Physics Electronics Unit

The research efforts of the School and the wider ANU community are supported by the Physics Electronics Unit which is equipped with a range of the latest electronic design, development and construction tools. The staff are all experts in their respective fields and as a team offer an extremely high level of service and expertise.

The electronics workshop it is located near the centre of the Cockcroft Building on Level 4 (Room C4.51). The workshop is named in honour of the remarkable Tom Rhymes who was a previous Manager of teh Electronics Workshop and long-time engineer in the Research School.

In 2008 the Research School established the Tom Rhymes technical development award to celebrate the life of Dr Tom Rhymes.

Some of the workshop's capabilities are:

  • Electronics design and development
  • Programming Cfor embedded systems
  • LabVIEW design and support
  • Electronic/Electrical Equipment repair and modification
  • Electrical certification including test and tag
  • High Voltage testing (40kV AC and DC)
  • Pre-procurement electronics advice
  • Electronics installation and commissioning

Our facilities include:

  • State of the art test and measurement equipment library (some available for loan)
    • Oscilloscopes to 1 GHz
    • Signal Generators from mHz to 3GHz
    • Vector Network Analyser 9kHz to 4GHz
    • Power Supplies nV to 20kV
    • Power Quality Analyser
  • RF shielded room (3.5 metre x 2.5 metre)
  • High power testing bench equipped 15A single phase, up to 32A 3 phase. 32A 3 phase variac.
  • Chemical room for printed circuit manufacturing and cleaning
  • 3D printing ABS and, PLA, Onyx, Nylon, PVA, Polycarbonate, TPU, etc
  • Small metal fabrication area
  • Extensive electronics parts inventory

History

The Electronics Unit was established in 1952 to support the School’s research activities. This was an exciting period for electronics, just a few years earlier the invention of the transistor launched a technical revolution that would change the world. The staff of the Electronics Unit faced many challenges in those early years and out of necessity virtually all of the equipment was designed and built in house.

The unit grew steadily in response to the boom in electronics to reach a peak in the late 1970s of around 15 people. With greater advances in electronics and the maturation of the integrated circuit, the technology continued to expand the possibilities for researchers.

Today’s electronics technicians still continue to face technological challenges with learning about now innovative systems and how to apply these to the ever changing world of physics research.

We are also happy to undertake commission work for other universities and external research institutions.

Work requests

If you require technical assistance or advice, wish to borrow equipment or need to discuss a new design please contact the Electronics Unit Manager.

To submit a job to the Electronics Unit please use the Technical Workshop Work Management System web page.

Log in to WMS

Contact

Electronics Unit Manager

(02) 612 51570

Our staff

Blacksell, Michael profile
Technical Officer
(02) 612 51570
Clemow, Graeme profile
Gibson, Dennis profile
Technical Officer
Holding, Matthew profile
Technical Officer
(02) 612 54341
Huynh, Steven profile
Technical Officer
(02) 612 51575
Marshall, Steven profile
Technical Officer
(02) 612 51572
Ramasundara, Wasantha profile
Technical Officer
(02) 612 51574
Szarka, Ian profile
Technical Officer
(02) 612 54341

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