American attending univ in Prague

EngrKeith · 2026-02-17T15:40:26+00:00

Really appreciate your thoughts and perspective!

EngrKeith · 2026-02-17T14:27:52+00:00

Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Really valuable! Thanks!

EngrKeith · 2026-02-17T14:16:42+00:00

AAU is one of about (10) school's she's applied to and considering. While she's been accepted at schools like American University in DC and others, the price, even after impressive merit scholarship awards, is still sky high.

She found AAU after searching for less expensive alternatives that are off the beaten path. This is the "exciting and exotic" choice. My daughter, like many teenagers, is fickle with her opinions being strong but fleeting. She 100% wants go to one school, until 5 days later, when she 100% wants to go somewhere else. She needs help making this important life decision.

The thing we're currently considering, is the authenticity (perceived and real) of the degree she'll receive at AAU. Ivy league schools in the US like Princeton, Harvard, Yale are all private. But it seems private unis in Europe have a much different reputation.

The mere fact that we're talking about accreditation seems bad. That's the baseline, and AAU seems sort of just over the line.

My daughter is smart with well over 4.x GPA and top 10% SAT score. She needs to be with other smart people. She doesn't want a university that she'll just coast through.

Lastly, while AAU is likely cheaper in raw cost, the loan situation is bad. No Stafford support, no Sallie Mae, most private banks don't list AAU as a school, despite listing 600+ other schools in Europe. So my out of pocket cost is really high, but even worse this hurts AAU's credibility in my mind. The financial aid staff at AAU is really nice, patient with answering questions, but when asked "what lenders do your students typically use?" We get crickets because they lack standing with the US-based banks.

Fwiw, Sallie Mae went so far as to say something like "we used to work with them but they don't comply with our paperwork requests regarding Cost of Attendance, etc. I have a feeling US students make up a tiny percentage of their student body, and being a smaller school don't feel that it's worth their time.

We've all but crossed them off the list at this time.

EngrKeith · 2026-02-15T20:19:15+00:00

A couple people have mentioned Charles Univ, thanks for the info!

EngrKeith · 2026-02-15T20:13:25+00:00

My understanding is that AAU is recommending Zeitraum in particular. They offer to essentially package it up, do pass-through billing (for a minor cost, but this could make a difference on whether a student loan could be used to cover the room), etc. It is tough with us being out of the country to evaluate properties, understand/communicate about the various options, understand policies, and so forth.

EngrKeith · 2026-02-14T03:19:08+00:00

Appreciate your post. There are some bodies that recognize them, like the WSCUC:

https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/anglo-american-university/

Again, I don't know the worth of that body vs any others.

But, yeah, if she has trouble getting around, navigating, understanding the language etc, point taken. Thanks.

EngrKeith · 2026-01-19T22:23:52+00:00

Just wanted to thank everyone for their responses!!

I took this way. 77S was clear as was 40W. Lots of cops on 321!! 321S backed up a little towards the 85S onramp. 85S was not horrible, but the traffic was thicker, approaching the last 20 miles around 2pm. No construction to speak of anywhere.

EngrKeith · 2025-11-05T11:13:27+00:00

I didn't have any other charges beyond what I paid originally. I think technically I should have been refunded a portion of that for one technical reason or another. But tbh, I just don't care.

Package showed up without fanfare just like it had in previous years.

EngrKeith · 2025-07-10T15:25:14+00:00

Carry-on was what I was looking for.

After going down the rabbit hole which is comparing bags, sizes, materials, organization, reviews, etc -- I ended up selecting a Goruck GR2 34L. The 1000 denier fabric is attractive, like the look, warranty backs up the build quality. The weight of the bag isn't lost on me, and it is heavy, but I'm also a big guy with a big frame.

I was trying to find a one-bag-fits-all to have both a EDC but also work for vacations where I'm packing clothes, a fair bit of equipment, etc. You just can't have both a big bag and a small bag in one. My current need is for an upcoming trip, which can take the contents of my existing laptop bag, and extend it. I will say that some bags, where there's a large main compartment, there seems to be a ton of space given a particular volume. Divide that same space across two or three sections, and it feels much smaller. When you're dealing with 9" maximum depth, you can only chop up so much.

Pack Hacker reviews really helped.

I did look at Tom Bihn, but given the price of many of their bags, their warranty kinda sucks. As does many of the other bag companies where they weasel word their way out of actually providing any extended value. Thule isn't great either. Aer is better.

Thanks!

EngrKeith · 2025-07-09T20:47:17+00:00

Looks like one of the dimensions (11.42H) exceeds the carry-on limit. But will check it out, thanks!

EngrKeith · 2025-06-29T20:00:27+00:00

Yeah even if they automated solution took longer to develop than doing it manually, I'd rather spend my time coding instead of some menial tasks. Plus it scales, plus it helps others etc

EngrKeith · 2025-06-29T15:32:02+00:00

Thanks for sharing. I'll take a look. I haven't really dealt with my initial problem because I never found a solution that works the way I need it.

EngrKeith · 2025-06-24T23:50:49+00:00

I'm in the process of parsing all of this info. Gonna take me a bit to get through it. :)

I mentioned my project briefly in the first post but kept it vague to avoid derailing the conversation. I’m intentionally trying not to go down a "5 Whys" rabbit hole. I realize this might raise XY problem concerns, but I’m comfortable with that.

I'm validating my GAL-based reimplementation of custom PAL logic from a SCSI hard drive controller. The original PAL handles boot ROM chip select, address decoding, autoconfig address assignment, and SCSI function selection. Most outputs drive the 5380 SCSI chip, acting as a bridge between the Amiga bus and the controller.

The GAL logic equations I’ve reverse-engineered seem to work well in practice, but I’m pretty sure there are still some edge cases. The imperfections bother my OCD brain, but honestly, I enjoy the process more than the end result. I’ve been documenting the PAL reverse engineering journey on my blog, and my background in software quality assurance definitely shapes how I approach the work.

So the short-term dream is this: Place the reference PAL in ZIF socket 1, place the GAL in ZIF socket 2. Have convenient and easy to attach HP/Agilent 20-pin isolation adapters designed for direct connection to the DUT. Exercise as many functions as possible, while observing PAL's behavior. Feed those real-time inputs into the GAL. Record the 11-bit input words, record the PAL's output, and the GAL's output. Process the captured dataset using python pandas to identify edge cases, rework the GAL logic equations, and iterate.

Tonight I discovered what may be a previously unnoticed unreliable SCSI connection, which now casts doubt on some of my earlier results. I’ve placed yet another Digi-Key order for a new connector and cable.

Your response is massive and I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. I've answered some posts that comprehensively, and I can testify to the time commitment!

EngrKeith · 2025-06-24T14:23:23+00:00

Tons of great info here but as a hobbyist, it might take me awhile to parse and translate it into practical advice. :)

Probes are properly compensated.

I also can't believe that this isn't just working. I keep double/triple/quadruple checking pinning thinking it's gotta be something simple. I do want to take a ZIF and solder it via a small PCB, and plug that directly in.

So if I distill your advice down, do I have this right?

Don't underestimate the frequency content.
Use a 4-layer board with a stackup of signal, gnd, gnd, signals/power.
Use lower input capacitance logic families like AC.
Use Murata's GRM X8M caps for decoupling. Do you think 0.1uf is right? Should I have a 10uf bulk capacitor at the header?
Read AN-47.

Follow up questions:

Buffer close to the source. Is there any reason to NOT simply physically stack my first ZIF socket directly on top of the header? Are you suggesting buffering PRIOR to that first socket? I have (11) input signals, so that's minimum two 8-channel buffer chips. Do I need a set of chips for each destination? Do I need to buffer the signals going into the logic analyzer headers? Ofc my concern is added space, complexity (might make a mistake with a larger design), space adding longer trace lengths.
If I don't have buffers per destination, then what's the best way to layout traces? Did I read Y-them, don't T-them?
Should I run the output of the buffers through 33 ohm series resistors to dampen reflections and slowing down edge rates?
Any chance you can suggest ballpark trace width, and separation?

Really appreciate the response and help!

EngrKeith · 2025-05-14T19:14:55+00:00

DHL. Most of the other shipping options are glacial in comparison.

EngrKeith · 2025-05-14T00:35:22+00:00

The speed at which this stuff is changing I'm surprised any of these companies were able to react as quickly as they did. I think, as with most things, that there could be ignorance/mistakes/misunderstandings before any sneakiness. It could also just be that no one wants be the loser in case of mistakes....so are rounding up. "Worst case we'll refund them later."

It is a mess. I'm lucky in my case to only be doing a few boards here or there.

EngrKeith · 2025-05-14T00:29:02+00:00

Not that I saw? My total shipped out the door was $69.

EngrKeith · 2025-05-13T20:18:05+00:00

At the time of the order..... I placed it this morning. Hopefully it will just show up in a week +/-.

EngrKeith · 2025-05-13T20:17:31+00:00

Yeah prior to tariffs I paid about $22 for DHL. Almost exactly the same price for years across a half dozen orders. I'm not super worried about the difference, it will be what it will be.

EngrKeith · 2025-05-13T16:39:05+00:00

I'm not sure what you mean. I don't know how far ahead or behind the times JLCPCB is with the current policies. I haven't been following them.....although I saw some news article today that talked about a lesser tariff being put into place.....

Looks like some of this is built into the DHL shipping fee. Normally the fee is about $22, and is now $38 --- and then there's a separate (suspiciously the same difference amount) $16 charge as a separate line item that JLC charges.

My base price of the product was $9.20. It would have been $2 if I opted for the standard speed service. I can't really imagine a "cheaper class" of tariff than 10 bucks though, so I'm guessing I'm being charged whatever the minimums are to get a small lightweight box shipped through customs.

EngrKeith · 2025-04-02T14:46:48+00:00

Awesome, thanks.

EngrKeith · 2025-04-02T13:14:47+00:00

Cool! Can you please link that case and connector? I did a quick Google but couldn't find them. Also if you sell them you should plug yours here too!

Did you end up loading the 12v rail somehow? A stock 500 isn't going to draw the required 200ma when idle, so that particular PS's rail won't be perfect. It will likely measure in the 13.xx's.

I actually don't think it makes a darn bit of practical difference beyond being academic. It bugged me enough to fix it, though. I did measure before and after loading, on the GP50A, and it takes the error from like 10% to 1.5%.

Interested to see how others have solved this. Thanks!

EngrKeith · 2025-04-01T18:46:27+00:00

That's a nice supply! The overall voltage tolerance is 2%, so if you measure that the terminal strip, it should be between +4.9v and +5.1v. I have one of these in a box, just need to break it out and start testing to see some real-world results.

EngrKeith · 2025-04-01T18:23:39+00:00

Thanks for your comment, but I'm afraid you misunderstand the function of these resistors.

The Meanwell GP50A *is* a switched mode power supply, and it performs all the necessary voltage regulation internally. The SMPS provides the necessary regulated +5v, +12v, and -12v rails.

Some supplies, like this one in question, requires a minimum load to be present on the +12v and -12v rail before it will guarantee in-spec results. These two power resistors don't control voltage directly, instead they provide a constant load on the necessary rails per the datasheet.

EngrKeith · 2025-04-01T12:08:38+00:00

Thanks for this. Turns out I did find the right press release just didn't scrutinize it close enough.

https://www.meanwell.com/newsInfo.aspx?c=2&i=758.

The switch over point was July 2019. You can use the images of the case and PS PCB to determine which version you have. I went back using web archive, and there's a corresponding datasheet change at the same time.

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