Category Archives: Chips

74181 ALU design on Altera MAX II CPLD

Dilshan Jayakody writes: 74181 is 4-bit arithmetic and logic unit introduced by Texas Instruments in March 1970 and it is known for being the first ALU in single package. This chip is no longer in manufacturing but still it is quite popular in CA (computer architecture) courses in many colleges. To test the behavior of […]

Analog Devices AD587KN 10V reference

SteelCity Electronics published an article about Analog Devices AD587KN 10V reference: I recently got hold of an Analog Devices AD587KN high precision 10.000V reference chip. This model of chip has an output value of 10.000V ± 5mV (that is, an output value of 9.995V to 10.005V) straight out of the factory. A voltage drift of […]

ESP8266 powered web server + LED control + DHT22 temperature/humidity sensor reading

Martin writes: The ESP8266 System-on-chip (SoC) has recently came out of nowhere and has been taking by storm the IoT DIY world. It is a $4.50 Wi-Fi capable chip that has remarkable specs, obsoleting overnight a number of similar products that are out there. The price factor, availability of SDK and a fast growing community […]

Using a standard coil for NFC tag implant reading

Limpkin writes: Who knew it’d be possible to use this coil to read NFC tags? A while ago I backed the xNT campaign , which aimed at making an NTAG216 based NFC implant for different purposes. After a few months of waiting and a few weeks of trying to find someone in Switzerland willing to […]

New microchip promises to streamline and simplify diabetes diagnoses

Dr. Brian Feldman and his team at Stanford University have developed a new microchip. It promises to streamline and simplify diabetes diagnoses. Ben Coxworth of Gizmag writes: For people who don’t already know, here’s the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes: the body produces little or no insulin in the case of type 1, and […]

Single chip AVR BASIC computer

Dan over at HackAday documented his single chip computer project with the PCBs from DirtyPCBs: A single AVR microcontroller (the ATmega 1284P) has been used to create a standalone computer system which runs the BASIC programming language. The 1284P runs TinyBASIC Plus, generates RCA video signals (using TVout) and reads PS/2 keyboard input. A single sided […]

NEW PROJECT: BGA Reballing Practice Kit, removal, reballing, soldering exercise

At Hacker Camp Shenzhen we learned to reball BGA chips at a mobile phone repair school. This technique was developed to repair cell phones with little to no equipment. That means no expensive reballing rigs, no collection of tiny replacement BGA balls. Just simple hand tools. We thought it was so cool we bought all […]

Single chip provides 3D images inside the heart and blood vessels

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new medical imaging technology that provides 3D imaging from inside the heart and blood vessels: The device integrates ultrasound transducers with processing electronics on a single 1.4 millimeter silicon chip. On-chip processing of signals allows data from more than a hundred elements on the device to be […]

Microchip PIC chips could have been the Power Behind Arduino

Gerry Sweeney writes: As I understand it Microchip are in the silicon chip business selling micro-controllers – actually Microchip make some really awesome parts and I am guessing here but I suspect they probably want to sell lots and lots of those awesome parts right? So why do they suppress their developer community with crippled […]

Drag soldering for surface mount chips

This video by Steve of Big Mess o’ Wires demonstrates how to solder a 44-pin chip in a typical TQFP package using the drag soldering technique: The process begins by applying a liberal amount of flux to the pads, then positioning the chip on top. I use a pencil eraser to hold the chip steady while I tack down […]

555 as a push-pull level shifter

psmay writes: Wanting to prototype something with an oddball push-pull 3.3V-to-13V switch led me to concoct an experiment using only stuff available at a reasonably well-stocked Radio Shack[3], with particular attention to ICs that provide push-pull outputs. So far I’ve tried configurations based on the original 555 timer[4] and the TL082 op amp. My first […]

rompar: a tool to analyze masked ROMs

You may have seen those highly magnified photos of decapped chips displaying the hardware architecture and wondered what information is represented by the solder-like designs. Adam “Major Malfunction” Laurie of Aperature Labs has developed a software tool to assist in deciphering the bits represented in these highly magnified chip photos. Known as rompar, its a […]

New chip delivers DNA results within an hour

Here’s an amazing new DNA testing chip by Panasonic together with the Belgium-based research institution IMEC. It delivers DNA results within an hour: This is the chip we’ve actually developed. As you can see, it’s less than half the size of a business card. It has already drawn the interest of organizations such as non gamstop casinos […]

MSP430 optical mouse chip interface – phase 1

JWoodrell over at the 430h forum shares his experience interfacing an optical mouse IC (AVAGO ADNS-2051) to an MSP430G2553: My current plan is to gut optical mice for their sensor + lense i can get them for around 2-3 bucks.  the first mouse i gutted had an AVAGO ADNS-2051 sensor which is nice because it […]