McZ tipped us to the GPRS shield using the new SIM900 cellular data module in a followup to our position location with GSM cellular post.
GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900MHz … for voice, SMS, Data, and Fax in a small form factor and with low power consumption. It is controlled via AT commands (GSM 07.07 ,07.05 and SIMCOM enhanced AT Commands), and fully compatible with Seeeduino/Arduino and Mega.
Via the comments.
The new DSO Quad handheld oscilloscope arrived today at Seeed Studio:
We’ve received 300 sets of DSO Quad this afternoon! Next we are going to assemble all parts together, test and pack them. All these things will spend about 3 more days, so it is possible we can start ship them out on next monday!
Stefano writes:
I’ve made a custom RFID programmer for ST’s SRIX4K chips picking as a base design your Bus Pirate. It uses the CRX14 chip, via I2C. With a custom software you can easily read/write/modify the tag memory. I’m implementing a plugin structure in the software, I will release it asap.
Via the contact form.
Get your own handy Bus Pirate for $30, including world-wide shipping. Also available from our friendly distributors.
MIT has developed a system using the Microsoft Kinect as part of an autonomous flight controller, allowing navigation and mapping when a gps signal is not available.
At MIT, we have developed a real-time visual odometry system that can use a Kinect to provide fast and accurate estimates of a vehicle’s 3D trajectory. This system is based on recent advances in visual odometry research, and combines a number of ideas from the state-of-the-art algorithms. It aligns successive camera frames by matching features across images, and uses the Kinect-derived depth estimates to determine the camera’s motion.
Via Slashdot
When you get your CPLD development board, you’ll want to start coding! Programs for Xilinx CPLDs are most commonly written in Verilog or VHDL, and you will find examples on our CPLD page. A third way which is usually easier for beginners is schematic entry which you can do in the free Xilinx ISE WebPack.
Schematic programs are written using logic symbols contained in either the standard Xilinx library or imported from other sources. Symbols are linked together and connected to I/O pins to makeup your project inside the device.
Xilinx has published a massive (668 page PDF) CPLD Libraries Guide. This document is a treasure trove of information regarding every possible logic symbol contained in the ISE’s library. Each symbol appears with its name, schematic graphic, description of purpose and usage, and a logic table where applicable. Whether you’re familiar with logic symbols and their operation or are just getting started, you’ll find this to be a valuable reference tool.
A release candidate of Jawi’s Logic Sniffer client is available for beta testers.
It took longer than originally anticipated, but it is finally available: the first Release Candidate (RC) of the 0.9.4 version!
Implemented features and issues solved in this release:
- VCD exports ignore selected channel groups
- Verify frequency measurement with RLE captures
- Support OLS-device profiles for BP, regular OLS and SUMP
- Add icon to window/application
- 200MHz capture fails halfway
- Add warning message about highest channel icw RLE
- When RLE is enabled the first value rendered is always low
- Is it possible to disable DTR when opening the serial
- No menu entry for ‘capture’ functions
- Preferences in Edit/Preferences dialog are not saved
- Stop button now always enabled
- RLE channel group issue with 0.9.4-b1
- I2C decoder produces invalid address
- Add “Jump to Marker” buttons for remaining cursors
A call to all beta testers: grab an archive and test away using the testing charter:
All issues found should be reported as issue on GitHub and can be discussed in this topic.
If tested, could you post a message in this topic stating the platforms (operating system + version, 32/64-bit, and used hardware) on which you’ve tested it, and possibly the issue numbers verified?
Get a Logic Sniffer for $50, with free worldwide shipping.
Cellular mobile devices and Google Maps can be used to provide fast and accurate localization without GPS. Using a database of cell coordinates, the location of an object can be precisely determined.
The cell names, coordinates, and the maximum distance allowed between the cell and the phone before it switches towers must be known first in order to find the position. That information can be compared to cell databases provided by Google, cell phone companies, or even open source projects. Because the circular coverage of a cell is already known, the location of the cell phone can be determined.
Open Electronics has a full series on localization techniques with GSM cellular devices.
J. Peterson updated a PDP-11/70 console with an ethernet controller and a CPLD to control the blinking LEDs:
I’ve always missed that visual and tactile aspect of computers that’s been lost since the advent of microprocessors. When a console for a PDP-11/70 came up for sale on Ebay, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to bring it back to life.
I used a Zilog EZ80F91 based Ethernet controller along with a Xilinx XC95108 CPLD to hook up all the lights and switches and make them controllable over the net.
Thanks J. Peterson! Via the comments.
Rohit writes:
Ultrakeet.com has got some pretty cool tutorials on solder masking using kapton tape, SMD removal, building a capacitive discharge spot welder, and a bunch of other things on their ‘articles‘ page
Thanks Rohit! Via the contact form.
Microchip has announced an expansion of its 8-bit segmented LCD microcontroller (MCU) family with five new devices—the PIC16LF1902/3/4/6/7 (PIC16LF190X) MCUs. The PIC16LF190X family supports many general-purpose applications and enables the implementation of LCD into low-power and cost-sensitive designs, such as security tokens, smart cards, medical devices, home appliances, key fobs or any application involving a segmented LCD.
The chips are available in 28- and 40-pin PDIP. Other packages include SOIC, SSOP, UQFN and TQFP, and operate over a 1.8-3.6V range featuring nanoWatt XLP Technology. ICSP and debugging can be accomplished via two pins. A 16 MHz internal oscillator and 31 kHz low-power internal oscillator are included, along with 10-bit resolution ADC (up to 11 channels). The 16LF1904/6/7 also provide one EUSART port with auto baud detect.
The Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) driver module generates the timing control to drive a static or multiplexed LCD panel. In the PIC16LF1902/3 device, the module drives the panels of up to four commons and up to 72 total segments. The LCD module also provides control of the LCD pixel data.
Check out the Microchip press release, family product brief, and the PIC16LF1902/3 datasheet. Microchip indicates product pricing starting around $1 per device, and that samples are available.
To celebrate the launch of our new CPLD development boards we’re giving away PCBs. Just ask for a CoolRunner-II or XC9572XL dev-board in the comments, if you have a project in mind we’d like to hear about it too.
Assembled CoolRunner-II and XC9572XL development boards are available now for $15.
Back in February we posted on the quest for an Open Source Hardware Logo. After receiving over 129 submissions, the Open Hardware Summit appointed a committee and whittled the pack down to the final ten.
Check out the ten finalists and vote here now! The deadline is April 5, 2011.
Ever get stuck choosing the right logic chip combination or voltage level translator? Give up the hunt and create your own custom logic chip. CPLDs can give you the logic you need, with the pinout you want, while saving board space and board revisions.
The Xilinx XC9500XL family has some of the cheapest and readily-available CPLDs. Inputs are 5volt tolerant, and they can be run from a single 3.3volt supply. This dev board will help you build your first custom logic chip using simple schematic entry, Verilog, or VHDL.
What can you do with a 72 macrocell CPLD? Check out our 32K SRAM logic analyzer core.
Resource
We’ve been interested in CPLDs and FPGAs for a few months now, and there’s already several CPLD resources on the wiki:
You can get the XC9572XL development board for $15. A CoolRunner-II dev-board is also available for $15.
Have an idea for this dev-board? Share it in the comments and we’ll send you the PCB (while they last).
Ever get stuck choosing the right logic chip combination or voltage level translator? Give up the hunt and create your own custom logic chip. CPLDs can give you the logic you need, with the pinout you want, while saving board space and board revisions.
The CoolRunner-II XC2C CPLD has two separate banks of pins that can operate at different voltages, internal pull-up resistors, and pin keepers. This development board will help you build your first custom logic chip using simple schematic entry, Verilog, or VHDL.
We’re really excited to see what you do with these boards. Adding this CPLD to the Bus Blaster v2 JTAG programmer turned it into a crazy morphing muti-programmer clone.
Resources
We’ve been interested in CPLDs and FPGAs for a few months now, and there’s already several CPLD resources on the wiki:
You can get the CoolRunner-II development board for $15. A XC9572XL dev-board is also available for $15.
Have an idea for this dev-board? Share it in the comments and we’ll send you the PCB (while they last).
Web platform v1.1 is back in stock at Seeed Studio. There’s only a few extras right now, but another batch is on the way.
Get an assembled web platform for $40, including worldwide shipping.
The USB IR Toy is back in stock at Seeed Studio.
This batch has a background story. We were arranging v2, which is still over a month away and will be a few dollars more expensive, when Seeed found nearly 200 extra v1 and v1a IR Toys.
IR Toy v1 has a low-powered infrared transmitter section to reduce the chance of damage to the hardware or a PC. Unfortunately, when coupled with a super high-power LED like the SFH-41 used in the v1, the transmitting range is very low.
We wanted to give these IR Toys a little more oomph, so Seeed replaced the IR LED with the more efficient part we’re using in V2.
Get one for $20, including worldwide shipping.
The Open Source Hardware Reserve Bank is a new program whose mission is to fund and invest in Open Source Hardware. It helps open source projects achieve scale discounts at low quantities of production, where most DIY happens. The objective of the bank is to break-even, and sustain and grow Open Source Hardware.
Check out their queue of current projects, and get information on how you can participate.
ExpEYES is an open source hardware/software learning initiative from the PHOENIX project of Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi, India. It is a framework for developing science experiments, demonstrations and projects and learning science and engineering by exploration.
The expEYES hardware, based on an Atmega32 clocked at 8 MHz and interfaced to the PC via an FT232RL, is a versatile tool for control and signal measurement, powered conveniently by USB. Unlike a standard Arduino, it offers more complexity, featuring several op amps and various components on the development board. With 32 I/O terminals, it can measure and control signals within the 5V TTL range, functioning as a signal generator, frequency counter, and low-frequency oscilloscope. A user manual provides hướng dẫn từ Casino Truc Tuyen Online for conducting about 50 different experiments, ensuring that users can maximize its capabilities in real-time measurements. Its impressive precision allows it to measure analog voltages with a 0.025% resolution and time intervals within a single microsecond, making it a valuable tool for data analysis and experimentation.
This project is based on free and open source software, mostly written in the Python programming language. The hardware schematic is also open. (Note: the schematic lists U2 as an Atmega16; however, the core MCU program, eyes.c, is set to run on the Atmega32.) The expEYES PC software is available as a Debian package for Ubuntu or Debian. On any other Linux system download expeyes.tgz, untar it and see the README.TXT. Don’t have a Linux box? ExpEYES is also included in the Phoenix Live CD distro.
While it’s not exactly the next Arduino, this project has potential in that it uses open source tools to teach students about programming and electronic principles, employing standard means such as C and Python programming.
We’re trying a new Monday post with status updates on new projects currently in production. This will cover project development, and gritty details like last minutes changes and production problems.
This is a simple USB backpack for SparkFun’s cheap color LCDs. A PIC 18F24J50 controls the LCD from a USB connection, and a small booster steps the ~5volt USB supply to 7volts.
Demo firmware and utility are now available. Our example uses a simple USB->serial interface, but HID and other device types are possible.
Production was stalled for months because we couldn’t find a suitable LCD supplier. Eventually we asked SparkFun and they shared a source (Thanks SparkFun!). It is in production now and should be available in a few weeks.
Pal documented the basics of driving a color changing LED with an Arduino.
Thanks Pal! Via the contact form.
