Category Archives: how-to

Processor quick start guides

The new processor quick start guides were a big hit. Maff^ contributed a basic guide to the AVR, and Dpropicweb greatly expanded the PIC guides. We finished the MSP430 guide, and added new guides for the Coolrunner-II CPLD and Spartan 3 FPGA (in progress). Check out all the guides, and add one for your favorite […]

DIY Squishy dough for simple circuits

Here’s a novel way to connect simple circuits. By mixing up your own conductive and non-conductive play doughs you can connect components without wires. Adds a new dimension to the term “wireless”! Just don’t think it would be a good idea to go through airport security with a doughy substance with components and flashing LEDs […]

Processor quick start guides

Getting started with a new processor family is a minefield. Our new quick start guides for the PIC, LPC ARM, and STM32 ARM, are a collection of notes on these processor families. If you’re already familiar with one processor, these condensed guides can help you get started on a whole new platform without scouring the […]

Open source decoder for digital shortwave data

If you tune around the shortwave bands you’ve probably heard various buzzes, high-pitched screeches and other annoying sounds. Many of these aren’t just noise, but amateur radio digital data transmissions.  These messages are surprisingly easy it is to decode using free open source software. FLDIGI is a digital modem program for Linux, Free-BSD, OS X, […]

Producing better documentation

NBitWonder sends us a meta how-to, documentation for producing better documentation: Documentation is fun!  Well… not really, but it’s a necessary evil if you plan to share your projects with the open-source community (or remember how you did something a year or two down the road).  Documentation may not be glamorous, but it’s an important […]

No magnetics – ethernet coupling with capacitors

Ethernet devices are usually connected to the network though small transformers. In our projects, like the web platform and #twatch, these magnetics are integrated into the ethernet jack. Florin is working on an ethernet project where space and weight are critical. He decided to ditch the heavy magnetics and experiment with capacitive ethernet coupling. This […]

How-to: Export parts from Eagle libraries

The Dangerous Prototypes Eagle parts library has most of the parts used in our projects. It’s got just about everything we use on a daily basis.  We keep it in SVN so everyone has the latest version. Eagle stores footprints in a binary file, so SVN can’t merge differences if two people make changes at […]