how-to

• July 24, 2013

  64-bit ISE Navigator Not Working On Windows 8? Here’s A Fix!

  Hamster recently tipped us to a working fix for file dialog crashes in Xilinx ISE x64 on Windows 8. This issue has really been a thorn in the side for a lot of users, so it’s great to have this info! Rename libPortability.dll to libPortability.dll.orig, and copy libPortabilityNOSH.dll to libPortability.dll. Do this in: C:\Xilinx\14.5\ISE_DS\ISE\lib\nt64 C:\Xilinx\14.5\ISE_DS\common\lib\nt64…

• July 10, 2013

  Make Your Own Metal Solder Stencils – Here’s How

  Felix Rusu’s home-made solder paste stencils are so good you’d be forgiven for thinking they were laser-cut. He’s actually using a sheet of aluminum cut from a Dr. Pepper can and cleaning it with acetone and heat. After he sets up the stencil in a PDF file, he is using vinyl shelving paper to transfer…