Hacker Camp Shenzhen registration ends this week

There’s about a month left before the third Hacker Camp Shenzhen. This time we’re checking out electronics and materials markets off the beaten path. There’s still plenty of time to book your ticket and get a visa. Ticket sales end on the 15th.

Hacker Camp Shenzhen volume 3: “Reflow” is on! Join us from Thursday December 4 to Saturday December 6, 2014 for fun, food and 3 solid days of market tours in Shenzhen China and beyond. Tickets are available now.

Come to the world’s electronics capital and experience Shenzhen like a local hacker. Tour the famous Huaqiangbei electronics markets with people who live in the neighborhood, figure out what to eat and how to get around.

This time we have something new! Join us on a party bus to electronics and tools markets most foreigners could never find. We’ll have three solid days of market tours: Huaqiangbei, South China City, and Shajing. Check out the first camp here.

Schedule

  • Optional: Tuesday 2 – early arrival dinner at Japanese Secret Location
  • Optional: Wednesday 3 – tour of Dongmen market & sign street, copy mall
  • Thursday 4 – How to survive Shenzhen, Huaqianbei tour, hot pot dinner
  • Friday 5 – tour of South China City market, BBQ dinner
  • Saturday 6 – tour of Yihua and Depu markets, Hacker shaokao and craft beer

That’s just an overview. See the full Hacker Camp Shenzhen schedule here. You can expect nightly dinners and parties all week. If you want to come really early, we’ll be in Tokyo November 20-25th for Tokyo Maker Faire.

Tickets

Tickets for the camp cover bus rental, materials, meeting room, a translator, a set of PCBs, and 3 bottles of Tsing Tao (Ching Dao) per dinner. There’s only 20 tickets available and we expect they will sell out fast. Or maybe it’ll be a small intimate group. Who knows! We’re excited to see you there!

  • Student/Starving Artist ticket – $300
  • Normal ticket – $350
  • Supporter ticket – $450 (your name on the site and schedule of every future camp)

We also include allowance for Paypal fees, wire transfer fees, and currency conversion. Hacker Camp Shenzhen is a “no profit” event, meaning we’re lucky to break even.

Where to stay, visas, how to get there

City Inn is the recommended hotel, but be prepared for really bad internet and no WIFI. Check out the Hacker Camp mini-site and our Shenzhen survival guide. Be sure to get WeChat and join the Shenzhen Hacker group chat after you buy a ticket!

SIM card required

We’re traveling to places an hour or so north of Shenzhen, there are no taxis and nobody speaks English. Everyone must have a working SIM card with data. We can get them in China, or you can bring your own.

Can’t make this one?

Hacker Camp Shenzhen volume 4: “Pun TBD” will be in March or April after the Chinese New Year.

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: LED array drivers

an_st_an3981

Here are STMicroelectronics’ portfolio of LED array drivers(PDF).

The use of LEDs in applications like displays, information and advertising panels, signs, traffic signals, automotive lighting and architectural lighting is becoming more and more common.

LED array drivers, with accurate constant current regulation and embedded serial interfaces, offers a solution that is suitable for most of the above mentioned applications.

App note: Using the STM6600, STM6601 smart push-button on/off controller

ap_st_an3271

An app note(PDF) on smart on/off controller and voltage monitoring chip from STMicroelectronics.

These devices allow easy and safe control of applications run with one or two push-buttons by securely starting or powering down a system and also resetting the processor or disabling power in case of a non-responding application (e.g. code in a dead loop). This makes the STM660x devices suitable for a broad spectrum of applications such as terminals, audio and video players, smartphones, PDAs, PCs, or any portable device.

App note: Slew rate verification for wideband amplifiers

no title (1)

Linear Slew rate verification for wideband amplifiers from Linear, an app note (PDF) :

Slew rate defines an amplifier’s maximum rate of output
excursion. This specification sets limits on undistorted
bandwidth, an important capability in A/D driver applications. Slew rate also influences achievable performance in D/A output stages, filters, video amplification and data acquisition. Because of its importance, amplifier slew rate must be verified by measurement. Deriving a measurement approach requires understanding slew rate’s relationship to amplifier dynamics.

Battery fuel gauge with zero parts and zero pins on AVR

Josh Levine writes:

It can be nice to know how much battery power you have. It becomes critically important with LiPo batteries since you can permanently damage them by running the voltage down too low. Typically battery voltage detection requires adding a circuit with extra parts and their associated power requirements. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to do this using nothing but software? Read on for a no parts, no pins, no power solution…

Using the cirrus logic CS5464 for AC current measurement

Using the cirrus logic CS5464 for AC current measurement by Corgi-Tronics:

Continuing the series on examining devices to measure AC current, this time we’ll try out the CS5464 from Cirrus Logic.  I initially built it up on  a breadboard, but I’ll skip writing up this test and instead build up a prototype and run AC line power through it.

This is a Three-channel, Single-phase Power/Energy monitoring chip, and also can use current shunts and is intended for power meters.
This device provides no direct isolation, instead the entire device (input and output) directly coupled to the AC power line. Any isolation must be provided separately.

 

Free PCB coupon via Facebook to 2 random commenters

buspiratev383

Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. This post was announced on Facebook, and on Monday we’ll send coupon codes two random commenters. 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”

Week in (p)review November 07, 2014

stencil-week

Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week. Free PCB Friday is coming up soon.

Coming up:

  • Free PCBs via Facebook on Friday
  • App notes on the weekend
  • Free PCB Sunday
  • Free PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday
  • Weekly roundup and preview every Friday

Swimming robotic micro-scallop

robotic-microscallops

Prof. Peer Fischer and his team at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany have developed a tiny robotic scallops that can swim through blood and eyeball fluid to fix damaged cells:

For years now, scientists have been trying to develop microscopic robots that can swim through bodily fluids and repair damaged cells or deliver medicine. Now, a team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany believe they’ve got the perfect design — in the form of scallops so small, they can barely be seen by the naked eye. These micro-robo-scallops move back and forth to swim through blood, eyeball fluids and other liquids inside our body. The scientists believe mimicking the way a true scallop swims is ideal, due to a number of reasons.

Via Engadget.

Check out the video after the break. Continue reading “Swimming robotic micro-scallop”

Simple CMOS FSK modem

FSK2

Dilshan Jayakody writes:

This project is about 4046 PLL base simple FSK modem. Under given configuration this modem send digital signals over two frequencies and which is switching around 378kHz and 226kHz. In this system, modulator uses VCO of 4046, and demodulator is based on close loop mode of 4046 phase comparator and external LPF assembly.
This FSK modem is specifically design to transfer digital signals over mixed signal lines and it can directly use with any slow digital interfaces like UARTs. This system operates reliably under 10kHz range and we test it with standard TTL inputs.

Get free LinkIt ONE and groves with successful prototype

Linkit

Seeed Studio is giving away LinkIt ONE.  For more details visit Seeed Studio’s blog:

LinkIt ONE has been sold out 2,000 + pcs since its launch on Sept.22th . Everything goes perfect except the lack of demo or prototype built in LinkIt ONE, we hope various of funny and practical prototypeswill be born on LinkIt ONE because of your talent of creativityand spirit of Maker . We do think it is a fullfeatured board integratedMTK Aster MT2502 SOC, GSM, GPRS, WiFi, Bluetooth BR/EDR/BLE, GPS, Audiocodec, SD and etc, which can be applied to various area,such as internet of things and smart home,remotecontrol. So, here is the chance to use your imagination to create something incredible, we provide you the free LinkIt ONE Board ,Grove Starter Kit/Sidekick Basic Kit for LinkIt ONE , and 120+ kinds of groves modules for optional.

Limited to ten people from Oct.31th to Dec.25th.
How does it work? Trust!!!

 

SDWebServer – enc28J60 and Arduino

webserver-1
Luca Dentella has informed us of his latest project using an ethernet shield based on the ENC28j60 driver from Microchip.

SDWebServer is a complete webserver that can retrieve static elements from an SD card (including a user-defined default webpage) and can also create dynamic pages. This is the latest post in my tutorial about using ENC28j60-based shields with Arduino.

Via the contact form.

A NPN transistor Electret condenser microphone preamp for microcontrollers

Transistor_Electret_Condenser_Microphone_Preamp_rev02

Davide Gironi writes:

This is a NPN Electret Condenser Microphone Preamp board design for the use with microcontrollers ADC.
In order to make an electret condenser microphone signal “readable” by a microcontroller ADC, it has to be matched the ADC specification of the microcontroller. Most of the time it means, add some gain to the signal, reduce his impedance, and bias it.

Check out the video after the break. Continue reading “A NPN transistor Electret condenser microphone preamp for microcontrollers”

Mooltipass, an open source offline password keeper

Mooltipass

Password keeper for all platforms and devices on Indiegogo, the Mooltipass:

The Mooltipass is an open source offline password keeper, a project that started a little less than a year ago.

Dozens of contributors from all over the globe got together to work on this device that offers significant advantages over closed or software based password keepers:
– Better security: Mooltipass emulates a standard keyboard and types your passwords for you only when you allow it to
– A non-proprietary device: Anyone can develop new tools for Mooltipass.
– An open-source platform: Being able to read our source code allows everyone to check and enhance the security of the Mooltipass.
– A trusted platform: Only code that has been tested by the developers and reviewed by the community is running on the Mooltipass, ensuring that no viruses or malicious programs compromise your stored credentials.

Code is available on GitHub.

Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading “Mooltipass, an open source offline password keeper”

Adventures in Moteino: Remote temperature monitor

 

collage

Colin over at CuPID Controls writes:

We want to put our remote sense and control modules out into the wild and read and aggregate them as it makes sense.
Our basic system layout is as below. We’ve got multiple wireless nodes that broadcast data periodically, and a controller/aggregator that will log this data, acknowledge receipt, and do something useful with it. Eventually, we may have intermediate powered nodes that serve to mesh the grid out, but for now, our nodes just send data to the controller.
We’re currently using these awesome little RF units, called Moteinos. They are an Arduino clone that can use the standard IDE with their bootloader. They’ve got the ever-so-popular ATMega328P chip that is familiar to anybody working with an Arduino Nano or Uno.

 

PL2303HX userspace GPIO control tool

PL2303HX_Userspace_GPIO_control_tool

Necromant  writes:

This is a small tool for linux userspace that allows you to interact with GPIO lines on PL2303HX devices. It has only been tested on PL2303HXA, but may work for other revisions. Since no common GPIO driver for those exists at the time of writing in the linux kernel – this should serve as a placeholder till upstream guys fix that.

That is available at Github.

EWaste 60$ 3D printer

FYB9JG9I236GUDK

A DIY 3D Printer built out of reused electronic parts by mikelllc, an instructables here:

This project describes the design of a very low budget 3D Printer that is mainly built out of recycled electronic components. The result is a small format printer for less than 100$.

First of all, we learn how a generic CNC system works (by assembling and calibrating bearings, guides and threads) and then teach the machine to respond to g-code instructions. After that, we add a small plastic extruder and give an overview on plastic extrusion calibration, driver power tuning and other few operations that will bring the printer to live. Following this instructions you will get a small footprint 3D Printer that is built with about an 80% of recycled components, which gives it a great potential and helps to reduce the cost significantly.

#FreePCB via Twitter to 2 random RTs

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