Wemos Lolin = ESP32 + OLED on one board

Not depreciating the B4A product proper in any way, Anywhere Software is wanting in power to encourage beginners to start programming their Android devices. And that is exactly where Elektor top author Dogan Ibrahim steps in with his latest book. Yes, yes, Elektor readers… the trial version of Basic For Android (B4A) is free! and the book uses it to its full extent without you paying a cent! Only professionals and sponsored students should consider buying B4A.

I was asked to evaluate the Weller WT-1014 and share my findings with our readers. Let me be frank upfront: I'm not a Weller fan. There is nothing much to complain about when it comes to the quality of this brand, but when you look at their price list then you will quickly be tempted to go looking for something cheaper. Furthermore, the soldering irons from Weller that I have used in the past were too unwieldy and too heavy and I was annoyed with the relatively long warming-up time. But who knows, maybe this ‘renewed acquaintance’ will change my opinion.

The MonoDAQ-U-X is a rather curiously shaped measuring device roughly the size of a packet of cigarettes. According to the manufacturer it is a “multifunctional, isolated USB data acquisition device for voltage, current, temperature, strain and resistance measurement”.

If (like most electronics buffs) you only have two hands with ten fingers on each, but lots of measurements to make on your boards, here is an interesting gadget for you. It’s the missing link between crocodile clip and contact point. It allows you to measure, continuously, hands free, with contact points without mechanical attachment, held in place by a flexible gooseneck arm. The probes are interchangeable and the support is very stable.

I found two videos on the small Peaktech 6225 desktop power supply which examine it closely and arrive at pretty much the same conclusions. The more interesting of the two is obviously that which goes a bit further with the criticism, while frankly highlighting the strengths and not glossing over the weaknesses. And finally weighs the judgement, to present an honest picture.

3D printing had its proponents right from the start, but also its detractors. How about you; do you have your doubts? To help you overcome your reticence, I offer you a video in which the author explains that he still had a disdain for 3D printers only a few years ago. Today, in a well-filled ¼ hour, he shows some 3D printed items which have improved his carpentry workshop equipment, and even his metal lathe. Clever, effective and convincing accessories.

You have a thirty year old multimeter, another one that’s 10 years old and a third one that you just bought. Their prices are wildly different and you can’t compare them that way. Happily their measurements are pretty close, but you still want to know which one is absolutely right. A simple voltage reference source should let you select the best one.

Microchip announces the LAN7430/1 Ethernet bridge which provides new options for embedded and automotive platform designers who are seeking Peripheral Component Interconnect Express® (PCIe®) 3.1 Low-Power Sub-State (LPSS) L1.1 and L1.2 for power savings.

Distrelec, leading European distributor of electronics, automation and measurement technology, is excited to launch their very first free webinar series. Launching on the 27th February 2019 at 1500 CET, the first webinar will be hosted in association with leading supplier of test and measurement devices, Tektronix.

Increasingly it seems as though the rapid pace of progress in technology will make humans redundant. Automation, internetworked Industry 4.0 robots and artificial intelligence appear to move at a pace so rapid, we can be forgiven for feeling that we will be left with the final task of turning the lights off at our place of work. But is this really the case?

Delicacies from Our Man in Munich: productronica Fast Forward 2019, powered by Elektor. Facebook invests 6.5M € in TUM. Audi e-tron at Munich Airport. Elektor @Embedded world 2019.