Working with low pitch SMD components can be a pain on the eyes, and one way to make it more conferrable is to use head worn magnifying glasses. Arhi wrote an in depth comparison of the 3 models he had … Read more
Homemade soldering flux has been a hot topic in the forum. Some people prefer it to most commercial stuff. Dpropicweb consolidated the recipes, tips, and discussion into a Flux, Flux, Flux wiki page.
Chronos hackers take note! In this presentation from the Shmoocon 2012 conference, atlas 0f d00m talks about using the USB RF dongle that comes with the EZ430 Chronos watch to conduct experiments in the ISM bands. This talk covers a … Read more
We all bought one of these USB microscope at the SEG Market. We were immediately fond of the heavy base and the smooth adjustment of the camera. We bargained a bit and bought it for 260 RMB ($40), that’s half … Read more
If you missed it before, TI is offering the Chronos Watch as their current week’s deal at $24.50. The eZ430 deal includes the wireless enabled watch, CC1111 USB RF access point, and a CD containing software and documentation. A welcome … Read more
MicroCC is a constant current source, but focused on the low current microamp range. It uses the Touchstone Semiconductor TSM6025 voltage reference, a drop in replacement for the MAX3025 with better than 15PPM stability. The TSM6025 used both as the reference voltage and … Read more
Are you looking for a portable breadboard power supply with a selectable voltage? Also thinking about how long the batteries will last? This project utilizes one or two AA/AAA batteries to generate a preselected voltage of 5V or 3.3V, and … Read more
Tod reviewed Adafruit’s USB microscope with magnifications ranging from 20x to 200x. He rigged up a custom holder from a microphone stand and some magnets. This is a full review of the USB microscope that is sold by Adafruit. It … Read more
Bjbsquared designed a wire stripper tool with a LED indicator that flashes when contact with the wires is made. To built it you’ll need to get the model laser cut from acrylic or 3D printed. This is one of the … Read more
John reviews the Hakko FX-888 soldering station. It’s the latest iteration of one of the most cloned soldering stations, the Hakko 936. The stations are simple and sturdy, with a wide selection of tips. The tips are backward and forward … Read more
Digi-Key has an online schematic editor known as Scheme-It. “Scheme-it is an online schematic and diagramming tool that allows anyone to design and share electronic circuit diagrams. The tool includes a comprehensive electronic symbol library and an integrated Digi-Key component … Read more
Created in January, 2012, by Julian Oliver for the Studio Weise7 exhibition at Labor 8, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, the Transparency Grenade represents a more physical approach to fostering the process of corporate and government transparency than the … Read more
In examining the design files for the Maker Shed pulse sensor we noted that they weren’t produced using Eagle. Instead, the files were generated using Design Spark’s free Schematic Layout Software. This is a free (activation required at no charge) … Read more
A few weeks ago we wrote about hollowed-out chisel tips, and how good they are for drag soldering. Unfortunately they are either hard to find, or made only for expensive soldering irons. There also seem to be some patent disputes … Read more
Boseji informs us of the new libgen tool for creating Kicad schematics symbols. This tool is based on Python and can generate one Component from a XML file.This tool in multiple ways emulates the Quick KICAD Library Component Builder online … Read more
Drone writes about a new 3d printer project he’s found: MakiBox A6 is a new crowd-funded project by Jon Buford in Honk Kong. Price is $300USD each plus $50USD International shipping. The basic kit includes all MakiBox parts with electronics … Read more
Adafruit has launched their Circuit Playground app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It provides a collection of reference formulas at the touch of a button, simplifiying calculations to make your project more fun. Decipher resistor & capacitor codes with … Read more
SparkysWidgets posted this drag soldering video in the comments of yesterday’s flux-off solder flux trials. He solders an FT232 IC with a Weller NTGW tipped soldering iron. These GullWing tips have a dimple in the tip that suck up excess … Read more
We broke out 4 different types of flux we had in the workshop and tried them with surface mount parts. Liquid flux, flux paste, syringe flux, and a flux marker are all tested. We used each to solder a 0805 … Read more
By using the coupon code “MPLABX” you’ll shave 20% off of a PICkit3 programmer/debugger, or a PICkit3 Debug express kit. PICkit3 is the latest in the PICkit series of programmers from Microchip. It supports all PIC and dsPIC microcontroller families. … Read more
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