Ray Wang has been experimenting with the ESP8266 Serial-to-WiFi module, which has gained much hype recently. “The module is very compact, easy to interface with, and inexpensive. I wrote an Arduino program to show how to use the Arduino to communicate with the WiFi module and set up a very simple web server.” Check out the blog post at RaysHobby.
Via the contact form.
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:
Space saving BGA packages application note (PDF) from Fairchild Semiconductors.
Demanding space and weight requirements of personal computing and portable electronic equipment has led to many innovations in IC packaging. Combining the right interface and logic products with new package technology can have a significant impact on the capabilities and form-factor of the end product. Leaded surface mount devices are constantly pushing the manufacturing capabilities of leading board manufacturers to finer and finer lead pitch geometry’s to increase I/O density and reduce board space.
Here’s an app note (PDF) from Fairchild Semiconductor on how to solve audible noise problem on their power switch applications.
In general, switched mode power supplies do not generate audible noise when they operate at constant ultrasonic frequencies (>20kHz). However, some switched mode power supplies can produce audible noise at certain load conditions. Most Fairchild Power Switches are designed to enter into burst switching operation at light load conditions to reduce standby consumption, which can cause audible noise when the fundamental frequency of the burst switching bundles is in the range of human hearing.
Here’s an getting started guide from Maxim describing their MAXQ622 low-power RISC microcontroller:
This application note describes how to create, build, and debug applications targeted for the MAXQ622 low-power RISC microcontroller. The article uses the IAR Embedded Workbench toolset and C compiler available from IAR Systems.
Kevin Rye writes:
I’m in the very early stages of prototyping a nixie clock. I picked up some MJE340 power transistors to switch on some IN-3s. I can then use a digital pin on my Arduino to turn on the IN-3s through the transistor. I’ll then have myself a blinking colon for my nixie tube clock.
Check out the video after the break.
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. 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”
Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week. Free PCB Friday is coming up soon.
Coming up:
The Arduino and Cloud-based homebrewing controller by Martin Kennedy of TheBedroomLaboratory:
It’s just a basic site, based on this Scotch.io tutorial, which is currently plotting the temperature in my sitting room. It’s got a PHP backend (Laravel framework with RESTful API), MySQL database and an AngularJS frontend with (n3-chart/d3 for the graph). In the house, I’ve whacked together a quick breadboard circuit which comprises of an Arduino clone, a DS18B20 Temperature Sensor (with resistor for the i2c connection) and an ESP8266 module. Every minute, this wireless sensor POSTs the temperature to our REST API. This value is saved in the database and will appear in the graph whenever the page is opened. To hook it up to a fermenter, the sensor would just be placed in a thermowell in the fermenter bucket so we can see the beer temperature over time.
The design files is available on GitHub.
An article on modifying MSR-206 magnetic card reader to replace RS232 port with USB by crimier:
This was of high urgency, so I’ve had to suspend my usual work activities and concentrate on this project yesterday. MSR-206 is a pretty impressive piece of technology, incomparable to those cheap eBay magnetic card readers. It even includes 24V 2.2A DC power supply, which is quite heavy and makes you question those cheap USB 2.5W card readers – like, are they really OK for most applications when somebody released such a powerful thing just to accomplish the same task? It’s also kind of state-of-art inside… Well, maybe it’s just me being used to see a lot of disassembled Chinese stuff =)
LC Meter based on PIC 16F628A build by EkusheBangla:
Well this is a Very Accurate LC Meter based on PIC 16F628A .Having inspired from surprisingly accurate LC Meter. This is my attempt to build an accurate L/C meter.
Adam Caudill and Brandon Wilson gave this presentation at the recent Derbycon 2014 conference in Louisville, KY, covering their hack of the Phison 2251-03 USB controller firmware to add new “features” and functionality. They focus on the Patriot Supersonic Xpress 8GB USB drive allowing it to be repurposed for non-standard uses.
Adam has posted his code on GitHub. Slides from this presentation are available on SlideShare.
Additional information on this security issue can be found in this WIRED article.
We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of IronGeek, a Louisville / Kentuckiana Information Security Enthusiast, for making this conference video available.
An open source midi controller user for the Roland SP-404 sampler by Davide Gironi:
The Roland SP-404 is a digital sampler made by Roland Corporation.
This sampler has an input midi port, and expose a set of midi commands to control the unit.
With this project user can control Roland SP-404 using a Midi Pedal.
With the pedal user can change the bank of the sampler and also switch on / off samples. It is a pedal extentions of the button matrix in front of the sampler.
Check out the video after the break. Continue reading “Roland SP-404 AVR custom midi control pedal”
@ibuildrockets tweeted picture of his Blinky board from DirtyPCB:
Ooh! Just had my order of PCBs arrive from @DirtyBoardsPCBs So red and purdy!
Tinito writes, ” I’m attending the Open Hardware Summit 2014 in Rome, and I wanted to share a few moments of it. Not actually a “live coverage” due to connectivity issues..”
David Cuartielles talking about the importance of people for the open hardware movement: open hardware is not useful by itself, its people making great things with open hardware, and releasing their project as open hardware, which are actually useful. “I do believe in people”, he says.
Richard Webb just finished an article on reverse engineering the wireless protocol used to communicate with some pro studio lighting. His approach involves sniffing the SPI bus into the lighting controller’s RF module using the Open Bench Logic Sniffer to obtain preliminary addressing information, then used an nRF24L01+ module in receive mode to capture packets. He used the results to discern the control signals and used an Arduino to transmit the desired control signals using a nRF24L01+ module.
Richard’s post can be found on his Zoetrope tech blog.
Via the contact form.
David Um writes:
I decided to create a simple lab involving an Arduino Uno, in this case a SparkFun RedBoard, and a BlinkM LED that can be controlled over I2C. The Arduino would have a simple sketch that will update the color of the BlinkM and using a Bus Pirate I would then sniff traffic that is occurring between the BlinkM and the Arduino. I would also like to study the process involved in using the Bus Pirate to inject messages to take control of the BlinkM and have it change to a different color. I’m not blowing anyone’s skirt up with this, but I gotta start out somewhere.
Get your own handy Bus Pirate for $30, including world-wide shipping. Also available from our friendly distributors.
Check out the video after the break.
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:
Some stuff:
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.
Nixie, a tiny wearable quadrocopter camera on a wrist band:
Team Nixie is developing the first wearable drone camera, which can be worn around your wrist. The team will be presenting their prototype for the Intel Make It Wearable Challenge Finale on November 3, 2014 in San Francisco
Via Embedded Day.
DickB over at the 430h forum built this cool MSP430 propelled pendulum clock:
This pendulum clock is not only regulated by the pendulum, but it is driven by it. A hidden magnet in the pendulum swings past a hidden coil and induces a current. This is detected and then a current pulse is fed into the coil, creating an electromagnet that repels the pendulum to keep it moving.
Via 43oh.
