Electronic Design articles from June 2008

Electronic Design archives from June 2008

Staying employed in this industry can be tough at times.(Editorial)
June 12, 2008... In an issue where we celebrate the top 50 employers and also list the top employers in the electronics OEM, it's worthwhile to bring up one of the dirty words of the industry--unemployment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As someone who has...

Simple is better for C and your lawn.(the lab bench)
June 12, 2008... It's almost summertime, and I've been watching the neighbors put all sorts of chemicals on their lawns. I recommend an organic approach that includes corn gluten meal (CGM) instead. CGM is a natural pre-emergence herbicide and fertilizer...

The polymorphous landscape of bus voltages.(power design)
June 12, 2008... Voltages are bussed around all the time, but the applications and voltage levels are many and diverse. One of the high-voltage apps du jour, for example, is the data center. Everybody knows about the phenomenal rise of the Internet over the...

Charger chip supports datacenter memory system backup apps.(techview)
June 12, 2008... How does a chip company maximize return on its non-recurring engineering investment? It could duplicate its intellectual property (IP) in a range of ICs aimed at similar applications, but with different feature sets tailored to those apps. Or,...

Explore the universe from your desktop.
June 12, 2008... Last month, Microsoft unveiled the WorldWide Telescope. Available for download at www.worldwidetelescope.org, this free application lets users surf the night sky as if they were surfing the Web. It combines images and data from telescopes,...

Drive straight to the EEPROM on a single bus.(techview)
June 12, 2008... With the cost of materials and labor rising, wouldn't it be nice to find out the amount of pavement needed for a new road has been minimized? Microchip has taken that concept and applied it to its latest line of EEPROM devices. The company's...

AC powerline connections still a viable home networking choice.(techview)
June 12, 2008... Using the ac powerline at home to interconnect PCs, peripherals, and consumer electronics via broadband techniques isn't new. Several companies still make powerline modems. However, the wireless approach to home networking using Wi-Fi has...

The top 50 employers in electronic design: whether you're validating your career choice or contemplating a move, we think you'll find this information valuable.(feature)(Cover story)(Company overview)
June 12, 2008... Careers in the electronics industry often mix opportunities and pitfalls. The opportunities are endless, perhaps even including the chance to create and lead a world-class technology organization. But the cyclical nature of the industry creates...

Complex wireless standards put instruments to the test: hardware and software advances promise faster and simpler WiMAX and LTE testing.(technology report)
June 12, 2008... Once upon a time, RF testing was relatively simple. You would measure power output in a transmitter and look for spurious signals with a spectrum analyzer. At the receiver, you measured noise and sensitivity. Unfortunately, those halcyon days...

Back to amp camp: a little of the old, a little of the new--here's a quick brushup on amplifier lore.(engineering essentials)
June 12, 2008... Amplifiers are fundamental circuit-design elements. They drive everything from earbuds to antennas. Placed ahead of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), they reshape signals from sources as diverse as strain-gauges to ultrasound probes. Through...

Shining a light on bugs.(embedded in ed)
June 12, 2008... Turn on the lights and the cockroaches run away. This often seems to be the way to deal with programming bugs as well. Bring out the debugger or trace tools, and the problem goes away or remains difficult to locate. While application bugs...

Java gains static source code analysis tool.(NEWS)
June 12, 2008... Klocwork Insight for C/C++ and Java brings static source code analysis to Java developers. It can help improve code quality while reducing bugs and addressing security vulnerabilities. Its latest version is integrated with a range of integrated...

Smaller stackable USB.(NEWS)
June 12, 2008... New 1/4-and 1/2-size PC/104 boards allow StackableUSB to deliver more compact solutions. A single SAMTEC connector links a motherboard like the Micro/Sys Pentium III-based SBC1685 with up to eight stacked USB devices. The smaller form factors...

ARM gets shot of support.(NEWS)
June 12, 2008... Parasoft Embedded now supports ARM's RealView Development Suite 3.1. This Eclipse-based Parasoft Embedded plug-in for C++ test helps automate static code analysis, code coverage, peer reviews, and unit and component testing. The static analysis...

Bridge-tied load amplifiers.(engineering essentials)
June 12, 2008... It's possible to build a push-pull amplifier using amplifier ICs, rather than discretes, as in the traditional class B amp (Fig. 3). A bridged-amplifier configuration effectively doubles the voltage swing at the load. It's also possible to...

HVVFETs--new in town.(engineering essentials)
June 12, 2008... The HVVFET is the brainchild of HVVi chief technology officer Bob Davies, one of the key inventors of LDMOS 15 years ago. Devices utilize a vertical FET structure (something that's been tried before) because it provides higher power density...

Multicore, multithreaded goes embedded.(embedded in ed)
June 12, 2008... MIPS Technologies combines multithreaded and multicore support into its latest embedded SMP platform. As with most multithreaded designs, the MIPS32 1004K's multithreaded support provides an incremental performance boost that is less than...

Net module secures secrets.(NEWS)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Connect One's IIEVB-PIC-2128 evaluation board includes the iChipSec CO2128 network system-on-a-chip (SoC) as well as Microchip's PIC24 microcontroller. The dual-core module supports local-area network (LAN), Wi-Fi, and cellular links with SSL...

Long life for micro-ATX motherboard.(NEWS)
June 12, 2008... The ITOX BL330-BR microATX motherboard can handle dual- and quad-core Core 2 Duo processors. Based on the Intel Q35 Express chip set, it offers a 1333-MHz front-side bus and QXGA video that can handle Windows Vista via the GMA300 graphics...

A signaling gateway can stand alone: bridging PSTN and new IP networks with ATCA and MicroTCA offers a number of benefits for IP-based telephony.(design solution)
June 12, 2008... The signaling gateway bridges next-generation IP and traditional packet-switched telephony networks (PSTNs) that handle, for example, the signals for establishing, controlling, and billing calls. Gateway design calls for the blending of...

Maintain power-conversion efficiency while saving PCB space.(ideas for design)
June 12, 2008... Designers of portable electronics such as cell phones, portable media players, and GPS devices are always pushing to squeeze every ounce of battery life out of the application. In particular, in the realm of power conversion, engineers aspire...

Control camera time exposure through a computer's serial port.(ideas for design)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... A computer's serial port is a convenient source of low-speed dc control signals that are easy to set from software. For example, the RTS (request-to-send) line outputs about +9 V when "on" and -9 V when "off." This idea shows how to use this...

Switch tricks electronic ballast ICs into working on low voltages.(ideas for design)
June 12, 2008... Ballast-control ICs from International Rectifier and other similar half-bridge gate drivers feature an undervoltage lockout (UVLO) on the high-side output. This function protects the driven MOSFETs or insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs)...

What's all this current-source stuff, anyhow?(pease porridge)
June 12, 2008... Recently, a guy asked me how to draw a constant 1.00 mA from a node of a circuit. Of course, he did not tell me what volts, ohms, or frequency. But, he admitted, he basically did not know how to design a current source. So I'm sorry to...

Transitions make tomorrow much different from today.(Editorial)
June 19, 2008... Welcome to the latest edition of Electronic Design's Megatrends special issue. When our editorial staff sat down to decide its theme, we knocked around a few ideas before settling on transitions. We tried to envision what our world might look...

Megatrends of the future will feed off industry hype: analysts see key gains in store for several market sectors, thanks to revolutionary leaps in technology.(Introduction)
June 19, 2008... A faltering economy hasn't slowed the electronics industry. According to many independent market research organizations and other sources, most market sectors will experience strong growth over the next five to 10 years. In fact, what has...

Four-wheeled supercomputers: automotive safety equipment turns vehicles into the largest collection of mobile computing and sensing you'll own.(Automotive)
June 19, 2008... Smart phones. MP3 players. Notebooks. We can't live without our portable gadgets. However, we probably drive our most compute-intensive mobile electronics to work everyday. Today's automobiles use a variety of networks, sensors, and computer...

Biometrics looks to solve identity crisis: new technologies will use fingerprint, iris, facial, and even vein recognition to provide identification--but at what cost to privacy?(BiometricSecurity)
June 19, 2008... You see them in blockbuster movies and high-tech TV shows--biometric systems that rely on fingerprints, facial recognition, and other physical and behavioral data to provide identification. But these technologies have moved past the sci-fi...

Motion blur distorts digital video's future: video has its own take on Moore's law: as soon as something is finalized, things are sure to change.(DigitalVideo)
June 19, 2008... Back in the dark ages, watching TV was a challenge. If you were on the fringes of the broadcast networks' ranges, you and your siblings had to take turns holding the TV set's rabbit ears to improve its reception. And if the set stopped working,...

In search of the next disruptive technolgy: some trends may be obvious, but the real game-changers in personal electronics lie in our clothes, trains, and data transport.(PersonalElectronics)
June 19, 2008... Megatrends don't simply happen on their own. They start with disruptive technologies that completely change the status quo, like gunpowder, the airplane, and the microprocessor. The trick lies in identifying potential disruptive technologies...

Get ready for the multimedia mess: are mixed multimedia machinations possible for the home, or are they just a pipe dream? It all depends on the software infrastructure.(HomeElectronics)
June 19, 2008... The setting sun is a pleasant sight while driving home. I'm listening to satellite radio and a call comes in. At my verbal request, the car's media system switches off the music and answers the phone. I continue the conversation as I pull into...

Robotics give doctors a helping hand: thanks to enhanced technology, robotic systems provide safer, faster, and more accurate surgery.(MedicalRobotics)
June 19, 2008... Advances in robotics technology are completely transforming today's hospital operating rooms. With robot control and assistance, surgery for any kind of injury or ailment is faster, more accurate, and less invasive than ever before. ...

The rats, snakes, insects, and lobsters of war: next-generation military robots that look and perform like animals promise to become a soldier's best friends.(MilitaryRobotics)
June 19, 2008... They run, crawl, slither, fly, and jump. They're also robots. Fueled by funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and other public and private organizations, researchers at labs nationwide are developing a new...

Move over, couch--the cell potato is here: from the fancy flatscreen to the mini-screen, movies and television will literally be at your fingertips.(MobileTV)
June 19, 2008... It's hard to keep up with today's cell-phone functionality, with voice calls, text messaging, e-mail, Web surfing, GPS navigation, cameras, FM radios, and MP3 music. Now television has jumped headlong into the mix. A few carriers already offer...

From the typewriter to the PC and beyond: the QWERTY format has seen 134 years of evolution. So, what key innovations will make an imprint next?(UserInput)
June 19, 2008... Patented in 1869 by Milwaukee newspaper editor Christopher Sholes with partners S.W. Soule and G. Glidden, the first typewriters went into production at Remington Arms Co. in 1873. Essentially, they were word processors without a display or...

Robots finally have that personal touch: robots make the transition from traditional industrial uses to service and retail applications.(PersonalRobotics)
June 19, 2008... Extending from the factory floor and into your living room, the personal robot's time has arrived. These devices have pushed past uses as expensive and cute toys like Sony's Aibo and into sophisticated and affordable products that perform a...

Wending our way from wired to wireless: we're still a heavily wired society, but today's trends look to make it a truly wireless world.(Wireless)
June 19, 2008... Over the past century, we've wired and rewired the world countless times, evolving from copper cable to fiber optics and beyond. But this cycle will soon come to an end as rapid-fire wireless innovations consistently deliver faster, cheaper,...

Analog/mixed-signal design.(what's happening @ electronicdesign.com)
June 26, 2008... Squeeze 10-Bit Performance From An 8-Bit ADC, Part 2: Additive Dithering [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DAVE VAN ESS, Application Engineer, MTS, Cypress Semiconductor You don't want to burden your design with the extra cost of a...

Free webinar.(what's happening @ electronicdesign.com)
June 26, 2008... Supercharging Products With Embedded RFID June 26 at 2 p.m. ET They may look the same on the outside, but products that have embedded RFID readers and software stand apart from their competition by offering increased efficiency,...

Techview online.(what's happening @ electronicdesign.com)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... Communications/Test Editor Louis E. Frenzel takes a look at the hottest test developments in his latest exclusive online reports. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MELs Make Power-Source Testing Faster And Easier How do you test a very...

Solar-Array Simulator imitates satellite environmental conditions.(what's happening @ electronicdesign.com)
June 26, 2008... Some things are really tough to test. For example, how do you simulate the solar panels on a satellite under varying light and orientation conditions? Well, Agilent's E4360 Solar Array Simulator accurately simulates the I-V curve of a solar...

GPS satellite signal generation simplifies nav receiver testing.(what's happening @ electronicdesign.com)
June 26, 2008... The GPS Toolkit from National Instruments is a software accessory for the company's popular LabVIEW program. In conjunction with NI's PXIe-5672 or PXI-5671 RF vector signal generators, it can simulate up to 12 simultaneous GPS satellite signals...

Handbook provides the fundamentals of switching in test systems.(what's happening @ electronicdesign.com)
June 26, 2008... Most test systems today require switching to reconfigure the test setup to make multiple different tests and measurements. This isn't something you learn in school. Fortunately, Keithley Instruments' switching Handbook: a Guide to signal...

EiED online.(what's happening @ electronicdesign.com)
June 26, 2008... ZBA Bluetooth Kit [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Embedded/Systems/Software Editor Bill Wong gives ZBA's latest evaluation kit and Bluetooth modules a test run. ED ONLINE 19073

FlexStack modular LabVIEW system.(what's happening @ electronicdesign.com)(Boston Engineering FlexStack )(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... The Boston Engineering FlexStack is a tiny, rugged deployment platform that combines the flexibility of LabVIEW embedded technology with the power of the Analog Devices Blackfin processor. With these 2.5- by 2.5-in. stackable modules, designers...

Is solar energy really ready to rumble?(editorial)
June 26, 2008... At the recent International Electronics Forum (IEF) in Dubai, UAE, I attended two days of presentations about the semiconductor industry. The speakers were from all parts of the world and offered unique perspectives. But the talk I found most...

Micros find their way into blue-ribbon science fair projects.(the lab bench)
June 26, 2008... Held last month in Atlanta, the Intel ISEF 2008 brought together more than 1500 students from around the world as they presented their award-winning projects from state and regional science fairs. Individuals and teams competed in more than 17...

Is China's fabless industry ready for cross-border collaboration?(point of view)
June 26, 2008... In today's flat but increasingly complex world, no one entity can do it all--not even Cisco or IBM, both prominent proponents of business collaboration and participation in clusters. The semiconductor industry came to this realization earlier...

Copper memory saves plenty of energy--and pennies.(techview)
June 26, 2008... Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you'll have good luck. That saying has been around since pennies were actually made mostly of copper, not just copper-coated like they are today. Copper can also be found in our bloodstream. It has been...

Energy harvesting goes commercial.(techview)
June 26, 2008... Last June at Darnell's Nanopower Forum, Face International demonstrated prototypes of its Lightning remote switching technology for home and business wiring (see "Zombies And Energy Harvesting" at www.electronicdesign.com, ED Online 15788). At...

Formal verification suite takes in wider view of designs.(techview)(JasperGold)
June 26, 2008... If there's ever been a knock on formal verification, it's the amount of time it takes to do a formal run on a full design. Formal tools can only take in so much design data at a given time, forcing design teams to partition the design for...

All a-board! To satisfy the needs of aerospace and defense applications, compact, multicore, low-power computer boards are achieving greater levels of computational capabilities per watt.(feature)
June 26, 2008... Aerospace and military applications that are more sophisticated and complex are spawning a new breed of single-board computers (SBCs). That's because the users in these areas have rather formidable demands, such as greater ruggedness, higher...

FPGAs pushing MCUs as the platform of choice: tools and core selection make it easier to build systems-on-a-chip with FPGAs.(technology report)
June 26, 2008... Falling FPGA prices and ever-improving tools make FPGA development more palatable to designers who aren't well versed in this arena. Likewise, the increased number of choices and improved sophistication of soft processor cores for FPGAs create...

Signal generators step up and deliver come test time: with the variety of instruments available today, designers can put their projects through the paces with just about any kind of imaginable signal.(engineering essentials)
June 26, 2008... All electronic circuits and equipment receive input signals and process them into new and different output signals. When you're designing and testing circuits and equipment, where do you get those input signals? You could build your own signal...

Add modular plug-in functionality to any embedded design: by taking advantage of the latest 16-bit MCUs that offer flexible I/O pin mapping, designers can conceive efficient embedded designs by taking the modular plug-in approach.(design solution)
June 26, 2008... Utilizing modularity in an embedded design opens up a number of new possibilities when compared to standard embedded applications. It enables the design of compact form-factor devices, without sacrificing functionality. Modularized embedded...

Adapt DC voltage to perform PWM dimming of high-brightness LEDs.(ideas for design)
June 26, 2008... High-brightness LEDs (HBLEDs) are making inroads into more traditional lighting applications that include a dc distribution system (for example, 24-V MR-16 track lights). HBLEDs are more efficient, and they have a potentially longer lifespan...

Trick a BJT-based converter into starting at only 250 mV DC.(ideas for design)
June 26, 2008... The converter described below, based on a silicon bipolar-junction transistor (BJT), can operate at as low as 250 mV, which is probably a record for a converter not based on a JFET or germanium transistor. How is this possible? The [V.sub.BE]...

BSI technology flips digital imaging upside down.(in electronic design)
June 26, 2008... The quest for superior digital images in ever-shrinking camera designs never ends. Now, CMOS-sensor specialist OmniVision Technologies has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC) to take a completely different approach to...

Optical bonding and surface treatments improve displays.(in electronic design)
June 26, 2008... Why should you consider optical bonding for your portable design? Do you need anti-glare or anti-reflective enhancements in the product? Should you plan on a more powerful backlight for your thin-film-transistor (TFT) LCD display? Start by...

Hall-effect sensors integrate PWM/SENT interfaces.(SENSORS)
June 26, 2008... Additions to the Micronas Semiconductors varioHAL family of Hall-effect sensors with digital interfaces include the HAL 2830 and HAL 2850, both of which integrate a microcontroller, temperature sensor, and on-chip compensation. They also...

Rotary position sensors measure angular displacements up to 120[degrees].(SENSORS)
June 26, 2008... The contact-less RSE 1500 series rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) position sensors provide an absolute output that's proportional to shaft rotation over a total range up 120[degrees]. Although their shafts rotate a full...

RTC integrates readable temperature sensor.(SENSORS)
June 26, 2008... Part of a family of ultra-low-power, real-time clocks (RTCs), the EM3027 offers compensated frequency deviation from -40[degrees]C to 125[degrees]C and a temperature sensor with digital readout capability. The clock operates from a supply...

Sensor boosts phone camera performance.(SENSORS)
June 26, 2008... The 5-Mpixel OV5630 CameraChip sensor from Omnivision Technologies incorporates the company's proprietary 1.75-[micro]m Omni-Pixel3-HS architecture. The OV5633, a modified version of the OV5630, targets digital still cameras and digital video...

Light sensor lives long.(SENSORS)
June 26, 2008... For high-volume automotive, industrial, and consumer applications, the MLX75305 light-to-voltage sensor specifies a lifespan of 15 years. It integrates a photodiode, transimpedance amplifier, and linear voltage output stage. This approach...

Compact dc-dc modules deliver triple outputs.(POWER SOURCES)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... Measuring 2 by 2.75 by 0.5, the CB75T series dc-dc converter modules deliver up to 75 W via three outputs. Accepting a wide input range from 16 to 40 V dc, they provide output voltages of 3.3 V dc or 5 V dc main with [+ or -]12-V dc or [+ or...

Dc-dc converter series expands to more than 2000 models.(POWER SOURCES)
June 26, 2008... Now consisting of 11 families, the I series of low-power isolated dc converters offers more than 2000 models with a range of industry-standard mounting options, including single-inline package (SIP), dual-inline package (DIP), and DIP24 with...

1U programmable supply delivers up to 6 KW.(POWER SOURCES)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... Measuring 5.5 by 10.7 by 1.6 in. in a 1U high 19-in. rack-mounting chassis, the UFE2000 digitally programmable ac-dc front-end power supply provides up to 6 kW of available power or up to 4 kW redundant power. The supplies can also be stacked...

100-W ac-dc supplies suit wide range of apps.(POWER SOURCES)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... Combining a compact size and high performance, the MPE-100FS series 100-W ac-dc power supplies handle a variety of applications, including machine/process control, telecommunications, data processing, and industrial automation. In finger-safe...

Versatile supplies deliver constant voltage/current.(POWER SOURCES)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... Focusing on a wide range of applications, the WL7 series switching power supplies deliver up to 450 W and constant voltage/current crossover. Models with wide output voltage ranges are adjustable down to 0 V, and both voltage and current are...

Power modules boost appliance motor efficiency.(POWER SOURCES)
June 26, 2008... Responding to energy regulations, the CiPoS integrated, intelligent power modules from Infineon Technologies contain nearly all necessary semiconductors and components to control variable-speed motors in consumer appliances such as washing...

500-W open-frame supplies sport low profile.(POWER SOURCES)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... Measuring 9.05 by 5.11 by 1.5 in., the PSU-500 series of 500-W, open-frame power supplies offers eight single-output models with outputs of 5, 12, 13.8, 15, 24, 36, 48, and 50 V dc. They provide remote on/off and power-good signals with an...

LED light rings achieve near-IR light.(DISPLAYS)
June 26, 2008... Employing LEDs with 850- to 880-nm wavelengths and paired with optional ambient light sensors to minimize current consumption, the OPA80, OPA82, and OPA83 series light rings deliver near-infrared light and are available in a variety of ring...

LED driver boards go plug and play.(DISPLAYS)
June 26, 2008... Poised for a wide range of industrial and medical LCDs, the SFDE (Economical) and SFDM (Mini) series LED driver boards provide full-function power supplies and measure less than 5 mm in height. Both promise brightness stability over a wide...

Auto-focus LED debuts as industry's thinnest.(DISPLAYS)
June 26, 2008... Providing a narrow light pattern for auto-focus flash functions in digital cameras, the Avago ASMT-FJ30 embarks as the thinnest auto-focus LED available with a footprint that can fit on the head of a pencil eraser, according to the company....

LED backlights trim down.(DISPLAYS)
June 26, 2008... Employing patented MicroLens light extraction technology and improved manufacturing processes, the latest LED-based, high-brightness backlights from Global Lighting Technologies offer components measuring as little as 0.4 mm thick. With light...

Reflector LED backlights mid-size LCDs.(DISPLAYS)
June 26, 2008... Suitable for backlighting 5- to 20-in. LCDs, the Ceramos reflector LED provides high brightness and power in a package measuring 2.3 by 3.2 by 0.8 mm. Designed for light-guide-based backlighting in high-ambient-light conditions, the component...

Substrate technology boosts LED output.(DISPLAYS)
June 26, 2008... Addressing thermal challenges in LED and solid-state lighting systems, Anotherm Plus substrate technology features a thermally efficient glass dielectric material that withstands higher voltages and enables higher light output from LEDs. The...

LCDs meet demanding industrial specs.(DISPLAYS)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... Groomed for rugged industrial installations, the 5.7-in. LQ057V3DG02 and 8.4-in. LQ084V3DG01 VGA TFT-LCDs meet Sharp's Strong 2 criteria for industrial display technology. These standards include a minimum brightness of 400 nits, standard...

RGB LED enables very thin displays.(DISPLAYS)
June 26, 2008... The MicroSIDELED RGB LED features an ultra-slim design and delivers high-brightness coupling into light guides for backlighting. It measures 5 by 1.4 mm and 0.6 mm high. Also, it integrates three individual color chips. According to Osram, it...

High performance sockets & adapters.(direct connection)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... Includes 40 GHz bandwidth sockets for BGA and QFN, only slightly larger than IC with integral heatsink for medium power and optional heatsinking to over 100 watts. Up to 500k insertions. Adapters for prototype, test, and more. Quick turn volume...

World's smallest low frequency oscillator offers low current.(direct connection)(Brief article)
June 26, 2008... The world's smallest "all-in-one-package" miniature low frequency oscillator is now available from the Micro Crystal, division of the Swatch Group. This ultra-small size ceramic package has been designed to combine the company's smallest...

Mailbag.(pease porridge)(Letter to the editor)
June 26, 2008... HI BOB, I have been collecting some new but mostly museum-grade test instruments. Along with purchases from various instrument rental houses, flea markets, and so on, for a while I bid on items in government liquidation auctions. Occasionally,...