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I’m also on Twitter and that stream gets updated a lot more often than this blog. Feel free to send me a message about anything you’d like to discuss.

LOL okay so b/c of Elno, find me at @krekr.bluesky.social and @krekr.ioc.exchange (Mastodon)

Nidec 24H brushless motor control

For an electro-mechanical designer, motors are a key component. Being able to move stuff in the physical world at high speed and precision makes modern products feasible. For a long time brushed, DC Motors were the only viable option, sometimes coupled to a gearbox and or encoder. Lately, more and more products began using brushless motors which also means cheaply available overstock.

You can now buy a powerful and fast brushless motor, including controller and and encoder for precision feedback for about €5 including shipping(!).

I just had to try these out. Attached is the code for open-loop control. I might implement closed-loop some time in the future as well, so this becomes even more powerful and precise.


Stolen Gazelle cityzen ebike

30th of April, there was a break-in at our house and several bikes were stolen; one of mine and the others from the neighbors.

Frame number: GZ60560592
VIN: XRGA0H57A6A000281

If this bike is offered for sale to you, please get in touch with me: https://www.krekr.nl/contact/

Op 30 april is er bij ons ingebroken en zijn er meerdere fietsen gestolen; één van mij en enkele van buren. Indien deze fiets u te koop wordt aangeboden, neem dan contact met mij op: https://www.krekr.nl/contact/

Itho Daalderop CVE repair

Dutch manufacturer Itho Daalderop seems to have an electronics reliability problem. I’ve now repaired 4 fans from the brand.

One common problem seems to be that the transformer on the PCB of the CVE “Centrale ventilatie eenheid” breaks. It is a very common part that can be had for about €5, e.g. at Reichelt.

The epoxy of the potting cracks. Maybe it gets too hot, maybe unfiltered spikes on the mains net cause this. Of course, these units run 24/7, but I’d advise anyone to add extra precautionary devices on any Itho appliances they might have.

Void your warranty: Apple iPod 5G

Starting today, I’ll be posting teardowns of consumer electronics every month or so. These photos have been taken a long time ago, but are still relevant because most of the manufacturing technologies haven’t changed.

Resistive welds can clearly be seen, as well as an injection moulded Zamack frame. Lots of EMI gaskets and flexible circuit boards too. And a repair I made circa 2009.

Sonos & ASUS AX issues

I’ve has issues with my Sonos setup since installing it. It would sometimes disappear from the network, sometimes the app wouldn’t see the system etc. Today (after more than a year of disappointment) I was guided through an hour-long debugging session by the very helpful Jenny, which changed the following ASUS router settings from their defaults:

Advanced settings > LAN > IPTV > Enable multicast routing
Advanced settings > LAN > IPTV > Enable efficient multicast forwarding (IGMP Snooping)
Advanced settings > Wifi > Professional > Enable IGMP Snooping

Also, check if the firmware of the router and mesh nodes are up to date, and whether the Sonos app displays any other (old/concurrent) Wifi networks (otherwise the system might keep switching back and forth).