Jean-Claude has made a series of blog posts on using the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus: This is the first of what I expect to become a multi-part article series on the CAN bus. I’d like to describe the features of CAN which I find particularly elegant and useful, and will introduce a simple driver […]
Author Archives: DP
#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 […]
Dashcam GPS module
A look at the Dashcam GPS module by Electronupdate: After a 4 year run the dashcam on my car stopped working: a fault seems to have developed in the power system. It was mounted to the window by what I thought was just a simple mechanical mount… on further analysis it became clear that the GPS […]
RTC based automatic LED lamp
Dilshan Jayakody published a new build: This is real-time clock based automatic LED lamp which we originally designed to use as night light. This lamp can programmed to turn on and off at the specific time of the day. For example, it can program to turn on at 6 PM on each day and 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: How to avoid chipLEDs sticking to cover tape during automated tape-and-reel assembly
Investigative app note from Vishay on preventing too light components from sticking on the cover tape of their reel. Link here (PDF) Vishay’s 0603 LEDs (ChipLEDs) are widely deployed across high-density consumer and industrial electronics. Due to their ultra-compact footprint, these components are frequently integrated into the indicator panels of high-uptime network servers. Contract manufacturers […]
App note: A simple alternative to analog isolation amplifiers
A linear isolation amplifier from Silicon Labs app note. Link here (PDF) Analog circuits sometimes require linear (analog) signal isolation for safety, signal level shifting, and/or ground loop elimination. Linear signal isolation is typically difficult to implement, costly, and often exhibits mediocre performance. While the design community thirsts for a flexible and inexpensive linear isolator […]
WBR-Oscar regen receiver
A nice write-up on Sheldon’s (N6JJA) version of N1BYT’s WBR regenerative receiver: This article is broken into two parts. First comes the “Oscar” preselector/preamplifier. As I said, I intended it to be either part of the overall receiver or used as a standalone where desired. The second part deals with the WBR upgrades. Both designs […]
Homebrew SDR HF transceiver
Simonhk (G0FCU) wrote a series of posts on building homebrew SDR HF transceiver: However, what you might notice is the presence of image products in the waterfall. The processing of the signal suppresses all but the very strongest of these so they don’t appear as audio but it is mighty confusing when they are on the […]
Guitar Amp builder notes — AF power amplifier dummy load
Vasily Ivanenko has written an article detailing his AF dummy load project: I’ll describe a simple 8, or 4 Ω dummy load to test your home brew guitar power amplifiers. Low cost 16 Ω / 25W wire wound, aluminum shell, chassis mount resistors seem abundant. I got mine on eBay. Wire wound resistors vary in quality, design […]
Building a direct conversion receiver
Ryan Flowers over at MiscDotGeek posted a how-to on building a direct conversion receiver: In the first installment of this series, we discussed why we’re building a Direct Conversion receiver and talked about some basic ideas. In this installment, we explore what it takes to make the leap from a printed schematic to something physical […]
App note: BLDC with hall effect sensors using SCT on LPC84x
Motor control on LPC84x MCU app note from NXP. Link here (PDF) This application note describes an implementation of brushless DC motor control with hall effect sensors using the SCTimer/PWM on LPC84x.
App note: Ambient light sensor SFH5701
App note from OSRAM on their ALS device SFH5701, its operation and application method. Link here (PDF) The SFH5701 is a small, two-wire, linear output current ambient light sensor (ALS) with current amplifier and dark current compensation. The ALS is capable of resolving a wide range of ambient light levels (10 mlx – 10 klx) […]
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 […]
Battery switch
An open source battery switch project from Open Electronics: Given two batteries, it chooses the one to connect to the load based on the voltage measured at their poles. It can also be used to switch DC power supplies. More details at open-electronics.org.
Teensy 3.6 as standalone mediator between USB MIDI and Eurorack
Sebastian writes: USB MIDI controllers (such as Launchpad Mini Mk II for example) are common and often quite low in cost. To interface such a controller with a Eurorack synth system, often a host computer and a MIDI to CV interface might be used. The host computer would take USB MIDI data from the MIDI […]
New 2.5D pen/laser ESP32 controller
Bdring published a new build: I have done several pen and laser machines lately, so I decided to create a custom PCB for Grbl_ESP32 for these types of machines. This is a small (70mm x 60mm) PCB with all the features a pen plotter or laser cutter/engraver would need. These typically use stepper motors for […]
USB Mass storage device bootloader
MPPT Solar charger’s USB mass storage device bootloader project from Soldernerd, that is available on GitHub. Check out the video after the break.
#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 […]
DakBoard family calendar with Raspberry Pi Zero W and Read Only filesystem
Scott Hanselman made this DakBoard family calendar with Raspberry Pi Zero W and wrote a post on his blog detailing its assembly: The implementation is simple genius. It’s a browser that starts up full screen (kiosk mode) and just sits there and updates occasionally. DakBoard provides the private webpage and tools to make that happen. […]