DirtyPCB BeagleQ

beagleq-5

HouseOfBeck shared his DirtyPCB BeagleQ in the project log forum:

The BeagleQ is a wifi enabled wireless intelligent bbq smoker controller based on the BeagleBone Black controller. This device is designed to control a fan connected to the smoker’s input vent/damper. Using a temperature probe placed in the pit the controller can read the pit temperature and then adjust the fan speed to act as a bellows to cause the coals to heat up and raise the pit temperature. The fan shuts down when the desired temperature is reached. By continually monitoring the temperature and adjusting the fan speed the controller can insure a smooth low and slow cook.

The controller also has extra probes which can be used to monitor the temperature of the food being cooked and to send alerts based on a “done” setpoint.

Codes are available on Github.

Via the forum.

 

#FreePCB via Twitter to 2 random RTs

buspiratev383

Every Tuesday we give away two coupons for the free PCB drawer via Twitter. This post was announced on Twitter, and in 24 hours we’ll send coupon codes to two random retweeters. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times a every week:

  • Hate Twitter and Facebook? Free PCB Sunday is the classic PCB giveaway. Catch it every Sunday, right here on the blog
  • Tweet-a-PCB Tuesday. Follow us and get boards in 144 characters or less
  • Facebook PCB Friday. Free PCBs will be your friend for the weekend

Some stuff:

  • Yes, we’ll mail it anywhere in the world!
  • Check out how we mail PCBs worldwide video.
  • We’ll contact you via Twitter with a coupon code for the PCB drawer.
  • Limit one PCB per address per month please.
  • Like everything else on this site, PCBs are offered without warranty.

We try to stagger free PCB posts so every time zone has a chance to participate, but the best way to see it first is to subscribe to the RSS feed, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.

Low cost DC millivolt source

DC_millivolt_source

Dilshan Jayakody has published a new build, a DC millivolt source:

DC millivolt sources are often used for thermocouple simulations, DMM, ADC and analog circuit calibrations and fault findings, etc. Most of the DC millivolt circuits are based on expensive (and sometimes hard to find) operation amplifier like OP7, LT1077, etc. In this article we introduce low cost DC millivolt source based on commonly available LM308 precision operational amplifier, ICL8069 low voltage reference and 78L05 voltage regulator ICs. This millivolt source is design to obtain 200mV – 700mV DC output with 100Ω impedance. At the time of writing we spend Rs.800.00 (LKR) to complete this project.

Project info at Dilshan’s blog.  All files are available at elect.wikispaces.com.

Soldering Iron PID temperature controller

soldering-iron-3rd-test-with-tip-thermometer

Mike has posted a detailed tutorial on how to modify an ordinary plugin soldering iron to work with a digital temperature controller:

A thermocouple was mounted internally inside the soldering iron so it is out of the way. The idea was to find the “sweet spot” at the back of the heating unit inside the soldering iron where the temperature would match up with the temperature of the soldering iron tip.
The unit was tested on a range of temperatures at 200°C, 250°C, 300°C and 350°C to see if the tip temperature would coincide with the internal temperature as the soldering iron heated up. The results were encouraging. The tip temperature varied by only a few degrees in most cases and even coincided with the internal temperature a few times.

More details at PCB Smoke site.  Check out the video after the break.

Via the project log forum.

Continue reading “Soldering Iron PID temperature controller”

10×5 RGB LED Matrix with only 5 IO pins

FP2NND9I8PQYTCR

Here’s an instructable on LED Matrix with custom code/software by Ole_L:

This is the software which you need:
-Arduino
-Processing
Flash the software to your Arduino and open the processing project with… Processing! Now you should change the line “String portName = “/dev/ttyACM~”;” to your Serial port, on WINDOWS “String portName = “COM~”;”

Via the contact form.  Thanks Jan!

Check out the video after the break. Continue reading “10×5 RGB LED Matrix with only 5 IO pins”

Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB

irtoyv3-600x369

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 two random commenters will get a coupon code for the free PCB drawer tomorrow morning. Pick your own PCB. You get unlimited free PCBs now – finish one and we’ll send you another! Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times every week:

Continue reading “Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB”

App note: DC leakage failure mode in solid tantalum capacitor

an_vishay_dc_leakage_current

An application note from Vishay on the causes of increased DC leakage current on solid chip tantalum capacitors. PDF link Here.

This paper is submitted as an educational medium for use by anyone who has interest in solid tantalum chip capacitor performance.  It represents technical phenomena that are generic to all solid tantalum chip capacitors. This paper provides a general description of tantalum capacitor construction; a discussion of DC leakage failure mechanisms, and some process controls relating to these failure mechanisms.

App note: Charge and discharge application of electrolytic capacitor

an_rubycon_electrolytic_charge_n_discharge

An application note from Rubycon about what causes electrolytic capacitors to deteriorate. PDF link is Here.

Performance deterioration of aluminum electrolytic capacitor is accelerated by repeated charge and discharge. The speed of deterioration is determined by operating conditions. For example, the higher the voltage and smaller the discharge resistance, the tougher it is on the capacitor. Also the deterioration is accelerated when charge and discharge takes place very quickly, or in high ambient temperatures.

App note: L6234 three phase motor driver

a1pps

An app note (PDF!) from STMicroelectronics on L6234 three phase motor driver:

The L6234 is a DMOSs triple half-bridge driver with input supply voltage up 52V and output current of 5A. It can be used in a very wide range of applications.
It has been realized in Multipower BCD60II technology which allows the combination of isolated DMOS transistors with CMOS and Bipolar circuits on the same chip. It is available in Power DIP 20 (16+2+2) and in Power SO 20 packages.
All the inputs are TTL/CMOS compatible and each half bridge can be driven by its own dedicated input and enable.
The DMOS structure has an intrinsic free wheeling body diode so the use of external diodes, which are necessary in the bipolar configuration, can be avoided. The DMOS structure allows a very low quiescent current of 6.5 mA typ. at Vs=42V , irrespective of the load.

ESP8266 Wifi information LCD

esp8266lcd2

Renze shares his ESP8266 Wifi information LCD in the project log forum:

This is a little project I did in about 2 hours. It uses an LCD display I got from an old ISDN phone and shows text sent to it over WiFi.
The ESP8266 runs a webserver which shows a form that can be used to set the text. After the ESP8266 receives the text it sends the text to an Arduino using the serial port. The Arduino then shows the text on the lcd.
The biggest goal was to make the device as small as possible, by placing all the components directly on the lcd’s circuit board I managed to make the circuit only a couple of millimetres higher than the height of the clips of the lcd bezel.
(The display is an Optrex dmc50652n lcd)
If anyone is interrested in the source code of the esp8266 and arduino firmware please let me know.

Via the forum. Continue reading “ESP8266 Wifi information LCD”

Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters

KHOS-2-3-4-5-6P

Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes to two random commenters.  The coupon code usually go to Facebook ‘Other’ Messages Folder .  More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times every week:

Continue reading “Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters”

Hacking a LAMPAN Ikea lamp

IMG_20150302_205523314

Jesus Echavarria wrote an article detailing how he hacked the LAMPAN Ikea lamp:

The aim of this project, besides my own entertainment, is to have a lamp with the following features:

  • First, and obviously, maintain the connection for a light bulb, for the times that she wants to read before sleep.
  • Set manually the colour of the lamp on a easy way. This includes turn on the light bulb, change the colour or turn off the lamp.
  • Also, the colour can vary from a device with a bluetooth connection, such a mobile phone or tablet.
  • Set a timeout to turn off automatically the lamp.

Details at jechavarria’s project page.

Via the contact form.

Continue reading “Hacking a LAMPAN Ikea lamp”

Make an ATTiny85 programmer and development board

 

100_0966-600

Larry blogged about his DIY AVR ATTiny85  programmer and development board:

Starting from upper left is the 6-pin AVR programming header. I chose it because it has +5 and GND as well as the programming signals and can power the board. Next a red LED to show power to the board. Upper right is an LED tied to pin 4 for the default blink ‘hello world’ program. But with so few pins available, a jumper to disconnect the LED for pin 4 in case the application wants that pin. Below it is a reset switch.
Next across the bottom are headers, arduino like, bringing out each pin as well as an extra +5 and GND. There never seem to be enough. I also thought it could support a mini shield too.

Project info at Larry’s KB7KMO blog.

Proof of concept: Open source ARM SWD debug and general purpose board

frdm-k20d50m-board

Erich of MCUonEclipse writes:

The Freescale FRDM boards are using a Kinetis K20 based circuit (see “OpenSDA on the Freedom KL25Z Board“): However, that firmware is not open: the K20 is secured and protected, so the firmware cannot be changed. Newer Freescale FRDM boards like FRDM-K22F2 and FRDM-K64F do have an open source bootloader and debug firmware (see “DOC-100720“).
So: take a Freescale Kinetis K20 ARM Cortex-M4, the open source bootloader and firmware, shrink everything to the size of a Teensy board, add headers both to debug the K20 and an off-board microcontroller, and we have tiny board which can be used as a standalone versatile microcontroller board: usable for small projects or usable as debug probe.

Continue reading “Proof of concept: Open source ARM SWD debug and general purpose board”

GPS based car locator

cartracker

A GPS based car locator by msuzuki777, an instructable here:

The GPS continuously reads the latitude and longitude of the CarTracker. When the button is pressed, the coordinates are saved to the EEPROM. E.g., this would be the location of your car. Now, let’s say you walk out of a store and are looking for your car. Power up the CarTracker. Do not push button. The GPS will read the coordinates of the store and will calculate distance and direction from there to the stored location (of the car). The compass will orient the display so the display will point to the car and will display the distance.

Via Embedded Lab.

#FreePCB via Twitter to 2 random RTs

buspiratev383

Every Tuesday we give away two coupons for the free PCB drawer via Twitter. This post was announced on Twitter, and in 24 hours we’ll send coupon codes to two random retweeters. Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times a every week:

  • Hate Twitter and Facebook? Free PCB Sunday is the classic PCB giveaway. Catch it every Sunday, right here on the blog
  • Tweet-a-PCB Tuesday. Follow us and get boards in 144 characters or less
  • Facebook PCB Friday. Free PCBs will be your friend for the weekend

Some stuff:

  • Yes, we’ll mail it anywhere in the world!
  • Check out how we mail PCBs worldwide video.
  • We’ll contact you via Twitter with a coupon code for the PCB drawer.
  • Limit one PCB per address per month please.
  • Like everything else on this site, PCBs are offered without warranty.

We try to stagger free PCB posts so every time zone has a chance to participate, but the best way to see it first is to subscribe to the RSS feed, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.

Serial terminal view in Eclipse Luna

terminal-view-with-connection-to-board

Erich  writes:

I’m using mostly an external terminal program like Termite. But it is a very useful thing to have a terminal view in Eclipse so I do not need to switch to another application. All what is needed is the installation of a plugin plus the RXTX (at least on Windows). And best of all: it comes with telnet, SSH and local shell too :-)

Step by step guide at MCU on Eclipse.