector" wrote how it was the neatest assembly he had ever seen (obviously the builder was not an electrical/electronic engineer), however he had used glue (aquadhere) instead of solder. FAIL!) I recently used my butane torch to solder an SMD PIC chip, but I plan on buying an old toaster and proper SMD solder-paste in the future... Decades ago I bought 250g rolls of solder - one 1mm dia, the other 0.71mm dia - and they still have heaps left. (IMO 1mm is too fat for chip pins etc.) It's important to get suitable solder - not only temperature, but also the flux/resin which must be non-corrosive to components and tracks. I'd assume my solder has the old killer flux fumes, but hey, death is still the biggest kick of all. And a suitable soldering iron is IMO essential. I'm lucky enough to still have my old Weller. Although I have various tips (you change tips to change the temperature, as well as the tip type), I have almost always used a "standard" fine point tip. I'll occasionally change to a hotter fat-chisel type for big wires or heat sinks etc. But many reckon "cheap" irons are fine, and even that fancy temp-adjustables with digital temp readouts were nothing but trouble - though that was decades ago. I'd assume a 40W iron is ok. My Weller states an output of 24V @ 2A = 48W. Oh - be wary of static discharge. It's probably not much of an issue anymore - I think it was one of those "theoretical" hazards though modern chips and static sensitive semiconductors (eg, FETs) tend to incorporate static protection didoes. I never worried about wrist straps etc, but I would short myself and chip power pins etc (usually with the chip pins still through foil or in modern conductive foam) and the PCB to the earthed/grounded iron etc before assembly.