KIKUSUI mag

Today’s article concerns rotary switches, also known as rotary selector switches─those old-fashioned dials that you turn with your fingers. While increasingly uncommon in today’s digital age, rotary switches one featured in a wide range of electrical appliances.

In this article, I will discuss how my perspective has changed as a result of my working environment.

These days, we hear a lot about revival of retro technologies like the cassette and the film camera. Personally, as someone who is obsessed with analog power supplies, I am hoping that the retro trend will see the return of the “dropper-type” power supply.

During my several decades at Kikusui working with custom products, I have gained experience with a range of different products, but I have also had my fair share of setbacks. My tendency to lecture the younger members of my team is the result of lessons I learned the hard way when I was younger. In fact, my experience with overcoming obstacles is an important part of who I am today.

In this column, I discuss my experiences with devices I have worked with.

I am a bespoke engineer with Kikusui’s System Technology Group. While earlier in my career I was involved with our standard (off-the-shelf) range, I have now actually spent longer working with bespoke devices. In this series, I discuss various aspects of bespoke engineering.

Circuit diagrams are important because the quality of the diagram not only has a significant bearing not only on the manufacturing process but also on the efficiency with which modifications can be designed and implemented. In this article, I will talk about two experiences that prompted me to rethink my attitude to schematics.

An installer is a tool used to install software on a computer. While some simpler software applications can be installed simply by copying the relevant .exe (executable) file into the Program Files folder, in cases where there is a need to write to the computer’s registry or libraries, an installer is required. Today’s story involves an experience I had with an installer I wrote for a piece of software.

To begin with, when we first build a circuit and apply an electric current to it, a quite common experience is for us to find that it doesn’t work, and ask ourselves why not. We then set about checking and rethinking the circuit configuration and components, but can’t quite find a cause that seems to fit. What are the key points that we should be questioning in those kinds of situations? That is the main topic of this article.

If you’re an engineer and you’re reading this, you probably have experience with taking things apart or repairing them. I remember taking apart my prized toy train as a young boy. One time I even dismantled my father’s radio, only to get in trouble when my father found out. I was eventually put in charge of fixing gadgets around the house when they broke, which only caused my penchant for dismantling things to escalate even further. In my teens I was sometimes even asked to repair hi-tech devices like televisions, microwaves and VCRs, despite having no hope of success. All I remember is that I really enjoyed taking things apart. I loved the feeling of suspense when taking the cover off a device to find out what was inside. (Readers are warned that removing the cover of an appliance will generally void the warranty.)

In this column I will share some of my experiences with product design. But first, a quiz: what do Rose’s Lime Juice, stir-fry seasoning and 2-in-1 shampoo have in common?

In this article I will discuss applications for the PBZ series bipolar power supply. One question I get asked a lot about the PBZ series is whether multiple units can be linked in series. The engineer in me is ashamed to have to tell my clients, “unfortunately, no”. However, while referred to as “power supplies”, the PBZ series are effectively a range of power amplifiers. I tried to come up with an elegant solution for boosting their power output. (Readers who are familiar with audio equipment might be able to tell where I’m going with this.)