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https://hackaday.com/2012/07/18/midi-swiss-army-knife-built-from-an-msp430/ | MIDI Swiss Army Knife Built From An MSP430 | Brian Benchoff | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"arpeggiator",
"CV",
"harmonizer",
"midi",
"msp430"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hvQUXcXlEg&w=470]
Hot off the heels of his web server for the TI MSP430, [Rob] shared
a MIDI booster pack
for the MSP430 LaunchPad, an exceedingly inexpensive and ever more capable microcontroller that is getting somewhat of a cult following.
[Rob]’s MIDI booster pack contains a MIDI in and out port as well as just about whatever MIDI manipulation apps his mind can dream up. So far, [Rob] has a MIDI arpeggiator, a harmonizer, an echo, filter, s MIDI monitor that displays incoming messages on a Nokia LCD, and a controller that interfaces with a light sensor or joystick to manipulate MIDI variables.
Back in the 80s (and 90s, and even into the aughts), a dedicated MIDI arp or harmonizer was a crazy expensive piece of kit, especially considering how simple the device is. Those dedicated rackmount boxes can now be replaced with a
TI LaunchPad
and [Rob]’s booster pack.
You can check out the arp and harmonizer in action after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut4geK5aOvE&w=470]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hvQUXcXlEg&w=470] | 4 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "707176",
"author": "echodelta",
"timestamp": "2012-07-19T09:54:48",
"content": "I can’t hear it on this laptop, very weak audio.Great hack can’t follow demo though.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "707416",
"author": "cjwooda... | 1,760,376,803.564077 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/18/the-many-iterations-of-joes-pcb-business-card/ | The Many Iterations Of [Joe’s] PCB Business Card | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"attiny10",
"business card",
"led",
"pcb",
"touch sensor"
] | [Joe Colosimo] is putting on a show with
his PCB business card project
. The idea isn’t new, but his goal is to keep it simple and undercut the cost of all other PCB cards he’s seen. This is the third generation of the board design, and he’s just waiting on some solder mask solution before he tries running it through the reflow oven.
The first two prototypes used some through-hole parts. Notably, the battery was to be positioned in a circular cut-out and held in place by a metal strap and some bare wires. But he couldn’t quite get it to work right so this design will transition to a surface-mount strap for one side, and the large circular pad for the other. At each corner of the board there is a footprint for an LED. He tried milling holes in the board to edge-light the substrate. Now he just mounts the LED upside down to give the board a blue glow. The LEDs are driven by an ATtiny10 microcontroller which takes input from the touch sensor array at the bottom right.
He etched a QR code on the board which seems to work better than
the milled QR experiments
we saw back in April. The link at the top point’s to [Joe’s] main page on the card. Don’t forget to follow the links at the bottom which cover each part of the development more in-depth.
[Thanks Skitchin] | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "706682",
"author": "Dane",
"timestamp": "2012-07-18T20:37:31",
"content": "Awesome work Joe! it was interesting to see the development.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "706991",
"author": "adcurtin",
"timestamp": "2012-07... | 1,760,376,803.277503 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/18/monitoring-your-home-energy-use/ | Monitoring Your Home Energy Use | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"energy monitor",
"power meter"
] | [Dave’s] been elbow-deep in mains voltage while
building this home energy monitoring rig
. He started with an approach that is different from most we’ve seen before. He wanted a system that could make a linear measurement to keep the accuracy as high as possible. His first thought was to use a opto-isolated linear amplifier to measure voltage, but ended up altering that plan since he’s looking for digital values when all is said and done.
He’s using an ADC on the mains side of the interface board, then sending the digital values to an Arduino with opto-isolators to keep the high voltage separate from the low. This does complicate things a little bit, as he has low voltage rails on either side; 0V and 5V to run the ADC on the mains side, and separate 0V and 5V to run the Arduino. To solve the problem of accurate current measurement over the full range a house uses he opted for a Programmable Gain Amplifier. It’s addressed via SPI and allows him to adjust resolution to facilitate accurate measurement of very small currents. We think anyone who has tried to measure small appliances (like an alarm clock) with a Kill-A-Watt and gets a zero reading will appreciate this.
The Arduino sends data via a serial connection, which [Dave] is currently graphing using his laptop. It would be nice to see a simple web-server using the Ethernet shield (or a different board like the RPi) so you could log in from the couch and see what’s been going on with your home grid. | 19 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "706651",
"author": "JB",
"timestamp": "2012-07-18T20:03:27",
"content": "Cool project. I have to agree with his own assessment about the heat sink. That thing is barely adequate for a 7805 regulator, let alone a 25A triac :P",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": ... | 1,760,376,803.420273 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/18/sensordrone-really-does-make-your-phone-a-tricoder/ | Sensordrone Really Does Make Your Phone A Tricoder | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"sensor",
"sensordrone",
"tricoder"
] | Sensordrone is a sensor-filled wireless dongle
for use with a smart phone or other computer-like device. But perhaps this is better explained as the thing that makes your smart phone work exactly as the original Star Trek tricorders did. In one had you have the main unit that displays data, in the other you hold the sensor array which you can wave in front of things to take a reading.
This is really just a Bluetooth module, battery, a handful of sensors, and a breakout header all packaged in a nice case. But seeing it used in the video after the break does make us a little giddy. That breakout header gives you the option of connecting the Sensordrone to RS-232 or I2C devices. The first demonstration is a thermal printer being sent a print job from an Android phone. But the dongle isn’t just a pass-through. It comes with a range of sensors (those three windows in the case) for gas sensing, temperature, humidity, pressure, color sensing, and perhaps a few others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KhmvFn0MC4 | 33 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "706561",
"author": "JB",
"timestamp": "2012-07-18T18:10:21",
"content": "Cool. Add some LEDs and a pattern that spins around in the sensor unit:D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "706571",
"author": "Eirinn",
"timestamp": ... | 1,760,376,804.030242 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/high-speed-photography-controller-built-to-catch-water-droplets/ | High Speed Photography Controller Built To Catch Water Droplets | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"arduino mega",
"camera",
"drop",
"dslr",
"high speed photography",
"trigger",
"water"
] | One high-speed photography controller to rule them all
. If you’re looking to photograph droplets of water splashing on a still reservoir this is the ticket. But if you’re not, it still offers an incredible amount of flexibility for other high-speed needs. Inside you’ll find an Arduino Mega, which has plenty of room to bend to your will.
[Michael Ross] is the man behind this box. He wanted a system that did it all; timings, droplet control, camera shutter, etc. What you can’t see in the image above is the interface panel on the back of this enclosure (this shot shows the top of the box). The video after the break will give you a look at the overall setup. It has ports to control two different light sources, detectors to snap the images using an infrared sensor or via sound (we’re thinking
bullet photography
), and four ports to control solenoid valves.
He produced a mammoth PDF tutorial which will guide even the biggest noob through the entire build process. Find it at his site linked above. | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "705757",
"author": "'Duino",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T21:22:14",
"content": "Somebody went on a sparkfun shopping spree! This thing is nice!What kind of latency does it have?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "705802",
"author"... | 1,760,376,803.044837 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/make-your-own-magnetic-ink/ | Make Your Own Magnetic Ink | Mike Szczys | [
"chemistry hacks"
] | [
"acrylic",
"magnetic ink",
"magnetite"
] | Here [Catarina Mota] is showing off a ring of magnetic ink printed on a piece of paper. It’s strong enough to hold a disc magnet in place when the paper is raised vertically. This strength comes from
mixing your own batch of ink
.
Magnetic ink has been around a long time and is
most often used in banking
. The account number and routing number on the bottom left of paper checks are printed in magnetic ink to allow for automated recognition. Iron oxide is charged by the reader as it passes through. In this case,
magnetite
is used as the doping agent as it has very strong ferromagnetic properties. By mixing it with acrylic medium in
a vortex mixer
you end up with a homogeneous ink.
There’s a quick demo after the break that shows how well this printed ring holds the magnet. What are some things for which you would use this ink? Leave a comment to let us know.
http://vimeo.com/4435340
[via
Make
] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "705564",
"author": "BinaryGangster",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T18:28:30",
"content": "Correct Vimeo link: vimeo(DOT)com/44353407",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "705567",
"author": "Thomas",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T18:32:... | 1,760,376,803.524213 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/optical-fiber-twin-flash-adapter/ | Optical Fiber Twin-flash Adapter | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"fiber optics",
"flash",
"locline",
"twin flash"
] | [Marcell] has always been turned off by the price tag of commercially available double flash adapters. He decided to see what kind of performance he could get out of
a flash adapter which he built himself
.
The raw materials used should seem quite familiar. The optical fibers act as a conduit to redirect the light from the flash, but he needed a way to hold them in place. He chose to use
locline
. It’s a product we often see in CNC mill builds to blow debris away from the cutter head. It’s hollow, and holds its position. This is perfect because it allows for easy adjustment and provides a channel through which the fibers can be routed. The Y adapters used here run to a hard board base which connects to the mounting lug on the bottom of the camera. [Marcell] suggests using a T-piece if available because the Y fitting made it a bit more difficult to push the fibers through. | 7 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "705900",
"author": "Ivan",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T23:46:42",
"content": "Too bad they didn’t post any picture…. taken with the system.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "706181",
"author": "Alex",
"timestamp": "... | 1,760,376,803.186479 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/store-your-rfid-transit-card-inside-your-cellphone/ | Store Your RFID Transit Card Inside Your Cellphone | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"acetone",
"cellphone",
"dissolve",
"rfid",
"tag"
] | Check it out, this is a Boston transit pass — or at least the parts of it that matters. [Becky Stern] got rid of the rest in
a bid to embed the RFID tag inside her cellphone
.
The transit pass, called a CharlieCard, started out as a normal credit card shaped tag which you might use for access in the workplace. She unsheathed the chip and its antennae by giving it a generous soak in acetone. In about thirty minutes the plastic card looks more like paper pulp, and you can gently fish out the electronics. These are now small enough to fit in the back cover of a cellphone much like
those inductive charging hacks
.
[Becky] put hers in an iPhone. But the idea comes from [Dhani Sutanto] who used the same technique to extract the coil from a London transit pass. He then
embedded the hardware in a resin cast ring
. | 54 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "705432",
"author": "donnie darko",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T16:19:02",
"content": "I had done this with my rfid badge from work. Depending on the phone, you may have a harder time getting it to read. It won’t fail every time but when it does you end up having to yank the back off ... | 1,760,376,803.361603 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/retrotechtacular-the-birth-of-satellite-communications/ | Retrotechtacular: The Birth Of Satellite Communications | Mike Szczys | [
"Radio Hacks"
] | [
"echo 1",
"project echo",
"satellite",
"telstar 1"
] | Last week was the fifty year anniversary of the launching of Telstar 1, the first communications satellite. Take a look back at the marvel of the early technology as shown in
this newsreel footage about the first broadcast
. The first formal use was a speech by President Kennedy allowing most of Europe to “witness democracy at work”. You’ve got to love that cold war era propaganda.
In addition to this electronics-filled marvel there were other experiments going on at the time that used passive devices as satellites.
Project Echo
sought to put reflective balloons at an altitude where they could be used to bounce signals around the curvature of the earth. This came almost exactly two years before the advent of Telstar 1.
There was a lot of media coverage of this anniversary, but the most interesting for us was
an NPR interview with [Walter Brown]
, one of the engineers who helped build the device. Apparently nuclear weapons testing in space the day before the launch caused the initial tests to fail. | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "705853",
"author": "Hirudinea",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T23:02:46",
"content": "Seems that an “Echo” balloon would be ideal for the first amateur satellite, people could send messages with the same technique Hams use for “Moon Bounce” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EME_(communication... | 1,760,376,803.226462 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/lightweight-web-server-using-the-msp430/ | Lightweight Web Server Using The MSP430 | Brian Benchoff | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"msp430",
"web server"
] | Need a tiny web server? [Rob] over on the 43oh forums
made an Ethernet booster pack
for the very popular TI MSP430 microcontroller. If that’s not enough, [Rob] also put together an all-in-one solution with a MSP430 and Ethernet controller that can be powered by a battery. Along with the web server that fits in just 5k of flash, we’re going to say [Rob] has a very good solution for remote sensing and data logging.
For his Ethernet-enabled 430, [Rob] chose to use the
WIZnet W5200 Ethernet controller
. This chip communicates with the 430 via and SPI interface and has a hardware TCP/IP stack that supports TCP, UDP, and PPPoE, offloading all the low-level stuff off of the 430 and onto the Ethernet controller.
After the break there are a pair of videos of [Rob] showing off his tiny web server. A few neat features include a full memory dump of the 430, as well as a reading the states of all the pins via an HTML page. If you’re looking for a way to collect data over Ethernet, we don’t think you could do better than [Rob]’s tiny 430-based web server. Also, if you’d like to control a few devices over the Internet, [Rob] included a few optoisolators for lights or appliances.
The code is available on the 43oh forum page, but [Rob] says he’ll clean that up and put it in a Git.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xu4rIqPUP0&w=470]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Ng5Kc_LqY&w=470] | 17 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "705356",
"author": "Mark",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T14:57:10",
"content": "Nice job.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "705385",
"author": "Gravis",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T15:23:27",
"content": "using a wiznet chip is... | 1,760,376,803.476199 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/finger-recognition-on-the-kinect/ | Finger Recognition On The Kinect | Brian Benchoff | [
"Kinect hacks"
] | [
"gesture control",
"Kinect",
"UI"
] | The Kinect is awesome, but if you want to do anything at a higher resolution detecting a person’s limbs, you’re out of luck. [Chris McCormick] over at CogniMem has a great solution to this problem:
use a neural network on a chip to recognize fingers
with hardware already connected to your XBox.
The build uses the very cool
CogniMem CM1K
neural network on a chip trained to tell the difference between counting from one to four on a single hand, as well as an ‘a-okay’ sign, Vulcan greeting (shown above), and rocking out at a [Dio] concert. As [Chris] shows us in the video, these finger gestures can be used to draw on a screen and move objects using only an open palm and closed fist; not too far off from the
Minority Report
and
Iron Man
UIs.
If you’d like to duplicate this build, we found the CM1K neural network chip
available here
for a bit more than we’d be willing to pay. A neural net on a chip is an
exceedingly
cool device, but it looks like this build will have to wait for the Kinect 2 to make it down to the consumer and hobbyist arena.
You can check out the videos of Kinect finger recognition in action after the break with
World of Goo
and Google Maps.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0j1YsDmAXA&w=470]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOoxgtlqzhM&w=470] | 9 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "705228",
"author": "jan",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T13:16:36",
"content": "Hmm, apart from being an advert for the chip (which is pretty much expensive “unobtanium” anyway, “call for pricing” being a bad sign), the same application can be done in software. Neural net with 1024 neuron... | 1,760,376,803.610622 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/glass-pcb-led-clock/ | Glass PCB LED Clock | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"74lc164",
"circuit board",
"glass",
"pcb"
] | This
clock looks fantastic because of the glass PCB
used for the build. This banner image allows you to see all the traces and components, but when it is lifted off of the desk surface the LEDs which make up the 7-segment digits appear to be floating.
The concept isn’t new, but it’s a much larger format than we’ve seen before. When we first looked at [CNLohr’s]
glass PCB fabrication
he was using microscope slides. This uses a much larger pane of glass but it seems the fabrication still uses copper foil glued to the glass, then toner transfer etched like normal.
Here he’s testing out some 74LV164 chips as constant current drivers. One of the commenters on
the Reddit thread
is skeptical about using the chip in this way and so are we. But as the video after the break shows, it seems to work (at least for now). [CNLohr] also mentions that the AVR soldered on the display is burnt out which doesn’t help his case. Still, we love the look and can’t wait to see where he goes from here! | 31 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "704411",
"author": "Alex",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T18:26:50",
"content": "COOL",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "704412",
"author": "Robot",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T18:27:02",
"content": "This goes into my project li... | 1,760,376,803.891991 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/firing-rocket-engines-in-the-wrong-direction-this-is-only-a-test/ | Firing Rocket Engines In The Wrong Direction — This Is Only A Test | Mike Szczys | [
"Engine Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"engine",
"model rocket",
"rocket",
"scale",
"thrust"
] | LVL1 has a new rocketeering group.
This rocket engine testing platform
is the first project to come out of
the fledgling club
. The purpose of the tool is to gather empirical data from model rocket engines. Having reliable numbers on thrust over time will allow the team to get their designs right before the physical build even starts.
The rig uses a pine base, with a PVC frame, threaded bolts, and a PVC cuff for mounting the engine in place. It is set to fire up in the air, directing the thrust down onto a scale. The flex sensor in the scale is monitored by an Arduino, and should be able to hold up to the 5000
pounds
grams of thrust max which this type of engines can put out. The data is pushed via USB to a laptop computer where it is stored in a spreadsheet.
Calibration would be an issue here. But as long as they’re always using the same strain sensor the numbers will be accurate enough relative to each other. | 28 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "704347",
"author": "zuph",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T17:18:05",
"content": "5000 Grams!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "704421",
"author": "Mike Szczys",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T18:37:20",
"content": "Q... | 1,760,376,803.959444 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/how-to-earn-your-hackaday-skill-badge/ | How To Earn Your Hackaday Skill Badge | Brian Benchoff | [
"how-to"
] | [
"hackaday",
"how-to",
"skill badge"
] | Since Adafruit released
a few dozen hacker skill badges
, we’ve been waiting for this tip to come in. [phillip torrone] over at Adafruit
posted a requirement sheet
put together by a school teacher-blogger friend aimed at high school students wanting to earn their Hackaday skill badge.
The
requirement list
is heavily influenced by the requirements needed to earn a merit badge in the Boy and Girl scouts – first, do a little research and be able to describe the type of build we usually feature. Then, describe the project to your teacher and directly relate your project to other builds featured on Hackaday. Solid advice, we have to say.
There’s a few solid tips that really help us out; putting up a blog post for your project really helps us out, as does hosting your code on a Git. Videos are always good, and even though I’m partial to Vimeo (these videos just come out looking more professional for some reason), a lot of our commentors prefer YouTube.
About the commentors: the requirement sheet
specifically mentions
ignoring the flame bait comments, something we’d have to agree with.
The comments have gotten better
, but the best way for you (yes, all of you) to help is just hit the report button and
don’t feed the trolls.
If your post doesn’t make Hackaday, don’t feel bad. Before I started working here, I built a Mellotron and submitted it to the tip line. It didn’t get featured, but I just rolled with the punches. Now I’m waiting for a Raspberry Pi to come in so I can update that build and give it the rollout it deserves. If your build gets skipped, just re-submit a week or so later. We’re a fickle bunch and sometimes projects waste away in the tip line, especially if it’s similar to a recently posted build. | 18 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "704272",
"author": "The mcu formerly known as 1802",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T15:39:08",
"content": "A mellotron?You could always provide a link, even if no one else is interested. Mellotrons are cool, especially if it isn’t a simulated mellotron.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth... | 1,760,376,804.090027 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/improve-your-vision-with-computer-generated-glasses/ | Improve Your Vision With Computer Generated Glasses | Brian Benchoff | [
"Medical Hacks"
] | [
"contact lenses",
"eyeglasses",
"siggraph",
"vision correction"
] | [Vitor Pamplona] sent in a project presented at this years SIGGRAPH. It’s a piece of hardware
that corrects vision without the need for lenses
. Yep. software-defined eyeglasses now exist, even if the project is a bit bulky for daily wear.
[Vitor] et al came up with two versions of hardware for this project. The first is a dual stack of high-resolution LCD displays, while the second revision is an LCD with a lenticular overlay. With this hardware, the team can change the focal plane of an entire image, or just subsets of an image allowing for customized vision correction for anyone with nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia, and even cataracts.
With plenty of head-mounted augmented reality platforms coming down the pipe such as
Google’s Project Glass
and a few
retina displays
, we could see this type of software-defined vision correction being
very
useful for the 75% of adults who use some form of vision correction. It may just be a small step towards the creation of a real-life
VISOR
, but we glasses-wearing folk will take what we can get.
You can check out the .PDF of the paper
here
, or watch the video after the break. | 16 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "704363",
"author": "The mcu formerly known as 1802",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T17:27:15",
"content": "Well, once they figure out how to close the loop without manual intervention, this might be something impressive.There now exist variable focus manually adjusted glasses (better than... | 1,760,376,804.191716 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/need-a-quadcopter-transmitter-use-a-ps2-controller/ | Need A Quadcopter Transmitter? Use A PS2 Controller! | Brian Benchoff | [
"Radio Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"2.4 ghz",
"ps2",
"remote control",
"transmitter"
] | After [Pyrofer] built a quadcopter, he purchased a cheap 6-channel transmitter made in China. Unfortunately, that transmitter was terrible so he took an old PS2 controller
and built his own
.
For his build, [Pyrofer] broke out the analog sticks and wired them to an AVR housed in the handle of the controller. The AVR sent commands to a 2.4 GHz radio transmitter powered by a small LiPo battery. With the addition of a few tact switches behind the shoulder buttons of the controller, [Pyrofer] has four axes of control with a few buttons for changing modes on his quadcopter.
This build really doesn’t hold a candle to some of the awesome
DIY RC transmitters
we’ve seen, but we’ve got to give [Pyrofer] credit for coming up with a very simple and easy build. Just about everyone has a PS2 or XBox controller lying around, and with a few extra hardware bits it’s easy to bodge up a decent remote control.
[Pyrofer] used a project called
Funkenschlag
to generate PPM signals, so if you feel the need to replicate this project
send it in
when you’re done. | 22 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "704161",
"author": "rasz",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T13:21:24",
"content": "why bother connecting everything to avr when you can directly speak with the whole pad?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "704186",
"author": "Gra... | 1,760,376,804.391559 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/dealing-with-the-horrors-of-pdfs-by-binding-your-own-books/ | Dealing With The Horrors Of PDFs By Binding Your Own Books | Brian Benchoff | [
"classic hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"book binding"
] | Looking at a few PDFs of data sheets, journal articles, or even complete books can be a pain. Not only do you have to deal with the torment of a PDF reader (we’re looking at you, Adobe), but a purely electronic document misses the beautiful tactile interface available in dead tree format. [samimy] put together
an amazingly professional video
showing us how to turn our convenient yet unwieldy PDFs into paperback books, perfect for a very accessible off-line reference.
[samimy]’s build is basically a few pieces of wood and C clamps designed to compress the printed PDF together. After drilling a few holes along the spine, he stitches the pages together with very strong thread and applies a little glue to the spine. After removing the pages from the press, [samimy] applied a piece of tape to the spine and had a very nice looking paperback book.
While [samimy] is using his binding jig for data sheets, we see no reason why a more prodigious tome couldn’t be created with his rig. A few pages of
marbled paper
and a
leather cover
would result in a beautiful and functional work of art that will be around long after you’re gone. | 66 | 35 | [
{
"comment_id": "704095",
"author": "Eirinn",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T12:03:13",
"content": "Next up an analogue search option for books? :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "721549",
"author": "roadieflip",
"timestamp": "2012-0... | 1,760,376,804.566153 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/rocket-telemetry-from-uav-hardware/ | Rocket Telemetry From UAV Hardware | Brian Benchoff | [
"hardware"
] | [
"ardupilot",
"rocket",
"uav"
] | When we posted our call for rocketry hacks and builds, we expected to see a few altitude sensors and maybe a GPS module or two. Apparently, we forgot similar hardware is very popular in the remote-controlled aircraft world, and can be successfully added to a rocket as [Kevin] and his
ArduPilot equipped J motor rocket
showed us
The
ArduPilot
is a small Arduino comparable board designed for UAVs, quadcopters, and other whirligigs not powered by rocket motors. To get real-time telemetry from his rocket, [Kevin] attached a GPS receiver and an XBee transmitter. When
launched on an H165 motor
, [Kevin] was able to keep a radio lock on his rocket, allowing him to pull down data in real-time.
There are a few drawbacks to using the ArduPilot to collect flight data; the ArduPilot only reports ground speed, a somewhat useless feature if the vehicle is going straight up. Also, there is no way for [Kevin] to record data to an SD card; the ground team must be able to receive the XBee, lest bits of data go missing. For most rockets the radio issue shouldn’t be a problem. [Kevin] launched
the same hardware on a J motor
and was able to receive data from 3600 AGL. | 7 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "704094",
"author": "Mateo",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T11:59:54",
"content": "http://www.pmscientist.net/arduino/ardupilot/ardurocket-buildLinks not work.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "704106",
"author": "Brian Benchof... | 1,760,376,804.134148 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/15/creating-a-decadent-insane-and-depressed-robot-from-internet-ramblings/ | Creating A Decadent, Insane, And Depressed Robot From Internet Ramblings | Brian Benchoff | [
"Software Development"
] | [
"Markov chain",
"ruby"
] | Have you ever wondered what a Tumblr written by a psychotic robot would look like? Wonder no more, because [Lars] has that all figured out.
A few years ago, [Lars] stumbled across lowbrow.com (now defunct, but mirrored
here
), an online confessional and bathroom wall meant to host people’s most private thoughts and actions anonymously. [Lars] wrote a script to pull a random lowbrow post down every minute and threw every unique result into a database.
With about 50 pages of the most depraved and depressing posts of questionable veracity, [Lars] trained a
Markov chain
algorithm to produce paragraphs that imitated the style of lowbrow contributors. This gave [Lars] pages of computer-generated text describing the most decadent, depressing, insane, inane, but overwhelmingly human experiences possible. A few choice quotes from
the output
are:
The llama: nature’s random number generator.
Over 7000 watts of Ol’ Barry whining his ass cheeks to soften the blows.
All through school I was being pulled behind the local St. Benedictine Monastary where I was afraid I don’t know what I thought was the founder pulls back from a discussion about homestarrunner.com
While [Lars]’ script wouldn’t pass a Turing test, we’ve met people who couldn’t do the same. As far as creating a real-life version of Hedonism Bot, HAL, and Marvin from Hitchhiker’s Guide, we’re thinking [Lars] hit the mark.
After the break you can check out a gallery of pics [Lars] put together of from his computer-generated text. You can also grab
the full lowbrow corpus
and
the ruby script
to build your robotic [Kerouac]. | 25 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "703765",
"author": "Hirudinea",
"timestamp": "2012-07-15T20:54:56",
"content": "“… then water jets started assaulting my asshole.” Yes ladies and gentlemen, artificial intelligence has arrived. :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id"... | 1,760,376,804.329707 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/15/a-detailed-explanation-on-speeding-up-avr-division/ | A Detailed Tutorial On Speeding Up AVR Division | Brian Benchoff | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Software Development"
] | [
"assembly",
"AVR",
"division",
"fixed point",
"floating point"
] | [Alan Burlison] is working on an Arduino project with an accelerometer and a few LEDs. Having the LEDs light up as his board is tilted to one side or another is an easy enough project a computer cowboy could whip out in an hour, but [Alan] – ever the perfectionist – decided to optimize his code so his accelerometer-controlled LEDs don’t jitter. The result is
a spectacular blog post
chronicling the pitfalls of floating point math and division on an AVR.
To remove the jitter from his LEDs, [Alan] used a smoothing algorithm known as
an exponential moving average
. This algorithm uses multiplication and is usually implemented using floating point arithmetic. Unfortunately, AVRs don’t have floating point arithmetic so [Alan] used fixed point arithmetic – a system similar to balancing your checkbook in cents rather than dollars.
With a clever use of bit shifting to calculate the average with scaling, [Alan] was able to make the fixed point version nearly six times faster than the floating point algorithm implementation. After digging into the assembly of his fixed point algorithm, he was able to speed it up to 10 times faster than floating point arithmetic.
The takeaway from [Alan]’s adventures in arithmetic is that division on an AVR is
slow.
Not very surprising after you realize the AVR doesn’t have a division instruction. Of course, sometimes you can’t get around having to divide so multiplying by the reciprocal and using fixed point arithmetic is the way to go if speed is an issue.
Sure, squeezing every last cycle out of an 8 bit microcontroller is a bit excessive if you’re just using an Arduino as a switch. If you’re doing something with graphics or need very fast response times, [Alan] gives a lot of really useful tips. | 32 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "703671",
"author": "tuxfool",
"timestamp": "2012-07-15T17:09:42",
"content": "This may be a stupid question, but how do you calculate the reciprocal of a number without dividing?The only way i see this working is if you want to divide by a constant which is pre calculated…",
"pa... | 1,760,376,804.462488 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/15/a-replica-dj-controller-to-rule-them-all/ | A Replica DJ Controller To Rule Them All | Jeremy Cook | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"Apollo 13",
"electronic music",
"Maven",
"Sasha"
] | So like many followers of Hackaday, maybe you’re into electronic music. We’d dare to say though that few of you have the dedication of
[adamdzak]
as he decided to replicate
[Sasha]
‘s custom controller for the
[Abelton Live]
software package. Apparently it’s more difficult than taking apart your DJ Hero controller and hacking it to interface songs on your computer.
The “new” controller is named Apollo, and is meant to be a replica of Sasha’s Maven controller. The build process is well laid out in his post, and the results so far look quite incredible. What’s particularly interesting is the effort taken to reverse engineer this device without ever having been able to use it. Both from a mechanical standpoint and trying to figure out how the buttons are used to control the software must have been quite a challenge. Check out the video after the break to see this new controller in action. | 22 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "703642",
"author": "Hack Man",
"timestamp": "2012-07-15T15:50:24",
"content": "Should of anodized the face. You now have a partial mirror faceplate.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "703652",
"author": "Cynyr",
"timestamp"... | 1,760,376,804.639484 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/15/lvl1-has-a-rocketeers-group-is-not-working-on-icbms/ | LVL1 Has A Rocketeers Group, Is Not Working On ICBMs. | Brian Benchoff | [
"Engine Hacks",
"Hackerspaces"
] | [
"model rocketry",
"rockets"
] | We’re very familiar with the Louisville Hackerspace LVL1 here at Hackaday. From their
GLaDOS-inspired sentient overlord
, an
evil box to filter the Internet
, and
a friggin’ moat
, LVL1 is the closest we’ve got to a mad scientist heard cackling from a wind-swept castle on a stormy night. It turns out
they also have a rocketry program
. Now we’re just waiting for confirmation of their subterranean complex of missile silos.
The rocketery-oriented part of LVL1 spawned from a
University of Louisville’s group
. The goal of the group is to compete in the NASA University Student Launch Initiative, dedicated to competing against other teams to launch a scientific payload to 1 mile AGL. At the competition last May, the team placed 5th out of 42 teams and won the award for best website. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next year.
Even though the team is out of school for the summer, they’re still cooking up a few rocketry hacks. They’ve
built a test stand
to measure the thrust of off-the-shelf motors,
kitbashed a few Estes Baby Berthas
(very awesome and very easy if you have a laser cutter), and
are starting a pulse jet project
.
We’re assuming the LVL1 Rocketeers group is just a front for their yet to be unveiled moon-based “laser” project, but you can check out a few videos from the ULSI competition after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL4leFzR-Ic&w=470] | 5 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "703633",
"author": "escott",
"timestamp": "2012-07-15T15:29:31",
"content": "Slightly tangential, but if someone is bothering to install GLaDOS at their hackerspace, what do they use for a voice synthesizer? “say” just isn’t quite creepy enough, unless someone has some patches? Ye... | 1,760,376,804.790463 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/14/android-oscilloscope-built-from-parts-just-laying-around/ | Android Oscilloscope Built From Parts Just Lying Around | Brian Benchoff | [
"Android Hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"oscilloscope"
] | So you need to debug a circuit and you don’t have an oscilloscope. That’s not a problem thanks to
[retronics] $0 Android oscilloscope
, made with parts he just happened to have lying around.
The heart of every modern oscilloscope is the ADC – the chip that takes analog input and outputs a digital signal. Every Android device has one of these converters connected to the microphone port. All [retronics] needed to do was solder up a 3mm headphone jack, wire in a few resistors, and attach a pair of alligator clips. After installing an
oscilloscope app
, [retronics] had a half decent ‘scope.
Yes, this is truly
a poor man’s oscilloscope
, and [retronics] probably won’t be debugging high frequency RF circuits with his Android microphone jack anytime soon. Low frequency stuff such as audio is where this ‘scope really excels; even more so if
a small preamp
is thrown into the mix.
You can check out [retronics]’ build after the break. Sure, it’s not something for precise and calibrated measurement, but sometimes you only need a tool that will do the job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-I4FT7qdM4 | 36 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "703184",
"author": "Paul Potter",
"timestamp": "2012-07-14T20:56:24",
"content": "Simple, effective, and cheap. I like it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1065877",
"author": "james",
"timestamp": "2013-09-26T2... | 1,760,376,804.858535 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/14/xbmc-hits-android/ | XBMC Hits Android | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"pivos",
"xbmc",
"xios ds"
] | XBMC just issued the announcement we’ve been waiting to hear for some time now.
The Android platform is now officially supported
. Having seen the popularity of this open source media center software, and the willingness of some to spend hundreds of dollars on small computers to use it as their set-top-box interface of choice, we knew it was only a matter of time before a hardware manufacturer stepped up to the plate. In this case it is a company called Pivos Technology Group, who helped fund the push to bring XBMC to Android.
The good news is that the Android version of XBMC should work on a very wide range of devices. The bad news is that it will take a bit of time for that wide range of devices to support hardware video acceleration. Right now the only platform that has the hardware accelration for all video formats is the Pivos XIOS DS unit seen above. Looks a bit like a white version of
the Apple TV
huh? This turns out to be a great alternative to the Apple hardware, which requires a jailbreak to run XBMC and there is no jailbreak available for the current generation of that hardware. You can grab the XIOS DS for about $100-120, and as you can see after the break, it runs XBMC without a hitch, shows the ability to navigate menus while 1080p video is playing, and demonstrates working video plug-ins.
Plus, it’s an Android device with access to apps like any other. We looked around and it seems the Netflix app will work, but there is currently a problem with the video driver on units which have been upgraded to ICS. You can check out
an unboxing of the device in this forum post
, which is where we got the image seen above.
[via
Reddit
] | 71 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "703100",
"author": "Paul",
"timestamp": "2012-07-14T18:50:21",
"content": "Pretty cool. I wonder how this will run on the $99 Ouya?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "703622",
"author": "doragasu",
"timestamp": "... | 1,760,376,804.746475 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/14/printing-a-boat-made-out-of-milk-jugs/ | Printing A Boat Made Out Of Milk Jugs | Brian Benchoff | [
"3d Printer hacks",
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"3d printer",
"milk jug",
"plasma cutter",
"regatta"
] | Today, groups from all over the Pacific Northwest will take up their oars and head over to Green Lake for the 42nd annual Seafair Milk Carton derby. The team who builds the fastest boat made out of milk cartons wins the regatta (and $10,000). This year, we’d put our money on the 3D printer group from the University of Washington; they
printed a boat large enough to carry a person
using crushed melted milk jugs.
After
building a huge extruder
to feed shredded HDPE plastic through a nozzle, the team repurposed an old plasma cutter to serve as an 8-foot-long 3D printer. There were a number of problems the team ran into – getting layers to fuse together, finding a suitable printing surface, and perfecting the art of squeezing melted milk jugs through a heated metal tube – but
the final result
is impressive, to say the least.
As far as how lake-worthy the UW team’s boat is, we have no idea.
The milk jug regatta
will be held later today, and if you have an update of how the team fared,
send us a tip
. | 27 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "702984",
"author": "Wizzard",
"timestamp": "2012-07-14T15:15:10",
"content": "Why not simply mold the melted plastics? Nice job getting another 3D printer job, though ;)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "703218",
"author... | 1,760,376,805.010619 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/make-a-game-for-a-retro-console-win-prizes/ | Make A Game For A Retro Console, Win Prizes | Brian Benchoff | [
"contests",
"Software Development"
] | [
"contest",
"NEO Summer Retro Coding Contest",
"retro console"
] | For all you old-school console hackers out there, there’s a
homebrew coding competition
being held by NeoTeam for all the retro (and not so retro) consoles of yesteryear. If you’ve ever programmed for the NES, GBA, PC Engine, N64, or even the Dreamcast, now’s your chance to write a game or app and hopefully win a small prize and a great deal of street cred.
Last year, the Neo Coding Competition saw some very cool entries such as [smealum]’s amazing work in
bringing Minecraft to the Nintendo DS
([smealum]’s non-forum DScraft page is
here
). DScraft won [smealum] a cool $500 USD, but the bragging rights for bringing Minecraft to the DS are far more valuable than any monetary reward.
There are two categories for the competition, an app division and a game division. All the retro platforms are open for development in this contest, so if you want to write something for your Master System, NES, 32X, or Saturn, you better get started: the contest ends August 20th. | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "705478",
"author": "Jarina Roy",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T17:10:40",
"content": "Hi! participate, There are two categories for you all for the competition, an app division and a game division.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "706... | 1,760,376,804.897488 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/17/atx-benchtop-conversion-retains-safety-features-delivers-plenty-of-current/ | ATX Benchtop Conversion Retains Safety Features, Delivers Plenty Of Current. | Mike Nathan | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"atx",
"benchtop",
"power supply",
"regulated"
] | [Bogin] was looking to add a benchtop power supply to his array of tools, but he didn’t really find any of the online tutorials helpful. Most of what he discovered were simple re-wiring jobs utilizing LM317 regulators and shorted PS-ON pins used to keep the PSUs happily chugging along as if nothing had been changed. No, what [Bogin] wanted was
a serious power supply with short circuit protection and loads of current.
He started the conversion by disassembling a 300 watt ATX power supply that uses a halfbridge design. After identifying the controller chip, a TL494 in this case, he proceeded to tweak the PWM feedback circuit which controls the supply’s output. A few snips here, a few passes with a soldering iron there, and [Bogin] was ready to test out his creation.
He says that it works very well, even under heavy load. His tutorial is specific to these sorts of PSUs, so we would be more than happy to feature similar work done with those that implement other design topologies. In the meantime, be sure to check out a video of the hacked power supply in action below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LBsFrbPzb8&feature=player_embedded&w=470] | 11 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "705177",
"author": "cgimark",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T12:11:42",
"content": "That is a different approach to re-using a pc supply, it needs output protection though. I see a lot of pc power supply used for something else and almost always they rely on the ATX supplies built in pro... | 1,760,376,804.947099 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/cracking-open-an-ancient-avionics-gyroscope/ | Cracking Open An Ancient Avionics Gyroscope | Mike Szczys | [
"hardware"
] | [
"avionics",
"electomechanical",
"gyroscope"
] | This artificial horizon might as well have come from an alien ship. [Mike] somehow manages to get his hands on most interesting equipment, this time its a very old piece of avionics equipment. The mechanical gyroscope functioned as the artificial horizon, and
he’s going to take us inside for a look
. He doesn’t spend quite as much time on it as he did
that thermal imaging camera
, but this electro-mechanical odyssey is just as interesting.
To get the accuracy needed to help keep a plane in the air (well to keep the pilot well-informed anyway) the device needed to be very well manufactured. [Mike] comments several times along the way on how the different rotating parts are so well-balanced and machined that they seem nearly frictionless. It appears that a lot of the positional feedback depends on wirewound resistor rings which connect to a rotating piece via a series of very fine spring wires. As the parts rotate the resistance changes and that’s what gives the feedback. There are also mercury switches to help along the way.
He does his best to explain, but to us the inner workings are still a big mystery. See if you can get a clearer picture from the video after the break.
[Thanks Ubergeek85] | 26 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "704639",
"author": "thevac",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T23:30:18",
"content": "lol fast erection",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "704713",
"author": "ivy",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T00:31:55",
"content": "Not much myster... | 1,760,376,805.124251 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/scratch-built-railroad-crossing-signal/ | Scratch-built Railroad Crossing Signal | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"bell",
"doorbell",
"PVC",
"railroad",
"signal"
] | At first glance you would think this is the real thing, but [Kevin]
built this railroad crossing signal
from parts you can find at the home store. We keep seeing
traffic lights used as web-connected signaling devices
. This would be right at home for that type of setup, but [Kevin] built it with railroad enthusiasts in mind.
He used Google SketchUp to design the frame for the signal, then purchased all of the PVC parts to match those specifications. Some grey spray paint goes a long way to making it look like steel tubing. But this is much easier to work with and he should have no trouble internalizing the wiring later on. The lights themselves are tail lights for a trailer with a decorative trim piece added. He designed his own driver board to switch the lights and ring the doorbell which give the signal some sound. His first version used a 555 timer, this one upgrades to microcontroller. We like what he’s doing in the video after the break, but think the bell speed needs to be doubled for it to mimick the real thing just about perfectly. | 7 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "704774",
"author": "Hackerspacer",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T02:23:43",
"content": "Looks like painted PVC to me. /shrug",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "705001",
"author": "CB4",
"timestamp": "2012-07-17T07:45:1... | 1,760,376,805.053972 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/re-engineering-some-fm-transmitter-firmware/ | Re-engineering Some FM Transmitter Firmware | Mike Szczys | [
"Radio Hacks"
] | [
"atmega48",
"fm transmitter",
"reverse engineering"
] | [Furrteck] had
a little adventure with this FM transmitter
he picked up on eBay. It worked alright, but he wanted to be able to scan through the frequencies, and to have the device return to the same settings after power cycling. He cracked it open and got to work to achieve all of his goals.
The device is driven by an ATmega48, and there’s a 6-pin ISP header on the board. An initial read of the chip wouldn’t work, and he soon discovered the unstable power supply was to blame. After connecting his own regulated source he could read the chip id without a hitch, but the code is locked so no dumping was possible. Fortunately he managed to trace out the board, and includes a full schematic in his write up. With this in hand he erased the chip and started programming his own firmware from the ground up.
The video after the break shows off the completed project. He can now scan through frequencies with audio feedback to let he know when he’s found a station to hijack. The new code will also write a tuned station to EEPROM for use the next time the rig is powered up. | 17 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "704550",
"author": "th3badwolf",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T21:17:14",
"content": "That’s cool.Like really cool. In college I had this exact idea but to use to hijack the professor’s mike (auditorium) to inject music but people on forums were clueless on how to do that,with this write... | 1,760,376,805.288172 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/summer-travel-is-a-breeze-with-this-scooter-trunk/ | Summer Travel Is A Breeze With This Scooter Trunk | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"baggage",
"scooter",
"travel",
"trunk"
] | Travel backpacks are so passé. All the cool kids, like [Niklas Roy] are
using scooter trunks for easy travel
. Think of it, not only does it remove the need to carry your heavy baggage, but you get to coast along for the ride as well. We wonder what the officials at air, train, and bus travel hubs are going to think?
The idea came from seeing a similar build with a flight case (plywood box with metal edges and hardware). In that project the flight case folded out to be something of an impromptu street kiosk. But [Niklas] knew the aluminum camera trunk he uses for travel was going to work great in the project. He designed a bracket to replace the steering column on his kick scooter. It holds the case securely in place, but still allows the scooter to fold down to be stowed in the train overhead bin.
At first we thought this would have been better if integrated into the trunk itself. Keeping the two parts separate means you can leave the case wherever you’re staying and take just the scooter for day trips. | 6 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "704598",
"author": "Rob Wentworth",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T22:08:33",
"content": "Carry-on luggage? What would the TSA think?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "704610",
"author": "jmarsau",
"timestamp": "2012-0... | 1,760,376,805.334758 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/16/automatic-daylight-savings-time-compensation-for-your-clock-projects/ | Automatic Daylight Saving Time Compensation For Your Clock Projects | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks",
"how-to"
] | [
"clock",
"compensation",
"day of week",
"daylight saving time",
"dst",
"sakamoto's algorithm"
] | Pretty early in
development of my Ping Pong Clock
I came up with the idea of automatic
Daylight Saving Time
compensation. It’s an interesting feature, but it’s a luxury and so I figured I could add it as a future improvement. Now’s the time and I’m reporting back on what I’ve learned and how you can add this to your own projects.
There’s two things to think about before adding this feature. Is it worth the effort and does it make the clock more confusing rather than easier to use?
As to the latter, if you
are
responsible for setting the time initially but you
are not
responsible for resetting the clock when we fall back or spring forward will it cause confusion? Perhaps initially, but the battery-backed RTC that I used in my project should mean that you set it once and never have to reset it again. The one exception is DST and that’s what I’m compensating for.
Whether it is worth it or not is difficult to answer until after the fact. You should take into consideration that the DST rules are not set in stone, they change from time to time. Add to that the fact that not all parts of the world observe the practice. This means that not only do you need to implement the compensation, but you should add a method of switching it on and off as well as changing the rules for when it is observed.
Join me after the break to learn the method and code I use to make time adjustments automatically twice a year.
Implementation
There are two chunks that go into implementing DST compensation. The first part is to figure out if we are currently observing DST or if standard time is in force. The second portion of the problem is to develop a method to do the compensating without upsetting how the clock runs or how it is set.
This post will tackle the first problem only; how to decided when DST is in effect. I am planning a second post to detail the mechanics necessary to use that information.
The problem
Image source:
Wikimedia Commons
Daylight Saving Time does not start on a set day, for instance April 15th of each year. Instead, it starts on a specific day of the week. The United States currently observes the start of DST at 2:00am on the second Sunday of April. The issue is further compounded by the fact that this legislated rule changes from time to time, most recently the US rules were changed in 2007. In order to perform compensation we must be able to answer the question: what is the exact date that DST starts?
We’ll need an algorithm that takes the day-of-week (DOW) based rules and translates them into an exact date answer. What is the minimum amount of input information necessary for the algorithm to still work? Let’s find out.
Working it out
If you were going to find the date when DST starts how would you do it? Given that DST begins on the second Sunday in April, what was the date that it started last year (2011)? Naturally, you would look at a calendar for April 2011, and count the Tuesdays until you get to the second one. That’s exactly what our algorithm will do, except it will not need to have a calendar in front of it. To solve our problem, let’s state explicitly the method we want to use:
Find the day-of-week for the first day in the given month.
Increment the date until you arrive at the target day-of-week.
increment weeks until you reach the target day.
The one useful piece of information that we get from looking at a calendar is what day of the week the month started on. Luckily, this is easily calculable and it’s just a quick Google search away.
Calculating Day-of-Week for any date
Wikipedia has
a very nice article about calculating the day of the week
. Much of the time spent in this calculation is used to
establish if the year is a leap year
or not. The rest of the calculation involves lookup tables to get to the final answer. Fortunately, DOW calculations are a common problem so there are several streamlined algorithms available for the task. I chose to use
Sakamoto’s Algorithm
because it’s already written in C and it’s quite simple.
int dow(int y, int m, int d)
{
static int t[] = {0, 3, 2, 5, 0, 3, 5, 1, 4, 6, 2, 4};
y -= m < 3;
return (y + y/4 - y/100 + y/400 + t[m-1] + d) % 7;
}
Explaining exactly how this works is an exercise you can save for a rainy day. When trying to work it out make sure you look up
the rules of precedence
. Note that “m < 3” will be evaluated first, returning 0 if false and 1 if true. We’d also like to point out that the three division operations in the third line of code are used to adjust for leap years.
Finding the correct starting day
Now that we know the day of week for the first of the month, we need to find the date of the first occurrence of our target day. If we assign our target day to the variable “DOW”, day of week on the first day of the month to “firstDOW”, it’s simple to use a loop to increment until we get to our target:
char targetDate = 1;
while (firstDOW != DOW){
firstDOW = (firstDOW+1)%7;
targetDate++;
}
This code loop will exit when the variable “targetDate” matches the first occurrence of our target day. But this only solves a portion of the problem. We also need to identify the date for the second, third, or other occurrence of that day in the month.
Adjusting the target date to account for weeks
If we’re looking for the second Sunday in a given month, we can assign the number 2 to the variable “NthWeek”:
targetDate += (NthWeek-1)*7;
This quick snippet will add seven to the date for each week after the first occurrence of our target day. Since I am subtracting one before multiplying by 7 (the number of days in a week) nothing will be added if we are looking for the first Sunday in the month.
Putting it all together
If we wrap all of our code into a nice little package we’ll end up with a function that returns the date based on input information. To keep focus on the problem, I first defined the information that will be passed into the function, and what I plan to get back from it:
Inputs: year, month, day-of-week (eg: Sunday = 0), nth week of month (eg: the 2nd Sunday of the month = 2)
Output: an integer that represents the date (eg: 15 would be the 15th day of the month)
Because our first step relies on another algorithm it needs to be included in our package. I changed it just a little bit by replacing as many of the int data types with char as possible. Depending on the compiler you use this may end up saving on ram.
#include <stdio.h>
char buff[50];
int myYear = 2011;
char myMonth = 04;
char myDOW = 0;
char myNthWeek = 2;
/*--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNC: 6/11/11 - Returns day of week for any given date
PARAMS: year, month, date
RETURNS: day of week (0-7 is Sun-Sat)
NOTES: Sakamoto's Algorithm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculating_the_day_of_the_week#Sakamoto.27s_algorithm
Altered to use char when possible to save microcontroller ram
--------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
char dow(int y, char m, char d)
{
static char t[] = {0, 3, 2, 5, 0, 3, 5, 1, 4, 6, 2, 4};
y -= m < 3;
return (y + y/4 - y/100 + y/400 + t[m-1] + d) % 7;
}
/*--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNC: 6/11/11 - Returns the date for Nth day of month. For instance,
it will return the numeric date for the 2nd Sunday of April
PARAMS: year, month, day of week, Nth occurence of that day in that month
RETURNS: date
NOTES: There is no error checking for invalid inputs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
char NthDate(int year, char month, char DOW, char NthWeek){
char targetDate = 1;
char firstDOW = dow(year,month,targetDate);
while (firstDOW != DOW){
firstDOW = (firstDOW+1)%7;
targetDate++;
}
//Adjust for weeks
targetDate += (NthWeek-1)*7;
return targetDate;
}
int main(void){
//Used to test on a computer
sprintf(buff,"%i",NthDate(myYear,myMonth,myDOW,myNthWeek));
printf("%s\n",buff);
}
I wrote this with the intent of using it on a microcontroller, but just for testing, I’ve included some I/O for feedback on a computer. You can remove the first two lines and the entire main function and plop it into your project. On a Linux box compile it with GCC using: “gcc -o dst dst.c” and then run it using “./dst”.
Conclusion
This is a rather small amount of code which doesn’t require a lot of processing power to used. If you can add the option to set the current date to your clock project this is a snap to roll into the code. The one thing you need to work out is how to handle setting and storing the time. This will be different depending on whether or not DST is in effect.
As a side note. I ended up reusing this code for one of the
Project Euler
questions. I guess the work is already paying dividends.
Resources
Example code | 20 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "704470",
"author": "Jeff Epler",
"timestamp": "2012-07-16T19:22:38",
"content": "For an unfinishedGPS clock project, I wrote code to convert Unix timezone information to a table suitable for inclusion in my clock’s firmware; a 78-entry table (624-byte) table is enough to store the s... | 1,760,376,805.465143 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/14/hacking-a-parallel-port-flash-memory-programmer/ | Hacking A Parallel Port Flash Memory Programmer | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"dos",
"flash",
"linux",
"ms-dos",
"parallel port",
"programmer",
"rom"
] | [Pulko Mandy] doesn’t use his flash ROM programmer very often, but he does use it. When he tried to get support for a new chip and the manufacturer suggested he just buy a newer version
he decided to hack the programmer and it’s software
instead.
This device connects to the parallel port and was intended for use with MS-DOS systems (no wonder there’s no longer support from the company). The board uses logic chips to add read and write function. So the first step was to analyze how they connect together and come up with a set of commands. While at it he also made some changes to the board to bring the voltage more in spec and ensure the logic levels on the parallel port met the correct voltages.
His plan was to use the board with a Linux system so the parallel port interface can stay. He used what he learned from the hardware inspection to write his own interface in C++. It works with a chip he was able to use under the MS-DOS software, but he hasn’t gotten it to work with the chip that sparked this adventure. If you’re familiar with how the AT29C040A works please consider lending a hand. | 12 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "702949",
"author": "fartface",
"timestamp": "2012-07-14T13:18:50",
"content": "I walked down his road several times until I realized that an old school pro programmer that does everything and more self contained and with RS232 was only $50.00 on ebay.I now have a reader/programmer ... | 1,760,376,805.394404 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/red-bull-dispenser-includes-smokey-presentation-and-rejects-inferior-drinks/ | Red Bull Dispenser Includes Smokey Presentation And Rejects Inferior Drinks | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"contests"
] | [
"bar code",
"bullduino",
"contest",
"creation",
"iris",
"red bull"
] | The Eugene Maker Space’s entry in the Red Bull Creation contest
dispenses cans in a mysterious fog through an iris opening
. But it’s also capable of disposing of the Red Bull cans… and
only
those cans. If you try to put a different soda in it will violently reject it!
First off we must applaud the Eugene Makers for their prolific documentation of the project. There’s a day or two worth of fun reading/watching on that page so make sure you save the bookmark (and learn from their example!). Inside the mysterious waist-high enclosure there’s a hopper to store the energy-drink reservoir. As a can is dispensed its barcode is scanned to ensure this is an approved beverage. At this point the can is elevated through an iris in the case of the enclosure, al0ng with a theatrically timed puff of fog. The parts of the iris were printed on paper and used to cut out wooden pieces using a scroll saw. The fog blast is from an inverted duster can with a 3d printed nozzle that helps make it Bullduino controlled.
When done with your beverage the can can be placed back in the opening, where it is again scanned before going into the recycling bin. But as you can see in the clip after the break, trying to sneak a soda can into the machine will launch the empty right back at you! | 21 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "702552",
"author": "Conner Smith",
"timestamp": "2012-07-14T00:47:19",
"content": "I was gonna make one of these for my robot! Inspired by back to the future!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "702595",
"author": "dukeofmuffins... | 1,760,376,805.524978 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/any-flavor-sports-drink-at-the-push-of-a-button/ | Any Flavor Sports Drink At The Push Of A Button | Mike Szczys | [
"cooking hacks"
] | [
"air pump",
"dispenser",
"drink",
"solenoid",
"sports drink"
] | [Sage Spate] wasn’t happy with the boring flavors of orange, blue, or red sports drinks. He decided to mix it up
by building this flavor-mixing drink dispenser
.
He modified the caps for each bottle to work with an air-pressure system. This way the bottles themselves serve as the reservoir and can easily be replaced when empty. Each cap has two openings, one is used by the dispenser nozzle and includes a hose that will reach all the way to the bottom of the bottle. The other hole connects to an air pump. Raising the pressure in the bottle forces sports drink up and out of the dispenser hose.
One air pump is used for all three reservoirs with a set of solenoids to enable each flavor individually. [Andreas] sent in the tip and mentioned that some of the parts are salvaged from an ink jet printer but we’re not sure which ones. At any rate, the next step in the project is to add Arduino control which will allow for
custom mixing based on preset recipes
.
We’ve embedded the demo video after the break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXgiJLKgVpY | 22 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "702491",
"author": "Go aWy Batin",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T22:18:33",
"content": "Brawndo !!It’s got Electroytes !",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "702493",
"author": "Nate",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T22:19:26",
"cont... | 1,760,376,805.584196 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/i-got-99-volts-and-my-anodizings-done/ | I Got 99 Volts And My Anodizing’s Done! | Mike Nathan | [
"chemistry hacks",
"classic hacks"
] | [
"anodizing",
"coke",
"cola",
"oxidizing"
] | [POTUS31] had a need for anodized titanium
, but the tried and true
“submersion” method
was not going to work out well for what he was trying to do. In order to create the look he wanted he had to get creative with some tape, a laser cutter, Coke, and a whole lot of 9v batteries.
His
Ring-A-Day
project has him creating customized rings based on reader feedback, and lately the requests have had him searching for a good way to color metal. Anodizing titanium was a sure bet, though creating detailed coloring on a small medium is not an easy task.
[POTUS31] figured that he could gradually anodize different areas of the ring by using laser-cut tape masks, allowing him to selectively oxidize different portions of his creations as he went along. Using the phosphoric acid prevalent in Coke as his oxidizing agent along with a constantly growing daisy-chain of 9-volt batteries, he had a firm grasp on the technique in no time. As you can see in the picture above, the anodizing works quite well, producing vivid colors on the titanium bands without the need for any sort of dye.
[POTUS31’s] favorite color thus far? A rich green that comes from oxidizing the metal at you guessed it – 99 volts.
[
via Make
] | 12 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "702480",
"author": "Lars Friend",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T21:53:36",
"content": "*groan*",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "702486",
"author": "macona",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T22:09:58",
"content": "Phosphoric Acid d... | 1,760,376,805.630279 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/sorting-resistors-with-speech-recognition/ | Sorting Resistors With Speech Recognition | Brian Benchoff | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"color code",
"resistor",
"speech recognition"
] | If you’ve ever had to organize a bunch of resistors, you’ll know why [Anthony] created EESpeak. It’s
a voice-controlled component look up tool
that calculates a component value by listening to you read out color code bands.
In his demo video of EESpeak, [Anthony] reads off the color bands of several resistors whilst the program dutifully calculates and displays the value. [Anthony] also included support for calculating the value of capacitors and inductors by speaking the color bands, as well as EIA-96 codes for SMD parts.
In addition to taking speech input and flashing a component value on the screen, EESpeak also has a text-to-speech function that will tell you what a component without ever having to look at your monitor.
Even though the text-to-speech function seems a little cumbersome – it takes much longer for a computer to speak a value than to display it on the screen – using voice recognition to calculate component values is an awesome idea. With an extremely limited vocabulary the computer has to understand, the error rate of EESpeak is probably very low.
You can check out [Anthony]’s demo video after the break, and of course download the app on his blog.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC6-MWISfbY&w=470] | 21 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "702429",
"author": "Destate9",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T20:07:24",
"content": "That’s pretty cool! That’ll be very useful when I sort my misc. pile of resistors. Might save me some time",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "702443",... | 1,760,376,805.690253 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/gps-dog-collar-keeps-track-of-your-walks/ | GPS Dog Collar Keeps Track Of Your Walks | Mike Szczys | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"atmega32u4",
"collar",
"dog",
"gps",
"oled",
"walk"
] | [Becky Stern] came up with a way to make sure you and your dog are getting enough exercise. It’s
a dog collar mounted GPS
that measures how far you have walked. Just set your target distance and the progress bar in the middle of this flower will let you know when you reached it.
The most obvious piece of hardware is the OLED board which is sticking out like a sore thumb. But if you’d like to be a little more discreet you could forego the full-featured display for some carefully places LEDs to make up a circular progress bar. The GPS module itself fits well in the center of the flower, which [Becky] shows us how to make out of wire-edged ribbon. Hidden on the other side is an ATmega23u4 breakout board running the Arduino bootloader.
If you’re interested in sewables and textiles [Becky] uses a lot of basic techniques that are good to learn. Check it out in the clip after the break. She’s always shown a remarkable ability to develop
projects which won’t scare away the villagers
in the way
our wire-sprouting breadboard hacks
sometimes do. | 9 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "702432",
"author": "shigllgetcha",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T20:12:26",
"content": "a button to set the target in 100M intervals would be great. on click to set, click until it gets to the target figure and after 5 secs it sets",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": ... | 1,760,376,805.737324 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/hacking-a-brother-thermal-printer-to-use-non-oem-continuous-rolls/ | Hacking A Brother Thermal Printer To Use Non-OEM Continuous Rolls | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"brother",
"continuous",
"encoder",
"paper",
"ql-500",
"thermal printer"
] | You can get your hands on a Brother thermal label printer for $65-75. But if you don’t want to buy the Brother branded continuous feed paper for it you’re out of luck. Unless you pull off this hack which lets you
use any thermal paper you want with a Brother QL-500 printer
.
The printer is tied to the OEM paper because of a pattern printed on the back of the roll. It’s basically an encoder strip made up of black rectangles spaced at regular intervals. Surely there are other brands that come with this pattern on them, but if you want to use paper without it the secret is in moving the sensor that reads that strip.
The brilliant solution is to use one of the white feed-gears as an encoder wheel. [CheapSkateVideo] used a magic marker to paint two opposite quarters of the gear black. He then removed the optical sensor and placed it on the side of the case facing the wheel. It needs to be adjusted along the radius of that gear until the timing is just right, but once it is you’re ready to go. The sensor is a safety feature to ensure there is media in the printer. If there’s not you can burn up the print head so keep that in mind. See the explanation in the video after the break. | 16 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "702371",
"author": "Eric",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T18:36:02",
"content": "This, has made my day. That’s me BTW.I must now re-evaluate my life goals. Make it on hackaday, check.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "702397",
... | 1,760,376,805.787957 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/fabricating-headlights-for-an-f250/ | Fabricating Headlights For An F250 | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"headlights",
"hid",
"led",
"turn signal"
] | The amount of time that is going into these custom headlights is just staggering. [Mcole254] is working on his brother’s truck,
replacing the stock headlights with High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps
and rolling some nice LED features into the mix while he’s at it.
The build starts by removing and disassembling the stock headlight assembly. In order to get the enclosure apart he heated it in the oven until the glue was softened and the parts could be pried apart. The goal is to replace the reflectors with an assembly that suits the new lamps and LEDs. Above you can see the white pieces which were vacuum formed from a mold that [Mcole254] made from wood and PVC. He tried several iterations using his home-made vacuum former but couldn’t get the definition he really wanted. The most recent posts from him show some massive 3D printed parts that will be used instead.
While inside he added a line of amber LEDs for the turn signal. You can seem them mounted along the silver strip between the upper and lower reflectors. A demo of those super bright additions is embedded after the break.
[Thanks Marty] | 29 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "702322",
"author": "Zee",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T17:18:06",
"content": "ABS is very sensitive to UV. It should not be used for automotive parts!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "702330",
"author": "Evocube",
"... | 1,760,376,805.978166 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/3d-printing-with-a-delta-robot-that-seems-to-simplify-the-concept/ | 3D Printing With A Delta Robot That Seems To Simplify The Concept | Mike Szczys | [
"3d Printer hacks",
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"3d printer",
"bowden cable",
"delta robot"
] | This 3d printing delta robot
really seems to solve a lot of the hurdles faced by previous offerings. With
other delta printers we’ve looked
at the motor control of the three arms is usually a it complicated. On this build the motors can just be seen in this image at each corner under the build platform. Each motor has a belt that loops from the bottom to the top for the machine, driving an arm along two precision rods.
It’s also interesting to note that the printer head doesn’t have a motor mounted on it for feeding the filament. Instead, the motor is mounted remotely. You can see it above the soda can in this image. It feeds the filament through a hollow tube spanning the gap between the extruder and the motor. This acts as
a Bowden cable
. With less mass to move this may make it easier to control the location of the print head.
After the break you can catch a clip of the team showing off the speed and dexterity of the delta bot, followed by a printing demo.
[Thanks Kyle] | 61 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "702294",
"author": "Indyaner",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T16:18:14",
"content": "I want this!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "702313",
"author": "Ken",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T17:05:53",
"content": "lol"... | 1,760,376,806.06999 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/meizu-mx-rooted-using-the-bus-pirate/ | Meizu MX Rooted Using The Bus Pirate | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"bus priate",
"meizu mx",
"root",
"su",
"usart"
] | It is just amazing how small the boards are for some really powerful smart phones. For instance, the diminutive size of this Meizu MX Android phone’s board is only outshone by the intricate packaging the phone arrived in. [Adam Outler] did an unboxing of the device. But for him that mean tearing down all of the components and
using a Bus Pirate to root the device
.
In the video after the break he gives us a candid look at what it takes to exploit this piece of hardware. You might be a little spooked by the commands, which he reads aloud character by character, but watch closely and you’ll see they’re really quite common functions.
His rooting quest began by reading the datasheet for the main processor to find the USART parameters. With that information he hooked his Bus Pirate to ground, then probed around various test points on the board while it was rebooting until serial data started scrolling on the screen. He had found the USART lines and soldered a breakout connector onto them so that he had access after reassembling the phone.
From there he used the Bus Pirate to merge with the board’s terminal, then rebooted the phone using the Android Debug Bridge. Once it fires up, the Bus Pirate terminal window is sitting at a root prompt (many companies disable this but [Adam] was lucky). He remounts the internal file system to be rewritable, then uses the ADB to push the Linux substitute user (su) command onto the device as it will be needed by the Superuser.apk program. That is the next thing to be installed and once it is he officially has root. | 5 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "702210",
"author": "Per Jensen",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T14:03:30",
"content": "What has this to do with the real power of the Bus Pirate ? It seems he just used it as a USB/Serial TTL cable…..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": ... | 1,760,376,805.909312 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/hackaday-links-july-13-2012/ | Hackaday Links: July 13, 2012 | Brian Benchoff | [
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"bicycle",
"bike",
"display",
"ftdi",
"raspberry pi",
"RTLSDR",
"tester",
"tools"
] | Testing LEDs
Over at the Albuquerque, NM hackerspace Quelab, [Alfred] needed to test a bunch of surface mount LEDs. He ended up
building a pair of 3D printed tweezers
with a pair of needles attached to the end and a space for a coin cell battery. It works and Quelab got a new tool.
Woo Raspberry Pi
[tech2077]
added an FTDI chip
to his Raspberry Pi to do a little single cable development. We’ve seen a few similar builds, but surprisingly nothing related to the on board display serial interface.
This wiki page
suggests
it’s possible to connect an iPhone 3G or iPhone 4 display directly to the Raspi. Does anyone want to try that out?
Nevermind, but it would be cool to get a picture from a display plugged into that display port on the Raspi.
I like to ride my bicycle, I like to ride my bike
Over at the 23b hackerspace a few people were having trouble finding a good bike cargo rack that wasn’t overpriced.
They built their own
with $30 in materials and a salvaged milk crate. It looks great and is most likely a lot more durable than the Walmart model.
If that cargo rack fell off, it would look like this
Apparently you can get ‘spark cartridges’ to attach to the underside of a skateboard. [Jim] saw these would look really cool attached to his bike so
he did the next best thing
. He attached them to his sandals. It
does
look cool…
Less heat, less noise
[YO2LDK] picked up a TV tuner dongle for software radio and
found it overheated and stopped working
after about 15 minutes (Romanian,
Google Translate
). He hacked up a heat sink from an old video card to solve this problem. Bonus: the noise was reduced by a few tenths of a dB. | 10 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "702203",
"author": "Reggie",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T13:49:29",
"content": "The wiki is wrong over the iphone screens for the raspberry pi, even if you do manage to connect one, you won’t be getting a picture out of it, there are no dsi drivers (it’s all in the gpu, so you won’t be... | 1,760,376,806.160891 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/joystick-operated-security-cam-will-overlook-the-moat/ | Joystick Operated Security Cam Will Overlook The Moat | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackerspaces",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"camera",
"composite video",
"Joystick",
"lvl1",
"rangefinder",
"video experimenter"
] | What good is a moat if nobody is guarding it? We suppose that depends on what beasties lurk beneath the surface of the water, but that’s neither here nor there. The members of LVL1 continue their quest to outdo each other in augmenting the building’s automated features. The latest offering is this
security camera which is operated with an analog thumb stick
.
These are
the people who are building a moat
(which the city things is a reflecting pool) in front of their main entrance. Now they will be able to see and sense if anyone is trying to get across the watery hazard. The hack marries an ultrasonic rangefinder and camera module with a pair of servo motors. The brackets for the motors allow a full range of motion, and the signal is translated by an Arduino and
Video Experimenter shield
to put out a composite video signal. That’s not going to make streaming all that easy, but we’re sure that is just one more hack away. | 6 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "702191",
"author": "Eirinn",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T13:29:24",
"content": "..i want a moat :( and a drawbridge… and electric eel…and a dragon!…and then a joystick operated security cam :3",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "702194... | 1,760,376,806.113498 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/laser-light-painting-includes-camera-control/ | Laser Light Painting Includes Camera Control | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks",
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"diode",
"dslr",
"light painting",
"servo"
] | This laser light painting setup
can even control the camera. But it probably will not work with your average point-and-shoot. The exposure time used is somewhere around 2 seconds long, a feature which is hard to find on anything but DSLR cameras.
The setup relies on a red laser diode to do the painting. When viewed in real time you only see a dot tracing out a cryptic pattern and occasionally switching on and off. But with a long exposure the intense light persists to achieve an image like the one seen above. Note the ghosting around the rig as it has moved while the shutter was open.
The Arduino controlled device consists of a base which pivots the diode horizontally, with a servo for aiming on the vertical axis. Since the sketch is divided up by letter, we wonder how hard it would be to adapt this for use with a point-and-shoot? Perhaps you could capture one letter at a time and layer the frames in post production?
It seems this is a lot easier to build than
some of the LED plotters
we’ve looked at. If you do make your own
don’t forget to send a link our way
. | 6 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "702150",
"author": "angus",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T12:19:54",
"content": "> The exposure time used is somewhere around 2 seconds long, a feature which is hard to find on anything but DSLR cameras.Really? All the crappy point-and-shoot cameras I’ve had have been able to do exposure... | 1,760,376,806.302082 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/13/garage-door-opener-now-a-bedroom-door-closer/ | Garage Door Opener Now A Bedroom Door Closer | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"bedroom",
"door",
"garage door opener",
"remote",
"RF"
] | [Roy] had an extra garage door opener on hand and decided to put it to use as
a remote control closing mechanism for his bedroom door
. We gather he has some noisy housemates as the inspiration for the project came from not wanting to get out of bed to close the door when the ruckus interrupts his TV watching.
The image above shows the hinged system which translates the linear motion from the garage opener track to the rotational force necessary to swing the door closed. We’d say he really nailed it because the system matches the angle of the door jamb perfectly, and when the door is fully open the angle bracket is almost flat against the wall. We certainly don’t have the same need for closing doors, but the mechanism is something to keep in mind.
The motor for the opener is hidden beneath his desk. You won’t be able to see it in the video after the break because he built a matching enclosure around it. Now he just needs to
add some WiFi connectivity
and he can ditch the uni-tasking RF remote for a smart phone app.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4R0fdQYo7A | 12 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "702119",
"author": "noone",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T11:27:50",
"content": "i thought it was screwed to the door and it could also open itbut that would result in some frustration in manual opening",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id":... | 1,760,376,806.352807 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/playing-pong-or-breakout-on-the-nexus-q/ | Playing Pong Or Breakout On The Nexus Q | Brian Benchoff | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"Nexus Q"
] | Since Google announced the Nexus Q media streaming device at the Google developers conference a few weeks ago, a lot of devs have been toying around with the idea of running Android apps on this small media sphere. [Det] over at BrickSimple threw his hat into the ring with
a Pong and/or Breakout app
that showcases the huge rotary volume knob on the Q.
The Nexus Q was
hacked into running proper Android apps
not long after it made its way into the hands of Google IO conference attendees. Of course with no way to get user input into Google’s little sphere, that hack was of questionable utility. Recently, [kornyone] over on the XDA developers forum
got USB HID input on the Q
, allowing for full mouse and keyboard support.
Not much has been said about the Q’s most prominent physical feature, the half hemisphere rotary encoder that serves as the volume knob. To build his Pong/Breakout clone, [Det]’s app simply responds to volume up/volume down events by moving the paddle to the left or right.
A neat build, and hopefully we’ll see a few more Nexus Q hacks in short order. | 2 | 1 | [
{
"comment_id": "701846",
"author": "rasz",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T05:51:17",
"content": "mm the famous “made in USA so we charge premium” product made in CHINA, assembled in USA (probably Mexico :P)I smell great future for it, as good as Logitech Google TV!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1... | 1,760,376,806.390135 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/adding-a-heart-rate-monitor-to-your-exercise-equipment/ | Adding A Heart Rate Monitor To Your Exercise Equipment | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"atmega328",
"exercise",
"exercise bike",
"heat rate monitor"
] | This is the readout which [Remick] added to his stationary bicycle.
It displays heart rate, calories burned, and a few other items
to help motivate his workout routine.
Back when he was ordering a TI Chronos watch he also picked up a heart rate chest strap and receiver. The receiver can be read using a UART, making it easy to interface with the ATmega328 which drives the system. The screen is a graphic LCD, which gave him a lot of control on how to organize the displayed data. Three buttons on the side operate the menu system into which a user can enter sex, age, and weight information. This is used to calculate the calories burned and the percentage of maximum heart rate. The three readouts to the right are for time spent in each workout zone (fat burning, fitness, or performance). The final product looks great because of the PCB he etched and the case he housed it in. | 5 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "701680",
"author": "barry99705",
"timestamp": "2012-07-13T00:15:48",
"content": "How do you get a heart rate out of the cloths that are hung on exercise equipment? That’s all they usually get used for, at least after the first week.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"rep... | 1,760,376,806.437951 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/cat-trainer-will-keep-them-off-the-counters/ | Cat Trainer Will Keep Them Off The Counters | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"28x1",
"buzzer",
"cat",
"infrared",
"PICAXE",
"rangefinder",
"trainer"
] | Our cats are not allowed on the kitchen counters, and [Iron Jungle] has the same rule. But he spotted some foot prints on the hood above his range and the addition of a security camera caught this picture of [Kelso] breaking the rules. Since he’s not always around to make the fur-ball behave
he built an electronic cat trainer to do it for him
.
The functionality needed isn’t very intricate. You need to monitor when the cat is where it shouldn’t be and then chase it away. For the latter he grabbed an infrared range finder. When the cat passes in front of the sensor it will trigger the second part of the system: a high-pitched buzzer that’s extremely loud. Any microcontroller will have no trouble driving the system. In this case it’s a PICAXE 28X1.
You can see the trainer in action after the break. It definitely works, because just playing the video chased our own sleeping kitty out of the room. | 18 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "701610",
"author": "qwerty",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T22:30:47",
"content": "Good idea, but… ouch! I don’t see any benefits, learning aside, in using a uC board plus a digital sensor instead of a much cheaper analog solution. An IR barrier made with a couple led+photodiodes pairs pl... | 1,760,376,806.502479 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/gsm-controlled-car-without-needing-a-microcontroller/ | GSM Controlled Car Without Needing A Microcontroller | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"dtmf",
"l293",
"mt8870",
"robot",
"rover"
] | Nope, no microcontroller here, just
a full-blown cellphone used as the brains of this little robot
. The secret behind how it works is in the sounds the phone makes. The touch tones, known as DTMF, are monitored by the circuit mounted on the front half of the chassis and are responsible for driving the motors.
[Achu Wilson] built the circuit around an MT8870 chip which decodes the DTMF sounds and uses the BCD output to feed some logic chips. A 4 line to 16 line decoder and an inverter chip format the signals for use as inputs to the L293D motor driver. The video after the break shows him driving the rover directly by pressing number on the phone (like a tethered remote control). But he mentions that it’s possible to call the phone and press the numbers remotely. We assume you need to connect the call manually as we see no way to automatically answer calls.
This is certainly a fun way to
play around with the DTMF protocol
. | 8 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "701560",
"author": "Seth",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T21:07:11",
"content": "“We assume you need to connect the call manually as we see no way to automatically answer calls.”Second paragraph: The mobile phone kept in the car is to be kept in automatic answering mode. It will cause the... | 1,760,376,806.551102 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/digital-picture-frame-that-rotates-to-match-image-orientation/ | Digital Picture Frame That Rotates To Match Image Orientation | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"32MX120F032B",
"pic",
"picture frame",
"rotating",
"servo"
] | This
digital picture frame physically rotates in order to match the image’s orientation
. [Markus Gritsch] built the frame, including a Python script to translate the photos to a format which makes the best use of the 2.4″ LCD screen.
The screen is addressed in 8-bit parallel by a PIC 32MX120F032B processor. Image are read from an SD card in a raw format, with 16-bit colors pushed to the display for each pixel. To get them into this format [Markus’] script converts the JPEG files to RAW, resizes them, uses dithering to reduce to 16-bit color, then applies a sharpening filter to improve the final look. During this process it also includes orientation information. That is parsed by the microcontroller and used to drive the servo motor to which the screen is attached.
To finish off the project he spray painted a piece of acrylic to act as a bezel for the frame. Check out the demo after the break and we think you’ll agree the rotating feature, along with image scrolling, really makes this a piece you’ll want on your own desk. | 7 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "701531",
"author": "macegr",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T20:34:16",
"content": "This is one of those projects where you go “pfff, even the cheapest LCD frames auto-rota….oh wait…wow, so much win.”",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "... | 1,760,376,808.16216 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/launching-rockets-and-recording-video/ | Launching Rockets And Recording Video | Brian Benchoff | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"model rockets",
"rocket"
] | Since we put out a call for model and amateur rocketry hacks, we’ve been getting a lot of submissions on our tip line. Here’s two that found their way to us yesterday:
Upgrading an original
Back in the early 70s, Estes released a rocket with an 8mm movie camera attached to the nose of the rocket. It was called the
Estes Cineroc
, and is an excellent demonstration of engineering prowess to fit a movie camera inside a cardboard tube. The Cineroc is somewhat of a collector’s item, so of course there’s
a reproduction kit
with a payload bay large enough for [Bob Marchese]’s 808 key fob video camera.
His launch video
looks awesome, has color, and doesn’t need to be mailed off to Estes to be developed.
Much better than a lightbulb and a button
Remember the old yellow (or blue, and I think maybe a red one) push-button launch controller? Equipped with an arming key (a piece of wire), batteries, and a button, that controller wasn’t much to write home about. [Joe Niven]
built his own launch controller
with multiple LED lights, buzzer, continuity checker, and a battery tester. Not bad for a 555 and a pair of 4000-series logic chips. | 12 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "701455",
"author": "Pickle Surprise",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T19:13:14",
"content": "Brian, please see my comment on the previous story. It’s not a classic hack submission, but a request.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "70147... | 1,760,376,808.44441 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/repurposing-old-hdd-components/ | Repurposing Old HDD Components | Mike Nathan | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"hard drive",
"hdd",
"stepper"
] | [IronJungle] had an old hard drive taking up space in his workshop, so he took it apart and
wrote in to remind us how useful
these old pieces of hardware can be. Aside from offering up incredibly strong magnets and donut-shaped mirrors, HDDs also come with a reliable stepper motor in tow.
He pulled theold drive apart, wiring up two of the stepper motor pins to a pair of the drive’s header pins. This allowed him to easily access the signals produced by the stepper simply by hooking up a small JST connector to the back of the drive.
From there, he can use the drive for any number of purposes. For the sake of discussion, [IronJungle] used it to flash an LED as seen in the video below – something he willingly admits is no great feat. However, stepper motors can be used for in a wide array of projects, both simple and complex. Be sure to share your favorite use for salvaged HDD motors in the comments.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3frk13eTn3I&feature=player_embedded&w=470] | 32 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "701389",
"author": "pelrun",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T18:12:06",
"content": "FYI it’s a brushless dc motor, not a stepper motor.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "701505",
"author": "Peter",
"timestamp": "2012-07... | 1,760,376,808.804781 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/philrobokit-anito-is-not-an-arduino/ | PhilRobokit Anito Is Not An Arduino | Brian Benchoff | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"Anito",
"PhilRobokit",
"PIC16F"
] | A few people over at the Philippine hackerspace PhilRobotics
a PIC-based dev board
that takes a lot of cues from ‘the microcontroller board everyone loves to hate,’ the Arduino.
There are a few differences between the PIC16F877a used in the Anito and the ATMega328 used in the Arduino: The PIC has a little less than half the Flash memory of the ‘Mega and less RAM, but has a slightly higher clock rate. It would have been nice to have a dev board with Arduino style headers powered by
one of those new PIC32MX chips
, if only because of a few
really
,
really
awesome projects we’ve seen. We’ll take whatever we can get, though, even if it provides a little more ammo for the PIC/AVR holy war.
One really interesting aspect of the Anito
is the IDE
. Written in Python, the PhilRoboKit IDE has all the features of everyone’s favorite IDE that is written in Wiring, plus a few extra features: autocomplete is a huge bonus, as is the ability to upload programs over Pickit2 ISP header. The IDE is available for Windows and Linux (no Mac port yet), and should be enough to get you off the ground in the PIC dev world. | 33 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "701332",
"author": "Senso",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T17:20:24",
"content": "You should know that PIC’s divide the clock by four internally, so that 20Mhz will translate into about 5MIPS.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "701463"... | 1,760,376,808.518007 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/sonic-screwdriver-controls-your-tv-doesnt-work-on-wood/ | Sonic Screwdriver Controls Your TV, Doesn’t Work On Wood | Brian Benchoff | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"remote control",
"sonic screwdriver"
] | Sure, you
could
pretend to be the Doctor with a simple plastic sonic screwdriver. It might even have a LED on the tip, and if you’re really splurging a tiny speaker for sound effects. Yep, you could make due with an inelegant version of the Doctor’s Gallifreyan army knife, or
you could get this
amazingly detailed sonic screwdriver replica.
Instead of a plastic or resin replica, this replica of the 11th Doctor’s sonic screwdriver is made out of die-cast, copper plated metal with a jade green polycarbonate tip. This replica has a few tricks up its sleeve; instead of just lighting up and providing a few sound effects at opportune times, it also can serve as a programmable infrared remote with a gesture interface thanks to a three-axis accelerometer. If that’s not enough, the copper ‘rods’ just below the tip also serve as a touch interface for the microcontroller on board.
For as many
jaw dropping light saber builds
we’ve seen we’re genuinely surprised we haven’t seen more sonic screwdriver builds. It’s really cool this toy can serve as a remote control, but we’re betting a few Hackaday readers can replicate this replica with an extendable jewel cage and maybe even a Bluetooth gesture controller.
If you’d like your own sonic screwdriver, you can pick one up at ThinkGeek (for the US) or Forbidden Planet (for the UK). After the break is a video released by ThinkGeek showing off the this truly awesome remote control.
Tip ‘o the hat to [Zerocool] for sending this one in.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN7lNLzHJv8&w=470] | 13 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "701277",
"author": "Zerocool",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T16:10:51",
"content": "Wow, I finally made it to hack a day!was it because of the tip line or facebook?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "701385",
"author": "Brian ... | 1,760,376,808.212908 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/building-a-crt-and-bathing-yourself-in-x-rays/ | Building A CRT And Bathing Yourself In X-rays | Brian Benchoff | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"crt",
"electron gun",
"glass blowing"
] | For the Milan design week held last April, [Patrick Stevenson Keating] made a
cathode ray tube
and exhibited it in a department store.
The glass envelope of [Keating]’s tube is a very thick hand-blown piece of glass. After coating the inside of the tube with a phosphorescent lining, [Keating] installed an electrode in a rubber plug and evacuated all the air out of the tube. When 45,000 Volts is applied to the electrode, a brilliant purple glow fills the tube and illuminates the phosphor.
Since the days of our grandfathers, CRTs have usually been made out of thick leaded glass. The reasoning behind this – and why your old computer monitor weighed a ton – is that electron guns can give off a substantial amount of x-rays. This usually isn’t much of a problem for simple devices such as a
Crookes tube
and monochrome CRTs. Even though [Keating] doesn’t give us any indication of what is being emitted from his tube, we’re fairly confident it’s safe for short-term exposure.
Despite being a one-pixel CRT, we can imagine using the same process to make a few very interesting pieces of hardware. The
Magic Eye tube
found in a few exceptionally high-end radios and televisions of the 40s, 50s, and 60s could be replicated using the same processes. Alternatively, this CRT could be used as a
Williams tube
and serve as a few bits of RAM in a homebrew computer.
You can check out the tube in action while on display after the break, along with a very nice video showing off the construction.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBzb5UBqEIo&w=470] | 15 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "701242",
"author": "chopperdave",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T15:17:17",
"content": "I think the x-rays are emitted when electrons slam into the screen, not from the guns.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "701246",
"author": "cha... | 1,760,376,808.270571 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/flying-batman-is-a-load-of-bull/ | Flying Batman Is A Load Of Bull | Mike Szczys | [
"Rants"
] | [
"batman",
"journal",
"physics",
"science"
] | Batman’s ability to fly is a falsehood. Or at least so says science. We didn’t know science was into disproving super-hero movies (that’s a deep well to drink from) but to each his own. But back in December the Journal of Physics Special Topics
took on the subject with their scholarly paper
entitled
Trajectory of a Falling Batman.
The equations presented in the two-page white paper may be above your head, but the concepts are not.
It’s not that Batman can’t fly in the way explained in the film. It’s that he can’t land without great bodily harm. By analyzing the cape in this frame of the film, researchers used Batman’s body height to establish wing span and area. The numbers aren’t good. Top speed will reach about 110 km/h with a sustained velocity of 80 km/h. That’s 80 mph at top speed and just under 50 mph when he comes in for a landing.
Oh Batman, how you’ve let us all down. If you liked this paper, you should
dig through the archives
. We always wondered if [Bruce Willis] could have actually
saved the world from an asteroid
.
[via
Dvice
] | 36 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "701182",
"author": "Hotrodder",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T14:16:51",
"content": "Could he _maybe_ have had some additional supports built into his suit to allow the human body to survive such and impact? Maybe some sort of thin carbon fibre exoskeleton?",
"parent_id": null,
"... | 1,760,376,808.600735 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/todd-literally-debugs-this-printing-calculator/ | [Todd] Literally Debugs This Printing Calculator | Mike Szczys | [
"Repair Hacks"
] | [
"calculator",
"printing calculator",
"vfd"
] | This printing calculator is a thrift store find. [Todd Harrison] picked it up for a measly $3, and it still works! But the device is about twenty years old and
he thinks it’s time to clean up the aging hardware
.
After cracking open the case he digs out some of the stuff that has made its way inside. This includes a few dried up moths (debugging complete). While everything is open he gives a tour of the components. The calculator has a VFD which is definitely worth the price tag of the unit even if you just want to reuse the display in another project. But that’s not all. The printing head would be a fun thing to play with as well. We could see using this in projects similar to
some of the thermal printer hacks we’ve seen
.
When put back together, and given a new ink ribbon, the unit is ready for another 10-years of holding down one corner of your desk. Don’t miss [Todd’s] tear-down and clean-up video after the break. | 13 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "701119",
"author": "Ren",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T13:16:09",
"content": "Sometimes things like that sit around for years without being used, and then get unceremoniously dumped without considering the value of the parts.I guess the mind that says “this will be useful someday” makes... | 1,760,376,808.321956 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/reading-bar-codes-with-arduino-and-unaltered-cuecat/ | Reading Bar Codes With Arduino And Unaltered CueCat | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"bar code",
"cuecat",
"encrypted"
] | [Damcave] decided to try out some bar code reader projects. He got his hands on a CueCat years ago. The problem is that it outputs encrypted character sets instead of a clear text string. To get around this
he used his Arduino to decrypt the CueCat’s data output
.
Originally you could get you hands on a CueCat for free. It was meant to work like QR codes do now — you see a bar code, you scan it to get to a web address. It never really took off but you can still get your hands on one for about twelve clams. We’ve seen
projects that clip a pin on the processor
to disable to encryption. But [Damcave] didn’t want to mess with the hardware. Instead he connected the Arduino via the PS/2 connector and used software to translate the data. The encryption format has long been know so it was just a matter of translating the steps into an Arduino function. | 11 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "701085",
"author": "acomputerdog",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T12:46:00",
"content": "wow, i just found one of those cleaning up and was about to do the same thing. But there is an easier way to read the data, there is a pin on one of the chips (i think it was pin 11), that you can cut... | 1,760,376,808.65062 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/12/energia-brings-arduino-ide-to-the-ti-launchpad/ | Energia Brings Arduino IDE To The TI Launchpad | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"arduino",
"energia",
"ide",
"launchpad",
"msp430",
"ti"
] | The Arduino IDE is an abstraction layer for the AVR chip which the board is based around. So it’s no surprise that it is now possible to
use the Arduino IDE with the TI Launchpad board
. This makes it dead simple for beginners to play around with the inexpensive and low-power MSP430 platform. This is all thanks to a lot of hard work on part of the Energia developers.
The project branches from Arduino so the look, feel, and function are all about the same. Most notably, the color scheme has migrated to red to match the board color of the Launchpad. You can configure the hardware the same way by selecting a COM port and target board. Almost everything is already working, but you should check
the known issues page
so that you don’t try to use a function that hasn’t been ported. Right now the list includes the random and random seed functions, as well as tone, notone, and micros. There is also an issue with analogWrite; it will only produce half the requested frequency and duty cycle can only be set from 0-50%. Still this is a great development if you’re most comfortable working from this IDE. | 40 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "701015",
"author": "radicalbiscuit",
"timestamp": "2012-07-12T11:12:21",
"content": "And it’s none too small of an announcement that there is finally a freely-available IDE for the LaunchPad on OS X! Excited I am.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
... | 1,760,376,808.39714 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/laser-charged-glow-in-the-dark-message-board/ | Laser-charged Glow In The Dark Message Board | Mike Szczys | [
"contests",
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"bullduino",
"creation",
"glow in the dark",
"laser",
"phosphorescent",
"red bull"
] | This entry in the Red Bull Creation contest
uses a laser to charge up a glow-in-the-dark message board
. The concept is something we’ve seen several times before. Since light can excite a phosphorescent surface, moving pixels of light over that surface leaves a fading trail. Most recently we saw
a spinning ring message board
. This contest entry is different in that the board is stationary and the print head moves.
It’s basically a two-wheeled robot with a laser diode which can swivel perpendicular to the direction of travel. In this way, the laser prints the rows, and the motion of the robot takes care of advancing the columns. Since laser light has incredible intensity it is able to excite the phosphors much more thoroughly than LEDs. So the message will last longer than that spinning ring project or
this awesome turntable hack
. Don’t miss the video after the break that shows off the hack along with a bag full of theatrics. | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "699563",
"author": "macpod",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T01:36:31",
"content": "The smoking keyboard was a nice touch :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "699653",
"author": "d3c4f",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T04:53:24",
"c... | 1,760,376,808.845383 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/a-look-inside-what-makes-cruise-control-work/ | A Look Inside What Makes Cruise Control Work | Mike Szczys | [
"Repair Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"cruise control",
"diphragm",
"solenoid",
"vacuum"
] | [Todd Harrison] took a look inside the business end of the cruise control system from his 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee. We were a bit surprised at how the system operates. The parts seen in the image above make up the throttle control,
using a trio of solenoids to vary the level of vacuum inside the device
.
We categorized this as a repair hack, but [Todd] is just rubbernecking and doesn’t have any real plan to fix the system. It’s been on the fritz for ten years and this piece may not even be the culprit. But we’re still satisfied because he gives us a look at the system which uses the amber-colored stoppers on the three solenoids to plug three different sizes of weep holes. The unit is a vacuum enclosure where a throttle wire connects to a rubber diaphragm and adjust engine speed as the diaphragm moves. The vehicle’s computer actuates the three solenoids, allowing leakage to vary the level of vacuum, thereby keeping the throttle at just the right level. Neat! | 28 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "699440",
"author": "Nomad",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T20:10:13",
"content": "Well, at least that’s how old cruise control works. Modern vehicles have electronic throttle, so it’s not a huge act to move the airflap (gasoline engines) or increase fuel injection (diesel engines)",
"... | 1,760,376,808.909795 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/raspi-contest-to-get-the-kids-programming/ | Raspi Contest To Get The Kids Programming | Brian Benchoff | [
"contests",
"Raspberry Pi"
] | [
"contest",
"programming",
"raspberry pi"
] | The Raspberry Pi was originally conceived as an educational platform. Much like the BBC Micros and Apple ][s of yore, the Raspi is designed to get kids into programming by giving them a very tiny but still useful computer. Truth be told, we haven’t seen any
educational
hacks involving the Raspberry Pi, most likely because makers and tinkerers like us have been buying up all the available boards. The Raspi team is trying to correct this problem by holding
a summer programming contest
aimed at kids under 18 years of age.
The rules are simple: there are two age brackets, under 13, and ages 14-18. The kid who writes the best piece of software for the Raspberry Pi gets $1000, with five $200 runners-up in each category.The contest will run for eight weeks, timed perfectly to coincide with summer vacation.
There will be a few more weekly contests the Raspi team will be holding in the future, but with eight weeks to complete a project we can’t wait to see all the neat stuff kids are going to make. | 11 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "699396",
"author": "Philly",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T19:16:43",
"content": "I wonder how long the wait for the prize money will be ;)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "699508",
"author": "DarkStar",
"timestamp": "2012-07-... | 1,760,376,809.748656 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/bricking-a-seagate-drive-while-trying-to-make-it-work-in-an-xbox-360/ | Bricking A Seagate Drive While Trying To Make It Work In An Xbox 360 | Mike Szczys | [
"Xbox Hacks"
] | [
"hard drive",
"hddhackr",
"seagate",
"xbox 360"
] | If you’re looking to replace the hard drive in your Xbox 360 without just buying an official unit, you may be out of luck. There is a tool which will let you do it if you are using aWestern Digital drive as the replacement. But if your new drive is a Seagate this tool will not work. [Darth Circuit]
set out to make his Seagate work in the Xbox 360
, but his manual changes ended up bricking the drive because of just one little error.
The tool that does this with WD drives is called
HddHackr
. [Darth] started his quest by finding out what the program actually does. In order to stand in for the original drive the new one must have the same model number, serial number, LBA, and firmware revision. Once these values are changed in a binary file it is written to the drive at a specific location. He changed these values on the drive itself, and got pretty far. That is until he tried a new command which ended up locking him out of the drive. Right now it’s pretty much a brick but we hope someone can pick up where he left off and turn this work into something useful for others. Good luck! | 26 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "699384",
"author": "bty",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T18:45:19",
"content": "not very smart to install firmware for a different device.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "699391",
"author": "my2c",
"timestamp": "2012... | 1,760,376,809.521812 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/exercise-bike-actuates-your-download-speeds-messes-with-music-playback/ | Exercise Bike Actuates Your Download Speeds; Messes With Music Playback | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"bandwidth",
"bicycle",
"record player",
"turntable"
] | We’re not featuring this project because it involves the tiniest exercise bike in the world. It’s on the front page because the speed-control features which this dynamic duo added are hilarious. They call it
the Webcycle and it’s actually two hacks in one
.
Way back in 2009 [Matt Gray] and [Tom Scott] slapped an Arduino on the bike and used it to measure the revolutions of the cranks (how fast your feet are going in circles). This was hooked up to the laptop which is fastened to the handlebars. This way you can surf the Internet while you work out, but the bandwidth is directly affected by pedal speed. If you want to watch video you’re going to have to sweat…. a lot. Check it out in the clip after the break.
This March they pulled the Webcycle out of storage so that it may ride again. This time it’s connected to the sound system in their exercise room. A record player motor is the victim in this case. You guessed it — pedal speed dictates the rate of the turntable, modulating the pitch drastically. Make sure the boss isn’t around when you watch this clip because it will be hard not to guffaw.
These guys really have fun with this hacks. It was [Tom’s] birthday that prompted
that hacktacular mini golf course
.
Bandwidth control:
Music speed control:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCAkkf5UZNk
[Thanks Tom] | 7 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "699331",
"author": "anonymous",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T17:21:38",
"content": "typoIf you want to watch video you’re going to have to sweatwatch a video – would be correct..watch videos – would also be correct..you want to watch video? you fail",
"parent_id": null,
"depth":... | 1,760,376,809.698529 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/ra-3d-printer-controller-board-does-everything-has-disco-lights/ | RA 3D Printer Controller Board Does Everything, Has Disco Lights | Brian Benchoff | [
"3d Printer hacks",
"cnc hacks",
"Crowd Funding"
] | [
"3d printer",
"RA",
"reprap",
"reprap electronics"
] | 3D printers are getting far, far more complicated than a 4-axis, plastic-squirting CNC machine. These days, you really haven’t earned your geek cred unless you’ve hacked an LCD and SD card interface into your 3D printer, or at least experimented with multiple extruders. There’s a problem with the controller boards everyone is using, though: most boards simply don’t have enough output pins, greatly reducing the number of cool things a 3D printer can do.
Enter RA. It’s
a new 3D printer controller board
with IO for any imaginable setup. Going down the feature list of RA, we’re wondering why we haven’t seen some of these features before. A 24-pin ATX power header is soldered directly to the board, giving RA users a stupidly easy way to power their printer. Of course there are outputs for LEDs, camera triggers (printer time-lapse movies are really cool), light rings, buzzers, an LCD/rotary encoder/SD card control panel, and support for two heated beds for gigantic printers. If printing in one color isn’t good enough for you, RA has support for three extruders
Compared to other 3D printer boards such as
RAMPS
or the
Sanguinololu
, the number of outputs on this board is simply amazing. If you’re planning to build a huge, feature-laden 3D printer, you probably couldn’t do much better than what RA is offering. | 15 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "699321",
"author": "Lawrence",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T17:00:35",
"content": "Since this is mega based it should have a similar number of outputs as RAMPS. Looks like theres a few more fets. Meh.I had really hoped we’d only be using 32-bit Reprap boards by now but I guess you can’... | 1,760,376,809.572191 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/simple-solution-makes-rocket-fin-alignment-a-breeze/ | Simple Solution Makes Rocket Fin Alignment A Breeze | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"fin",
"inkscape",
"jig",
"laser cutter",
"model rocket",
"rocket"
] | If you’re building model rockets you want to make sure they fly straight, and most of that is dependent on the stabilizer fins. It has long been a problem come assembly time. How can you make sure that they’re being aligned without any variation? [Rrix] mentioned that one technique is to use a square to position them perfectly perpendicular to the bench on which the rocket is being assembled. But this is still prone to error. His method
uses a couple of precision jigs made out of cardboard
.
He designed this pair of jigs in Inkscape, then used the files to fabricate them out on a laser cutter. It worked like a charm, but led him to another issue that can be solved in a similar way. Model rockets have rail guides that travel along a rod attached to the launch pad as the craft accelerates to a point where the fins have enough effect to keep it going in a straight line. If those guides aren’t straight, your fin alignment will be all for naught. His second version of the jigs includes a cut out for these guides. | 33 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "699221",
"author": "S",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T14:14:54",
"content": "A rigid link between both jigs will assure that are parallel between them so that the result will be orthogonal to the rocket body otherwise I think that with thin sheets may result in skewed fins.",
"parent... | 1,760,376,809.649555 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/nyan-fax-brings-the-celebrity-kitty-to-your-office/ | Nyan Fax Brings The Celebrity Kitty To Your Office | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"fax",
"fax machine",
"fax polling",
"nyan cat"
] | Internet blocked at your office and feel like you’re just not getting your fix of Nyan Cat? Don’t worry, you can now
use the fax machine to get your fix
. [Tom Scott] put together the project to our delight, which will work best if you can find one of those fax machines that uses the continuous roll of paper. But as you can see above, individual sheets will work too. The best part is that Nyan Fax is live for callers from the UK and internationally!
The hack is using something called ‘fax polling’. It allows the sender to set up an on-demand server where any caller will be sent a queue of documents. In this case [Tom] crafted a
Nyan Cat
document that never ends… you’ll need to disconnect the phone line or pull the pug to stop the printing. See for yourself in the clip after the break. If you’re interested in setting up your own
it can be done with the mgetty and sendfax packages on a Linux box
.
Just in case you’re keeping score, [Tom Scott] is
one of the guys behind the Webcycle
. | 20 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "700570",
"author": "DanAdamKOF",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T23:13:24",
"content": "Needs to call you on second line with the theme…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "700601",
"author": "Infidellic",
"timestamp": "2... | 1,760,376,809.456342 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/solar-oven-built-to-last/ | Solar Oven Built To Last | Mike Szczys | [
"cooking hacks",
"green hacks"
] | [
"mirror",
"oven",
"solar oven",
"sun"
] | The problem with most solar ovens is that they’re flimsy builds that will stand up to only a handful of uses. But this one stands apart from that stereotype. It’s big, sturdy, and used a lot of math to
efficiently gather the sun’s energy when cooking food
.
This is the third version of the build and each has included many improvements. The obvious change here is a move from aluminum reflectors to actual mirror reflectors. These attach at a carefully calculated angle to get the most power from the rays they are redirecting. The orange mounting brackets for the mirrors also serve as a storage area for transport. The rectangular reflectors fit perfectly between them (stacked on top of the tempered glass that makes up the transparent side of the cooking chamber).
The body of the oven doesn’t track the sun and one of the future improvements mentions adding tilt functionality to the base. We’d suggest taking a look at
some of the solar tracking setups
used for PV arrays.
[Thanks John] | 18 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "700546",
"author": "Zak",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T22:11:31",
"content": "Solar ovens are cool and all, but how do you get over the fact that when I want a hot meal isn’t when the sun is out?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "70... | 1,760,376,809.799238 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/thinking-outside-the-ide-to-make-a-fast-counting-arduino/ | Thinking Outside The IDE To Make A Fast-counting Arduino | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"counter"
] | [Udo Klein] took on the challenge of counting as fast as possible using an Arduino board. The quest involves a search for short-cuts that will let him
drive a 20-bit counter as quickly as possible
using the stock hardware. But the catch is that the Arduino environment has some overhead running in the background which will slow things down. He looks into each of these road bumps, then shows one way to get around them.
The code uses a command we don’t normally see in modern C embedded programming; the goto statement. He’s using this to bypass the extra cycles used by the Arduino’s in-built loop() function. The only command that is run within his hacked loop is a deeply nested set of macros. They’re toggling output pins
using the hardware XOR built into the AVR chip
. This is directly addressing the registers and thereby dumps the slowdown added by the digitalWrite() function.
The result is a software counter that toggles the output lights (see the clip after the break) at about 98.9% of the hardware clock speed. Pretty impressive, but [Udo] figures
he can make it just a bit faster
yet. | 38 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "700524",
"author": "beta4",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T21:33:12",
"content": "I don’t get why there’s the need for a goto.Using an infinite loop like a for(;;) or a while(1) within loop() will achieve the same result.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
... | 1,760,376,809.397198 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/emic2-text-to-speech-module/ | EMIC2 Text To Speech Module | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"dino",
"emic2",
"joe grand",
"parallax",
"text to speech"
] | This is the EMIC2 text-to-speech module. You can see from the logo on the bottom left it’s the latest gadget coming out of [Joe Grand’s] Grand Idea Studios. [Dino] tipped us off about
his first experience with a prototype of the board
. He’s driving it with an Arduino and the video after the break shows that the sound rendering is high quality and the words are very easy to understand. One of the things that we think is interesting is that the serial communications used to drive the board are not uni-directional. In fact, there’s a serial terminal that provides documentation on how to use the chip. Obviously this is most suited to the Arduino, which always has a PC-side terminal window available to it.
[Joe] himself shows some of the potential for the board. He
gave new life to a broken toy
by replacing its internals with a PIC-based circuit to drive the EMIC2. That video is also found after the break. He’s just using the demo clips, but from that you will get a good idea of the vocal modulations this device is capable of. The board rings up at $60 and is
available from Parallax
.
[Dino’s] introduction:
[Joe’s] project:
and it’s on sale now for about $60 for Parallax. | 30 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "700492",
"author": "James",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T20:43:35",
"content": "It’s nice, but I wonder what that microcontroller adds to the Epson text-to-speech IC. I suppose it’s for making it easier to control, but it seems like overkill to me.Also, it seems a bit excessive to ask 6... | 1,760,376,809.918149 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/we-made-it-into-the-redbull-creation-finals/ | We Made It Into The RedBull Creation Finals! | Caleb Kraft | [
"contests"
] | [
"contest",
"red bull",
"squidfoo"
] | We are quite happy to announce that we’ve made it into the next round of the
Red Bull Creation contest
. Our entry was fairly simple, but just amusing enough to get us by. I’m assembling my team here in springfield missouri at
Squidfoo
as well as setting up some full time Skype sessions with writers elsewhere.
We currently have no idea what the topic will be, but we do know that we will have 72 hours to complete it, starting the 19th. Red Bull will be filming the entire process so you can watch as we build. We are not a well trained team and we are all very strongly opinionated. We’ll be lucky if we complete anything in that time!
I’d like to address a couple common thoughts:
1.
Why are you promoting Red Bull?
Hackaday has always been focused on promoting hacking. We see this contest as having the same goal. If Red Bull wants to be the one making this happen, no problem here. Maybe other companies will take their lead. Imagine if Sony or Microsoft held official hacking contests! It looks like
Radio Shack has started doing the same thing
as well. Good for them!
2.
Why did you build your thing that way/it is done wrong/ why didn’t you do it this way?
We are not professionals. We are under a tight time limit. We want to put on a good show, maybe making it shoot sparks sounded like more fun than making it accurate to the nanometer. Lighten up. | 13 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "700300",
"author": "dougmsbbs",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T19:06:48",
"content": "WTG guys! Can’t wait to see whats next!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "700406",
"author": "Josh Malone",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T19:46:12"... | 1,760,376,809.851998 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/two-stage-rocket-climbs-to-15-km-promptly-gets-lost/ | Two-stage Rocket Climbs To 15 Km, Promptly Gets Lost | Brian Benchoff | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"amateur rocketry",
"high powered rocket",
"model rocket",
"rocket"
] | Last month, the Cambridge University Spaceflight society launched two stages of their
Martlet 1 three-stage rocket
. After seeing
our call for rocket builds
, they sent in a launch report. We’re glad they did; it’s an amazing piece of work that screams into the atmosphere faster than the speed of sound.
The society is designed the three-stage Martlet 1 with the goal of reaching 15km (50,000 feet) over a launch range at Ben Armine in Scotland. This launch was a test of stage separation, intended to work out any bugs in the system before going to the full-sized rocket.
When Martlet 1 takes off, it’s 1st stage engine fires for 5 seconds and coasts for another 9 seconds. In the video after the break, the guys expected to hear the
pop
of the second stage igniting after 14 seconds. The team forgot to account for the fact the rocket would be 3km in the air at that time, and thanks to the slowness of sound the second stage was heard though the clouds at 25 seconds after launch.
With rockets, hardly anything goes
exactly
as planned, so unfortunately the team only recovered the bottom half of their rocket. After searching over 60 square km for the second stage, the guys realized it might be lost to the moors of Scotland. Hopefully the second stage will turn up soon so the full 3 stage stack can be realized.
Check out the launch videos after the break.
Launch from 300m
slow-mo
rail cam | 34 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "700237",
"author": "Doktor Jeep",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T18:30:36",
"content": "I was so into this stuff as a kid. So what if there are issues. This stuff is going to lead to “iSatellites” someday.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_... | 1,760,376,810.048063 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/turning-the-innotab-into-a-linux-tablet/ | Turning The InnoTab Into A Linux Tablet | Brian Benchoff | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"Innotab",
"linux",
"Vtech Innotab"
] | A few weeks ago we caught wind of [Mick] breaking out his screwdrivers and soldering iron to
get a serial console on his son’s VTech InnoTab
. [Mick] was able to get the touchscreen working and successfully ported SCUMMVM to the device, but there was still a long road ahead to get the source for this pint-sized tablet.
[David Anders] from elinux.org wrote in to tell us VTech is now
giving away their source for the InnoTab
, something they’ve been holding back so far. [Dave] is now verifying the VTech release is 100% complete, so if you’d like to give him a hand,
drop him a line
.
If you’re thinking this is your ticket to an inexpensive and powerful Linux tablet, prepare to be disappointed. The InnoTab is an ARM 11 running at 180 MHz with a paltry 64 MB of RAM. That’s not exactly top-of-the-line hardware, but at the very least you’ll be able to
play Doom
on it. | 12 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "700159",
"author": "Rollyn01",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T17:21:34",
"content": "Based on what I see, through the “Sqlite exploit” and what appears to be a jvm, wouldn’t that mean I can run any Java compliant program? If so, how far away is it from running a JIT .obj file?",
"pare... | 1,760,376,810.166189 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/remote-control-with-an-xbee-and-a-propeller/ | Remote Control With An XBee And A Propeller | Brian Benchoff | [
"Toy Hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"propeller",
"remote control",
"xbee"
] | If you’ve been playing with electronics for long enough, eventually you’ll need a nice remote control transmitter to control your RC car, airplane, or any other robotics project you have lying around. With these robotics projects comes the problem remote control, and the
XBee Handheld Controller
may be just the ticket to remotely control any project that comes off your workbench.
This isn’t the first remote controller we’ve seen that
does just about everything
, but it is the first one to include an XBee wireless transceiver to easily interface to your robotics project. The controller comes in two models, the Q4, which uses four Playstation-like joysticks, and the Q2, which uses proper remote control gimbal joysticks. Both the controllers have a slew of buttons, toggle switches, four rotary pots and a 2×20 LCD display.
After the break you can check out [Paul]’s pitch explaining what these controllers can do and showing off a hexapod robot under the control of his Q4 controller. A very neat project, and we can’t wait to see this controller out in the field.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsC_mi9BPQ&w=470] | 12 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "700118",
"author": "wardy",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T16:29:43",
"content": "Looks like they’ve put a lot of thought into this design. I’m a big fan of the Propeller / XBee platform, those two products go together very well. My current project is vaguely similar to this and in fac... | 1,760,376,810.348031 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/teaching-a-computer-to-learn/ | Teaching A Computer To Learn | Brian Benchoff | [
"News",
"Software Development"
] | [
"ai",
"artificial intelligence"
] | [Łukasz Kaiser] programmed a computer to play Tic-tac-toe. That doesn’t sound very remarkable until you realize he never told his computer the rules of Tic-tac-toe. The computer
learned the rules by itself
after watching a video of two people playing the game (
link to actual paper
– PDF warning).
[Łukasz] wrote a small program in C++ to recognize the placement of objects on a Tic-tac-toe, Connect 4, and Breakthough board. This program sifts through winning and losing games along with illegal moves to generate a Lambda calculus-like rule set for the relevant game. Even though [Łukasz] has only programmed a computer to learn simple games such as Tic-tac-toe, Connect 4, and Breakthrough, he plans to move up to more complex games such as Chess.
The fact that [Łukasz] programmed a computer to actually learn the rules of a game gives us pause; in one of the fabulous lectures [Richard Feynman] gave to freshman physics students in 1964, the subject of Chess came up. [Feynman] drew parallels between learning Chess and performing research. Every move is hypothesis testing, and when a very strange move occurs – castling, en passant, and the promotion of a pawn, for instance – the theory of the rules of the game must be reworked. Likewise, when extremely strange stuff happens in physics – particle/wave duality, and the existence of black holes – scientific theory is advanced.
Yes, teaching a computer to learn the rules of Tic-tac-toe may seem irrelevant, but given the same learning process can be applied to other fields such as medicine, economics, and just about every science, it’s not hard to see how cool [Łukasz]’ work is.
via
extremetech | 23 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "700057",
"author": "jon",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T15:21:05",
"content": "Give it a crack at go, rules are simple, but the game is extremely complicated.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "700185",
"author": "Rollyn01",
... | 1,760,376,810.487828 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/ouya-a-100-game-console-for-indie-developers/ | Ouya, A $100 Game Console For Indie Developers | Brian Benchoff | [
"hardware",
"News"
] | [
"android",
"console",
"Ouya"
] | With the explosion of mobile gaming (due in no small part to the egg-bombing
Angry Birds
), the Ouya was bound to happen. It’s
a $100 game console
powered by Android that puts indie games right into your living room.
The specs for the Ouya means this cube of games isn’t a slouch: the console comes loaded with an NVIDIA Terga3 quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 Gigs of flash storage, HDMI, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Android 4.0. A requirement for publishing games on the Ouya is making at least some of the game free to play, a la TF2 or LoL. In addition to being a video game console, Ouya will also pull down
Twitch.TV
streams allowing you to watch Starcraft championships and other e-sports on your big-screen TV.
Not only does the Ouya play games, its designers made the device easily hackable. There aren’t enough details to know exactly what this means, but we’re sure we’ll see a full-blown Linux distro running on the Ouya within a week of release.
As of this writing, the
Ouya Kickstarter
has already met their funding goal of $950,000 by taking
in two million
a freaking ton of money
with 29 days left.
This might become the most successful Kickstarter to date, and we can’t wait to see all the neat stuff and hacks for the Ouya in the near future. | 43 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "699995",
"author": "Indyaner",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T14:03:48",
"content": "I’m kinda confused about this woman talking about hackers who can hack this device. I hope she is aware that the first target for hacking would be to get free games on this console. It’s always the first ... | 1,760,376,810.5657 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/blinkm-gets-upgraded-to-a-usb-mass-market-device/ | BlinkM Gets Upgraded To A USB Mass-market Device | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"ATMega8U2",
"blink(1)",
"blinkm",
"indicator",
"usb"
] | [TodBot] has a new piece of hardware on the way up.
His Blink(1) is currently about 50% funded on Kickstarter
. It’s a USB nub that has an RGB LED inside of it. When plugged into a computer it can be used as a status indicator. At first that sounds like a let down, but his marketing is fantastic as the myriad of uses really caught our attention. If you’re on the road you can use it to report back your server statistic. Plug one into each rack-mounted servers for quick visual indication of which one has crashed. Or find your own use.
You probably remember [TodBot] as
the creator of the BlinkM
. Recently he was calling it the world’s smallest Arduino. Well this Blink(1) is being marketed as Arduino programmable as well. The board size is about the same, and both have an RGB LED module. The difference is that the BlinkM had an ATtiny85 and needed a serial converter to program it. This has a USB plug so we’d bet he’s swapped the tiny for an ATmega8u2 or something from the same family.
Don’t think one blinky LED is going to cut it? For folks that just need more resolution there are other hardware options out there. For instance, this project gives you
a wireless 8×8 RGB led display to use as an indicator
. | 31 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "699965",
"author": "JbLb",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T13:07:14",
"content": "strange that the 3 link go to the same page !!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "699975",
"author": "frankbuss",
"timestamp": "2012-07-1... | 1,760,376,810.421471 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/playing-footsie-with-your-video-games/ | Playing Footsie With Your Video Games | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"Arduino Uno",
"atmega16u2",
"ATMega8U2",
"controller",
"foot"
] | [Jon] will be tapping away with his toes during gaming session thanks to
this foot controller which is packed with buttons and sensors
. It’s the second iteration of the build. The original had some solder joints break and the USB stopped working. He had also been experiencing some erratic behavior and so he decided to upgrade the control hardware and add a few more things in the process.
This version uses an Arduino Uno as the interface board. He did a bunch of prototyping to find the best way to hook up all the analog sensors, and how to properly debounce the buttons. Once he was happy with the inputs he set about finding a better way to use the USB HID standard with the device. We were surprised to hear that the ATmega16u2 (one of the new AVR chips which includes USB hardware) doesn’t play nicely with Linux. But [Jon] managed to hack his way around that issue and now he’s gaming with an even better foot controller than before. | 8 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "699960",
"author": "djnikochan",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T12:48:12",
"content": "I suspect the link is currently wrong. It took me to the video for the previous article. Otherwise, looks cool!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "699... | 1,760,376,810.613623 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/11/time-based-one-time-passwords-with-an-arduino/ | Time-based One-Time Passwords With An Arduino | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"oath",
"password",
"rsa",
"token",
"totp"
] | Get your feet wet with Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) security by
building your own Arduino OATH system
. OATH is an open standard authentication system that provides a platform to generate tokens, making your login more secure than a password alone would.
The TOTP approach is what is used with many companies that issue hardware-based dongles for logging in remotely. This security
may have been compromised
but it’s still better than passwords alone. Plus, if you’re building it around an Arduino we’d bet you’re just trying to learn and not actually responsible for protecting industrial or state secrets.
The hardware setup requires nothing more than the Arduino board with one button and a screen as a user interface. Since the board has a crystal oscillator it keeps fairly accurate time (as long as it remains powered). It will push out a new token every thirty seconds. The video after the break shows that the Arduino-calculated value does indeed match what the test box is displaying. | 13 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "699928",
"author": "GotNoTime",
"timestamp": "2012-07-11T11:20:43",
"content": "OATH and TOTP in particular aren’t anything to do with RSA the company. The only thing in common is that the RSA SecurID tokens and OATH both implement a form of two factor authentication.The problem wi... | 1,760,376,810.662397 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/cheap-as-chips-arduino-ethernet-shield/ | Cheap As Chips Arduino Ethernet Shield | Brian Benchoff | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"hardware"
] | [
"arduino",
"enc28j60",
"ethernet",
"shield"
] | It’s no secret that Ethernet shields for the Arduino are a little expensive. With the official Ethernet shield selling for about $50 and other options not much cheaper, there’s a lot of room for improvement for Arduinofied Ethernet. [Boris] over at Open Electronics has a solution to this problem:
his Ethercard
powered by a $3 Ethernet controller.
The Ethercard uses the
Microchip ENC28J60
, a through-hole Ethernet controller. There isn’t much else on the board apart from an RJ45 jack, caps, resistors, and a cheap buffer chip. This board was designed to be easily produced, and we’re thinking it might be possible to etch this board at home.
There are a few drawbacks to this ENC28J60 Ethernet shield – the official Arduino Ethernet shield has a 10/100 Mbps connection where the Microchip-powered shield is limited to 10 Mbps. Given the reduced cost, ease of assembly, and the fact that it’s pretty hard to saturate a 100Mbps connection with an Arduino this flaw can be easily ignored.
Pretty neat, especially considering how much you can do with an Ethernet connection on your Arduino. Files and code
available in the git
. | 51 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "699491",
"author": "Peter",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T22:14:28",
"content": "dealextreme have two controllers based on the ENC28J60, one a shield (~US$21), the other more generic board (~US$11). Just search for ENC28J60 on the site.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"rep... | 1,760,376,810.759273 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/pedal-powered-32-core-arm-linux-server/ | Pedal-powered 32-core ARM Linux Server | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"arm",
"bicycle",
"generator",
"inverter",
"pedal",
"red hat",
"server"
] | Sure, it’s probably a gimmick to [Jon Masters], but we absolutely love
the pedal-powered server he built using a group of ARM chips
. [Jon] is an engineer at Red Hat and put together the project in order to show off the potential of the low-power ARM offerings.
The platform is a quad-core Calxeda EnergyCore ARM SoC. Each chip draws only 5 Watts at full load, with eight chips weighing in at just 40 Watts. The circuit to power the server started as a solar charger, which was easy to convert just by transitioning from panels to a generator that works just like a bicycle trainer (the rear wheel presses against a spin wheel which drives the generator shaft).
So, the bicycle generator powers the solar charger, which is connected to an inverter that feeds a UPS. After reading the article and watching the video after the break we’re a bit confused on the actual setup. We would think that the inverter would feed the charger but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. If you can provide some clarity on how the system is connected please feel free to do so in the comments. | 12 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "698535",
"author": "Ijon_Tichi",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T20:16:07",
"content": "to clarify:you have to put an battery to thatregulator, else it is not able to workpropperly.If you hook up the inverter right to theregulator without an battery as a voltage refference, it would just g... | 1,760,376,810.80529 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/tearing-through-floppy-drives-to-build-a-small-format-dot-matrix-printer/ | Tearing Through Floppy Drives To Build A Small-format Dot Matrix Printer | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"floppy",
"parallel",
"printer",
"sharpie"
] | The accuracy which [Mario] achieved in
his pen plotter dot matrix printer
is very remarkable. He tore through a pile of floppy drives to get the parts he wanted, and chose to go with a fine-point Sharpie marker as a print head. In the video after the break he flatters us with a printout of the Hackaday logo, but you also get a look at one problem with the build. The ink doesn’t always flow from the felt tip and he has to coax it (almost like priming a pump) with a piece of scrap paper.
He was inspired by
the pen printer we featured back in June
. This rendition features a printing area of 1.5×1.5 inches that can accommodate 120×120 black and white pixels. He’s not a microcontroller type of guy and is driving the printer from the parallel port of his computer.
The best printing technique puts the pen down and moves it around just a bit (helps prevent the ink flow problem we mentioned earlier) and produces images like one in the lower right. We love the 8-bit nature of the result and would use this all the time to make our own greeting cards.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY1gfSv4YFw] | 26 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "698491",
"author": "REX",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T19:10:52",
"content": "Nice Work!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "698497",
"author": "dattaway2",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T19:16:17",
"content": "I nominate this for... | 1,760,376,810.862474 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/video-based-radar-for-your-car/ | Video-based Radar For Your Car | Brian Benchoff | [
"Software Development"
] | [
"machine vision",
"radar"
] | [Gustaf] has been playing around with machine vision for a while and sent in his latest project in on our tip line. It’s a
video based car radar system
that can detect cars in a camera’s field of vision while cruising down the highway.
Like [Gustaf]’s
previous experiments with machine vision
where he got a computer to recognize and count yellow cylinders and green rectangles, the radar build uses
ADABoost
and the
AForge AI/Machine Vision C# framework
. [Gustef] used an evolutionary algorithm to detect the presence of a car in a video frame, first by selecting 150 images of cars from a pre-recorded video, and the another 1,850 images were selected by a computer and confirmed as a car by a human eye.
With 2000 images of cars in its database, [Gustaf]’s machine vision algorithm is able to detect a car in real-time as he drove down a beautiful Swedish highway. In addition to overlaying a rectangle underneath each car in a video frame and an awesome Terminator-style HUD in the upper right corner, [Gustaf] also a distance display above the hood of his car.
It’s an awesome build that makes us wonder if [Gustef]
is building an autonomous car
. Even if he’s not, it really makes us want to install a video HUD in our whip, just to see this in action. | 28 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "698461",
"author": "BlackCow",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T18:20:45",
"content": "I feel like fully autonomous cars are a bit of a stretch and not something we will see anytime soon. However I think the fly by wire computer assisted driving has a lot of potential. Imagine a car that wo... | 1,760,376,810.930177 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/logic-analyzer-add-on-for-the-msp430-launchpad/ | Logic Analyzer Add-on For The MSP430 Launchpad | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"launchpad",
"logic analyzer",
"logic sniffer",
"msp430",
"shield"
] | Here’s
a 6-channel logic analyzer shield for the MSP430 Launchpad
. It manages an eyebrow-raising 16 million samples per second. The prototype seen above is made on a hunk of protoboard with point-to-point soldering. [oPossum] did lay out a PCB — which is just 50mmx50mm — but has not had any produced quite yet.
He calls it the LogicBoost, and based it on the
the LogicShrimp
design. The sextuplet of 8-pin chips are all SPI RAM. These are responsible for storing the samples, with a 74HC573 latch routing the traffic. The MSP430 chip provides the SPI clock, and the Launchpad’s virtual com port can be used to push the data to a computer for graphing. That’s a bit slow so [oPossum] also included an optional header for an FTDI board that will do a faster job. The sample rate can be adjusted by tweaking the internal oscillator setting of the chip; there’s plenty to choose from so it will work for just about any purpose (as long as you don’t surpass the 16 Msps speed limit).
[via
Dangerous Prototypes
] | 12 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "698429",
"author": "James Glanville",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T17:32:37",
"content": "Cool, but it doesn’t beat mine for cost/sample rate:http://i.imgur.com/31HTg.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mL2ko.jpg24Mhz, 8 inputs, £12.It’s a saleae clone, you just need a CY7C68013A dev board from ebay,... | 1,760,376,810.978951 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/on-not-designing-circuits-with-evolutionary-algorithms/ | On Not Designing Circuits With Evolutionary Algorithms | Brian Benchoff | [
"hardware",
"Software Development"
] | [
"evolutionary algorithm",
"genetic algorithm",
"hardware",
"simulation",
"SPICE"
] | [Henrik] has been working on a program to
design electronic circuits using evolutionary algorithms
. It’s still very much a work in progress, but he’s gotten to the point of generating a decent BJT inverter after 78 generations (9 minutes of compute time), as shown in the .gif above.
To evolve these circuits, [Henrik] told a SPICE simulation to generate an inverter with a 5V power supply, 2N3904 and 2N3906 transistors, and whatever resistors were needed. The first dozen or so generations didn’t actually
do
anything, but after 2000 generations the algorithm produced a circuit nearly identical to the description of a CMOS inverter you’d find in a circuit textbook.
Using evolution to guide electronic design is nothing new; an
evolutionary algorithm and a a few bits of Verilog
can turn an FPGA into a chip that can
tell the difference between a 1kHz and 10kHz tone
with extremely minimal hardware requirements. There’s also some very, very strange stuff that happened in this experiment; the evolutionary algorithm utilized things that are impossible for a human to program and relies on magnetic flux and quantum weirdness inside the FPGA.
[Henrik] says his algorithm didn’t test for how much current goes through the transistors, so implementing this circuit outside of a simulation will destroy the transistors and emit a puff of blue smoke. If you’d like design your own circuits using evolution, [Henrik]
put all the code in a git
for your perusal. It’s damn cool as it stands now, and once [Henrik] includes checking current and voltage in each component his project may actually be useful. | 24 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "698328",
"author": "xaio",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T16:12:31",
"content": "actually it would be pretty easy to build more limitations like currenttesting etc. into the evolutionary programm and many times it would get faster.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [... | 1,760,376,811.199916 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/refurbing-a-c64-with-a-raspberry-pi/ | Refurbing A C64 With A Raspberry Pi | Brian Benchoff | [
"classic hacks",
"Raspberry Pi"
] | [
"commodore 64",
"raspberry pi"
] | When [Carl] first heard of the Raspberry Pi, he immeidatly though how freakin tiny this board is compared to a Mini ITX motherboard. After ordering a Raspi, [Carl] decided to put his barely-larger-than-a-credit-card computer
inside a Commodore 64
.
[Carl]’s updated C64 functions exactly like the original – the 30-year-old keyboard works thanks to the help of a
Keyrah keyboard and control port adapter
. This adapter was soldered to a stripped USB cable, allowing [Carl] to keep the finished project looking very clean and tidy. Of course, the composite, HDMI, and Ethernet ports are broken out, allowing for this computer to connect to any network or TV.
For a final touch, [Carl] painted the case. He originally wanted to spray on a black, red, and purple motif to match the Raspi, but he eventually settled on a beige and red style. [Carl] really put together an awesome build, and for much, much less money than the
rereleased C64 Windows-powered monstrosity
goes for. You can check out the build log video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnHFO0NRtWs&w=470] | 27 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "698413",
"author": "Tweeks",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T16:47:43",
"content": "Reminds me of the “Appledore” retro-mushup that one of the guys in my user group did a number of years ago:http://xcssa.org/photos/2008_XCSSA/09-15_Appledore1.jpeg“This is Fredrik’s Appledore. An Apple-I cl... | 1,760,376,811.371651 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/make-your-own-integrated-circuits-at-home/ | Make Your Own Integrated Circuits At Home | Brian Benchoff | [
"chemistry hacks",
"hardware"
] | [
"cmos",
"MEMS"
] | The Nyan Cat you see above is only 600 micrometers from head to tail. To put that into perspective, that’s about 10 times the diameter of a human hair. Also, that Nyan is etched into 200 nanometer thick copper foil and is the work of
the HomeCMOS team
, who is developing a hobbyist-friendly process to make integrated circuits and MEMS devices at home.
The project is far from complete; HomeCMOS has yet to produce a working IC but a few experiments – getting
wet etching
down pat and even
building an almost working quantum qbit
– are remarkable given the small amount of equipment and tools involved.
The HomeCMOS team has yet to actually make an integrated circuit or MEMS device, [Jeri Ellsworth] has shown this is possible by
making transistors
and
integrated circuits
at home. While there won’t be chips with millions of transistors coming out of the HomeCMOS lab anytime soon, it’s more than possible to see a few small-scale integration-level tech such as a few logic gates or a regulator. | 25 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "698229",
"author": "mattgilbert",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T13:16:40",
"content": "This is exciting stuff!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "698262",
"author": "Dane",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T14:15:48",
"content": "ZOI... | 1,760,376,811.138925 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/building-a-homebrew-diesel-ecu/ | Building A Homebrew Diesel ECU | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"arduino mega",
"diesel",
"ecu"
] | Over the years automobile engines have become increasingly complex, and with this added complexity comes an increased reliance on intricate computer systems to run them. These control systems are typically the fruit of many hours of research and development, carefully protected by the auto makers who create them. Instead of relying on a closed system to power his car, a Finnish hacker that goes by the name [synkooppi] has decided to do away with his diesel engine’s ECU altogether and
build one of his own with little more than an Arduino.
As you can see from his web site, [synkooppi] has created his DIY ECU using an Arduino Mega, which is capable of controlling diesel engines that employ a Bosch VP37 or other inline diesel pump. So far he has all of the basic workings in place, which allow him to run and control an Audi diesel motor.
While many details about his homebrew ECU are hard to come by, he does have a
series of development videos
posted on YouTube which should help satiate inquisitive minds. For those of you with a spare diesel motor laying around, [synkooppi] has made the first release of his code available to try out.
Stick around to see a video of the ECU in action.
[Thanks, perhof]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qj0S2_57EU4&w=470] | 18 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "699213",
"author": "Jay",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T14:08:18",
"content": "The Finns do amazing stuff with diesels, particularly Mercedes. Why this is so popular in Finland?I’d like to add a little bit more power to my OM606, but Finnish aftermarket parts are pretty expensive.",
... | 1,760,376,811.520322 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/tearing-down-disneys-glow-with-the-show-props/ | Tearing Down Disney’s Glow With The Show Props | Mike Nathan | [
"Teardown"
] | [
"disney",
"Glow with the Show",
"MSP430G2553",
"World of Color"
] | [Andy’s] boss recently returned from a trip to Disneyland
with a set of light-up [Mickey Mouse] ears in tow.
He said that during the event, every set of “Glow with the Show” ears in the crowd changed colors in sync with the performance. After he and some co-workers speculated on how this was pulled off, [Andy’s] boss gave him a new assignment – to find out how the darned things work!
[Andy] carefully disassembled the ears, sharing his findings and speculations with us. Inside, he found a small flexible circuit board powered by three AAA batteries. At the center of the device resides a TI MSP430G2553 which is tasked with controlling the RGB LEDs embedded in the ears.
In one ear, he spotted what he believes to be a Vishay TSMP6000 IR receiver. Vishay-branded or not, he verified that it does indeed pick up IR signals using his oscilloscope and a TV remote. In the other ear, he found a pair of small IR diodes, which he speculates are used to repeat the IR timing/sync signal received in the opposite side of the device.
The synchronization methods seem completely different than
those found in the Xylobands we covered a while back
, so we’re really intrigued to find out more about technology behind them.
Stick around to see a video of the light show in action, and since [Andy] says he’s willing to entertain any thoughts on how Disney makes their magic happen, be sure to sound off in the comments.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVe93Vhbpxk&w=470] | 51 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "699186",
"author": "ColinB",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T13:39:59",
"content": "Very cool! It would have been fun to be the design engineer for those props.It’s a somewhat similar to the way that theSynchronizing Fireflyworks. (Posted on HaD previously.) Of course the fireflies have m... | 1,760,376,811.464079 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/custom-starcraft-controller/ | Custom Starcraft Controller | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"controller",
"keyboard",
"starcraft"
] | This Starcraft controller was designed as a contest entry
. The goal of the contest was to provide a custom controller for the Starcraft Real-Time-Strategy game that shared some of the features seen in First Person Shooter controllers.
The design started as rough sketches. From the there button layout was prototyped before actually building a virtual model of the entire controller. A rendering of the model was submitted as a contest entry, and we’re glad it was also seen through to a physical device. This involved sending the design files off for 3D printing. What came back was painted and assembled to achieve the beautiful look seen above.
On the right is a stick that acts as the mouse controller. The buttons on the left are just the most necessary of Starcraft control keys. They all map to the appropriate keyboard keys and the device enumerates as an HID keyboard so no button mapping is necessary. That being said, a player does have the option of remapping if the layout doesn’t suit.
[Via
Reddit
with more info at
Shoryuken
] | 11 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "699152",
"author": "tryum",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T12:22:19",
"content": "Hmmm I think the contest was to build a sc2 controller similar to arcade fighting game controllers, not FPS controllers.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": ... | 1,760,376,811.629476 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/16-bit-hcmos-computer-is-a-wire-wrapping-wonderland/ | 16-bit HCMOS Computer Is A Wire Wrapping Wonderland | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"16-bit",
"cmos",
"hcmos",
"wire wrapping"
] | The D16/M is
a 16-bit computer built using HCMOS logic chips
. It’s a thing of beauty from every angle thanks to the work [John Doran] put into the hobby project. But he didn’t just take pictures of the build and slap them on a webpage. He took the time to publish a remarkable volume of documents for the computer too!
The processor can execute a total of 73 instructions and offers a 100-pin bus for accessing main memory and peripherals. So far he has documented three different peripheral boards, each of which is pluggable thanks to an edge connector that accepts the board.
The expansion boards
are for system memory, serial communication port, and a clever four-position SD card interface for persistent storage.
Got a question about the system? He wrote a FAQ. Want to learn from his obvious mastery of wire-wrapping? He wrote a wire wrapping tips guide. Like we said, there’s a mountain of documentation and the links to it all are included in his main project page.
[Thanks Allen] | 25 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "699120",
"author": "harleydk",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T11:26:49",
"content": "That’s a piece of beauty!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "699138",
"author": "Sven",
"timestamp": "2012-07-10T11:54:42",
"content": "I wi... | 1,760,376,811.583373 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/cool-master-advanced-beer-delivery-system/ | Cool Master Advanced Beer Delivery System | Mike Szczys | [
"Beer Hacks",
"contests",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"beer",
"bottle cap",
"bullduino",
"creation",
"red bull"
] | The Cool Master is a beer delivery system which Innovation Thirst built as their qualifying entry for this year’s Red Bull Creation contest. It’s one of the best beer delivery concepts we’ve ever seen. Instead of
tossing you a beer directly from the fridge
, this offering brings the cold beverages directly to you. It even manages to de-cap the bottles before serving.
Mobility is provided by a six-wheeled base which allows for a zero-turn radius. The cooler acts as the body of the robot, and hides a hopper which carries a stock of bottles on their sides. When you want a beer, the bot approaches you, tilts the next bottle to the upright position, removes the cap, then raises the vessel on a beer elevator until it pushes its way through the rubber orifice in the cooler’s lid. Right now the device is operated using an RC controller, but there’s always room for adding autonomy and the ability to restock from a refrigerator. Don’t miss the demo video after the break. | 18 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "698624",
"author": "Simon",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T23:25:31",
"content": "“Ey! Where’s my beer droid?” (AVGN).Too bad I can’t watch the video because I live in Germany. My Government just seems to hate music. (and I’m to noobish to ssh into some hungarian server)",
"parent_id"... | 1,760,376,811.685451 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/software-defined-radio-remotely-using-a-linux-wall-wart/ | Software-Defined Radio Remotely Using A Linux Wall wart | Mike Szczys | [
"Radio Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"pwn plug",
"sdr",
"sheevaplug",
"software-defined radio"
] | Here’s a interesting idea; if the hardware seen above is dropped at a location,
you can monitor radio signals remotely via the Internet
. [MS3FGX] has been toying with the idea for a little while now. He wanted to use a DVB dongle with a portable Linux solution to offer Software-Defined Radio (SDR) capability without the need to actually be there.
The white box is a PWN Plug, a branded version of
the SheevaPlug
. The black dongle that plugs into it is a DVB tuner dongle. It’s meant to receive television signals over the radio, but recently the hardware has been used as
a simple way to implement SDR
. Combine the two (along with the antenna), stir in a network connection, and you’ve got a remote listening post. What can you listen to? Just about anything that’s within the dongle’s bandwidth range. [MS3FGX] mentions walkie-talkie traffic and pager signals, to name just two.
He even wrote
an installation script
that gets you up and running in no time. | 18 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "698605",
"author": "dattaway2",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T22:32:01",
"content": "Can’t wait until the undocumented features of wifi cards get hacked and can receive out of bounds. Atheros cards currently have about 1GHz of range by changing a few numbers in the kernel source code, b... | 1,760,376,811.745868 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/jeri-ellsworth-on-making-her-c64-bass-keytar/ | [Jeri Ellsworth] On Making Her C64 Bass Keytar | Mike Szczys | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"6581",
"bass",
"c64",
"chiptunes",
"commodore 64",
"guitar",
"jeri ellsworth",
"keytar",
"sid"
] | [Jeri Ellsworth] finally set aside some time to talk about
the build process for her Commodore 64 bass keytar
. We think what started by taking a band saw to the guitar body ended up as a fantastic new instrument.
When she was
showing off the project at Maker Faire
we really only got a cursory look at what it could do. Her most recent video covers all that went into pulling off the project. Once the bulk of the guitar body was gone she tore the guts out of a dead c64 in order to mate the case with the guitar neck. Always the craftsman, she altered the computer’s badge to preserve the iconic look, then went to work adding pickups to each string using piezo sensors. This was done with Maker Faire in mind because magnetic pickups would have been unreliable around all of the tesla coils one might find at the event. These were amplified and filtered before being processed via an FPGA which connects to the original c64 SID 6581 chip. | 27 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "698572",
"author": "flashular",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T21:20:06",
"content": "Very nice. I was considering a similar polyphonic build using the GinSing synthesizer shield and Arduino, so I found your use of piezo pickups a nice idea for note detection. Thanks for your insight and ... | 1,760,376,811.813451 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/bootable-emulator-for-the-dcpu/ | Bootable Emulator For The DCPU | Brian Benchoff | [
"Software Development"
] | [
"0x10c",
"DCPU",
"emulation",
"notch"
] | [Notch], the guy behind Minecraft, is currently working on a new game called 0x10c. This game includes an in-game 16-bit computer called the DCPU that hearkens back to the 1980s microcomputers with
really weird
hardware architecture. [Benedek] thought it would be a great idea to turn his ThinkPad into a DCPU, so he
wrote a bootable x86 emulator for the DCPU
that is fully compliant with the current DCPU spec.
This bootable DCPU emulator comes from the fruitful workshop of [Benedek], the brains behind
drawing fractals
on the DCPU,
emulating bit-flipping radiation
, and even putting the
Portal end credits
inside [notch]’s 0x10c computer.
[Benedek] wrote this new in x86 assembly, allowing it to be booted without an OS from a USB flash drive on any old laptop. This allows for direct hardware communication for everything implemented for the DCPU so far.
If you’d like to run your bare-metal DCPU, [Benedek]
made all the files avaiable
. Since the entire emulator is only 1800 lines of x86 assembly, it’s possible to load this off a floppy disk; an ancient tech we’ll be seeing in [notch]’s new game.
Oh. One more thing. When we were introduced to 0x10c,
we said we’ll be holding a contest
for the best hardware implementation of the DCPU. We’re still waiting on some of the hardware specs to be released (hard drives and the MIDI-based serial interface), so we’ll probably be holding that when there is a playable alpha release. [Benedek]’s bootable emulator is a great start, though. | 16 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "698216",
"author": "Blue Footed Booby",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T12:53:18",
"content": "I had the idea for a game with a programmable VM a couple years back, but I lacked the wherewithal (both in terms of skillset and drive) to actually do anything with it. It’s such a cool idea and... | 1,760,376,811.866112 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/09/ask-hackaday-how-about-some-model-rocket-hacks/ | Ask Hackaday: How About Some Model Rocket Hacks? | Brian Benchoff | [
"Ask Hackaday"
] | [
"amateur rockets",
"high powered rockets",
"model rockets",
"rocketry"
] | There’s nothing like the smell of black powder in the morning, along with the excitement and burnt propellant in the air that comes after launching a model rocket. All those 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s kids out there may remember the classes of model rocket engines – generally A, B, C, and D sized engines used to push your cardboard tube with balsa fins skyward.
A lot has changed in the world of model and amateur rocketry in the last few years. In 2009, the
Tripoli Rocketry Association
won a lawsuit against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to
allow the sale of Ammonium perchlorate rocket engines
to anyone. This lawsuit took almost 10 years to come to a head, but finally anyone can walk into Hobby Lobby and come out with D, E, F, and G engines in hand. Even our old favorite, Estes rockets, has gotten into the game by putting out
a few awesome G-powered kits
. With these off-the-shelf motors, anyone (in the US, at least) can launch a G-powered model rocket weighing under 1500 grams (3.3 lbs) without the need for a certification.
With that in mind, we’re putting out a call for model rocket hacks. If you put together an microcontroller-powered altimeter project,
awesome
.
Send it in
. On board video camera? Great! Even if you built a huge replica of the Titan IIIe (or the Estes Star Rider, a personal favorite), send that thing in. If you’re going for a huge Saturn V, the record to beat is
a 1/10 scale model
, so get on it. | 35 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "698170",
"author": "MrX",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T11:41:47",
"content": "Old news, I’ve been buying and using D and E engines in Portugal since I was a kid. It is nice to see the US coming up with stuff which other European countries had for years.",
"parent_id": null,
"dep... | 1,760,376,812.024031 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/08/adding-more-frequencies-to-you-software-defined-radio/ | Adding More Frequencies To Your Software Defined Radio | Brian Benchoff | [
"Radio Hacks"
] | [
"heterodyne",
"RTLSDR",
"sdr",
"software-defined radio"
] | [regveg] was looking for a way to receive signals outside the normal 64-1700MHz range his TV tuner software defined radio dongle can get. After finding a few $100+ upconverters on the Internet, he
stumbled across a DIY project
that greatly expands the frequencies his RTLSDR can receive.
[George]’s upconverter uses heterodyning to increase the frequencies received by a SDR dongle. The basic idea is mixing a signal from an antenna with a 100MHz frequency oscillator. The resulting output will be λ + 100MHz and λ – 100MHz, allowing for a wider range of frequencies that can be received by the SDR TV tuner dongle.
Now [regveg] has a board and schematic that makes it possible to receive just about anything with his TV tuner dongle. Interestingly, this upconverter contains less than $10 in parts and is easily etched at home thanks to a single-sided construction and through-hole parts.
As a small aside, [Andrew] sent in a tip a few days ago telling us his RTL dongle
didn’t have any ESD protection
. This is a very bad thing, but the good news is the fix is very cheap: just
solder in a 10 cent diode
and you’re good to go. | 32 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "697897",
"author": "saul_goode",
"timestamp": "2012-07-09T01:28:40",
"content": "I hate doing this…“…frequencies to you software…”“…frequencies to /your/ software…”",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "697918",
"author": "B... | 1,760,376,811.950193 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/08/proximity-switch-for-your-mains-devices/ | Proximity Switch For Your Mains Devices | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"attiny85",
"distance sensor",
"gp2d12",
"mains",
"outlet",
"proximity",
"sharp"
] | [Ivan’s] friend built a proximity sensor to switch his LED bench lighting off every time he walked away. The idea is pretty neat, so [Ivan] decided to implement it for mains devices by
making this proximity switched outlet box
.
A Sharp GP2D12 infrared distance sensor is the key to the system. It has an emitter and receiver that combine to give distance feedback base on how much of the light is reflected back to the detector. This is presented as a voltage curve which is monitored by an ATtiny85 (running the Arduino bootloader). It is small enough to fit inside the outlet box along with a tiny transformer and linear regulator to power to logic circuitry. The mains are switched with a relay using an NPN transistor to protect the chip’s I/O pins.
Check out the video after the break to see this in action. It should be a snap to add a count-down timer that gives you a bit more freedom to move around the workshop. With that in place this is a fantastic alternative to
some other auto-shutoff techniques for your bench outlets
. | 17 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "697742",
"author": "Hack Man",
"timestamp": "2012-07-08T19:34:12",
"content": "Without optical isolation, this build has flaws.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "697746",
"author": "Chris C.",
"timestamp": "2012-... | 1,760,376,812.237894 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2012/07/08/tug-of-war-with-your-mind-man/ | Tug Of War… With Your Mind, Man! | Mike Szczys | [
"contests",
"Hackerspaces"
] | [
"brain waves",
"bullduino",
"creation",
"red bull"
] | Challenge your friends to
a little mental Tug of War
thanks to the Omaha Maker Group’s Red Bull Creation contest entry. The power struggle is all in your mind, and can only be won if you’re able to concentrate deeply
and
quickly. The headsets worn by each competitor monitor brain waves over a ten second window. If you concentrate more deeply than your opponent they’ll get a squirt of water in the face. If no one is concentrating well the contest is a draw the measurements start again. The screenshot above was taken from the test footage found after the break.
Hardware details are scant on this one. Obviously the Bullduino is the centerpiece of the build, taking readings from the headsets. A motor moves the water nozzle along a slit cut in the top of the sphere. Progress during the 10-second window is displayed by that nozzle, which starts in the center yellow ‘safe’ zone and moves to one side or another to enter the green ‘kill’ zone. | 17 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "697656",
"author": "Johnny O. Farnen",
"timestamp": "2012-07-08T17:34:48",
"content": "There is a fun one!Now how do I get in contact with this group? I’m local to them…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "697662",
"author... | 1,760,376,812.332581 |
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