ROMCOM or RADCOM?

I'm more of an intellectual guy but my wife thinks I'm the romantic sort, especially when it comes to special occasions like her birthday and our anniversary, or when my mood dictates it. Maybe that's why I started out being trained on the RADCOM test station in my air force days; it turns out a change of just a letter or two does make a huge difference!

The good news is, I managed to complete Chapter 7 on Automated Test Equipment, though it took two extra days because I had to come out with some additional illustrations. Here's a two-page sample for my readers:

Since I have yet to hear from my engineer friend (probably he's on long Christmas holiday), I guess I'll have to start with Chapter 8, the topic on Thermal Imaging. Hope I can finish it by year end, if not another week would be just fine. By then, hopefully I'll hear from that friend so I can work on Chapter 6.

Will there be a Chapter 9? Well, I still haven't make up my mind yet. There's also the Appendices that needed some work as well. By the look of things, PCB Diagnostics will probably come out some time in February next year. Maybe it'll be on time for release on our anniversary. Now, what would my wife have to say about that?

O darling, you're such a RADCOM guy!

Well, I certainly hope not...

Ps: ROMCOM - romantic comedy

On Target or Off-Tangent?

No, I'm not talking about my current book writing per se. This morning I received a message from someone who asked if I'd still consider Target 3001 as a possible avenue for PCB-RE. I vaguely remember mentioning this tool in my trilogy, PCB-RE: Real-World Examples. Out of curiosity, I went over to the software vendor's website to have a look. Lo, and behold:

I mean, I was surprised that my book was featured and recommended on the webpage. But I can't helped laughing when I read the weird language that resembles English. It's probably Google-translated from some other foreign language, judging by the awkward sentence construction. Nonetheless, it should not diminish the effectiveness of the RE tool nor the 'fluency' of my book content (I hope). As one reader by the name Bob Ding remarked:

Have no fear of Mr. Ng's English; it's really good!

Wishing all my friends and readers a wonderful Christmas season of peace and cheer in these uncertain times! Stay safe and well...

 

Automated vs Automatic

"What's the difference?" You asked. Well, not by a stretch of two letters at the end, really. When I was first introduced to the concept of ATE, the initial impression was it's a machine that could do everything a test engineer could dream of. But after being initiated into the privileged circle and having acquired what there is to know, I've come to realize that it's far from all that I'd perceived.

Automatic? Only if the test engineer provides what it requires—interface fixture, cables and test program, then and only then will it do what it does best. Which is the reason why I personally feel that 'automated' would be a more befitting word for such test equipment.

Here is a two-page sample of the chapter:

Christmas is just round the corner so I hope this will add some festive cheer to all my readers out there. I'm halfway into writing the chapter. Hope to complete it by Christmas and start the next chapter. If my engineer friend can come back with the materials I requested, I will begin work on Chapter 6. If not, it will be Chapter 8. Make a guess on the topic.

That's all for now. Stay tune for more updates.

Ps: I've finally obtained permissions from two wonderful guys to use their projects for illustration in Chapter 4 Building Test Jigs, though the draft were already done in advance. That's good news which brought a tint of joy to the coming holiday seasons.

More Than Skin Deep

When a nurse takes your pulse, she's checking your heartbeat rate. When a doctor uses a sphygmomanometer, he's measuring your blood pressure. But when a TCM practitioner feels your pulses (it's not a spelling mistake), he's studying the state of your internal organs. Incredible? Yes. Impossible? No. Those who have worked on a clip-n-test benchtop tester will understand what I mean. While Signature Analysis detects failure more or less on the surface of every circuit node, these clip-n-test in-circuit testers can test the internals (organs) of integrated circuits.

Here's a two-page sample of what should have been Chapter 5 of my book PCB Diagnostics:

The thing is, I'm still waiting for some materials from my engineer friend who is a sales manager cum field support engineer and trainer of one of these remarkable equipment. His schedules are pretty tight so I'll have to put this chapter on hold and proceed to the next chapter—Automated Testing.

Currently I'm about 20% into the content (by estimate only). There is so much to write on this topic which I had intended to put into a series of four books (see Conceptual), but decided it's just not worth the time and energy to do so. The only consolation is I get to give it some honorable mention in this last engineering book of my writing career. If ever my works get the kind of exposure and recognition to make writing sustainable, I may have a reason to reconsider. My wife has put up patiently and supported this passion of mine for seven years, and that is enough for me.

So, on with Chapter 7...

5-6 Pick Up Sticks

Nursery rhymes are often educational though sometimes it can contain allegories that belong to the realm of fantasies. Thankfully, PCB Diagnostics is pretty down to earth despite some of its abstract concepts and approaches. But once you get it, the benefits follow.

I usually start writing my book after going through some mental gymnastics of organizing my topics based on past experiences and equipment I worked on, then draft the table of content and lay out the chapters in the order I expect to write. Sometimes, though, my intuition would play on me to skip a chapter and work on the next instead, which was what happened with the fifth and sixth chapters. And as always, following my hunch seemed like the right thing to do.

The past week I made quite good progress and almost completed Chapter 6. Then it dawn on me that I should re-number the order of these two chapters to make the thought flow more coherent. Indeed, it fit right straightaway. Here is a two-page sample of the re-ordered chapter:

Currently, I'm working on the new chapter titled 'Clip-n-Test'. There is a PCB candidate that I wanted to use as demonstration example for this diagnostic approach. And while I'm using the TCM diagnostic equivalent as introduction to this subject (like I did for the past chapters to engage my readers and make my writing more interesting, not dry and boring), I hope my engineering friend will provide me the necessary details and diagrams to flesh out this chapter's content.

Do keep a look out for further update.

A Chef's Signature Dishes

I'm a lover of gourmet food though it's only during festive seasons that I'll treat myself and my wife to a really good meal (within our means, of course!). So Chapter 6 on Signature Analysis seems like a great idea to write at this point leading up to the Christmas seasons. And I'm pleased to say that I'm making rather good progress, making up for some lost time.

Here's a two-page sample just to whet my readers' appetite (pun intended):

To those who are well-versed in this technique of PCB diagnosis, the introductory information may look elementary; but those who are new to it will appreciate and perhaps be thrilled to know about it. I will dish out more delectable signature dishes to satisfy my readers' taste buds after I've whipped up enough recipes (boy, am I feeling like a Masterchef now!).

Stay tune for more updates, and more importantly, stay safe during this festive period. Do help to spread the word and promote my works so I can bring my supportive wife to a good restaurant for her well-deserved Christmas break. Thanks!

Can I Have Your Autograph?

I'm finally done with Chapter 4 on Building Test Jigs, after completing the photo editing and Visio illustrations for three examples——one on test jig with enclosure, another using Arduino and the last with Raspberry Pi.

Here's a two-page sample for the first example:

After weighing in on the options, I decided to skip the next chapter and go on to writing Chapter 6 instead, on the subject of Signature Analysis. No, not the kind of handwriting signature (though I will touch on this aspect pertaining to TCM practices), but the kind related to electronic circuits.

I will put out a sample or two just for preview as I go along. And I'm sure my readers are going to get a kick out of it as much as I do writing about it. Hopefully I will complete this chapter before the festive bug bites me...

Hare and Tortoise

I have to admit I had trouble spelling 'tortoise' despite being able to pronounce it properly. Whenever I'm making great strides in my writing, I feel like the hare breezing towards the milestone I set for the chapter I'm currently working on. That's provided I'm not experiencing mind freeze or suffering from an inspiration deficit, or having to attend to essential matters that interrupt my thought flow. When that happens, I feel like the tortoise inching my way through a chapter one page or less at a time.

As the story goes, it's the tortoise who won the race in the end, so I'm keeping my spirit high and moving along in short bursts instead of full steam (which often comes at the expense of content quality). The good news is, I'm almost done with chapter 4 of my book and here's a two-page sample to reward my readers for your patience:

Three interesting examples are earmarked for this chapter and I have completed two with the last one in the pipeline. Meantime, I am already thinking ahead of the next two chapters (the hare in me is just raving to overtake the tortoise, really). But I'll need to make some connections with an engineer friend of mine to give me the needed details and permission before I can start writing. Hopefully, he'll grant my Christmas wish.

Ps: I could have finished this chapter earlier if not for that perfectionist in me insisting on re-doing the illustrations and touching up the photos. It can be painful at times but if I don't do it, it will bug me to no end. Sigh...