Electronic Servicing & Technology (USA print magazine)

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above: Laser pens interconnect microchips. (Photo courtesy General Electric Research and Development Center.)

Nov. 1986

Articles:

Dealing with power line problems, By Conrad Persson: Here's how to safeguard delicate electronics equipment from damaging power fluctuations: those sags, surges and other transients that cannot be anticipated.

Why do components fail? By Victor Meeldijk: These case histories of failed components confirm that self-destruction unintentionally has been designed into some components; improper handling and contaminants cause others to fail.

Test your electronic knowledge By Sam Wilson: Quiz questions are based on technologies described in the July and August issues. Have you been reading attentively or just hitting the high spots? A subscriber writes that his company has a monthly testing session as soon as ES&T is received!

ABCs of voltage regulator ICs By Joseph J. Carr, CET: What is it that people have forgotten that causes so many negative voltage regulators to be trashed? And why are substitutes readily available for the 3-terminal version?

Scoping TV power supply sources By Bud Izen, CET/CSM: Tough dogs roll over for technicians who know, and review, fundamentals, remembering that the power supply is the most frequent source of failure.

What do you know about electronics?--Microprocessor tuning By Sam Wilson: Exemplifying one of the reasons why the microprocessor was developed--to simplify and perfect an electronic function using a minimum of associated circuitry--the microprocessor tuner eliminates mistuning and consequent, distorted sound.

Depts:

Editorial

Technology

Books

Troubleshooting Tips

Audio Corner

Computer Corner

ADs:

Tektronix

Sencore

A.W. Sperry Instruments Inc.

Zenith

The how-to magazine of electronics... Volume 7, No. 6 June 1987

Feature articles:

IC tester

By Conrad Persson. The introduction of integrated circuits created super sleuths from super techs; tracing circuits can be a mystery without special equipment.

Locating, replacing the defective flyback

By Homer L. Davidson. When a flyback develops even one of many possible defects, it may ruin many components before the fuse can blow.

Test your electronics knowledge

By Sam Wilson, CET. There's something for almost everyone in this month's knowledge quiz, and look out for the trick question!

above: An IC tester can be a wise investment for anyone who tests a lot of digital circuitry. (Photo courtesy of B&K Precision); Consumer high-tech. (Photo courtesy Toshiba)

Circuit analysis and troubleshooting quiz

By Bert Huneault, CET. Multiple-choice quiz buffs have a multiple treat in this issue (and determine their standing as an electronics detective.)

Digital audiotape is on the way

By Conrad Persson. Here are sound quality and reproduction that are so good that this technological advancement is a victim of its own success. Pirating is easy; copies usually are as good as the originals.

What do you know about electronics? -- Living with models

By Sam Wilson, CET. Now that we have your attention ...

Departments:

Editorial
Technology
News
Profax
Photofact
Literature
Books
Troubleshooting Tips
Products
Audio Corner
Computer Corner
Video Corner

Ads:

Leader-- Sweep Function Generators

OK Probes

PanSon Electronics

Fluke 8060A

Sencore (various models)

Volume 7, No. November 1987. On the cover ... This uninterruptible power system provides emergency power to a personal computer when the ac-line power fails or when the voltage drops below the required level. The unit provides dc directly to the computer, bypassing the computer's power supply, thus eliminating the inefficiencies of converting the UPS battery supply to ac. then converting it back to dc in the computer.

--- Report from the test lab: the Semi analyzer transistor/junction tester. By Carl H. Babcoke, CET. The EDS Semi-analyzer, intended primarily for testing diode and transistor junctions, uses a combination of passive testing and a breakdown mode with noise testing.

--- Test your electronics knowledge. By Sam Wilson, CET. This month's quiz asks some basic questions about oscilloscopes and VCRs.

--- Servicing microwave oven panels. By Homer L. Davidson. It's like magic-cooking without heat, with just the touch of a button. It doesn't take magic, however, to service the microwave's control panel, just some basic servicing skills.

--- Power conditioning. By Conrad Persson. If you're like most modern consumers, you have a home full of electronic equipment-televisions, VCRs, computers, even devices you might not think of, like the water bed heater. Yet without power conditioning, you could find yourself back in the pre-electronic era with just one bolt of lightning.

-- This uninterruptible power system provides emergency power to a personal computer when the ac-line power fails. (Photo courtesy of Applied Research and Technology)

-- To see whether you've got a shutdown problem or a startup problem, monitor the collector of the horizontal output transistor. If you don't see pulses build up. you have a startup problem.

--- Troubleshooting startup circuits. By Gregory D. Carey, CET This second part in a three-part series on horizontal output circuits helps you differentiate between startup problems and shutdown problems.

--- What do you know about electronics?--Model behavior. By Sam Wilson, CET. Sometimes you need to resort to a model to visualize how electronic components work. This month, take a fantastic journey into a semiconductor model to understand its behavior.

---The meter said ... what? By Joseph J. Carr, CET. If you've ever done a double-take at a meter reading, you know that what the meter says isn't always the entire answer. This article shows four cases of misleading meter readings, and explains how the technicians found the correct answer.

Departments:

--- Editorial

--- Feedback

--- Photofact

--- News

--- Technology

--- Books

---Products

--- Audio Corner

--- Computer Corner

--- Literature

--- Video Corner

--- Readers' Exchange

--- Advertisers' Index

ADs:

APC -- American Power Conversion Corporation

Beckman Industrial DMMs

Leader Instruments corporation

OK Electronics Div.

Sola Regulators

Dec. 1987

Articles:

Test your electronics knowledge

High-resolution LCD

Locating replacement parts

Troubleshooting the chopper circuit

Computer-aided circuit design

Tracking down remote control problem

What do you know about electronics? A trip to the deathnium traps.

Departments:

Editorial

Computer Corner -- RMMs: Erasable and programmable

Audio Corner

ADs:

FLUKE and PHILIPS

AWS MULTIMETERS

NEW Tektronix instruments

Tektronix instruments

E-Z HOOK

Sencore instruments

Contents:

The how-to magazine of electronics—ELECTRONICS: Servicing &Technology

Volume 8, No. 1 January 1988 -- ON THE COVER: As uses for computers increase and prices decrease, sales of personal computers to consumers should rise, along with opportunities to service PCs. The 3.8 million PCs sold for home use, as reported by the EIA, attest to the profitable future of computer servicing. (Photo courtesy of Beckman Industrial.)

(L) Use of microprocessor-based boards in consumer equipment has risen dramatically in the last five years. (Center) A break-out box connected between a computer and a peripheral monitors the signals and helps determine the problem. (R) This test system exercises a PC system through its I/O connections and tells the technicians which components to check.

FEATURES

Servicing voltage regulators---By Greg Carey, CET. This last part of a 3-part series on horizontal output circuits shows how to isolate problems related to the power supply and regulator circuits.

Index of 1987 articles---Need help using a piece of equipment or solving a servicing dilemma? The index may lead you right to the article you need.

SPECIAL REPORT--Computer servicing

Special report introduction---By Conrad Persson. As personal computer use grows, so will opportunities to service them. This special report shows you how to service specific products and what equipment to use.

Troubleshooting microprocessor-based circuits--Part I---By Tom Allen. This first part of a 2-part article discusses how micro-processor-based systems differ from analog or digital systems, and gives a run-down on the best equipment to use for this new application.

Servicing the Apple II + computer. --- By Michael J. Zoiss. Digital troubleshooting skills are as useful for computer servicing as they are for any other application. These five case histories of actual service experiences show how to apply these principles to the Apple II + computer.

Servicing the Commodore 1541 disk drive---By Andy Balog. The 1541 is a good introduction to disk drive servicing because it uses common methods to store and retrieve data. However, there are a few tricks to this trade.

Break-out boxes: Active vs. passive---By Manfred R. Will and Cindi L. Kemper. The break-out box is a useful tool for testing serial interfaces between computers and peripherals, but whether to use an active device or a passive device depends on the situation.

Logic probes: Troubleshooting to the component level---By Conrad Persson. If troubleshooting to the PC board level and replacing the problem board isn't the best solution, the logic probe may help you troubleshoot all the way to the component level.

DEPARTMENTS

Editorial
News
Products
Profax
What do you know about electronics? We get letters
Test your electronics knowledge
Literature
Audio Corner More on audio servos
Computer Corner Accessing read-only memory
Video Corner Operation of the Newvicon pickup tube
Readers' Exchange
Advertisers' Index

ADs:

above: Computers continue to make an impact on electronics servicing. Whether they are being serviced or helping the technician service other equipment, this versatile piece of equipment can be a boon for profitability.