Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week. Free PCB Friday is coming up soon. Bus Pirate v3.6 back in stock Bus Pirate v3.8 free PCB build Check out Bertho’s fruit machine, a 7-segment one-armed bandit, in the project log forum Coming up: Free PCBs via Facebook on Friday App notes on the […]
Author Archives: DP
PyroEDU Online Course: An Introduction to FPGA and CPLD
PyroElectro just started an online course, An Introduction To FPGA And CPLD, through uReddit.com: Here’s a short overview of the course: This course is meant to create a pathway into learning about FPGA and CPLD electronics, for people who are scared of the code, tools and general trickery that usually comes with it. A hands-on approach […]
Long duration timer
Rajkumar Sharma over at Electronics Lab writes: This timer project can be used to switch ON/OFF any device after a set time, this circuit can be used in lots of application like switched ON/OFF Radio, TV, Fan, Pump, kitchen timer, the circuit describe here its unique in its own. Project has been designed around two CMOS […]
Bipedal walking sentinel project
A bipedal walking robot by Ye Guan: The robot will have a complete compliment of sensors to help it understand its surrounding and its own condition. The current design uses a total of seven sensors. For external obstacle avoidance there is a sonar sensor to detect long range surroundings, and an inferred distance sensor pointed down to detect […]
Fruit machine, 7-segment one-armed bandit
Bertho shared his fruit machine, a 7-segment one-armed bandit in the project log forum: I was revisiting the first program I ever wrote and decided it was time to redo the project with “modern” micro tech. The Fruit Machine is a One-armed Bandit (slot-machine) implemented with 7-segment displays. It has 4 displays to represent the “reels” and […]
Control a camera flash using TTL signals
Control a camera flash using TTL signals by Hemal Chevli So finally bought a new flash, and powered up, I used one of my keys to shot the pin and base plate and IT WORKED! Next I measured the voltage between centre pin and base pin, it was 5V. Things were simple from this point, pulled out […]
ATXMega Primer
Shawon Shahryiar over at Embedded Lab talks about Atmel XMega in this tutorial: At present we have different families of XMega devices. Of these many we are focused toward the AU series only throughout this post and its following ones. I’ll explain later why I’m interested in this series. This is the first post of a series of posts […]
Mini LCD adapter Backpack
Arthur Guy made this mini LCD backpack for the smaller display screens: This is an LCD backpack but it is for the smaller displays with the double row of pins rather than the single line. I made this adapter as I was working with some small displays and needed a simple way of connecting it to […]
Cheap battery-powered micro-controller projects
An article on cheap battery-powered micro-controller projects by Nerd Ralph: Once the higher cost of a 9V battery is factored in (about $1.50), the 9V battery is clearly more expensive than a 3V coin cell. However you may have a cheap source of 9V batteries – smoke detectors. I’ve found my smoke detectors start beeping […]
Andy Green’s 1,000mph office revealed
This video from Bloodhound SSC explains how they design and build an 1000mph office: BLOODHOUND Driver Andy Green takes you on a tour of the cockpit. The state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque has been tailored to the needs of driver Andy Green and will be his supersonic office during record attempts in the South African desert […]
#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 […]
Yet another DIY diode laser engraver
John1a wrote this Instructable detailing the build of his DIY diode laser engraver: Only recently I got comfortable with the parts and knowledge needed to built a CNC. I really needed a kind of plotter for my work. As you know a Commercial Laser Engraver is really pricey and a good one is simply out of reach… To […]
Analog synth project
MikelRoi over at DorkbotPDX writes: Here is a pix of my synth project. The top panel has artwork that will get applied to the panel. Lots of holes drilled…whew! Below is the bottom panel with applied artwork and holes ready for mounting controls! I spent many hours getting the artwork right. That would dictate where the […]
MDO4104B-6 Intro, Probe calibration & license transfer
KF5OBS writes: Quick overview of the Tektronix MDO4104B-6. Also showing how to properly calibrate the passive probes and debunking the myth that license modules enable theft of options.
DIY fingerprint scanning garage door opener
Nodcah made this Instructables detailing the build of his DIY fingerprint scanning garage door opener: As a person without a car, I don’t need to carry keys around everywhere I go. Because of this, I’ve been locked out of my own house several times. It’s a pain to wait for someone with a key, so I thought I […]
Bus Pirate v3.8 free PCB build
MrMobileWill blogged about 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 drawer. Get […]
App note: NXP Smartphone Quick-Jack Solution
An interesting app note (PDF) from NXP where you can interface your mobile phone with a microcontroller via the audio 3.5mm jack. Inspired by the University of Michigan’s Project HiJack, the NXP Smartphone Quick-Jack Solution repurposes the standard 3.5mm stereo audio jack found on most smartphones into a self-powered data channel that makes communication with […]
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 […]
App note: Sending I2C-bus signals via long communications cables
Extend I2C communication distance with this app note (PDF) from NXP. Reliable I2C-bus communication at high data rates, and over many meters, can be achieved using widely available twisted- pair communication cable (e.g. Category 5e and similar 4-pair cables, as typically used for Ethernet communications). The two bidirectional I2C-bus signals, SDA and SCL, are split […]
App note: An overview of DMX512A
An overview of (Digital Multiplex) DMX512A (PDF!) from Microchip: This application note presents an overview of DMX512A. It shows and explains the recommended electrical and electronic requirements, then presents how the protocol was implemented in the Microchip Technology DMX512 Library. Included is a discussion on using the back-channel capabilities. DMX512 is the most common lighting communications protocol used […]