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  1. (*steve*)

    Need to find a replacement part

    That appears to be a surface mount part. Perhaps it is a capacitor? It does not seem to be part of the connector per se.
  2. (*steve*)

    Capacitor Theory

    If it's measuring as a short circuit then it's either shorted, a very large value, or shunted with a low resistance. In any of these cases a capacitance meter will probably fail to produce a meaningful result. If it's a really high value you should be able to identify this from markings. If...
  3. (*steve*)

    How to set amps to charge lipo batteries

    Don't set your voltage above 4.2V. As the batteries charge, the current will reduce
  4. (*steve*)

    Where there's smoke...

    That looks to be a good solution. It is reasonably overrated as long as you keep the input voltage high enough. I should probably remove that statement. It is theoretically correct, but not easily interpreted. If the current is correct, the voltage will not rise too high. However, if you...
  5. (*steve*)

    LED Light Strip Flicker Mitigation w/ DC-DC Boost Controller

    Are the LEDs bright enough at present? Are they driven from a constant voltage or a constant current source? One simple thing to try would be to place an appropriately large cap across the LED. It has the major advantage of not generating rfi :-) You might also consider decoupling the...
  6. (*steve*)

    Where there's smoke...

    You can add the mAh ratings when cells are in parallel, you add the voltage when they are in series. Each battery stores a certain amount of energy. This is approximately the voltage time the Ah rating. In your case it's about 1.6 * 3.6 = 5.76Wh. (let's call it 5.75Wh). Any valid arrangement...
  7. (*steve*)

    Where there's smoke...

    Set the voltage before you connect the load. Use a multimeter to measure the voltage. Remember though, it's current that really matters and will vary even if the voltage starts constant.
  8. (*steve*)

    Where there's smoke...

    In series connection, which is best for a number of reasons, you need to consider the lowest capacity. So in this case you have 8 cells with a usable capacity of 1600mAh. You can't use all the cells in series because the voltage is too high. If you arrange them as 4 pairs of 2 cells in...
  9. (*steve*)

    ***A stupid question maybe?! --- When you purchase a microcontroller

    First time I used an Arduino exactly like it shows on that page. These days I use a cheap interface from USB to the 6 pin header. Most of these have a 10 pin interface but the are small adapters from that to the 6 pin interface. You also need to get the right firmware that has the appropriate...
  10. (*steve*)

    ***A stupid question maybe?! --- When you purchase a microcontroller

    I've build a number of small boards which consist of a an ATMega328, a 6 pin header and whatever else is required for power and the interface. If it's being operated from a suitable voltage, then aside from any interface stuff, that's all you need. You can set up the chip to use the internal...
  11. (*steve*)

    very basic (general) microcontroller programming question

    I haven't weighed in on this thread until now, but perhaps I have something to add. If you're using a language with "ifdef" style compiler directives and access to defined constants which specify the target environment then you can write code which is "portable". You're really limited by your...
  12. (*steve*)

    How to set amps to charge lipo batteries

    The are problems charging batteries in either series or parallel. If charging in parallel, the batteries must have the same state of charge initially. This may be because they are permanently connected in parallel, because you measured them and find they have the same voltage (for lipo), or...
  13. (*steve*)

    Physics Project Timer

    More powerful motors, run from a higher voltage, ensuring you're switching them correctly, using smaller wheels, gearing down the motor... All available options. As is reducing the weight of your device.
  14. (*steve*)

    How to set amps to charge lipo batteries

    Don't play around with charging of lipo batteries. If you charge them to too high a voltage or at too high a current (or lots of other things) they can catch fire or even explode.
  15. (*steve*)

    Which switch?

    I was going to say that too, but it's already in another thread. This thread will just be a side note on what will be a somewhat longer thread I think :)
  16. (*steve*)

    Where there's smoke...

    In our resource section we have a resource about driving LEDs. Please read it. In your case I'd recommend you read all of it. Without a current limit there's nothing to prevent you from delivering too much current to the LEDs. If you've read and understood the first section of the...
  17. (*steve*)

    Why isn't this image showing up?

    Why not upload the file here? It's a better option than external linking. And, I have no idea why is not showing.
  18. (*steve*)

    Where there's smoke...

    Are all of these LEDs in parallel? That's really not a good idea. Does the body converter you're using have a current limit? How long does this light have to stay on? How long was it on for before the boost converter let the smoke out? Did you measure the LED current? You're expecting 6A...
  19. (*steve*)

    Which switch?

    That switch may be fine. This switches are probably capable of switching reasonable current, so you should be OK. I now understand that the balance charger and the alarm are different devices, so if it's only the alarm you're switching, you're probably in a good place. Smoke is generally a...
  20. (*steve*)

    Nixie tube clock: display flickering, buzzer crackling

    Take some clear photos of both sides of the board and anything else you think we might be interested in. The photos need to be good enough that we can read the markings on the board and on components.
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