I am not a great electronics designer by any means, certainly not on the analog end; I'm sure I have read an app note or two of his authorship, but I never really knew of him. Reading the various comments, though - seeing through other's eyes who they knew - and the workbench! Amazing! - I can see the world of electronics design (and the world in general) has lost a special man, and is the poorer for it.
Well, I've copied two of Jim's attributes. No hair and a seriously untidy workbench.
Sadly, not the extraordinary talent though!
With the electronics world going the way it is, we can't afford to lose analogue engineers of that calibre - especially those who have the rare gifts of expert knowledge, and the 'common touch' to explain to us lesser mortals, without being condescending.
A sad loss. Love some of those LT app notes.
RIP, Jim.
RIP Jim Williams. You were a dedicated designer of Linear Electronics. And brilliant at what you did.....
However, obviously, everything lying around on the workbench was probably used but not blown
I am in an Electronics repair environment.....if our workbenches looked like that....I would probably have to kill myself......impossible to work like that with faulty spares mixed up with working one's etc...
To be honest, I wish my workbench was that messy! I'm sure he had a great system--he probably knew everything about each circuit board and device there. That is the kind of man I wish I was...
My bench is not quite as 'organised' as Jim's, but I'm getting there...
The funny thing about this sort of 'organising', is that even suspected faulty components get binned as they are removed from a PCB/breadboard and only the good stuff is left behind. A lot of what you need is already on the bench and in a very small area to be combed through. Saves going to the bins and drawers...
Ever had a tidy-up and then not be able to actually find anything?
My bench is not quite as 'organised' as Jim's, but I'm getting there...
The funny thing about this sort of 'organising', is that even suspected faulty components get binned as they are removed from a PCB/breadboard and only the good stuff is left behind. A lot of what you need is already on the bench and in a very small area to be combed through. Saves going to the bins and drawers...
Ever had a tidy-up and then not be able to actually find anything?
It is fine I believe if you are developing or pioneering Electronics....
It is a whole other thing though if you are in an Electronics repair environment...where you are not the sole person in the workshop fixing things.
Seriously folks...and I do not want this to end in a fight and I respect Jim and all he did for pioneering and progressing Analogue and all other Electronics fields. He was much admired by all.
It's just that a repair environment is what I deal with on a day by day basis:
.We clean our benches before a new repair job is put in front of us.
.That way we can accurately cost the new job once completed because the spares lying around on the bench only belong to the repaired customers TV. And no one else.
.We cost the job and then throw the blown parts away.
.And then the next customers job is ready for the bench.
And I have to add...we are the busiest workshop in the area. Our workplace/area is always clean and organized. Work comes in, gets repaired, and goes out.
I am friends with all our competitors here. I feel proud and welcome their visits when they walk around my workshop.
Took me Three.5 Years to fix it to the standards I started and that we have maintained for around Three Years now.
I don't think anyone's offended.. My bench is like a tip, your's isn't... It's personal preference... (Sometimes I wish I could find things though....like my bench)
I don't think anyone's offended.. My bench is like a tip, your's isn't... It's personal preference... (Sometimes I wish I could find things though....like my bench)
Agh...Brownout did not like my chirp about the workbench.
Engineers have huge amounts of respect for each other. And deservedly so. These are leaders of note. They ALWAYS know what they are doing. Exactly.
@ Brownout I am still going to send you my PCB design for you to check out.
Just read that Bob Pease has left this world too. **broken link removed**
Dunno if this news should be in a separate thread, but it is connected to Jim Williams' passing, as Bob was leaving a memorial service for Jim.