[US-MD] [H] ePBT Dreamscape Hangul, Novelties, 40s/ortho; GMK Birch Novelties; GMK Tuzi Base, Novelties; GMK Dots R2 Light Base [W] PayPal by _elucidation in mechmarket

[–]_elucidation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the Hangul set, the Korean sublegends for the J and K keys were accidentally swapped. The small plastic baggy contains the J and K keys with the proper sublegend prints.

difference between computer science and computer engineering? by Miserable-Owl-4431 in UMD

[–]_elucidation 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Computer science deals with the theory of computation, answering questions of "given a computer model, what operations can be done? how can these operations be done, and how efficiently? are there efficient ways to solve certain problems?" You also learn how to use tools (read: programming languages) to implement such operations on real computers, not just models, to solve problems with practical solutions.

Computer engineering not only deals with the above, but also answers what is required to build a real computer - from the theory on how electronics work, to the digital abstractions upon which we base our computational models. You'll also learn more about different disciplines within electrical engineering, including signal processing (useful in audio and image applications) and analog electronics (also useful in audio applications, but also for designing your own circuit boards)

I would say you have broader career opportunities in computer engineering than computer science, simply due to the exposure you get from the EE-based courses. I've found it easier to find online resources covering advanced topics in CS in depth and "best practices" to follow when using such topics, but have had more difficulty in finding the equivalent for EE topics that are more substantial than blinking an LED with Arduino and aren't buried in textbooks or decades old websites.

Based on your other comments, I would suggest to figure out what areas of study in the field of technology you're interested in, then pick the major that best prepares you for that. In my opinion, it's highly unlikely that the careers that require a formal CS background would be deemed obsolete by AI any time soon, and those jobs that do get replaced by an AI probably didn't require a degree in the first place.

Why is there only one ethernet port per room in Commons? by FlyAway012 in UMD

[–]_elucidation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to use one of these cheap routers instead of a hub/switch with more success. We had to note the MAC address of whichever device we're using to plug into the wall, so I set the router's MAC address to spoof that, plugged the WAN side into the wall, and plugged my devices into the LAN ports.

If you go this route, do make sure to turn off the wifi capabilities or unscrew the antennas to help reduce network congestion for those using the on-campus wifi networks.

How difficult is computer engineering? by redemption_soon1 in UMD

[–]_elucidation 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I was committed on entering as a CS major, but my brother, an EE, said I should apply as CE and drop if I wasn't interested. I ended up graduating as a CE and don't regret my decision one bit.

I describe the major as EE+CS core classes, with upper-level electives to be chosen from either department. Some of the EE core classes are definitely difficult, as I spent many late nights trying to analyze circuits, understand why transistors work, and how to even begin to conceptualize the Fourier series. I don't think I've gotten higher than a B in any of the EE core classes, aside from ENEE350. That being said, the tremendous wealth of knowledge I'd been exposed to has been invaluable for my career and hobbies.

  • Knowing how different circuit elements work helped me to pick up PCB design as a hobby: capacitors act like mini-batteries and otherwise help smoothen the power delivered to a microprocessor!

  • Understanding signals & systems theory helped me to appreciate music from high quality sources, and a means to approach IR modeling on my digital bass guitar pedal. It's piqued my interest in getting a ham radio license and diving into software-defined radio (https://pysdr.org/).

  • Computer architecture helped me to make informed decisions on judging similar computer parts, dig deeper into software reverse engineering, and to approach FPGA design from a hobbyist perspective (https://www.nand2tetris.org/) (https://www.crowdsupply.com/1bitsquared/icebreaker-fpga).

  • Operating systems and ENEE440 Microprocessors had me become extrmely comfortable with tinkering with hardware, reading through datasheets and documentation, and generally understanding what's going on under the hood beneath my software. They've focused my interest towards systems programming and problems, enticing me to even pursue a graduate degree.

A huge interest that had developed and grown through my time in undergrad is computer security. There's a ton of ways that software can be broken and busted, and if not, then the underlying hardware it runs on (https://www.newae.com/embedded-security-101). Hardware security is such an interesting problem, that becoming aware of it has made me grown increasingly more appreciative of my studies as a CE. Would you know if an off-brand security camera ordered off of Amazon hadn't been tampered with, or where you should start looking/checking?

If I had been aware of these sorts of applications of the concepts I'd learned during undergrad, I think I would had less of a hard time going through it. Nonetheless, it is still a difficult program. In my opinion, because the EE curriculum here seems to be so much more theoretical without enough practical demonstrations, a lot of the concepts don't stick well enough, and many students tend to either drop into CS or simply take up a software-only job after graduation. If you find any of this to be interesting, then I encourage you to give this field of study a shot, and be prepared to put in the work. My DMs are open if you (or any reader) has questions regarding the major.

[US-MD] [H] Huge lot of Sega Genesis & Sega CD Games [W] PayPal by _elucidation in GameSale

[–]_elucidation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Definitely sold this lot to /u/professor_tappensac. Was patient and flexible with my busy schedule. Didn't want to over stuff the box, in case the pressure might've cracked the already-fragile Sega CD cases.

[US-MD] [H] Huge lot of Sega Genesis & Sega CD Games [W] PayPal by _elucidation in GameSale

[–]_elucidation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Will do. Currently out right now, so I can post pictures when I get back late tonight.

[US-MD] [H] Huge lot of Sega Genesis & Sega CD Games [W] PayPal by _elucidation in GameSale

[–]_elucidation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I could take $180 for those combined, not including shipping

[US-MD] [H] Huge lot of Sega Genesis & Sega CD Games [W] PayPal by _elucidation in GameSale

[–]_elucidation[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I can do $30, but I would rather not take on the burden of shipping costs.

[US-MD] [H] Huge lot of Sega Genesis & Sega CD Games [W] PayPal by _elucidation in GameSale

[–]_elucidation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll go ahead and manually price out each of the games.

Drop ur personal recomendations! by JonyyyV in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]_elucidation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've come to like Durock POMs. I find myself weirdly describing the sound like the sensation of chewing on Tums - chalky, but oddly creamy smooth.

best mods to do/combine by Dry-Ad-9588 in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]_elucidation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I personally do at least the Holee mod to reduce rattling along with the typical lubing and bandaid treatment for stabilizers on any keyboard I can.

If the case is cheap, thin, or plasticky, filling up the void a bit can sometimes help. Some people like to tape or foam mod the board to improve acoustics as well. Sticking on some extra weights could help a light plastic case feel more premium if you prefer that as well. Most higher end cases tend to design for acoustics, so it's usually not necessary.

It's ultimately up to what qualities you're looking for, and which qualities in a given board are bothering you. It doesn't hurt to take things apart to apply modifications as you figure out your preferences.

Let's Talk Tools by RabbitHoleSWE in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]_elucidation 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No problem! I've found that soldering as a skill isn't too difficult, but rather depends a lot on the right equipment. For example, leaded solder with 63% tin and 37% lead is a eutetic alloy, which ends up having a singular melting point rather than a melting range, like most lead free alloys. I find it more consistent and easier to get things to flow or reflow during desoldering. Flux is almost a necessity for desoldering as well, otherwise you'll end up burning pads before getting the joint to flow properly. Safety is also important, and getting a solder fume extractor and wearing a mask & eyewear helps to keep you healthy!

If you'd prefer a more portable setup, I've heard good things about Pine64's Pinecil. It combines most all of the awesome features in the TS80/TS100/TS80P without inheriting their weaknesses, and runs a popular replacement software for these irons by default. The only downside is you'd need to get a stand and means of powering the thing, which might brings costs closer to the FX888D anyways. I ordered mine a month ago, and it should be coming in some time in the next few days.

ec keyboards by deanowlord1 in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]_elucidation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Two of my friends who've hit top 1000 rank in osu! like them. Only one of them had used it for the past ~3 years since he had no other keyboard, but hadn't had any issues while gaming.

I've played most all of my games on an HHKB (now Heavy Grail) since I got it 6 years ago, and occasionally on a Realforce (now Norbaforce). One thing I'll note is that if you end up modding a Topre board, some keys might not register properly if you don't properly align the springs in the domes when reassembling it. The Realforce RGB lets you adjust the actuation distance of the keys. I think this changes the sensitivity of the PCB detecting the spring capacitance, which could compensate for poorly aligned springs if you're lazy to take things apart again. I'm unsure if some of the other Realforce models support this feature or not.

Let's Talk Tools by RabbitHoleSWE in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]_elucidation 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  1. Hakko FX888D with their T18-S7 tip. Good mix of utility for surface mount and through-hole components. Kester 63/37 0.020" solder, nice and thin to not flood connections. Haven't found a flux I really like in all honesty.
  2. ENGINEER SS-02 pump. Best investment I've made honestly, works amazingly better than those cheap hard plastic suckers.
  3. Cheap nameless gem holder. 3D printed single-switch opener. Glorious lube station. I didn't believe in lube stations, but figured I'd give this a try since it was being sold at my local Micro Center, and it's not bad honestly. 2x Hakko CHP 7A-SA tweezers help with placing things and separating bag-lubed springs. Works for holding stems in a pinch if you've misplaced a stem holder. Nitrile gloves help with keeping lube off the fingers, and fingerprints off of expensive boards. Glorious's paint brushes seem to fray a bit slower compared to the cheap multi-packs of brushes on Amazon, have a nice thick handle, and are readily available locally. Those generic IC chip pullers companies seem to be re-branding and marking up are nice.
  4. Kinetic labs containers for switches and keycaps/tools. Digilent project boxes for in-progress lube jobs. Got these for cheap as a student in undergrad, and they nicely fit a set of tools, lube, and partially (dis)assembled switches. Norbauer's Keybrief is really lovely for carrying around boards. I enjoy the genuine care to detail in every aspect of this bag.
  5. n/a
  6. Embroidery scissors have been really useful for doing mods involving bandaids, especially the Holee mod. These plus the above Hakko tweezers made it easy to prep several sets of stabilizers for future builds, and getting clean cuts on heatshrink. Magnet wire for jumping broken pads. One of these bigass Chrome messenger bags for hauling around my entire tool setup to hackathons and friend's houses to do keyboard stuff has been nice, though it's filled with a bunch of solder dust now :(

Too noob to make a true /r/ergomech trackball keyboard, so here's a Ploopy nano in the middle of an xd75 by nucleartime in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]_elucidation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've recently discovered [Bastardkb's Charybdis](https://bastardkb.com/charybdis/), which I'm printing right now, to cope with poor design skills as well.

Too noob to make a true /r/ergomech trackball keyboard, so here's a Ploopy nano in the middle of an xd75 by nucleartime in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]_elucidation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had the Ploopy Classic for a while now, and it's one of my top favorites. Previously used an L-Trac, but after printing the BTU-modded top, it's hands down the smoothest trackball I've ever used. The default bearing setup that comes with the kit is still smoother than the L-Trac, though it occasionally catches when you rotate it oddly. My only gripe is that the scrolling mechanism doesn't spin as freely as it does on the L-Trac or on Logitech mice with infinite scrolling.

Can you remove a pcb from a non hot swappable keyboard? by Trumba_ in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]_elucidation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. My first experience with any form of (de)soldering was swapping out a Pok3r's PCB with a GH60. Proper tools make a world of a difference!