In article ,
"Michael A. Terrell" wrote:

Telamon wrote:

No I have not worked with FQPSK modulation. My work involves digital
signals mostly. I consider the environment to be mixed signal as a best
description. Telecommunications and data communications semiconductors
from low line rate to 10 G/bit is what I work on in the production test
area. All these signals need to transverse circuit boards and various
connectors and cables. Rise and fall times as fast as 18 ps and clocks
up to around 12.5 GHz. It real fun trying to measure rise and fall times
that fast and jitter on the edges and all the data eye measurements that
come into play. I design the circuit boards and specify everything else.


I worked in engineering and on the production floor when the RCB2000
was released to production. Most of the radio was on VME cards but
there were about a dozen other small boards not counting the ones in the
RF sections. About a dozen processor chips including the Aaeon PC-104
embedded controller and the PC-104 IEEE-488-2 interface board.

I know what you mean about measuring signals in that range.
Unfortunatly, some of the other techs were good at RF but couldn't
handle digital so I got stuck with troubleshooting $8,000 mixed signal
circuit boards that no one else could fix. I had to fight with our MEs
to change the paste solder because of flow problems in the oven and to
switch to Ersin solder for rework. Have you ever used .015" solder
while working under a stereo microscope? It takes steady hands.

Yes I have. I can't do it without the microscope. The smallest I have
worked with is 0402 size under 10X. We have parts that are half that
size now but I have not solder them myself.

If I'm planning to do do some soldering work I don't take my morning
coffee.

It's just a physical skill that many engineers don't have so I end up
fixing things for other people.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

Telamon wrote:

Yes I have. I can't do it without the microscope. The smallest I have
worked with is 0402 size under 10X. We have parts that are half that
size now but I have not solder them myself.


I've worked wit 0402, but the parts I hate are those resistor packs
the size of a 1206 that solder down the sides.

If I'm planning to do do some soldering work I don't take my morning
coffee.


I don't drink coffee but I had to have caffeine to steady my hands so
I kept a cold 2 liter bottle of Diet Mountain Dew in my Coleman cooler
with my lunch. I get a lot of headaches and the only things that take
the edge off are chocolate and caffeine.

It's just a physical skill that many engineers don't have so I end up
fixing things for other people.


Most of the engineers I've worked with shouldn't be allowed near a
soldering iron. I had to strip and rebuild so many prototypes it wasn't
funny. They worked too slow and used too much solder so there were a
lot of bridges and cold joints. Its fun trying to test a wideband
synthesizer with electronically switched multiple inductor segments that
was hand assembled to test a design change when the engineer couldn't
solder. Some off the techs were just as bad, though.


--
Former professional electron wrangler.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

y'all know what happens to the caffeine they remove from (they don't
remove it all though and I prefer my coffee non decaffeinated) non
caffeine coffee? The caffeine is sold to soft drink companies and other
kinds of companies.They sure don't through that caffeine away!
cuhulin

wrote:
y'all know what happens to the caffeine they remove from (they don't
remove it all though and I prefer my coffee non decaffeinated) non
caffeine coffee? The caffeine is sold to soft drink companies and
other
kinds of companies.They sure don't through that caffeine away!
cuhulin

Let's see, you drink light beer and don't drink caffeinated coffee.

Are you some sort of sissy boy?

I thought so!

Les

LOOK at that Piece of ****! Les the LOSER! mouthing off!! He/she/it just
doesn't GET IT! I Love CAFFEINE!
cuhulin

wrote:
LOOK at that Piece of ****! Les the LOSER! mouthing off!! He/she/it
just
doesn't GET IT! I Love CAFFEINE!
cuhulin

I just wanted to see how far I could pull a turd without a string......

You floated up to the occasion asswipe!

Now, go screw your dog again.

Les