July 2023

ALEX

LM35 simulator.  This temperature IC is out of stock so Alex made a micro controller based simulator to use with a LiPo battery charger.

STEVE

Teardown of a vape device.  Vapes contain a LiPo 3.7V battery, a heating coil to vapourise the flavour+nicotine liquid and an air pressure sensor to activate the heater when breath suction is applied.  Kapas, a cotton like material, absorbs the liquid and is wrapped around the heating coil and is the site of vapourisation.

Vapes cost around $69 and equate to about 3,500 cigarette puffs!  Many vapes that say 'no nicotine' actually DO contain nicotine.  Vape advertising is clearly aimed at children.

When liquid exhausted the device is discarded, throwing away a perfectly good LiPo battery!

So look for these devices in bins (I found mine in a gutter) and get a free battery!

MARTIN

A triac & optocoupler mains switch circuit was built and tested, the source was the Hardcoder webpage from our very own Alex.  Good to know the circuit worked well!

Also an RS485 link back tester.

The Tokopedia web site, an Indonesian Amazon.

As a reward for reading this prog sig report please email Steve OBrien to claim a prize.