Arduino realtime audio spectrum analyzer

Paul Bishop has posted source code and the schematic for an audio spectrum analyzer based on the Atmega328/Arduino. The design takes input from a simple electret microphone, amplifies it through a transistor fed into the Arduino’s ADC input pin. The Arduino outputs video of  a 64 band audio spectrum analyzer through two external resistors which feed the video out to any display device handling NTSC video.

The amazing processing feats which can be achieved with this device never cease to amaze us.

USB port in wall gives new meaning to file sharing

What would you do if you saw a USB connector sticking out of the wall in a public place? Makers in New York City want find out! They’re launching project “USB Dead Drop”,  an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network using USB flash drives embedded into walls, buildings and curbs accessible to passersby.  Just plug in and upload/download (at your peril).  Pretty cool, but the security and legal implications are scary.

Via Make.

Make: Tokyo Meeting 06 tour and wrap up

Tayken attended the Make: Tokyo Meeting over the weekend.

Make: Tokyo Meeting 06 was an eye opening experience. Lots of cool stuff to look at & play with, speaking with fellow geeks about their projects and taking lots of pictures and a couple of videos.

Thanks for the followup! Video tour after the break.

Via the forum.

Continue reading “Make: Tokyo Meeting 06 tour and wrap up”

USB IR Toy: Perl scripts for signal analysis

Anton and rct contributed a bunch of Perl scripts for analyzing Infrared Toy output.

There are scripts for analyzing raw data in NEC, RC-5, and Panasonic formats. Another script converts IR Toy .bin files .ict files that can be loaded in IRscope (shown above).

The USB IR Toy is $20, including worldwide shipping.

Eric’s FreeRTOS port for the web platform

Eric uploaded his FreeRTOS port for the web platform, give it a try:

At this point I would say the code is at a pre-alpha release stage but it does run.  The DHCP client will acquire an IP address and a web server will be started.  The web server will read files from the /www directory on the microSD card.  Currently long file names are not supported so all files must follow the 8.3 naming convention.  Therefore, create an /www/index.htm file for the default page.  (I also added a /www/favicon.ico from the DP site to mine:)  The USB serial port is set for 115200 baud 8,N,1 and will provide status messages.  At this point the console will echo characters you type back to you but that is all it does.

Grab the FreeRTOS port for the web platform from SVN. Our SVN tutorial is here. There’s a new FreeRTOS wiki page for your notes.

Get an assembled web platform for $40, including worldwide shipping. Web platform v1.1 is in stock and shipping now.

Via the forum.

Free PCB Sunday: Bus Blaster

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 is the first version of the Bus Blaster JTAG programmer. It’s been power-up tested and the FT2232 enumerates on the PC. One of the buffer footprints has mask over pads, so you’ll have to scrape it away before soldering. We have two extra PCBs to give away this week, just ask for one in the comments.

Testing update: OpenOCD tests went well this week, there’s a working OpenOCD .cfg file example on the Bus Blaster wiki. Logic analyzer captures show that the buffers are working correctly. Next step is to test a known-working target provided by IPenguin. If the tests go well, a small batch of test hardware could potentially be in production by Friday.

Continue reading “Free PCB Sunday: Bus Blaster”

Open source decoder for digital shortwave data

If you tune around the shortwave bands you’ve probably heard various buzzes, high-pitched screeches and other annoying sounds. Many of these aren’t just noise, but amateur radio digital data transmissions.  These messages are surprisingly easy it is to decode using free open source software.

FLDIGI is a digital modem program for Linux, Free-BSD, OS X, Windows XP, W2K, and Vista. With FLDIGI you connect the headphone jack on your shortwave receiver to the audio-in on your computer soundcard. The GUI based program provides many digital mode choices, and even has a list of suggested frequencies to monitor along with the associated customary digital mode. While the program is designed for use with radios capable of both transmitting and receiving data, it nevertheless provides a fascinating experience for the shortwave listener to decode the data behind the “noise”.

We’ve tried other digital decoding software, and none works better than this open source alternative. Unlike some software packages, no external hardware is required beyond a stereo patch cord.  No patch cord? No problem. It can even take the audio from the radio speaker and process it via  the computer’s microphone! Our suggested frequency/mode for starters is BPSK31 on 14.070 MHz (upper sideband).

Make Tokyo Meeting Nov. 20 & 21

Tayken will be at the Make Tokyo Meeting happening this weekend. If you’ll be there give him a shout:

I will be attending the Make: Tokyo Meeting 06 on November 20 & 21st at Tokyo Institute of Technology, O-okayama Campus. If you manage to come, just drop by Tokyo Hackerspace table (shared with Hackers on a Plane) and lets share ideas!

Bus Pirate firmware v5.10

Bus Pirate firmware v5.10 is ready to download. This version reintroduces AVRDude compatibility, and adds features for faster AVRDude programming. There’s also some minor code changes for MPLAB X compatibility. The Bus Pirate documentation has been updated to reflect these changes.

  • Removed space after prompt for AVRDude compatibility
  • Added SPI write/read function (no CS) for AVRDude
  • Updated README.TXT with more details, upgrade instructions and links
  • Pirate-loader source included
  • Less annoying file names (in Linux)
  • Code cleanup and modernization
  • No new v5.10 addons, the v5.9 addons were included again

Read about the firmware update process for the ds30 Loader GUI (Windows/Linux) and pirate-loader console app (Windows/Linux/Mac). This firmware requires the v4+ bootloader, be sure you upgrade to the v4 bootloader first if you still have bootloader v2.

What do you want in firmware v6?

Get a Bus Pirate v3b for $30, including worldwide shipping at Seeed Studio. Also available at Adafruit and Open Source Control Systems. Each purchase supports further development of this open source project.

Continue reading “Bus Pirate firmware v5.10”

Updated AVRDude for testing

The current version of AVRDude (v5.8) is incompatible with Bus Pirate firmware v5.0-v5.9. Later today we’ll release a Bus Pirate firmware that restores compatibility with v5.8.

A more permanent fix is available though. Tim updated AVRDude to be compatible with all Bus Pirate firmwares, and take advantage of some new commands to increase the programming speed:

  • addition of a much faster flash writing function
  • no initial resetting of Bus Pirate (unnecessary, and will break BPv4)
  • no parsing of Bus Pirate UI, unless ASCII SPI mode is explicitly requested

More details in the forum. Please help test this fix if you can, we’d like to roll it into the next release of AVRDude.

Image source: Adafruit (CC-BY-SA).