Sherlock Ohms: Case of the Computer Preferring Leather

Sherlock Ohms is a regular feature of Design News that presents submissions from readers about troubleshooting challenges and how they were solved. Computer Shuts Down Unless You're Wearing Leather reminds us of how far we have come with ESD protection. I remember how back in the 1980s, on a mission to demonstrate the vulnerability to non-believers, a group of techs (me included) would scuff our shoes on carpet and touch our fingers to IBM XT keyboards causing them to glitch or shut down. Then, we'd remark on how the IBM Selectric typewriter on the adjoining desk would never do that. No, I don't long for the return of the typewriter.

Posted January 2013

dB Control dB-9006 Magnum Opus Synthesizer - RF Cafe Website

RF Cafe began life in 1996 as "RF Tools" in an AOL screen name web space totaling 2 MB. Its primary purpose was to provide me with ready access to commonly needed formulas and reference material while performing my work as an RF system and circuit design engineer. The World Wide Web (Internet) was largely an unknown entity at the time and bandwidth was a scarce commodity. Dial-up modems blazed along at 14.4 kbps while tying up your telephone line, and a lady's voice announced "You've Got Mail" when a new message arrived...