Precision circuit monitors negative-supply threshold: Using an IC (MAX971) that includes an open-drain comparator and a precision 1% voltage reference, this circuit monitors the magnitude of a negative supply voltage and provides a digital warning of fault conditions. To monitor multiple negative voltages, use the MAX974, which includes four comparators. Thanks for the tip rsdio!
Author Archives: Ian
Ruby bindings for Bus Pirate
Profmaad started a Ruby library for working with the Bus Pirate, source available on github. Via the forum. Get your own handy Bus Pirate for $30, including world-wide shipping. Also available from our friendly distributors.
App note: MAX16834 high-power LED driver
rsdio writes: Why regulate the voltage from your supply when you really need a controlled current to drive an LED? Any regulator is less than 100% efficient, and the losses increase as more current is drawn. It looks like the circuit in this application note would allow you to skip the voltage regulator and thus […]
Create NTSC video output from CPLDs and FPGAs
PyroElectro shows how to make NTSC video with a FPGA: NTSC video is a standard that has been around almost as long as black and white TVs. It’s a true analog standard, but we can use digital FPGA signals to create NTSC. This tutorial shows you how to output simple NTSC video to your TV. […]
Week in (p)review: March 18, 2011
Don’t forget to share your current project in the comments or the forum. This week our favorite project gets a free QFP protoboard. Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week: A big box of parts arrived from MDFLY A KT-link buffer clone supporting JTAG Serial Wire Debug is now available for Bus […]
Quirks of PCB manufacturing at ITead
Flemming has a list of tips for PCB manufacturing at ITead. Seeed Studio uses the same PCB shop, so these tips apply to their Fusion board service too. I do all my PCB production at ITead Studio the price is low and their published specs are nice, but there are some quirks that you need […]
Digitally controlled power supply
Here’s a design for a digitally controlled power supply: I’ve built quite a few power supplies over the years; it’s an almost vital tool for electronics. It’s been my plan to built one which would drop the analog potentiometers in exchange for digital control with a microcontroller. There are many advantages to it as well […]
TOOLS: Brother QL-550 label maker
Our favorite tools have a new home on the wiki. Each week we’ll muse a bit about one of them. Have your own tool review? We’ll post that too! Sometimes it’s the small things that bring you joy. That’s definitely the case with this spiffy little label maker. It does one thing, and it does […]
App note: Long twisted pair reads digital temperature sensor
This digital temperature sensor design uses a twisted cable pair to read the sensor over long distances: This circuit is a simple and economical interface for remote IC thermal sensors. The temperature sensor (MAX6576), an absolute temperature-to-period converter that integrates the sensor with the necessary signal electronics, connects to the receiver (a MAX9140 comparator) using […]
WIFI router rescue with tjtag and Arduino
tjtag is an open source WIFI router rescue utility by our friend tornado. It uses a parallel programming cable to write firmware back into a bricked router. Now zoobab has ported jtjag to work with the Arduino as a programmer. If you don’t have a parallel port, just use an Arduino to rescue that router. […]
Bus Blaster v2: JTAG Serial Wire Debug support
A KT-link buffer clone supporting JTAG Serial Wire Debug is now available for Bus Blaster v2 pre-release testers. This should support the new 2-wire SWD debugging protocol when available in OpenOCD and urJTAG. The KT-link is the first FT2232-based JTAG debugger with support for the new SWD and SWV JTAG interface used on low pin […]
LibSWD: JTAG serial wire debug library
libswd is an open source library for the new 2-wire JTAG protocol called Serial Wire Debug. The developer is currently working to integrate it with OpenOCD and urJTAG. Most open source projects supporting SWD seem to be standardizing on the KT-link style FT2232 programmer. The CPLD on Bus Blaster v2 can imitate the KT-link buffer, […]
The basics of USB battery charging: a survival guide
An introduction to USB battery charging: a survival guide Arguably the most useful part of USB’s power capabilities is the ability to charge batteries in portable devices, but there is more to battery charging than picking a power source, USB or otherwise. This is particularly true for Li+ batteries, where improper charging can not only […]
Lego minifigure multimeter
David Cook documented his Lego Minifigure multimeter build. …I created a device built from Lego bricks and minifigs that measures the resistance, displays the standard value, and speaks the resistance using text-to-speech (TTS). Thanks Frank! Via the contact form.
595 shift register simulator
Stepping through this 595 shift register simulator is a good way to learn some logic chip fundamentals like shift registers and serial interfaces. Via Hack a Day
Logic Sniffer: Windows GUI upgrade utility
dogsbody released a new version of his Windows GUI upgrade utility for the Logic Sniffer. Get a Logic Sniffer for $50, with free worldwide shipping.
ChronoBlot DIY remake of the ChronoDot
schazamp shared his ChronoBlot remake of the MaceTech ChronoDot in the project log forum: I made this ChronoBlot a while back, but now that I have a Bus Pirate, I can easily test it out, set the clock, and set the alarm (and write scripts to help with that), so I’ll be updating it soon […]
DIY piezoelectric materials
Make has a video on DIY piezoelectric materials: Piezoelectric materials are about as close to magic as you can get. They turn physical pressure into electricity and can even turn electricity into physical pressure – an amazing sort of bidirectional converter for mechanical and electrical energies. Perhaps even more amazing is the fact that you […]
New version of pyBusPiratelite Python library
cloudform511 updated the pyBusPiratelite Python library. This library has the building blocks for controlling the Bus Pirate from a Python script, there’s also some examples to get you started. Get your own handy Bus Pirate for $30, including world-wide shipping. Also available from our friendly distributors.
Week in (p)review: March 13, 2011
Don’t forget to share your current project in the comments or the forum. This week our favorite project gets a free SOIC protoboard. Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week: We released a new QFP prototype board for SMD parts omegat shared his hot air soldering station in the project log forum […]