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Messages - Shadyman

2
Project development, ideas, and suggestions / Re: USB LCD BACKPACK
Epic! I just found this thread from Ian's latest blogpost.

It might go without saying, but I'd imagine we could make perfboard "shields" for this board to match all kinds of funky LCD Pinouts, so long as the FTDI and supporting hardware is capable :)
3
DIY Life projects / Re: Free PCBs
I just got my board today, Thanks Ian!

It was attached to the inside of a regular envelope with masking tape; there were definite impressions in the envelope where it was (automated letter sorting, etc), but the envelope held up well :)
4
Bus Pirate Support / Re: OBD2 J1850/VPW Mode
[quote author="pppd"]
but when I opened it I found a PIC emulating the ELM327 chip and a FTDI232R USB to Serial converter.[/quote]

Actually, the ELM-series of chips are just PICs flashed with some OBD2-deciphering code

[quote author="pppd"]but there might be some legal issues, I don't think cloning proprietary chips is legal[/quote]

No, and the PICs that the ELM code is programmed on is code-locked. You can't do a firmware dump, because a fuse has been set (which can only be removed by a full erase) such that it'll return 00 for the entire codespace.
6
Bus Pirate Support / BP Serial to USB Mode
Hey,

Can I suggest a BusPirate mode that, when activated, makes ttyUSB0 into a generic SPI/I2C/UART-to-USB converter until it is removed from power?

IE, connect, set mode, options, etc, then set the 'automagic mode', then disconnect.
Then be able to, IE, stream data off of /dev/ttyUSB0 into a GPS program, etc.

It'd make for easier testing of UART things in environments that are already known (IE, dumping NMEA data into a GPS program)
7
USB Infrared Toy / Re: Features
[quote author="s3c"]
IR receivers are designed to filter out ambient light, that's why a switching carrier is needed, ie, a 100% duty cycle signal will be filtered out as well, any other duty cycle should work though.
[/quote]
Maybe a random duty cycle then? :D
8
USB Infrared Toy / Re: Features
  • Could use 2 of them for 9600-baud IR data transfer (for what it's worth)...
  • You could always give one side a well-powered IR LED array (something like this.. was the first thing I found on google: http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/28-8070 ) and go for long-distrance transmissions to a single receiver. If you're aiming it, you'd probably want to use a snoot on the giant transmitter and the little receiver to help aim the transmitted light and help keep stray light (like the sun) out of the receiver.
  • You could always use it for the usual TV-B-Gone-type thing, or for even more fun, a "TV-B-On" to turn on TVs or ceiling-mounted projectors (especially in classes where the teachers can't find the remotes).
  • If you have a sibling who likes to change channels on you, you could always use it as an IR-Jammer by basically flooding the receiver with 100% duty-cycle Infrared.
  • If you were feeling especially masochistic, you could try decoding the GameBoy Color's IR protocol.
  • Print to an IR-enabled printer
  • Communicate with a palm pilot? Maybe have a terminal emulator on the palm or something over IR?
11
DIY Life projects / Re: R, G, and B LED Voltages/Brightness?
I wonder if it could be used to drive multiple RGB LEDs instead of multiple sets of individual LEDs... That'd solve the color balance issue.

I'm thinking common anode RGBLEDs, with the anode powered by the +12V pin and a cathode leg on each of the R, G and B pins.

There seem to be some reasonable prices for bulk RGB LEDs on eBay... Even if they're relatively anemic and I have to use 2 or 3 in the place of 1, I could always run parallel and serial circuits of them to stay around 12V.

(I also assume you could just sand the surfaces of clear-bulb LEDs to get 'diffused' ones ;))
14
Bus Pirate Support / Re: Self test results
[quote author="ian"]
Looks good. How are the LEDs?
[/quote]
I've seen the Power, Data and MODE lights working before, I don't think I've ever seen the VREG before, though I've yet to kick my BusPirate out of Hi-Z mode... What's the VREG LED for, again?

/Slightly Offtopic Protip: I left the 2 jumpers I used for the self-test disconnected and hanging off the ICSP header inside the Seeed BusPirate case.
15
DIY Life projects / R, G, and B LED Voltages/Brightness?
With the Color-changer's example LED PCB, what value LCDs should be used?

I'm guessing >75mA, High Brightness LEDs, with the Red ones at half the voltage of the Greens and Blues?

I'd also assume for an even color, I'd want LEDs with equal millicandela (Light output) rating and a fairly wide viewing angle. I'd probably go with a diffused lens to produce a more even color as opposed to a number of single points of light.

Background: I'm currently thinking of a behind-monitor screen lighting, similar to some flat-screen TVs which produce ambient light based on the dominant color currently on the screen (IE, it'd take the average R, G and B color of the screen every X amount of seconds... It shouldn't be that hard to script under Linux.)

Thanks in advance!

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