Hijack development pack for iPhone

Seeed Studio launched an iPhone hardware development board call the  Hijack development pack:

Do we have any iPhone users here? What were you thinking when Google released ADK for Android devices? You probably want to have an equal chance to play your mobile devices with open source hardware as we did. The idea of connecting iPhone with those existing open source components is great and more importantly is achievable now with our Hijack Development Pack!

Here is a clue that what the main board of Hijack looks like. It’s a little tiny thing with cubic-inch size so that you can carry it to anywhere you like. But the project itself is a fully functional hardware/software platform for creating sensor peripherals for the mobile devices. The Hijack platform enables a new class of small and cheap phone-centric sensor peripherals that support plug-and-play operation. As we said, Hijack has been tested with the iPhone 3G/3GS/4, iPod Touch, and iPad devices.

App note: AM/FM active antenna

An introduction to AM/FM active antennas:

This article is a reference design (RD) for an automobile AM/FM active antenna. The RD presents the flexibility of the MAX2180 active antenna low-noise amplifier (LNA) and shows how to set the AM and FM gain and the automatic gain control attack point. Single and dual antenna schematics are detailed, including the input and output matching circuits. Using this design together with the data sheet and device’s evaluation (EV) kit, a prototype antenna can easily be developed for a wide range of active antenna requirements.

Thanks rsdio!

Nonolith Labs CEE USB analog electronics multitool

Ian and Kevin from Nonolith Labs write:

Our open-hardware startup just announced our first two projects, both of which are vaguely bus-pirate related. The CEE is a USB analog multitool. It can source and measure voltage and current on two channels, making it a mix of a power supply, multimeter, function generator, and oscilloscope. It’s in its very early stages, with our alpha board up at Github.

Our second project started out as a browser-based frontend for the CEE, and rapidly evolved into (what we’ve found to be) a flexible, versatile way to display data and control hardware. It’s built in Python and Javascript – out of the box, we support Firmata(on the Arduino) and the Bus Pirate’s pins as digital IOs. Our API documentation, an in-browser demo, and our Github page are linked right off of our Pixelpulse page. Check it out, and let us know what you think!

Via the contact form.

Free PCB coupon via Facebook comments

Every Friday we give away some extra PCBs via Facebook. The first few people who comment on this at Facebook get a free PCB. More PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday and the blog every Sunday.

Watch this week’s Free PCB tweets print live on the Thermal Tweeter. We’ll mark the winners as they pop out.

This week we’re giving away two PCB codes. Pick your own PCB from the free PCB drawer.

Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times a every week:

  • Free PCB Sunday. The classic. Every week, right here on the blog
  • Tweet-a-PCB Tuesday. Follow us and get boards in 144 characters or less
  • Facebook PCB Friday. Free PCBs while you wait for the weekend

Get the CoolRunner-II development board for $15 and XC9572XL dev-board  for $15.

Continue reading “Free PCB coupon via Facebook comments”

Pen testers build a better mousetrap


Netragard is a security company that provides anti-hacking services (penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, web application security testing, etc) to its customers via the realistic reproduction of threats. In a recent assignment the client specified that the test could not use social engineering or physically access client facilities. With their work cut out for them, Netragard went onto to build a better mouse!

In his detailed post, they outline the methods used in the mouse attack. Basically they modified a Logitech USB computer mouse to include a flash drive. The hardware also included a mini USB hub and a Teensy microcontroller that ran custom attack code that compromised the attached computer. As they point out, the mouse was only the visible attack medium: any USB device could be utilized, including a missile turret, dancing stripper, chameleon, etc.

This was a sophisticated hack, with the Teensy reportedly running custom attack code designed to evade the dialogue boxes presented by the client’s known antivirus program (McAfee) and otherwise communicate with the system to evade detection. Once attached to the PC, the attack mouse phone’s home to the pen testers, connecting to Metasploit (see lower photo.)

Netragard’s article is definitely worth the read.

12V emergency phone charger v2.0

Tayken documented Tokyo Hacker Space’s 12V emergency phone charger for the aftermath of the tsunami:

One problem we saw was that people were in these shelters without any type of communication. Sure they had cellphones but cellular system was down and charging their phones impossible as all had left their chargers at home. We couldn’t have done anything about cellular system but there was chance that we could help them charge their cellphones.

Backcountry logger prototype

Big Mess o’ Wires’ backcountry logger prototype:

The Backcountry Logger is a portable microcontroller-driven device that collects temperature, air pressure, and altitude data, and shows graphs on a built-in screen. It’s intended for hikers, climbers, skiers, and other outdoorsy folks who want to geek out with environmenal data about their activities.

Week in (p)review: July 01, 2011

Facebook free PCB Friday is on the way. Don’t forget to share your current project in the comments or the forum.

Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week:

Coming this week:

  • Interview with Plunify
  • A brand new Dangerous Prototypes partlist
  • A Protostack giveaway next Thursday
  • 100% open source PIC USB stack is crazy stable. JTR is already updating the IR Toy to make use of the new features
  • Free PCB Sunday
  • Free PCBs via Twitter on Tuesday
  • Free PCBs via Facebook on Friday
  • Weekly roundup and preview every Friday

What are you hacking this week?

How a PCB is made

Here’s how a PCB is made:

Last year around mid-November Eric and I (Base2’s owners) were in the Denver area and were fortunate enough to be able to visit the circuit board manufacturer that we frequently use – Advanced Circuits. They were kind enough to give us a tour of their facility and explain the manufacturing process every step of the way…

Via Hackedgadgets.

Arduino/solar augmented model monorail train

Brothers Joe and Justin Kopacz designed this futuristic model train layout using an Arduino as the brains of the engine. The J & J Monorail runs on batteries augmented by solar to power the Pololu 298:1 micro gear motor, controlled by an Arduino Uno.

View the project video and download the PDF of their project plans including source code and schematic.

Via Design News-Gadget Freak.

Thermocouple to serial converter

phirephly built a thermocouple with USB and serial interface:

This is a device that takes a thermocouple temperature input, converts it into a digital value, and then spits out the temperature on a serial port, which you can then feed into a computer, or another microcontroller. This is a useful device for any time when you want to be able to monitor or log a temperature.

Via the forum.

Laser range finder testing

Dino at hacked a laser range finder this week:

I decided to test mine on an Arduino and build a setup that could be mounted to the back of my vehicle as a backup proximity warning device. Something that would readout the distance on a dash mounted LCD and sound an audible warning below a given threshold. I had a 16 x 4 reflective LCD on hand from Element 14 that I needed to review anyway so I used that as my readout display.

Via the contact form.

In the Maker Shed: USB Infrared Toy

Maker Shed now stocks the USB Infrared Toy:

The USB Infrared Toy, available in the Maker Shed, is an assembled, open source, USB infrared remote control receiver/transmitter designed by DangerousPrototypes. Use it as a remote control with your computer, to view infrared signals on a logic analyzer, to capture and clone infrared signals, and to play IR codes. Alternate firmware also allows it to be used as a TV-B-Gone. Consider it a real universal remote.

Papilio FPGA Shield for Arduino

Jack Gassett is developing an open source project to build an Arduino Shield with a Xilinx Spartan 3A or Spartan 6 FPGA. The shield will provide the ability to program the FPGA from the Arduino. To illustrate the project’s potential, an example of an open source software core for the FPGA will also be developed (probably a VGA controller.)

He writes:

The Papilio FPGA Shield is an exciting new project conceived of by the co-designer of the popular OpenBench Logic Sniffer. The Papilio FPGA Shield will allow Arduino users to tap into the amazing power of an FPGA without doing anything differently then they already do! How will this work? The Papilio FPGA Shield will plug into the Arduino just like any other shield, but once plugged in a Wishbone bridge will provide access to “Papilio Community Cores” running inside the FPGA. “Papilio Community Cores’ will include Arduino libraries that will make it a breeze to use and interact with cores on the FPGA. The end result, Arduino users will add a library to their sketch and interact with it just like they always have, but behind the scenes their sketches will be driving fast, highly parallel hardware running inside an FPGA.

More information on the Papilio FPGA shield can be found on the project’s Kickstarter page.

Tutorial: Arduino and the SPI bus

Tronixstuff has posted a great tutorial explaining how to use the Arduino and the SPI bus. This detailed tutorial is presented in two parts. Part 1 presents the basic theory on the serial peripheral interface (SPI), including examples of using the eals with a Microchip MCP4162-series 10k rheostat and an Analog Devices AD5204 four-channel digital potentiometer and a serial 7-segment display. Part 2 include examples of using Arduino and SPI to control a Microchip MCP4921 DAC, and how to receive SPI data from a Maxim DS3234 ”extremely accurate” real-time clock.

These are among the latest segments in a series of Arduino tutorials posted by Tronixstuff.

LeafLabs conference call

LeafLabs makes a 32bit Arduino compatible board called Maple. The board comes with a 72MHz 32bit STM32 ARM processor, and lots of extras like integrated LiPo battery charging.

They shot us an email about the new Maple Mini. It had a snarky note in regards to our chipKIT coverage: while Microchip is getting a ton of press, Mable has been a 32bit Arudino compatible platform for years.

Since we did a conference call with Microchip, we asked them for one with them as a snarky reply. Microchip’s conference call was supposed to be for big group of bloggers, it only turned into a personal interview due to a scheduling error…

The idea was to pose the same questions we asked the chipKIT team. There’s a big difference though – Microchip is a big company trying to get into the Arduino market, LeafLabs is a cool team working to make open source a business model. Maple is a passion, but they also take on consulting work to pay the bills and test their own hardware.

Check out 38 minutes of lavish geek-out:

  • How not-bitter they are chipKIT is getting so much press
  • Arduino compatibility, what shields work
  • Maple support in the multi-platform Arduino IDE
  • Licensing issues, and from-scratch USB stacks
  • Processor + FPGA interfacing
  • New projects, like the OAK (for Markus)

Thanks to Andrew and Marti, and to Jessica for setting everything up.

Grab the Maple for $44.99, and the Mini for $34.95.

See previous interviews.

Continue reading “LeafLabs conference call”

Interfacing the TMP006 IR temperature sensor with the Bus Pirate

Joe wrote an article on using the Bus Pirate to interface with the TI TMP006 non-contact temperature sensor covered earlier.

This article explains how to interface the Texas Instruments TMP006 non-contact IR temperature sensor evaluation module (TMP006EVM) to a Linux computer using the Bus Pirate from Dangerous Prototypes. A small Java program has been written which queries the TMP006 registers using the Bus Pirate, calculates the object temperature and outputs to the screen. Some basic theory of operation is given and a temperature vs time charts from a cooling mug of coffee is presented.

Via the contact form.

Get your own handy Bus Pirate for $30, including world-wide shipping. Also available from our friendly distributors.

Plunify interview questions

Tomorrow we’re talking with Plunify, the developers of an online compiler for Altera and Xilinx CPLDs/FPGAs. They added the CPLD dev-board demos to a list of project examples, and made a tutorial video. We put together a how-to when we tested it.

Unfortunately, Xilinx has not yet given Plunify permission to use the compiler in this fashion, so the tutorial cannot go live for the moment. The situation highlights how dependent progress can be on gatekeepers, not unlike the way the best crypto hardware wallets shape which tools users trust with their data. We’ll talk to them about what happened, and ask your questions too.

Please post questions in the comments below, or in the forum.

Tiny CPU boards

Big Mess o’ Wires has a review of Seeed’s PCB service:

Overall I’m fairly happy with these Seeed PCB Fusion boards: decent build quality and cheap pricing. Yes, there are a few dinged and damaged boards, but given the total number of boards for the price (and the two bonus boards I received), I can call those throw-aways and still have a good deal. I would certainly use them again. For smaller boards where the costs are comparable, though, I would favor Dorkbot PDX’s PCB service, since it’s a few days faster and seems to be a bit higher quality.