Latest order from Seeedstudio arrived today. Boards look exceelent, especially the solder pads. They're glittering. My order was placed after the chinese holiday season, so it took 1month from order to arrival.
Changes I noticed in Seeedstudio's behaviour: PCBs are packed with an silica gel packet Between every two PCBs there is a paper to avoid scratch between them. :) Nice
Few days ago I received one ringo3 PCB from forum member matseng. It's having 60+60+12 LEDs (ss,mm,hh). The board design is nice as you can see in Now, I've gathered most components of it, and I soldered it in about 2 hours (I should have checked those LEDs before soldering, I found 8 LEDs to be dead and had to replace them). Since this is multiplexed matrix, we cannot have individual control over all of the LEDs at the same time. I need to fast switch between rows (as in schematics), or can have other ideas(give me ideas). [attachment=0] I used some 0603 caps in place because I had 22pf only in 0603 and 1206. Now I have to add the resistors (100Ohms should be OK) and MOSFETs. MOSFETs from china(ebay) haven't reached me yet. I guess I will install some NPN like BC548 in place of the N-ch mosfets if it takes too much time to arrive.
Well, it happens rarely. I faced it few months ago and faced it today once more. I am logged into the forum already (I use remember function while logging in), and I clicked quick reply in a topic. When I typed reply and hit the submit button, it sent me to login page and asked to login to reply to the topic. When I logged in again, page redirected to the forum topic and I lost the typed information. I used back and forward buttons in browser for a possible data resend warning which on confirmation would resubmit the data which I typed, but there was nothing such.
Suggestion: There should be a cache system in forum and it will hold the contents typed in quick reply box incase user needs to re-login for any security measure or something like that.
Just completed one simplified version of the ATX Breakout board. Redesigned the board with less parts: removed fuses, etc. Done with all PTH parts and single sided board.
Eagle files: [attachment=2]
Below are poor mobile images :-( [attachment=0] [attachment=1]
I am just curious why the webaddress http://178.63.63.84/ contains a old cache of DP. I am seeing 23'rd January's post there. Is this something like mirror backup server for DP, but not being used in last 6 months?
Actually I got one ENC28J60 breakout board as gift from EmbeddedMarket. This: embeddedmarket.com/products/ENC28J60-Ethernet-Module/ I had no experience with working with those TCP/IP/LAN etc. In the breakout board there pinout is labeled SCK,MOSI,MISO,WDL,INT,RST,CS,CLKOUT I guess the SPI mode can be used by only SCK,MOSI,MISO,INT If so, can Buspirate be used to interface to it and for a test, maybe ping yahoo.com with a cross LAN cable connected to my router. Has anybody done this, and can help me with the commands in buspirate after I actually enter into the SPI mode.
I got one 1980's B/W 21" TV from a neighbor as he was not finding any place to store it and was planning to throw it. [attachment=1] Powering it on, showed only a horizontal line. [attachment=0] I am thinking to convert it to an scope. I guess I need to apply amplified signals to the vertical deflection coil. But this thing has 30" width. Placement problems are for sure. :P
Anyone have any better idea to do something cool using this gold-junk?
I've been working on the above named project and have made up several prototypes. The one below is the latest one. [attachment=0] A small intro and design files can be seen in my blog http://goo.gl/S4Rft
I'd love to get feedback from you guys. What feature should be added, what removed, and on all of these.
In the christmas week, I placed an order in element14 (aka farnell/newark). In the component tester project log, I've faced the problem of non-availability of any P channel MOSFET in my locality. viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3260&start=135#p32808 Then I waited for some days for christmas and arranged enough money to order some useful things from erlement14. Due to the holiday season, my order placed on 28'th December came delivered today, 5'th January. (Their usual timearound is 3-5 days). Here's the items(junks?) I've ordered. [attachment=3] I've ordered, a lots of SMD resistors and capacitors for which I selected values that are common. some 32.768000KHZ crystal for super-accurate RTC clocking. MOSFETs: BSS84 P-ch and 2N7002P N-ch some SMD LED DURATOOL D00012 MINI DRILL KIT [attachment=2] DURATOOL D00269 CLAMP TOOL, WITH MAGNIFIER [attachment=1] ARTESYN NLP40-7629J SWITCH MODE POWER SUPPLY 71K8944 [attachment=0]
Well, the tools are of super quality. The drill comes with adjustable speed, and with 4 collets, 60 accessories, plastic+alluminium carry case, etc at only around 30 USD. The helper hand comes with nice clear lens I've ever seen and has great magnification without distortion. The last item I that is a industrial grade PSU, that's actually priced near 60 USD . That is not for me but bought as a gift for someone.
Inspite that they are both HD44780 controller, but with different sizes of the screen the relative addressing of the lines differs a lot. FYI, If you have a code for 16x4, and add the same program to MCU with a 16x2 LCD connected, then the 1st line of 16x4 will come in 1st line of 16x2 and the third line of 16x4 will come in 16x2. But it still displays valuable information. In your case, when the row length is altered there is much chances that the MCU is writing data to a different RAM location than that what the LCD's pixels are for.
After seeing viewtopic.php?f=56&t=3131&p=30923 raj's idea, I applied that principle to make one LCD board. I have made one such DIY breakout module for the popular Nokia 3310 LCD. I had previously designed another breakout board for Nokia 6610 LCD too. You can read the old thread here. viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2707 Not only this provides a 7pin pin header for plugging to breadboard, it also has a 7pin SATA connector as secondary connection option. [attachment=0] The full guide with step by step images can be seen in my blog http://www.circuitsdiy.com/diy-nokia-33 ... periments/ I know you'll ask me two questions for sure. 1. Why there isn't any mounting holes at the corners? A: There is unused area in corners, so I can make the holes whenever I need them. 2. Why SATA connector facing upside and creating bad appearance? That's because it's a development tool, not something to be planted into some project permanently. With top SATA connector, I can place the module in table and it will lie on the table' surface.
I got two PCB mails today. One is from DP(as one of the winner of the 7400contest), and second from teholabs(Friday 4'th November free Friday).[attachment=3][attachment=2] The package(plain paper) of teholabs is intact and I like the handwritten address in the envelope. But the DP envelope was all torn. A little more wear and tear and the envelope never reached me. There is bubblewrap but not good paper. Hence I conclude that the packaging quality of DP caused two PCBs sent to me on august and October. So, the envelope is the issue which caused 50% delivery in my case. 2times PCBs arrived and two times not. I have read somewhere in DP that DP tapes the PCB to the envelope from inside and fix it within address label and the tape. I saw no tape. [attachment=0][attachment=1] I'd suggest DP to use that kind of envelopes which has inner layer made of gauze/bandage cloth. This will ensure no tear in the mailer.
