Electrical and Electronics Workshop
The Electronics Workshop is located in B013 on the Ground Floor of B Block and is accessed under the bridge that links the Science Concourse to the E Block Lecture Theatres
The workshop main hours are from 9AM to 5PM and you should contact Rod Wesson to discuss electrical or electronic testing and repair and fabrication of specialist equipment. Please email r dot c dot wesson at warwick dot ac dot uk first as we are not in the workshop at all times.
The departmental Electronics Workshop undertakes a range of testing and repair work of portable electrical and electronic equipment including instrumentation and instrument controllers.
Specialist equipment can also be designed and fabricated in collaboraton with research groups when there are no commercially available alternatives.
We have the goal of providing an efficient service. We welcome feedback and appreciate comments on the service that you have recently received.
Design
Here are some designs from the workshop
Six channel custom column heater with 3D printed components.
285nm UV reactor and solidworks model.
405nm 800mW UV reactor.
265nm UV source with solidworks model.
Six channel UV reactor with stirrer solidworks model
Camera trigger, on the right a loan unit with the electronics stuffed in the box
on the left a properly layed out in house made PCB with cable clamp and sleeved loom for durability
Solar degradation test rig, this is designed to test 24 solar cells over a long period of time.
New design work
For new design work we have a selction of software to assist us...
For PCB design we have ISIS schematic capture (circuit design) and simulation using SPICE models. This links with the ARES PCB layout software
For CAD and artwork design we use Coreldraw 15.
For programming the PIC microcontrollers we use on some of our designs we use MPLAB.
We also have a CEL Robox 3D printer!
We are currently working on improving what we can offer and the workshop is been refurbished to reflect this.
Repair
Ika hotplate repair. Common fault on old hotplates when the relay fails it can burn a hole through the circuit board. This has been milled out and new board and traces fitted. process takes less than two hours for a £600 hotplate.
Ion gauge crushed! Now realigned and back in service
Here is a selection of components we have replaced when repairing various bits of equipment
From left to right...
0805 resistor
1206 resistor
1218 resistor
Mini MELF diode
MELF diode
80 pin BGA transceiver IC
8 pin SOIC MOSFET
LCC CMOS 1024 x 1 imaging IC
8 pin DIL switch mode driver IC
ISOPAK power MOSFET
Trim pot
Ceramic disc capacitor
For rework we use standard soldering irons and a hot air pencil as well as various hand tools.
We also have thermal imaging capabilities. These pictures show a working furnace and one with faulty elements that were in use on the 3rd floor.
Mr Rod Wesson
Chief Electronics Technician
E-Mail: r.c.wesson@warwick.ac.uk
Tel: 02476 523651 (workshop)
02476 573870 (office)