Bounty for a Bus Blaster v2 self-test app

Bus Blaster v2 is a pain to test at the factory. That is likely holding up the supply.

A simple Windows test application would help things along. It’s a very basic app if you’re already setup to work with FTDI chips, but we’re not.

To speed things along, we’re offering a bounty for a test application. As a thank you for chipping in, the first developer with an app can take any project from our current catalog and a free PCB code.

A general outline and program requirements are listed below.

Continue reading “Bounty for a Bus Blaster v2 self-test app”

How to: Mail PCBs the cheap way

Over the past two years we’ve mailed close to 1000 free PCBs all over the world.  We find that a sturdy envelope and a stamp is the cheapest, and somewhat successful, way to mail PCBs.

A new wiki page shows the tricks we use to mail PCBs. The how-to is reproduced here for you blog viewing pleasure.

Materials

PCB – The thing you want to mail.

Masking tape – Masking tape isn’t super sticky. It’s easy to remove later, and doesn’t leave a bunch of gunk on the PCB.

Sturdy envelope – It’s a trade off between envelope quality and weight (=stamps). We use envelopes made of thick paper, the thickest we can find. Don’t cheap out, crappy envelopes will always tear in automated mail sorting equipment.

Address label – The goal is to create a reinforced pocket for the PCB. The address label from our label printer is a key part of our technique. These labels are super strong and tear-proof, they do a great job protecting the envelope from the corners of the PCB.

Stamps – Most small PCBs will mail with a single stamp. PCBs bigger than 3x3inches may need two stamps.

Technique
Continue reading “How to: Mail PCBs the cheap way”

Another SID player update

Another SID player update from Markus:

I added digi-support and a follow-up video demonstrating digi playback is available here

Two things to keep in mind:

  • The emulator code (TinySID) can only playback tunes in PSID format (in which the majority of the files in the HVSC are). However, with update #50 the digi-tunes in the HVSC have been replaced by ones in the newer RSID format. The old PSID digi-tunes are still avaliable separately here

So use these for your digi pleasure :)

  • The SID 8580R5 needs a digi-boost hack to play the digis sufficiently loud. Add a 330 k resistor from EXT IN to GND, preferrably using a switch.

Via the forum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nCUBvLy_ps

Free PCB coupon to RT #3 & #14 @dangerousproto

Every Tuesday we give away some extra PCBs via Twitter. This post was announced on twitter. The 3rd and 14th person who retweet it get free PCBs. We changed the approach this week due to auto-retweeters grabbing boards first. Thanks for the heads-up on auto-retweeters JT! Love it, hate it? Let us know in the comments below

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

Continue reading “Free PCB coupon to RT #3 & #14 @dangerousproto”

Saleae Logic16 logic analyzer INSIDE and review

octal writes: Pretty impressive video review of Logic/ Logic16 (shows the insides as well)

In this episode Shahriar takes a look inside the “Logic”, “Logic16″ and USBee SX which were reviewed in the previous episode. The PCBs get a closeup inspection along with some insight into the design of these products.

Via the forum.

From Illustrator to Eagle: Vector graphics in circuits

todbot posted tutorial on vector graphics in circuits from Illustrator to Eagle:

Eagle is a great cross-platform, free-for-non-commercial-use tool for many of us designing own own circuit boards. But it has a pretty glaring omission: the ability to import vector artwork to use as board outlines, logos, etc. You can import bitmaps via the finicky “import_bmp.ulp” ULP add-on, but bitmaps can’t work for board outlines. So we struggle with Eagle’s rudimentary vector drawing tools or have boring rectangular or circular boards. I think I’ve found a way to robustly transfer vector artwork from Illustrator to Eagle. Below I show an “amoeba” vector shape in Illustrator being converted and used as a board outline in Eagle.

Via Adafruit.

Polycode

Polycode is a cross-platform framework for creative code. You can use it as a C++ API or as a standalone scripting language to get easy and simple access to accelerated 2D and 3D graphics, hardware shaders, sound and network programming, physics engines and more.

The core Polycode API is written in C++ and can be used to create portable native applications.

On top of the core C++ API, Polycode offers a LUA-based scripting system with its own set of compilation tools. The LUA API mirrors the C++ API and can be used to easily create prototypes and even publish complete applications to multiple platforms without compiling C++.

Polycode is available under the MIT license and was designed and developed by Ivan Safrin.

Polycode can be downloaded from the project’s Github page.

Another programmable dummy load

iTead has another dummy load on the way:

Today we finished the OverLoad hardware finally design and now the first OverLoad dummy load is processing, and soon will back in stock.

By using the larger radiator and cooling fan, the OverLoad can work with 3A-12V without any pressure, in our aging test, it bear the 3.5A-14.5V for more than 3 hours and survived.

Thanks arhi! Via the forum.

CPLD breakout free PCB build and some suggestions

Tanukifu built a free CPLD breakout board.

I had a few suggestions if there is a future version in planning – maybe useful, maybe not – I thought about posting them on the site but I haven’t followed the discussions long enough to have a good feel for how to say things there and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.

First, instead of connecting the enable lines of the ldo’s to their supply voltage I would consider routing them to the back of the board (easy via space available) and put two solder joints (like there is on the optional crystal) to either bind the enable to the supply voltage or ground.  This would make it easier to use ldo’s with either high or low enable lines – flexibility in sourcing is good.

Second, I would consider adding pads for at least two caps between each of the Vccio bank lines and the jumpers – probably one for a small Tantalum (3.3 to 10 uF ish) and one (two would be better) for additional ceramics (depending on what you want to do with the board 1 to 10 uF).  I think this could fit on the back.   Since the 1v8 ldo is fed from the 3v3 ldo (which has a Tantalum cap on the output),  I think the cap on the 1v8 input isn’t really needed… Perhaps, if this one were routed instead to one of the Vccio banks then there is still enough space on the front to add another one by the jumper for the other Vccio bank… then finding space for the other additional filter caps is easier.

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.

Image acquisition from an analog camera using Arduino

Carlos Agell of Hacking Electronics has developed this project which allows the acquisition of analog camera images by an Arduino. He uses an Arduino, Nootropic’s video experimenter shield, 1% resistors and a potentiometer. This hardware captures a 128×96 monochrome image and sends it back via serial to a PC where it can be viewed using LabVIEW. (Recognizing the costly nature of LabVIEW, he promises that a Processing alternative is forthcoming.)

The project files including schematic and source code are available from Carlos’ site.

Thanks Carlos! Via the contact form.

MIC4811: High Current 6 Channel Linear WLED Driver with DAM™ and Ultra Fast PWM™ Control

Micrel has announced the availability of the MIC4811 High Current 6 Channel Linear WLED Driver with DAM™ and Ultra Fast PWM™ Control.

The MIC4811/MIC4812 are high efficiency linear White LED (WLED) drivers designed to drive up to six high current WLEDs for signage lighting. The MIC4811/MIC4812 provide the highest possible efficiency at low source voltages as this architecture has no switching losses present in traditional charge pumps or inductive boost circuits. These linear drivers maintain constant current for up to six WLEDs and feature a typical dropout of 100mV at 50mA (MIC4811) and 190mV at 100mA (MIC4812).

The MIC4811/MIC4812 feature Dynamic Average Matching™ (DAM™) which is specifically designed to provide optimum matching across all WLEDs.

The datasheet and evaluation board schematic can be found on the Micrel website.

Our bookshelf: C a Reference Manual

Every now and then we need a good general reference while programing in C. C a Reference Manual, coauthored by Samuel Harbison 3rd. and Guy Steele Jr. is a great addition to any software hacker’s bookshelf. now in its fifth edition it covers c from the c standard (c1989) to the more current standard (C1999).

The majority of micro controller projects are programmed using some flavor of C, weather its GCC for an ARM9, or SDCC for an 8051. and while every C compiler has its own personality, they all originated from some form of standard C.

This book is not meant to teach you about programming in C, it will however help you build more efficient and more portable code.

IR LED speed camera license plate blocker

Siliconfish used to build IR cameras for a living, so he knows something about the effects light of various IR wavelengths can have on a camera. When his town installed photo cameras on the traffic lights, he decided to experiment with an array of IR LEDs mounted on a license plate frame to see what effect this would have on traffic light cameras. He presents his project details here for educational and research purposes only.