Codebender is a new web-based development environment for the Arduino. Everything happens online, they even figured out how to upload new sketches from the browser. Before you groan about another locked-up software as service startup hear this: it’s open source! We talked to Codebender about the project. Walk us through your project Our goal is […]
Author Archives: Ian
WORKSHOP VIDEO #27: ATX Breakout Board
Old ATX computer power supplies are cheap-to-free, and make great lab supplies if you’re willing to add a resistor and short a few wires. Sjaak whipped up an ATX breakout board as an easier way tap and control an ATX supply without any messy hacks. The module has quickly become a favorite among independent developers […]
Update on site update and other updates
The WordPress update is complete. No incidents so far. Identified WPGPlus, the WordPress Google+ integration plugin, as the source of “A valid URL was not provided” errors when we publish. Disabled it because it never worked once in the first place. Hopefully this will solve the Twitter integration problem too, we’ll find out with this […]
6-Channel intelligent fan controller
An app note on a multichannel fan controller: Intelligent Fan Controller Cost-Effectively Improves System Energy Efficiency and Reliability Provides energy savings by operating fans at the minimum required conditions Improves system reliability Lowers system cost by providing all the functions for controlling multiple fans with one IC Thanks rsdio!
USB host charger identification analog switches
rsdio writes: These support both Apple and legacy charger detection Industry’s First and Smallest USB BC1.1 Host ID Switch for USB Power Ports USB BC1.1 specification complies with latest battery charger specification Provides Hi-Speed USB switching ±15kV ESD for robust protection
Quad SPST +70V analog switches
An app note on analog switches: MAX14756, MAX14757, MAX14758 Quad SPST +70V Analog Switches Family of +70V Analog Switches are Ideal for Industrial and Battery Management Applications Provides enhanced performance and protection, eliminating the need for expensive optorelays Low leakage (2.5nA, max), low on-resistance (5Ω, typ), and low on-resistance flatness (0.03Ω, typ) minimize the voltage […]
Site stuff in progress sorry for the inconvenience
The WordPress to Twitter plugin has been down for more than a week, and the WordPress to Facebook plugin kinda works whenever it wants. Our apologies for the missed Twitter and Facebook PCB giveaways, we’ll try to get them back online this week. We also have some issues posting from behind the scenes that need […]
App note: Precision current-transmitter/source-sink calibrator with wide range
rsdio writes: In conjunction with the recent discussion of how difficult it is to control current draw (in a USB Device), here is an example of a circuit that sinks (draws) a precise current, rather than creating a specific voltage. Precision Current-Transmitter/Source-Sink Calibrator Has Wide Compliance Range Based on a precision op amp (MAX4236), this […]
WP to Twitter plugin seems to be down
Please excuse this test post, the WP to Twitter plugin that pushes blog posts to Twitter seems to be down. Please enjoy this homemade flux in lieu of an actual post.
WORKSHOP VIDEO: Parts we stock and part storage
What parts do you stock, and how do you store them? In this workshop video we cover: The common parts we stock and try to use in every design Substitutions and shortcuts we take when building a prototype How we store our parts Sources for most of the parts in the video are available on […]
Workshop Video #25: Get your open hardware manufactured
We look at the four common ways open hardware is commonly manufactured, and show the package of files we send to get our stuff made. This is the ‘studio’ version of our ‘Get your stuff made‘ presentation from OHS2011 New York, MM07 Tokyo, Homecamp4 London, 2012 mini Maker Faire Shenzhen China, and 2012 Bay Area […]
Email cleared and RSS feed fixed
We finished responding to every email received during the Maker Faire, and wrote everyone who gave us a business card. If you were expecting a mail and didn’t get one, please followup again, it may have been lost in the shuffle. In site news, something happened to the RSS feed that caused it show a […]
Sponsor the Open Hardware Summit – we just did!
This is our third year sponsoring the Open Hardware Summit happening September 27, 2012. You can be a sponsor too: The Open Hardware Summit is made possible through the generosity of sponsors — individuals, hackerspaces, businesses large and small — who recognize the importance of an ongoing conversation about the Open Hardware Movement. Your donations […]
Maker Faire 2012 epilogue: Holy sh*t!!
Maker Faire was more than amazing this year. Thank you for stopping to say hi, demoing your project, listening to our presentation, and being in our video. A huge thanks to Skot for showing the awesome Digit_Grid and talking to so many people about our projects. Thank you Instructables, Macetech, and Jeri Ellsworth for organizing […]
PCB review Tuesday technical difficulties
Due to a problem encoding the screen capture the debut of PCB review Tuesday will have to wait. Thanks to everyone who submitted a PCB for comments, we’ll get them up ASAP. If you’d like someone to give your PCB a second look before you send it to the fab, or just want advise on […]
WORKSHOP VIDEO #20: Flux-off part 2, more flux reviews
This week the flux-off solder flux comparison returns. Our everyday Edsyn FL-22 goes head to head with two AMTECH syringe fluxes in the TQFP arena. Just for fun, we also tried to solder with shards from a solid rosin block. Find out which flux reigns supreme. Edsyn FL22, our everyday favorite syringe flux AMTECH “USA” NC-559-ASM-TPF(UV) […]
VIDEO #18: Hua Qiang Bei market in Shenzhen, China
Dangerous Prototypes tours the biggest electronics market of all, the Hua Qiang Bei market in Shenzhen, China. This is the third and biggest market on our Global Geek Tour. Be sure to check out Akihabara in Tokyo and Cheonggyecheon in Seoul too. First we went to the SEG building, which has 2 huge floors dedicated […]
Seeed Studio tour: People
Here’s just a handful of the Seeed Studio people we have known for years. Many we’ve met at Maker Faires in the US, many we just met for the first time in China. Ian, Kevin, and Eric Pan. Eric is the founder and CEO of Seeed Studio. He’s the guy who makes it possible for […]
Seeed Studio open hardware manufacturing tour
A highlight of our Global Geek Tour to Shenzhen, China was a tour of the Seeed Studio offices and factory. This is where Seeed Studio makes open source hardware, all our open projects pass through here. Seeed has modern, clean offices with a mix of Chinese and international people hanging around. It looks pretty much […]
Maker Faire tip: How many cards and stickers to bring
We lugged 50 pounds of business cards to our first Maker Faire, it was way to many. Now we take two small Seeed boxes of cards to the Bay Area Maker Faire, and one to smaller Faires like New York, Tokyo, and Shenzhen. The same rule seems to work for stickers too.