Real World Instrumentation with Python

Suggested Reading

While there are some books available on the topics we’ve covered in this chapter, you can probably find everything you need to know on the Web. There is a large amount of information available for RS-232, RS-485, USB, and GPIB. For example:

http://www.omega.com/techref/pdf/rs-232.pdf

Omega Engineering has made available a compact one-page summary of the RS-232 standard. It’s a handy thing to keep on the workbench or in your lab binder for quick reference.

Also, as you might expect, Wikipedia has entries on all manner of serial communications topics.

Some of the best places to look for technical information on connectors and the specialized tools that go with them can be found on distributors’ websites. Here are a few:

http://www.DigiKey.com

http://www.alliedelec.com

http://www.mouser.com

Federal and military standards are another good resource. Many of these documents go into great detail concerning assembly and interface techniques, and while you probably won’t need all of the information, they also typically include some high-level material, and some even have what can only be described as tutorials. The NASA document referenced here is one such standard, and there are many more available:

NASA STD 8739.3, “Soldered Electrical Connections.” NASA Technical Standards Program, NASA, 1997.

One of many technical standards freely available from NASA through its Technical Standards Program, this is a concise guide to high-reliability soldering techniques. It is available from ...