Articles

Join me for a review of three power banks. It will also include a comparison of two models bought for practically the same price – the difference is barely 10 zł. We’ll find out whether it’s actually worth going for a slightly cheaper, unbranded model, or whether it’s better to opt... [Read more]

A while ago, I showed you the BrokenSwing 501 analogue disco lighting effect, which is based on two stepper motors and a power-hungry 250 W halogen bulb. Today it’s time for a similar piece of kit – the RollerTron 250 by American DJ. It offers simple control via an external remote... [Read more]

Today we’re testing a universal laptop power supply with an output of up to 96 W, offering voltages from 12 to 24 V and 8 different plug types. The whole lot was bought from a Polish importer for just 45 zł + postage. Is buying this sort of kit a good deal for someone who tinkers... [Read more]

Join me for a presentation on an interesting IoT board that combines the powerful ESP32 microcontroller – known for its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity – with mobile network capabilities. It is also equipped with an integrated GSM modem and a SIM card slot, making it a good choice... [Read more]

Join me for an interesting experiment – programming a 32-bit PIC microcontroller from scratch. From scratch means without any IDE (such as MPLAB X), without configurators such as MPLAB Harmony, without ready-made libraries, and even without the manufacturer’s header files. All based... [Read more]

Beken chips have been around for quite some time now, but there isn't any Beken emulator that I am aware of. We have our OBK Simulator , but it's basically a Windows/Linux port of OBK firmware, and not the true emulator which tries to mimic Beken chip by running their instructions... [Read more]

Today we’re taking a look inside some industrial automation equipment. The BK5200, manufactured by Beckhoff, is a so-called DeviceNet® Bus Coupler and is used to connect modular input/output (I/O) terminals to the main communication bus. DeviceNet® is a protocol based on the tried-and-tested... [Read more]

How do you store your parts? Anyone who dabbles even a little in electronics knows that the number of components and ‘bits and bobs’ in most electronics enthusiasts’ collections is growing exponentially, whilst the actual usefulness of these collections decreases in inverse proportion... [Read more]

Touch-sensitive light switches are flooding the market; the most popular ones fall into the ‘smart’ category, i.e. devices with additional control via Wi-Fi or Zigbee. However, not everyone likes this control method, as it does not provide a ‘mechanical response’ to pressure. For... [Read more]

This time, I’ve got my hands on a DeWalt DCR019 rugged radio, which is presenting a rather interesting fault – the display works, but there’s no sound. In this post, I’ll walk you through a brief diagnosis of the problem, share a few photos of the interior, and highlight what sets... [Read more]

slvDev has presented an interesting project on GitHub – a port of a text-generating AI model to the ESP32-S3 microcontroller, all on a single chip with 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM and 16MB flash. The model weighs in at 14.9MB, with 25 million parameters stored in flash. It achieves 9.88... [Read more]

Today, something completely different – a few photos of the inside of a Class B+C surge arrester (protector). The focus of this post is the three-phase OCH-B+C 275/60 model from Sicher Electric. Its main function is to protect low-voltage installations against the effects of partial,... [Read more]

I’d like to present a modification to the LC Technology ESP8266 Relay V2.3 controller, designed to work locally with the Tasmota firmware. This will be a rather unusual modification, as, for some inexplicable reason, the manufacturer decided to use an additional microcontroller to... [Read more]

Is the new Arduino clever enough to tell the difference between a bottle and a mouse, and a mouse and a mobile phone? Today we’re testing a single-board computer from Arduino, equipped with a Qualcomm Dragonwing QRB2210 processor, an STM32U585 microcontroller, 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and... [Read more]

A tiny HDMI monitor for a Raspberry Pi or as an extra screen for a laptop – how much does it cost? How much power does it draw from USB? Today I’m testing a 14-inch STAZER model (PM1402) bought for 250 zł, which offers good viewing angles thanks to its IPS panel with a resolution... [Read more]

What is Android Auto and how do you pair it with your phone? Android Auto is an app and standard developed by Google that allows you to transfer key smartphone functions (such as GPS navigation, music player, messaging apps and voice assistant) directly to your car’s screen. This... [Read more]

Today we’re taking a look inside the Trix Broken Swing – a classic disco lighting effect that many of us may have enjoyed years ago in clubs. The nameplate immediately reveals a few interesting facts – the unit was manufactured in Slovakia, although it was imported by the Polish company... [Read more]

Here’s a brief, practical overview of the popular logic gates from the Polish UCY74xx series. I’ve focused here on providing a practical illustration of how each circuit works. Below you’ll find a discussion of the classic chips that implement NAND, NOR, NOT and AND functions. I have... [Read more]

Shelly Polska, together with its commercial partners ASBIS, AVO Group, Hurton and V-TAC, is launching a special promotional campaign aimed at installers and contractors. For one month, from 14 July to 14 August 2026, purchases of Shelly products worth at least 2,500 PLN net will be... [Read more]

In the previous post, I showed the inside of the Cyfrowy Polsat LT-6408n router. I established that it is based on the RTL8196C chip, whose bootloader offers a simple command line along with the ability to load any machine code into RAM. Here, I’ll try to make use of this – I’ll start... [Read more]

Join me for a look inside and a practical test, including a thermal imaging analysis, of the Sunny YSDS-60-5 power supply, designed for DIN-rail mounting. The unit supplies 5 VDC at a maximum current output of 4.5 A and a power output of 22.5 W, operating with an input voltage of... [Read more]

Artificial intelligence is increasingly reshaping the way electronics are designed, software is developed and manufacturing processes are managed. Does it make engineers more productive? What skills will they need in the coming years? And could AI lead to job losses, or will it create... [Read more]

Do have a look at this article if you’d like to find out how the German encryption machine worked Enigma or if you’d like to contribute to the content of this article with your comments. The Enigma can be described as a hardware-based, electromechanical cipher machine, which was also... [Read more]

The DTSU666 is an electronic, three-phase energy meter designed for mounting on a DIN rail within a switchboard. Thanks to its built-in RS485 interface and support for the Modbus RTU protocol, this meter is well suited to reading real-time data on voltages, currents and power, allowing... [Read more]

Join me on a journey back in time to 1985, where I’ll be presenting a complete set of the MeraTronik K950 TV service generator, complete with full documentation and the original warranty. A TV service generator is a device used to generate test signals for black-and-white and colour... [Read more]

The adapter shown here is fitted between the lamp holder and the bulb’s thread; it allows you to control the light via Wi-Fi and is built around a relay. It normally works with the Tuya app, but I’m going to flash its firmware, which will allow me to connect it to Home Assistant.... [Read more]

What powers this large UPS designed for routers, cameras and a surveillance system? What are the actual specifications of the battery inside? Does the device overheat? Join me for a review of the UPS/LiFePO4 UPS with a claimed capacity of 30,000 mAh, offering voltages of 5V/9V/12V/POE... [Read more]

Do you remember cathode-ray tube televisions? Here is a look at the Sony Trinitron set, which stands out with its huge 29-inch screen, two built-in 20-watt speakers and a weight of well over 40 kilograms. Full specifications below: The KV-29X5K has a power consumption of 108 W and... [Read more]

Gaiaray 200W Power Station from AliExpress. Price: ~160 zł Weight: 1,777 g Dimensions: 180 x 130 x 185.5 mm Batteries: LiFePO4, 153.6 Wh Torch: 2 brightness levels + flashing mode USB-A output: 5V 2.4A USB-C output: 5V/9V/12V 20W 2 DC5521 outputs: 12V 3A AC output: 220V 200W I bought... [Read more]

Here, I will present the versatile ESP32-S3-POE-ETH-8DI-8RO module, which offers a wide range of communication and control capabilities. The device combines Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, digital inputs and relay outputs, making it suitable for various projects in the fields of automation... [Read more]