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Messages - TonyD

49
General discussion / Re: Best cheap PCB service
I'd used both Seeed and Itead a lot previous but recently move over to Smart-Prototyping as they have a slighter better postal options for shipping to the UK/Europe.
50
Hardware biz / Re: PCB Manufacturer for larger runs
I've been using Smart-Prototyping for larger runs of my RPi boards. They can do up to 500-pieces in their prototyping service (non-panellized). I pretty sure they can do bigger runs but you should email them to check.
51
USB serial LCD backpack / Re: Newbe. Serial connection on Raspberry pi
On the Pi, the hardware UART is set to "console mode" by default, so it is used by the OS. If you want to use it you'll first need to disable the OS from using it.

Here's some notes from my blog that might help. Make a backup of the two files we’ll be changing.

sudo cp /boot/cmdline.txt /boot/cmdline.bak
sudo cp /etc/inittab /etc/inittab.bak

In the LXterminal shell type the command:

sudo leafpad /boot/cmdline.txt

Find and remove “console=ttyAMA0,115200” and “kgdboc=ttyAMA0,115200” parameters.

The cmdline.txt will probably contain the default configuration line:

dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 console=ttyAMA0,115200 kgdboc=ttyAMA0,115200
console=tty1 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootfstype=ext4 elevator=deadline rootwait

Find and remove “console=ttyAMA0,115200” and “kgdboc=ttyAMA0,115200” configuration parameters so it looks something like this:

dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 console=tty1 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootfstype=ext4 elevator=deadline rootwait

Make sure to save the file and quit the editor.

Finally edit the “/etc/inittab” file to disable the use of the “ttyAMA0? serial port. In LXterminal type this command:

sudo leafpad /etc/inittab

Near the bottom of the file, look for a configuration line that includes the “ttyAMA0” port address.

Type a hash (or pound) sign (“#”) in front of the line “ttyAMA0“.

Save the file and exit the editor. Once done to reboot your Pi.


<shameless plug>

If you need a RS232 connection then here's a board that connects to the pi and provides the RS232 interface.



You can get them from Tindie.com here

</shameless plug>
52
General discussion / Re: Hello all UK Hacker/Maker
@Deano
hackerspace + garage - sounds like a perfect match :-)

Our local space, Makerspace in Newcastle started off after hours in the tiny-est of offices about 3 years ago. We now in a bigger space near the city centre.

@yarg

There's a great hackerspace in Nottingham


For anyone who is interested? Maker Faire UK is just a few short months away on the weekend of 26-27th April in Newcastle. Hope to see some of you there.

http://www.makerfaireuk.com/
54
Hardware biz / Re: Tindie commission increase
[quote author="t0mpr1c3"]High volume? I can barely hear it.[/quote]
Agreed, I've been disappointed by my sales of my Raspberry Pi add-on boards on Tindie.

I think they need to do more to market the website themselves.
55
General discussion / Re: New exciting PIC32MZ family
[quote author="hlipka"]If you are looking for a MCU with a really fast ADC, look at NXPs LPC4370. It got a 12bit-ADC with up to 80Msps... I guess we will see this soon in some small DSOs.[/quote]
Totally agree, with 80MPS its going to find its way into some small DSO's
57
General discussion / Re: Do you think Raspberry Pi and Arduino is overhyped
[quote author="electrodynatronic"]I see a lot of hate for them among "real" developers,[/quote]
No I disagree with that statement. I consider myself a "real" developer with almost 30-years uC embedded work in aerospace and defence and I see a lot of my co-workers new and old using both Arduino's and Pi's and other boards for their own projects

Yes, you can build a bare bones system with a uC on veroboard and you'll learn a great deal doing it but having done that a hundred times before I would rather just get straight into the action and use a dev board. And at the end of the day that's all the Arduino, BBB and Pi are: a cheap development board.
58
General discussion / Re: Do you think Raspberry Pi and Arduino is overhyped
Like many here I use both and a number of other boards/uC PIC's, Parallax Propeller, Xmos, BBB, Olimex, Itead A10 etc. as well.

Long before the Arduino I was using PIC's and AVR's (before them 6502 and Z80) and for a long time before the Pi I was using ARM's. So if the Arduino and Pi didn't exist it wouldn't have effected what I was working with.

I believe its the rich ecosystem of community, projects, add-on boards and variations both platforms have created that deserves the acknowledgement and if hype follows then so be it.

For me anything that breaks down cost barriers and encourages people to get into programming and/or electronics is welcome.

So to answer the OP's question, do they deserve to be overhyped? Yes
59
General discussion / Re: A $50 laser engraver
This looks so cool :-)

I recognised the rail the laser is on. I think its from a DVD player or something as I've seen them on ebay for ~$10

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