tech sectiontech sectionAkai's MPC2000XL is a sequencer and sampler which serves as the nerve center of a synthesized music system. Although it is a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment, it has nevertheless played a role in recordings from musicians ranging from Dr. Dre to Linkin Park. The MPC2000XL has its own storage and set of controls but it comes into its own when it is connected to external instruments and to a computer, which can provide a finer degree of control over its features.
The RIM125 module enables you to convert the input from analog transmitters into digital. The dip-switches on the programmable module enable you to specify how power input is translated -- you can isolate and filter input from your electrical components before transcoding their raw input into digital data. The RIM-125 requires no external power supply, all that's needed is to wire it into your register rack.
A culture incubator is essentially a self-contained heating unit and thermostat optimized for bacterial growth. The Smart-Well 100cc incubator from SGM Biotech maintains environmental conditions such as relative humidity and temperature conducive to the growth of cell cultures and monitors the growth of up to 10 independent biological indicators. The Smart-Well incubator includes all required wiring for setup and installation, including power and serial cables, and requires no soldering.
Floor vents are commonly used in residential heating to supply heat from a furnace unit or heat pump. If you plan to remodel your existing living space, you may need to relocate a floor vent to enhance heating efficiency or accommodate a wall or other new element. Relocating a floor vent involves installing additional duct work to extend to the new vent location. Although this can be a time-consuming project, you can complete a floor vent relocation with basic supplies and tools.
The standard USB port, be it USB 1.1 or USB 2.0, delivers 5 volts of electricity and allows your connected device to draw 500 milliampere. As this is standardized among USB devices, any device that can charged via USB is safe to plug in to your computer. However, you need to be more careful when using a USB adapter for a wall outlet.
When you send a command to your LG television immediately after turning it on, it may take a few key presses before the television responds to your input. This is normal for HDTVs. The time frame varies depending on the make and model of television, with some TVs having a delay up to 20 seconds.
Over-the-air antennas continue to provide quality entertainment for many homes, pulling in high-definition and digital television content. Amplified over-the-air or terrestrial antennas are typically roof-mounted, making them a potential target for lightning strike. Since antennas are connected to expensive high-definition televisions, it's usually a prudent step to connect the output feed of the antenna to a surge protector along with practicing equally important grounding techniques.
In June 2009, the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, required that all broadcasters switch from analog to digital television signals. As a result of this so-called "digital transition," you need an over-the-air, or OTA, antenna to receive a TV signal, unless you subscribe to cable or satellite service. Hooking up one of these antennas is a simple task. You can make the connection more stable by using a surge protector.
A surge suppressor, more commonly known as a surge protector, acts as a line of defense between an electrical supply and your electronic devices. Sudden surges of electricity, which can provide many thousands of times the normal supply, can cause damage to or even destroy electronics by short-circuiting them. The surge protector redirects the electrical surge to the outlet's ground wire, causing an audible click. Recurring clicking sounds mean your surge protector is experiencing frequent surges and redirecting the electricity safely away.
Writing numbers in expanded form using powers of 10 isn't nearly as complicated as you may initially think. Write numbers in expanded form using powers of 10 with help from a high school math tutor in this free video clip.
Computing power fractions is something that requires you to follow a very specific and precise process. Compute power fractions with help from a longtime math teacher in this free video clip.
Cooler Master COSMOS sports a sleek, streamlined design. The case comes equipped with one or more fans and dual air vents to circulate cool air throughout the case and decrease system noise. The COSMOS supports motherboard form factors like the ATX and Extend ATX and accommodates advanced technology extended power supply units, or PSUs, and entry-level power supply specification units, which provide power to the hardware devices inside the PC.
Power adapters for electronic devices come in many different styles and configurations. They can involve adapters built into power cords or they may be a part of an internal power supply, such as the one inside your computer. These devices play an important role in the proper operation of your electronics, and the wrong power adapter can even damage your hardware.
You should never repair or replace internal components on a modern PC without first unplugging the power cord from the wall outlet. Even when turned off, the motherboard is supplied with power as long as your PC is connected to a source of electricity. This small amount of current is sufficient to damage your computer's delicate electronic components.
Dell's PA-4E AC adapter provides 130 watts of power for numerous Dell products. Designed primarily as the adapter for Dell's laptop docking stations, the PA-4E also works as the standalone power adapter for various models of Dell laptops. The PA-4E adapter is also known by the part numbers X408G, D232H and 330-1829.
Computers are complicated machines with many different parts that can fail or interfere with startup. Hardware failures can crash an entire system and are very problematic to diagnose. This is because hardware failure symptoms can resemble virus infections as well as software crashes. While a piece of hardware is wearing out, rebooting problems may occur at seemingly random times.
Your Liteon modem needs to be installed in a PCI slot on your computer’s motherboard. Hardware installation includes opening your computer’s case and installing the PCI card. After installing the modem hardware, you will need to install the drivers and configure Windows to use your the Liteon modem for dial-up networking.
Power supplies that can automatically switch to adjust to the incoming power allow you to have a consistent electrical output. For example, if you are traveling outside the United States, you may encounter voltage amounts and electrical frequencies that are different than those in the U.S. A self-switching power supply can allow your device to run on the foreign or domestic voltage.
A whole house surge protector -- such as the Cutler Hammer models from Eaton -- provides an additional level of protection to your home's electrical appliances and equipment. Commonly used strip surge protectors may not provide the protection you need as they can become overloaded by a large power surge and damage the home's circuits and appliances. A whole house surge protector will reduce the effects of a much larger amount of surge electricity.
A Logitech iPod player will amplify audio playback of an iPod portable music player through a set of speakers and also charge the battery. However, if the power adapter for the device is malfunctioning, it will not be able to play or charge an iPod. If you are having trouble with a Logitech iPod player power adapter, these troubleshooting tips may help.
An oil condensing boiler removes heat from the flue and then uses the waste heat to warm up the cold water in the boiler. The boiler creates water vapor that drains out of the system. Oil condensing boilers typically heat water in a short period of time and are considered high efficiency systems. The boiler should be purged on a regular basis to remove any dirt or sediment that has settled into the bottom of the water tank, which can slow down efficiency.
Timed blower delays help residential furnaces heat homes more efficiently. When the furnace burner fires up, the factory-set "On" delay prevents the blower from energizing for 25 to 30 seconds so that it doesn't circulate cold air. The "Off" delay keeps the blower going for 60, 90, 120 or 150 seconds after the burner shuts off to circulate the remaining heat in the exchanger. Although the "On" blower delay isn't usually adjustable, you can set the "Off" delay using the dip switches on the furnace control board.
PC freezes occur when the computer's operating system stops responding to user input. Freezes are a separate issue from computer crashes as the OS doesn't shut down in a freeze, but the two problems can have similar consequences. Though not common, a damaged or otherwise bad power cord can cause a PC to freeze in some instances.
PC speeds have increased greatly since IBM first released the personal computer in the 1980s. Nevertheless, a single PC cannot process data or information nearly as fast supercomputers used by government agencies and many educational institutions. However, because a supercomputer is simply a network of multiple smaller computers working to process information in parallel, it is possible to create your own supercomputer cluster. Using Windows server software and some basic networking equipment allows you to run applications that support the Message Passing Interface -- MPI -- standard for parallel computing, which turns multiple PCs into one super computer.
Surge protectors are a variant of power strips, which are blocks that have numerous electrical sockets built into one unit that is then attached via an extension cord to an electrical outlet. The difference with surge protectors is that they have built-in protection to limit the voltage to any units plugged into the surge protector in the case of spikes from power surges, such as lightning strikes. They can be used safely in wall or floor settings.
The Acer X213W is a flat-screen LCD computer monitor, measuring 21.5 inches diagonally. Technical glitches within the monitor itself -- including defective connections, failing bonds and damaged pixels -- can create vertical lines on the screen that can appear in various locations. Additionally, improper connections -- anything that interrupts the flow of power or the computer's signal to the monitor -- can also cause vertical lines, as can monitor-incompatible settings on your computer.
If a motherboard causes a computer to hard reset itself, it means that a hardware problem is causing the computer to operate outside of its normal specifications. This may be the result of incorrect component installation or physical damage to the computer.
The ScanSnap S1300 is a mobile document and image scanner manufactured by Fujitsu. Neat makes two devices comparable to the ScanSnap S1300 -- the NeatDesk and the NeatReceipts. The NeatDesk is a portable, automatic document feeder scanner with color scanning support, while the NeatReceipts is a portable black and white document scanner.
High voltages exist on the anodes or capacitors inside televisions. To avoid these potentially lethal voltages, it is necessary to discharge the stored current inside these devices. For the budding DIYer attempting service of his own television, there is a relatively simple way to do this. Building your own tool to safely discharge the anode inside the set will set you in the right direction prior to digging in the television.
The F35751MB was produced in the mid-1990s for RCA by Indianapolis-based Thomson Technology. Because it's an older television, RCA no longer offers technical support for it or any user-related information regarding it. Accordingly, if your F35751MB isn't powering up, you can perform some basic troubleshooting, but you'll need to contact a local television repair company to diagnose an exact cause for the problem.
An Uninterruptible Power Supply can keep a computer running during a blackout and provides protection against surges, spikes and even electrical line noise. Connecting to a data lab UPS can prolong the life of the computer and prevent the data loss and corruption associated with a power outage. Most data labs provide AC power outlets that are protected by a UPS system along with outlets that have line filtering to suppress dangerous peaks. These are often marked with a battery symbol or other markings to differentiate them from raw utility power.
Household appliances such as microwaves can sometimes fall victim to power surges. These brief but powerful spikes can cause irreparable damage to your home equipment. During power surges, your microwave is also vulnerable to repeated attacks that can slowly destroy its electrical circuits over time. Using the correct surge protector helps extend the lifetime of your microwave and minimize the impact of an unexpected fluctuation in electrical power.
Replacing a down-vent cooktop with an new cooktop typically takes less time than installing the original appliance since much of the work is already done. A fan motor mounted inside the cooktop draws fumes downward into the vent below the kitchen counter or island. The new cooktop's vent port slides into the existing vent below the mounting surface. The vent is a standard size. You may need to recruit a helper to assist in lifting the old cooktop and lowering the new unit into place.
A T12 ballast reduces and stabilizes the flow of electrical current through a fluorescent light fixture. When a ballast fails, the fluorescent light bulbs will either remain dark, flicker or blow out shortly after the power switch is turned on. Correctly installing a new T12 ballast will allow the fluorescent fixture to work as designed and extend the life of the bulbs installed in the fixture. A correct installation will cause no damage to the fixture and will eliminate the chances of an electrical fire due to faulty wire connections.
An awning provides increased comfort by creating a covered patio on the front of your fifth-wheel, travel trailer or recreational vehicle. An A&E power awning offers convenience because you can press a button to open or close it. Manual and power awnings serve the same purpose, but anyone who has ever struggled to close a manual awning in strong winds or heavy rain understands the convenience of controlling an awning with a remote rocker switch located inside the camper.
The DigiTech RP300A is a digital special effects processor designed to mimic the functionality of a traditional guitar pedal. It’s intended to offer guitarists a complete, all-in-one solution for effects processing and can also act as an amplifier modeler for those confined to a small practice amplifier. An important feature of the RP300A is its inclusion of 40 presets hand-designed by famous guitarists, called Artist presets. These are accessed by placing the RP300A in Performance Mode and using the appropriate foot switches to locate them.
The Realistic STA-2300 was a high-end stereo AM/FM receiver introduced by Radio Shack in 1982 as part of its Optimus brand. The STA-2300 is prized by old-school audio buffs looking for a good example of the kind of high-powered receiver made in the days before digital circuitry.
CMOS is an acronym for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor, and the CMOS battery is an important component of any computer. It powers a special portion of memory in which the settings for the basic input/output system or BIOS are stored. The BIOS controls many basic functions of the operating system. If the CMOS battery fails, your computer “forgets” its BIOS settings and stops working properly.
USB is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus, an external interface standard for connecting peripheral devices, such as keyboards, mice and printers, to a computer. USB peripheral devices can be grouped into bus-powered devices, which draw power from the bus, and self-powered devices, which don’t draw power from the bus.
The Actiontec M1000 DSL modem is a Qwest-branded modem. It is designed to work primarily on the Qwest network. Including faults beyond your control, several factors contribute to slow connection speeds. Prior to contacting a support representative, troubleshoot the modem to identify or repair the source of the problem yourself. If the connection is slow, start troubleshooting by performing a full power cycle on your modem. Follow up by checking your line quality, filters and resetting the modem’s settings.
The Lucent Modcell 4.0B, or modular cell, is an indoor cellular base station designed by Bell Labs. The 4.0B Modcell features a simple indoor single-frame configuration and can support one to eight carriers per frame. This dual-band base station also features timing and controller redundancy, and a closed-loop gain control. One of the essential tasks when setting up the Lucent Modcell is setting the power, a procedure that takes approximately 15 minutes.
A common complaint about power-assist steering systems in vehicles is that the system provides so much steering assist at higher speeds that the driver cannot feel the road, contributing to an out-of-control feeling. Manual steering systems may require too much effort for drivers with less arm strength when executing parking lot and slow-speed maneuvers. Speed-sensing steering is a way to compromise in these areas and offer better vehicle handling and performance at all speeds.
Nothing interrupts a good movie or compelling sports action more than unwanted electronic background noise. Electrical hum, static and other distractions prevent full immersion into the event. Buzzing televisions are an example of distracting noise, which can happen for a variety of reasons. Hunting down and eliminating the source of unwanted noise can make your television experience more pleasant.
Because computer screens are luminous, the colors we see on them are combinations of different colors of light. Computers combine the different colors based on the computer code of an image. For some codes, there are only a few colors available. For other codes, the color choices may be in the millions. How the image is displayed depends on the computer code for the image, and it may be more or less accurate, or "true."
A P-channel MOSFET is a type of transistor, an electronic device that acts as a switch or amplifier for electric current. MOSFET refers to the transistor's type and the materials that give it its properties. They are more voltage-sensitive and energy-efficient than their cousins, the junction transistors. Because they make good switches, MOSFETs have benefited digital technologies, including computers, cell phones and many other related consumer goods.
When your computer locks up or freezes, it becomes unusable. This can happen for several reasons, and any sound that the computer is making can give you a clue as to where the problem originates. By listening to the sound and troubleshooting, you can determine the cause and fix your computer.
Many electronic devices such as media players and smart phones draw power through a USB connection. These USB power ports can connect either to a USB port on a laptop or desktop computer, or plug directly into a wall outlet. Both methods will charge your device; each method, however, has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Dell computers use a small, button-size battery to help to store the system hardware settings contained within a CMOS chip while the computer is off. If you receive a message saying that your system battery voltage is low when powering up your computer, your computer is indicating a problem with the installation of the battery or with the battery itself, which probably needs to be replaced.
If you find yourself trying to perform multiple tasks on your computer at once and notice that you seem to be waiting a long time for the computer to respond or switch between windows, you have one of several options to fix it, depending on what's wrong. System resources, hard drive space or even viruses can cause your system to be slow in responding to you.
When talking about computers, the acronym "SFF" stands for "small form factor." These computers contain all of the basic components of standard computers, but take up much less physical space. These systems are ideal for situations where there isn't a ton of space for a computer, but do come with a few drawbacks.
