Here’s a geeky desk sockets project from Luke. He writes: I wanted a few more functions than just a desk USB Hub. Looking on the net i came across this youtube video . This was the type of thing i was looking for but it had far too many functions and too large. I decided […]
Author Archives: DP
Using Altium for a DirtyPCBs order
Jarrett has written an article describing a technique of using Altium for a DirtyPCBs order: This is a pretty rare combo: using a premium PCB package with the budget board house. Kinda funny. Generally these small run PCB houses provide DRU and CAM files for EAGLE design rule checking and Gerber outputs, respectively. Because I’m […]
(Nothing less than) The perfect tea timer
Michael from Acidbourbon has built the “perfect” tea timer project. He wrote a post on his blog detailing its assembly: Maybe you just drink coffee, so this article might not catch your interest. However, if you enjoy a cup of black or green tea now and then, you’re likely familiar with the frustration of letting […]
STM32 FM song transmitter using tricky crystal feedback modulation
Vinod writes, “This is an FM transmitter directly made from STM32F407 discovery. It transmits the wav file stored in internal flash via FM at 100MHz. The modulation over here is happening by a tricky feedback from the analog output of the same mcu to the crystal oscillator there by disturbing the crystal frequency and creating […]
Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB
We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. Our PCBs are made through Seeed Studio’s Fusion board service. This week two random commenters will […]
App note: Enhancing workplace safety in hazardous locations with PICO® 259-UL913 intrinsically safe fuse
Application note from Littelfuse about their (IS) intrinsically safe fuse which doesn’t produce sufficient heat that could trigger sparks which are dangerous in an explosive environment. Link here (PDF) Gases, petroleum products, and airborne dusts tend, by their very nature, to be explosive if sources of sparks or excess heat are present. Over the years, […]
App note: Controlling LED lighting using triacs and quadracs
Solid State device and circuits for controlling LEDs lighting, replacing conventional incandescent lamps, an App note from Littlefuse. Link here (PDF) Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are fast becoming the most popular lighting option. Industry forecasts anticipate the market will continue to expand at an annual rate of 20% from 2011 to 2016, with the greatest […]
Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters
Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters. The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder . More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three […]
Measuring SDR noise figure
David has written an article on measuring SDR noise figure: One number I wanted to know was the Noise Figure (NF) of the SDR. Mark has a bunch of SDRs so we got on a roll and checked out the NF on all of them. Now there are a lot of people playing with SDRs, but […]
The SK6812 – another intelligent RGB LED
Tim writes: During the last months, a new WS2812 alternative appeared on the market: The SK6812. I finally managed to get my hands on some of them to take a closer look. In most aspects these devices are basically clones of the WS2812. What is interesting however, is that the manufacturer came up with a […]
A DIY wearable posture sensor
Want to improve your posture? This wearable posture sensor from Coretech Robotics will remind you whenever you slouch and help you maintain a good posture: Posture sensors/monitors have been a recurring theme on this blog. They are supposed to remind you of your posture and prevent you from slouching, which can be a cause for […]
Arduino Shield for custom board CPLD programming and testing using pogo pins
Marcelo Jimenez wrote a post about a shield he did using pogo pins to program and test a CPLD based board. The photo above shows the support for the board to be programmed with the pogo pins at the center, the board itself and the top shield. I have used two identical shield boards and have […]
#FreePCB via Twitter to 2 random RTs
Every Tuesday we give away two coupons for the free PCB drawer via Twitter. This post was announced on Twitter, and in 24 hours we’ll send coupon codes to two random retweeters. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times a every week: Hate Twitter and Facebook? Free PCB Sunday is the classic PCB giveaway. Catch […]
Nevo C2 remote control – Reverse engineering, part 1
Reverse engineering of a Nevo C2 remote control from Arantius.com Most recently I’ve switched to the “Nevo C2” remotes (also known as “Xsight Color” or “ARRX15G”), which have a graphical display built in. This makes it easy for me to deal with the huge array (TiVo, HTPC, plus eleven game consoles) of devices I’ve got hooked […]
ESP8266 wireless SID project
bl4rk shares his ESP8266 wireless SID in the project log forum: I’ve been trying to start a SID project for about 5 years now. Back then I wanted to use a 6502 along with a CPLD and other ‘real’ hardware… while I might still do something like that (or even try to use an FPGA for everything […]
PWM dimmer for RGB LED
Lukas Fassler has designed and built a PWM dimmer for RGB LED: In my last post I’ve described the design and construction of my LED dimmer project. This project here is similar but a bit more involved. It controls RGB LEDs so it can not only change the brightness but also the color of the light. […]
Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB
We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. Our PCBs are made through Seeed Studio’s Fusion board service. This week two random commenters will […]
App note: Microcontroller-based serial port interface (SPI®) boot circuit
Simple circuit for sending command upon boot to the target device sortof boostraping hardware tachnique, an app note from Analog Devices. Link here (PDF) This application note describes the operation of a general purpose, microcontroller-based Serial Port Interface (SPI) boot circuit. This is a low cost solution for users who need to modify some of […]
App note: Peak-to-peak resolution versus effective resolution
Effective resolution is superior compared to peak-to-peak resolution when comparing ADCs from different companies. An application note from Analog Devices. Link here (PDF) The low bandwidth, high resolution ADCs have a resolution of 16 bits or 24 bits. However, the effective number of bits of a device is limited by noise. This varies depending on […]
Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters
Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters. The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder . More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three […]