A follow-up to the FPGA-based disk controller for Apple II post, Steve writes: After a month of inactivity, I finally returned to my unfinished Yellowstone disk controller project to investigate the JTAG programming problems. Yellowstone is an FPGA-based disk controller card for the Apple II family, that aims to emulate a Liron disk controller or other models […]
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 […]
The traveling wave tube inside HP 493A is radioactive
Kerry Wong writes, “In my previous video featured on EEVBlog I did a teardown of an HP 493A microwave amplifier along with the traveling wave tube inside. I actually had done a teardown of an identical unit a while ago but this time I managed to take a peek at the traveling wave tube inside.” […]
Xerox Alto’s 3 Mb/s Ethernet: Building a gateway with a BeagleBone
Ken Shirriff documented his experience building a gateway using the BeagleBone single-board computer to communicate with the Alto’s Ethernet we covered previously: I decided to build a gateway that would allow the Alto to communicate with a modern system. The gateway would communicate with the Alto using its obsolete 3Mb/s Ethernet, but could also communicate 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 will […]
App note: Adding flexibility by using multiple footprints for I2C™ serial EEPROMs
Save PCB space by utilizing EEPROM SOIC-8 area, here’s an application note from Microchip. Link here (PDF) For many years, the 8-lead SOIC package has been the most popular package for serial EEPROMs, but now smaller packages are becoming more commonplace. This offers a number of benefits; the reductions in footprint size and component height […]
App note: Writing to flash and EEPROM on the tinyAVR 1-series
Update your tinyAVR code to access memories when using 1-series tinyAVRs. Link here (PDF) On tinyAVR® 1-series devices, access to Flash memory and EEPROM has been changed from that on previous tinyAVR devices. This means that existing code for writing to Flash and EEPROM on older devices must be modified in order to function properly […]
STM32F103 vs GD32F103
Sjaak wrote about a Chinese ARM chip compared to a ST ARM chip: Most of us do know the ST line of ARM chips called STM32. They come in multiple flavours and the STM32F103 is one of the most common entry level family of chips. They are called by ST as mainstream. They are a […]
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 […]
TWANG, an Arduino-based dungeon crawler
Bdring built his own Arduino-based 1D dungeon crawler inspired by Robin Baumgarten’s Line Wobbler: I have been a Patron of Robin Baumgarten for a while. He makes experimental hardware for games. His Line Wobbler one dimensional dungeon crawler is my favorite and I have always wanted to play it. It uses a door stop spring […]
Yield function, printable class and mapping arrays: Useful but unknown features from Arduino core
Yahya Tawil over at Atadiat wrote a new tip for Arduino developers about three hidden and useful features in Arduino core: Arduino core, the source code of Arduino API functions and classes, has three useful features that can be used effectively. As the Arduino core documentation doesn’t mention them (at least until the time of publishing […]
IBM mainframe tube module part II: Powering up and using a 1950s key debouncer
Here’s an interesting two-part series of posts by Ken Shirriff detailing the IBM mainframe tube module. Part 1 discuss the tube modules and describe the IBM 705 that used this module. Part 2 covers powering up the module and getting it to work. Read the full post at Ken Shirriff’ blog.
A journey into Capcom’s CPS2 silicon – Part 2
Here’s an informative part 2 of the Capcom CPS2 reverse engineering series by Eduardo Cruz: Capcom’s Play System 2, also known as CPS2, was a new arcade platform introduced in 1993 and a firm call on bootlegging. Featuring similar but improved specs to its predecessor CPS1, the system introduced a new security architecture that gave Capcom for […]
#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 […]
Programming STM32F103 Blue Pill using USB bootloader and PlatformIO
Coyt Barringer wrote a post on his blog showing how he program the Blue Pill STM32F103 using USB Bootloader and PlatformIO: This is the infamous Blue Pill board – a $2 ARM STM32F103 development board with all the capabilities of a Teensy 3.x at a fraction of the price of an Arduino. So what’s the […]
Arduino Tutorial: Adding sensors to your data logger
Edward Mallon writes: This post isn’t another How-To tutorial for a specific sensor because the Arduino community has already produced a considerable number of resources like that. You’d be hard pressed to find any sensor in the DIY market that doesn’t give you a dozen cookbook recipes to follow after a simple Google search. In […]
Inside a PM1A color analyzer
Kerry Wong did a teardown of a PM1A color analyzer: As I mentioned in one of my posts a few years back, a color analyzer from the 80’s can be a treasure trove for the hobbyists. And at the very least, it is a cheap way to get yourself a photomultiplier along with the supporting […]
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: PWM Basics
PWM basics and PWM drivers app note from APEX Microtechnology. Link here (PDF) PWM circuits are taking the same general course of development traveled by op amps and many other electronic functions. Concepts were brought to life using discrete components and were followed by modules, hybrids and then monolithics.
App note: Microphone specifications explained
All about MEMS microphone from TDK Invensense. Link here (PDF) A MEMS microphone IC is unique among InvenSense, Inc., products in that its input is an acoustic pressure wave. For this reason, some specifications included in the data sheets for these parts may not be familiar, or familiar specifications may be applied in unfamiliar ways. […]