rsdio tipped us to an app note on USB-port power:
Very cool! This is like an audio ducking compressor for voiceovers, but for charging.
This circuit exploits all the power available from a USB port by dynamically adjusting the amount of current delivered to the load, thereby siphoning a relatively constant (and maximum) current from the USB port. Included are a current-sense amplifier (MAX4173), voltage reference (MAX6129), and precision op amp (MAX4238).
Homemade QFP50 dangerous proto board test CNC precision:
I’m using the QFP50 dangerous proto board as a reference design to test the precision of a proxxon mf-70 retrofitted micro CNC. I’m quite happy with the results!
Via the forum.
Here’s a project from SuLuLab using an Android smartphone to send commands via WiFi to an Arduino board in order to control a MIDI sequencer. It uses the new Processing 1.5 which provides Android support.
SuLuLab writes:
The first application developed to study the new Processing mode is a graphical interface for the simple MIDI Sequencer, for an Android smartphone. This application creates a grid of 8×8 squares on the smartphone screen that become sensitive areas to set up (with a tap) and display (changing the colours) the notes to play in 8 steps. The state change of the squares in the grid is sent to Arduino (equipped with an Ethernet Shield and a MIDI Shield) by OSC messages.
Arduino receives OSC messages by the network, changes its internal representation of the state of the grid, sends notes to play to the MIDI interface and sends OSC messages to the smartphone to synchronize the time step in which the note is played with the squares on the screen.
Drone writes: This is a single part MEMS 10-DOF IMU part that will ship around 15 July 2011. OK, here’s the catch: Unless I’m missing something obvious, it looks like this device costs $605 USD each in quantity 100-499 (no, I did not forget a decimal point). There’s an EV board, but Gawd only knows what that’s going to cost.
ADIS16407: Ten Degrees of Freedom Inertial Sensor
Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) released for general availability today the ADIS16407 iSensor IMU (inertial measurement unit) which integrates a tri-axis gyroscope, tri-axis accelerometer, tri-axis magnetometer and a pressure sensor into a single package.
Via the contact form.
Schematic and source for ITead’s programmable dummy load are now available.
The Gameduino board which we first highlighted back in February is now available from Seeedstudio for $53.00.
For more info on this board see the Gameduino projects page.
Joe writes: TI have announced a tiny (1.6mm sq), low power and low cost (~$2) IR temperature sensor
Enables contactless temperature measurement in portable and consumer electronic applications
Developed through TI’s expertise in MEMS technology, the TMP006 is the first of a new class of ultra-small, low power, and low cost passive infrared temperature sensors. It has 90% lower power consumption and is more than 95% smaller than existing solutions, making contactless temperature measurement possible in completely new markets and applications.
Thanks Joe! Via the contact form.
Earlier this week we posted about Carlos Agell’s project which allows the acquisition of analog camera images by an Arduino. Carlos has updated this project for use with a Processing sketch instead of the costly LabVIEW required in the original design.
Here’s the link to his compressed file containing the Arduino and Processing sketches, LabVIEW drivers, images and the hardware schematics.
Carlos via the contact form.
iamjay built a free Bus Pirate v3 PCB.
If you build a free PCB we’ll send you another one! Blog about it, post a picture on Flicker, whatever – we’ll send you a coupon code for the free PCB drawer.
Processing version 1.5 is available for download.
In addition to support for traditional desktop/web development, this release also includes an Android development mode. This should make Android development easier than using the Android SDK. For everything you need to know to start developing in Processing for Android, see the their Android Wiki page.
A new software package v3.08 is available for the Logic Sniffer:
OpenBench Logic Sniffer Release 3.08 is now available for download.
Release 3.08 includes Jawi’s 0.9.4 client with the following changes:
- Numerous Bug Fixes
- Support for multiple “Sump” clients
Via the forum.
Get a Logic Sniffer for $50, with free worldwide shipping.
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.
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:
A controller area network (CAN) is ideally suited to the many high-level industrial protocols embracing CAN and ISO-11898:1993 as their physical layer. Its cost, performance, and upgradeability provide for tremendous flexibility in system design. This application report presents an introduction to the CAN fundamentals, operating principles, and the implementation of a basic CAN bus with TI’s CAN transceivers and DSPs. The electrical layer requirements of a CAN bus are discussed along with the importance of the different features of a TI CAN transceiver.
In this app note, Steve Corrigan of TI provides a primer on Controller Area Network (CAN) basics.
Forrest M. Mims III posts this quick and easy project on Jameco’s website demonstrating how to make a simple two-way opto-isolator using two LEDs.
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:
What are you hacking this week?
Jorge posted his first impressions of the chipKIT PIC32MX based boards :
The boards are produced by Digilent, Inc., and they share the same high quality and detail I’ve seen on other development boards produced by them. No need to say that the new chipKIT platform has behind it the marketing machinery of Microchip…
Via the forum.
A 1-Wire potentiometer was slated for the Bus Pirate demo board, but it’s been discontinued. The DS2890 is a simple 3pin through-hole device, but Maxim’s recommended replacement is a 16 pin chip with a 2 wire interface.
We weren’t the first to be annoyed by the recommendation, check out this comment on the replacement part:
Where’s 1-wire heading? Every time a unique 1-wire product is discontinued, you are making the entire protocol less relevant. Mentioning a 2-wire potentiometer as alternative is an insult; there are hundreds of such devices from all manufacturers but they are useless in a 1-wire network.
Do Maxim have any faith in 1-wire?
What’s up with 1-wire?
As promised in the review of the Sure WiFi board , a new WIFI web platform/server design is up for review in the forum.
The purpose of this board is to control a digital DSLR camera through a webpage. The device is connected by a 802.11b network, allowing lots of freedom (when in range of the accesspoint). The connection to the camera is through USB (camera is the USB slave, the board the USB host). Another goal is to make the board as small as possible/usable.
The current board has the following features:
It is just a draft of the board, perhaps some features will disappear and some other will appear. Please check it out and give us some comments.
Tiny CPU uses an Altera CPLD to emulate a simple processor. Also included on the board: flash ROM, keyboard input, JTAG header, and more.
Tiny CPU is a custom “small CPU” design intended for implementation in a CPLD. Such soft CPU cores typically target an FPGA or large CPLD, but the target device for Tiny CPU is the Altera EPM7128, which has just 128 macrocells. This constrains the CPU to a minimal set of features in order to fit. It is an 8-bit CPU with only two registers, and a 10-bit address space. The instruction set is a subset of the 6502 instruction set, with modifications to reflect the smaller address space and number of registers.
arhi built a free Logic Shrimp PCB.
If you build a free PCB we’ll send you another one! Blog about it, post a picture on Flicker, whatever – we’ll send you a coupon code for the free PCB drawer.
You can get a Logic Shrimp for $34.90.
