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https://hackaday.com/2013/09/02/a-coffee-machine-with-an-attitude/ | A Coffee Machine With An Attitude | Brian Benchoff | [
"cooking hacks"
] | [
"coffee"
] | [Armin] and his crew at BerkelaarMRT were contacted by the Museum of Communication in The Hague to see if they could build a coffee machine that was operated only by voice. It sounded like an interesting challenge, so
they took on the job
and came up with a very awesome interactive coffee machine.
The interactive coffee machine is based on a coffee maker made by
Animo
with the ability to make cappuccino, espresso, or just a straight coffee. The electronics are based on a Motorola Xoom 10″ tablet with an
Electric Sheep
module from Sparkfun. This, along with a custom-made PCB with optocouplers, to allow the buttons on the coffee maker to be electronically activated.
When anyone walks up to the coffee machine, a Maxbotix sonar module detects their presence and a small animated coffee cup asks what they’d like to drink. The cute little cup then prepares the drink and waits for its next human.
There’s a video of the machine in action available below. it’s in Dutch, but anyone will be able to get the jist of how the animated coffee machine operates.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfagE_WMGKA&w=580] | 12 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "1051381",
"author": "Steven",
"timestamp": "2013-09-02T16:19:27",
"content": "I for one welcome our new coffee overlords.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1051385",
"author": "Someone",
"timestamp": "2013-09-02T16:23:13",... | 1,760,376,469.573486 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/09/02/phase-one-of-a-robot-coffee-maker/ | Phase One Of A Robot Coffee Maker | Brian Benchoff | [
"cooking hacks"
] | [
"coffee"
] | A coffee machine that brews a fresh pot of joe, automatically putting coffee in a filter, filling the coffee maker with water, brewing, dumping the grounds, and adding sugar and cream, all without any human interaction. Some may call it the fevered dream of a madman. Others may call it a vending machine. All we know is
[Phil] is working on his own version of this robot par excellence
.
This is only phase one of a robotic coffee machine build, but so far [Phil] has a single cup coffee maker that can fill itself with water and dump its grounds automatically.
The electronics are based on a PIC18F4550 that controls two mechanical relays that control the solenoids, one solid state relay that controls power to the coffee maker, and two stepper motor drivers that open the lid of the coffee maker and dump the filter into the wash bin.
It’s an awesome build and we look forward to the next stage of this awesome, truly homebrew build. | 13 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "1051319",
"author": "Tom Hargrave",
"timestamp": "2013-09-02T13:03:12",
"content": "Looks like a neat project – design one that uses Keurig coffee and I’m sold!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1051354",
"author": "meh"... | 1,760,376,469.98963 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/09/02/an-drip-coffee-maker-for-camping/ | A Drip Coffee Maker For Camping | Brian Benchoff | [
"cooking hacks"
] | [
"coffee"
] | [TE] goes camping, and on his excursion he likes to take just the bare necessities. A sleeping bag, a tent, food, but above all else, coffee. Most camping coffee makers are a percolator design, which is widely regarded as the worst way to make coffee ever. With a little bit of ingenuity, he created an
improvised drip coffee maker for camping
, just the thing for a nice cup of brew in the wilderness.
If you were to make your own drip coffee maker, your first inclination might be to use a funnel, put in a filter, pour in some coffee, and load it up with hot water. This was [TE]’s first design, but he quickly realized the hole in the bottom of his makeshift funnel would clog very quickly. After investigating his electronic drip coffee maker, he discovered the bottom of the basket had a series of baffles that allowed the filter to drain over its entire bottom surface. But how to replicate this in a piece of DIY equipment?
The solution came from [TE]’s wife, who pulled out an apple slicer. This allowed the filter to sit a little proud in the basket, allowing for an efficient draining of coffee. Simple, effective, and nearly impossible to break; that’s very good camping equipment. | 34 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "1051290",
"author": "zogzog",
"timestamp": "2013-09-02T11:23:40",
"content": "imho the best way to make cofee, camping or not is the ‘Moka pot’ …http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1051296",
... | 1,760,376,470.068732 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/09/01/hackaday-links-september-1-2013/ | Hackaday Links: September 1, 2013 | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday Columns",
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"8088",
"commodore 64",
"mendel",
"pico projector",
"thermal imaging",
"vcr"
] | [Anton] has been doing some Commodore 64 Datasette experiments. He managed to
connect the C64 audio traces to his smartphone
and use it for tape playback.
Not wanting to actually disassemble his Mendel 3D printer, [SteveDC] figured out
how to make extenders
that increase his build height by about 40%.
We have fond memories of owning an 8088 PC. We did a lot of experimental programming on it but never anything as impressive as
getting the TCP/IP stack to run on it
. Then again, we’re not sure there was such a thing back when we owned the 10 MHz hardware. That’s right, the microcontrollers we mess around with now days are much faster than that old beast was.
When he goes running at night [Tall-drinks]
straps a pico projector to his chest
. We guess you’d call the readout a heads-up display… but it’s really more heads-down since it’s projecting on the pavement.
See
how things heat up
as a Raspberry Pi boots. This video was made using a thermal imaging camera to help diagnose a misbehaving board.
We don’t have very many trinkets on our desk (that would steal space normally reserved for clutter). But be would happily make room for
this motorcycle model made from VCR parts
(
translated
). | 21 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1051105",
"author": "Alex",
"timestamp": "2013-09-01T21:28:24",
"content": "Is the 8088 hosting the website? Timed out for me here…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1051116",
"author": "vonskippy",
"timestamp": ... | 1,760,376,470.134264 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/09/01/a-real-car-remote-controlled-with-an-arduino-what-could-go-wrong/ | A Real Car Remote Controlled With An Arduino… What Could Go Wrong? | Mathieu Stephan | [
"hardware",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"dangerous build",
"mosfet",
"Pneumatics",
"remote control",
"valve"
] | [Gilad] tipped us about his latest project, where he adds plenty of pneumatics and electronics into his wife’s car to
remote control it
.
The brake/throttle pedals are actuated by pistons controlled by electronic valves, and a standard DC motor is in charge of turning the wheel. The Arduino code tells us that the valves will be opened as long as the remote up/down channel is above/under given values. The frame is based on Festo aluminium profiles and we’re not sure where the mains used for the DC/DC converters is coming from. As the valves use 24V and the motor 12V, standard N-Mosfets and power relays are used for voltage conversion. The remote controller [Gilard] used is actually 20 years old, so the output signal of the receiver isn’t actually really clean.
We do hope to never see this car on the road…. | 39 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "1051065",
"author": "Brandon",
"timestamp": "2013-09-01T19:25:57",
"content": "It would probably be a good idea to wire up some sort of fail-safe that would apply the brakes fully if the receiver loses a signal from the transmitter.That is assuming that he is crazy enough to actuall... | 1,760,376,469.88779 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/09/01/obstacle-avoiding-lego-rover-uses-cds-for-wheels/ | Obstacle Avoiding LEGO Rover Uses CDs For Wheels | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"arduino palm",
"lego",
"xbee"
] | This rover built by [Sath02] is a great example that you don’t have to be a mechanical engineering wizard to get into robotics. He used LEGO pieces to help
ease the difficulty of getting a rover up and running
.
In this case the use of LEGO is strictly structural. The electronics are not
the NXT parts you would expect to see
when working with these popular toy blocks. Instead he’s put the Arduino Palm Plus into service. It’s an Arduino board that has rows of holes at either end to make it LEGO compatible. It also carries an LM293D motor controller and [Sath02] added an XBee module for wireless control.
At the top of the assembly is an IR distance sensor which is used for obstacle avoidance. You may not be interested in building and exact replica, but the techniques he uses for attaching the distance sensor, CD wheels, and fabricating the rest of the rover are good examples if you take on a LEGO build in the future. | 3 | 1 | [
{
"comment_id": "1051078",
"author": "Alex Rossie",
"timestamp": "2013-09-01T19:55:43",
"content": "Wouldn’t expect a CD to provide much traction. Maybe if you roughed it up.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1051095",
"author": "ChalkBo... | 1,760,376,469.931142 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/09/01/ottawa-mini-maker-faire/ | Ottawa Mini Maker Faire | Eric Evenchick | [
"cons"
] | [
"maker faire",
"ottawa"
] | The
Ottawa Mini Maker Faire
took place this past weekend at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. I was in town and decided to check it out. After the break, check out some of the projects that I saw at the Faire.
This pinball machine will be controlled by a Raspberry Pi
We recently featured a
Raspberry Pi powered pinball machine
, and this is another project revitalizing a pinball machine using a Pi. [Alan], [Mike], and [Randy] are building the
DIY pinball system
using custom PCBs to control the lamps and solenoids. It operates at 36 volts, which is required to fire the solenoids with sufficient power. The system is networked using CAN, and managed by a Raspberry Pi.
The Creepy Eyeball tracked faces of people passing by
This creepy eyeball used a
Phidgets
USB interface to control servos for pan, tilt, and iris control. It used OpenCV, a webcam, and a Python script to track faces of people passing by. Once it locked onto a target, the iris opened up and stared at you.
This box simulated the Enigma Machine
One group presented their
Enigma Machine
simulator based on a PIC microcontroller. They gave a quick history lesson on how the Enigma worked, then let attendees try out their simulator by keying cyphertext into a PS2 keyboard. If the rotors, reflectors, and plugboard were set up correctly, you could decode their cyphertext jokes.
The Lumipendant Firefly badge
The
Lumipendant Firefly
is a light up badge designed for Nuit Blanche. It communicates with nearby Fireflies over IR and can schedule events to flash LED patters on all nearby badges. It’s based on an Arduino, and the group plans to use them for educational purposes after Nuit Blanche. Obviously someone is going to turn it into a TV-B-Gone.
The 555 Music Box used a paper tape to play songs
[
Steven
]’s music box used a 555 timer synthesizer with resistances for tuning each note. When the paper wheel turned, copper contacts connected to proper resistance to the 555 to play the note. [Steven] also created a
video
about the project.
This robot was designed to compete in the Fire Fighting Home Robot Compeition
The
Ottawa Robotics Enthusiasts
had a collection of robots on display. This one was built for the
Fire Fighting Home Robot Competition
. The competition challenges the robots to find a candle in a room and extinguish it. This robot uses a
UVTRON
sensor to find UV light coming off the candle, and puts it out with a candle.
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Faire, and took the time to chat about their projects. If you’d like to meet makers in your area, find out if you have a local Mini Maker Faire. | 5 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "1051027",
"author": "Lorne Wilkins",
"timestamp": "2013-09-01T17:31:04",
"content": "How can I be notified (beforehand) when a Maker Faire will be held in Ottawa or Montreal (where I live) ? I Have always wanted to go to one, but I always seem to find out about these after they happ... | 1,760,376,469.803583 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/09/01/build-a-file-server-inside-an-old-external-optical-drive-enclosure/ | Build A File Server Inside An Old External Optical Drive Enclosure | Mike Szczys | [
"3d Printer hacks",
"Raspberry Pi"
] | [
"external drive",
"file server",
"hard drive",
"RPi"
] | This one nearly ended up in today’s Links post, but on second look we think it deserves a feature of its own. [Profezzorn] designed some mounting brackets to house
a file server inside of an external drive enclosure
. Click on the instructions tab to get a bit more of the story.
The enclosure that he’s using is meant for a 5.25″ optical drive. It comes with a USB to SATA converter which is how he connects the hard drive to the Raspberry Pi serving the files. His mounting system uses the original holes in the enclosure, the threaded holes of the drive, and the holes in the RPi PCB to mount everything with just ten screws. The enclosure included a Molex power connector. He sacrificed an old connector to make a custom cable for the Pi’s power.
Add a portable power supply, do a little work with the Linux configuration, and you could easily
turn this into a pirate box
. | 20 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050997",
"author": "BillP",
"timestamp": "2013-09-01T16:11:29",
"content": "Agreed, this is worth it’s own post. Very well done.Though I wish it had more details. Did he breakout the ethernet connector through the back? I assume so but would love to see that.",
"parent_id": nul... | 1,760,376,469.637931 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/09/01/scratch-built-gigapixel-scanner/ | Scratch-built Gigapixel Scanner | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks",
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"dslr",
"gigapixel",
"scanner"
] | The presence of a camera in this image may be a bit confusing since we’re calling it a scanner. What’s actually going on is that macro-images this piece of art are being captured automatically. The multiple shots will later be assembled into one fascinatingly high-resolution image. The CNC scanner rig is [Charlie Romer’s] summer project.
Unfortunately [Charlie] hasn’t yet collected all the information on the project into one place. After the break you’ll find more images, as well as a few demo videos. The best place to start is probably
his proof-of-concept
from this Spring. He shows a single-axis CNC mount for the camera. It takes an entire row of images. The assembled photo from that test is shown below. We believe the faint yellow dots in the macro part of the example are fingerprints purposefully left by the printer
called printer stenography
to help prevent forgery.
The larger rig uses movement on two axes. The idea is that the artwork will be perfectly positioned so that manual focus set at one point will work along all points in the capture routine. He’s using a lamp for a light source but we’re sure he will upgrade so
something like a ring light
as the project continues.
In Production:
Proof of concept:
Gantry demo:
Full rig first run: | 26 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050954",
"author": "tonsofpcs",
"timestamp": "2013-09-01T13:37:12",
"content": "He should use cross-polarization.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1050957",
"author": "villu164",
"timestamp": "2013-09-01T13:47:07",
"... | 1,760,376,469.513177 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/31/tearing-an-old-laptop-apart-to-build-a-ground-control-station/ | Tearing An Old Laptop Apart To Build A Ground Control Station | Mathieu Stephan | [
"drone hacks",
"hardware"
] | [
"Ground control station",
"laptop"
] | Being tired of assembling and disassembling parts/cables every time he went outside to fly his plane, [Elad] figured that he’d be better off building his own
ground control station
.
The core of the station is based on an old laptop with a broken screen he had laying around and (luckily) an older laptop screen he had found. As the latter only accepted LVDS, an adapter that could generate theses signals from the standard laptop’s VGA output was needed. [Elad] therefore disassembled his laptop and fit all the parts in a Pelican case he bought, as well as a lead-acid battery, a 12V to 19V stepup converter (to power the laptop), temperature/voltage/current sensors with their displays, 40mm fans, an AC/DC converter to charge the battery and finally a pico-UPS to allow uninterrupted use of the station when switching between power sources.
Because [Elad] didn’t have access to any machinery, PVC foam was used to maintain all the parts in place. Autonomy of his station is around 2.5hours on a single 12V 7Ah battery. | 53 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050702",
"author": "Ivan Stepaniuk",
"timestamp": "2013-08-31T21:08:16",
"content": "Most laptops use ~20V to reduce current but would work with the battery 13V+ or so. The step-up is probably not needed.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"co... | 1,760,376,469.437411 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/31/a-think-tank-solution-for-monitoring-radioactive-water-storge-tanks/ | A Think-tank Solution For Monitoring Radioactive Water Storge Tanks | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"Freakduino",
"level monitoring",
"radioactive",
"sensor",
"sonar",
"tank",
"wireless"
] | When we hear reports of radioactive water leaking into the ocean from the [Fukushima Dai-Ichi] plant in Japan we literally have to keep ourselves from grinding our teeth. Surly the world contains enough brain power to overcome these hazards. Instead of letting it gnaw at him, [Akiba] is directing his skills at one solution that could help with the issue. There are a number of storage tanks on site which hold radioactive water and are prone to leaking. After hearing that they are checked manually each day, with no automated level monitoring, he got to work. Above is
the wireless non-contact tank level sensor
rig he built to test out his idea.
A couple of things made this a quick project for him. First off, he just happened to have a MaxSonar MB7389 waterproof sonar sensor on hand. Think of this as a really fancy PING sensor that is water tight and can measure distance up to five meters. [Akiba’s] assumption is that the tanks have a hatch at the top into which this sensor would be positioned. The box next to it contains a Freakduino of his own design which includes hardware for wireless communications at 900 MHz. This is the same hardware he used for
that wireless toilet monitor
.
We really like seeing hacker solutions to environmental problems. A prime example is
some of the cleanup hacks
we saw around the time of
the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill
. | 46 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050655",
"author": "Terrible Circus (@TerribleCircus)",
"timestamp": "2013-08-31T19:25:57",
"content": "Someone else caught it on his page but the radiation will likely render this useless in a few days :( I wonder how hard it would be (or even possible) to shield sufficiently?",
... | 1,760,376,470.222064 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/31/radar-detector-integrated-with-dashboard-display-screens/ | Radar Detector Integrated With Dashboard Display Screens And Steering Wheel Controls | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"canbus",
"canbus triple",
"mazda",
"radar"
] | CAN Bus hacking is all the rage right now. This particular project uses an early development version of an Arduino compatible CAN bus tool to
integrate radar detector control into a Mazda dashboard
. This image shows the output as the Whistler Pro-3600 radar detector boots up. The self test demonstrates what you would see on the dashboard display if your speed is checked using any of a handful of technologies. But it’s not just the dash display that’s working. The steering wheel controls are also capable of affecting the radar detector so that it can always be hidden from sight.
With auto manufacturers adding more numerous and larger displays to our vehicles it’s refreshing to see someone come up with a hack that makes pushing our own info to those screens possible. The
CANBus Triple
is an Arduino compatible board which patches into the data bus found in all modern vehicles. To integrate the Whistler for this hack [TheDukeZip] prototyped the interface on a regular Arduino board, then moved it over to the CANBus Triple once he had it working. Check out the video after the break to see the setup in action.
[Thanks Randy via
Mazda Speed Forums
] | 55 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050629",
"author": "ejonesss",
"timestamp": "2013-08-31T18:18:52",
"content": "i dont that will avoid places where they are illegal to use.although it may be possibly more difficult to detect",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1... | 1,760,376,470.30827 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/31/yet-another-self-balancing-unicycle/ | Yet Another Self-Balancing Unicycle | Marsh | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"IMU",
"self balancing",
"sparkfun",
"unicycle"
] | No one has time to hone their balancing skills these days, and if building your own Segway doesn’t generate enough head-turning for you, then the
self-balancing unicycle
from the guys at [Scitech] should. Their build is chain-driven, using easy-to-find salvaged Razor scooter parts. Throw in a motor controller, 5DOF IMU and some batteries and it’s almost ready to burn up the sidewalks in hipster-tech style.
Some of the
previous unicycle builds we’ve seen are a little on the bulky side
, but the [Scitech] cycle aims for simplicity with its square tube steel framing and footrests. As always, unicycle builds like these take some effort on behalf of the rider: shifting your weight controls steering and throttle. The [Scitech] gang also discovered that it’s usually best when you don’t accidentally wire the motors up to the controller backwards. We recommend that you find a helmet and watch the video after the break.
Too-cool-for-unicycle hackers can build a
dangerously fast e-skateboard
instead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFuKSd4h2A8 | 1 | 1 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050675",
"author": "rue_mohr",
"timestamp": "2013-08-31T19:56:36",
"content": "no flywheel for side to side balancing?:) good work.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
}
] | 1,760,376,470.576805 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/31/learn-jtag-by-writing-a-bit-banging-programmer/ | Learn JTAG By Writing A Bit-banging Programmer | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"arduino",
"bit banging",
"cpld",
"jtag",
"programmer",
"specification"
] | [Pesco] won one of Dangerous Prototypes’ PCB giveaways a few months ago. He opted for a CPLD breakout board. He just needed to put in a parts order and populate the components himself. But then what? He needed a JTAG programmer to work with the chip. Like any good autodidact he choose to make his own rather than buying one. He absorbed
the JTAG specification and coded a bit banging programmer using an Arduino
.
We’ve used JTAG many times to program ARM chips. But until now we never took the time to figure out how the specification works. If you’ve got an IEEE subscription you can download the whitepaper, but [Pesco] was also able to find one floating around on the interwebs. The flow chart on the left is the cheat sheet he put together based on his readings. From there he wrote the Arduino sketch which implements the programming standard, allowing him to interact with a chip through a minicom terminal window.
[via
Dangerous Prototypes
] | 17 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050569",
"author": "Jeff Nichols",
"timestamp": "2013-08-31T14:49:00",
"content": "Saying you’ve programmed ARMs with JTAG is like saying you’ve connected to a website with Ethernet. It’s technically correct, but still highly misleading.JTAG carries the information, but doesn’t rea... | 1,760,376,470.709262 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/30/360-photography-made-easy/ | 360° Photography Made Easy | Brian Benchoff | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"photography"
] | The graphic above wasn’t painstakingly stitched together by rotating a camera lens on a lazy suzan a tiny bit, taking a picture, and repeating the process fifty times. This is high tech stuff, courtesy of Zcapture,
a tool for automated 360 degree photography of small objects
.
For the last 15 years, [Jared] has been spending a lot of time on eCommerce and found existing solutions to displaying products online to be very lacking. After playing around with the Basic Stamp eight years ago and most recently the Arduino, [jared] decided he would build something to solve his problem – an automated box that takes pictures of a rotating product.
Inside the Zcapture is an Arduino connected to a motor and the software to control Canon and Nikon DSLRs. Put the Zcapture in a soft box, light it up, set up your camera, and you have a computer-controlled lazy suzan robot that will take pictures of any object, then stitch them together into an animated GIF or
a fancy eCommerce rotating image viewer | 32 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050292",
"author": "Jstylen",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T21:32:29",
"content": "I assume I’m not the only one thinking 3d scanner?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1050305",
"author": "Merlin",
"timestamp": "2013... | 1,760,376,470.647979 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/30/free-hackaday-stuff-at-next-weeks-open-hardware-summit/ | Free Hackaday Stuff At Next Week’s Open Hardware Summit | Mike Szczys | [
"cons",
"Featured"
] | [
"ohs",
"open hardware",
"supply frame",
"swag"
] | If you’re headed off to the Open Hardware Summit next week we’ve got some free swag for you. Readers paying any attention know that
Hackaday was acquired by Supply Frame
over the summer. There had been some nervousness in the comments about what this all means. But I think you’ll agree it’s a good sign that Supply Frame is
one of the major sponsors
of the event at the ‘FANATIC’ level.
Several of the Supply Frame guys will be attending (which makes me jealous since I want one of
those ePaper display badges
so badly!). Details haven’t quite firmed up yet, but we believe there will be a Supply Frame booth were you can stop by, chat, and see if they’ve got any Hackaday T-shirts left to hand out. I don’t think they’ll run out of stickers so you won’t go away empty handed.
Also ask them for a beta code for the hush-hush new online tool which they’ve been working on. I got a preview when I visited their headquarters in Pasadena last week. It’s something that EE and hobby electronics enthusiasts will appreciate as it simplifies the planning and part choosing process of a design. Actually, now that I think of it, it solves a problem I’ve heard [Dave Jones] rant about before on the Amp hour. Obviously I’m under a bit of an info embargo until they get the service fully online but I’m sure we’ll cover it once they do. Incidentally, one of the devs on this project — [Ben Delarre] — founded
CircuitBee
.
Our own [Eric Evenchick] will be on hand as well. He’s still networking for future employment so you might not find him just sitting at the SF booth. He will have Hackaday stickers to hand out as well since I felt bad about
not sending swag along with him to Def Con
. Look for his recollection of the event once it is all wrapped up.
Worry not if you can’t attend OHS. [Brian Benchoff] is planning a trip to World Maker Faire later in September and he’ll be packing a stash of freebies as well! | 8 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050240",
"author": "Mike Klein (@dezguy)",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T19:27:42",
"content": "Umm, this overt plug makes me not want to come back to this site. Please don’t do this again.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1050255"... | 1,760,376,470.758886 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/30/cooling-fan-speed-controllers-do-it-by-generating-heat/ | Cooling Fan Speed Controllers Do It By Generating Heat | Mike Szczys | [
"News"
] | [
"7805",
"fan",
"linear regulator",
"speed controller",
"tl431"
] | We’ve never torn one apart ourselves, but it boggles the mind just a little bit to learn that
these cooling fan controllers generate heat to do their job
. We’d bet we’ll get shouted down in the comments, but doesn’t this seem counter-productive?
At any rate, we enjoyed reading two posts on this topic. [Göran’s]
first adventure with the hardware
started when he was trying to design his own speed controller. He saw a reference design in the LM7805 linear regulator datasheet which allows the adjustment of the output by changing the ground reference. When fed with 12V this ends up putting off some heat but it is a simple and reliable solution. He was a bit surprised to crack open a Zalman module and find the exact same circuit inside.
The controller in the background is an eBay purchase. He cracked that one open as well (that’s the link at the top) and found a circuit with a linear regulator in it, but this time it was a TL431 adjustable regulator. So here are our questions: Which one of these two is better and why. And can
you
do it relatively inexpensively without generating as much heat? | 82 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050174",
"author": "Alex",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T18:07:04",
"content": "Oh wow, it’s funny to see how terrible some cheaply made devices are.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1050297",
"author": "Dax",
"time... | 1,760,376,471.172046 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/30/ken-shirriff-completely-reverse-engineers-the-1974-sinclair-scientific-calculator/ | [Ken Shirriff] Completely Reverse Engineers The 1974 Sinclair Scientific Calculator | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"ken shirriff",
"reverse engineering",
"Scientific Calculator",
"sinclair scientific",
"texas instruments"
] | Wow. Seriously… Wow! The work [Ken Shirriff] put into
reverse engineering the Sinclair Scientific
is just amazing. He covers so much; the market forces that led [Clive Sinclair] to design the device with an under-powered chip, how the code actually fits in a minuscule amount of space, and an in-depth look at the silicon itself. Stop what you’re doing and
read it right now!
This calculator shoe-horned itself into the market when the HP-35 was king at a sticker price of $395 (around $1800 in today’s money). The goal was to undercut them, a target that was reached with a $120 launch price. They managed this by using a Texas Instruments chip that had only three storage registers, paired with a ROM totaling 320 words. The calculator worked, but it was slow and inaccurate. Want to see how inaccurate? Included in the write-up is a browser-based simulator built from the reverse engineering work. Give it a try and let us know what you think.
Now [Ken] didn’t do all this work on his own. Scroll down to the bottom of his post to see the long list of contributors that helped bring this fantastic piece together. Thanks everyone!
[Thanks Ed] | 46 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050161",
"author": "Dmitry Grinberg",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T17:37:22",
"content": "very very very cool!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1050173",
"author": "djdesign",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T17:57:33",
"content... | 1,760,376,471.037232 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/30/playstation-3-analog-audio-out-hack/ | PlayStation 3 Analog Audio Out Hack | Mike Szczys | [
"Playstation Hacks"
] | [
"analog audio",
"playstation 3",
"RCA"
] | Here’s the scenario: You’ve got the rage to play som CoD (we’re more GTA fans but whatever) but the monitor you’re going to play on has no speakers. You can get a crystal clear image using HDMI, but getting sound is a different matter. What’s the fix?
Crack open your PS3 and solder on some audio connectors
.
[Paul] knew there is a special cable that breaks out analog audio. Like original Xbox hacking of ages past, there is now plenty of information online about the internals of these machines. He grabbed a copy of the A/V pinout and found the analog audio pins. After soldering on this pair of RCA cables he
cut
savaged a hole in the case and put the console back together. The machine he’s working with is a salvaged unit with no Blu-ray drive — he links to his past posts on the repair process. You may be thinking what good is it without an optical drive? Remember, this is the beginning of the Internet age… everything is downloadable. | 34 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050108",
"author": "Jstylen",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T16:08:22",
"content": "Congrats on the hack but I’m confused. Why not use the existing audio out?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1050110",
"author": "Jstylen",
... | 1,760,376,470.826974 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/30/disabling-underover-voltage-protection-on-atx-power-supplies/ | Disabling Under/over Voltage Protection On ATX Power Supplies | Brian Benchoff | [
"hardware"
] | [
"12 volt",
"power supply",
"protection circuit"
] | [C] just recently put together a RepRap. Not wanting to spend the money on a dedicated power supply, he looked around for a cheaper solution and found one in an off-the-shelf ATX computer power supply. These ATX supplies are actually a little finicky when not used in a computer, as [C] found, with voltage drops on the +12 line even when a load is connected to the supply. Undeterred, [C]
eventually solved this problem
by cutting some traces and grounding a few pins on the protection circuit.
The ATX supply [C] used could supply 25 amps on the 12 volt rail, more than enough for a simple RepRap. There was only one problem: the supply would randomly shut itself off, ruining the print. After a little googling, [C] found some people powering 12 volt amplifiers that were running into the same problem. Their solution was to ground a few pins on the protection circuit. Their supply wasn’t quite like [C]’s so he had to do a little experimentations.
It took a few iterations to get right, but [C] managed to figure out exactly which pins on the “power supply supervisor” IC must be grounded to disable the undervoltage protection. With these pins grounded, the protection circuit of the supply is completely disabled, giving him and uninterrupted 25 amps at 12 volts. If you’re looking for a cheap source of power, it would be hard to go wrong with [C]’s tutorial and
his power supply of choice
. | 63 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050080",
"author": "dALE",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T15:14:22",
"content": "http://xkcd.com/1258/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1050095",
"author": "Jstylen",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T15:46:12",
"cont... | 1,760,376,471.340668 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/30/bluetooth-low-energy-weather-lamp/ | Bluetooth Low Energy Weather Lamp | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"ble",
"bluetooth low energy",
"cc2540"
] | This is a well-executed proof of concept which [Aaron Jeromin] threw together in a couple of hours. This lamp hosts
a Bluetooth Low Energy weather display
. The project was a way for him to get used to using the BLE module. But to make the most out of that hardware this should really be refined into an actual low energy circuit. We do think the timing is perfect to feature this project since
we just looked at a BLE primer
yesterday.
He’s using
a BLE Mini board
from RedBearLab. It uses a Texas Instruments CC2540 SoC. We’d love to see a follow-up that does away with the Arduino in lieu of code running on the TI chip. But we would have done the same thing (use the uC we were most familiar with) when testing the BLE board out for the first time. It gets weather data from an iPhone. The forecast is projected as one of three icons using an LED bulb and a stencil which is positioned by a hobby servo.
Other inanimate objects that can tell you if it’s storming include
this color-coded umbrella stand
. | 6 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "1050048",
"author": "samtcox89",
"timestamp": "2013-08-30T13:46:41",
"content": "Has anyone got any pointers on coding with SoCs or the TI CC2540? I’m using the same BLE board with an AVR (controlling an output) at the minute. Reducing it down seems massively more efficient.",
"... | 1,760,376,471.234787 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/29/24-hour-hackathon-produces-respectable-accelerometer-labyrinth/ | 24-hour Hackathon Produces Respectable Accelerometer Labyrinth | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"accelerometer",
"hackathon",
"labyrinth",
"Nexus 4"
] | We’re not sure if this was some type of corporate team building, but if it was sign us up for the next one. [Filipp], [Saluka], and [Michael] participated in a recent 24-hour hackathon hosted by Microsoft. They whipped up
this labyrinth game controlled by a Nexus 4
Android phone.
This thing looks so well crafted we’re shocked that it’s a 24-hour build. Just putting together the walls of a maze that size takes some time. They then mounted it in a gimbaled frame which tilts the using servos. Check out the demo video below to get a look at the underpinnings. There are several elastic bands connecting the base to the maze. These act as shock absorbers to help keep the movement smooth and to prevent any oscillations from the frame flexing. For us this is an important design element that we’ll keep in mind (just in case we need to
win another competition by designing a labyrinth
).
An Arduino controls the servos, using Bluetooth to communicate with the phone. The team mentions some filtering used to help make the user experience more natural but we didn’t see many details on this aspect of the hack. | 12 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049761",
"author": "pirtnac",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T23:29:13",
"content": "“…hackathon hosted by Microsoft…”“…controlled by a Nexus 4 Android phone…”Just wanted to get that out of the way. Now that it is, cool build. It’s like breaking out two control channels of a RC car, and u... | 1,760,376,471.390482 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/29/many-iterations-of-a-plywood-stool-that-requires-no-glue/ | Many Iterations Of A Plywood Stool That Requires No Glue | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks",
"Hackerspaces"
] | [
"furniture",
"plywood",
"stool"
] | At his local hackerspace [Vincent Sanders] noticed an interesting problem. The stools that they had were great in most cases, but there was one workbench which was very much the wrong height for them. So began his quest to
design and fabricate plywood stools which use no glue
for their joints.
The
Cambridge Makespace
(in the UK) turns out to be a perfect environment for this type of project. They already had a CNC router which can cut the plywood pieces, and there are other members who were willing to help train [Vincent] on the equipment. He found a design on Thingiverse which fit the bill, except for the actual measurements. He needed metric units to match the sheet stock available to him. Once converted he put together a stool that didn’t work at all. The thickness of the plywood just didn’t mesh with the tolerances of the joints. After wandering around to different suppliers in town, digital calipers in hand, he came up with a range of actual thicknesses and adjusted his joint design accordingly.
Of course this wasn’t the last revision. Even with the joints working the seat was still a little rickety. He moved to the next plywood thickness offered, redesigning the files to match. His final stool works like a charm, with five or six of them fitting on one standard sheet of plywood. | 36 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049724",
"author": "Paul",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T21:14:43",
"content": "Great, now that I don’t need glue I can finally build a stool! Let me just fire up my CNC router…sarcasm aside; I admire the dedication and the success ultimately.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,376,471.463858 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/29/fail-of-the-week-motorizing-a-pcb-cutting-shear/ | Fail Of The Week: Motorizing A PCB Cutting Shear | Mike Szczys | [
"Fail of the Week",
"Hackaday Columns"
] | [
"fail of the week",
"motor",
"pcb",
"shear",
"torque"
] | This week’s fail is an attempt to
retrofit a PCB cutting shear with a geared motor
. The project was undertaken by [David Cook]. Incidentally he’s very near and dear to us as his book
Robot Building for Beginners
got us started with hacking in the first place.
This $200 shearing tool is hand-operated and can cut through boards up to 1/16″ thick. But [David] really had to crank on the thing to make a cut. This often resulted in crooked board edges. He decided to do the retrofit in order to achieve higher precision. He sourced a high-torque motor from eBay for around $50 delivered.
The stock handle interfaces with a square axle coming out of the shear’s gearbox. He figured this would be the easiest way to interface the motor. After removing the gearbox cover he was able to machine in some holes to attach the motor on the outside. This involves some interesting tips, like not using lubricant when machining cast iron, and one technique for machining that square hole he needed to interface with the shear.
Despite looking so slick the tests with the motor resulted in a total failure. A loud “BAM” was heard and the motor started rotating. All of the screws connecting the motor case to the motor mount had sheared off. He thought his machined parts were okay, but that was not the case. Trying to remove the screws resulted in a twisted hex key. Even worse, the torque of the motor actually twisted its own shaft and the set screws from the coupler dredged deep groove in the steel. That’s a lot of force!
Sheared off screws
Twisted hex key
Damaged motor shaft
Thanks to [Tomás] for sending in the link to [David’s] fantastic fail write-up.
Fail of the Week is a Hackaday column which runs every Wednesday. Help keep the fun rolling by writing about your past failures and
sending us a link to the story
— or sending in links to fail write ups you find in your Internet travels. | 43 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049674",
"author": "Nicholas",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T19:11:47",
"content": "Next time just put a jack handle or some other thick walled steel tube over the lever to make the pull a little easier :-) Great try with the motor though!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"r... | 1,760,376,471.554192 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/29/as-millenials-grow-up-do-they-demand-cooler-led-sneakers/ | As Millenials Grow Up Do They Demand Cooler LED Sneakers? | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"led strip",
"shoes"
] | We’re hoping that whomever came up with the idea of integrating LEDs into children’s shoes is kicking back on a beach somewhere living off the residuals of the idea. We see those things
everywhere
. Now the real question is, if you grew up with LEDs in your shoes do you expect cooler light up kicks as you age? [Becky Stern] must think so and that’s why she’s showing off Adafruit’s addressable LED strip shoe project called
Firewalker
.
This is prototype rather than product, so you can see the Arduino compatible Flora board on the ankle of the lit shoe above. There’s also a battery pack hitching a ride on the laces. But those worried about that fashion faux pas can work on a more finished driver that straps to your calf, or can be integrated in the insole.
Lighting patterns are set off by Velostat, a pressure-sensitive conductive sheet that goes in the heel of the insole. The Flora board measures the resistance, triggering a light show (embedded below) when it drops. Now we just need someone to integrate
a power generator based on your movement
. | 23 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049647",
"author": "Felinius",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T18:22:59",
"content": "Now if only these would work with my VFF’s :3",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1049661",
"author": "AlanMcR",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T18:37:... | 1,760,376,472.26718 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/29/primer-on-bluetooth-low-energy/ | Primer On Bluetooth Low Energy | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"ble",
"bluetooth low energy"
] | We’re sure that, like us, you’ve heard at least something about Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Blutooth 4.0 is another name for BLE and it’s already available in some smartphones; starting with the iPhone 4S, BlackBerry 10, and with Android support added in 4.3 — Jelly Bean. Here’s your chance to get acquainted which what the specification brings to the table. The source material (which we’ll talk about below) provides a ton of background. But if you want a succinct overview check out [Gervasi’s]
summary of Bluetooth Low Energy
.
We won’t republish the technical details here as both articles do a great job of covering those. Here’s what you should take away from BLE: It’s meant for use with devices running off of a tiny power source. The one outlined in both articles is a coin-cell. But we prefer to think of the future that is energy harvesting. Peak current is limited to 15 mA. This does limit the throughput, but think sensors, not Bluetooth headsets. You just don’t need to push all that much data from these devices. A cleverly designed energy harvesting circuit should be able to implement BLE devices with no battery whatsoever.
We did mention a deeper exploration of the standard. The image above comes from
this BLE Primer for Developers
. Add it to your weekend reading.
[via
Reddit
] | 14 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049622",
"author": "Vlad",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T17:21:25",
"content": ">Android support coming in 4.3 — Key Lime PieAndroid 4.3 is actually Jelly Bean. Besides, this version is already released and available for Nexus and cyanogenmod-supported devices.",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,376,472.002393 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/29/wheelchair-hack-lets-two-year-old-explore-on-his-own/ | Wheelchair Hack Lets Two-year-old Explore On His Own | Mike Szczys | [
"Medical Hacks"
] | [
"adaptive technology",
"assistive technology",
"spinal muscular atrophy",
"WheelChair"
] | [Shea’s] son [Alejandro] was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy which limits his ability to move. The ability to explore one’s environment as a toddler is really important to development so [Shea] and his wife have been looking into assistive technology. Their health insurance paid for a medical stroller when he was nine-months old and has told the family they need to wait five years for a powered wheelchair. Rather than wait, [Shea] took it upon himself to
hack a wheelchair his son could control
.
He found a used adult-sized motorized wheelchair on eBay for about $800. Not cheap, but way more affordable than a brand new unit. This type of chair is made to be controlled with a joystick, an option not available to his son at this point. Foot control was an option if he could figure out how to build an interface.
After unsuccessfully trying to repair a broken digital kitchen scale [Shea] was inspired to reuse the sensors as pedal inputs. [Alejandro] has limited foot strength and the sensitive strain gauges are perfect for picking it up. Above you can see the sandal-based interface he built. The two feet working together affect steering as well as forward and reverse. The pedal system is connected to the wheelchair using a Digital to Analog converter chip to stand-in for the original analog joystick. After the break we’ve embedded a video of [Alejandro] exploring the outdoors in the finished chair.
In this case it’s fortunate that [Shea] has the skills to build something like this for his son. We hope this will inspire you to donate your time an know-how to help those in your own community who are in a similar situation. This really takes the concept of
The Controller Project
to the next level. | 37 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049570",
"author": "thehack",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T15:16:18",
"content": "By far one of the coolest things a dad could do for his son!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1049573",
"author": "ScottV",
"timestamp": "20... | 1,760,376,471.949805 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/29/laser-cut-arc-reactor-replica/ | Laser Cut Arc Reactor Replica | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"acrylic",
"arc reactor",
"ironman",
"laser cut",
"replica"
] | We’re starting to become a repository for Arc Reactor replica projects.
The one shown above
uses mostly laser cut components. We missed it back in May when [Valentin Ameres] tipped us off the first time. But he sent it in again after seeing
the 3D printed version
earlier this month.
Our biggest gripe is that we don’t have our own laser cutter to try this out on. Everything has been cut from 2mm thick acrylic. The black, silver, and copper colored components were painted to achieve this look. Many of the clear parts also had a dot matrix etched into them to help with light diffusion.
Basic assembly just required the parts be glued together. The finishing touches include wire-wrapping the slots of the outer ring and adding LEDs and current limiting resistors.
The plans are not freely available, but the 3D printed version linked above doubles as a 123D tutorial. That should help get you up to speed designing your own if you
are
lucky enough to have time on laser cutter. | 31 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049534",
"author": "haybales",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T13:45:41",
"content": "I really don’t get why people think these are cool. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of ‘arc reactor replica’ projects online, and only a few do it right. This one does not. It does not look... | 1,760,376,472.073607 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/28/hackadays-resistor-code-reference-card/ | Hackaday’s Resistor Code Reference Card | Mike Szczys | [
"Featured"
] | [
"cheat sheet",
"gimp",
"kinkos",
"octopart",
"reference card",
"resistor color code",
"uruler"
] | Check out the resistor color code reference cards I just whipped up. I was inspired by the PCB versions that Octopart has been crowdfunding this week. Those didn’t have the information I would normally be looking up, so I decided to whip up a few of my own and put them out there for inspiration or for you to print yourselves.
The story behind this is that we got several tips about
the Octopart cards
. Don’t get me wrong, It’s pretty cool to have a PCB refcard. But the information on the front is just the color code itself (three times). The back is a set of surface mount footprints. I don’t find those footprints useful unless its a way to test out custom outlines I designed myself. If I were to order something like this I’d lean more toward the µRuler which [Dave Jones] designed and
recently did a small-run open order
. I very nearly pulled the trigger on that one. Maybe next time.
Why let the information itself spoil the fun? I got to thinking about stuff I look up a lot. The resistor color code chart is always nice to have on hand, so I included that. Tolerance is one thing I just don’t have memorized (except for the gold 5% band, of course). I also like to look up some SI units to make sure I’m doing my math right. The four most common for me are included on the front just below the Ohm’s Law equation.
On the back is a cheat sheet for reading surface mount resistor codes. [Mathieu] already mentioned that codes with ‘R’ in them can sometimes include a multiplier. Oops! Next to that is a three digit capacitor code reminder which I almost always end up looking up. The power equation is one that I pretty much always know, but hey, there was space for it.
Make one of your own
I whipped this thing up in under an hour using The Gimp. Check out the XCF files, along with the PNG exports shown above (these actually have transparent backgrounds), and the PDF contact sheets I printed for the project. They’re up
on our Github repo
. I decided to try two different background colors. I’m a fan of the bisque shown above, but also ran half of them in white.
Color prints and laminating sheet
Color prints cut and aligned for lamination
Laminated cards after being cut apart
I went with my local Fedex Kinkos print shop. I was able to upload the PDF files in advance. They printed two double-sided copes (one of each color) for me. I feel that the $2.91 cost of this is a steal because it means I can get away with a super-cheap black and white laser printer at home. When I picked them up I also used their paper cutter to separate the cards from the sheets. After using the paper cutter’s grid table to align the cards I laminated twelve at once using an 8.5×11 laminating sheet. The finished cards were cut into singles using the same paper cutter. Lamination was $2.10, bringing the total project to $5.01 — that’s 42 cents per card which is a big break from the $9 the Octopart version is asking.
Of course if you want this on a PCB why not use spray adhesive to affix it to some copper clad, then top coat it with clear acrylic spray. Maybe that just sounds easy to me because I actually have all of those things on hand.
If you make your own reference cards we want to see them. Post them below (actual cards you’ve made… no mockups!). I recommend posting your picture to
imgur
and using
HTML img tags
in your comment. This should be fun! | 76 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049154",
"author": "Brian Wall",
"timestamp": "2013-08-28T22:09:34",
"content": "just learn this in school today",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1049158",
"author": "Exit151",
"timestamp": "2013-08-28T22:23:32",
"co... | 1,760,376,471.86629 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/28/open-activity-tracker-webcast/ | Open Activity Tracker Webcast | Eric Evenchick | [
"hardware"
] | [
"activity monitor",
"fitbit",
"mpu-9150",
"upverter"
] | The Upverter team loves their FitBit activity tracking devices, but wanted access to raw data. They decided to build their own
Open Activity Tracker
that would pump data onto an SD card or to a Bluetooth device for processing.
The device uses
MPU-9150
motion tracking IC to gather information on movement. This chip combines an accelerometer, gyro, and compass. It also does on-board processing, providing useful data to your host processor over I2C. The only bad news is that it’s a LGA package, which aren’t fun to solder by hand.
The design also has a SD card, Bluetooth module, pressure sensor, and e-ink display. These are all connected to a low power ARM microcontroller.
The team has been webcasting their design sessions, and tonight [Eric Evenchick] (that’s me) will be joining them as they try to cram all of these components onto a PCB. You can
watch the live webcast
starting at 8:30pm Eastern.
You can watch the previous design sessions after the break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxpatZeiD0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er9GnaYevyc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbk_1bDZFkY | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049485",
"author": "iegnoa",
"timestamp": "2013-08-29T11:54:39",
"content": ">The only bad news is that it’s a LGA package, which aren’t fun to solder by hand.lol what? cheap zhaoxin hot-air stations are like $45 and will do just fine.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"... | 1,760,376,472.309571 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/28/3d-printering-the-combo-machines-cometh/ | 3D Printering: The Combo Machines Cometh | Brian Benchoff | [
"3d Printer hacks",
"Hackaday Columns"
] | [
"3d printer",
"lathe",
"metalworking",
"mill"
] | There’s only so many ways to squeeze hot plastic out of a nozzle, and eventually witnessing the explosion of 3D printer designs over the past few years gets just a little repetitive. What then, is someone who dreams of a technological utopia, Star Trek replicators, and making a few bucks off a Kickstarter to do?
The answer, of course, is a combo machine. Where the Repraps, Makerbots, and the very high-end Stereolithography machines can only do
additive
manufacturing by laying down plastic or resin layer by layer, these combo machines can also
remove
material, be it plastic, wood, or metals such as brass or aluminum.
The first of these machines is called
the Microfactory
, and is designed around a simple concept: 3D printers can already position a hot end anywhere on its x, y, and z axes, so why not add a simple milling attachment?
In reality, the Microfactory is much more complex than that; it’s designed to be an all-in-one solution with a computer included in the chassis. Just add a monitor and a keyboard, and you have a fairly capable desktop mill and 3D printer. There are even options for a welded steel frame and a pump that sprays coolant all over the sealed build chamber, so these guys might just know what they’re doing.
If it’s features you want,
FABtotum might be for you
. The idea behind this machine isn’t just, ‘let’s add a spindle to a 3D printer’. No, FABtotum also includes a 4th axis and a 3D scanner, greatly expanding what a desktop machine shop can do. There’s
an Indiegogo campaign
running for the FABtotum that’s 92% funded with more than a month to go.
These two machines look like they’ll be successful, but it’s hard not to draw parallels between this and other combination machines on the market. Look around any machinist’s forum, and you’ll see cheap combination lathe and milling machines vilified as both terrible lathes and terrible milling machines. Likewise, even the highly regarded
Shopsmith
, with a 60-year history, is generally seen as inferior to a separate table saw, drill press, and sander.
How successful these combo machines remains to be seen, but it’s likely they’ll only be used for extremely niche cases – the Manhattan apartment workshop, or where portability and size greatly outweigh capabilities. | 30 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049097",
"author": "MrFluffy",
"timestamp": "2013-08-28T19:31:24",
"content": "I actually own two real milling machines (a Arno universal manual with iso40 spindles) and a cnc bridgeport interact that is qc30 in the spindle. I was waiting for this to come around tuit happening, and... | 1,760,376,472.442659 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/28/building-a-rocket-to-launch-your-project-into-space/ | Building A Rocket To Launch Your Project Into Space | Brian Benchoff | [
"News"
] | [
"Hackaday Space Program",
"liquid fuel rocket",
"rocket",
"sounding rocket",
"space"
] | At Hackaday, we’re familiar with projects that say they’re exploring space. Most of the time, these are high altitude balloons that ascend up to 100,000 feet. Sure, this is very, very high, but it’s only about 1/3rd of the way to lower limit of what can be called space at 100 km or 62 miles. Now, we’re seeing the first steps towards embedding Arduinos, cameras, and other goodies into the celestial spheres with
the NE-1 Rocket
, a project by [Jonathan McCabe] in Madison, Wisconsin.
The goal of the NE-1 rocket is to launch a 5kg payload into a suborbital trajectory to a height of 120 kilometers. From there, the payload – be it an electronic, biological, or simple imaging experiment – will experience a few minutes of weightlessness before falling back to Earth under a parachute.
Getting into space without the help of a government space agency has been done a few times before, mostly with solid-fuel rockets. [Jonathan]’s system uses a liquid-fueled engine, fed with nitrous oxide as the oxidizer and a secret self-pressurizing liquid fuel. These are fed into an engine that uses a ‘cold wall vortex’ to cool the engine instead circulating fuel around the combustion chamber as in traditional engines.
[Jonathan]
has already done a few static tests
with a half-scale engine, and he already has a lot of the very hard-to-source components in his lab. It’s a promising project. It falls right in line with the ‘Hackaday Space Program’ idea we’ve been kicking around, and we’d be more than happy to see this project get off the ground | 50 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049055",
"author": "andarb",
"timestamp": "2013-08-28T17:38:17",
"content": "I’ve always wondered if anyone has launched such a project with a weather balloon as the first stage. I had a friend who wanted to try flying a coilgun on a weather balloon and fire a payload upward once i... | 1,760,376,472.639499 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/28/kindle-hack-ads-value-to-the-wallpaper/ | Kindle Hack Adds Value To The Wallpaper | Mike Szczys | [
"Kindle hacks"
] | [
"kindle",
"screensaver",
"svg",
"vector graphics",
"wallpaper",
"weather"
] | What if your Kindle displayed useful information as the “screensaver”? Now it can thanks to this extension of the Kindle weather display hack we covered a year ago. [Pablo Jiménez Mateo] figured out
how to display time, date, weather, and tasks as his Kindle wallpaper
while retaining the original functionality of the device as an ePaper reader.
The hack isn’t strictly standalone. Like
the Kindle weather station hack
on which it is based, you need a computer to act as the server. We see this as a good thing. The server generates a vector graphic which is used as the Kindle screensaver. This process of scraping and packaging the data is just too much for the computing power of the Kindle alone.
Now that [Pablo] got this working without disrupting the normal function of the device, you can remix the hack with your own information sources by working with the server-side code. For those that aren’t familiar with the Linux commands needed to get the Kindle ready, don’t worry. This is reasonably non-invasive. You do need to Jailbreak your device. But once you do, the steps used simply load a small script to grab the images. | 22 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "1049033",
"author": "Paul",
"timestamp": "2013-08-28T16:28:02",
"content": "“This process of scraping and packaging the data is just too much for the computing power of the Kindle alone.”The Kindle CPU is reasonably powerful. If it can run a GameBoy emulator I’m sure it can scrape a... | 1,760,376,472.370663 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/28/a-one-third-scale-macintosh/ | A One Third Scale Macintosh | Brian Benchoff | [
"Raspberry Pi"
] | [
"macintosh"
] | Released in 1984, the original Macintosh was a wonder – not only did it have a GUI and a mouse, it was actually one of the smaller computers of the day. Now that we’re nearly 30 years past the release of the OG Mac, it follows that a smaller version should be possible. [John] did just that by creating
a 1:3 scale replica of the original 128k Mac
.
As you would expect, this tiny Mac is powered by a Raspberry Pi running
Mini vMac
, an emulator for these olde tymie 68k Macs. The display is a 3.5″ LCD with a resolution of 300×200, not quite up to the standard classic mac resolution of 512×342. At least this version has color, though.
Also inside the carefully crafted PVC case are a WiFi and Bluetooth dongle, along with an off-the-shelf phone charger. It’s a remarkable piece of craftsmanship, and given the games and applications (i.e. Photoshop 1.0) available for these old Macs, its possibly more useful for general computing than a stock Raspberry Pi.
You can check out the video walkthrough of everything this tiny little Mac can do below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-x-RseAns8&w=580] | 75 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048991",
"author": "lloyd",
"timestamp": "2013-08-28T15:06:10",
"content": "I really don’t get the trend of making everything use a Raspberry Pi",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1048995",
"author": "Corom",
"ti... | 1,760,376,472.556546 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/26/reaction-time-challenge/ | Reaction Time Challenge | Marsh | [
"LED Hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"arduino",
"Bill Porter",
"children's museum",
"exhibit",
"museum",
"rgb",
"RGB LED"
] | We’re not sure where [Bill Porter] finds all of his free time, but we’re glad he’s put it to such good use by building an exhibit piece for the local science museum:
Reaction Time Challenge
. It’s likely that we were all inspired to love science as kids in a museum like this, and [Bill’s] contribution is already fascinating its young audience. The challenge lets two participants test how fast they can smack a big red button after a randomly-generated countdown. The time taken for the players to react is translated into the RGB LED strips, measuring how fast they managed to hit the button.
Builds like this one need to clearly communicate how they should be used; you don’t want confused children bamming around on your cabinet. First, [Bill] guts the dim LEDs inside the big plastic buttons and replaces them with some brighter ones. To keep the connections clean, he takes the cannibalized ends of an Ethernet cable and hooks the speaker and buttons to an Ethernet jack. The jack sits snugly in a project box where it connects to an Arduino. Two RGB LED strips run from the opposite end of the box, daisy-chaining from the bottom of the cabinet to the top, then back down again. See it all come together in the video after the break.
[Bill’s] museum must be pretty lucky; he
resurrected the “Freeze Frame” exhibit
for them just over a year ago and has done a bunch of other projects for them over the years. | 3 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047945",
"author": "asheets",
"timestamp": "2013-08-26T17:48:16",
"content": "For some reason, this reminds me of the WKRP episode where Johnny Fever was participating in a demonstration to “prove” that the drunker you get, the slower your reaction time becomes. Of course, Johnny ... | 1,760,376,472.684579 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/25/hackaday-links-august-25-2013/ | Hackaday Links: August 25, 2013 | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday Columns",
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"ammo case",
"bitcoin mining",
"jambox",
"launchpad",
"macbook pro",
"mechanical engineering"
] | [Adrian] came across a treasure trove of
507 mechanical device designs
. It didn’t seem quite right for
a Retrotechtacular post
, but we wanted to share it as it’s a great place to come up with ideas for your next Rube Goldberg machine.
Biking with headphones is dangerous. That’s why [J.R.] built
a handlebar enclosure for his Jambox Bluetooth speaker
.
While dumpster diving [Mike] found a Macbook pro. It was missing a few things, like a keyboard, touchpad, battery, ram, and storage. He borrowed a power supply to test it out but without the keyboard there’s no power button.
He figured out the traces on the motherboard
which turn it on when shorted.
[Mateusz] want to let us know about
the Hercules LaunchPad
. Like the other TI Launchpad offerings it’s an all-in-one dev board. The Hercules line features a couple of flavors of dual-core ARM chips. Can you believe the dev boards you can get for under $20 these days?
After seeing
the ammo can sound system
about a month ago [Ilpo] was inspired to share
his ammo can PC case
with us.
And finally, here’s a way to display your Bitcoin mining rig for all to see. This system was
laid out in an antique frame and hung on the wall
. | 24 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047518",
"author": "BruceJ",
"timestamp": "2013-08-25T21:08:31",
"content": "There are a couple marvelous books available that are reprints of a turn-of-the-century compendiums of mechanical movements, both by an author “Gardner D. Hiscox”:“1800 Mechanical Movements and Devices” an... | 1,760,376,473.078163 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/25/the-difference-between-bitcrushers-and-sample-rate-reducers/ | The Difference Between Bitcrushers And Sample Rate Reducers | Brian Benchoff | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"adc",
"arduino",
"bitcrusher",
"dac",
"digital audio",
"sample rate reducer"
] | If you look around a few electronic music forums, you’ll see a lot of confusion over the difference between a bitcrusher – a filter that reduces the bit depth of an audio signal – and a sample rate reducer – a filter that does exactly what its name implies. With the popularization of 8-bit and retro synth music, this difference is obviously of grave import of concern to saints and kings alike. [Michael] is more than happy to walk us through the difference with
real-time sample and bit rate adjustment with his audio hacker board
.
The
audio hacker board
is an Arduino shield with a 12-bit DAC and a 12-bit ADC. With two 1/8″ jacks and a pair of pots, [Michael] was easily able to whip up a sketch that is able to adjust the sample rate and bit depth of an audio signal in real-time.
Contrary to nearly everyone’s opinion of what ‘8-bit’ music is, it’s actually the sample rate that makes music sound like a cassette deck jury rigged into a Nintendo Entertainment System. Reducing the bitrate just makes any audio source sound louder and worse.
Check out the excellent demo video of the effect of bitcrushers and sample rate reducers below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pt_p0DSpWc&w=580] | 23 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047479",
"author": "adcurtin",
"timestamp": "2013-08-25T19:18:33",
"content": "1 bit audio is fine if you have a high enough sample rate (like in the MHz). It’s kinda like pwming the sample to get an effectively higher bit depth.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,376,472.872372 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/25/the-straddler-makes-avr-breadboarding-truly-plug-and-play/ | The Straddler Makes AVR Breadboarding Truly Plug And Play | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"AVR",
"breadboard",
"header",
"programmer"
] | It’s not that breadboarding AVR circuits is difficult. But you have to admit that it takes some time to set everything up. We don’t label the top of our DIP chips so that you know what each pin does just by looking. Which means that wiring up the programmer involves pulling out the datasheet. [Vinnie] found the solution to this problem which is to make
one of these interface PCBs for each AVR chip family
. The long pins make it easy to drop over the top of your microcontroller, which is where the name comes from.
His first stab at the idea was just a hunk of home etched PCB which broke out the programming pins into the 6-pin ICSP standard. This second rendition uses the 10-pin standard and adds a few extras into the mix. He included decoupling capacitors which need to be used in every circuit anyway. There’s a crystal along with its load capacitors. This clock source is a snap to enable by burning some fuses. If you choose to use the internal oscillator instead this hardware won’t interfere. The LED is used to get you up and running with blinky firmware as quickly as possible. He plans to add jumper in the next revision which can disconnect this components from the I/O pin. Now you just need to add a 10-pin header to
that USB keyboard AVR programmer
and you’re in business. | 17 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047462",
"author": "Trui",
"timestamp": "2013-08-25T18:10:09",
"content": "Nice idea. I would replace the 10 uF electrolytic with a nice small ceramic one. You can get 10V, 10 uF in 0603 shape, and there’s even more choice in 0805. Another option would be to add the CPU on the boar... | 1,760,376,473.013172 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/25/making-keys-after-the-apocalypse/ | Making Keys After The Apocalypse | Brian Benchoff | [
"lockpicking hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"casting",
"metal casting",
"solar",
"solar furnace"
] | Making keys is an amazing art with a lot of skill and technique involved. For those of you living in a post-apocalyptic world, [Dan] has a much simpler solution to the problems of having one too few keys for your locks and deadbolts –
just cast them out of scrap with the power of the sun
.
To make the mold of the key, [Dan] is using a two-piece plaster of paris mold. First, a thick layer of plaster is laid down in a small container and the key floated on the surface. After drying, sprues are put in with clay and the key embedded in a curing plaster block. After a few hours, a proper mold is created ready to receive molten metal.
The casting material is zinc – not as hard as the original steel key, but more than strong enough to turn a lock. This zinc is melted in a steel and plaster crucible with a gigantic fresnel lens.
As for the utility of this method of copying keys after the apocalypse, we’ll have to wonder how practical this method is. A giant fresnel lens isn’t just something you randomly find unless you’re going house to house looking for projection TVs, and finding a can of mold release after the end of the world is beyond credulity. That said, it’s a cool demonstration of metal casting that can be easily accomplished at home or at any hackerspace.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMfkgBvQ8ig&w=580] | 50 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047447",
"author": "Hack Man",
"timestamp": "2013-08-25T17:18:06",
"content": "You could 3d scan it and 3d print it out in metal using the power of electricity.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1047874",
"author": "Aar... | 1,760,376,472.961958 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/25/connecting-an-old-scope-to-a-computer/ | Connecting An Old Scope To A Computer | Brian Benchoff | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"Digital storage oscilloscope",
"Gould",
"oscilloscope",
"perl",
"tool"
] | A friend of [Michael]’s said his company was getting rid of some old lab equipment and asked him if he wanted a very large and very old digital storage oscilloscope. A ‘hell yes’ and we’re sure a few beers later, [Michael] found an old Gould 200 MHz four-channel scope on his bench. Even 20 years after its production it’s still a capable tool, but the serial ports on the back got [Michael] wondering –
would it be possible to plot the screen of the scope on his computer?
The scope has three ports on the back – GPIB, miscellaneous I/O, and RS423. The latter of those ports is similar enough to RS232 that a USB to Serial converter just might work, and with the help of a null modem cable and a terminal, [Michael] was able to connect to this ancient scope.
In the manual, [Michael] found a the serial commands for this scope. The most useful of these is a command that prints out the contents of the scope’s trace memory as a series of 1-byte integers. With a short bit of PERL programming, [Michael] can create a PDF plot of whatever is on the scope’s screen. It’s formatted perfectly for Gnuplot, MATLAB, or even Excel.
Awesome work, and especially useful given these old scopes are slowly making their way to a technological boneyard somewhere. | 21 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047412",
"author": "Wretch",
"timestamp": "2013-08-25T15:38:16",
"content": "I’ve been working for wrong companies. The only things they ever get rid of are broken staplers and binders. )c:Anyway, well done.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
... | 1,760,376,473.482486 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/25/turning-cheap-voltmeters-into-i2c-displays/ | Turning Cheap Voltmeters Into I2C Displays | Eric Evenchick | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"7 segment",
"i2c",
"stm8",
"voltmeter"
] | [Tom] needed 8 displays for a project. He wanted to to control them over I2C, and was trying to reduce cost. Some vendors make I2C controllable seven segment displays, but they cost about $10 each. [Tom] figured he could
hack cheap voltmeters
to get the same results for about $3 a pop.
The voltmeters that [Tom] bought used a 8 bit
STM8S003F3P6
microcontroller. He reverse engineered the device and re-created the schematic to find out where the I2C and programming pins would be. Then he hooked it up to a STM8 Discovery development board, which has an integrated programmer.
With the hardware figured out, it was time for new firmware. Fortunately, [ba0sh1] had already written firmware for
a similar purpose
which could easily be adapted. The code implements a software I2C slave, which reads data off the bus and displays it. It’s all available on
Github
.
The end result is a I2C controlled display for a third of the cost. Next time you need a bunch of these in a project, consider picking up some cheap voltmeters. | 7 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047383",
"author": "Skwirrel",
"timestamp": "2013-08-25T14:10:30",
"content": "I would just have used a (few) shift register(s) (74HC595) and a 4-digit 7-segment display, both available on Ebay for even less money (2$). You just don’t have that much fun reverse-engineering the thin... | 1,760,376,473.182236 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/28/molding-flexible-links/ | Molding Flexible Links | Eric Evenchick | [
"3d Printer hacks"
] | [
"molding",
"oogoo",
"robots",
"Sugru"
] | Need a custom link that’s strong and flexible? [RobotGrrl] came up with a method of
molding flexible links
using 3D printed parts and Sugru.
The link consists of two 3D printed hubs, connected by a flexible material cast in a 3D printed mold. [RobotGrrl] recommends using Sugru to create the link, but you can use homemade
Oogoo
as a low cost substitute. Dish soap is used as a release agent, and prevents the Sugru from sticking to the mold.
The tutorial includes a detailed guide to modeling the parts in Autodesk Inventor, which serves as a quick introduction to the CAD tool. If you just want to make some links, the STL files are available for immediate 3D printing.
Why would you want DIY flexible links? [RobotGrrl]’s
Baitbot
is a good example. This tentacle robot uses the links as its core. Check out a video of the Baitbot wiggling and jiggling after the break. | 9 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048968",
"author": "fartface",
"timestamp": "2013-08-28T14:05:59",
"content": "Hope you are not trying to use suguru as a flexible rotating joint. it can not handle constant flexing.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1048978",
... | 1,760,376,473.238511 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/27/a-facelift-for-the-view-out-your-livingroom-window/ | A Facelift For The View Out Your Livingroom Window | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"apartment",
"livingroom",
"projector",
"view"
] | [Ken Kawamoto] turned the rather
bland view from his livingroom into that of some high-priced real estate
. It only works at night, which is going to seem odd since the image above shows a daytime scene. But it’s still a pretty sweet concept.
The video below shows the actual view from his window. We don’t think it’s all that bad (we once lived in a ground-level apartment looking out on a parking lot… yuck!). But the view of the Abbey of St. Étienne in Caen, France seen above is much better. He simply put a projector on his balcony and closed the light-colored blinds. So far he has to bring it in after each use, but we see this as more of a thing to use only when entertaining anyway.
We’ve seen a few other attempts over the years at hacking your view. Here’s one that
adds fake windows using LCD screens
. The thing that makes that one work is the ability of the system to track the viewer and change the perspective accordingly. | 22 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048618",
"author": "macona (@macona)",
"timestamp": "2013-08-27T21:15:27",
"content": "A slide projector and a first surface mirror might be a better, and cheaper option. Of course then you need slides…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"commen... | 1,760,376,473.301939 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/27/retrotechtacular-the-10-year-anniversary-of-plastic/ | Retrotechtacular: The 10-year Anniversary Of Plastic | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday Columns",
"Retrotechtacular"
] | [
"industry",
"injection molding",
"manufacturing",
"plastic"
] | This footage called
Industry on Parade
is a unique look back at the golden age of plastics. We also value the footage as a look at America’s manufacturing sector at its height.
We remember a middle-school teacher recalling his father — who was a research scientist working at Dow — bringing home a pair of discs for him to play with. His first ever encounter with plastic. Here we see a snapshot ten years after plastic manufacturing went mainstream. It starts off with a tour of an injection-molding factory. The screenshot seen above is from the second vignette which tours a production line for naval ship models which will be used to train Navy personnel and as props for strategic planning maps. The film wraps up with the production of plastic fabrics starting with raw materials and ending with synthetic bug screen.
Just to prove it’s an authentic blast from the past, hang in there for the last two minutes when you get an anti-communism PSA. Classic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5gyouhyxvY | 36 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048584",
"author": "wretch",
"timestamp": "2013-08-27T19:53:03",
"content": "Are they BPA-free?(c;",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1048660",
"author": "polytechnick",
"timestamp": "2013-08-27T22:42:07",
... | 1,760,376,473.564642 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/27/milled-water-bottle-rocket-launcher-pushes-plastic-containers-to-their-limit/ | Milled Water Bottle Rocket Launcher Pushes Plastic Containers To Their Limit | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"milling",
"pressurized",
"rocket",
"water bottle"
] | Building this launcher is simple if you already have a mill. It does a remarkable job of pressurizing and launching soda bottles which are partially filled with water. The main component of this is
a triple-gasket stopper with a quick release
.
The problem with a lot of
these water bottle rocket projects
is that they leak where the bottle meets the launcher. In most cases this is a good thing as it’s almost impossible to build up enough pressure to cause the bottle to fail. This system has no such built-in safety mechanism, which is why the test launch below is conducted from a safe distance. After seating the partially filled bottle on the launch platform it’s pressurized to around 100 PSI at which point a yank on the string lets it fly.
Most of the time we look on these as casual projects. But we figure this one is much more suited for a rocket club or hackerspace event. | 31 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048536",
"author": "Max",
"timestamp": "2013-08-27T18:29:29",
"content": "100psi? Nothing. We used to take fizzy drink bottles up to 10-15 bar before they exploded in our face. Upon reflection, only using a 3 foot tube on a bicycle track pump was probably not a good idea. The amazi... | 1,760,376,473.636113 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/27/building-a-high-end-usb-audio-dac/ | Building A ‘high-end’ USB Audio DAC | Mathieu Stephan | [
"hardware"
] | [
"dac",
"digital to analog converter",
"Operational amplifier",
"Printed Circuit Board",
"usb"
] | As [Jan-Erik] had already built a simple USB connected Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), he decided to make the
high-end version of it
.
The prototype you see in the picture above is based on:
the PCM2707C from Texas Instruments which takes care of the USB communication and outputs I2S audio data
the PCM1794A, a 132dB SNR 24-bit 192kHz DAC which receives I2S protocol
the OPA4134, a high performance audio operational amplifier
The on-board +3.3V and -5V voltages are generated by inductor-less power supplies. As [Jan-Erik] mentions in his write-up, the ‘high-end’ was put between single quotes because the PCB is single sided and uses through hole passive components. The board was designed using Kicad, etched by himself and put in a machined enclosure. All the production files can be downloaded from his website so you may produce it within a day. | 63 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048509",
"author": "Nawak",
"timestamp": "2013-08-27T17:20:44",
"content": "In a comment of a recent Hackaday article (http://hackaday.com/2013/08/25/the-difference-between-bitcrushers-and-sample-rate-reducers/), I found a very interesting site about digital media (xiph.org).I reco... | 1,760,376,473.728881 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/27/cc3000-wifi-driver-for-net-micros/ | CC3000 WiFi Driver For .NET Micros | Brian Benchoff | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
".NET",
".net micro",
"CC3000",
"netduino"
] | The Netduino and other .NET Micro boards don’t seem to get much love, but that doesn’t mean they’re not able to use one of the coolest chips we’ve seen in a while. [Valkyrie]
has written a driver for TI’s new CC3000 all-in-one WiFi chip
, giving any .NET micro device a very small and very cheap WiFi connection.
A while back, [Chris Magagna]
created a TI CC3000 library
for the Arduino. [Valkyrie] fell out of his chair when he saw that post, as it meant the .NET Micro devices such as the Netduino could finally use this device. With a TI Launchpad and a logic analyzer, [Valkyrie] recorded all the SPI commands and responses eventually reconstructing the entire library.
As for how useful this is without any hardware, There’s
already a CC3000 Gadgeteer module
available from GHI Electronics. | 10 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048511",
"author": "Valkyrie-MT",
"timestamp": "2013-08-27T17:24:58",
"content": "Well, I can’t speak for GHI, but the GHI cc3000 module is in “Preview” (aka. limited production) while it is tested. I do have one, and it does work, but there are some changes that need to be made b... | 1,760,376,473.907108 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/27/spoofing-wifi-ap-based-geolocation/ | Spoofing WiFi AP Based Geolocation | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"geoloc",
"location",
"raspberry pi",
"RPi",
"spoof",
"wifi"
] | [Pierre Dandumont] just finished up a little project that will give Google Maps’ location feature a run for its money. It’s a technique that
spoofs WiFi networks in order to relocate the positional data
reported via WiFi networks.
He starts with an explanation of the different ways modern devices acquire location data. GPS is the obvious, and mobile network triangulation is pretty well know. But using WiFi networks may be a new trick for you. We’re not 100% certain but we think Google is able to look up location data based on known IP addresses for WiFi access points (this would be a good comments discussion). To trick the system all you have to do is feed some captured AP data into the computer before Google Maps tried to lock onto a location. The video after the break shows Maps with the legit location displayed. After running a quick script whose output is shown above the map position is changed to the spoofed location. | 39 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048430",
"author": "Janez D.",
"timestamp": "2013-08-27T13:11:38",
"content": "It’s simple. Whoever sees wifi’s mac address with GPS position fixed sooner or later sends this combination to Google. Next time someone sees this mac it will query google and google will know you are at... | 1,760,376,473.801116 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/27/stopping-a-hackerspace-from-rusting-away/ | Stopping A Hackerspace From Rusting Away | Brian Benchoff | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"chemistry hacks"
] | [
"cathodis protection",
"ship",
"steel"
] | The illutron hackerspace in Copenhagen makes their home on a barge sitting in port. Not only is this awesome, but the members of the hackerspace also worry about corrosion to their beloved fablab. In an effort to ally some fears about rust slowly eating through the hull, [Dzl] has rigged up
a cathodic protection system for their hull
, essentially preserving their barge at the expense of a few old steel rails.
Cathodic protection systems
are able to protect the steel of a ship’s hull by offering up a sacrificial anode made of aluminum or zinc. This can be done by either attaching a sacrificial anode directly to the hull, or with a more complex system that connects both the cathode (the ship) and the anode (an engine block) to a DC power source.
[Dzl] is converting mains voltage down to 12 VDC, then further lowering the voltage with an Arduino-controlled buck converter. The control panel allows for adjustments in the voltage, as well as a nice uptime meter to make sure it’s running.
The results are fairly impressive; in the above pic, the right piece of steel was electrically connected to the barge’s hull, while the left piece was free to rust in the North Sea. That’s only two days worth of corrosion there. | 17 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048407",
"author": "RecklessEngineer",
"timestamp": "2013-08-27T11:54:52",
"content": "Copenhagen would be in the Baltic, not the North Sea. It’s considerably less saline.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1048923",
"au... | 1,760,376,473.858222 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/26/making-a-hp-frequency-counter-more-accurate/ | Making A HP Frequency Counter More Accurate | Eric Evenchick | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"frequency counter",
"HP",
"ocxo"
] | [Gerry] built his own
high stability timebase add-on
for his HP 53131 frequency counter. This project started out after [Gerry] built a
rubidium 10 MHz standard
for his lab. Upon connecting the standard to the frequency counter for calibration, he found that the HP 53131 had an awful internal oscillator. The official high stability timebase add-on from HP cost about $1000, and he was determined to do better.
Using a second hand
OCXO
as the oscillator, he designed his own add-on module. OCXO modules pack a crystal oscillator in a thermal chamber. Since temperature fluctuation causes drift in crystal oscillators, an OCXO controls the temperature to keep the frequency constant. They can be bought second hand on eBay for under $30.
The PCB design for the module can accommodate a variety of OCXO modules. It uses a high speed comparator and a high stability 5 volt reference to provide the clock signal to the counter. A DAC is used to calibrate the oscillator. By keeping the same DAC as the original counter, the add-on board can be calibrated using the front panel of the device.
The project is a drop in replacement for HP’s $1000 module for a fraction of the cost. [Gerry]’s write up has all the details you’ll need to build your own. | 38 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048090",
"author": "Tony",
"timestamp": "2013-08-26T23:14:00",
"content": "So now it can be as accurate as the 2nd-hand for $30 off eBay time base. Well, ok then.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1048101",
"author": "... | 1,760,376,473.999841 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/26/sony-smartwatch-hack-lets-it-tell-time-with-a-teapot-animation/ | Sony SmartWatch Hack Lets It Tell Time With A Teapot Animation | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"3d rendering",
"port",
"sony",
"Sony SmartWatch"
] | This hack turns the Sony SmartWatch into a wristwatch. Functionally it’s not all that impressive. But the journey to get to this point represents quite a bit more. This example features an animated tea pot
using a 3D rendering engine ported over to the device
.
[Federico] started work on the project soon after hearing that Sony had released details about developing for the hardware. He dug into the documentation but soon found it lacked the depth he needed to get a handle on bare metal work. He shelved the project for a while until coming across
the Astrosmash project
we featured in June. That used a wrapper that allows Arduino sketches to run on the watch. After studying how that’s done he had enough background to port this code.
We’re still waiting to see a really innovative hack for the watch. But we’re glad to see progress with each new proof of concept like this one! | 27 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048039",
"author": "roboman2444",
"timestamp": "2013-08-26T21:03:32",
"content": "Not very impressive… 80s arcade machines could do that easily. Lets see texture mapping and per vertex lighting on it. Oh, and like 10x the triangles/quads.Still, a good start.",
"parent_id": null... | 1,760,376,475.757909 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/26/making-smores-with-50000-volts/ | Making S’mores With 50,000 Volts | Eric Evenchick | [
"cooking hacks",
"News"
] | [
"flyback transformer",
"high voltage",
"zero voltage switching"
] | [Skyy] sent us a video of him
cooking s’mores with an electric arc
. He’s using a flyback transformer with a zero voltage switching (ZVS) driver. This produces about 50 kV, which is more than enough to toast the marshmallow.
ZVS
is a technique that triggers the semiconductor switches when they have zero voltage across them. This ensures that there’s minimal heat created by the switches, since they are not interrupting any current at the time they are toggled. ZVS is also used in lighting dimmers to switch off power without creating interference.
If you’re interested in the details, there’s a
great tutorial
on building the driver. If you’re interested in learning how it works, check out this
simulation video
.
[Skyy] admits that his setup isn’t terribly safe since it uses a breadboard, which isn’t rated for the high voltages and currents. Keep in mind that these circuits could kill you. After the break, watch a marshmallow fry in a 50 kV arc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd2UMd_zTYI | 12 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048015",
"author": "Eric",
"timestamp": "2013-08-26T20:13:24",
"content": "Cute but I don’t think it’d get the center of marshmallow hot and gooey. Too much heat on the outside, cold in middle. But this project might have other good use like frying a CD-R and DVD-R",
"parent_id... | 1,760,376,475.561426 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/26/building-an-ethernet-connected-rfid-reader/ | Building An Ethernet Connected RFID Reader | Mathieu Stephan | [
"hardware",
"Network Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"ethernet",
"hackerspace",
"rfid"
] | For the last few years, [Lt_Lemming] was the president of Brisbane’s hackerspace. Until several months ago, access to the local was done using 125KHz RFID tags and an Arduino board with a prototyping shield. As the hackerspace gained members and moved to bigger facilities, [Lt_Lemming] decided to build himself a
more compact and advanced platform
.
His Simple NetworkAble RFID Controller (SNARC) is a platform which can be connected to an Ethernet network and different RFID readers in order to implement smart access control functionalities. Through hole components were selected so even solder apprentices may assemble it. The PCB was designed using Fritzing, and development can even be done inside the Arduino IDE as ISP and serial headers are available on the board. Finally, an N-channel mosfet controls the door locking mechanism.
The project is open hardware and software, and all the sources can be downloaded from [Lt_Lemming]’s
github repo
. | 14 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1048001",
"author": "djdesign",
"timestamp": "2013-08-26T19:44:31",
"content": "I can definitely appreciate this as someone who has implemented RFID for a hackerspace. I’m curious why he didn’t include series limiting resistors in the LED path. The ATmega328 can source (safely) up... | 1,760,376,475.967083 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/26/update-vladimirs-robot-guitar/ | [Update] Vladimir’s Robot Guitar | Marsh | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"guitar",
"robot",
"solenoid"
] | [Vladimir Demin] is somewhat of a legend for us; in his spare time he’s been mastering the automation of musical instruments. This time
he’s back with upgrades to his build
and four new videos. [Vladimir’s] top priority was to rework the strumming mechanism that earlier ran on solenoids. He’s improved the sound quality and reduced the clicks by swapped to stepper motors and overhauling the software.
Compared to his earlier setup, this one sounds more soulful and less automated, but [Vladimir] admits that it’s still not good enough and that he’s working on a new, brilliant implementation. Until then, take a few minutes and check out the rest of the videos below, then join us in scratching our heads in amazement: everything is built with simple hand tools.
[Vladimir] has come a long way, and it
started with this Bayan
(button accordion). Last year’s
guitar build
is also worth a look, as well as an
in-depth interview
. | 24 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047958",
"author": "Jonas",
"timestamp": "2013-08-26T18:07:34",
"content": "pray do tell: why do i get emails of updates and posts in duplicates and triplicates???",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1047971",
"author": "Andrew... | 1,760,376,475.623927 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/26/logging-two-multimeters-at-nearly-the-same-time/ | Logging Two Multimeters At (nearly) The Same Time | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"multimeter",
"serial port"
] | It’s pretty common to have at least a couple of meters around to measure different values of a circuit at the same time. Where [Emilio P.G. Ficara] ran into a problem was logging the data from both at once. These
Fluke
meters have a serial-out, but his computer only has a single serial-in port. He cracked open one of the meters and figured out
how to log data from both at the same time
.
A lot of folks would look to a microcontroller to solve this problem. You use the chip to pull from each meter simultaneously and report back to a computer (or just dump the values onto an SD card). But this solution is a simple mechanical connector and a bit of creative programming. The way the serial output is set up on these meters they won’t interfere with each other as long as they’re read one at a time. [Emilio] wired them up as seen above, using his own software to manage the pins of the serial port. The example output he posted shows readings from the meters taken within about a tenth of second from each other. That should be good enough for most applications. | 13 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047919",
"author": "Trui",
"timestamp": "2013-08-26T16:15:07",
"content": "“A lot of folks would look to a microcontroller to solve this problem.”I would grab a serial -> USB converter cable, and create an extra serial port on the computer.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,376,476.18574 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/24/building-an-audio-box-out-of-thrown-away-boards/ | Building An Audio Box Out Of Thrown Away Boards | Mathieu Stephan | [
"hardware"
] | [
"adc",
"audio",
"dac",
"fpga"
] | The last time [Mark] was at the scrap yard, he managed to find the analogue input and output cards of an old Akai DR8 studio hard drive recorder. These cards offered great possibilities (8 ADC inputs, 12 DAC outputs) so he repaired them and
made a whole audio system out of them
.
The repair only involved changing a couple of low dropout regulators. Afterwards, [Mark] interfaced one of his CPLD development boards so he could produce some sine waves and digitize signals generated from a PC based audio test unit. He then made the frame shown in the picture above and switched to an Altera Cyclone IV FPGA. To complete his system, he designed a small board to attach a VGA screen, and another to use the nRF24L01 wireless module.
Inside the FPGA, [Mark] used a NIOS II soft core processor to orchestrate the complete system and display a nice user interface. He even made another system with an USB host plug to connect MIDI enabled peripherals, allowing him to wirelessly control his creation. | 9 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1047017",
"author": "mk2soldier",
"timestamp": "2013-08-24T23:01:30",
"content": "Awesome!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1047126",
"author": "Hitek146",
"timestamp": "2013-08-25T04:02:31",
"content": "So, where can... | 1,760,376,476.078387 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/24/75-controllers-one-gaming-system/ | 75 Controllers, One Gaming System | Eric Evenchick | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"arcade",
"controllers",
"retro gaming"
] | This gaming cabinet lets two players select games from a wide array of consoles and play them using the original controllers. [Patrice] built it around his
Multi Video Games System 2
, which converts each of the 75 controllers to a common format. Players pick controllers from the display case, plug in an HD-15 connector, and choose the game they want to play. The cabinet contains a PC that runs a variety of emulators, and uses
HyperSpin
as a menu system.
Using adapters, the converted controllers can also be used on other game systems, tablets, or smartphones. [Patrice] claims that they’ll work across 110 different game systems. A full list of the controllers and systems is shown
here
.
This cabinet is definitely one of the most comprehensive video game installations we’ve seen, and the display case of controllers looks fantastic. Check out a video of the system and some controller porn after the break. | 14 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046988",
"author": "DanAdamKOF",
"timestamp": "2013-08-24T21:07:09",
"content": "Some obscure controllers in the above photo! I bet most of you didn’t know the Super Game Boy had a special controller for it (third from bottom of the leftmost column).",
"parent_id": null,
"... | 1,760,376,476.134321 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/24/vacuum-pressure-bazooka/ | Vacuum Pressure Bazooka | Mike Szczys | [
"Weapons Hacks"
] | [
"bazooka",
"spud gun",
"vacuum"
] | This vacuum pressure cannon
is a design unlike any we’ve seen before. At first look it seems to have the components you see in
a potato gun
. But those use a combustion process to launch the projectile. This instead uses the sudden release of a vacuum.
About three minutes into the demo video below we get a look at the “ignition” system. It’s pretty scary in that a couple of really powerful springs are pulling a collar along the barrel toward your face. This is actually meant to dislodge the plug in the back which is holding vacuum in the barrel. The pressure difference causes a sudden inrush of air which shoots the 1.5 inch projectile out the front of the bazooka.
[Mr. Teslonian] built his own hand powered vacuum pump for loading the weapon. This was done with a pair of PVC pipes that fit inside of one another, and a plunger made from wood and leather. The PVC and wood projectile seals in the barrel using a skirt made from duct tape. After breech loading the projectile and plugging the back of the barrel, he layers aluminum foil over the business end and pumps up a high vacuum. His test firing is not from the shoulder, and he only gets one shot because the slug hit the target so hard it was destroyed. This thing really needs to be vehicle mounted!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEGwiri3iwU
[Thanks Ryoku] | 39 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046947",
"author": "Khordas",
"timestamp": "2013-08-24T19:28:09",
"content": "I think this is a very clever idea. Not at all what I was expecting, as it looked like a combustion or compressed air potato gun. Much less chance of the barrel turning into a shrapnel cloud on firing w... | 1,760,376,475.696915 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/24/evalbot-as-a-jtag-programmer/ | Evalbot As A JTAG Programmer | Mike Szczys | [
"ARM",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"cpld",
"evalbot",
"jtag",
"openocd",
"programmer",
"stellaris"
] | [Adarsh] needed a JTAG programmer to push code to a CPLD dev board he was working with. He knew he didn’t have a dedicated programmer but figured he could come up with something. Pictured above is
his hack to use a Stellaris Evalbot as a programmer
.
Long time readers will remember
the Evalbot coupon code debacle of 2010
. The kits were being offered with a $125 discount as part of a conference. We were tipped off about the code not know its restrictions, and the rest is history. We figure there’s a number of readers who have one collecting dust (except for people like [Adam] that
used it as a webserver
). Here’s your chance to pull it out again and have some fun.
A bit of soldering to test points on the board is all it takes. The connections are made on the J4 footprint which is an unpopulated ICDI header. On the software side [Adarsh] used OpenOCD with stock configuration and board files (specifics in his writeup) to connect to the white CPLD board using JTAG. | 12 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046881",
"author": "truthspew",
"timestamp": "2013-08-24T16:20:06",
"content": "Yeah, I have to dust mine off.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1046896",
"author": "Paul",
"timestamp": "2013-08-24T17:10:18",
"content... | 1,760,376,475.803482 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/24/3d-printering-scanning-3d-models/ | 3D Printering: Scanning 3D Models | Brian Benchoff | [
"3d Printer hacks",
"Hackaday Columns"
] | [
"3D Printering",
"3d scanning",
"Kinect",
"Kintinuous",
"reconstructme",
"structured light"
] | The
Makerbot Digitizer
was announced this week, giving anyone with $1400 the ability to scan small objects and print out a copy on any 3D printer.
Given the vitriol spewed against Makerbot in the Hackaday comments and other forums on the Internet, it should be very obvious the sets of Hackaday readers and the target demographic Makerbot is developing and marketing towards do not intersect. We’re thinking anyone reading this would rather roll up their sleeves and
build
a 3D scanner, but where to start? Below are a few options out there for those of you who want a 3D scanner but are none too keen on Makerbot’s offering.
The Makerbot digitizer is actually a pretty simple device. It’s just a turntable, camera, and a pair of laser diodes. This is something we’ve seen before with a
DSLR and laser pointer
as well as a
digicam, laser level, and an old LP turntable
. The hardware is just one part of this equation – a lot of the effort that goes into making a digital 3D object with this method is put into the capture algorithm. The builds above use everything from MATLAB to a Python script, all available for your perusal.
The ‘laser and camera’ method isn’t the only way to capture 3D objects. With the availability of small pico projectors, a few tinkerers have looked into
structure light scanning
. This method records several images of black and white bars projected onto an image. There are also several libraries that can take these images and turn them into something readable by Blender, with one of the most popular being the
Structured Light library
Microsoft’s Kinect has also been used to great effect in the world of 3D printing; one of the best projects around is
ReconstructMe
, a tool that allows any computer with a Kinect to serve as a scanner that is at least as accurate as anything else. One problem, though: the ‘pro’ version of the software costs €180/$240 USD.
Of course all these solutions to the problem of scanning in 3D only work with relatively small projects. If you want to scan something bigger – a car or even a building – your best bet is probably something along the line of
Kintinuous
. This amazing application allows you to take a Kinect into the field and scan
huge
areas, turning them into a model that can be printed, or just a Counter Strike map.
It should be noted that neither the source nor binaries of Kintinous are available, thanks to a few restrictions placed on the researchers behind this awesome tool. The paper for Kintinous is available, and we’ve heard the researchers would be delighted if someone would take their technique and apply it to a functioning open source project. | 25 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046891",
"author": "Whatnot",
"timestamp": "2013-08-24T17:05:54",
"content": "Saw a 3D printer displayed at mediamarkt, seems they are creeping into the mainstream (for the well-paid)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1046945",... | 1,760,376,476.031446 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/24/an-absurdly-small-tri-copter/ | An Absurdly Small Tri-copter | Brian Benchoff | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"Femtoduino",
"quadcopter",
"tricopter"
] | The team behind the Femtoduino – an extraordinarily small repackaging of the Arduino – sent in a few videos from YouTuber [phineasIV], a.k.a. [Eric] that shows
one of the smallest multicopters we’ve ever seen.
Because this isn’t a traditional quad or hexcopter, the control system is a little weird. Two of the motors and props are fixed along the vertical axis, while the rear prop is connected to a small servo to rotate from side to side. Still, the electronics are fairly standard for any multi rotor vehicle – a triple-axis gyro provides the stability of the vehicle coupled with
MultiWii
, while an amazingly small
servo receiver
, Bluetooth module,, Femtoduino, and a trio of brushless ESCs tie everything together.
The end result is a tri-copter that weighs about the same as the
Crazyflie Nano Quadcopter
, but is just a bit smaller. As impressive as it is on video (seen below), we’d love to see this tiny robotic hummingbird in person.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1pavL3uvTw&w=580]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbXyk6UADBs&w=580]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oacVziO6ie4&w=580] | 16 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046837",
"author": "Special_K",
"timestamp": "2013-08-24T13:12:37",
"content": "Make a bundle and sell it !",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1046843",
"author": "ibster",
"timestamp": "2013-08-24T14:01:02",
"content"... | 1,760,376,476.231239 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/23/a-comparison-of-hacker-friendly-sdrs/ | A Comparison Of Hacker Friendly SDRs | Eric Evenchick | [
"Radio Hacks",
"Reviews"
] | [
"bladeRF",
"comparison",
"HackRF",
"sdr",
"tv tuner",
"usrp"
] | In the market for a software defined radio? [Taylor Killian] wrote a
comprehensive comparison
of several models that are within the price range of amateurs and hobbyists.
You can get started with SDR using a
$20 TV tuner card
, but there’s a lot of limitations. These cards only work as receivers, are limited to a small chunk of the radio spectrum, and have limited bandwidth and sample rates. The new SDRs on the market, including the
bladeRF
,
HackRF
, and
USRP
offerings are purpose built for SDR experimentation. You might want an SDR to set up a
cellular base station at Burning Man
, scan
Police and Fire radio channels
, or to
track ships
.
[Taylor] breaks down the various specifications of each radio, and discusses the components used in each SDR in depth. In the end, the choice depends on what you want to do and how much you’re willing to spend. This breakdown should help you choose a hacker friendly SDR. | 61 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046568",
"author": "ATC",
"timestamp": "2013-08-23T21:21:46",
"content": "Hackaday has changed :(",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1046604",
"author": "juno",
"timestamp": "2013-08-23T23:25:50",
"conten... | 1,760,376,476.43832 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/23/write-an-essay-win-a-tektronix-scope/ | Write An Essay, Win A Tektronix Scope | Mike Szczys | [
"contests"
] | [
"EETimes",
"oscilloscope",
"scope",
"tektronix"
] | Want a new scope for your hacking pleasures? How about one that rings in at $3650? That price tag makes us cringe, which is why we’re working on our
1k word essay to win one
. The Tektronix MSO2024B pictured above is
the top scope in its family
and there’s more than enough features to start the drool flowing. Need more motivation? Check out the demo/advertising video below which walks through an overview of what the scope has to offer.
The contest — sponsored by EETimes and Tektronix — seeks to reward the best story about fixing a product that was disappointing on delivery but awesome when you got done hacking on it. Your thousand words or less are due by October 26th along with a fifty word bio about yourself, with the winner announced on Halloween. Be warned, you must register an account to qualify But we hit their daily article viewing limit while writing this post so you may need to log in just to read about the contest. Or clear their cookies… we are a hacking website after all.
They’re only giving away one scope. So don’t put this one off. Start polishing your totally
bogus
legit story about how you fixed something using mad engineering skills. | 32 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046526",
"author": "Nicholas",
"timestamp": "2013-08-23T19:22:35",
"content": "There’s something mildly ironic about this.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1046548",
"author": "andres",
"timestamp": "2013-08-23... | 1,760,376,477.108585 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/23/upgrading-a-fluke-multimeter-with-a-masterful-addition/ | Upgrading A Fluke Multimeter With A Masterful Addition | Brian Benchoff | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"fluke",
"Fluke 8050a",
"lcd",
"multimeter"
] | The old Fluke 8050a multimeter from the 80s is an awesome piece of lab equipment. It’s built like a tank, and thanks to the newer more portable models, this old meter is available for a pittance on eBay. [Ken] picked up a few of these meters and decided to give one of them a little upgrade –
a 2.2″ 320×240 LCD display
that is a vast improvement on the old stock seven-segment numerical display.
Inside the Fluke 8050a is a 40-pin DIP processor that handles all the computations inside the unit. [Ken]’s solution to tap into this processor was to take a 40-pin PIC microcontroller, bend some of the pins backwards, and use the remaining pins to drive the new LCD display. It’s actually somewhat brilliant in its simplicity
and looks really cool to boot
.
The rest of the circuitry consists of a level converter and a few wires going directly to the LCD display. [Ken] already has another Fluke 8050a on the bench waiting for a facelift and some plans for a few improvements that include a bar graph, histogram, and possibly even a touch display. | 24 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046449",
"author": "w1z13",
"timestamp": "2013-08-23T16:32:30",
"content": "Why not use a honky-tonky voltmeter for this project? Instead of ruining an old jewel? Please don’t threat your other fluke like that.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
... | 1,760,376,476.889224 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/23/browsing-the-web-one-step-at-a-time/ | Browsing The Web One Step At A Time | Michael Ciuffo | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"computer hacks",
"internet hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"python",
"treadmill"
] | After modifying his new manual treadmill to fit under his standing desk, [Brian Peiris] found a way to let him
stroll all over the internet.
After removing the treadmill’s original time/distance display, [Peiris] reverse engineered the speed sensor to send data to an Arduino and his PC. We’ve seen a number of projects that interface treadmills with
virtual worlds
, but what really makes this project stand out is a simple script using the Throxy Python library which allows the treadmill to throttle his machine’s internet connection.
The end result is a browsing experience that reacts to how fast the user runs. In the demonstration video, you can see Peiris tiptoe through images or jog through YouTube videos. A minimum bandwidth setting keeps the connection live, so if you can’t make it all the way through that HD Netflix movie, taking a breather won’t time out the connection.
It’s certainly a great way to get in shape, or at the very least, it’ll make your ISP’s bandwidth cap feel a
lot
bigger.
Video after the jump. | 15 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046415",
"author": "Mike Szczys",
"timestamp": "2013-08-23T15:06:22",
"content": "This one makes me think ofReamde(a Neal Stephenson book that I think is being turned into a TV miniseries). One of the characters is responsible for generating the back story for an MMORPG. His workst... | 1,760,376,477.039607 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/23/hacking-mcdonalds-minion-toy-to-be-an-electric-slidewhistle/ | Hacking McDonald’s Minion Toy To Be An Electric Slidewhistle | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"555",
"happy meal",
"McDonald's",
"photoresistor"
] | This is a look at the brain surgery which [Tim] performed on a Happy Meal Toy. The McDonald’s package meal perk comes with one of several different
Despicable Me 2
characters. But [Tim] wasn’t a fan of this one since you had to blow in it to make noise. He grabbed a 555 timer and
added his own circuit to the toy
which turns it up to 11 (seriously, turn your volume down before playing the video).
Disassembly includes removing a screw which needs a 3-sided screwdriver (protip: use a bench grinder and a cheap screw driver to make your own). There’s also some prying to get into the skull and then its time to work on the slide whistle. The blue tube is a regular slide whistle which you blow into from the back and pull on the red goo to change the pitch. [Tim] added a photoresistor to the mouthpiece and an LED on the slide. Moving the light source changes the intensity which is one of the adjustments to make 555 circuit howl.
We love the Happy Meal toy hacks because they seem so visceral. A couple years ago it was
parts harvesting from
Avatar
toys.
which in turn inspired
a tripwire hack with a Penguin toy
. | 7 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046378",
"author": "sghim",
"timestamp": "2013-08-23T14:04:24",
"content": "and what useful purpose does it serve?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1046414",
"author": "Gutierrez",
"timestamp": "2013-08-23T15:0... | 1,760,376,476.990377 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/22/unplayable-holophonor-replica-is-unplayable/ | Unplayable Holophonor Replica Is Unplayable | Marsh | [
"LED Hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"arduino",
"futurama",
"holophonor",
"props"
] | You won’t find all that many props or homemade replica builds here at Hackaday, but [Harrison Krix’s] work is second to none, and his
Futurama
Holophonor replica
is worth drooling over. [Harrison] sourced an old (and apparently grimy) clarinet from a local thrift store, which he strips clean of its keys and attachments. The body itself receives some subtle modifications from the lathe and epoxy to plug some holes. Custom-spun plastic pieces complete the rest of the body, including the meticulously crafted bell which houses 54 LEDs.
[Harrison] also whips up a breakout board for a mini Arduino Pro with 4 fading and 4 blinking channels, and some custom power supply options for the Holophonor’s base: a scratch-built fiberglass AAA battery holder and optional AC adapter jack. As an added bonus, he’s fitted the Holophonor’s stand with a set of Robot Devil hands that hold it in place. The only video is an illumination test, but it sure is pretty. You can see it below! It looks perfect, but alas is unplayable which actually
makes it even more authentic
.
The Holophonor is the latest in a slew of work from Volpin Props. You probably remember [Harrison’s] first
Daft Punk helmet
from a few years back, or
the second one
that followed shortly after. | 31 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "1046040",
"author": "MrTectu",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T21:09:56",
"content": "Beautiful work, well done!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1046042",
"author": "cyberzerocool",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T21:14:42",
"cont... | 1,760,376,477.300528 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/22/fail-of-the-week-switched-mode-psu-camera-battery-replacement/ | Fail Of The Week: Switched-mode PSU Camera Battery Replacement | Mike Szczys | [
"Fail of the Week",
"Hackaday Columns"
] | [
"battery",
"fail of the week",
"switched-mode power supply"
] | We really wanted this week’s Fail to work. [Michael] wanted more juice for his Nikon D3100 camera. The idea he had was to replace the cells of the battery with a Buck converter and add leads for an external battery. This opens up the possibility of running from a wide range of voltage sources; an attractive prospect for devices using specialize batteries. Specifically, he wanted to swap out the stock 7.4V 1030 mAh battery and use an 18 Ah lead acid one instead.
The biggest hurdle to get over in a project like this one is the logic the camera uses to communicate with the battery. For this reason — and for the ease of hitting the right form factor — he scrapped an old battery pack to reuse the logic board and enclosure. His power supply is a free-formed circuit which fits nicely in the allotted space.
The circuit powers up, but only to about 6.4V. This isn’t enough to run the camera, which means this was just an expensive way for [Michael] to practice his soldering. After the jump you can read his recounting of the experience. You’ll also find a few of the build images, and the two hand-drawn schematics he used during development. His Dropbox has
the entire collection of images
.
The hack was to build a buck converter into the aftermarket battery and run leads out of the battery bay such that the camera (7.4V 1030mAh) may be run from a much larger external Sealed Lead Acid unit (12V 18Ah).
The motivation for this project was realised after I noticed the genuine battery was almost flat after 30mins of HD filming. It was anticipated that the hack would also be very useful for extended runs of time-lapse photography. Whatever the case, it is worth noting that the 216Wh SLA costs about $40 while the genuine Nikon battery (at 9.6Wh) costs about $50 on eBay!
Even with pessimistic efficiency figures for the buck converter, it is plain to see the gross gains in Wh/$.
But I digress.
The fail rises from the disappointing circuit performance. The circuit failed to output the calculated voltage (7.3V nominal) and was instead only able to supply around 6.4V, too low for the camera to even power up.
I’m still unsure what the problem was;
Miscalculating the component values / inductors not in range?
Current draw too high?
Noise in the dead-bug style architecture?
Incorrectly soldered parts?
Incorrectly identified how the donor battery’s circuit board functioned?
Conductivity in the hot glue? (I doubt it)
The photos originally were to serve as a build-log, but are now resigned to merely showcasing some neato dead-bug soldering.
Whatever the fault, I’ve since scrapped the arguably more elegant method that I attempted, and instead plan to use a $5 variable buck converter that one can find on eBay. This unit will be mounted on the large external lead battery and have the output run into an empty shell aftermarket battery. Being a pre-assembled circuit, all I’ll have to get right is the input and output polarities!
You can also see on the schematic .pdf that I was thinking of implementing input polarity protect (the two mosfet circuits). These were from an application note that I now cannot remember how to find, but I’ve found
a similar one
(PDF). An elegant way to avoid dropping that 0.7V on your garden-variety input diode.
We’re already looking for next week’s fail post topic. Help keep the fun rolling by writing about your past failures and
sending us a link to the story
. | 52 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045992",
"author": "Josh Deng",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T19:30:54",
"content": "Bummer. It’s too bad he didn’t take the time to figure out what the original battery’s circuit does. My guess is that the buck is doing its job, but there’s some extra drop from the battery circuit.",
... | 1,760,376,476.822282 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/22/update-whistled-platform-upgraded-for-simple-word-recognition/ | Update: Whistled Platform Upgraded For Simple Word Recognition | Mathieu Stephan | [
"hardware"
] | [
"cortex-m4",
"limkin",
"sound recognition"
] | Some people may remember the whistled platform I [limpkin] designed a while back, which recognizes different whistles to control your lighting. Recently, I designed a firmware that transforms the board into a
word recognition device
, as the 50MHz ARM Cortex M4’s processing capabilities are good enough to do so.
The simple algorithm works by correlating successive Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) of the amplified microphone output with the FFTs of a template word previously stored in memory. Simply connect the Whistled to your power supply, say the word you’d like it to recognize and you’re good to go.
As you will see in the video embedded after the break (sorry for the accent…), I briefly explain basic principles about word/sound recognition and what you can do to improve your algorithm performances. The source files can be downloaded, as well as the
code for my whistle detection algorithm
which wasn’t available
the first time we looked at the project
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4OKan-Szqw | 20 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045939",
"author": "trandi",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T17:06:07",
"content": "wow… trop balaise !",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1045947",
"author": "Ellen",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T17:23:07",
"content": "No need t... | 1,760,376,476.719812 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/21/gopro-slingshot/ | GoPro Slingshot | Eric Evenchick | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"GoPro",
"photography",
"slingshot",
"tripod"
] | Want to try out aerial photography, but can’t afford a quadcopter? [Jeremy] rigged up a low cost
GoPro Slingshot
and took some pretty nice flyover shots of the lake.
The slingshot itself is meant for water balloons, but easily has enough power to fire the camera. In order to get good video, some stabilization was needed. [Jeremy] made a stabilizing fin out of packaging foam, and used an eye bolt to connect it to the GoPro’s threaded tripod mount. The simple tail fin made of out foam and zip ties actually did a good job of stabilizing the camera.
This looks like a fun experiment to try when you’re at the lake, since you can probably build it with stuff lying around the house. For [Jeremy], it also proved to be a way to keep his dog entertained since she retrieved the camera after each shot. After the break, check out the video footage from the GoPro slinging rig. | 18 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045352",
"author": "vonskippy",
"timestamp": "2013-08-21T16:08:42",
"content": "Neat – even better if you make burning spiraling out of control airplane noises when you watch the video.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1045356... | 1,760,376,476.945166 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/21/an-arcade-controller-for-the-original-playstation/ | An Arcade Controller For The Original PlayStation | Brian Benchoff | [
"Playstation Hacks"
] | [
"arcade",
"controller",
"emulator",
"playstation",
"ps2",
"psx"
] | [Kevin] just finished a project for someone who lives in his apartment complex. This resident
loves
the game Pop ‘n Music – a Guitar Hero sort of game for the original Playstation and PS2 that uses nine colored buttons instead of five buttons along a fingerboard. His original idea was to wire up a few arcade buttons to a Playstation controller but this plan fell through, forcing [Kevin] to
figure out the PSX bus all by his lonesome
.
The initial code began with simply bit-banging the PSX controller interface with an AVR. This had a few problems, namely speed, forcing [Kevin] to move onto assembly programming to squeeze every last bit of performance out of a microcontroller.
The assembly route failed as well, dropping some transactions Looking at the problem again, [Kevin] realized the PSX controller bus looked a little like an SPI bus. There were a few changes required – reversing the order of the bits, and using the MISO line to drive a transistor – but this method worked almost perfectly on the first try.
Now, [Kevin]’s building mate has a custom Playstation controller for his favorite game. Of course all the code is
up on github
for all your PSX controller emulation needs, but be sure to check out
this completely unrelated Pop ‘N Music video
from someone who desperately needs a piano. | 6 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045330",
"author": "ddh819",
"timestamp": "2013-08-21T15:38:46",
"content": "i’d like to see a hack like this for the wii version – translate button presses to the motion controls that are used in that game",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"co... | 1,760,376,477.234179 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/21/a-fast-and-easy-to-use-vision-sensor/ | A Fast And Easy-to-use Vision Sensor | Mathieu Stephan | [
"Crowd Funding",
"hardware",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"Carnegie Mellon University",
"Crowd Funding",
"open source hardware",
"Pixy"
] | At Hackaday we don’t often feature kickstarter campaigns, but this one is worth noticing in our opinion. It is called
Pixy
, a small camera board about half the size of a business card that can detect objects that you “train” it to detect.
Training is accomplished by holding the object in front of Pixy’s lens and pressing a button. Pixy then finds objects with similar color signatures using a dedicated dual-core processor that can process images at 50 frames per second. Pixy can report its findings, which include the sizes and locations of all detected objects, through one of several interfaces: UART serial, SPI, I2C, digital or analog I/O.
The platform is open hardware, its firmware is open source and GPL licensed, making the project
very
interesting. It is based on a 204MHz dual core ARM cortex M4 & M0, uses a 1280×800 image sensor and can stream the processed camera output to your computer. You can get one Pixy in the kickstarter campaign for $59, which is not that expensive for what it is. | 45 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045236",
"author": "Pun",
"timestamp": "2013-08-21T13:18:11",
"content": "“At Hackaday we don’t often feature kickstarter campaigns” [citation needed]",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1045248",
"author": "nah!",
... | 1,760,376,477.379711 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/20/hacking-coin-collection/ | Hacking Coin Collection | Eric Evenchick | [
"classic hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"cctalk",
"coin acceptor",
"coin slot",
"DEF CON",
"mame"
] | Devices that collect coins for payment typically use standardized coin acceptors like the one shown here. These devices use a protocol called ccTalk to let the system know what coins were inserted. [Balda] has built tools for
implementing the ccTalk protocol
to let you play around with the devices. He also gave a talk at DEF CON (
PDF
) about the protocol.
[Balda] got started with ccTalk because he wanted to add a coin acceptor to a MAME cabinet, and had a coin acceptor. His
latest project
converts ccTalk to standard keyboard keystrokes using a Teensy. The MAME cabinet can then interpret these and add to the player’s credits.
There’s two interesting sides to this project. By providing tools to work with ccTalk, it’s much easier to take a used coin acceptor off eBay and integrate it into your own projects. On the other hand, these acceptors are used everywhere, and the tools could allow you to spoof coins, or even change settings on the acceptor. | 36 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045014",
"author": "andarb",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T22:41:07",
"content": "Sounds like security through obscurity, never the best solution.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1045024",
"author": "F",
"timestamp... | 1,760,376,477.451259 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/20/retrotechtacular-the-history-of-ansi-and-ascii-art/ | Retrotechtacular: The History Of ANSI And ASCII Art | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday Columns",
"Retrotechtacular"
] | [
"ansi",
"art",
"ASCII",
"bsides",
"retrotechtacular"
] | These slides may not be the style of character art you remember from the days of 2400 baud modems; they’re more advanced than what was out there in the beginning. It turns out there is still some life left in this art subculture. For this week’s installment of Retrotechtacular we look in on [Doug Moore’s] talk on
the history and survival of ANSI and ASCII art
given at this year’s BSides conference.
ASCII is still a common character encoding so chances are you’re already familiar with it. ANSI on the other hand is a rather confusing term as it’s been lost in obscurity when referring to character sets. In this case it refers to a set of extended characters which is better described as
Windows Code Pages
.
Most of what we know about the ANSI art scene is from watching
BBS: The Documentary
(which is on
our ten best hacking videos list
). We certainly remember seeing the vertically scrolling art after connecting to a dial-up BBS back in the day. But understanding the factions that formed around the creation, bundling, and distribution of this is art is fascinating. [Doug] does a great job of covering this history, sharing side-by-side examples of the shunned practice of “ripping” another artists work. This image is actually not a rip. Later in his talk he discusses the continued existence of the subculture, showing what a modern take on the same subject looks like.
If you’re merely into the technical the first half of the video below is worth watching. But we bet it’ll be hard not to continue to the end for a side-trip into art history.
Retrotechtacular is a weekly column featuring hacks, technology, and kitsch from ages of yore. Help keep it fresh by
sending in your ideas for future installments
. | 34 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044948",
"author": "Hirudinea",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T19:39:32",
"content": "This is how they used to get porn back in the day, be thankful of what you have.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1044950",
"author": "Dos... | 1,760,376,477.570817 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/20/building-an-analog-whistle-detection-device/ | Building An Analog Whistle Detection Device | Mathieu Stephan | [
"hardware"
] | [
"bandpass filter",
"whistle detection"
] | Hackaday readers may remember a whistle detection device that I [limpkin] designed some time ago. As [Kevin] saw the new Staff roll call, he discovered this project and wanted to make his
version of it
.
In contrast with the original
Whistled
where all the signal processing is done in an ARM Cortex m4 microcontroler, [Kevin] uses discrete components, operational amplifiers and an Arduino Uno to detect someone’s whistle. In his video (embedded below), he goes into great lengths to explain how his circuit works along with the theory behind it. In his setup, his microphone’s signal is amplified, passed through a 1KHz-3KHz passive band-pass filter to a non-inverting amplifier with a 1000x gain (!) and finally to a voltage comparator. The Arduino measures the frequency of the signal coming out from the comparator and triggers a relay if the whistle is a ramp-up / ramp-down.
If you want to make the comparison between the two versions of the electronics, here is the link to the
original whistled project
. | 11 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044930",
"author": "Guesser",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T18:28:54",
"content": "So In what way is this an analog whistle detection device?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1044937",
"author": "thioden",
"timestam... | 1,760,376,477.501223 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/20/sensor-gloves-from-joystick-pots/ | Sensor Gloves From Joystick Pots | Brian Benchoff | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"gloves",
"joysitick",
"sensor",
"waldo"
] | After working on the DARPA Virtual Robotics Challenge this summer, visions of a Heinlenesque robotic actuator filled [Hunter]’s head. His lab had access to something called a Cyberglove that used flexible pots in each of the fingers, but each of these gloves cost the lab $15,000 each.
With a little help from some joystick potentiometers, [Hunter]
whipped up a decent approximation of a $15,000 device
that measures how much a user’s fingers are bent. The pots are tied into an Arduino and read with analogRead(), while a small Python script interprets the data for whatever application [Hunter] can imagine.
There are a few drawbacks to [Hunter]’s design – it’s not wireless, unlike the $15,000 version, and they certainly don’t look as cool as the real thing. Then again, the DIY version only cost 0.2% as much as the real deal, so we’ll let any apparent problems slide for now. | 25 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044923",
"author": "dALE",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T17:47:30",
"content": "“but each of these gloves cost the lab $15,000 each.”Hackaday, how you make my head hurt.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1044928",
"author": ... | 1,760,376,478.011995 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/22/crazyflie-control-with-leap-and-kinect/ | Crazyflie Control With Leap And Kinect | Marsh | [
"Kinect hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"crazyflie",
"drone",
"Leap motion",
"quadcopter"
] | The gang at Bitcraze is at it again, this time developing
Leap Motion control for their Crazyflie quadcopter
, as well as releasing a
Kinect-driven autopilot
proof of concept. If you haven’t seen the Crazyflie before, you may not realize how compact it is: 90mm motor to motor and only 19 grams.
As far as we can tell, the Crazyflie still needs a PC to control it, so the Leap and Kinect are natural followups. Hand control with the Leap Motion is what you’d expect: just imagine your open palm controlling it like a marionette, with the height of your hand dictating thrust. The Kinect setup looks the most promising. The guys strapped a red ball to the Crazyflie that provides a trackable object against a white backdrop. The Kinect then monitors the quadcopter while a user steers via mouse clicks. Separate PID controllers correct the roll, pitch and thrust to reposition the Crazyflie from its current coordinates to a new setpoint chosen by a click or a drag. Videos of both Leap and Kinect piloting are below.
Tight on cash but still want to take to the skies? We have two rubber-band-powered devices from earlier this week:
the Ornithopter
and the hilariously brilliant
GoPro Slingshot
. | 9 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045918",
"author": "Joseph Sammarco",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T16:26:32",
"content": "Thats Awesome. First",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1045954",
"author": "femtoduino",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T17:45:50",
"conte... | 1,760,376,478.05619 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/22/put-in-pocket-change-get-bitcoins/ | Put In Pocket Change, Get Bitcoins | Brian Benchoff | [
"Raspberry Pi"
] | [
"bitcoin",
"raspberry pi",
"thermal printer"
] | [gbg] put together a neat little project to get people familiarized with Bitcoins. A lot of techies know what Bitcoins are, but the impetus to download the Bitcoin client and start mining is a bit too much for some. [gbg] has a solution for this –
a Bitcoin vending machine
. Just dump your pocket change in the coin slot, and out comes a QR code that allows you to add Bitcoins to your wallet.
Inside this Bitcoin briefcase is a Raspberry Pi that connects to a local WiFi connection. Every five seconds, the Raspi looks at the current conversion rate of USD to Bitcoins. Once coins are deposited into the briefcase, a receipt complete with a scannable QR code is printed on a small thermal printer.
When [gbg] took this to the latest DEFCON, a lot of people were interested in the project and started shoveling change into the machine. So many people were interested that [gbg] and his compatriots are planning on turning this into a proper open-source device, complete with a bill reader and possibly an ASIC miner so the Pi can sell the coins it produces.
Check out the video below for some more info. | 40 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045894",
"author": "Joseph L",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T15:30:40",
"content": "Totally can’t see someone hacking this by jamming the Wifi signal to manipulate the exchange rate…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1045907",
... | 1,760,376,478.685973 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/22/free-yourself-from-social-media-with-classical-conditioning/ | Free Yourself From Social Media With Classical Conditioning | Brian Benchoff | [
"internet hacks"
] | [
"classical conditioning",
"facebook"
] | While [Robert] and [Dan] should be working on their dissertation, they found they actually spend a whole lot of time whiling away their days on Facebook and other social media sites. Taking inspiration from a Skinner box, they rigged up their computer
to shock them every time they surfed on over to Facebook
.
Their build uses the UI inspector in OS X and a Python script to activate an Arduino connected to one of those trick ‘shocking chewing gum’ pranks. The contacts for this shocker are attached to a keyboard wrist rest, providing a wonderful tingling sensation whenever the guys surf on over to Facebook.
Because shocks just aren’t extreme enough, [Robert] and [Dan] took their build one step further by invoking the wrath of Mechanical Turk users. They wrote a Python script to look at their UI inspector and submit a job to Mechanical Turk whenever they logged on to Facebook. The result is a random person being paid $1.40 to yell at [Robert] or [Dan] over the phone for wasting time on Facebook.
Video below, and be sure to like this post on Facebook.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH2PEBGPXwk&w=580] | 19 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045843",
"author": "Dosx",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T13:26:04",
"content": "I wonder about the name…..Love the concept, uhh thanks for giving random folks a buck forty though.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1045848",
"autho... | 1,760,376,477.947783 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/22/tightlight-a-3d-projection-mapping-assistant/ | TightLight: A 3D Projection Mapping Assistant | Marsh | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"3d graphics",
"3d modeling",
"photocell",
"projection",
"projectors"
] | Anyone can grab a projector, plug it in, and fire a movie at the wall. If, however, you want to add some depth to your work–both metaphorical and physical–you’d better start projection mapping. Intricate surfaces like these slabs of styrofoam are excellent candidates for a stunning display, but not without introducing additional complexity to your setup. [Grady]
hopes to alleviate some tedium with the TightLight
(Warning: “music”).
The video shows the entire mapping process of which the Arduino plays a specific role toward the end. Before tackling any projector calibration, [Grady] needs an accurate 3D model of the projection surface, and boy does it look complicated. Good thing he has a NextEngine 3D laser scanner, which you’ll see lighting the surface red as it cruises along.
Enter the TightLight: essentially 20 CdS photocells hooked up to a Duemilanove, each of which is placed at a previously-marked point on the 3D surface. A quick calibration scan scrolls light from the projector across the X then Y axis, hitting each sensor to determine its exact position. [Grady] then merges the photocell location data with the earlier 3D model using the
TouchDesigner
platform, and bam: everything lines up and plays nice. | 9 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045792",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T11:23:33",
"content": "I love this! Great work and very sweet results! (Dont want to join Vimeo just to say this: that music is total crap. Elevator muzak garbled by an auto-glitch plugin… extremely annoying and uncreative)",
... | 1,760,376,478.102859 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/21/rotary-phone-museum-exhibit/ | Rotary Phone Museum Exhibit | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"exhibit",
"museum",
"relay",
"rotary phone",
"switch"
] | [David Burroughs] wrote in to share
this dial telephone museum exhibit
he built and we’re glad he did because we love interactive museum hacks. He mentions that it’s not really tied to the theme of the
Roads and Rails Museum
in which it’s installed. But when we think of railroad history we also think of telegraph. And that’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from telephones.
The display allows museum goers to play with the rotary dial on the phone. The box next two it contains a 10-position relay increment switch. So each pulse from the dial increments the switch. There’s a satisfying click, a moving arm, and different colored LEDs which highlight the inner workings. An Arduino board monitors the phone, displaying the dialed number on a seven segment display then incrementing the relay.
We figure the interesting part is to see that telephony used to use mechanical switching like this. But the video below includes a story about the kid who asked how you carried this phone around. This brings to mind the phrase “hang up the phone”, which doesn’t have the same literal meaning it used to. | 41 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045550",
"author": "Erik Johnson",
"timestamp": "2013-08-22T02:24:50",
"content": "I’m not sure I understand the purpose of the arduino, is it just to delay pulses between the 7seg counter and the stepper relay?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
... | 1,760,376,477.889967 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/21/amazing-flight-of-a-3d-printed-rubber-band-powered-ornithopter/ | Amazing Flight Of A 3D Printed Rubber Band Powered Ornithopter | Mike Szczys | [
"3d Printer hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"3d printed",
"airplane",
"ornithopter",
"rubber band"
] | We’re actually going to link to an old post from back in February because we think it’s equally as impressive as the most recent work. This is
a 3D printed ornithopter powered by a rubber band
(
translated
). The frame is much like a traditional rubber band plane. The difference is that after winding it up it doesn’t spin a propeller. The flapping of the four plastic membrane wings makes it fly like magic. Seriously, check out the demo below… we almost posted this as “Real or Fake?” feature if we hadn’t seen
similar offerings a couple of years back
.
The flight lasts a relatively long time when considering the quick winding before launch is all that powered it. But
the most recent offerings
(
translated
) from the site include the motorized ornithopter design seen above. It carries a small Lithium cell for continuous flight. These designs have a 3D printed gear system which makes them a bit more complicated, but brings steering and remote control to the party. If you want one of your own they’re working on a small run of kits. We figure it’d be a lot more fun to prototype and print your own. Sure, it’s reinventing the wheel. But it’s a really cool wheel!
[via
Hacked Gadgets
] | 10 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045423",
"author": "Vonskippy",
"timestamp": "2013-08-21T19:16:16",
"content": "The rubber band version actually flew better, the motor powered one is on the verge of a power on stall pretty much all the time.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
... | 1,760,376,478.146918 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/21/ultrasonic-anemometer-for-an-absurdly-accurate-weather-station/ | Ultrasonic Anemometer For An Absurdly Accurate Weather Station | Brian Benchoff | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"anemometer",
"ultrasonic",
"weather station",
"wind sensor"
] | With his meteorological interests, [Carl] builds weather stations. Temperature and humidity sensors are a dime a dozen, but with his DIY ingenuity, [Carl] has built some very interesting and complicated devices. The latest of which
is an ultrasonic wind sensor
that uses the time of flight of ultrasonic pulses to detect how fast the wind is blowing.
[Carl]’s sensor uses four ultrasonic transducers aligned to North, South, East, and West to detect the wind speed. By measuring the time it takes an ultrasonic pulse to travel between the sensors indoors, Subtracting the in-situ measurement gives him the time of flight for each axis, and thus the wind speed.
It’s an impressive display of engineering that comes with
an amazingly detailed design report
. After three months of operation, [Carl] has found his ultrasonic anemometer is better than the traditional mechanical ‘egg-cup’ anemometer at measuring low wind speeds. The only real problem with the build is the fact the design makes a great bird perch, but some fine steel wire quickly corrected that problem. | 41 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "1045371",
"author": "Robot",
"timestamp": "2013-08-21T17:17:38",
"content": "That is one of the most informative forum threads I have ever seen. Can’t wait to read the project documentation over lunch.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_... | 1,760,376,478.225056 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/20/twitter-knitter-combines-40-year-old-hardware-with-modern-social-media/ | Twitter Knitter Combines 40 Year Old Hardware With Modern Social Media | Michael Ciuffo | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Hackerspaces"
] | [
"arduino",
"knitting",
"servo",
"twitter"
] | When presented with a vintage Empisal Knitmaster knitting machine, members of the TOG Dublin Hackerspace worked together to not only bring it back from the dead but to also add some custom hardware that allows for
computer generated patterns.
At first the Knitmaster was in fairly bad shape requiring a few
custom machined parts
just to function. It was originally designed to feed in special punch cards that mechanically directed the many moving parts of the machine (called “dibblers”) to knit patterns in yarn. Using an Arduino, a number of servos, and a microswitch to detect when the knitting carriage is pulled across, this card-read system was replaced with a computer controlled mechanism that can direct the machine to print out images one row at a time.
Of course, you don’t get too many opportunities to name your project something as cute as “The Twitter Knitter”, so once the system was working, it was only a matter of writing some code to snatch tweets from the web and generate images out of the text. Visitors of the Dublin Mini Maker Faire got to watch it in action as they posted tweets with a particular hashtag which the machine happily printed in yarn (as long as they weren’t
too
long).
Video demo after the jump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xiKGY3ycm8 | 12 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044896",
"author": "theTwiz",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T16:21:11",
"content": "Gee, you knit?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1044899",
"author": "Robot",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T16:36:12",
"content": ... | 1,760,376,478.275287 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/20/update-testing-the-accuracy-of-a-magnetic-rotary-encoder/ | Update: Testing The Accuracy Of A Magnetic Rotary Encoder | Mathieu Stephan | [
"hardware"
] | [
"as5043",
"magnetic rotary encoder",
"rotary encoder",
"sensor"
] | A while back we featured a magnetic rotary encoder that [LongHairedHacker] designed. The heart of the system is an AS5043 magnetic rotary sensor which runs from $6.5-$11 and has a 10 bits precision. As we wanted to check if his design was really efficient, he made a
test bench for it
.
For 360 degrees, a 10 bits precision means a ±0.175º accuracy, which is quite impossible to check with conventional measurement equipment. The first approach he thought of was to attach a mirror to the encoders axis and point a laser beam at it. The laser beam would be reflected across the room to a big scale, but the minimum required distance would have been 5 meters (16 feet). So he preferred attaching a motor to the sensor, rotating at a given speed and measuring the sensor output.
In the first part of his write-up, [LongHairedHacker] lays the math which explains the different kinds of errors that should be expected from his setup and sensor. He then proceeds with his test, where an ATMEGA8 based board is used to send the measured position to his computer. It should be noted that [LongHairedHacker] currently uses the time spent between two received measurements on his computer as a time base, but he is planning on time stamping the data on his board in the next future. Nevertheless, he managed to measure an average
±0.179º
accuracy with his simple test bench, which is very close to the manufacturer specification.
Here is the link
to our original post about his sensor. | 27 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044862",
"author": "Emile",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T15:22:40",
"content": "LongHairedHacker is also running a fundraiser for this on Tindie right now!https://www.tindie.com/products/LongHairedHacker/sindri-magnetic-rotary-encoder-1/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"re... | 1,760,376,478.464059 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/20/fix-a-keyboards-firmware-with-trial-error-and-i2c/ | Fix A Keyboard’s Firmware With Trial, Error, And I2C | Marsh | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"eeprom",
"i2c",
"keyboard",
"usb"
] | If the media shortcut keys on your keyboard don’t function correctly due to outdated firmware, the manufacturer may recommend you ship it to them for an update. [Alvaro] didn’t care to wait that long, so he
cracked it open and taught himself how to mod the EEPROM
. The result is a well-documented breakdown of sorting out the keyboard’s guts. Inside he finds a USB hub, which he ignores, and the keyboard controller chip, which he attacks. Two data sheets and a schematic later, [Alvaro] breaks out the logic analyzer to compare physical key presses to the keypad codes they output.
He dumps the entire EEPROM and follows up with a quick flash via I2C to change the “next song” key to instead output the letter “a”. That seems to work, so [Alvaro] combs through an HID USB usage table for some codes and has to guess which ones will properly control Spotify. He converts the media keys from “scan next” and “scan previous” to “rewind” and “fast forward.” Problem solved.
[Alvaro] had zero knowledge of keyboards prior to opening this one up. If you aren’t already taking things apart to see how they function and how to fix them, hopefully his success will persuade you to explore and learn about those “black boxes” in your home. And, if you’ve never used I2C before—or think it might be the name of a boy band—head over to [Kevin’s] tutorial on
bitbanging I2C by hand
. | 20 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044827",
"author": "ejonesss",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T13:27:58",
"content": "there are macro programs that can allow you to re assign keys",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1044850",
"author": "Nick",
"timesta... | 1,760,376,478.527746 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/20/getting-boxeebox-root-and-making-it-useful-again/ | Getting Boxeebox Root And Making It Useful Again | Brian Benchoff | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"boxee",
"boxee box"
] | When it was released just three years ago, the Boxee Box – a set-top box designed to run the Boxee HTPC environment – was a pretty cool little device. Even though it was somewhat crippled from the get-go, the Boxee Box had a lot of neat features including a remote with a QWERTY keyboard, the ability to stream media over a home network, and automatic scraping of IMDB for proper info for all your torrented media.
Team Boxee recently left for Samsung
, and the severs have been shut down, but that doesn’t mean your Boxee Box has outlived its usefulness. Here’s a few hacks to get your Boxee Box up and running again, sent in by [Ryan].
Last year at DEFCON 20, [GTVHacker] demonstrated
two ways to get root
on the original Boxee Box. The first is a software root method that runs a shell script on every boot. The second is a far more elegant hardware modification that involves cutting two traces and soldering wires to a UART adapter.
Root is fine, but what the Boxee Box really needs is an update to its media player.
Boxeehack
does just this and only requires a USB stick for installation. Boxeehack puts back some of the default XMBC functions that were removed from the Boxee Box, and gives anyone running this media center root.
It may be old and unsupported, but there’s still plenty of life left in the Boxee Box. They’re also pretty cheap, so if you’re looking for a small media player for your TV, you might want to think about picking one of these boxes up. | 41 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044803",
"author": "Freek de Greef",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T11:12:50",
"content": "I have one and am running Boxeehack. Great little player, combined with a NAS with RSS torrent support and the Netflix app and Spotify app’s it’s a great device with. But I’m open to suggestions fo... | 1,760,376,478.605785 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/reverse-engineering-old-finnish-metro-station-displays/ | Reverse-engineering Old Finnish Metro Station Displays | Mathieu Stephan | [
"hardware",
"Teardown"
] | [
"metro display",
"reverse engineering",
"Teensy"
] | This project definitely was a patience tester. As the control system of the Helsinki metro was (and still is) under big renovation, [Konsta] could buy three
old information displays
for a very cheap price (5€ each). However, these displays came with no information whatsoever about the way to drive them, thus starting a long reverse-engineering journey.
[Konsta] started by taking one apart, discovering that each side of the display was composed of 10 daisy-chained LCD screens and some kind of control box. As you may have guessed, the key to reverse engineering the display was studying the contents of this box. It turned out that the control electronics were composed of an 8085 CPU, some RAM, a peripheral I/O chip, an UV-erasable EPROM chip (containing 32KB of program memory) and an EEPROM.
[Konsta] used an AVR to dump the memory contents of the two latter chips and it was at this part of the project that the Helsinki Hacklab joined in. Together, they reverse engineered the control PCB, studied the assembler code, sniffed the different on-board buses to fully understand how the display could be controlled.
We strongly recommend reading [Konsta]’s writeup, especially knowing that he made this english page just for us! | 7 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044749",
"author": "polossatik",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T08:31:00",
"content": "Now that’s a hack. Cool display but a bit big for in the kitchen :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1044752",
"author": "Muttitude",
"time... | 1,760,376,478.896796 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/building-a-pinball-out-of-its-playfield/ | Building An Entire Pinball Machine From Just The Playfield | Mathieu Stephan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Raspberry Pi"
] | [
"arduino",
"pinball",
"raspberry pi",
"solenoids"
] | It all started when [Iancole]
bought a Fireball Home edition playfield
on some famous auction website for $135. Originally, he had the intent of lighting the lamps with an Arduino, framing it, and hanging it on the wall of his office — which
often happens with old pinball parts
. But then his boys asked if he “could make it play”.
[Iancole] managed to find the pinball schematics online and started designing the electronics required by the many LEDs, solenoids and switches. As the LEDs and switches are on the same matrix, he chose a simple Arduino to cycle through them, giving the player the impression that the lights are constantly on. [Iancole] originally planned on using his raspberry Pi to control the solenoids, but he later switched to another Arduino because of the precise timing required.
Therefore, his Pi was used as the heart of the machine. It is interfaced to the two Arduinos to read states and send commands while running the game program, displaying HD graphics on a 24″ screen, playing music and game event sounds. All the electronics are proudly displayed on the backbox, and many developments are planned for it. Also, the machine will be on display at the
Orlando Mini Maker Faire
on October 5th! | 9 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044583",
"author": "Rob",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T23:34:04",
"content": "Absolutely fantastic! Hope to see more updates on the progress of this project in the future here on HAD! Nicely done!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "10... | 1,760,376,478.798433 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/controlling-chromecast-aircast-apk-released/ | Controlling Chromecast: AirCast APK Released | Marsh | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"api",
"chromecast",
"google",
"google APK",
"sdk"
] | [Koush] is at it again, this time
releasing AirCast, an Android app that’ll push videos
to the Chromecast from Dropbox, Google Drive, and your phone’s Gallery. Astute Hackaday readers will recall that AirCast has
been around for a few weeks now
, but limited to only his whitelisted Chromecast. As [Koush] explains it, he had to reverse engineer the protocols and now he simply avoids the Chromecast SDK entirely. If you’re lucky enough to have a Chromecast, you’ll want to
hurry and grab the APK
(direct download link) and have some fun with it before it self-destructs. [Koush] isn’t ready to release it for more than a 48 hour period, but we encourage you to take advantage of AirCast and contribute to his call for feedback, bugs, and crash reports. You have a little under a day left.
See “AllCast” work its magic in the video below. No, that’s not a typo. Apparently [Koush] has been struggling with available names for the app, and you’ll hear him call it “AllCast” in the Youtube video. That name was taken for some other product, though, and “AirCast” has now replaced it. If you suddenly regret not immediately ordering a Chromecast and are sitting this one out,
go read [Mike’s] rant
and get psyched up for when they’re back in stock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SShcS9fN0_0 | 15 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044533",
"author": "Jon",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T21:24:36",
"content": "Got it installed, thanks! Will try this out on my Chromecast when I get home. Perfect timing, I’m about to take a trip to NY and will be relying on my Chromecast for entertainment outside of conference hour... | 1,760,376,478.849082 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/adult-sized-baking-powder-submarine/ | Adult Sized Baking Powder Submarine | Mike Szczys | [
"chemistry hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"baking soda",
"cereal prize",
"submarine"
] | It really doesn’t matter what age you are, we’re sure you remember baking powder submarines. That’s because cereal manufacturers have been including them as prizes since the advent of injection molded plastic. Fill them with baking soda and take them in the bath with you. They gently dive and surface. The problem is that the cereal prizes were tiny. Now you can relive your childhood with
an adult size version of your own making
.
The submarine is basically a hunk of PVC with a conning tower to keep it upright and a chunk of hose into which the baking powder is placed. The idea is that the powdery acid and base that makes up the stuff reacts when hit with water. This gives off a bit of carbon dioxide, which makes the sub float to the surface until the bubble escapes and is replaced with water to again sink the ship. The difficult part is to find the right buoyancy (using wine bottle cork) so that the bubble is all it takes to oscillate between the surface and the watery depths.
Watch it go in the video after the break. | 25 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044506",
"author": "john",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T19:40:48",
"content": "Who else read “adult sized” and thought “large enough to house an adult human”?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1044538",
"author": "Tim",
... | 1,760,376,478.751821 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/nespo-another-3d-printed-portable-nes/ | NESPo: Another 3D Printed Portable NES | Marsh | [
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"3d printer",
"console modding",
"nes",
"NES portable",
"portable"
] | Grab your favorite cartridge and violently blow into the end, because [Dave Nunez] is sending us on a nostalgia trip with his
3D printed portable NES
. He takes the typical route of chopping up a Nintendo on a chip (NOAC) retro machine rather than sacrifice a real NES, and opts for a NiMH battery over lithium (which isn’t a bad idea; they
can
burst into flames
if you charge them incorrectly). The battery life is, however, tolerable: 2.5 to 3 hours.
All the components are packed into a custom-made 3D printed PLA enclosure, which [Dave] kindly
shares on thingiverse
. He also decided to 3D print each of the buttons and their bezels/housings, which he then topped off by cutting acrylic sheets that seal up the front and back. As a final touch, [Dave] slips in some custom art under the acrylic and mounts a printed LED nameplate in the corner.
We’ve seen [Dave’s] work at Hackaday before, when he built a
one-size-fits-all-consoles arcade controller
. | 6 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044598",
"author": "Emeryth",
"timestamp": "2013-08-20T00:18:07",
"content": "I wish people would stop spreading anti lithium battery paranoia.Lithium-ion charging ICs are very cheap and simple, and if you’re really worried, you can get cells with built-in protection circuits.",
... | 1,760,376,478.942909 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/on-not-getting-metal-fume-fever-with-galvanized-conduit/ | On Not Getting Metal Fume Fever With Galvanized Conduit | Brian Benchoff | [
"chemistry hacks"
] | [
"galvanized",
"galvanized conduit",
"metal fume fever",
"steel",
"welding",
"zinc"
] | You can find galvanized steel pipes at Home Depots and construction sites all around the world. These relatively thin-walled steel pipes would make for great structural members if it weren’t for the fact they were covered in a protective layer of zinc. This layer of galvanization lends itself to crappy welds and some terrible fumes, but badass, TV personality, and hacker extraordinaire [Hackett] shows us
how to strip the galvanization off these pipes
with chemicals available at any hardware store.
Since the galvanization on these pipes covers the inside and the outside, grinding the small layer of zinc off these pipes is difficult at best. To be sure he gets all the zinc off this pipe, [Hackett] decided to chemically strip the pipes with a cup full of muriatic acid.
The process is simple enough – fill a cup with acid, dunk the ends of the pipes, and clean everything up with baking soda. A great way to turn scrap pipe into a usable material, make a cool paper mache volcano, and avoid
‘ol galvie flu
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tld3onsUVE&w=580] | 46 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044459",
"author": "Christian Restifo (@restifo)",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T17:30:51",
"content": "FYI. Most conduit is painted on the inside to make it easier to pull cable. Acid will not remove it and it will protect the zinc underneath. When you weld, that paint is gonna burn an... | 1,760,376,479.107205 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/lou-puts-invisible-fence-inside-and-outside-is-home/ | [Lou] Puts Invisible Fence Inside And Outside His Home | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"dog",
"invisibile fence",
"shock collar"
] | Leave it to [Lou Wozniak] to go
beyond ordinary when installing invisible fencing
. Invisible fence is an electronic system that contains your dog by triggering a shock collar. The install requires a loop of wire to generate a field detected by the collar.
[Lou] starts off by buying a do it yourself kit. He has previous experience with this (check out his
battery hack for the collars
) and found that the cheap solid core wire didn’t hold up to animals and shovel accidents. He headed down to the hardware store and came back with a spool of stranded wire with extra thick insulation which should hold up much better.
The image above shows the model he built to plan for the installation. He’s not just making a single area in the yard. Look closely and you’ll see he’s going to use it to keep the dogs out of the dining room as well. This loop will be installed just below the floor from the basement.
With planning behind him he doesn’t fail to innovate with the installation technique. He recommends an angle grinder with a diamond blade to cut the slot for the wire in your yard. The one caveat being that you need to wait until the yard is super dry or it will muck up the blade. Dry dirt creates a lot of dust, but he uses a leaf blower or floor fan to blow it away from him as it works. To help minimize the amount of shocks the dogs receive while learning their new area he placed some white rope above the wire run as a visual cue. | 55 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044422",
"author": "Acce",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T16:13:48",
"content": "I’m sure that white rope will be _really_ helpful for the dog to realize he’s gonna get shocked when he goes beyond. Nice build, but not very nice to the dog.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"re... | 1,760,376,479.561417 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/bode-plots-on-an-oscilloscope/ | Bode Plots On An Oscilloscope | Brian Benchoff | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"Bode plots",
"frequency",
"frequency response",
"oscilloscope"
] | Bode plots – or frequency response graphs – are found in just about every piece of literature for high-end audio equipment. It’s a simple idea, graphing frequency over amplitude, but making one of these graphs at home usually means using a soundcard, an Excel spreadsheet and a multimeter, or some other inelegant solution. Following a neat tutorial from [Dave Jones], [Andrew] came up with a very simple way to
make a Bode plot in real-time with an oscilloscope, a microcontroller, and a few off-the-shelf parts
.
The basic idea behind
[Dave Jones]’ impromptu Bode plotter
is to configure a frequency generator to output a sine wave that ramps up over a period of time. Feed this sine wave through a filter, and you have amplitude on the vertical axis of your ‘scope and frequency on the horizontal axis. Boom, there’s your Bode plot.
[Andrew] did [Dave] one better by creating a small circuit with an Arduino and an
AD9850 sine wave generator
. Properly programmed, the AD9850 can ramp up the frequency of a sine wave with the Arduino outputting sync pulses every decade or octave of frequency, depending if you want a linear or log Bode plot.
It’s a nifty little tool, and when it comes to building test equipment from stuff that just happens to by lying around, we’ve got to give it up for [Andrew] for his really cool implementation. | 9 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044411",
"author": "cooperised",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T15:29:57",
"content": "It’s not actually a Bode plot unless it’s logarithmic in both axes – that’s what causes the straight lines of the Bode approximations to appear in plots of linear filters. Still a nicely executed proj... | 1,760,376,479.211629 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/compact-fluorescent-grow-light/ | Compact Fluorescent Grow Light | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"cfl",
"compact fluorescent",
"grow lights"
] | Spring is on the way for our friends down under. With that in mind [x2Jiggy]
built this compact fluorescent grow lamp
to help start the seeds for his garden. He used materials that are easy to find, and multiple bulbs means that you can mix and match their color warmth in order to get the wavelengths of light best for plant growth.
He started by building the box out of MDF. It is lined mostly with a reflector meant to go in your car’s windshield when you leave it in a hot parking lot. He sealed the seams of the reflector using what he calls flashing tape. This is the rubbery type of stuff used as soft flashing around windows.
The bulb sockets came from an old string of party lights. Wiring is run through plastic junction boxes which keeps the setup code-compliant. Each of the CFLs draw 20 Watts for a total consumption of 160 Watts. Combine this with
a DIY hydroponic tent
and you’ll be eating fresh greens year round.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eFpTvzV3yY | 34 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044361",
"author": "Freek de Greef",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T13:03:41",
"content": "“seeds for his garden”Uhu. :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1044366",
"author": "Hirudinea",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T13:1... | 1,760,376,479.292533 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/19/rescuing-an-sd-card-with-an-arduino/ | Rescuing An SD Card With An Arduino | Brian Benchoff | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"data recovery",
"sd",
"sd card",
"SDIO",
"spi"
] | A few days ago, one of [Severin]’s SD cards died on him, Instead of trashing the card, he decided to investigate what was actually wrong with the card and
ended up recovering most of the data
using an Arduino and an immense amount of cleverness.
SD cards can be accessed with two modes. The first is the SDIO mode, which is what cameras, laptops, and other card readers use. The second mode is SPI mode. SPI is slower, but much, much simpler. It turned out the SDIO mode on [Severin]’s card was broken, but accessing it with an Arduino and SPI mode worked. There was finally hope to get files off this damaged card.
[Severin] used a few sketches to dump the data on the SD card to his computer. The first looked at the file system and grabbed a list of files contained on the card. The second iterated over the file system and output all the files in hex over the serial port. With a bit of Python, [Severin] was able to reconstruct a few files that were previously lost forever.
Even though the SD card was completely inaccessible with a normal card reader, [Severin] was able to get a few files off the card. All the sketches and Python scripts are available
on the Githubs
, ready to recover files from your broken SD cards. | 25 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044339",
"author": "Ollie",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T11:46:12",
"content": "This is really cool, and so useful. I hope he spends some effort publicising it because this could save a lot of people a lot of heartache!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
... | 1,760,376,479.353465 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/18/hackaday-links-august-18-2013/ | Hackaday Links: August 18, 2013 | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday Columns",
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"10f322",
"arduino",
"bunnie",
"lock picking",
"paper airplane",
"pic",
"pong",
"venturi effect"
] | Let’s start off with some lock picking. Can you be prosecuted if it was your bird that broke into something? Here’s
video of a Cockatoo breaking into a puzzle box
as part of an Oxford University study. [Thanks Ferdinand via
Endandit
]
[Augybendogy] needed a vacuum pump. He headed off to his local TechShop and
machined a fitting for his air compressor
. It uses the
Venturi Effect
to generate a vacuum.
Build
your own Arduino cluster
using this shield designed by [Bertus Kruger]. Each shield has its own ATmega328. Many can be stacked on top of an Arduino board, using I2C for communications.
[Bunnie Huang] has been publishing articles a few articles on Medium called “Exit Reviews”. As a treasured piece of personal electronics is retired he pulls it apart to see what kind of abuse it stood up to over its life. We found
his recent article on his Galaxy S II
quite interesting. There’s chips in the glass, scuffs on the bezel, cracks on the case, and pervasive gunk on the internals.
We’d love to see how this
this paper airplane folder and launcher
is put together. If you know of a post that shares more details
please let us know
.
Squeezing the most out of a tiny microcontroller was a challenge. But [Jacques] reports that he managed to
get a PIC 10F322 to play a game of Pong
(
translated
). It even generates an NTSC composite video signal! Watch the
demo video here
. | 16 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044157",
"author": "JJ",
"timestamp": "2013-08-18T21:54:16",
"content": "Not knocking the build, but you can buy a venturi type vacuum pump for $15 @ Harbor Freight.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1044210",
"author":... | 1,760,376,479.7278 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/18/3d-printed-arc-reactor-replica/ | 3D Printed Arc Reactor Replica | Mike Szczys | [
"3d Printer hacks"
] | [
"123d",
"arc reactor",
"cad",
"prop",
"replica"
] | [James] just keeps cranking on the idea of the perfect arc reactor replica. This time around
he’s made most of the parts using a 3D printer
. His write-up covers the basics of the build, but he also used this opportunity to make some tutorial videos on designing the parts using Autodesk 123D.
This is definitely an improvement on his last prop, which was
built out of dollar store parts
. When designing the components he tried to be as true to the original movie design as possible, while keeping in mind the limitations of using a home 3D printer; he printed them on a Lolzbot AO-101.
The videos below give you a good idea of what it’s like to model parts using 123D. The tool set is pretty simple compared to something like Blender 3D. But [James] uses them in such a way that the components get complex fairly quickly. The second video includes some footage of the parts being printed, as well as the assembly process that adds wrapped wire for looks, and LEDs for illumination. | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044150",
"author": "Mystick",
"timestamp": "2013-08-18T21:17:35",
"content": "Reminds me of an old piezo-mic/buzzer…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "1044307",
"author": "Eirinn",
"timestamp": "2013-08-19T09:01:25",
... | 1,760,376,479.607168 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2013/08/18/wrist-mounted-flamethrower-on-the-cheap/ | Wrist-mounted Flamethrower On The Cheap | Marsh | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"fire",
"flame thrower",
"propane"
] | Everyone wants to be Iron Man these days, but without a spare arc reactor lying around, you’ll have to settle on building a backup suit component. [Xavier] documents his take on the wrist-mounted flamethrower in this
dirt-cheap and unquestionably dangerous build
. Cobbled together from parts found at a local hardware store, this glove has the typical “ready” setting with a small flame that, upon turning one’s wrist, erupts into a loud and large swath of flames. We suspect the mask worn in the video below doubles as identity protection and to prevent accidental hair conflagrations. Skip to the end for a demonstration.
Though not the first flamethrower build at Hackaday, [Xavier’s] is the only one with a guide and is certainly the cheapest. Be sure to look into the
second generation
of the Prometheus flame thrower and its
subsequent third version
that we featured a couple of years back. Not everyone’s flamethrower is wrist-mounted; some people put them
inside a trombone
. Remember, don’t try this at home. | 18 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "1044100",
"author": "Josh Marsh",
"timestamp": "2013-08-18T18:27:16",
"content": "I feel obligated to mention: I’m aware that this wrist mount bears closer resemblance to Pyro’s from the X-Men movie moreso than the flamethrower in the first Iron Man film. (Though, I can’t remember i... | 1,760,376,479.668925 |
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