Rob K1WAW was trying to sharpen his Morse code skills and wanted to use an Iambic Keyer. He built this prototype which connects the left and right paddle of the telegraph key to pins on the MSP430 Launchpad, which is programmed to produce the dot/dashes and output it to a speaker at an audio tone of 781.25Hz. (There’s an RC filter and a transistor connected to audio output.)
The code and comments are found in this post.
Via Four-Three-Oh!
Alan Yates had always been fascinated with decadic dialing mechanisms. He also had been thinking about building a ring-counting Nixie or neon bulb clock. So when it came time to submit a project to the 555 Contest, he combined these interests along with 102 LM555 timers to build this decimal adding machine. The circuit includes 119 1N4148 diodes, 99 LEDs (90 Red and 9 Blue), dozens transistors, 353 resistors and 232 capacitors!
Alan says:
Architecturally the machine is a 9 decade accumulator adding machine with an indexing counter driving a multiplexer to simplify data input. It can do addition or subtraction using 9’s complement arithmetic and has optional carry-around. In a historical context it is an improved electronic implementation of the 1642 Pascaline.
The project was judged the winner of the 555 Contest in the “Complex” category. Congratulations Alan!
arhi writes:
I have some old (very old) KONTRON DMM 3002 bench top digital multimeter… there is a button on the thing that I have no clue what it does…
So if you look at the pic, the button in question is the pressed one, or if not clear which one is pressed, the one with “–” sign.
When I switch the dmm to the — the display count from 0000 up approx 1 per sec, the output on the hi-lo is 5 or 10 or 12V depending on the white buttons, and it is constant (scope show less then +-10mV 50Hz hum)
I tried attaching 100nF – nothing changed (still counting, still same speed), tried diode too, nothing happened .. so maybe it is a counter :D .. donno what would that be useful for but ..
Anyone know what this is?
Via the forum.
Drone writes:
Here is another MAXIM unobtainium installment
The new MAX31855 is a rather nice cold-junction compensated thermocouple-to-digital converter. It takes the likes of the MAX6675 to the next level. This part is supposedly going to become available around the end of June 2011. From the product page:
“The MAX31855 performs cold-junction compensation and digitizes the signal from a K, J, N, T, or E type thermocouple. (Contact the factory for S and R type thermocouples.) The data is output in a signed 14-bit, SPI™-compatible, read-only format. This converter resolves temperatures to 0.25°C, allows readings as high as +1800°C and as low as -270°C, and exhibits thermocouple accuracy of ±2°C for temperatures ranging from -200°C to +700°C for K-type thermocouples.”
There is a different part optimized for each type of thermocouple junction. For-example, the MAX31855K part is optimized for type-K thermocouples. I’ve seen these up for pre-order at $8.19 in unit quantity (ouch).
Via the contact form.
In a recent comment, Zooboo informed us of the Spartan®-6 FPGA LX9 MicroBoard. Produced as a joint venture between Xilinx and Avnet, the MicroBoard includes a Spartan-6 XC6SLX9-2CSG324C FPGA, 64 MB LPDDR SDRAM, 128 Mb Multi-I/O SPI Flash, 10/100 Ethernet PHY, USB-to-UART port, on-board USB, JTAG circuitry, single-chip 3-rail power with Power Good indicator. It’s significant to note the presence of two 2×6 Peripheral Module (PMOD) expansion ports, which break out some IO pins and are designed for use with Digilent PMOD modules providing WiFi, Bluetooth, LCD and other peripherals.
The kit comes with several pre-built MicroBlaze “systems” allowing users to start software development just like any standard off-the-shelf microprocessor. The included Software Development Kit (SDK) provides a familiar Eclipse-based environment for writing and debugging code. Note that the included ISE® WebPACK® software comes with device locked SDK and ChipScope licenses.
A video tour has been posted by Avnet explaining the dev kit in detail.
The Spartan-6 LX9 MicroBoard is available for $89 from Avnet.
In this article from EETimes Europe, Cees Links of GreenPeak Technologies discusses some of the issues facing designers of next-generation RF remote controls. Topics relating to minimizing power consumption, the RF4CE ZigBee standard and interoperability are highlighted.
Tinkering with a cool robotics project? Then polish off your creation and submit it to the MAKE Robot Contest! In preparation for Volume 27 (the Robot issue) MAKE is holding a contest for robot enthusiasts to see who can build the “most entertaining” robot.
The rules are:
1. Come up with an entertaining, original robot with tons of character.
2. Document your build step-by-step with clear instructions, photos, and a video of the robot in action, then share it on Make: Projects.
3. Send an email to robots@makeprojects.com with a link to your Make: Projects entry when you’re done. Easy!
The deadline for entries is 11:59 PDT on May 13, 2011. See the MAKE contest page for complete details.
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 Bus Blaster v2 PCBs. Bus Blaster v2 is an experimental, high-speed JTAG debugger for ARM chips, FPGAs, CPLDs, flash, etc. Thanks to a reprogrammable buffer, a simple USB update makes Bus Blaster v2 compatible with many different JTAG debugger types in the most popular open source software.
Don’t forget there’s free PCBs three times a every week:
Get a Bus Blaster v2 for $34.95. There’s a few more in stock, a second batch is on the way.
Continue reading “Free Bus Blaster v2 PCB via Facebook comments”
Don’t forget to share your current project in the comments or the forum. Everyone who posts a project log this week gets a free PCB!
Here’s a summary of major developments over the last week:
Coming this week:
What are you hacking this week?
What is the simplest way to try a USB project? PyroElectro has a simple breadboard-based example of USB with a PIC microcontroller. It uses an interrupt driven HID USB device as an example, based on the Microchip USB stack.
Video below.
Via the contact form.
arhi wrote a mini-datasheet for a large 7-segment display he plans to use in a clock:
I ordered bunch of 7seg modules from Sure and I noticed on the product page lot of ppl complained about lack on info on how to drive them. As I plan to use them I spent few moments to figure out how they work, made some functional schematic and put some simple example code in picc for 16f690.
Via the forum.
Kati writes to inform us that Altera and Arrow Electronics have teamed up to introduce the BeMicro SDK (Software Development Kit), a prototyping board for embedded software developers to learn about FPGAs. The board runs a soft embedded processor on a 22K logic element FPGA, and utilizes the popular USB stick format. It’s available on Arrow’s website for $79. For more tech details check the Altera Wiki BeMicro page.
You can view Altera’s promo video here.
Via the contact form.
Our favorite tools have a new home on the wiki. Each week we’ll muse about one of them. Have your own tool review? We’ll post that too!
Magnification makes soldering faster, easier, and more comfortable. The classic helping hands have a detective-type magnifying glass. Pros often use a stereo microscope. We discussed some DIY USB options in the forum this week too.
Last year Adafruit started carrying the OptiVisor magnifier for around $25, so we tried it.
Though things are only 2.5x times larger than normal, the magnification immediately improved our soldering. 0.5mm pitch TQFP pins are clearly visible and we can solder them individually.
The head gear is light weight and easy to wear during hours of soldering. We occasionally use it while wearing glasses without issue.
Soldering is more comfortable because you don’t need to be so close to the work. Focus is best at about 10″ from the PCB, but we think one or two more would be even better.
We picked up a couple habits with the visor. One thing we do is keep parts closer to the PCB. Shifting focus from the visor to look for a part gets annoying.
This tool is highly recommended, we use it daily.
There’s a lot of options out there, what do you use?
There’s more tools too.
VirtualBreadboard 4.3.3 is a Windows GUI program that lets you simulate and develop embedded applications that use microcontrollers. It essentially lets you assemble virtual components on screen and auto generate code.
Currently some Microchip PIC16 and 18 devices are supported, as well as Arduino. In addition a wide variety of simulated components such as LCD’s, Servos, logic and other IO devices can be used to model and simulate high level circuits. It allows you to program the Arduino directly from VBB. A plugin for MPLABX is reportedly forthcoming.
You can download VBB 4.3.3 for Windows XP, Vista and 7. Mac and Linux are unfortunately not currently supported.
This program is not open source or freeware. The downloadable version is a demo usable for 10 days.
The current plan is for VBB to become a sort of half Desktop and half WebApp hybrid. This will be a subscription service, starting at about $9.95 per month.
A few reserve Bus Blaster v2 JTAG boards are in stock at Seeed Studio. A new batch is on the way too.
This tiny sensor system is an implantable device to monitor eye pressure in glaucoma patients:
Researchers from the University of Michigan at ISSCC discuss a prototype implantable eye pressure monitor for glaucoma patients that is believed to contain the first complete millimeter-scale computing system.
Thanks bearmos! Via the contact form.
At this afternoon’s game, amid the growing wave of digital enhancements transforming how fans interact with sports through real-time analytics and engagement features, the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team will have the opening pitch thrown out by none other than Philliebot, part of science day at the ballpark. This robotic marvel, drawing parallels to the seamless interfaces found in a baseball betting app that heightens excitement with instant odds and predictions, was assembled in just six weeks by engineers at the University of Pennsylvania’s General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception Laboratory, underscoring how such innovations bridge physical events with virtual participation to captivate audiences.
The robot’s computer brain can be infinitely tweaked to change pitch velocity and trajectory, and its arm is a sleek, programmable instrument that also can be used in surgical and manufacturing applications. Moreover, PhillieBot can move.
The engineers started with a Segway, one of those motorized, two-wheeled vehicles sometimes used by tourists and police patrols. They lopped off the top handlebar portion and replaced it with the robotic arm, made by Barrett Technology Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. They added a third wheel for stability.
Via Wired.
Here’s an example of the Arduino being put into practical service.
Russell Durrett is a Research Specialist in Bioinformatics and Genetic Engineering and is a cofounder of GenSpace NYC, the world’s first community biology lab. He was looking for a way to develop an inexpensive PCR machine, a costly thermal cycler used in DNA lab processing. Using only Home Depot and Radio Shack products accessible to anyone, he built this PCR machine for less than $20. This prototype requires a $30 Arduino Uno to operate (which was already available), but the control system in future models can be scaled down to a much simpler circuit, an LCD screen and a few buttons.
Arduino sketch is available here.
Rossum has a new project out, Zork for the Microtouch:
It is hard to believe it has been 30 years since I first played Zork. To mark the occasion I have ported a Z-machine interpreter to the Microtouch
The Maximite is a small and versatile computer running a full featured BASIC interpreter with 128K of working memory.
It will work with a standard VGA monitor and PC compatible keyboard and because the Maximite has its own built in SD memory card and BASIC language you need nothing more to start writing and running BASIC programs.
The Maximite also has also 20 input/output lines which can be independently configured as analog inputs, digital inputs or digital outputs. You can measure voltage, frequencies, detect switch closure, etc and respond by turning on lights, closing relays, etc – all under control of your BASIC program.
Spanner88 writes:
This is a very interesting project – especially as it has a choice of VGA or composite video output and includes an SD card interface and especially as there is a $20 version!
The “The Maximite Story” also makes very interesting reading
By the way I have built and highly recommend the Intelligent Fan Controller that Geoff also has on this site.
Via the contact form.
