USB 3.0 peripheral controller EZ-USB FX3

viswesr writes:

Cypress has a new USB 3.0 peripheral controller EZ-USB FX3 – CYUSB3014 with ARM926EJS core. It has an architecture which enables data transfers of 320 MBps from GPIF II (a 32bit Port) to USB 3.0 interface.This value includes protocol overheads. This is a promising device for Open Logic analyzers, DSOs and any data acquisition system based on USB 3.0 streaming interface. The associated promo video mentions about support of ARM GCC toolchain, ideal for Open Hardware project. With availability of PCIe USB 3.0 expansion cards costing just $22, we could easily use USB 3.0 devices.

The downside :

1) at present they are only sampling with FBGA footprint, might require 4 layer PCB :( . 2) Require costly USB VID 3)No price info is available

Via the contact form.

Free Xilinx FPGA seminar

bearmos tipped us to a Free Xilinx FPGA seminar. These seminars often feel like a time-share sales pitch, but if you can stand it, or you’re a starving student,  there’s usually lots of free hardware and food. We always take a netbook so we can start hacking right away if they hand out the goods at the door.

Avnet and Xilinx are hosting a free seminar on Virtex-6 and Spartan-6 FPGA’s.

– free food
– door prizes including 20 spartan-6 based dev boards

Check out the Xilinx website for locations, I got an invitation for one in New Jersey (USA)

Via the forum.

Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB

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 we’re giving away two coupon codes for the fee PCB drawer. Pick your own PCB. Remember 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:

  • 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

You can get the Logic Shrimp for $34.90 at Seeed Studio.
Continue reading “Free PCB Sunday: Pick your PCB”

Open source perception manager

Cellbots is a collection of hobbyists who want to free your cell phone from your pocket and let it connect and move with the real word by integrating it with a robot.

Now Anthony Francis, a member of Google’s Cloud Robotics team and a volunteer at Cellbots.com, has been given the green light to contribute the sensory integration code he wrote to Cellbots’s codebase. The code was originally developed as part of a cooperative project between Google and Hasbro to make robot phone docks.

Anthony writes:

The Perception Manager is a Java class that abstracts the raw Android Sensor API into higher-level ‘percepts,’ effectively translating hundreds of samples a second from the accelerometer and gyroscope into binary features like “shaking” or “upside down”.

Yes, you could write these yourself – but why should you have to? Furthermore, the PerceptionManager has support for higher-level sensors like “movement in space” or “vertical motion” which you can use to build up your own percepts, or math functions for Verlet integration and vector math you can use to develop your own sensory processing.

PropController: open source platform for lighting and prop control

The PropController is a Parallax Propeller based DMX/Ethernet swiss army knife originally intended for the DIY Christmas and Halloween communities. This device acts as building block to create custom lighting and FX controllers. There are currently two versions of the PropController one for RS485 (DMX) and one for Ethernet (E1.31 – Lightweight streaming protocol for transport of DMX512 using ACN)

The PropController provide data input and is intended to be a development platform to assist in the creation of custom DMX and Ethernet devices. Because the PropController uses daugtherboards for control and input, this project is meant to promote development of daughterboards and their associated drivers and code. This project also acts as a code repository and information hub for owners of the PropController.

This project code, BOM and all files are open source and released under the MIT License. The project also has a fairly active user forum.

Retro style microcomputer on Parallax Propeller


Jeffledger wrote this Instructable detailing his construction of a retro-style microcomputer using a Parallax Propeller Multicore Startup Special dev kit (any Propeller board should work), an RCA Ultimate TV IR keyboard, 38 kHz IR receiver module, resistor and micro SD card with adapter.

The result is a mockup of a retro computer on which you can write programs, play games and music just like back in the day. The Propeller runs Jeff’s PropDOS in EEPROM, and he promises to release many additional retro style programs to run on this machine.

Via Instructables.

Milkymist™ open source sound visualizer

The Milkymist™ is an open source sound visualization tool. Its said to be one of the fastest open source systems on a chip capable of running uClinux. It features the LatticeMico32 processor core on a Spartan-6 FPGA (XC6SLX45). The project developed from Sebastien Bourdeauduca’s Master’s Thesis in system-on-chip design.

The Milkymist™ project develops a comprehensive open source solution for the live synthesis of interactive visual effects for VJs (video performance artists). It consists of three sub-projects: the Milkymist™ One video synthesizer, the Milkymist™ system-on-chip (SoC) and the Flickernoise VJ software. Milkymist One is also the first commercially available open hardware product to feature a SoC supporting accelerated graphics with open source Verilog design files. This makes it a platform of choice for FPGA hackers as well.

Documentation, including Verilog HDL design files for the Milkymist SoC, are available here, and make for interesting reading even if you’re not into sound visualization tech.

Low-noise rail-to-rail op-amps extend battery life

rsdio writes: These are potentially overkill for most DIY, but if you really need small size, low noise, and/or rail-to-rail performance, then they might be just the ticket. Probably a great choice for a DSO front end. With low power, particularly USB 5 V, rail-to-rail capabilities can be really important.

Low-Noise, CMOS-Input, Rail-to-Rail Op Amps Extend Battery Life in Portable Medical Applications

MAX9636–MAX9638, rail-to-rail, low-noise operational amplifiers. Offered in 6-pin SC70 (single), 8-pin SC70 (dual), and 10-pin UTQFN (dual) packages, these devices minimize board space while delivering outstanding noise performance. With 38nV/ input-voltage noise density, 0.9fA/ input-current noise density, and 0.1pA input-bias current, the MAX9636–MAX9638 facilitate interfacing to high-impedance sources such as photodiode and piezoelectric sensors. Maxim’s proprietary BiCMOS process technology and design architectures enable these devices to achieve an excellent combination of size, low-noise performance, bandwidth, and supply current.

Class D amplifier assembled

NBitWonder built a class-D amplifier

Class-D amplifier is a highly efficient amplifier that operates its output devices as switches instead of as variable resistors.  We posted a highly experimental version of this project last November, and it met with a surprising amount of positive feedback from the DIY community.  Therefore, we developed it as a formal project.

Thanks Ben! Via the contact form.

App note: Automotive power circuit handles interruptions and 72volt spikes

rsdio writes:  More good ideas to steal and repurpose

This circuit maintains power to the load regardless of momentary shorts or opens in the supply voltage, and includes a low-current overvoltage-protection IC (MAX6495) that protects the load against transient voltages up to 72V.

App note: Simple high-voltage supply

rsdio tipped us to an app note on power-supply circuits: more food for the OpenBench Power Supply project – note the floating output

This circuit includes magnetic isolation that allows you to configure a positive, negative, or floating output. The floating output is enabled by a separate winding that generates a feedback voltage proportional to, but lower than the output voltage, thereby eliminating the need for large-valued resistors in a resistive feedback divider.

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.

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 via Facebook comments”

Week in (p)review: June 03, 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:

  • Seeed says Bus Pirate v3.5 will ship this week
  • Bus Blaster v2 restock is coming, more CoolRunner-II dev-boards too
  • We’ll look as some new boards, and new revisions of existing projects
  • New IR Toy IR firmware and REC&PLAY application
  • Hopefully a video blog
  • More updated release packages
  • 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?

DIY workshop power drive using Parallax Propeller

Jamie at the BackyardWorkshop developed this project using a Parallax Propeller Proto board and an Easydriver stepper driver from Sparkfun to build this homemade workshop power drive for a lathe / mill / drill. The project costs around $50 in parts, representing a major cost savings over buying a manufactured unit at $300 – $500.
He writes:

Basically I’ve wired up an Easydriver stepper controller to a Parallax Propeller Proto board and written a little program to drive a stepper at different speeds based on a potentiometer. There’s also a direction switch and a limit switch set up like any good power drive system should have.

His website includes photos of the build, and he’ll make the schematic available to those interested.