iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 20/09/2026

#Mastodon, go home, you're drunk. I got notified of a #notification. Then I had to accept it in order to see the notification about which I was notified. Apparently I can't be trusted with unfiltered notifications. I wish Mastodon stopped being so paternalizing […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

"accept notification request".
"You're about to accept one notification request. Are you sure you want to proceed?"

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/09/2026

Update: this is actually adjustable! There's a tiny plastic piece that adjusts the distance to the bimetal strip, and with it, the force it produces. Also, this thermostat is actually a little bit in the right place... it heats up together with the top oven […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

Same gadget shwon from the other side. An arrow points to a white blobby thing placed between two metal strips. Its pointy ends are stuck in holes in the strips.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026

Hey #feditronics , my #pizza was underbaked due to this thing. What is it called? It's a "PWM" switch from my oven. It switches off the power after some time, and then it switches on again. On the other side, the dial sets the interval. Only 2 pins of 230VAC […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A device made of many metal pieces. There are two screw ends attaching it to some backplate. There's many parallel long pieces of thin metal. A spring contact inside, and a circular thing insulating contacts.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/08/2026

Hey #electronics nerds, where do I get a bunch of those ONLY in red and black? Rainbow is cool but *each* of my breakouts and spiders needs red and black jumper wires, throwing things out of proportion... #DIY #askfedi

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026

3rd attempt at #ESP32 . Lessons: - Pay attention to values - Don't cross wires - Use flexible cables or you'll tear off pads - Verify design rules or you'll forget stuff - Break out #UART even if you think you won't need it (you will) - #UVTools has #Gerber […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A circuit board with a smaller board soldered on in the center. The smaller board is covered with gray metal and says ESPRESSIF. Golden, and it has no solder mask. It's all scratched and with splotches of solder around. A resistor is standing on its side. There is a USB port and several free cables attached to spots on the other side. One soldered directly on another component.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2026

Finally! This was a lot more bugs and effort than I was expecting. On the other hand, I never made a USB enabled device before, so maybe that's the cost of learning. I hope the rest goes easier.

Console output showing new USB device from Espressif
usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=303a, idProduct=1001, bcdDevice= 1.02
usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
usb 1-1: Product: USB JTAG/serial debug unit
usb 1-1: Manufacturer: Espressif

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 20/07/2026

You need a 1234 GiB GPU to run your program? Let me play you the tiniest... #microcontroller breakout board! The 10-cent CH32V003 microcontroller and a single capacitor make a complete breakout board. Honestly, I didn't even need the PCB. The capacitor could […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

An 8-pin black chip on an 8-pin green breakout board. A capacitor straddles over one pin, connecting two nonadjacent ones.

The previous microcontroller board, alongside an Arduino Nano which is like 6 times the area (a red USB cable plugged in), and also an ESP32 devkit (one plugged USB cable). All three hanging on a metal clamp.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/07/2026

Say hello to my #PCB manufacturing lab. Here is the 3D printer showering the board in purple rays. In those bottles live the necessary chemicals. Neutralize before disposing! They go to trays where the board takes a bath. First, a minute in NaOH to develop […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

Several bottles and jars of different sizes on a shelf. The shelf says "PCB etching". The bottles are 500ml max, and dark. Small jars, one with transparent liquid "Na₂S₂O₈", another with a brown liquid inside "...waste". Other 3 visible bottles have "NaOH".

A resin 3D printer. The printer is open. The build plate is not present, and the gantry is lowered. The screen is shining violet. There's a small square on the screen.

A plastic tray lies inside a large flat chipped glass bowl. Inside the tray, a golden square is immersed in a blueish liquid. The lid of the tray says "Na₂S₂O₈ PCB USED".

A plastic tray with a brown liquid inside. There's a metal flat pincette lying on the tray. The lid says "NaOH 1% PCB USED". It's on a red brick table.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2026

Finite Element Analysis rabbit hole. #PrePoMax works passably on Linux and with youtube tutorials (thanks Indian- and Polish-accent guys) I could actually simulate twisting a rod and do experiments. Easy to use for a total newb! That informs me where to place […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2026

Rapid #PCB #manufacturing . Turnaround time: about 3h. Yield: 67%. Minimum resolved spacing: 0.1mm, thinnest trace: 0.2mm. Minimum not resolved spacing: 0.25mm :S. Not pictured: days spent learning the craft, the simpler board with 7 failed attempts, the 3 or […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

Two basic printed circuit boards, stack on top of each other. Copper is shining a golden color, a green substrate shows in between. There are many pads and traces of different sizes. Almost all of the area is copper, the substrate only occasionally. One of the boards shows "v3.2.2". There don't seem to be any unintentional breaks or bridges. The second board, lying on top, doesn't shine so nicely, due to some dirt maybe.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

@poleguy It's the other spinny thing, though! It's to mount on the crank, where visibility to the frame needs multiple emitters no matter what. (By now you can probably guess what crazy idea I have on my mind.) IrDA-ish encoding through the inductor physical […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A notebook page showing an exploded view of a crank and bike frame with coils in between. Underneath, a square wave and pulses diagram, plus a schematic with a diode on the driving side and a resistor on the receiving side. There's "waterproof" written near the drawing.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

@jaseg Capacitor made of 2 bottle caps. To match the size of where I want to mount it. If I separate them by 5mm, the max voltage drops to 0.1V, which is worse than the inductor peaks. The waveform is nicer, but it's the voltage that I care about. Bonus: pictures of the setup.

A neat, square wave form, well under 1V.

Two oscilloscope probes, connected to a bottle cap each. Next to it, a spool with some wire on it.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

9 turns of Ethernet pair on a ø2cm plastic bobbin makes a very inefficient but working #transformer . Signal is distinguishable up to 2MHz, and max voltage is 0.3V. Even though the signal generator outputs 3V without load, it seems to choke on the inductivity […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A screenshot from an oscilloscope, showing a graph of positive and negative peaks, alternating with some distance from each other. Each peak is followed by some oscillations as if rebounded. An indicator shows "SQU" and 500KHz.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 27/06/2026

Hey #electronics . Can I merge decoupling #capacitors ? Pictured: 3 1µF caps in parallel. One for VCC One for AVCC One is a filter for the power supply It feels like they are all doing the same job and occupying space for no reason. What am I doing wrong? #askfedi #hacking

Screenshot from a CAD program showing 3 capacitor footprints next to one another.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 26/06/2026

Working on my new entry for single-layer #PCB championship. No through holes. No vias. 3D design: overlapping components. Board edge is a suggestion. 2nd layer is actually not on the PCB but in hyperspace. All #SMD . Even audio jack, after flipping on its back […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A screenshot of a PCB design in KiCAD. It looks messy.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

Wikimedia #Commons ' idea of thongs: where human insight and artificial intelligence cancel each other out. #electronics #searchEngine #programming #databases #footwear

Wikimedia Commons search results for "thongs". It shows a pair of thongs (footwear) and a diagram for a set-reset circuit.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

Pozdro po pierwszym dniu @rustmeet ! W nocy nawiedził mnie duch konferencji i przedstawił się jako RustMajt. A może moje wczorajsze grzybki były nieświeże.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 24/05/2026

Hey #feditronics , does it make sense to use the connection between the GND pin and the tab on a voltage regulator as a bridge? It would simplify my routing a bit. #electronics #PCB

An footprint of a 3-pin-plus-tab voltage regulator "LT1963" in a CAD program. The GND pin shows a thin line to the GND tab.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/04/2026

The proof of the #repair is in the extra screws left over. Sorry to everyone in the quiet hacking area if we whispered too loud :S #Lens work may continue tomorrow. Thanks @SEGFAULT ! #easterhegg23 #eh23 #easterhegg #camera #photography

A desk with many black and shiny cylindrical elements placed on pieces of paper. A notebook and laptops in the background.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/03/2026

Did you know your distro carries a computer #art gallery? It's called Xscreensaver. 30 years old and still getting updates. A nerdy mix of simulations, interactivity and scene demos. All brilliant art. Thank you @jwz for delighting this hacker again! I came […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 07/03/2026

Spammers are honest people! Three days after deployment, and I haven't received a single #spam comment notification from my #blog . #web #smallweb

A website on dororotac.eu.

"Comments for fosswon"

"Your comment looks like spam. is it spam?"

Buttons:

"Totally spam. Throw it out!", "No, it's legit. Keep it."

Another page with "Comments for fosswon" title.

"Your post was sent on fire. Don't come back."

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 26/02/2026

Radical honesty anti-#spam system: just ask. I wonder how long this solution is going to work. #web #blog #smallweb

Screenshot of a website.

Comments for n.
Your comment looks like spam. Is it spam?

Totally spam! Throw it out!

No, it's legit! Keep it!

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 20/02/2026

What to do when a Li-ion #battery smells of fruit? Run away. Throw it away. Duck and cover. Lithium fire is no fun! Single-use vapes should be banned, but while they aren't, I'll clean them up and put them to use. Just the smells make it really confusing :S […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

Meme format:
- scout with a telescope: Li-ion battery smells fruity!
- gatekeeper: Contain the device!
- but it came from a strawberry vape.
- Undo the containment!
- it was a cracked vape found on the street!
- Contain the devce a little!

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/02/2026

What would the image weigh without the undesired passenger? With #GIMP again, I posterized it to 16 colors, which nuked any visible watermark and got a quarter the original size: 140kiB. But the black-and-white image was still smaller, so there must be […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

An image of 2 chatbot messages on colored backgrounds.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/02/2026

Well, maybe my human eyes cannot see something that's there. Captain #GIMP to the rescue! A little thresholding... and there it is. The sand in the gears of #PNG . Not-quite-random noise all over the background (try different thresholds to see the rest). The […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A picture of text, with a background of a semi-regular pattent.
The text is of two chatbot messages.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/02/2026

How much does a screenshot of some text weigh? 5kiB? 50kB? But not this one. I wanted to store an article for future reference and it was a crazy 500kiB! And there's nothing in it! What's the answer to this riddle? Follow this thread to find out […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A screenshot of two chatbot replies. Just text on colored backgrounds.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/01/2026

#Mastodon advice: subscribe to hashtags! I now have a dedicated, temporary FOSDEM column. Search for #fosdem , click the little arrows on top, add "pin". Works with the advanced interface.

A partial screenshot of 2 columns: both say #FOSDEM, one has two arrows labeled 1 and 2, to small white arrows symbols and to +Pin button. The other column is highlighted red and numbered 3

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 27/12/2025

I hung up the printer used by @c3loc :( So the building maps weren't ready today at #39c3. Perhaps tomorrow! @c3sign could you ping me when your A3 printer is available :P? #CCC #maps

A simplified diagram of level 3 and level 4 of a building with prominently marked staircases, toilets and lecture halls. It also says 39C3.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 22/11/2025

What's up with #GPG password prompts over #SSH ? Sometimes it appears instantly, usually takes a minute or so. It seems to depend on the mood the *client* booted in. It's quite annoying to wait and I don't know how to debug it. #terminal #console

A terminal-based "window" with the prompt:
"Please enter the passphrase to unlock the OpenPGP secret key:
passphrase: *
<ok> <cancel>"

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 13/11/2025

Files before folders? Folders before files? Or maybe it's a statement on the implicit, unexamined assumption about the spatial relationship corresponding to "before". It's the little unexpected pranks that make me love #GTK . #UI #programming #freesoftware #bug #bugs #opensource #humor

A GTK3 window showing FILES sorted on top of folders.
A menu shows a checked checkbox FOLDERS before files.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/11/2025

2 weeks, 6 repos touched. If this goes through, #mobile #Linux on-screen keyboards get some nice features on #Wayland: gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayl… Reference implementations available. Looking for […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 29/10/2025

Another day, another #Wayland protocol. Still working on improving input methods. Just "finished" a feature useful especially to #CJK languages (#Chinese , #Japanese , #Korean ): the input method intercepts some #key presses […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/10/2025

Guess what I'm working^W wasting my life on.

The letter C, in many sizes, on a greenish background. The C on the bottom is pixelates.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2025

Spectrometer: 150EUR. Objectively establishing that it's cloudy outside: priceless. Thanks to wejn, setup was on the painless side: github.com/wejn/tobes-ui #optics #hardware #freesoftware #physics

The actual view from my window. It's gray. Presumably clouds.

Spectrogram of the clouds: peak in blue, then tapering off.

A small black box with a white disc on the front wall. It's the spectrometer. It reads TORCH BEARER under a Chinese label.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2025

What's the simplest useful thing I want on my desktop? A plain text area. Now that I made it, any other #KDE user can have it, too! codeberg.org/dcz/kwlejka #linux #plasma #kdeplasma #freesoftware #desktop #clipboard #copypaste

A screenshot of a bottom panel with a paste icon, from which a text area emerges.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2025

@benedikt I'm always impressed when my government supports a standards-based, free market.

AusweisApp. Supports Apple, Google, Windows, Huawei. Where's Linux?

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2025

One email to the German credit agency, and two weeks late, I have my own product ID to connect my janky payment script to banks. That was surprisingly painless. The library I use no longer provides a default one, and they recommend getting one, so I thought […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

An email client screenshot. It's a reply to some form. It contains a number for the paynow/invoicer product.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 13/09/2025

Ladies and gentlemen, preparing for my #mrmcd2025 talk. I legit thought the laptop was dead. Seems to be not glitching most of the time after recovering the account though. See you in the evening! talks.mrmcd.net/2025/talk/U87GK7 #mrmcd

Bad Luck Brian: Gives a talk today / YG^&TR%E^ / glItcheS / cOMPUter

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2025

Thanks #Digikey. I know you're optimistic about my projects, but let's talk about 5000 units after I manage to make use of the 3 I originally wanted to buy. #electronics #retail

An offer for alternative packaging shows 3 units in one package for 17 EUR, 3 units in another for 23 EUR and 5000 units in another for 18000 EUR

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2025

Just procrastinating, nothing to see here...

A messy screenshot of a PCB editor. There's a "jazda 3.1" text on it.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2025

Solder warriors, how do you protect your etched boards from corrosion? I bought this one a lifetime ago. Clearly homemade. It's covered with rosin. I thought rosin was corrosive to the traces. What technique is this? What kind of rosin is used here? #PCB #electronics #CopperEtching #AskFedi

A printed circuit board with a chip on it and a couple more components. Its surface looks irregular because of a semi-transparent layer on top of the traces.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 06/08/2025

This just in: my friends chucked out a shitty "CO2" #sensor. Actually a breathalyzer: hackaday.com/2023/02/18/anatomy-of-… It's a really pretty design! And while the man in the video says it's useless, I actually started a CO2 sensor […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A bunch of lines corresponding to shapes on a LCD display. The image is grayscale. Actually a reflection of the sky, with a cloud visible on top as a white blob.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 01/08/2025

Today I learned about spiral ratchet #screwdrivers . You push, screw turns. The ones I've seen on sale in #Germany take some unusual bits. Does anyone know where to get one accepting regular hex bits? (Germany) #tools #askfedi

Wikipedia image of 3 complicated-looking long screwdrivers.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2025

Psst... Hey, kid! Ever tried... #coding in proportional #fonts ? It's smooth, you know. Your eyes will feel incredible. Don't listen to typewriter geezers, there's nothing wrong with wanting your #text to look nice. Try it. For free. I code like this every […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A narrow window of Kate IDE displaying some Rust code. The fonts are proportional.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2025

So I visited someone who used to work at a hospital in the '90s and I got this hand-made #vintage #pcb . The writing is Coronametrics Front End/Ultrasound the other side has 02/83 , could be a year. No solder mask, traces at weird angles, no clear grid, rusty […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A glamour shot of an old PCB full of through-hole components.

A view of a backside of an old PCB, full of traces. It shows pads for slotting the board into something.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 26/05/2025

Another weekend, another couple of steps fixing the input method mess I (partly) started: gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayl… Keyboard support and moving popups. codeberg.org/dcz/stiwri/src/branch/… On […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 06/05/2025

Hey electrofedis, anyone able to say if this is LVDS or eDP? I suspect 4 differential pairs is too much for eDP for 1024x600, but I couldn't find any datasheet to confirm it. The display is KD101N7 from an Android 4.1-era Archos tablet. #askfedi #electronics #repair #upcycling

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 17/04/2025

Back to #Wayland and input methods. What's your favorite input method? Cause for me it was the one on old #Nokia phones. I could type with my hands in my pockets! Handy in winter. codeberg.org/dcz/stiwri Tested with #cosmic and #GTK . This is just […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 24/03/2025

Dear fediverse , what kind of a connector is this? 40 pin, 0.5mm pitch, motherboard side, going to an eDP display panel. I'd like to buy the socket, but nothing I've seen quite matches the shape. #laptop #repair #lvds #electronics #askfedi

A 40-pin socket and a matching cable floating next to it. The socket has feathered pins, the cable has exposed pins wrapping around the corner of a plastic piece.

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dorotaC @dcz.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/03/2025

Advantages of ordering a custom #PCB : - price - staying away from corrosive #chemicals - solder mask - great quality Advantages of etching your own: - being able to make 3 consecutive mistakes, find an fix them in a single day The best choice probably […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

A KiCAD drawing of a rectangular PCB with BatProt0.5 label. The front copper layer is visible. Underneath it some silkscreen labels.

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