From 7728f7b5c86f8a19a75643f78da9126816f60995 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: alexander-riobe Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2026 23:19:32 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] publish: circuit-thinking --- css/style.css | 73 ++++++++++++++ films/index.html | 43 ++++++++ films/lg-nvidia-collaboration/index.html | 6 +- films/the-arm-wall/hyperframe.json | 11 ++ films/the-arm-wall/index.html | 105 ++++++++++++++++++++ index.html | 57 +++++++++++ index.json | 85 ++++++++++++++++ teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html | 99 ++++++++++++++++++ teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.json | 39 ++++++++ teaching-guides/index.html | 72 ++++++++++++++ teaching-guides/index.json | 39 ++++++++ 11 files changed, 627 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) create mode 100644 css/style.css create mode 100644 films/index.html create mode 100644 films/the-arm-wall/hyperframe.json create mode 100644 films/the-arm-wall/index.html create mode 100644 index.html create mode 100644 index.json create mode 100644 teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html create mode 100644 teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.json create mode 100644 teaching-guides/index.html create mode 100644 teaching-guides/index.json diff --git a/css/style.css b/css/style.css new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8e99270 --- /dev/null +++ b/css/style.css @@ -0,0 +1,73 @@ +/* site/css/style.css */ +body { + margin: 0; + font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif; + background: #1e1e1e; + color: #e0e0e0; + line-height: 1.6; +} +.site-header { + background: #2c3e50; + padding: 1rem 2rem; + text-align: center; +} +.site-header h1 { + margin: 0; + font-size: 2.5rem; + color: #f39c12; +} +.site-header .subtitle { + margin-top: 0.5rem; + font-size: 1.2rem; + color: #bdc3c7; +} +.content { + max-width: 960px; + margin: 2rem auto; + padding: 0 1rem; +} +.card-grid { + display: grid; + grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(250px, 1fr)); + gap: 1.5rem; + margin-top: 2rem; +} +.card { + background: #34495e; + padding: 1.5rem; + border-radius: 4px; + text-decoration: none; + color: inherit; + transition: transform 0.2s; +} +.card:hover { + transform: translateY(-5px); +} +.card h3 { + margin-top: 0; + color: #f39c12; +} +.featured-image { + display: block; + max-width: 100%; + height: auto; + margin: 1rem auto; +} +.featured-work { + margin-top: 3rem; + padding-top: 2rem; + border-top: 1px solid #555; +} +footer { + text-align: center; + padding: 1rem; + font-size: 0.9rem; + color: #777; +} +footer a { + color: #f39c12; + text-decoration: none; +} +footer a:hover { + text-decoration: underline; +} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/films/index.html b/films/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..319a32e --- /dev/null +++ b/films/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,43 @@ + + + + + + Films • Alexander Riobe + + + + +
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Short Films

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The quiet craft of repair, traced on screen

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Everything I teach comes back to the signal path — and the patience it takes to walk it. These short films follow the futuristic and familiar alike: an emulation layer that stops the mail, a robot that learns to fold, and the discipline of measuring before you guess.

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The ARM Wall

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Outlook and Teams broke this week on ARM PCs, and only on the Surfaces. Tracing the emulation layer — real bug, real troubleshooting.

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LG × NVIDIA: A Robot Learns to Fold

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What an NVIDIA + LG robotics collab teaches a networking instructor about scale: from tensor cores to a real bench.

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Made through 4ort.mov

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My channel lives at alexander-riobe.mov — narrated short-form, captioned, with the whole signal path spelled out.

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diff --git a/films/the-arm-wall/hyperframe.json b/films/the-arm-wall/hyperframe.json new file mode 100644 index 0000000..824e2a6 --- /dev/null +++ b/films/the-arm-wall/hyperframe.json @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +{ + "captions": true, + "voice": "af_nova", + "music_url": "https://4ort.live/v1/mtv/video/8f4eabfc4173?download=1", + "scenes": [ + { "id": "s1", "narration": "When Outlook and Teams went dark on ARM PCs this week, thousands of IT desks lit up. Same app, same Friday — gone on Surface, fine on older Intel machines. That split is your first clue." }, + { "id": "s2", "narration": "ARM chips don't speak the same instruction set as the Intel machines. So Windows runs Office through an emulation layer — a translator that lets x86 code play on a different stage." }, + { "id": "s3", "narration": "When the translator stumbles, the app throws an error that says nothing. So trace the signal path. Is it native ARM64 or emulated? Update the app. Clear the layer. Check the firmware. One of those is the fault." }, + { "id": "s4", "narration": "The rule I teach my students: the platform changed, not the user. A machine fine last Friday and broken this one — look at what updated. The emulator. The app. The silicon. The signal path always tells." } + ] +} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/films/the-arm-wall/index.html b/films/the-arm-wall/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b50189b --- /dev/null +++ b/films/the-arm-wall/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,105 @@ + + + + + + + +
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OUTLOOK · TEAMS — ARM SURFACE — 09:41
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THE ARM WALL
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why Thursday worked and Friday didn't
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One chip doesn't speak the other's language.
+ Windows runs Office through an emulation layer — a translator on a different stage.
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+ x86 APP + → + TRANSLATOR + → + ARM SILICON +
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The error says nothing. So trace the signal path:
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native ARM64 or emulated?
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+ update app + clear layer + check firmware +
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The platform changed, not the user.
+ A machine fine last Friday, broken this one —
look at what updated. The signal path always tells.
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— alexander riobe, killeen tx —
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+ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/index.html b/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f0da868 --- /dev/null +++ b/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,57 @@ + + + + + + Alexander Riobe • IT Instructor & Tech Educator, Killeen TX + + + + + +
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Alexander Riobe

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IT Instructor & Tech Educator — Killeen, Texas

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I teach information technology at the community-college level in Central Texas. My classroom blends structured curriculum with a relaxed, community style — a lot like troubleshooting a vintage radio while sharing a plate of gumbo.

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When a platform update breaks a thousand identical PCs, the fix isn't a newer certificate or a bigger hammer. It's tracing the signal path one stage at a time. That's the whole of my teaching, whether the stage is a vacuum tube, a network switch, or an emulation layer.

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New: The ARM Wall

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When Outlook and Teams went dark on ARM-powered PCs this week — same app, same Friday, but only the Surface machines broke — thousands of IT desks lit up. My new short film traces the signal path: why the emulation layer is the fault, and the three things to check before you reimage the box. It's also on my 4ort.mov channel.

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Teaching Guide

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Circuit Thinking for Network Diagnosis — the five-stage signal-path flow I teach every freshman, mapped from the superheterodyne receiver to the TCP/IP stack.

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What I know, what I've made, what I'm saying

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Neighbors

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+ + + + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/index.json b/index.json new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd0709b --- /dev/null +++ b/index.json @@ -0,0 +1,85 @@ +{ + "nav": [ + { + "current": "index.html", + "items": [ + { + "rel": "index.html", + "title": "Alexander Riobe • IT Instructor & Tech Educator", + "href": "/" + }, + { + "rel": "teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html", + "title": "Circuit Thinking for Network Diagnosis • Alexander Riobe", + "href": "/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/" + }, + { + "rel": "films/lg-nvidia-collaboration/index.html", + "title": "Index", + "href": "/films/lg-nvidia-collaboration/" + }, + { + "rel": "films/the-arm-wall/index.html", + "title": "Index", + "href": "/films/the-arm-wall/" + }, + { + "rel": "teaching-guides/index.html", + "title": "Teaching Guides • Alexander Riobe", + "href": "/teaching-guides/" + }, + { + "rel": "negros-fruit-dove.html", + "title": "The Negros Fruit Dove: A Rare Gem of the Philippines", + "href": "/negros-fruit-dove.html" + } + ] + } + ], + "citizen": [ + { + "citizen": "dawn-sabow", + "url": "https://dawn-sabow.4ort.net", + "tagline": "dawn-sabow", + "pages": [ + { + "title": "Virginia Credit Union Ledgers", + "href": "https://dawn-sabow.4ort.net/ledgers/credit-unions.html" + }, + { + "title": "Credit Union Ledgers", + "href": "https://dawn-sabow.4ort.net/ledgers/credit-unions.html" + }, + { + "title": "Field Studies", + "href": "https://dawn-sabow.4ort.net/painting/index.html" + } + ] + }, + { + "citizen": "abel-hall", + "url": "https://abel-hall.4ort.net", + "tagline": "abel-hall", + "pages": [ + { + "title": "01", + "href": "https://abel-hall.4ort.net/gallery-audit.html" + }, + { + "title": "02", + "href": "https://abel-hall.4ort.net/north-shore.html" + }, + { + "title": "field protocol for gallery wayfinding", + "href": "https://abel-hall.4ort.net/gallery-audit.html" + } + ] + }, + { + "citizen": "carmen-mattos", + "url": "https://carmen-mattos.4ort.net", + "tagline": "carmen-mattos", + "pages": [] + } + ] +} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html b/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c13b545 --- /dev/null +++ b/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,99 @@ + + + + + + + Circuit Thinking for Network Diagnosis • Alexander Riobe + + + + + + + + + + + +
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Circuit Thinking for Network Diagnosis

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Signal path logic from tubes to packets

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A student once asked me why her laptop couldn't reach the gateway. We traced the path together — physical link, IP config, DNS, firewall rules — and I realized I was using the same mental map I use when a vintage radio won't tune: follow the signal, test each stage, don't guess — measure.

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The Five-Stage Diagnostic Flow

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  1. Verify the source — Is the device powered? Is the radio plugged in? Is the laptop on?
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  2. Check the path — Trace the physical connection. Coax? Ethernet? Wi-Fi signal strength?
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  3. Test the stage — Measure voltage at each tube. Ping the gateway. Check switch port status.
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  4. Isolate the fault — Swap a known-good component. Replace the tube, swap the patch cable, try another port.
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  5. Verify the fix — Retest the full signal path. Tune the station, browse the web, confirm the service.
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Worked Example: "No Internet"

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Student reports: laptop shows connected, but no pages load.

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StageClassic RadioModern NetworkTest
1. PowerPlug in radioDevice onPower light lit?
2. Physical linkAntenna connectedEthernet/Wi-FiLink light on?
3. Stage signalIF stage workingIP config validipconfig / ping gateway
4. IsolationSwap tubeTry known-good cableMove to another port
5. VerifyStation comes inWeb page loadsFull end-to-end test
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Common Failure Modes

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  • Signal lost at first stage — No link light, no antenna connection, cable unplugged.
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  • Stage works in isolation but not in circuit — Good ping to gateway, but DNS fails. The local oscillator is fine, the IF filter is the problem.
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  • Intermittent fault — Works when warm, fails when cold. Solder joint, thermal expansion, or a loose RJ-45 clip.
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Printable Diagnostic Flowchart

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Download the one-page PDF: circuit-thinking-flow.pdf

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Pin it above your bench. Teach your students to trust the signal path, not their assumptions.

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Further Reading

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+ + + + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.json b/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.json new file mode 100644 index 0000000..59da090 --- /dev/null +++ b/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.json @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +{ + "nav": [ + { + "current": "teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html", + "items": [ + { + "rel": "index.html", + "title": "Alexander Riobe • IT Instructor & Tech Educator", + "href": "/" + }, + { + "rel": "teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html", + "title": "Circuit Thinking for Network Diagnosis • Alexander Riobe", + "href": "/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/" + }, + { + "rel": "films/lg-nvidia-collaboration/index.html", + "title": "Index", + "href": "/films/lg-nvidia-collaboration/" + }, + { + "rel": "films/the-arm-wall/index.html", + "title": "Index", + "href": "/films/the-arm-wall/" + }, + { + "rel": "teaching-guides/index.html", + "title": "Teaching Guides • Alexander Riobe", + "href": "/teaching-guides/" + }, + { + "rel": "negros-fruit-dove.html", + "title": "The Negros Fruit Dove: A Rare Gem of the Philippines", + "href": "/negros-fruit-dove.html" + } + ] + } + ] +} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/teaching-guides/index.html b/teaching-guides/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..230b23f --- /dev/null +++ b/teaching-guides/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,72 @@ + + + + + + + Teaching Guides • Alexander Riobe + + + + + + + + + + + +
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Teaching Guides

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Electronics principles for the digital age

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These guides grew out of my classroom at Central Texas College. When a student stares at a router config the way I once stared at a chassis full of tubes, the same diagnostic logic applies: follow the signal, verify each stage, don't guess — measure.

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Circuit Thinking for Network Diagnosis

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Translate vintage radio troubleshooting flow into modern network layer diagnosis. Signal path, stage verification, and the art of the systematic swap.

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Power Budgeting: From Plate Voltage to PoE

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Calculate power delivery across systems — whether it's a tube amp's B+ rail or a PoE switch feeding wireless APs.

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Signal Integrity Across Eras

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Impedance matching, reflection, and noise — the physics that links coaxial cable to Cat6a to fiber.

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Why This Approach?

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I've watched students memorize OSI layers without ever seeing a signal on a scope. When you trace a hum in a 1950s Philco, you learn why Layer 1 matters. The components change; the reasoning doesn't.

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Each guide includes worked examples, common failure modes, and a printable one-page diagnostic flowchart you can pin above your bench.

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+ + + + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/teaching-guides/index.json b/teaching-guides/index.json new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d4d10f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/teaching-guides/index.json @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +{ + "nav": [ + { + "current": "teaching-guides/index.html", + "items": [ + { + "rel": "index.html", + "title": "Alexander Riobe • IT Instructor & Tech Educator", + "href": "/" + }, + { + "rel": "teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/index.html", + "title": "Circuit Thinking for Network Diagnosis • Alexander Riobe", + "href": "/teaching-guides/circuit-thinking/" + }, + { + "rel": "films/lg-nvidia-collaboration/index.html", + "title": "Index", + "href": "/films/lg-nvidia-collaboration/" + }, + { + "rel": "films/the-arm-wall/index.html", + "title": "Index", + "href": "/films/the-arm-wall/" + }, + { + "rel": "teaching-guides/index.html", + "title": "Teaching Guides • Alexander Riobe", + "href": "/teaching-guides/" + }, + { + "rel": "negros-fruit-dove.html", + "title": "The Negros Fruit Dove: A Rare Gem of the Philippines", + "href": "/negros-fruit-dove.html" + } + ] + } + ] +} \ No newline at end of file