USB microscopes for very small SMT

I think that good coders can write large-scale programs in C++ significantly faster than in straight C, but the problem is coming up with "good programmers" -- there's also much more potential to shoot yourself in the foot with complex C++ programs than with complex C programs. Heck, even with C, some people consider something like pointers to be "kinda dangerous" -- these are not the sorts of people I'd want to go on a hunting trip with.

There's nothing wrong with straight C, and for smaller projects it might make more sense than C++. I've used C++ on small embedded systems where you have to waste time making your classes and their methods static so that you don't immediately blow out the mere 8kB of RAM that you have... it was an interesting learning experience, but in retrospect C probably would have been just as good for 90+% of the code.

I don't think it's as guided as you think it is :-) ... although certainly the paid guys doing distributions -- Canoncial, Red Hat, etc. -- are trying hard to make it all a little saner.

They do, but they also have more annoying little glitches than similar mechanisms from years ago -- old casette players, TVs, VCRs, compasses, cars, etc. had far fewer potential failure modes, and it was usually pretty obvious what the root cause when something did fail.

Not that I want to rewind the technological clock by 25+ years here -- not at all. But I think the way that software and hardware is designed in this world needs some revisiting, since I'm convinced that considerably better quality results can be obtained without any more costs for development.

---Joel

I wouldn't want to go hunting with a guy who is haphazard with pointers. At least not if he handles his rifle the same way.

The instant I learned about forks and stuff I became a bit skeptical. It's like a wagon trail and the last three take a turn-off but all the others don't.

Yep. A Swiss army knife was often all you needed to fix it. Mostly.

I purposely bought a car with the least amount of electronics I could find. That has paid off for me, zero defects in >10 years, looks and drives like new. Also, I remember a CEO years ago who asked me whether I new anyone who'd be willing to part with a 2-4 year old 7-series BMW. Money was not an issue, he just didn't want a new one with dozens of micro controllers in there. And guess what, he also had a masters degree in EE.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

On a sunny day (Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:54:54 -0800) it happened Joerg wrote in :

Joerg, I think the driving style is as important. I had this motorbike in my school days, almost an antique, 125cc, and it was sort of a precious thing, and I had it running very well. Behind the school was some sort of hill. A class mate asked 'can I borrow your bike, want to do some crossing up that hill'. I said: Sure, have fun.....

30 seconds later the bike was near 100% total loss.... Transmission chain blew right through the carter. Could not do it if I wanted to.

So, I treat my stuff with some care, including the electronics, know where the bugs are, and avoid those. I am happy with the mp3 / wave player, how many cassettes did not end up in tape salad... Modern engines are really complicated, I bought this little 4 stroke Chinese scooter some years ago, have the service manual, aaargghh. But how can they make it for that money? The 2500$ car from India has been announced too:

So, if it breaks, you just buy a new one ;-)

Having some practical involvement with the ECUs for the modern vehicles, I must say that you made a wise decision :-)

I guess you can still buy russian made "Lada" where the only piece of electronics is in the ignition. But that doesn't mean it is a good car :-)

Aha, the guy knows what this stuff is really worth :-)

Vladimir Vassilevsky DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant

Well, they should slow down and do it right. Coding speed is probably a good predictor of software failure.

John

We just ordered a new gas stove. The rule seems to be, the less electronics, the higher the price. The Kenmore and Bosch type stuff is cheap, full of processors and touch screens and displays, and will fail in a few years. The starting price for a gas stove with minimal electronics - just the ignitor - is about $2K. If the ignitor fails, I can still cook.

I do *not* need a coffee maker with a CPU inside. I need a good kettle and a filter cone.

John

Exactly... thinking that pointers in C are inherently dangerous is the same as people who believe that guys are inherently dangerous: It's only true when they're being used by those who -- through inadequate training, practice, or just innate ability -- are not fully circumspect regarding their usage.

I'm told that a lot of the weirdness/brain damage of *NIX (including forking) has some pretty good historical reasoning behind it -- limited memory, CPU cycles, etc. These days I believe that most people use the "pthreads" library (or similar), which does multitasking the way most people would "expect."

Although I used to work with a guy who felt that OS/9 running on the 6809 was the greatest thing since sliced bread, supporting multiple users, multiprocessors, etc., years before most other 8-bit-based OSes did. I've never used it, though.

Yeah, but you might have lost enough in, say, fuel economy that you've more than paid for the repair bills you'd otherwise have had. :-)

---Joel

They can write it faster because it contains considerably fewer lines of code... not because they're necessarily spending less time on each line.

Same reason I can write a simple web server in C faster than you can in assembly. :-)

[...]

I remember those, basically they were Fiat copies maybe with the exception of the Lada Niva. In the 70's they came with a tire iron _and_ a crowbar. Impressive. They must have figured that everyone will easily pull the tire off the rim and mount a new one. Not that it's impossible, I've done it. But afterwards my knuckles hurt.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

When we bought a dishwasher I asked the clerk whether he had one without electronics behind the buttons. "I knew you'd say that, you must be an engineer".

We came by a garage sale today and I was tempted by an old wok set for gas stoves that would fit the charcoal barbie nicely. Said to myself that we don't need more stuff. Now I am having second thoughts ...

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

What's the old bumper sticker? Blaming guns for deaths is like blaming spoon for so-and-so being fat.

Nope. 25mpg for a SUV that weighs almost two tons ain't bad. 28mpg on Nevada gas. My old Citroen netted 50mpg, the engine design was from the

40's. This car didn't even contain as much as a diode.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

On a sunny day (Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:54:40 -0800) it happened John Larkin wrote in :

Many many earth orbits ago big director came to me in my lab, he said 'here is the rice cooker of Mr ....', he is head of the big Japanese car corporation we do business with, his cooker does not work here in Europe. Fix it.' I opened it, it had a black chip with mysterious Japanese printing on it, some other electronics, display, what not, timer... no xtal Japan is 100V, 50 or 60 Hz I think, Europe 220V 50 Hz, it was 100% kaput... I sort of considered making a 100V 60 Hz generator, but the boss was already disappointed... and took it back.

Anyways I have a way to make rice in the microwave that really works.

I can remember when tire irons had a lug wrench on one end and a crowbar-tapered shape on the other. On my '61 Dauphine, you didn't even need a jack... simply pick up one corner of the car and slide a cement block under it (at least in red-neck country ;-)

...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
 I love to cook with wine     Sometimes I even put it in the food

I presume you mean a cast-iron wok? Run back to the garage sale and see if it's still there. I've had one for years, and it's dandy on the bar-b ;-)

...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
 I love to cook with wine     Sometimes I even put it in the food

No, unfortunately not. Then I would have bought it immediately. It's a steel version with a ring to set it onto. Come to think of it, they did have a large cast iron skillet but it was quite crusted up inside.

We've got two small cast iron skillets, roughly twice the size of a multimeter but only 1/2" rims. We did already bake them in with oil so they are ready. I am still pondering what to cook with those on the Weber. Maybe mini pizzas or so.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

You wouldn't have to "rewind the technological clock by 25+ years" (as much as I'd like to rewind my biological clock! ;-D); just find somebody who can use a modicum of common sense in their designs.

Cheers! Rich

That is becoming harder and harder. Many folks think that every mundane kitchen gizmo needs a uC with an RTOS on there.

Buying simple things is becoming tougher as well. For example the number of toasters without chips in them is dwindling. People in Germany told me it's next to imposible over there to spot a version with a simple bi-metal thermostat.

We have a gourmet coffee maker in repair right now. I don't think the mfg makes any money on this repair considering it's $30 inclucing both ways shipping. What had croaked? The electronics. Of course.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

Oddly, I took to pointers like a duck takes to water - they seemed just sort of "natural". And yes, I'm adamant about keeping track of who does what to whom. ;-)

Interestingly, it's a rag-tag group of random programmers worldwide, much like the Free Market. ;-)

One difference - forks have the equivalent of cell phones. It's like half the group goes to the good hunting places and the other half goes foraging in the good forage territory. Then, when their tasks are completed, they come back together and make stew. ;-D

Cheers! Rich

I once had a plastic filter cone; just the cone with a flange at the small end; it could sit on top of a mug or on top of an ordinary coffeepot. It was about $1.99 for just the cone. I've looked up "Mellita" and didn't immediately see the one I had, but they might have one in the "coffee" department at your local store.

Hope This Helps! Rich