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Articles by Clive Maxfield
Go Analog or Go Home!
Electronic engineers (like what I am) tend to partition the world into two views: analog and digital. Analog systems represent information as continuous signals that can take on any value within a range. For example, think of a dimmer switch for a light or the smooth sweep of a needle on a gauge. These systems mimic the real world, where quantities like sound, temperature, or voltage change smoothly over time.
Yikes! Bikes and Trikes!
It’s always nice to receive messages from people who are reading these columns (hint, hint). For example, I recently received an email from someone who we’ll call Peter (because that’s his name). Hailing from Switzerland, Peter commenced by saying, “Hi Max, I do love to read your Throwback Thursdays columns about growing up in England in the 1960s and 1970s.
Screeching Across the Spectrum
When teenage techies sent computer data over FM radio, they unknowingly foreshadowed our modern wireless world. To be honest, I had a completely different column in mind for this week. However, my previous two columns — When Pirates Ruled the (Air) Waves and Good Vibrations and Border Blasters — seem to have stirred many memories among the devoted followers of my humble Throwback Thursdays offerings (I pride myself on my humility).
Good Vibrations and Border Blasters
In case you are new to this series of Throwback Thursdays columns, their primary focus is on the technologies I grew up with in England during the 1960s and 1970s. On the other hand, as exemplified by this column, I won’t refrain from touching on technological developments and deployments in other countries and other times if the mood strikes me and I feel compelled to do so.
When Pirates Ruled the (Air) Waves
From Radio Luxembourg to Radio Caroline, the pirates who brought British broadcasting — and pop culture — alive. I’m constantly being reminded of the many differences between life today and the world in which I grew up, specifically in England during the 1960s and 1970s. Take the accessibility of music, for example. Today, we live in a world where almost every musical genre imaginable is instantly accessible.
DIY Static Charge Monitor - Electrostatic Field Detector (Arduino & TL07
2025-10-06 | By Mirko Pavleski License: General Public License Arduino A Static Charge Monitor, also known as a Static Field Meter or Electrostatic Voltmeter, is a device used to measure the presence and magnitude of static electricity (electrostatic charges) on surfaces, objects, or in the surrounding environment.
Be Kind, Rewind: The Home Video Revolution
Before we leap into the fray with gusto and abandon (and aplomb, of course), I have a brief follow-up to share regarding my previous column: Student Life and Sound Systems in the Seventies. I was just on a video call with my friend Joe Farr, who hails from England. Joe said that he’d read the column (I was sure that someone was reading these columns — now I know who) and that it had reminded him of some things.
Student Life and Sound Systems in the Seventies
When I returned home from work a few days ago, I found my wife (Gigi the Gorgeous) pottering around the house while listening to music on a small Bluetooth speaker she’d picked up on her travels. It must be acknowledged that I was more than a little impressed by the superb quality of the sound.
Fruits and Vegetables of the Season
It appears that my recollections of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s are resonating with many readers of a similar vintage to your humble narrator (I pride myself on being humble — you’ll have to go a long way to out-humble me). Happily, these tales are also proving to be of interest to younger readers who contact me saying, “I never knew that!” Things have changed so much since those days of yore.
Sudsy Stories from the 1960s
My mum grew up in one of the poorer areas in Sheffield, England. How poor? Well, when she was a little girl in the 1930s, some of the kids she went to school with didn’t even have shoes or socks. Having said this, my mum is adamant that her family wasn’t poor (“It’s just that we didn’t have any money to spare.”) Mum lived in a tiny rented house with her brother, Harry, her sister, Shirley, her parents, and her grandfather (my great-grandfather).
The Toys That Made Us Tinker
Let’s kick off this article with some nuggets of knowledge and tidbits of trivia. Have you ever heard the term “flea market”? If so, have you ever wondered where this expression came from? In fact, it has several disputed origins.
From Gray to Glorious: The Dawn of Color Television
In my previous column, The Grayscale Glory Days of 1960s Television, I discussed the first time I saw a television in 1960. This was a busy time for me because I’d only recently completed my third orbit around the Sun. Our television was black and white, but so was everyone else's (there weren’t any color televisions at that time), so that was OK.
The Grayscale Glory Days of 1960s Television
Television is ubiquitous in our lives these days. TV sets are not only found in the family room, but also in bonus rooms, media rooms, studies, and bedrooms. I’ve even seen them in kitchens, for goodness' sake. We now take for granted high-resolution images in glorious color. Even small, cheap-and-cheerful entry-level TVs are 1920 x 1080 pixels, commonly referred to as 1080p, while most of today's mid-range and higher TVs are 3840 x 2160 pixels, commonly known as ultra-high-definition (UHD).
Toasty Fridges and Frosty Frozen Peas
As you may recall, I currently hang my hat in America. I was just looking at the fridge in our kitchen and thinking how big it is compared to the ones I grew up with in England. My mum never even saw a fridge when she was a little girl. All they had at her house was a metal box covered with a damp towel, which they kept in the cellar because it was the coldest place in the house. The water evaporating from the towel cooled the box a little more.
Build your own Audio-Guestbook for any occasion!
2025-08-14 | By Will Siffer License: Attribution Non-commercial Audio Solder Teensy There are numerous trends in the wedding industry in 2025. From photo booths to audio guestbooks and from mirror signs to glowsticks, it feels like everyone has found a way to capitalize on my special day by offering simple electrical devices in a pretty box as a service. In this case, I am focusing on the trend of audio guestbooks.
Magical Monthly Magazines
Every year is special in its own way, but some stand out in my mind more than others. Take 1969, for example. That was a good one that was jam-packed with transformative “happenings,” just a few cherry-picked examples of which are as follows: Apollo 11 Moon Landing: Humanity’s first footsteps on another world: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the lunar surface, with Armstrong’s iconic “one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind” becoming a defining phrase of the era.
The Sounds of Yesteryear (Part 2)
In my previous column, The Sounds of Yesteryear (Part 1), we explored some of the ingenious ways humans have devised to store and reproduce audio content, with a focus on music. In particular, we discussed magnetic wire devices, which recorded sound signals on steel wires. These little scamps predated magnetic tape recorders. As an aside, I have a passion for science fiction.
The Sounds of Yesteryear (Part 1)
There are various aspects of growing old that have taken me by surprise, such as the fact that many of the technologies I regard as being relatively recent developments are considered antediluvian by today's young people (at least, they would be if youngsters were aware of the word “antediluvian,” but that’s a topic for another day). For example, take the way we access recorded music. I remember when compact discs (CDs) were first introduced, circa the early 1980s.
Eclectic Electronic Emporiums
I feel sorry for the budding young makers and engineers of today because they will never know the joy of fossicking through the types of hardware stores and electronic emporiums I enjoyed in my youth. As an aside, I first heard the word “fossicking” from my friend, David Ashton, who is English, was raised in Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe), and currently hangs his hat in Australia.
Radical Retro Cans
From phonautographs to funky “cans:" Exploring the quirky history, technology, and timeless style of retro headphones. 41 seconds ago • Wearables / Music / Retro Tech I have a question for you. Which came first — music or headphones?
Holy Sizzling Soldering Irons, Batman!
One of my favorite TV programs when I was a kid was Batman, starring Adam West as Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson (Robin). In addition to Batman and Robin, the “good guys” included Commissioner Gordon, Chief O’Hara, Aunt Harriet, and Alfred the butler. Meanwhile, Batman had more than his fair share of arch enemies, including Cat Woman, The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, Egghead, Bookworm, and False-Face, to name but a few.
Not-so BASIC!
How many different computer languages are there? By this, I mean high-level languages like C, C++, and Python, for example. The answer to this question is not an easy one, not least because many languages have fallen out of favor over time and are now defunct. One very useful source of information is the List of Programming Languages page on Wikipedia. I’m also interested in the more Esoteric Programming Languages (a.k.a. esolang), like Befunge, Chicken, Chef, Malbolge, and Whitespace.
How to Add Audio to Your Embedded Project Using SparkFun's Qwiic Twist and Audio Player Breakout
2025-06-20 | By SparkFun Electronics License: See Original Project Audio Qwiic Courtesy of SparkFun Guide by QCPete, Member #927272 Introduction Looking to bring sound into your next embedded project? In this tutorial, we'll walk you through using the SparkFun Audio Player Breakout in combination with the Qwiic Twist to let you select and play tracks from a microSD card. It's a compact and powerful way to add audio interactivity to your prototype using simple I2C and serial connections.
Vunderful Vacuum Tubes
From radio days to steampunk displays — long live the thermionic valve! 52 seconds ago • Displays / Retro Tech “History is written by the victors,” as the old saying goes.
Springing into Action with Spring Connectors
Hello there, and happy Thursday (or whatever day it is when you read this). Before we plunge into the fray with gusto and abandon (and aplomb, of course), let me start by noting that I’m a digital logic designer by trade. I find comfort in the certainty of logical 0 and 1 values. Contrariwise, I find the wibbly wobbly world of analog design to be somewhat disconcerting.
Bodacious Wooden Breadboards
It’s a funny old world when you come to think about it. I remember when I was a little lad listening to the old fogies prattling on about how hard things used to be and how much things had changed since they were young. I used to think they were exaggerating. As the years have passed, however, I’ve come to have a much greater understanding and appreciation of the information they were trying to convey.
Tinker Kit Circuit Guide
2025-05-20 | By SparkFun Electronics License: See Original Project Audio DC Motor LEDs / Discrete / Modules Arduino Courtesy of SparkFun Guide by Joel_E_B, bboyho, El Duderino Introduction Important! This tutorial is for the SparkFun Tinker Kit (KIT-18577).
A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right Resistor
English Español USD DigiKey customers in the United States can select from a range of delivery options, including Ground shipping at $6.99 and 2-Day at $12.99 Credit account for qualified institutions and businesses Payment in Advance by Wire Transfer More Products From Fully Authorized Partners Average Time to Ship 1-3 Days. Please see product page, cart, and checkout for actual ship speed.
Single-chip AI-capable microcontrollers
Imagine an affordable MCU capable of performing high-end AI/ML tasks By Clive “Max” Maxfield, Editor at DENA. I remember when the early 8-bit microprocessor units (MPUs) appeared on the scene circa the 1970s. Names like the 8080, Z80, and 6502 will stir fond memories in many of my peers. Similarly for early 8-bit microcontroller units (MCUs) like the 8051.
Taming incremental rotary encoders
by Clive “Max” Maxfield, Editor at DENA. Rotary encoders can provide unwanted surprises to the unwary. When I started my career, rotary controls came in two main flavors. First, we had potentiometers (variable resistors), which were used for things like volume controls on radios. These were smooth and silent with a limited range of rotation (commonly 270°). Second, we had rotary switches, which were used for things like channel selection on televisions.
Will You Be at the Virtual 2022 RT-Thread IoT OS Global Tech Conference?
Blog Are you involved in developing embedded applications for the internet of things (IoT)? If so, you really should be aware of RT-Thread, which is a tiny IoT operating system. Born in 2006, RT-Thread is an open-source, neutral, and community-based real-time operating system (RTOS). With low resource occupancy, high reliability, and high scalability, RT-Thread can be used in sensing nodes, wireless connection chips, and a variety of resource-constrained and high-performance applications.
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