Author Archives: DP

Interfacing a 4×4 Matrix keypad with an 8-Bit GPIO expander

An application note from Microchip: Interfacing a 4×4 Matrix keypad with an 8-Bit GPIO expander This application note discusses interfacing a 4×4 matrix keypad with MCP23X08 8-Bit GPIO Expander. This application note references the MCP23X08/17 GPIO Expander Keypad/LCD Demo Board (GPIODM-KPLCD). GPIO Expanders provide easy I/O expansion using standard serial interfaces such as I2C and […]

App note: Guidelines for reliable long line 1-wire networks

Here’s a guidelines for reliable 1-Wire Network from Maxim: The 1-Wire protocol was originally designed to facilitate communication with nearby devices on a short connection. 1-Wire was also a way to add auxiliary memory on a single microprocessor port pin. Methods were later developed to extend the 1-Wire protocol to network applications well beyond the […]

Building a sweep generator for BK 4011

Kerry Wong documented his sweep generator build: In this post I will show you a simple sweep generator I built. It can be used to generate both the sweep waveform and synchronization signal needed for any function generator that has a VCG/VCO input. The sweep frequency can be adjusted from under a Hertz to several […]

Little Bird Electronics “Magpie” Arduino-compatible board review

Tronixstuff has a review of “Magpie” Arduino Uno-compatible board from Little Bird Electronics: Starting with the subject of this review – the “Magpie” board from Little Bird Electronics in Australia. It seems that a new Arduino-compatible board enters the market every week, thanks to the open-source nature of the platform and the availability of rapid […]

LaserOrigami: Laser-cutting 3D objects

Researchers at Germany’s Hasso Plattner Institute have developed an amazing new Laser cutting 3D objects, the LaserOrigami: LaserOrigami is a rapid prototyping system that produces 3D objects using a laser cutter. LaserOrigami is substantially faster than traditional 3D fabrication techniques such as 3D printing and unlike traditional laser cutting the resulting 3D objects require no […]

STM32F4 debug board v1.0 Rev2

TitanMKD posted an update to his STM32F4 based debug board we covered previously:  This board is intended to be used as a portable multi-purpose debug/hack tool with very fast peripherals and MCU and use standard Dangerous Prototypes Sick Of Beige DP6037 case format A full open source firmware is planned using chibios and like Bus Pirate […]

Stepper motor bluetooth serial driver (Attiny85 & L293D)

Trandi blogged about his Stepper motor bluetooth serial driver project: How to put together a simple bluetooth driver for a nice little stepper motor (Mitsumi M35SP-11HPK) that I salvaged from an old Canon printer. It uses a small Attiny85 (the more I use them the more I love them ! :) ) programmed in Arduino, […]

Hand of PI (Twitter controlled robot hand)

IronJungle built this Twitter robot hand and wrote a detailed explanation describing the build. Control a Robot Hand by sending a tweet to @OurCatDoor. The Robot Hand understand the following commands. If your tweet includes one these commands in the text, the “Hand of PI” obeys your command. Valid commands are (lowercase): one (holds up […]

AZIZ: DIY LED microscope illuminator

Here’s an interesting project by Steve of Tangent Audio the AZIZ project, a microcontroller-based LED microscope illuminator: AZIZ is an LED microscope illuminator that I designed and built from scratch.  It is designed around a Texas Instruments TLC59116 constant-current PWM LED driver chip, and an Atmel ATTiny1634 8-bit microcontroller. Check out the video after the break.

Amazing new touchscreen interface

Fujitsu Laboratories: Touchscreen interface for seamless data transfer between the real and virtual worlds This new gadget comes directly from Fujitsu Laboratories. They developed what seems to be the next generation of user interface! It can accurately detect the operator’s fingers and hand, and can react to certain movements and gestures. A projector from above […]