Frank Zhao of Eleccelerator writes: Remember my Aquarium Computer? I thought the SSD looked boring, so I put a old-school HDD inside with all the guts exposed, and wired it electrically to spin and swing when there is hard drive activity (when the HDD activity LED blinks). Project info at Eleccelerator page.
Author Archives: DP
Custom DIY RFID smart lock
In this video Craig demonstrates his custom DIY RFID smart lock project: The goal of this project was to design an inexpensive rfid door lock which could be opened via smart phone, and have all activity logged w/o utilizing any 3rd party servers or cloud hosting. Via Hacked Gadgets.
LED logger v3
Bogdan of Electro Bob built a LED logger v3, that is available on github: In short: 16 LED channels are measured, one is kept for control of the sensor. For each LED the power supply and current are measured. The temperature of the aluminium plate is measured as well. In total there are 16 light channels, 15 […]
App note: Three-channel power sequencer
C8051F330 controlling power sequencing app note(PDF!) from Silicon Labs. An increasing number of devices such as FPGAs, DSPs, RISC-CPUs, and communications ICs operate at two or more supply voltages. The core logic commonly operates from 1.3 to 2.5 V in order to save power while the I/O supply operates from 3.3 to 5 V 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: Lithium ion battery charger using C8051F300
Lithium ion battery charger implementation using C8051F300 app note(PDF!) from Silicon Labs. Driven by the need for untethered mobility and ease of use, many systems rely on rechargable batteries as their primary power source. The battery charging circuitry for these systems is typically implemented using a fixed-function IC to control the charging current/voltage profile. The […]
App note: Linear speed control of stepper motor
An app note (PDF!) from Atmel on Linear speed control of stepper motor: This application note describes how to implement an exact linear speed controller for stepper motors. The stepper motor is an electromagnetic device that converts digital pulses into mechanical shaft rotation. Many advantages are achieved using this kind of motors, such as higher simplicity, since no […]
Bus Pirate v3.8 free PCB build
@kennethlimcp tweeted picture of his free Bus Pirate v3.8 PCB build. The Bus Pirate is an open source hacker multi-tool that talks to electronic stuff. If you build a free PCB we’ll send you another one! Blog about it, post a picture on Flicker, whatever – we’ll send you a coupon code for the free PCB […]
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 times every […]
Systematic PCB verification approach
From the comments on our previous PCB Checklist post, George Hadley shared this helpful checklist for submitting a PCB to a fab house: Systematic PCB Verification Approach (PDF!): 1. Parts completion check: 1. All major components included? Microcontroller/FPGA/SoC/Microprocessor/CPLD? Power supply/regulation? Sensors? User interface elements? (LCDs, buttons, switches, etc.) Actuator drivers and control? (Motor control? LED constant current drivers? […]
The Bipolar ORD Bot
The Bipolar ORD Bot at Buildlog.Net by Barton Dring: This was built and programmed gonzo style in about 2 evenings. The sole purpose is to spark conversation at ORD Camp 2015. The machine uses two polar axes to create the motion. It is running off stock grbl 0.9g on an Arduino. It runs standard gcode that is […]
Portable battery harness
Jon has written an article detailing his portable battery harness project: This year, I’m building a new version of the battery harness, one that is portable. The idea is, you attach it to your phone, and spend the day wandering around, doing whatever it is that you do, and all the while the battery harness […]
Tektronix RSA 306 – GPS receiver and clock reference
KF5OBS writes, “The Tektronix RSA 306 is a great low-cost USB 3.0 spectrum analyzer for up to 6 GHz in an ultra low-profile format. If paired with the RSA Map function of SignalVu-PC and a GPS receiver, it becomes an extremely powerful tool for interference hunting and signal strength mapping. This article shows a possible way […]
A database of SMS cards: The technology inside IBM’s 1960s mainframes
Ken Shirriff writes: Although the original idea of SMS cards was to standardize on a few types, the number of different cards exploded as time went one, resulting in thousands of different SMS card types. As well as logic gates, SMS cards can have an amazing variety of functions such as an oscillator, voltage regulator, […]
How digital light processing (DLP) works
Ben Krasnow writes: Digital Light Processing projectors use a chip that is covered with tiny mirrors that tilt back and forth. When the mirror is tilted one way, it reflects light out through the front of the projector, creating a bright pixel. When the mirror is tilted the other way, the pixel is dark. In […]
Hacker Camp Shenzhen vol 5: Componatopia open for registration!
Hacker Camp Shenzhen volume 5: “Componatopia” is on! Join us from Tuesday June 16 to Saturday June 18, 2015 for fun, food and 3 solid days of electronics tours in Shenzhen China and beyond. Tickets are available now. Come to the world’s electronics capital and experience Shenzhen like a local hacker. Tour the famous Huaqiangbei […]
Open source binary wristwatch
Jordan aka njneer made this cool binary watch project, that is available at Github: I’m pretty proud of this project; the clasp is a ribbon cable that doubles as the programming interface for the PIC microcontroller that drives everything. The time is displayed with superbright LEDs that are blinding at 15 mA, which means that I’m able to […]
#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 […]
Sine wave oscillator using LM741
Sine wave oscillator using LM741, a project by A.M. Bhatt of EngineersGarage: There are different kinds of Sine wave oscillators based on the components used or based on the output frequency that they generate 1. Based on components means if they produce oscillation using resistors (R) and capacitors (C) then they are called RC oscillators […]
2015 Hackaday Prize: Build something that matters, We send you to space
HackADay just launched the 2015 Hackaday Prize, a competition to get Hackers building real products to make a better world: Want to go to Space or grab $196,883? How does $100k and a 6-month residency sound? These and hundreds of other prizes await those who build some that matters. Full details and how to enter: hackaday.io/prize […]