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 we’re giving away two […]
Author Archives: Ian
App note: High-voltage, programmable-gain current monitor
Another article that might help with bench power supply designs: This circuit monitors current flow at high voltage (48V and higher) using a standard 5V difference amplifier (MAX4198) referenced to ground. It also employs a digital potentiometer (MAX5402) for gain adjustment. Thanks rsdio!
App note: Linkwitz equalizer puts the bass in subwoofers
rsdio writes: If anyone is building a subwoofer crossover, this is a great article! Nice use of opamps too. The linearity and high power-handling capability of modern low-frequency loudspeakers have made it easy to electronically extend the bass response. This extension is especially useful in second-order systems like a closed box, where cone excursions are […]
Can you identify this button?
arhi writes: I have some old (very old) KONTRON DMM 3002 bench top digital multimeter… there is a button on the thing that I have no clue what it does… So if you look at the pic, the button in question is the pressed one, or if not clear which one is pressed, the one […]
MAX31855 cold-junction compensated thermocouple-to-digital converter
Drone writes: Here is another MAXIM unobtainium installment The new MAX31855 is a rather nice cold-junction compensated thermocouple-to-digital converter. It takes the likes of the MAX6675 to the next level. This part is supposedly going to become available around the end of June 2011. From the product page: “The MAX31855 performs cold-junction compensation and digitizes […]
Free Bus Blaster v2 PCB via Facebook comments
Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. The first few people who comment on this at Facebook get a free PCB. More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. This week we’re giving away two Bus Blaster v2 PCBs. Bus Blaster v2 is an experimental, high-speed JTAG debugger for […]
Week in (p)review: April 22, 2011
Don’t forget to share your current project in the comments or the forum. Everyone who posts a project log this week gets a free PCB! Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week: Bus Blaster v2 and Web platform v1.1 are back in stock at Seeed Studio USB IR Toy v2 was featured […]
USB PIC on a breadboard
What is the simplest way to try a USB project? PyroElectro has a simple breadboard-based example of USB with a PIC microcontroller. It uses an interrupt driven HID USB device as an example, based on the Microchip USB stack. Video below. Via the contact form.
Reverse engineering large 7-segment LED displays
arhi wrote a mini-datasheet for a large 7-segment display he plans to use in a clock: I ordered bunch of 7seg modules from Sure and I noticed on the product page lot of ppl complained about lack on info on how to drive them. As I plan to use them I spent few moments to […]
TOOLS: OptiVisor magnifier
Our favorite tools have a new home on the wiki. Each week we’ll muse about one of them. Have your own tool review? We’ll post that too! Magnification makes soldering faster, easier, and more comfortable. The classic helping hands have a detective-type magnifying glass. Pros often use a stereo microscope. We discussed some DIY USB […]
Bus Blaster v2 back in stock
A few reserve Bus Blaster v2 JTAG boards are in stock at Seeed Studio. A new batch is on the way too. Get one for $34.95
Millimeter-scale implantable computing system
This tiny sensor system is an implantable device to monitor eye pressure in glaucoma patients: Researchers from the University of Michigan at ISSCC discuss a prototype implantable eye pressure monitor for glaucoma patients that is believed to contain the first complete millimeter-scale computing system. Thanks bearmos! Via the contact form.
Zork for the Microtouch
Rossum has a new project out, Zork for the Microtouch: It is hard to believe it has been 30 years since I first played Zork. To mark the occasion I have ported a Z-machine interpreter to the Microtouch
The Maximite computer
The Maximite computer The Maximite is a small and versatile computer running a full featured BASIC interpreter with 128K of working memory. It will work with a standard VGA monitor and PC compatible keyboard and because the Maximite has its own built in SD memory card and BASIC language you need nothing more to start […]
Lib(X)SVF: A library for implementing SVF and XSVF JTAG players
libxsvf is an open source library for ‘playing’ SVF and XSVF JTAG programming files. It supports a number of programmers, including the Bus Blaster v1 and v2.
Web platform back in stock
Web platform v1.1 is back in stock at Seeed Studio. Get an assembled web platform for $40, including worldwide shipping.
Free Bus Blaster v2 PCB via Twitter: RT @dangerousproto
Every Tuesday we give away some extra PCBs via Twitter. This post was announced on twitter, the first few people who retweet it get free PCBs. This week we’re giving away two Bus Blaster v2 PCBs. Bus Blaster v2 is an experimental, high-speed JTAG debugger for ARM chips, FPGAs, CPLDs, flash, etc. Thanks to a […]
PIC32 drives SID audio chip
Markus shared his latest SID player in the project log forum: I am currently working on a kind of hybrid between an emulated and a real SID Player. The CPU and CIA stuff runs emulated on a PIC32 and the sound is generated by a hardware SID chip. I had the TinySID emulator already running […]
Protostack 28 pin AVR development board v1.6
Daniel writes: Back in July last year we released version 1.5 of our28 Pin AVR board. Since then we’ve had a lot of feedback and have just released version 1.6, which has 4 improvements over version 1.5. The size of the IDC/Dual row area has been increased from 2×8 to 2×9 holes. We added square […]
Mouser now sells the Arduino
Chris writes: I noticed that Mouser now sells the Arduino! I am not a big fan of them, but it is great to see how far this little board has gone. They have a wide variety from the Lilypad, Uno, and Mega to lots of shields. Via the contact form.