We added the recently released FT311D Android Open Accessory host USB IC in a LQFP-32 package to our Eagle library. The device makes it easy to communicate to Android devices using the Android Open Accessory Mode available on Android platforms from 3.1 and up. The reference circuit is pretty simple, like most FTDI chips, we’ll have a breakout board up for your perusal tomorrow.
Hackerspace Singapore posted some pictures from our visit, taken during our Global Geek Tour. Be sure to check out our full video report from Singapore on electronics shops, the hackerspace, local food, and more.
Thanks to everyone at Hackerspace Singapore for hosting us. Every hackerspace is unique, and it is always exciting to get to know a new one. We can’t wait to see what you’re up to next year.
Our recollection and comments on a few of the pictures are below.
The Backtrack5 crew has just announced Release 3 of their well known penetration testing Linux distro. Backtrack5R3 not only includes bug-fixes, but the addition of over 60 new tools – several of which were released in BlackHat and Defcon 2012. A new “Physical Exploitation” tool category has been added including the Arduino IDE and libraries, as well as the Kautilya Teensy payload collection.
You can download this distro image from Backtrack-linux.
Microchip and Digilent handed over a chipKIT 32-bit Arduino-compatible board and Wifi shield to give away this week. Leave a comment on this post with a project idea, and these boards could be yours on Thursday.
The chipKIT uC32 is based on the popular Arduino open-source hardware prototyping platform and adds the performance of the Microchip PIC32 microcontroller.
The uC32 is the same form factor as the Arduino Uno board and is compatible with Arduino shields. It features a USB serial port interface for connection to the IDE and can be powered via USB or an external power supply.
On our conference call with Microchip it was hinted that a fully open source IDE and compiler for the chipKIT are going to beta testers soon.
The chipKIT uC32 is available for $34.99 and chipKIT Wifi shield for $49.99 from Digilent.
Continue reading “GIVEAWAY: chipKIT 32-bit board and Wifi shield”
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:
AIW designed a breakout board for the Si4707 weather band receiver IC. It features a coax antenna connector, and I2C pins broken out and pulled high to 3.3V. Code sample for interfacing the device to the Arduino was released in the forum.
I do have comms utilizing Arduino I2C bus. The Si4707 is 3.3V so I have the arduino 3.3V output tied to VCC,VIO and to the I2C pull-up resistors. No audio yet because I haven’t bread boarded the audio amp circuit yet, but I am able to do the following: power up, get rev, set frequency, and wb tune status.
Via the forum.
Today and tomorrow are Bus Pirate days, so we’re reviewing all the latest patches in preparation for a release at the end of the week. We test fitted the SoB case for ATX, and fitted the Scheme G standoffs in a sheet with different sizes of test holes.
We worked on initializing the ATX BB v1.1 Sick of Beige case. The same was used for today’s 3D model and rendering.
We started working on a revision of the Logic Shrimp, with a new 23LC1024 SRAM IC from Microchip. It has 4 times the capacity, and should prove to be more reliable. It also features SDI (Serial Dual Interface), and SQI (Serial Quad Interface) interfaces for faster data rates.
Darell took these pictures during the making of the Singapore Geek Tour video. Check out the rest of the pictures on his Flickr photo stream.
An Arduino-based clock with 180 RGB LEDs. The LEDs are driven via 12 TLC5925 1- channel constant-current addressable drivers.
Its built on doublesided copper clad board using Toner transfer method. The routes aren’t smaller than 0.44mm and all vias are made for 0.8mm drilling (truly DIY). Just around 5 vias are under a component and 7 segment displays have singnals only from bottom side (for easy soldering)
Via Hacked Gadgets.
Today’s 3D model is the Sick of Beige case for the ATX Breakout Board v1.1. This board recycles an old computer PSU into a handy bench tool with 3.3/5/12/-12 volt supplies. The case uses 8x8mm standoffs and some bolts to hold together the 2 laser cut acrylic sheets. Expect it in production soon.
Check out out Sick of Beige customization tutorial explaining how to fit your project into our Sick of Beige cases.
The models will be published in the Dangerous Prototypes 3D warehouse collection. They are also uploaded to our SVN. You can find them inside the “art” folders in the respective project folders. Check out the 3D view below. You can zoom and rotate the model.
Below is a pic of the bottom sheet, it features a Dangerous prototypes logo, DP10080 standard size description, and the CC BY-SA text.
Continue reading “3D Model: ATX Breakout Board v1.1 Sick of Beige case”
Buzz writes informing us of a new open-source radio modem recently introduced by RFDesign known as the RFD900. “It’s initial focus is telemetry for UAV’s and FPV, but it’s an amazing piece of kit, with a whopping 1 Watt power, massive range of 40km, and it’s only $89.50 per unit. (Similar closed-source units sell for $250 and upward).” Buzz reports personally using this modem with positive results.
The modem covers the 902-928 ISM band and is designed for long range serial comms. The source code for this device is available on GitHub.
Comments reviewing the RFD900 can be found on DIYdrones.
Via the contact form.
Systemstech submitted a Bus Pirate v3.6 Sick of Beige design. His design has the board mounted on an inner ring with mounting holes, with the other sheets glued together.
All the layers are welded with solvent but for the last two the makeup the bottom lid and those two are welded to each other.
Four 4-40 or 3mm screw fits nicely recessed in the bottom lid. The screw holes on one of the bottom spacers needs to be tapped, also the board adapter. The bottom spacer that gets the tapped threads gets welded to the case.
Get a Bus Pirate v3.6 with the Sick of Beige v1 case for $33, including worldwide shipping.
Lategahn wrote a short review of the Koba Electronics store we visited on our Global Geek Tour of Singapore. Watch our video review of the Koba Electronics store.
This shop definitely dwarfs the big European component retailers, such as Conrad with its variety of goods in stock plus delivers the same at fair prices. Amongst the treasures to be found are NOS tubes for Audio and RF amplifiers, a selection of high quality japanese ALPS potentiometers such as the legendary “Blue Velvet”, Antennas for every thinkable transistor radio, high end grade audio capacitors, a vast variety of LCD and LED displays, switches, plugs, sockets, adapters, fuses and many many things that had to succumb in the bow to the mass market in most western countries.
Here is a design article from EETimes about the common inter-IC audio protocols. The article covers the traditional audio signal chain, fully digital audio signal chains, I2S protocol, and PDM.
As audio integrated-circuit (IC) designs move to finer geometries, it becomes more difficult to design, and less cost-effective to integrate, high-performance analog circuits on the same piece of silicon with high-density digital circuits. Audio system architects are pushing analog portions of an audio signal chain further towards the input and output transducers and connecting everything in between digitally.
Michael Fischer of emb4fun has a new tutorial on using Nut/OS on Altera FPGAs. His design uses the Altera DE0-Nano board and a self-made adapter equipped with a DM9000E-H board, and includes a short example for an Internet Radio.
Michael’s tutorial is divided into three parts linked below:
Part 1,
Part 2, and
Part 3.
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:
Here is an app note from Linear Technology describing how to minimize switching regulator noise in linear regulator outputs.
Linear regulators are commonly employed to post-regulate switching regulator outputs. Benefi ts include improved stability, accuracy, transient response and lowered output impedance. Ideally, these performance gains would be accompanied by markedly reduced switching regulator generated ripple and spikes. In practice, all linear egulators encounter some diffi culty with ripple and spikes, particularly as frequency rises.
Maxim describes the theory behind Delta-Sigma ADCs:
This in-depth article covers the theory behind a Delta-Sigma analog-to-digital converter (ADC). It specifically focuses on the difficult to understand key digital concepts of over-sampling, noise shaping, and decimation filtering. A description of new converter, the MAX1402, and several applications for Delta-Sigma converters are included.
The 16bit ADC on some MSP430s use this approach. Here’s a list of different ADC techniques.
If you’re in line to receive the RX62N Demo Board from Renesas, here are some links you’ll want to check out. The University of North Carolina (UNC Charlotte) has a complete online Embedded Systems Course designed specifically around the RX62N board. The course has a complete series of lecture and lab videos and can be found on YouTube. Course details can be found on Professor Conrad’s webpage under the course title ECGR4101/5101 Embedded Systems.
Even better, there’s a free 524-page PDF download of Professor Conrad’s course book from Renesas!
These are truly unique resources for any dev board, and are a must see for anyone with the RX62N. Thanks, UNC and Renesas!
Some applications require you to store data that wont be lost if the power goes down. Usual solutions involve either using an on-chip EEPROM or external memory devices.
This app note from Microchip provides an alternative that allows you to store your data in the programming memory without having the usual low rewrite cycles associated with this approach. The algorithm described in the app note moves the stored date around the free programing memory to increase the rewrite cycle efficiency up to 500 times.
Emulated data EEPROM is an effective solution for cost-sensitive applications that require high-endurance, nonvolatile data memory. Applications suited for Microchip Technology’s cost-effective MCU and DSC devices can employ unused program memory and increase nonvolatile data endurance by a factor in excess of 500. This “effective endurance” can be customized by selecting the number of program memory pages, size of emulated data EEPROM and the erase/write limit. This flexible algorithm will enable you to add high-endurance data EEPROM to your applications.
