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From: "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: LEDs, drama
Date: Mon, 5 May 2025 14:02:50 +0200
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On 2025-05-05 12:54, Bill Sloman wrote:
> On 5/05/2025 3:28 am, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> On Sun, 04 May 2025 06:56:23 -0700, john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sun, 04 May 2025 12:18:12 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Fri, 02 May 2025 08:10:44 -0700, john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> One of my young engineers just got the first unit of a thing he
>>>>> designed. He was all cautious about bringing it up a step at a time,
>>>>> so I just pulled rank and switched it on in self-trigger mode. It
>>>>> works.
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wl51ennrq60edw9ina3za/P800-1Hz- 
>>>>> Selft-Trigger.mp4?rlkey=ravaj03c330jjfmplylxr2k7j&dl=0
>>>>>
>>>>> It's an 8-channel high voltage pulse generator. We're not sure what
>>>>> it's used for and the customer won't tell.
>>>>
>>>> Could be for the timing capacitors in a fusion bomb. I really wouldn't
>>>> worry about it.
>>>
>>> I've done timing to fire implosion fission bombs, and this doesn't
>>> look to be one of those.
>>
>> Yes, I said *fusion* bomb which is somewhat different. Timing is
>> critical for those. It's rather like grasping a wet bar of soap.
>>
>>> Some of the things that could be really fun aren't, because the good
>>> bits are secret.
>>
>> Yes, I can see how that would spoil things a bit from your POV.
>>
>>> One of my son-in-laws has a PhD in engineering mechanics and works for
>>> a big lab that blows things up. He says it's not much fun because the
>>> booms happen miles away and all he gets is data.
>>
>> Er, yes. I think on balance I'd sooner be miles away in his position.
>> Jeff loves blowing stuff up. Haven't heard from him in a while; hope
>> he's okay and not been 'hoist by his own petard' if I might throw in a
>> bit of Hamlet here.
> 
> A petard was a very small canon or mortar used for blowing down doors 
> and walls, and notoriously dangerous to the person employing it.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petard
> 
> It may be one of the many idioms that Shakespeare invented (and he 
> invented a lot), but the weapon was invented in 1579 when Shakespeare 
> was 15, so he could well have picked up the phrase from some of his 
> contemporaries.

Wow, thanks, I always wondered where the expression came from.

You see, for me the word "petard" is very similar to the Spanish 
"petardo", a firecracker.


The wikipedia doesn't explain why it was that dangerous. The Spanish 
article on it is much shorter, but the explanation on how it was 
prepared is more detailed.


-- 
Cheers, Carlos.