Contents
Vol.38, No.08
August 2025
11 SpaceX, Part 2
There’s more to cover on SpaceX’s enormous Starship rocket, and after
that, we’ll look at their launch and recovery facilities, some notable SpaceX
missions to date and then consider their future.
By Dr David Maddison, VK3DSM
Space technology
23 Amplifier Cooling, Part 1
Designing the chassis for an amplifier (especially a large one) is crucial to
achieving the best possible cooling performance and therefore a long life.
We also look at upgrading the cooling in existing amplifiers.
By Julian Edgar
Electronic system design
34 A Thin-Film Pressure Sensor
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p
a
c
e
X
Part 2:
Page 11
Thin-film pressure sensors are an affordable way to measure force and
weight, albeit without high accuracy.
By Tim Blythman
Low-cost electronic modules
52 Rigol DHO924S Oscilloscope
Rigol’s new DHO900 series has a plethora of modern features in a compact
package. We describe what these new features are, and what it’s like to use.
Review by Tim Blythman
Test equipment
67 The Boeing 737 MAX story
We explain how the failure of a single electronic part led to two fatal air
crashes.
By Brandon Speedie
Aerospace technology
38 USB-C Power Monitor, Part 1
Our Power Monitor measures current, voltage, power, energy and time on all
modern USB-C devices, and even legacy USB devices with an adaptor. It’s a
self-contained unit, and is powered by a 400mAh rechargeable battery.
By Tim Blythman
Test & measurement project
RIGOL DHO924S
Oscilloscope
2
Editorial Viewpoint
4
Mailbag
73
Subscriptions
82
Circuit Notebook
84
Serviceman’s Log
91
Vintage Radio
98
Online Shop
100
Ask Silicon Chip
103
Market Centre
104
Advertising Index
104
Notes & Errata
46 RP2350B Development Board
Like a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 on steroids, this breadboard-friendly module has
47 available I/O pins, including eight that can measure analog voltages. It’s
also optimised for overclocking!
By Geoff Graham & Peter Mather
Single-board computer project
60 Mic the Mouse
Mic the Mouse doesn’t eat much, just the occasional 3V lithium cell, and it
makes a good project for playing pranks on family and friends.
By John Clarke
Toy project
74 Ducted Heat Transfer Controller
Improve the energy efficiency of your home by transferring warm or cool air
between rooms automatically using this smart controller.
Part 1 by Julian Edgar & John Clarke
Home automation project
Page 52
1. High speed transmission opto-couplers
2. A wireless battery charger
3. 3-way latch using SCRs
Silvertone Model 18 AM/FM radio by
Associate Professor Graham Parslow
