When working around mains voltages, it can be useful to know whether a given circuit is live or not. While this can be done by direct connection with a multimeter, non-contact methods are available ...

I recently helped a friend install a “smart” Ecobee 3 thermostat in the second floor of his home, see “HVAC Upgrade Shows Interconnect Complexity of These “Simple” Systems”. He was so pleased with its ...

Have you ever needed to power a 12-volt relay in a circuit but only had 6 or 9 volts available? This simple circuit will solve that problem. It allows 12-volt relays to be operated from 6 or 9 volts, ...

Digi-Key, the electronic component distributor, has decided to venture into schematic tools with Scheme-it, a free web-based schematic drawing and diagramming tool. Designed using HTML5 technology, ...

This file type includes high resolution graphics and schematics when applicable. A most critical device in an optical networking system is the laser diode, since it’s responsible for converting the ...

We all carry supercomputers in our pockets and use dozens of electric gizmos every day but rarely stop to marvel at the magical act of flicking a switch. Use your ordinary conducting and extraordinary ...

Every now and then a remote control acts up. Maybe you are trying to change the channel on your television and it’s just not working. A quick way to determine if the remote control is still working is ...