#avr Logs

Sep 06 2018

06:17 AM runjutsu: test
06:21 AM runjutsu: So, you can barely read the text on the AVR chips. I have them in marked bags now but want to store them more compact in small pockets in a box now. Do you find it hard to read them?
06:23 AM johnbeard_: the trick is to find an oblique lighting angle that works - at some angles, the black case is almost as bright as the text
06:25 AM runjutsu: I've got another problem now. Got a few AND/XOR etc DIL gates. Now, they don't even say what gat they are on the chip, just some cryptic serial number >:(
06:25 AM runjutsu: and I've got nothing to mark the box pockets in that I store them in
06:26 AM polprog: scotch magic tape works as well
06:26 AM polprog: i have a chest of tiny drawers for them
06:28 AM runjutsu: I think I'm just going to make this hard for me. I'll have to learn to look things up. So I'll just place them there and then be forced to research them
06:29 AM runjutsu: is it ok to just throw them in there or should you try to avoid their pins to make contact?
06:37 AM polprog: i keep more precious drawers lined with antistatic plastic (from bags)
06:38 AM polprog: but generally, if you leave them, it should be ok
06:38 AM polprog: dont use styrofoam
06:41 AM runjutsu: I got them in styrofoam
06:44 AM runjutsu: I'll have to learn the hard way. I'll just spend another grand on more hardware when it breaks.
06:44 AM johnbeard_: you can get a spray to paint stuff with, but (like most ESD gear) it's a bit £££
06:44 AM polprog: lol
06:44 AM polprog: i mean, no styro is just my personal opinion. i know it builds static (and makes atrocious noise) but i see people packing shit in styro
06:45 AM johnbeard_: but yeah, silver mylar bad stuff + 3M spray mount and a scalpel and you can probably make tolerable ESD containers quite easily
06:58 AM johnbeard_: lol: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/esd-safe-bins-boxes/0550870/
07:00 AM johnbeard_: > £2 each: if you buy TQFP Atmega32A, RS sends them in one of these, and they're basically the same price as the box
07:00 AM LeoNerd: I prefer the QFN chips over QFPs - the lack of leads makes them much harder to solderbridge. I get a lot more success with them
07:01 AM johnbeard_: LeoNerd: with paste?
07:01 AM LeoNerd: It's rare I manage to solder an ATmega328 QFP32 without at least one pair of bridged pins.
07:01 AM LeoNerd: paste/stencil/hotair
07:02 AM johnbeard_: mm, i did my TQFP44 with a stencil and it was fine, even though it was waay off centre
07:02 AM johnbeard_: I did fuck up a TSSOP-ish chip tho
07:02 AM LeoNerd: It may just be something process-related - bad paste, too big apatures in the stencil, ... I'm not sure. I just know there's a lot less to go wrong with a QFN
07:03 AM johnbeard_: i don't always stencil tho, and leads means I can lift one up if needed
07:03 AM LeoNerd: TSSOP16s or 20s also seem to fail for me a lot
07:04 AM johnbeard_: also TQFP means you can escape under the chip, with QFN, all traces need to go outwards first
07:05 AM LeoNerd: Surely that's a matter of pitch size?
07:05 AM LeoNerd: For the same size pins, QFP and QFN will be equivalent for routing challenges
07:05 AM johnbeard_: not if the QFN has a thermal pad
07:05 AM johnbeard_: like at Atmega32A
07:05 AM LeoNerd: Ah, true
07:09 AM johnbeard_: LeoNerd: plus the QFNs aren't much cheaper, and they don't come in a nice "free" plastic box :-D
07:09 AM LeoNerd: Mmm :) Well, those are situation-dependent
07:10 AM johnbeard_: lol, indeed
07:30 AM polprog: i enjoyed what i did with qfn
07:30 AM polprog: should do more. maybe next project will be qfn
09:39 AM johnbeard_: can you avoid #define with things like PORTB?
09:40 AM johnbeard_: like do #define INPUT_PORT PORTB \ INPUT_PORT |= 0x1F;
09:40 AM johnbeard_: but with a static const or something
10:09 AM polprog: you can assign to a char* iirc
10:09 AM LeoNerd: Make sure it's a volatile char *
10:09 AM polprog: ^
10:09 AM polprog: yeah
10:10 AM johnbeard_: cool beans
12:15 PM davor_ is now known as davor
11:55 PM day__ is now known as day