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Author Archives: DP
Homemade GPS receiver
Andrew built a DIY GPS receiver with an accuracy of ~25m : A homemade GPS receiver built from the ground up using discrete components and featuring a limiting IF, followed by 1-bit ADC ahead of DSP signal processing in a Xilinx Spartan 3 FPGA. Fast FFT-based search and navigational solutions are computed by “C” code […]
Giveaway: Cadsoft EAGLE licenses
Later today we will announce the winners of the Cadsoft EAGLE licenses. If you’d like one just leave a comment on the original contest post, with an idea that would benefit from the extended features of a hobbyist license.
Bus Pirate v3.5 free PCB build
Jeff built a free Bus Pirate v3.5 PCB. Unfortunately he had some issues programing it, but once he upgraded his friend’s Bus Pirate 3.5b he was able to use one Pirate to program the other Pirate. Nice to see Pirates helping each other out. If you build a free PCB we’ll send you another one! […]
ITEAD PCB prototyping service upgraded again
ITEAD has some upgrades on their PCB prototyping services: All PCBs are now 100% e-tested free of charge There is a new standard dimension, 5cmX10cm The thickness of the Color PCB boards can now be selected from 0.8mm to 1.6mm If you chose the lead free HASL option, and have large quantities made, you can […]
Giveaway: Cadsoft EAGLE licenses
Tomorrow we’ll give away three Cadsoft Eagle Hobbyist licenses. If you’d like one just leave a comment on yesterday’s post with an idea that would benefit from the extended features of a hobbyist license.
Backwoods logger prototypes, available now
Big Mess o’ Wires’ Backwoods logger prototypes are now available: The Backwoods Logger is a programmable graphing altimeter / thermometer, originally developed here at BMOW and now an open hardware project. Interested in the Logger, but don’t want to build it yourself? Assembled prototypes of the Backwoods Logger Mini, BLsync adapter, and blank Logger Mini […]
Open source soldering iron driver update
Arhi has been busy debugging noise from PTC type soldering iron sensors. The problem was the sensor’s sensitivity to the current used as a bias. If the current used is greater or less then 1mA the sensor picks up too much noise. In the latest revision of the Soldering iron driver both PTC and TC […]
From the mail bag: Open source code inspires!
BrentBXR writes: Ever since I got my Bus Pirate it as really inspired me to step my game up. All my best projects take a lot of inspiration form the bus pirate (such as serial commands and syntax protocols ( no more 1 char to do a function and nothing else; its awesome to send […]
Seeed Studio: Laser cutting service beta
Seeed Studio is now doing laser cutting of 3mm thick transparent acrylic. At the moment the service is in beta.
Coolrunner II XC2C256 breakout board
Jason built another CPLD breakout board. Following his XC95144XL breakout, he has now completed a Coolrunner II XC2C256 breakout. As with his previous project some pins are broken out into a single row of headers for easier use with a breadboard, and the remaining pins are broken out to two dual-row headers. A power supply, […]
#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 […]
Giveaway: Cadsoft EAGLE licenses
There are a ton of amazing open source projects that fit within the restrictions of the freeware version of the Eagle PCB layout program. Sometimes you might want something bigger for a personal project, so this week we have three Cadsoft Eagle Hobbyist licenses to give away. Here is the revised paragraph incorporating the keyword: […]
Logic Sniffer: Hacking cheap RFID readers
Aaron decided to hack a cheap USB RFID reader, by using the Logic Sniffer to figure out the internal IC protocol. To make it useful for his projects he decided to hijack the internal bus that has the initial RFID decoding. After some poking around he was able to find the UART TX transmitting pin. […]
MCP2200 breakout board free PCB built
Rohit built a free MCP2200 breakout board. MCP2200 are USB-to-UART converter chips by Microchip. In fact they are PIC18F14K50 microcontrollers programmed with the USB-to-UART firmware. We were able to hack one and program an open source USB stack into it. If you build a free PCB we’ll send you another one! Blog about it, post […]
Another Logic Sniffer ground mod
Here is a mod to add ground to unused Logic Sniffer probes, like the one built by Tarloth. He grounded the top row of a dual-row female header, and soldered the bottom row to his Open Bench Logic Sniffer. This allowed him to both improve signal integrity, and be able to mate his OBLS with […]
Logic Sniffer client 0.95b1 beta release
A beta release of Jawi’s Logic Sniffer client version 0.95 is now available. It has these updates: Client now also runs on Java 7, but remains backward compatible with Java 6; Fixed issues #79, #77, #76, #75, #74, #70 and #40; Use PureJavacomm as experimental serial library instead of RXTX; Major cleanups in Tool/Device API […]
Wireless home energy monitor
Here is a project that allows you to keep track of your household power consumption over a wireless connection. Jone’s energy monitor project counts electricity meter‘s indicator pulses, which the electrical distribution company uses to bill you. Once it reads 5 minutes worth of consumption data, it is broadcast to a web server over a […]
DIY breadboard modules for rapid prototyping
Raj made a few breadboard modules to speed up prototyping. We think it’s a great idea to have a power supply, few switches, LEDs, etc, broken out into modules. It will save you a ton of time, and space on your breadboard. Breadboards are a great tool for prototyping and testing electronics circuits. However, if […]
A new generation of tactile surfaces with relief effects
Marius tipped us to a new generation of tactile surfaces with relief effects: Swiss researchers have invented a new generation of tactile surfaces with relief effects – users can feel actual raised keys under their fingers. This technology could have many applications, particularly in improving access to electronic media for the visually impaired. Via the […]