The Waveworks Laboratory...is BACK!

That's right! It's back! I'm back! I really hope I didn't keep my nearly zero followers waiting too long! How long has it been exactly? Five years and five months? Well like my bio promised, here comes the info.

Just a few things that have happened since August 18th, 2017:

1. I started an internship with Boeing Houston working for NASA's International Space Station Program. I interned as a EE Tech in a test lab environment.
2. I like electronics so I move to the hardware team (still an intern)
3. I graduate from the University of Houston in the winter of 2018 (magna cum laude)
4. I'm with Boeing full-time following graduation (I'm dangerous now!)
5. I get engaged
6. I get married
7. I move to the Electromagnetic Effects (EME) team because there's lots of cool electrophysics, EM waves, and even some RF stuff (that's all kind of analog-ish right?)
8. I start my EE Master's program with Johns Hopkins University
9. My wife and I are expecting
10. Pandemic/Covid-19 lockdowns...
11. I buy a car
12. My daughter is born (a pandemic baby)
13. My daughter is a newborn and requires LOTS of attention, effort, and energy...apparently (I love almost every moment!)
14. I buy a house (and move into it)
15. Grad studies continue, my daughter grows, my house does house things, I enjoy life, and I feel accomplished
16. End of the year 2022, I get an itch to resurrect my home electronics hobby. Apparently, I really do enjoy electronics
17. Here I am!

TLDR; life happened. Yet, I've returned again and plan to continue posting to the Waveworks Laboratory blog. Understanding that life can get very busy, my posting may be infrequent. In fact, I would expect it. However infrequent though, I would like to keep it alive.

After all of this time, I still am very interested in analog/mixed-signal design. However, through my current position as an EME engineer and my RF heavy graduate studies, I've also really become interested in RF electronic design.

I've discovered numerous open-source software programs that I'm excited to start using, and I believe that they will boost my analog/mixed-signal/RF design skills to the next level with practice. I'm very happy to be back!

Also, I've been dabbling in some computer programming to keep that knowledge fresh as well. I may post some coding content. Although, I'm not an expert coder...we'll see!

NEW PROJECT: Waveform Generator!!!

Project: Waveform Generator

Objective: To create a functional waveform generator that produces square, triangular, and sine waves.

Application: A waveform generator has several uses ranging from setting a timing sequence to finding the response of a circuit. It is an important and common piece of lab equipment in an electronics lab. I read somewhere that someone just used Audacity and an old MP3 player to generate the different waveforms...ingenious!

[UPDATE#1] PROJECT: Astable Multivibrator w/Op-Amp

I am thrilled to post an update on the astable multivibrator project!

Recently, I acquired an assortment of 1% tolerance resistors which replaced the previous 5% tolerance resistors. I did not expect too much of a change from this, yet I was curious to see if there would be any visual improvement on the oscilloscope. Long story short, the resistors helped balance the positive and negative supply rail values from the dual power supply circuit. Other than that, most things appeared as it did before.

Previously, I used a polystyrene capacitor for the astable multivibrator.

NEW PROJECT: Single-to-Dual Power Supply Circuit

Project: Single-to-Dual Power Supply Circuit (a.k.a. Virtual Power Supply)

Objective: To create a circuit that will evenly split the voltage from my TEKPOWER TP3005T, a single power supply box, and provide ±voltage values with respect to common. (a type of voltage divider circuit)

Application: A single-to-dual power supply circuit can be used anytime someone needs to split the voltage. In my case, I need this circuit to help with the generation of AC waveforms from a constant DC supply.

Why: From the previous project, the astable multivibrator, I used two 9[V] batteries to supply +9[V] and -9[V] to the op-amp. Instead of having to replenish my supply of 9[V] batteries, I have a TEKPOWER TP3005T single power supply box that can be used instead; paired with a single-to-dual power supply converter, it will allow a range of split ±voltage values rather than a fixed ±9[V].

NEW PROJECT: Astable Multivibrator w/Op-Amp

Project: Astable Multivibrator w/Op-Amp

Objective: To build an astable multivibrator circuit using passive elements and an operational amplifier.

Application/use: From this project, I hope to build a reliable and accurate square-wave generator.

Why: Since I am interested in analog electronics, I figured it would be worth-while to build my own waveform generator. I've been anxious to build an astable multi-vibrator since hearing about them in my electronics class. Thus, I thought this project would be a decent start.

A view of the Waveworks Laboratory...and the EE behind it!

I know, I know...it's not much of a laboratory. However, I am not much of an electrical engineer...not yet! This is according to my own personal standards...Me-maw (grandmother) thinks I'm a genius...

This lab includes the basics: breadboards, wires, an array of passive and active components, logic gates, a dirt cheap multimeter (looking to upgrade soon), a Siglent SDS 1052DL+ Digital Oscilloscope, a Tekpower TP3005T DC Regulated Power Supply, and any cool scraps or gadgets I find lying around. Of course, there is also a laptop that currently holds way too many Falstad circuit simulator tabs. By the way, the Falstad simulator is free and provides a great visual in what's actually happening with the circuit. I highly recommend you try it out here:

http://www.falstad.com/circuit/circuitjs.html

So this cues the start of my electrical engineering adventure with the Waveworks Laboratory! My name is Kaylon A. Wheeler, and I am a senior electrical engineering student based in Houston, TX, a city that comes to mind when you have a problem. Houston is home to the NASA Johnson Space Center where I interned for three full-time tours! If you're interested in my NASA story, here is a link: