Old app note from Fairchild Semiconductor about external component effects on LDOs. Link here (PDF!) Low drop-out (LDO) regulators are one of the basic building blocks of most power supplies used in today’s electronics. Their ease of use, low cost, and small size makes them ideal in portable and handheld applications. They are available in […]
Author Archives: DP
App note: 1-μA capacitive grip detection based on MSP430 Microcontrollers
An app note from TI, 1-μA capacitive grip detection based on MSP430 Microcontrollers (PDF!) This application report discusseshow to design a simple and ultra low-power grip detector Booster Pack for the MSP430 LaunchPad. The PINOSC feature in every msp430G2xx2 and msp430G2xx3 device makes it possible to eliminate all the external components when implementing a capacitive […]
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 […]
DirtyPCBs – Unboxing and first impressions
David Girard’s unboxing and first impressions video of his first order from Dirtypcbs.com
USB power supply active load tester
Sasa Karanovic has designed and built a DIY USB power Supply active load tester, that is available at GitHub: USB Power supply Active Load Tester or short PAL Tester is unit designed for testing the quality of the power supplies. Idea was to create low-cost, precise device for simultaneous measurement of Voltage and Current drawn […]
ArTICL: Arduino and MSP432 Launchpad to TI graphing calculator linking
KermMartian over at Cemetech forum writes: A few weeks ago, I received a pair of MSP432 Launchpad development boards courtesy of Texas Instruments, and two weeks ago, I began porting ArTICL to the MSP432. I’m happy to announce that ArTICL is now available to MSP432 Launchpad programs. First developed last year as an upgrade to my […]
How to make two ESP8266 talk
Here’s a detailed tutorial on how to make two ESP8266 talk with each other from Rui Santos: How it works? You’re going to set one ESP as an Access Point (Server) and another ESP as a Station (Client). Then they’ll establish a wireless communication and the Client sends a message to the Server saying “Hello World!”. Project […]
SXAM: A Spark.io indoor ambient quality monitor
Davide Gironi published a new build, a Spark.io indoor ambient quality monitor: SXAM (Spark to Xively AMbient quality monitor), is an ambient quality monitor that logs 4 environmental parameters to the xively.com and display the ambient status by using for RGB leds. SXAM logs: Humidity Temperature Ambient noise Brightness Project info at Davide’s blog. Check […]
#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 […]
Contactless payment ring – A tutorial on NFC antenna coil design
Jatinder writes, ” I have a done a video about a contactless payment (NFC) ring that I have made. The video talks about NFC antenna coil design and how I used the concepts to make the wearable ring.” Via the contact form.
A XSVF assembler/disassembler in python
Marcelo Roberto Jimenez wrote an assembler/disassembler for XSVF, he writes: As a sequence of my last project, the JTAG/XSVF library for Arduino, I felt I needed a XSVF assembler and disassembler, so that I could hack JTAG a little bit. I found that XSVF is very convenient, much more than SVF when you are dealing […]
Make your own Katy
Steve Chamberlin wrote a how-to on building your own 68 Katy. We wrote about it previously: Assembling the PCB requires soldering one surface mount component, the 44 pin CPLD in TQFP package. It can be soldered with a standard iron using the drag soldering method (my preference), with hot air, or with a toaster oven […]
App note: Consideration of power MOSFETs in fast charger design
App note from Fairchild Semiconductors on power MOSFETs selection including thermal design and usage on fast chargers. Link here (PDF) The demand for battery capacitance up to 10,000mAh in mobile devices is steadily increasing as devices consume more power and offering more functionality. Large battery capacity provides longer battery run-time, but needs more time to […]
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: Performance restrictions associated with 3.5 watts SO-8 power MOSFETs
Old app note from Fairchild Semiconductors on SO-8 power MOSFETs’ power handling. Link here In applications requiring high current and small footprint electronic switches, a Power MOSFET packaged in an SO-8 is usually the best choice. This is because the combination offers low on-resistance and reasonable power handling. A second benefit is the numerous suppliers […]
App note: Zero Latency Multiplexing I/O for ASIC Emulation
Zero Latency Multiplexing I/O for ASIC Emulation (PDF!) application note from Xilinx: This application note provides a method for FPGA emulation platforms to communicate multiple signals over one I/O or I/O differential pair to another FPGA. This multiplexing method serializes data up to 800 Mb/s without introducing any additional cycles of latency to the user […]
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 […]
CDC serial driver for Bus Pirate v4 on Windows 7 64-bits
kaupunkish@ writes: I managed to fix this problem by googling. All I did was changing VID and PID to what I have in Bus Pirate and then naming it nicely at the end of INF. Voila! I was able to update driver software. I am not specialist in this area, so I am just telling […]
Soldering iron + Nodemcu = IoT device
Vegard Paulsen blogged about his soldering-iron #IoT project: My trusty old soldering-iron recently got an upgrade! With the help of a NodeMCU. a RGB-LED it now reports the set temperature to the #IoT Thingspeak.com server through WIFI. It also sends me Prowl messages on my Iphone when I forget to turn it off. It all […]
Logic Pirate back in stock
Logic Pirate is back in stock at Seeed Studio. It is an inexpensive, yet capable open source logic analyzer. It can sample 8 channels at 20 million samples per second, and may be overclocked for even faster acquisitions. It’s designed to support the open source SUMP logic analyzer protocol with software available for most operating […]