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https://hackaday.com/2011/07/05/augmented-reality-game-could-come-from-the-seventies/ | Augmented Reality Game Could Come From The Seventies | Brian Benchoff | [
"classic hacks",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"atmega8",
"augmented reality",
"old school game"
] | [Niklas Roy] sent in a project he just completed called
PING! Augmented Pixel
. At first glance the entire build is just a plain jane retro video game stuffed into an ATmega8 but looks can be deceiving. The video game is actually an augmented reality device that inserts a pixel into a video feed. The bouncing pixel can be manipulated with a camera – push the pixel and it goes off in another direction.
The project runs on an ATmega8 clocked at 16 MHz, and reads the video feed with the help of an
LM1881 sync separator
. There’s no schematics, but he thankfully included some
code
for his project. Everything is set up for PAL video, but this could be easily adapted for NTSC. Any Hack A Day readers want to take up the challenge of building this from just a description?
[Niklas] says there’s no reason this couldn’t have been done by Atari in the late seventies. There were economic reasons for not putting out a video camera controller, of course, and the R&D department may have been too busy
playing Breakout with their eyebrows
.
Check out the demo of the augmented pixel after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeuaqSEIiTY&w=470] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "413382",
"author": "aztraph",
"timestamp": "2011-07-05T11:38:56",
"content": "makes you wonder, “what if” this game were done in the seventies, were would games be now?awesome build",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "413386",
"... | 1,760,377,152.954006 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/07/04/fog-horn-built-from-plumbing-supplies/ | Fog Horn Built From Plumbing Supplies | Mike Nathan | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"bottle trap",
"fog horn",
"plumbing supplies"
] | Instructables user [rog8811]
was looking to build a fog horn
that resembled hand-pumped units found on small ships in the early to mid 1900s. His budget was a bit limited, so he set off to build the cheapest replica possible.
While the original horns were likely constructed from steel, copper and wood, he opted to use cheap plumbing components he found at his local hardware store. He used a simple double-acting air pump to drive the horn, combining it with a slightly modified bottle trap. The trap was shortened, and a diaphragm cut from a dish washing glove was added to generate sound.
He added a few more pieces of PVC piping to enhance the output, giving him the results you see in the video below. He says that the best thing about his design is the ability to easily tweak the pitch and volume of the horn by simply adding different drain components to the pump.
Watch out vuvuzela, there’s a new cheap and annoying horn on the block!
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/21517471 w=470] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "413207",
"author": "Homer",
"timestamp": "2011-07-04T19:20:58",
"content": "Genuis.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "413212",
"author": "Oren Beck",
"timestamp": "2011-07-04T19:36:32",
"content": "This is way cool! Da... | 1,760,377,153.330505 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/07/04/alarm-clock-forces-you-to-play-tetris-to-prove-you-are-awake/ | Alarm Clock Forces You To Play Tetris To Prove You Are Awake | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"alarm clock",
"arduino",
"tetris"
] | Oversleeping sucks, but we’ve all been there. Whether its a matter of hitting the snooze button a dozen times too many, or turning off the alarm and drifting back to sleep – sooner or later, you are going to wake up late.
Instructables user [nolte919] has overslept a time or two in his life, and he set out to
design a clock that would make it nearly impossible to wake up late
. His clock is Arduino-based and shares many features with off the shelf models including multiple alarms, a backup battery, and snooze features. His alarm however goes one step further and ensures you are fully awake each morning.
If you hit the user-defined snooze limit, the alarm sounds and will not turn off until you have cleared 4 lines in Tetris. That’s right, you have to prove to the clock that you are awake and coherent before it will shut off. Technically you can silence the alarm for a 30 second period so you can focus on Tetris, but that’s all the break you get.
It really is a novel way of ensuring you are awake in the morning, and heck, how bad can the day be when you start off by playing video games for a few minutes?
Stick around to see a quick video of his Tetris alarm clock in action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szoPO75u46s&w=470] | 28 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "413176",
"author": "Hans",
"timestamp": "2011-07-04T17:08:47",
"content": "I doubt this will work for the really bad cases. I know people who can get up, talk with people etc. without actually being awake. A friend of mine insulted his hole family once and woke up later for good and... | 1,760,377,153.285971 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/07/04/cee-is-a-swiss-army-knife-for-analog-electronics/ | CEE Is A Swiss Army Knife For Analog Electronics | Brian Benchoff | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"analog measurement",
"bus pirate",
"cee",
"Horowitz is a god"
] | The team at nonolith labs announced their
CEE
, a device for billed as, “an analog buspirate” that is meant to control, experiment, and explore the world of analog electronics. Nonolith labs started a
kickstarter campaign
for the CEE.
The CEE is capable of sub-millivolt and milliamp sampling at 44.1k samples/second, and sourcing 2 channels of 5V @ 2A with a little bit of soldering. This allows for precise control of motors and sensors with the web-based UI. We’re thinking this would be a great way to teach high schoolers the art of electronics, and would be great combined with a few lectures from Paul Horowitz.
The CEE ties into nonolith labs
Pixelpulse
, a pretty handy tool for visualizing analog and digital signals. You can check out a demo of Pixelpulse simulating a charging capacitor
here
.
We’re hoping this focus on education on analog electronics catches on – you can learn a lot more by building a
555-based mini Segway
than you can slapping a microcontroller in every project. This would go under the same theory as, “any idiot can count to one.”
Check out the video of the CEE
on the kickstarter campaign page
. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "413151",
"author": "polossatik",
"timestamp": "2011-07-04T15:12:37",
"content": "“you can learn a lot more by building a 555-based mini Segway than you can slapping a microcontroller in every project. ”to bad the CEE has a 72MHz ARM Cortex M3 processor (LPC1343)",
"parent_id": n... | 1,760,377,153.444715 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/07/03/bottle-rocket-pov-video/ | Bottle Rocket POV Video | Mike Nathan | [
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"explosions",
"fireworks",
"video"
] | It’s a holiday weekend, and much like you, we’re taking a bit of time to relax and kick back a few drinks while we mingle with friends and family. Obviously, one of the bigger events this weekend plays host to is the fireworks show put on by your city or your drunken neighbors.
Roman candle wars aside, have you ever wondered what the 4th of July looked like from the fireworks’ point of view? We did,
and so did [Jeremiah Warren]
, who put together an awesome video showing what really happens after you light the fuse and run away like a little girl.
The dizzying video was shot using a pair of key chain cameras that he strapped directly to the rockets before launching. It’s pretty entertaining, so be sure to check it out if you have a few minutes to spare.
This probably doesn’t quite fit the criteria to be considered a hack, but with explosions and the crazy point of view video, we had to pass it along.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUCbETKaIfs&w=470] | 24 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "412861",
"author": "Jack",
"timestamp": "2011-07-03T21:01:59",
"content": "Very cool.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "412876",
"author": "Hirudinea",
"timestamp": "2011-07-03T21:42:01",
"content": "“Hey Ma, lookie he... | 1,760,377,153.101376 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/30/diy-servo-activated-door-lock-with-capacitive-touch-keypad/ | DIY Servo Activated Door Lock With Capacitive Touch Keypad | Mike Nathan | [
"home hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"capacitive touch",
"door",
"home",
"lock",
"pic",
"servo"
] | Since he was a kid [Giorgos Lazaridis] has always loved the idea of having an electronic door locking mechanism, and now that he has the means,
he’s decided to construct one for securing the door to his apartment
. He calls the project “simple and cheap”, though we’re not sure about the first part. Taking a look at his very detailed build log, you can see that he has invested quite a bit of time and effort into this impressive project.
Buying an off the shelf product was expensive and not a whole lot of fun, so [Giorgos] disassembled his door’s locking mechanism to see how he might be able to actuate the lock electronically himself. With minimal modifications to the lock, he was able to add a servo which reliably opens the it when triggered.
With the mechanical portion of the project out of the way, he spent a great deal of time working on the door’s electronic components, including the PIC-based controller and capacitive keypad. The keypad proved to be a bit of a problem, but
after a few revisions
he found a design that was both reliable and pleasing to the eye.
The locking mechanism works pretty well, as you can see in the video below, and [Giorgos] is quite pleased with the results.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LPV2R9lLlY&w=470] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "411854",
"author": "Alex Parting",
"timestamp": "2011-06-30T18:09:18",
"content": "Personally I secure my doors to my apartment using hinges.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "411870",
"author": "svofski",
"timestamp": "20... | 1,760,377,153.223424 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/30/google-android-adk-bluetooth-wireless-communications/ | Google Android ADK Bluetooth Wireless Communications | Mike Nathan | [
"Android Hacks",
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"arduino",
"bluetooth",
"google APK",
"wireless"
] | Once the Google ADK was announced, the team over at [ElectFreaks] jumped right in and started experimenting to see what they could do with the new Arduino/Android interface. While the ADK was great for allowing the two devices to interact over a USB connection, they felt that the system would be far better if
it allowed for wireless communications instead
.
They added a Bluetooth Bee to their Arduino setup and got busy writing an Android application that uses the handset’s built in Bluetooth module to communicate using the ADK. The application configures your phone to act as either a client or server when pairing. This does not affect data flow, as communications are bi-directional, it merely decides which device is placed in discoverable mode.
As you can see in
the second part of their post
, once the phone and Arduino are connected, it is quite easy to send serial data back and forth between the two devices.
As of right now, their Bluetooth API is in Beta, so things might still be a bit rough around the edges. They do encourage anyone to download and modify the code, which is freely available on their site. | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "411822",
"author": "Dj",
"timestamp": "2011-06-30T15:50:45",
"content": "Now if only we had slave mode.As it stands right now most of the popular broadcom chips wont do slave mode. So adhocing BT on a android isn’t possible",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,153.375553 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/30/gigantic-555-footstool/ | Gigantic 555 Footstool | Brian Benchoff | [
"cnc hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"555",
"footstool",
"this is why we need a laser cutter"
] | The team at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories needed a footstool. Obviously not content with
buying
one, they came across the idea of building a
555 footstool
.
After finding some dimension drawings of the
555 timer IC
, the team scaled everything up 30 times. While a normal DIP-8 555 is around 0.4 inches long, the footstool is over a foot long and eight inches high. The stool was cut on a CNC mill out of 1/2″ plywood, glued together, and finally panted with the correct date code and the logo of Evil Mad Scientist Labs. The finished product is amazing. We’ve been looking for a nice table, and the idea of an 8 foot long wooden
64-pin Motorola 68000
is pretty appealing.
While there’s no electronics in the footstool, it’s not hard to imagine fabricating some aluminum pins and a hollow body so a huge, functional 555 could be built. It would be possible to use discreet components following the
block diagram
of the 555 to build a huge
Atari Punk Console
; the
gigantic capacitors
are fairly easy to build in any event. | 38 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "411771",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2011-06-30T12:33:20",
"content": "Ha, I love it!Regarding a scaled up *functional* version. The original 555’s output driver can source/sink 200ma. When it switches, both source and sink transistors are momentarily active; resulting in a 2... | 1,760,377,153.174291 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/30/alternative-phone-charging-devices/ | Alternative Phone Charging Devices | Jeremy Cook | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"bicycle",
"charger",
"fire",
"generator",
"mobile phone"
] | We’ve all heard of solar cells that charge your devices, or the odd flashlight that charges when you shake it, but
this style charger
should be new to almost everyone. This “pan charger” is reportedly capable of charging a cell phone or other mobile device using a USB connection in 3 to 5 hours. It also has a built-in radio and lantern. This should be a great tool for surviving a zombie apocalypse or if you simply live in a region without readily available power.
A
second charger
, currently being used in Africa, is an adaptation of a small generator hooked up to a bicycle. As this form of transportation is quite common in developing nations, this simple idea definitely shows promise. Check out the video of the bike cell phone charger after the break.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p20hxRVj5c&w=470&h=349%5D
via
[labnol.org] | 32 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "411756",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2011-06-30T11:56:06",
"content": "A correction. The pan charger doesn’t have a built-in radio/lantern. These are only examples given of USB-powered devices which could be attached.It’s a good idea. Though after reading, here’s my question... | 1,760,377,153.522249 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/29/a-doorbell-loud-enough-to-wake-the-dead/ | A Doorbell Loud Enough To Wake The Dead | Mike Nathan | [
"home hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"diy",
"doorbell",
"pic"
] | [Ed Nauman] runs a machine shop, which we imagine can be quite loud at times. Sick of never hearing the doorbell when he was busy working on things, he decided that the solution to his problem was a new doorbell…
an incredibly loud doorbell
.
His Really Loud Doorbell (RLD for short) is actually a pretty simple device. We imagine he could have wired up an old alarm bell instead, but where’s the fun in that? The doorbell was built using a PIC16F876 uC, which is used to control the air flow through a pneumatic valve. When someone rings his doorbell, the pneumatic actuator pulses up and down, rapidly striking a piece of 1/4” thick steel pipe. As you can see in the video below, it is quite loud and likely to cut through any shop noise without much trouble.
We have seen some
extremely loud doorbells before
, but we figured that at least a handful of you work in similar environments – have you implemented any inventive ‘notification’ systems in your workspace? Let us know in the comments.
[via
Adafruit Blog
]
[brightcove vid=1020983766001&exp3=991410168001&surl=http://c.brightcove.com/services&pubid=1568176135&pk=AQ~~,AAAAAETaO0s~,cVbOypIs9tHUVW57d5nJxZGxNa9O_LLK&w=470&h=412] | 43 | 42 | [
{
"comment_id": "411568",
"author": "Beakmyn",
"timestamp": "2011-06-29T21:05:22",
"content": "Hmm, I just hooked a couple Hella Horns up to a relay, 12 volt supply and my doorbell. Made for a great Halloween! I could hear a block away.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},... | 1,760,377,153.036483 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/29/detecting-muscles-with-electromyography/ | Detecting Muscles With Electromyography | Brian Benchoff | [
"Medical Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"electromyography",
"INA106",
"muscle sensor"
] | The folks at Advancer Technologies just release a muscle sensor board with a great
walk through
posted on Instructables describing how this board measures the flexing of muscles using
electromyography
.
Using the same electrode placement points as the
remote controlled hand
we covered earlier, the muscle is measured by sensing the voltage between the muscle and its tendon. The result is a fairly fine-grained sensing of the output – more than enough to provide some analog control for a project.
The board itself is relatively simple – an INA106 differential amp is used to sense if a muscle is flexing or not. This signal is then amplified and rectified, after which it can be connected to the analog input of your favorite microcontroller. The video demo shows the board connected to a Processing app running from an Arduino, but it wouldn’t be hard to adapt this towards
remote Nerf sentry turret
controlled by your biceps.
Check out the video after the break to see the muscle sensor board in action. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "411560",
"author": "Joshua",
"timestamp": "2011-06-29T20:40:13",
"content": "It’s interesting that this and the other muscle control project haven’t been capitalize don yet.There seems to be a lot of promise for stuff like this.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies"... | 1,760,377,153.566404 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/29/tesla-coil-bullet-time-photography/ | Tesla Coil Bullet-time Photography | Mike Nathan | [
"classic hacks",
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"bullet time",
"chdk",
"photography",
"spark gap",
"tesla coil"
] | One thing we can all probably agree on is that Tesla coils are one part high-voltage electricity and two parts pure awesome.
[Rob Flickenger] thinks so too
, and he built a pretty nice one in his workshop some time ago. He took a bunch of pictures showing off the coil’s capabilities, but he thought that one photo taken from a single angle didn’t do much to relay just how fantastic it is to watch a Tesla coil in action.
Taking a cue from the Matrix movies, he bought a stack of Canon point and shoot cameras and constructed a bullet time rig in his workshop. In order to get the pictures just right, he flashed each camera with a customized version of the CHDK firmware that allowed him to trigger all ten shutters with a single button press. A few scripts help facilitate collecting all of the images for processing, after which he identifies the good shots and stitches them together. You can see the awesome results in the video below.
[via
LaughingSquid
]
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/24977187 w=470] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "411458",
"author": "steve",
"timestamp": "2011-06-29T15:09:51",
"content": "Amazing!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "411472",
"author": "ino",
"timestamp": "2011-06-29T15:29:23",
"content": "Bullet time photography w... | 1,760,377,154.097384 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/29/maker-faire-kc-2011-in-photos-part-2/ | Maker Faire KC 2011: In Photos (Part 2) | James Munns | [
"Rants"
] | [
"3d",
"car",
"coil",
"mech",
"robot",
"tesla",
"warfare"
] | Be sure to check out
Part 1
of the KC Maker Faire photo series. In this post, we explore some of the big hitters of the show, including crowd favorites ArcAttack, as well as battling robots. Read on to see the wonders!
ArcAttack!:
We have seen
these guys
from Austin, Texas in the
past
, and they never seem to disappoint. This time they were putting innocent
victims
volunteers into a faraday cage, and singing away with their musical Tesla Coils. The video is even in optional 3D, for those in the audience with a pair of glasses sitting around.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bnExBuwjTo]
Mech-Warfare:
A number of people were showing off their
Mech Warfare
robots. These robots were remotely controlled, and piloted using only the video cameras mounted on board. Suited up with Airsoft weapons, they were amazing to just look at.
While there were mostly biped walkers, this was one of the few quadruped warriors
One of the other mean looking fighters
Showing battle scars from taking Airsoft hits
Hackerspaces:
There were at least two hackerspaces being represented at the Maker Faire. Kansas City’s own
Cowtown Computer Congress
, as well as St. Louis’
Arch Reactor
. Both of these groups have seen a bit of limelight on Hackaday, and it was good to see them out in public showing off projects and educating the public.
Cowtown was showing off a number of Arduino and LED based projects, as well as handing out Ubuntu and Project Gutenberg CDs and DVDs
Demonstrating a Makerbot, as well as being one of the few groups who ventured outside
Miscellaneous:
Some projects just did not categorize well, but were still worth showing off.
MindDrive
, a non-profit for at risk kids was showing off their high efficiency car prototype
A
Ruben’s tube
to go, not fired up inside the hall, but we were assured it was fully working.
There were countless other projects to see, touch, and listen to at the Kansas City Maker Faire. A wonderful way to spend a weekend, I can’t wait to see you all next year.
-[james] | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "411473",
"author": "Tim",
"timestamp": "2011-06-29T15:32:45",
"content": "If i wasnt poor and microcontroller retarded Id make a 3d printer in a heart beat. And Id really like to see how they made that huge molded car body.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,154.592034 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/29/tour-of-advanced-circuits-a-pcb-manufacturer/ | Tour Of Advanced Circuits – A PCB Manufacturer | Jeremy Cook | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"drill",
"etch",
"pcb"
] | Although not a hack in itself, many of you may be interested in seeing how a printed circuit board is made in the manufacturing world. This
tour of Advanced Circuits
does a good job of explaining the process. The article explains how a PCB will go through a CAD/CAM review, drilling, deburring, and the various chemical etch, plating, and curing processes.
Although many hackers make their own PCBs, having it professionally done can be a good option depending on how many copies are needed. One benefit of this is that PCBs can be checked by an optical inspection process, or even by a “flying lead” machine which works by contacting leads automatically in a computer controlled setup.
A video of this incredible machine is included after the break. Around 0:26 is when it really starts to get going.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIY3JNdXa2o&w=470&h=349%5D | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "411416",
"author": "fartface",
"timestamp": "2011-06-29T12:50:29",
"content": "Most boards are not tested, once they have the design down they just crank up the machine and produce them. pin testing on boards only happens on very high dollar devices like Cisco router motherboards.... | 1,760,377,154.428144 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/29/possessedhand-controls-hand-with-electrical-stimuli/ | PossessedHand Controls Hand With Electrical Stimuli | Brian Benchoff | [
"Medical Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"electricity",
"shock"
] | [Emi Tamaki], [Miyaki Takashi] and [Jun Rekimoto] at the University of Tokyo came up with a device called the
PossessedHand
that electrically stimulates muscles to train someone to play a the
koto
, a Japanese stringed instrument.
The PossessedHand ‘triggers’ individual fingers with precisely placed electrodes. Sixteen joints in the hand can be controlled independently by placing one electrode on the muscle that controls the joint and a ground electrode on the tendon of that muscle. Users of the PossessedHand reported no pain from the device when 30 Volts were sent though the electrodes.
The
paper
(PDF warning) goes into detail about the reactions of the users of the PossessedHand. While a few subjects thought the PossessedHand was scary, many enjoyed it – one subject even thought it was possible to fly a helicopter without training. While this isn’t downloading a rotary wing licence into your brain like
The Matrix
, the PossessedHand did prove to be a useful tool for learning the fingering for the koto. You can see a video of the PossessedHand in action in the
New Scientist story
.
[via
New Scientist
] | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "411399",
"author": "Hackerspacer",
"timestamp": "2011-06-29T11:15:10",
"content": "Totally serious question. What effect would this have on male or female genitals?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "411403",
"author": "slurm",... | 1,760,377,154.495394 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/the-pixboard/ | The PixBoard | Jeremy Cook | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"disabled",
"led"
] | Many hacks are, of course, interesting in their own right. Hacks like this one, however, fulfill a much greater purpose by helping people overcome their disabilities. The
PixBoard
is “an illuminated board adapted for disabled people, especially for people with cerebral palsy, giving them access to games using shift technology.”
This device was developed for a girl that has cerebral palsy and can’t control her arms or legs effectively. In order to interact with the world more effectively to play board games and the like, this system was developed. The PixBoard scans an 8×8 matrix of LEDs allowing her to select the piece to be moved and where to move it. This is done using only simple buttons and the processor’s timer.
The system is controlled using an Arduino, so anyone is free to create their own games for this system depending on the situation. The following video is in Spanish, but shows this device in action around 1:20.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_AF6t9jtK8&w=470&h=349%5D
For another hack helping the disabled, check out this
laser guided wheelchair
. | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "411239",
"author": "xeracy",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T22:52:05",
"content": "I honestly dont understand how one phyisically interacts with this controller…can anyone explain a little more? Is it just cycling through options to explore a decision tree?",
"parent_id": null,
"d... | 1,760,377,153.961802 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/giant-pov-tube-for-light-painting/ | Giant POV Tube For Light Painting | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"led",
"lightscythe",
"seeduino",
"xbee"
] | When you really want your feelings known, we always say that bigger is better. [Gavin Smith, aka The Mechatronics Guy] must come from the same school of thought, because there’s absolutely no mistaking
what he is trying to say with his latest project
.
Inspired by
this WiFi signal painter
we featured a while back, the LightScythe is a 2 meter long bar composed of multi-color LED strips that he bought from Adafruit. The light bar is controlled by a Seeduino micro controller, which takes direction from his laptop via a pair of XBee units. Once he generates an image from text with ImageMagic, a Python script is used to match the colors as close as possible to the RGB color space. The image is then converted to raw serial data for playback on the Scythe. When he is ready to go, he triggers his camera to take a 10-15 second exposure, during which he walks across the frame, painting his images with the LightScythe.
We always enjoy seeing creative derivations of previous projects we have covered, and the LightScythe does it well. He actually built a pair of these that can work in concert or independently, which we imagine can make for some pretty awesome pictures.
Be sure to check out
his Flickr photostream
for more examples of what the LightScythe can do. | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "411199",
"author": "ehntoo",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T21:22:41",
"content": "You may consider this pedantic, but as with the story from a short while back with a “POV dog”, this is not a persistence of vision device. You would not get anything like this effect with your vision.C’mo... | 1,760,377,154.279725 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/handy-board-plays-music-with-an-nes-controller/ | Handy Board Plays Music With An NES Controller | Brian Benchoff | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"68HC11",
"handy board",
"nes controller"
] | [Alex Busman] has been working with an old microcontroller board called the Handy Board. Recently, he figured out how to interface an
NES controller to play music
. With 8 buttons on an NES controller, [Alex] has control over an entire musical scale, so he demonstrates this
in his video
by covering the
Dr. Mario Theme
.
The
Handy Board
is a microcontroller board originally designed in 1995 for LEGO robots. With a 68HC11 μC running at 2MHz and 32KB of RAM, the Handy Board has been superseded by the LEGO Mindstorms
NTX
NXT, the Handy Board is thankfully
still being supported
, and is still a great platform to learn embedded design.
It’s great to see a build on relatively obsolete hardware, especially considering this would be a trivial build with an Arduino. We think it’s great [Alex] is learning the ins and outs of ‘difficult’ hardware – it’s a great way to learn something. Check out the walk though of [Alex]’s build after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thWm4hbnw0A&w=470] | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "411165",
"author": "Rob",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T19:35:03",
"content": "I learned to program on the Handy Board. It is nice to see one again!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "411185",
"author": "goldscott",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,154.037092 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/teensy-avrs-used-in-penetration-testing/ | Teensy AVRs Used In Penetration Testing | Mike Nathan | [
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"malware",
"pentesting",
"security",
"Teensy",
"usb"
] | While some people know that you should be wary of USB drives with unknown origins, the same care is rarely, if ever exercised with USB peripherals. The security firm
Netragard recently used this to their advantage
when performing a penetration test at a client’s facility. When the client ruled out the use of many common attack vectors including social networks, telephones, social engineering, and unauthorized physical access from the test, the team at Netragard knew they would have to get creative.
They purchased a Logitech USB mouse and disassembled it in order to add their clever payload. A Teensy uC was programmed to emulate keyboard input, entering commands via the mouse’s USB connection once it had been connected to a computer. Using an undocumented exploit in McAfee’s antivirus suite, they were able to evade detection while their system entered commands to install malware from the flash drive they hid along side the Teensy.
Once the mouse was reassembled, they repackaged it along with some marketing materials to make it look like part of a promotional event. They purchased a detailed list of employees and singled out an easy target, sending their malicious mouse on its way. Within three days, their malware was loaded onto the victim’s computer and their test was deemed a success.
[Thanks, Aaron] | 42 | 41 | [
{
"comment_id": "411123",
"author": "Ren",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T18:07:54",
"content": "Hmmm,a touch of social engineering too!“they repackaged it along with some marketing materials to make it look like part of a promotional event. They purchased a detailed list of employees and singled out an e... | 1,760,377,154.366604 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/tweeting-bird-feeder-keeps-a-picture-record-of-all-visitors/ | Tweeting Bird Feeder Keeps A Picture Record Of All Visitors | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"bird feeder",
"lilypad",
"twitter",
"xbee"
] | If you weren’t aware, Adafruit Industries is sponsoring the “Make it Tweet” contest over at Instructables, and
this Twitter-enabled bird feeder
is [quasiben’s] entry into the competition.
His bird feeder not only sends messages to Twitter, it also sends a picture of each bird to Twitpic. The feeder itself is a standard off the shelf model which has been fitted with a LinkSprite camera. A LilyPad Arduino controls the camera, sending images to his computer via a pair of XBee modules. To detect when a bird has stopped by for something to eat, [quasiben] used an infrared LED and an IR detector. The emitter and detector are positioned at opposing sides of the feeder’s opening, triggering the Arduino to snap a picture whenever the beam is broken. Once the image has been transferred to his computer, it is
posted to TwitPic
.
We’re pretty sure [quasiben] built this Tweeting bird feeder just because he could, but we think it’s a pretty smart idea for people who don’t necessarily have the free time to gaze out the window into their yard. It’s a great way to keep tabs on all your new winged visitors while on the go. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "411094",
"author": "Rob",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T16:58:01",
"content": "Is it broken?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "411096",
"author": "Colecago",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T17:02:53",
"content": "Certainly looks i... | 1,760,377,154.653294 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/fpga-midi-interface/ | FPGA MIDI Interface | Jeremy Cook | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"fpga",
"midi",
"music"
] | Hacking and digital music seem to be very much related arts. This very
well built hack
goes through the process of creating a MIDI synthesizer using a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and several other components.
A laptop is used as the MIDI interface which runs through a filter and then to the FPGA. This translated signal then goes through a digital to analog converter and finally to the amplifier and speakers. The
FPGA
is especially interesting as this chip is an array of logic gates that can be programmed however one wants. In this case, the wavetable principle is used to generate sound.
Although this is no Kaossilator yet, this device is a great start and very functional. If you’ve ever wanted to build your own electronic instrument, check out this hack. Also, check out the video after the break!
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1_gluixbdE&w=470&h=349%5D
For another really cool musical hack, check out this
robotic jazz ensemble
. | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "411047",
"author": "chango",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T14:39:53",
"content": "How about titling this “FPGA synthesizer”? The MIDI part isn’t very interesting, but the wavetable synthesis in an FPGA is.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_... | 1,760,377,154.543998 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/put-your-arm-skills-to-the-test-with-the-freescale-make-it-challenge/ | Put Your ARM Skills To The Test With The Freescale Make It Challenge | Mike Szczys | [
"contests"
] | [
"arm",
"cortex-m4",
"freescale",
"kinetis",
"make it challenge"
] | Throw down your mad skills and you might win some cash while you’re at it. [Zeta] tipped us off that
Freescale just announced a new challenge
. They call it the Make It Challenge and it centers around their 32-bit Kinetis microcontrollers. These are ARM Cortex-M4 chips and if you’re selected to compete they’ll offer their development hardware at a discount for you to get started.
You’ll need to jump through a few hoops. To be considered as a contestant you’ll need to preregister, cruise through some online training, and complete a quiz. From there, just come up with an idea and submit a design paper as the first round of competition. Ten finalists will rise from the group and take their design through to completion for judging in the fall. The top three will get some serious cash ($11,000 for first place) and be treated to an expense paid trip to Austin, Texas. | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "411055",
"author": "Any Red Mazda",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T14:51:03",
"content": "What a bunch of crap…To many hoops to jump through…Only 10 designs possible, I guess if you make it past the final phase it might be worth it, but why bother…There are better ways to waste our neuron... | 1,760,377,154.717795 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/circuit-design-for-multiple-uart-connections/ | Circuit Design For Multiple UART Connections | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"bootloader",
"fdti",
"uart"
] | [Bill Porter] has a tip for
designing circuits that have multiple connections to a single microcontroller UART
. This stemmed from a review of a friend’s circuit design that used the UART in the project, but also called for an FTDI chip in order to reprogram via USB and a bootloader. Unlike the schematic above, the circuit called for straight connections without any resistors. With that design, a conflict will occur if two devices are connected and attempting to communicate at the same time.
The fix is easy. [Bill] discusses how to prioritize the connection by adding the pair of current limiting resistors seen above. This helps to ensure that damage will not occur, and that the FTDI chip will take precedence. Now the external hardware will not preclude the FTDI chip from accessing and programming via the bootloader. The tutorial is intended for those rolling their own boards out of an Arduino-based prototype, but it will work in any situation where you need multiple connections to a single set of UART pins. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "411004",
"author": "Jeremy",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T12:10:05",
"content": "Nice Tip.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "411009",
"author": "kubik",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T12:27:33",
"content": "I’d say that only the... | 1,760,377,154.788996 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/28/keep-all-eyes-on-your-kegerator-with-this-light-up-gauge-cluster/ | Keep All Eyes On Your Kegerator With This Light Up Gauge Cluster | Mike Nathan | [
"Beer Hacks"
] | [
"gauge cluster",
"keg",
"kegerator",
"temperature",
"volume"
] | A few years back [Evan] built a kegerator from a mini fridge and was quite happy with his new beer chiller. Like many of us do, he started thinking up ways in which he could improve the project as soon as it was completed. While it took a couple of years,
he recently got around to adding the temperature and capacity gauges he always wanted
.
He added a temperature probe to the refrigerator, and then constructed a pair of tools that he could use to measure how much beer was left in the keg. The volume monitors include a scale built using a pair of pressure sensors from SparkFun, and a flow sensor installed in the beer line.
[Evan] scored an old Chevy gauge cluster and cleaned it up before installing a pair of analog meters which he used to show the keg’s temperature and “fuel” level. Since he feels no project is complete without
some LED love
, he added a few of them to the display without hesitation. The LEDs calmly pulsate when the keg sits idle, but spring to life and begin flashing when the flow sensor is activated.
As evidenced by
this pair
of
keg monitoring systems
, we think that you can never have enough information when it comes to your beer stash, so we really like how this project came together.
Be sure to check out his kegerator’s gauge cluster in the video below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4cuNhe1pgk&w=470] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "410998",
"author": "fartface",
"timestamp": "2011-06-28T11:42:08",
"content": "Hard way of doing it.Hack a digital bathroom scale and simply go by weight like everyone else does.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "411024",
"aut... | 1,760,377,154.845302 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/maker-faire-kc-2011-in-photos-part-1/ | Maker Faire KC 2011: In Photos (Part 1) | James Munns | [
"Rants"
] | [
"2011",
"faire",
"Kansas City",
"maker"
] | As a writer for Hackaday, I get to see CNC machines, Prototypers, Tesla coils, and much more on a nearly daily basis. However, there are an uncountable number of people that don’t usually get to share in these technical wonders. Maker Faires provide the chance for the public to see and interact with the inventions, kludges, and geniuses that put together the things we write about on Hackaday.
Follow along after the break for some photos of the interesting things I got to see and enjoy.
Prototyped:
I ran into more Makerbots, RepRaps, and home made rapid prototypers than I could count. These were always a crowd pleaser, as many people had never seen anything like them before.
Just one of the many prototypers around
Companion Cubes were all over the place, and this one was definitely one of the best.
As seen in parts, as well as fully assembled, these Portal Turrets were definitely impressive.
This red Mario Kart shell was made from both standard white and red prototyping material
Another RC car topper in the same theme
2 Axis Foam Cutter:
A much simpler implementation than most CNC machines, this two axis foam cutter was responsible for spitting out a number of little motorized and unmotorized sculptures without pause.
Two Axis Foam Cutter
Foam Sculptures
Nerd Art:
Not necessarily technical in nature, but there were faux robots, steampunk costumes, and much more to see. Rarely did they have anything more technical than blinking lights, the love and care put into these pieces was easily seen.
Robots and Daleks galore, even plans to make your own.
These were just a few of the wonders to be seen, be sure to keep an eye out for part two, featuring old favorites ArcAttack now in 3D! | 13 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "410852",
"author": "TheCreator",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T23:58:26",
"content": "Those turrets make me want to build a 3d printer.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410853",
"author": "TP",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T23:59:2... | 1,760,377,155.308194 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/bunnies-archives-unlocking-protected-microcontrollers/ | [Bunnie’s] Archives: Unlocking Protected Microcontrollers | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"18f1320",
"bunnie",
"pic",
"security fuses",
"uv"
] | A few years back [Bunnie] took
a crack at cracking the security fuses on a PIC microcontroller
. Like most of the common 8-bit microcontrollers kicking around these days, the 18F1320 that he’s working with has a set of security fuses which prevent read back of the flash memory and EEPROM inside. The only way to reset those security fuses is by erasing the entire chip, which also means the data you sought in the first place would be wiped out. That is, if you were limited to using orthodox methods.
[Bunnie] had a set of the chips professionally uncapped, removing the plastic case without damaging the silicon die inside. He set to work inspecting the goodies inside with an electron microscope and managed to hammer out a rudimentary map of the layout. Turns out that flash memory can be erased with ultraviolet light, just like old EPROM chips. Microchip thought of that and placed some shielding over the security fuses to prevent them being reset in this manner. But [Bunnie] managed to do so anyway, creating an electrical tape mask to protect the rest of the data stored in the chip while bouncing UV light underneath the shielding at an angle.
Want to uncap some chips of your own without enlisting the help of others?
Give this method a try
.
[via
Dangerous Prototypes
] | 25 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "410824",
"author": "TBO",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T22:33:46",
"content": "Now *this* is Real Hacking. Very nice work! ;-)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410830",
"author": "J. Peterson",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T22:50... | 1,760,377,155.371962 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/solder-paste-dispenser-hacked-to-run-off-compressed-air-cans/ | Solder Paste Dispenser Hacked To Run Off Compressed Air Cans | Mike Nathan | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"air duster",
"compressed air",
"dispenser",
"solder paste"
] | [John] got
a shiny new solder paste dispenser
for a steal, and before he hooked up the tool, he decided to take a look inside to make sure everything was on the up and up. Aside from
a few questionable wiring practices he didn’t approve of
, everything else looked to be in good working order.
The only thing that was bothering [John] is that he wasn’t too keen on keeping his noisy and large air compressor in his workshop, so he set off to find a different way to provide compressed air to the device. He settled on air dusters like those used for cleaning the crumbs out of your keyboard, but he needed to find a way to reliably get the air to his solder dispenser. He heated the air can’s nozzle until he was able to screw his dispenser’s hose barb into it, creating a tight seal. The modified nozzle was reattached to the can and placed in a simple jig that keeps the nozzle held down continuously.
[John] fired up his dispenser, and the 80 psi coming from the duster was plenty to get the solder paste flowing. Sure the rig might not be the most high tech solution, but we think it’s a pretty good means of getting quiet compressed air anywhere you need it. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "410789",
"author": "MattQ",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T21:11:21",
"content": "Any hack that involves doing something like heating a can of compressed air, despite the clear warnings of “Seriously dangerous to heat this can. Don’t do it. Ever. I mean it. Please?” all over the can gets ... | 1,760,377,155.25138 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/tiny-hardware-based-dslr-intervalometer/ | Tiny Hardware-based DSLR Intervalometer | Mike Nathan | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"canon",
"dslr",
"intervalometer",
"nikon",
"pentax",
"PIC10F222",
"timer"
] | Most DSLR cameras have the ability to take pictures at set intervals, but sometimes the menu system can be clunky, and the options are often less than ideal. [Achim] is a big fan of time lapse photography and has been hard at work
creating a hardware-based intervalometer
to suit his needs. He has just finished the second revision of the controller which is just about small enough to fit inside the housing of a 2.5mm stereo plug. The timer is not 100% universal, but so far he has confirmed it works on Nikon, Canon, and Pentax cameras.
Based on a PIC10F222, the circuit’s operation is quite simple. Once the dongle is connected to your camera, you simply need to take two pictures anywhere from 0.4 seconds to 18 minutes apart. The intervalometer “watches” to see how long you waited between pictures, and proceeds to take shots at that interval until the battery dies or your memory card fills up.
As you can see in the video on his site, the timer works a treat. If you want to make one of your own, swing by his site to grab schematics and code – it’s all available for free.
*Whoops, it looks like we’ve actually
covered this before
. Our apologies. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "410767",
"author": "yetihehe",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T20:14:40",
"content": "Dupe.http://hackaday.com/2010/08/06/miniscule-intervalometer/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410772",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": "2011-... | 1,760,377,155.139479 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/teamspeak-button-uses-tattoo-machine-foot-switch/ | Teamspeak Button Uses Tattoo Machine Foot Switch | Brian Benchoff | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"foot switch",
"teamspeak",
"teensyduino"
] | As an avid gamer, [Pat Norton] uses Teamspeak with his friends when playing World of Warcraft. [Pat]’s friends were annoyed with the voice-activated option for Teamspeak and the constant squeaking of dog toys, and [Pat] was annoyed with the questionable usability of a push-to-talk key. Dissatisfied with his options, [Pat] built
footswitch-controlled teamspeak button
using a Teensyduino and a broken tattoo machine foot switch.
The
Teensyduino
is an incredibly small Arduino compatible board that was perfect for this project. Since the teensyduino can operate as a USB Human Interface Device, it’s very easy to have the board appear as another keyboard to the computer. After borrowing some code from the
hardware button
of a
DIY photobooth
, [Pat] hooked up the foot switch to two pins of the board. From there, it was very to adapt the code so the foot switch would act as a third ‘Control’ button. The
results
look very professional, like a factory-made game controller. We’ve seen a few
foot switch keyboard devices
before, and while this probably isn’t the most efficient way to have a foot switch button control something on a computer, it’s certainly the smallest we’ve seen. | 11 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "410741",
"author": "Alex Parting",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T19:11:15",
"content": "A teensyduino isn’t a thing, it’s libraries to make the arduino IDE compatible with Teensy’s.On top of that there’s more than one teensy both which can be used with teensyduino and some of which are h... | 1,760,377,155.194502 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/msp430-based-palm-size-quad-copter/ | MSP430-based Palm Size Quad Copter | Mike Nathan | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"gyro",
"msp430",
"quad copter",
"wireless"
] | [Thanh] has spent some time flying quad-copters measuring 12” motor to motor, but wanted to build something smaller so that he could fly indoors. Instead of building just one,
he actually constructed five different quad-copters
, with motor to motor arm spans ranging from 10” to just 3”.
In his forum post, he highlights the construction process of his 10” copter, covering each step in great detail. While he breaks down his component lists into two categories based on motor to motor span, the one common item is the TI MSP430-based controller board. In particular, he used the eZ430-RF2500 development kit, which has the added benefit of a built-in 2.4 GHz wireless radio. His quad-copter uses a Wii Motion Plus gyro board to help keep it aloft, as well a handful of other components which should be pretty familiar to most of our readers.
It’s great to see the construction broken down in such detail, we imagine it will be a great resource for anyone else looking to build their own quad-copter.
Stick around to see a quick video demonstration of his mini quad-copter in action.
[Thanks, Panikos]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tLiZxjQrVg&w=470] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "410704",
"author": "mark429",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T17:11:11",
"content": "Must be 430 love day on hackaday! Very cool project! Can’t wait to try it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410709",
"author": "Matthias Welsh",
... | 1,760,377,155.523269 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/stereo-amplifier-with-digital-volume-control/ | Stereo Amplifier With Digital Volume Control | Brian Benchoff | [
"digital audio hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"digital volume control",
"DS1868",
"volume control"
] | A regular Hack A Day reader sent in a tip about an
LM386 stero amplifier with digital volume control
. The resulting build is very professional and could easily be adapted into a slick iPod dock build.
We’ve seen a few LM386-based amplifiers over the years including
one that fits inside a 9V battery
, but this is the first implementation of digitally controlled volume we’ve seen. The volume control of this amp uses the
DS1868 dual digital pot IC
in place of the usual 10K pot providing 256 steps between zero and full volume. The DS1868 is controlled by a PIC μC with a 3-wire serial connection, although this could be implemented on any microcontroller.
Although the code provided with this build outputs volume as a linear function, it would be trivial to implement a logarithmic volume output. Because the ear
perceives loudness on a logarithmic scale
, this would be a great way to adjust audio volume and provide a more fine-grained control. Of course this could be implemented with a logarithmic pot, but where’s the fun in that?
Check out a video of the amp after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O38PZX__r4g&w=470] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "410690",
"author": "effigy",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T16:28:48",
"content": "” Of course this could be implemented with a logarithmic pot, but where’s the fun in that?”in saving $$? in reducing component count? signal path length?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,377,155.633627 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/building-an-up-to-date-mspgcc-toolchain/ | Building An Up-to-date MSPGCC Toolchain | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"compile",
"msp430",
"mspgcc",
"OsX",
"ubuntu",
"uniarch"
] | [Sergio Campamá] wrote in to tell us he’s assembled
a guide for compiling the latest release of MSPGCC
. This is a cross-compiling tool chain for the popular MSP430 line of microncontrollers. We used a version available from the Ubuntu repositories when developing with the
TI Launchpad
and the
eZ430-F2013
.
Installing from repositories is easy, but you don’t get the newest features and often newer hardware isn’t supported. [Sergio] reports that the newest version,
called Uniarch
, pulls source code and header files from the middle of this month and supports over 300 devices. In fact, it specifically outlines the goal of making new hardware easier to incorporate than with previous versions. He’s tailored this guide specifically for Ubuntu but while we were wading through a Google search we also found a page that outlines
compilation for OSX
.
We didn’t really notice before, but GitHub sure does make those README.md files look nice when viewed on the web, doesn’t it? | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "410670",
"author": "z",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T15:16:44",
"content": "I’m using the GCC4 version (mspgcc4) which is a fork / port of this, and it’s still pretty up-to-date. No problems so far.I understand that Uniarch is supposed to be a stepping stone to getting the regular mspg... | 1,760,377,155.585364 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/2005-subaru-aux-in-hacking/ | 2005 Subaru Aux-in Hacking | Mike Nathan | [
"Radio Hacks"
] | [
"aux in",
"car audio",
"car stereo",
"head unit"
] | The CD player in [mukmuk’s] 2005 Subaru Outback gave up the ghost, and faced with a long road trip ahead of him,
he was desperate to find a way to listen to something other than static-filled radio
. He considered a 3rd party auxiliary input solution, but
after seeing a similar aux-in hack here
, he figured he could give it a go himself.
The stereo head unit design was changed between the 2004 and 2005 model years, so while he had a good idea of what to look for, he had to find the proper components on his own. Once he identified the radio module, he was able to locate the left an right input pins through trial and error. He carefully soldered a 3.5” audio jack to the head unit’s input lines, wiring it to cut off the audio signal from the radio whenever his Zune was plugged in.
Everything was reassembled, and the input jack was inconspicuously mounted in a cubby hole just above the stereo. [mukmuk] is quite happy with his modification, and we’re guessing his road trip was far more pleasurable as a result of his work. | 32 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "410629",
"author": "BiOzZ",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T14:09:29",
"content": "im sorry these are alwasy wonderfully well played out hacks but what ever happened to the humble FM transmitter? XD",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "4106... | 1,760,377,155.762272 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/25/ring-ring-ring-ring-ring-ring-ring-emotiphone/ | Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Emotiphone! | Mike Nathan | [
"classic hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"emoticon",
"led",
"rotary phone",
"wifly"
] | Instructables user [zvizvi] was working on putting together a portfolio for his application into Industrial Design school, and thought it would be neat to
repurpose an old rotary phone
that used to belong to his grandmother.
He originally had pretty lofty goals for the phone, but eventually pared back his vision to include one-way communications to Twitter. After gutting the phone of its unnecessary parts, he got busy installing LEDs behind the dialer’s finger holes. The LEDs were connected to an MCP23017 I/O expander, which takes its direction from an Arduino he crammed into the phone’s shell.
When the receiver is lifted from the cradle, the Arduino initiates a connection to the Internet via the WiFly shield he installed. Once he dials a number, the Arduino translates the digit into a predefined emoticon, posting it to his Twitter page. While the emoticons are not quite as descriptive as the messages from the
Tweeting Roomba
we featured earlier this week, they relay his mood just fine.
It’s a fun project, and it happened to get [zvizvi] into the design school he was applying at, so we can’t ask for much more than that. | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "409965",
"author": "Justin",
"timestamp": "2011-06-25T16:52:42",
"content": "“…and it happened to get [zvizvi] into the design school he was applying at…”Congratz zvizvi; you deserve it for sure. This is sleek design idea to integrate with old technology.",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,155.684286 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/25/selective-solar-sintering-with-sand/ | Selective Solar Sintering With Sand | Brian Benchoff | [
"cnc hacks",
"Solar Hacks"
] | [
"3d printing",
"sintering",
"solar power"
] | [Markus Kayser] built an amazing
solar powered SLS printer
, but instead of using lasers and powdered plastics his machine uses the power of the sun to heat sand into complex shapes.
[Markus]’ printer uses the same concept as his earlier
solar cutter
– burning things with a magnifying glass. Interestingly, the printer isn’t controlled with stepper motors and reprap electronics – it’s completely cam driven. The solar panels only power the motor attached to the frame moving on bearings made from skateboard wheels.
We’d guess that [Markus] is using a little more than 2 square meters of Fresnel lenses in his project. Since solar irradiance is about
120 W/m²
(PDF warning), [Markus] is concentrating a lot of energy onto a point the size of a quarter, which would be necessary to heat up sand to its 1500° C melting point. The resolution isn’t what you could get with a laser, but [Markus] was able to print an amazing
bowl
along with other complex 3d shapes.
Check out [Markus]’ video of the solar sinter printer after the break. There’s also a
video
of his previous experiment with the solar cutter.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/25401444] | 54 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "409932",
"author": "moldboy",
"timestamp": "2011-06-25T15:36:12",
"content": "that is so cool!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1102839",
"author": "Zio Z Zio",
"timestamp": "2013-11-16T02:39:14",
"conte... | 1,760,377,155.912552 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/25/super-mario-coin-block-lamp-is-a-nintendo-fanboys-dream-come-true/ | Super Mario Coin Block Lamp Is A Nintendo Fanboy’s Dream Come True | Mike Nathan | [
"home hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"coin block",
"lamp",
"mario",
"nintendo"
] | [Laurence] was racking his brain coming up with potential birthday gifts for his friend when the idea of
a Super Mario Bros. coin block lamp
popped into his head. The block is constructed from drain pipe, a few pieces of plywood, some perspex, and a whole lot of awesome.
He wanted the lamp to make sounds when it was turned on and off, so he put together an audio circuit based on [LadyAda’s] WaveShield. His design is similar, though he swapped out the DIP packages for SOIC versions, adding a DAC, Op amp, and an audio buffer to fit his needs.
Once he had his electronics in order, he started construction of the lamp, painting the drain pipe green and mounting it under his light’s base. He built a large perspex box to serve as the coin block itself, printing the familiar graphics on tracing paper which he then glued into place. An arcade button adorns the top of the box, making for a very appropriate and fun light switch.
Be sure to check out the video below to see the lamp in action. We’re just a bit jealous of [Laurence’s] friend, and we sure wouldn’t mind having one of these in our office to sit alongside
this mechanical coin block
we featured a while back.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/25572713 w=470] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "409907",
"author": "The Cageybee",
"timestamp": "2011-06-25T14:15:24",
"content": "Sweet as!The sound FX make it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "409920",
"author": "Charizard",
"timestamp": "2011-06-25T14:56:19",
"c... | 1,760,377,155.816368 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/24/building-a-robot-without-using-a-machine-shop/ | Building A Robot Without Using A Machine Shop | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"compass",
"coping saw",
"hand made",
"hand tools",
"turtlebot"
] | We usually avoid the prospect of buying new tools just for one project. In the long run we’re sure we’d use them again, but sometimes even with that outlook you can’t afford it. Case in point is our life-long-lust for a laser cutter; we just can’t justify the upfront cost but we sure would use it constantly if we had one.
If you do find that you’re interested in taking on a project that calls for laser cut parts, [I Heart Robotics] shows you
how to do it with a few simple hand tools
. The bot seen above is their TurtleBot. You can cut your own parts using a laser cutter, you can buy a kit from them, or you can bust out a ruler, compass, drill, coping saw, printer, and tape to make the pieces by hand.
It’s a simple enough concept. Print out the templates, tape them to your hard board, then start drilling and sawing. You won’t get the precision a machine tool can, but in some cases you don’t need to be all that perfect.
[via Adafruit] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "409737",
"author": "silvestersillalone",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T23:19:08",
"content": "Don’t fret over not having a laser cutter. They are not that impressive. The burns, the rough edges; what they do well is straight lines. Google up some woodworking techniques to calibrate whate... | 1,760,377,156.092395 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/24/a-pick-and-place-machine-for-under-1k/ | A Pick And Place Machine For Under $1k | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"pick and place",
"solidworks",
"tweezers",
"vacuum"
] | Pick and place machines are marvels of modern technology. They the can lift, orient, align and drop tiny electronic components onto a circuit board that is headed for the reflow oven. On an industrial scale they move so fast it’s a blur in front of your eyes, and they use imaging to ensure proper placement. But that kind of specialized equipment is going to cost a real bundle of money. [Bootstrap] is working on a design that will still be feature-rich, but will allow you to purchase
your own pick-and-place machine for under $1000
.
The design calls for a two-headed beast. One head is a vacuum tweezers which is capable of moving the parts. The other is a digital microscope that is used for precise positioning. The two heads pivot in and out of place, but it’s the table which holds the PCB that is responsible for positioning the parts. Although there’s nothing built yet, the depth of information that [Bootstrap] published in his post is impressive. He’d like your help making sure there’s no errors in the design before he builds the first three prototypes. If you’re a Solidworks guru he’ll even send you the files upon request.
We’ve seen a couple of
different pick and place machines
lately so
take another look
if you missed them the first time.
[via
Adafruit
] | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "409725",
"author": "Boricua",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T22:30:24",
"content": "The digital microscope part caught my interest",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "409727",
"author": "pff",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T22:39:38",
... | 1,760,377,156.034149 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/24/keeping-tabs-on-your-pets-busy-lives/ | Keeping Tabs On Your Pets’ Busy Lives | Mike Nathan | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"7 segment",
"led",
"mice",
"pets",
"pic",
"reed switch"
] | [Stephen’s] daughter has a pair of mice she keeps as pets, who happen to be quite active at night. After they kept her awake for an entire evening by running like mad in their treadmill, they were moved from her bedroom. Since they were so active in the treadmill, [Stephen] thought it would be cool to
try measuring how much the mice actually ran each night
.
To keep track of their activity, he built a simple circuit that records how many rotations the treadmill makes. He fitted it with a rare earth magnet, installing a reed switch on the outside of case that ticks off each spin of the wheel. Any time the wheel starts moving, his PIC begins counting the rotations, displaying them on a 7-segment LED display. To mitigate data loss in the event of a power outage, the PIC stores the current number of rotations in its EEPROM every 10 seconds or so.
The counter keeps track of the total number of rounds the mice have completed, which his daughter uses to manually calculate their running sessions. Since they started tracking the mice, they have run over 700,000 rounds, sometimes completing as many as 20,000 in an evening.
We think it’s a pretty cool project, especially since it makes it fun for his daughter to stay involved in her pets’ lives. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "409678",
"author": "andar_b",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T20:34:07",
"content": "I’d have made the mice generate their own power for the circuit. :) I remember being kept awake by my pygmy dwarf hamster one night when she was running like mad. She also figured out how to wedge hersel... | 1,760,377,155.967465 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/24/zero-overhead-z80-computer-focuses-on-performance/ | “Zero Overhead” Z80 Computer Focuses On Performance | Mike Nathan | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"hand built",
"vintage computing",
"wire wrap",
"Z-80"
] | There’s something quite satisfying about building your own computer. Nowadays, constructing your own desktop PC is relatively easy, so if you really want to get your hands dirty, you have to take a step back in time and
give some vintage hardware a spin
.
[YT2095] has spent a good portion of the last two months building a computer based on the classic Z80 CPU. His machine, called “Z Eighty Development” or “ZED” for short is an amazing build, and most definitely a labor of love. He has put an estimated 700+ hours into this machine and it’s a beaut! When closed, the machine is pretty unassuming, but once he folds down the keypad, you can see that all of his time has been put to good use.
Most of the board’s components are connected together via wire wrap, including the large 48k memory card he built, as you can see from the link above. The wide array of add on cards all work together to accomplish his goal of “zero overhead” – freeing up the Z80 from having to do any unnecessary processing, such as I/O, etc.
It’s quite an impressive build, and ranks up there with
some of the best
Z80 based computers
we have
seen through the years
. | 33 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "409610",
"author": "sp00nix",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T17:39:00",
"content": "Can it play crisis?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "409615",
"author": "Joe",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T17:49:30",
"content": "@sp00nixYou ... | 1,760,377,156.267249 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/26/diy-battery-reconditioner-saves-old-rechargeable-batteries-from-the-landfill/ | DIY Battery Reconditioner Saves Old Rechargeable Batteries From The Landfill | Mike Nathan | [
"Repair Hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"battery",
"reconditioner"
] | Instructables user [msuzuki777]
had amassed quite a collection of batteries over the years
, but was finding that some of his rechargeable AA and AAA cells seemed to be at the end of their useful life. After reading some information at the
Battery University
regarding the restoration process for nickel-based batteries, he figured he might as well try building a battery reconditioner of his own.
He worked through several designs that either flat-out did not work, or had issues that limited the number of batteries he could simultaneously recondition. After reading about this
rechargeable battery capacity tester
we featured a few months back, he was ready to give the project one more try.
It seems that the third try was the charm, because his FET-based design worked quite well. He ended up wiring two FETs to each battery, which are connected via a relay. The batteries get discharged until the voltage drops down to 1V, at which point one FET is turned off, allowing the batteries reach their target voltage of 0.4V more slowly.
Despite the self-proclaimed messy layout of his circuit, [msuzuki777] is quite happy with the results. He has been able to recover several batteries, which is a fantastic alternative to letting them decay in a landfill. | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "410337",
"author": "abobymouse",
"timestamp": "2011-06-26T17:34:46",
"content": "european regs mean most shops have recycle bins for all batteries now.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410338",
"author": "abobymouse",
"ti... | 1,760,377,156.452344 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/26/electronics-lessons-for-beginners/ | Electronics Lessons For Beginners | Mike Nathan | [
"News"
] | [
"basics",
"electricity",
"electronics",
"lessons",
"tutorials"
] | Hackaday reader [grenadier] wrote in to share a series of tutorials he is working on,
where he discusses the basics of electricity and electronics
. The first lesson titled, What is Electricity?” has been wrapped up, and is available for free on his site.
For any of our regular readers, the lesson will seem pretty basic (and likely full of things to nitpick). However, we imagine his lessons would be quite helpful to anyone looking to expand their electronics know-how.
Now don’t get us wrong, we love the series of electronics tutorials that
Jeri has been periodically releasing
, but we think there’s plenty of room on the Internet for other willing teachers as well. If his first lesson is any indicator, his tutorials will be easy to understand, sprinkled with a little bit of humor, and chock full of fun videos that demonstrate the subject at hand.
Take a quick look his way if you get a chance – you or someone you know might find his tutorials and
reference guides
insightful.
[Image courtesy of
Electronicsandyou
] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "410343",
"author": "Nathan",
"timestamp": "2011-06-26T17:47:57",
"content": "omg, can’t believe I’m saying this… ‘first!’But seriously tutorials are what laymen like me need… bring em’ on (I might stand a better chance now than when I did physics at Alevel!)",
"parent_id": null,... | 1,760,377,156.368094 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/26/automotive-backup-alarm/ | Automotive Backup Alarm | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"alarm",
"arduino",
"backup",
"dino",
"joe grand",
"laser range finder"
] | [Dino’s] project of the week is
a backup alarm for your car
. This is a feature that has become popular on many large vehicles like SUVs where visibility is an issue when moving in reverse. But it doesn’t sound like he was motivated by the need to have this in his own car. Instead, he was looking for something to build using a laser range finder.
[Joe Grand] (
the brains behind DEFCON badges
) has been working on
an inexpensive laser range finder for Parallax
. He sent one of the first-run prototype boards to [Dino] for beta testing and we’re glad that [Dino] decided to show it off. It uses a small red laser diode and a camera module to measure distance in millimeters. The board communicates serially and this particular project uses an Arduino along with a character LCD and speaker to display distance and sound an alarm when the car is within a meter of an object.
Check out the video after the break to see the build in its entirety. The system works reasonably well, if the object you’re about to hit is perfectly lined up with the laser dot.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGW7AEqEiWQ&w=470] | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "410318",
"author": "Dennis",
"timestamp": "2011-06-26T15:47:37",
"content": "Makes me wonder if anyone has used the backup sensors from car on a project?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410319",
"author": "localroger",
"... | 1,760,377,156.505648 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/25/a-beautiful-fibre-optic-chandelier/ | A Beautiful Fibre Optic Chandelier | Nick Schulze | [
"home hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"chandelier",
"fibre optic",
"led"
] | [Bill] Decided that his living room could use some more light, or at least some more colourful light. To meet his needs [Bill] has designed and build what he describes as a
modern/contemporary chandelier
. The chandelier uses about 250′ of fibre optic cable to distribute the light from eight LED’s, light from the fibre optics is being diffused using marbles in place of the globes you would normally expect in a chandelier.
Control is achieved wirelessly via a pair of Xbee modules, this will allow [Bill] to integrate it into his home automation project he plans for the future. The colours are currently set using three slide potentiometers, and the chandelier is powered using a repurposed ATX power supply. It looks like a lot of time was spent on the acrylic enclosure and it was worth it because the results are fantastic. Check out his website for build details and the video after the break for a demonstration on the chandelier in action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Opzb4D_8g&feature=player_embedded&w=470] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "410062",
"author": "CRJEEA",
"timestamp": "2011-06-25T22:16:42",
"content": "Maybe a couple of layers of roughly sanded clear acrylic with a 1mm gap between them or even a bit of white paper stuck in between the LEDs and the end of the fiberoptics with a 3 or 5mm gap would be the ch... | 1,760,377,156.564721 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/25/thumper-the-t-shirt-launcher/ | Thumper The T-Shirt Launcher | Noah Dunker | [
"hardware"
] | [
"cannon",
"launcher",
"solenoid",
"vehicle"
] | [joe] and [ryan] built Thumper for their high school FIRST robotics team. The cannon itself is a solenoid-fired compressed air launcher that gets its juice from three large PVC tanks stored in the box below the turret, and the cannon is able to be fired nine times between visits to the air compressor. It was intentionally designed to resemble an M2 Browning 50 Caliber heavy machine gun, with the two vertical handles and boxy body. They finished construction in about a week with a budget of only $300. When they saw that a lot of their friends had also built cannons, they scrounged for parts from their garages to re-use to build the mobile platform simply for one-upmanship sake. The motor and drive-train propelling this behemoth came out of a 1980s-era mobile X-Ray machine that had been discarded by a local hospital. The rear wheels were specially modified to fit the drivetrain, and the front end is a chopped, hacked, and welded axle and steering mechanism from an old lawn tractor. Sections of unistrut form the rest of the frame.
[joe] and [ryan] were even asked to bring Thumper to their high school prom as a unique way to hand out T-Shirts for the evening. Unfortunately, there’s no website for this build.
See video of Thumper in action with a Nerf Football after the break. Hack A Day even got to take it for a spin around the Power Wheels Racing Series track at
Maker Faire KC
!
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EtfmKoGu8k&w=470&h=297%5D | 46 | 44 | [
{
"comment_id": "410026",
"author": "Hackerspacer",
"timestamp": "2011-06-25T20:20:20",
"content": "STOP using PVC for compressed air. It is an extremely unsafe use of the material for that application.Yes, you can “get away with it” – until something goes wrong and it explodes and throws razor shar... | 1,760,377,156.972662 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/25/measuring-rpm-with-reflective-sensors/ | Measuring RPM With Reflective Sensors | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"infrared",
"ir",
"lm358",
"op-amp",
"phototransistor",
"reflectance"
] | [Arao] wanted to measure the RPM of a spinning wheel using parts that he could scavenge from his junk box. A bit of thought led him to build
a reflective sensor which can measure the spinning of a wheel
(
translated
).
He got his hands on an infrared phototransistor which had been used as part of the remote control for some consumer electronics. Snooping around with his multimeter helped him establish the pin out of the device. By positioning an IR LED inside of a shroud, yet adjacent to the phototransistor, he can measure the intensity of the LED’s light as it is reflected off of nearby surfaces. The pulley seen above has a piece of electrical tape on it. When this passes by the LED, less of the infrared light is reflected and the drop in intensity is picked up by the phototransistor. [Arao] made the system rock-solid by rolling an LM358 op-amp into the circuit. He’s posted the schematic as well as some screen shots from an oscilloscope during testing. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "410012",
"author": "D_",
"timestamp": "2011-06-25T19:27:28",
"content": "In this implementation of an old idea one will need a scope to display the information you need to calculate RPM? An upgrade would be an addition circuitry, so the scale on a stock milliamp meter could display... | 1,760,377,156.721157 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/25/semi-automatic-pcb-drill-press/ | Semi-automatic PCB Drill Press | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"drill press",
"linear motor",
"pcb",
"through hole"
] | Kiss the days of breaking bits while drilling through-hole PCBs goodbye thanks to
this semi-automatic drill press
(
translated
). Now it’s not going to line up the bit with the exact location of the hole (that would make it a fully automatic drill press). This works by lining up the board manually, then stepping on a pedal to activate the plunging motion of the drill.
A linear motor is responsible for the smooth, accurate motion along the Z-axis. Many hobby setups use a Dremel drill press, or even rely on prayer-based systems such as doing it free-hand with a rotary tool or by using a piece of acrylic as a guide hole. The hobby drill press tends to have some play in it and free-handing with tiny bits that are as fragile as glass both result in far too many broken drill bits. In the video after the break you can see that the linear motion is perfectly plumb with the table of the device, preventing the movements that cause breakage. The addition of the pedal makes it easy to position the boards because you can use both hands.
Having a tool like this takes all of the frustration out of using through-hole parts.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou0f08kNjPk&w=470] | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "409970",
"author": "Hackerspacer",
"timestamp": "2011-06-25T17:14:02",
"content": "Is drilling through laminated fiberglass really the best way to put holes in PCBs? How do commercial PCB houses do it?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_... | 1,760,377,156.792243 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/xbmc-controller-is-an-all-in-one-usb-solution-for-htpcs/ | XBMC Controller Is An All-in-one Usb Solution For HTPCs | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"18f4550",
"character lcd",
"pic",
"rotary encoder",
"usb",
"xbmc"
] | On the original Xbox, XBMC was a software-only solution (assuming you had a chipped or soft-modded console). That’s because the Xbox was already meant to connect to a television and work with an IR remote control. Now that the XBMC software has transitioned to focus on a wider range of hardware, it may be more complicated to get the same functionality on an HTPC. Realizing this, [Dilshan] developed
a USB connected XBMC controller
that features an IR receiver, character LCD, and a rotary encoder with two buttons.
As long as your HTPC has a way to connect to the audio and video inputs on your TV, this should take care of the rest of the presentation. LCD screens were popular with XBMC from very early on because modchips included an interface. Because of this, XBMC is already setup to provide navigation and media information this way. So you can use XBMC for audio playback without needed to have your TV turned on. Add to that the ability to control your box with either a remote control or the navigation tools on the front bezel and you’ve got a winning solution.
You can download an archive that includes all the info about this device over at
the project repository
. For your convenience we’ve embedded the schematic and PDF description of the project, which we found in that package, after the break.
[
PDF project explantion
] | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "410619",
"author": "that1guy",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T13:24:41",
"content": "Personally, I just use a cheap IR receiver that cost me about $5 and now I have complete control over my HTPC with my Harmony Remote. I don’t need it to play music without the TV on because that functiona... | 1,760,377,156.838802 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/behold-the-oomphalapompatronium/ | Behold, The Oomphalapompatronium! | Mike Nathan | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"bellows",
"oompah",
"Oomphalapompatronium",
"organ"
] | For over 25 years, [Len Solomon] has been performing a one-man variety show that features crazy-looking, hand-made musical instruments that operate on air. Some of his more famous instruments include a callioforte he constructed, as well as his Majestic Bellowphone, both powered by some form of bellows, of course.
His most recent musical creation is something [Len] likes to call the “
Oomphalopompatronium
” (try saying that five times fast). The bellows-driven Willy Wonka-esque organ looks to be built from just about anything and everything he could get his hands on. We spied a few plastic and glass bottles, plenty of PVC pipe, and a few tin cans before we stopped looking and just listened.
At first glance you might think that the Oomphalopompatronium will produce some cacophonous excuse for music, but once [Len] stepped up to the keyboard we were pleasantly surprised. The sound is that of a small scale Oompah band, much like the name implies.
We think it’s a fantastic creation – we’re just bummed that it we can’t check it out in person.
Stick around to see a video of the Oomphalopompatronium in action.
[Thanks, BoKu]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IGQfUJOifo&w=470] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "410607",
"author": "Scott",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T12:36:44",
"content": "“Oomphalopompatronium”? – flatusforte, perhaps. Love it!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410609",
"author": "t11r",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T1... | 1,760,377,156.889806 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/27/lose-the-beer-belly-by-brewing-beer/ | Lose The Beer Belly By Brewing Beer | Mike Szczys | [
"Beer Hacks"
] | [
"exercise bike",
"gear ratio",
"grain mill"
] | If you’re milling your own grains for that next batch of beer you might be able to melt all of those extra calories away while you’re at it. [Eucherboy1] repurposed an unused
exercise bike to power his grain mill
. The propane tank is serving as a weight to hold the base of the mill in place; it’ll be used later when boiling the wort. A belt transfers power from the bike to a wheel replacing the hand crank on the mill. Check out the video after the break to see [Euchreboy1] working up a sweat. We think there’s much room for improving the gear ratio of the setup. Or he can just man up and push through the pain.
We’ve gotten used to seeing ways to power a bicycle, like using
wood-fired steam
, or even by
incorporating a chainsaw
. But the hacks that use a bike as a power source are a bit less common. Our
local hackerspace
made
a bicycle blender
a while back. Got any projects of your own that are bike powered?
Send them our way
!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_RghNYTPD8&w=470]
[Thanks Adam] | 19 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "410588",
"author": "adamziegler",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T11:21:46",
"content": "LOL this is great!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410596",
"author": "keenox",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T11:47:46",
"content": "…or h... | 1,760,377,157.034682 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/26/attiny13-powered-handheld-helicopter-game/ | ATtiny13 Powered Handheld Helicopter Game | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"attiny13",
"game",
"helicopter",
"lcd"
] | [Owen] just finished putting together
a portable helicopter game
. It’s pretty impressive, especially since he used an ATtiny13 microcontroller. That chip uses an 8-pin dip package, offering only five I/O pins (six if you use the reset pin) and 1k of programming space.
The game runs on a small cellphone-type LCD screen. The helicopter remains somewhere in the center column of the screen as the maze that makes up the game board approaches one step at a time. The single button that controls the helicopter will raise it with each step of the maze when held down, or allow it to fall when released. The player’s progress is shown as a hex value in the upper left corner of the screen. When you hit a wall, your score will be shown next to the high score for the game and will be saved in EEPROM if it’s a new record. As the game progresses, the maze gets harder based on the score. Check it out in a video clip after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_Sm2s3hkeo&w=470] | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "410394",
"author": "Alex Parting",
"timestamp": "2011-06-26T21:19:09",
"content": "sweet love that game",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410401",
"author": "Alan Yates",
"timestamp": "2011-06-26T22:01:04",
"content": ... | 1,760,377,158.815439 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/26/pulse-width-modulation-with-microcontrollers/ | Pulse Width Modulation With Microcontrollers | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"ATmega168",
"pulse-width modulation",
"pwm",
"timers",
"tutorial"
] | Those following the ProtoStack tutorials will be happy to hear that there is
a new installment which explains Pulse Width Modulation
. If you’ve never heard of PWM before, it’s a method of generating a signal that is logic 1 for a portion of the time and logic 0 for the remainder of the time. It is the most commonly used method for dimming an LED, and that’s [Daniel’s] example in this tutorial. But you’ll also find it used in many other applications such as servo motor control and piezo speaker control.
[Daniel] starts off with a brief explanation of duty cycle, then moves on to some examples of hardware and software PWM. Many of the AVR microcontrollers have a hardware PWM feature that allows you to configure a pin that toggles based on a target timer value. This is demonstrated using an ATmega168, but a method of using interrupts and your own code is also covered in case you don’t have a hardware PWM pin available. | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "410421",
"author": "Gravis",
"timestamp": "2011-06-26T23:11:26",
"content": "PWM is good if you are robotics fiend because servos are controlled with pulses.http://www.rcheliwiki.com/Servo_protocol",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id":... | 1,760,377,158.69869 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/26/digitized-retro-lcd-games-played-using-an-arduino-as-a-controller/ | Digitized Retro LCD Games Played Using An Arduino As A Controller | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"lcd games"
] | This one’s a bit abstract. Remember those LCD games that became quite popular sometime in the 1990’s? You know, the ones that had only one game, usually a character that could be moved back and forth to catch, hit, or block objects falling from the sky or being thrown by some villain? [Tobie Nortje] sure remembers them and has built
an Arduino controller to play virtual versions of the games
.
He started off by finding
a website that is digitizing the old games
. That is to say, they’ve taken images of each state of the LCD, then implemented the game play using those images and an approximation of the original physics. Unlike NES or Sega Master System games the ROMs of these devices can’t just be dumped because of the specialized screen. Instead, a virtual version of the hardware has been built into a web interface.
[Tobie’s] part of the hack is to use an Arduino and a few buttons as the controller. It’s easy to set up and we think the breadboarded controller approximates the size and weight of an LCD game pretty well. Check out the video after the break and let us know what you think in the comments.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3rXpN4NZSo&w=470] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "410363",
"author": "Mooseral",
"timestamp": "2011-06-26T19:25:51",
"content": "By 1990’s, you do mean 1980s, yes? Still, old school LCD games are pretty amusing to see kicking around. Gotta love the sound effects.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,158.61283 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/26/a-badge-without-a-conference/ | A Badge Without A Conference | Mike Szczys | [
"cons"
] | [
"arduino",
"atmega328",
"badge",
"bluetooth",
"google",
"microphone"
] | We saw this one a few days ago when it was first bouncing around the interwebs but never took a close look at it. Today, when we ran across a direct link in the tips box it was the promo video (embedded after the break) that won us over. Once you dig into the particulars of
The Verbalizer
we think you’ll agree that this is a hackable conference badge without the pesky need to attend a conference.
As you probably guessed from the design of the PCB, this is a microphone. It’s intended for use with Google’s new voice search feature, and connects to a computer via a Bluetooth module. But really it’s just another roll-your-own Arduino with a few extra bits. You’ll find an ATmega328 and an FTDI chip which provides a USB connection for programming. The real fun starts with the microphone and speaker circuitry which is just waiting to be breadboarded at home. We found a few other things while poking around in the schematic (available by downloading their Product Docs and Schematics package). It looks like there’s some capacitive touch… you what? Isn’t it more fun if you find this stuff yourself, kind of like the hidden gems of
the DEFCON badges
?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBALwwfFNV4&w=470] | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "410359",
"author": "SpydaMonky",
"timestamp": "2011-06-26T18:58:42",
"content": "Thats very cool, i love the video!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410514",
"author": "NishaKitty",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T05:57:11",
... | 1,760,377,158.653915 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/24/automatic-micro-copter-cameraman/ | Automatic Micro-Copter Cameraman | Jeremy Cook | [
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"camera",
"helicopter",
"mikrokopter",
"wakeboard"
] | For those of you that are extreme sports participants, this
“MikroKopter”
may be the solution you’ve been waiting for. When combined with a helmet mounted camera, this additional view should do a great job of capturing your every trick.
This setup attaches a camera to a six-rotor mini helicopter to follow and video the action. In true drone form, the camera is controlled automatically via a
“point of interest”
tracking transmitter. The helicopter, however, appears to be controlled by a human operator.
There is really a lot going on with this setup from the micro helicopter itself to the tracking system (really neat how it calculates the camera angle), so be sure to check out their
website
. Also, be sure to check out the video of everything in action after the break.
[vimeo
http://www.vimeo.com/25288834
w=470&h=225]
via
fstoppers.com | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "409585",
"author": "pascal",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T15:50:34",
"content": "Text in the video says the mikrokopter is also controlled by the POI, they seem to use the remote only to get it to position. (The POI seems to just use GPS, I guess on the tripod is another GPS receiver, f... | 1,760,377,158.999607 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/24/enhancing-simple-circuit-kits-with-microcontrollers/ | Enhancing Simple Circuit Kits With Microcontrollers | Mike Nathan | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"circuit kits",
"fun",
"learning",
"microcontrollers",
"PICAXE 08M",
"toys"
] | [manuka], aka [Stan Swan] is a teacher in New Zealand who
enjoys enlightening his students on the wonders of electrical circuits
. He primarily uses “snap connector” circuit kits, sold under the BrainBox name in NZ, for his interactive labs as they can be easily manipulated by pupils of all ages.
While the kits are great, he says that the range of experiments they provide can be a bit limited, so he decided to swap out the kit’s sound module for something far more useful – a PICAXE-08M. The space left by removing the sound module was pretty small, but [Stan] got everything to fit without too much hassle. His modification allows his students to program the PICAXE, as well as utilize four of the uC’s output pins.
Needless to say, the addition of the PICAXE module was a huge hit with his students, allowing them to create far more exciting circuits. [Stan] has been revising his system over the years, adding extra output pins, enabling lamp and motor control, as well as tweaking his setup to respond to IR commands.
We think [Stan’s] work is pretty awesome, and we’re still wondering how this flew under our radar for so long. He says that his students vary from preschool kids to centenarians, so if you’ve got someone that you would like to introduce to the fun world of electronics, we suggest picking up one of these kits and getting to work.
[Thanks Haku] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "409541",
"author": "anybodysguess",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T12:53:56",
"content": "Those kits are how I got started in electronics they are great. I haven’t got to micro controllers yet but I am making my own circuits, I have already built a flashing led dog collar, the flasher ci... | 1,760,377,158.746595 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/24/launching-model-rockets-wirelessly/ | Launching Model Rockets Wirelessly | Brian Benchoff | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"model rockets",
"rocketry",
"wifi"
] | We love ballistic trajectories and the smell of black powder in the morning, so we’re really interested in the
wireless rocket launch pad
sent in by [Brent Strysko].
[Brent] used an ATmega with an enc28j60 ethernet shield and wireless router to launch the rocket without a physical connection with ‘the button.’ Everything on the launchpad is powered by a 12 Volt motorcycle battery, and there’s also a flashing LED for the countdown. All that’s needed to launch a rocket is to send a command from the laptop. We think this would be an awesome project when combined with the
radio telemetry
build we covered earlier – the computer is already there with the range safety officer.
Although amateur rocketry is extremely safe, with
no high-power flight ever hitting a person
(PDF warning), there’s still some risk of from
black powder engines CATOing
. We think [Brent] came up with a great way to make a safe hobby even safer, and managed an interesting project in the process. Check out the walkthrough of the launchpad after the break, or check out
this video
of the launchpad in action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v27LVSugyC4&w=450] | 13 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "409518",
"author": "rusty",
"timestamp": "2011-06-24T11:21:48",
"content": "i launch my model ockets with a match. no fuse. i like the danger.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "409524",
"author": "aztraph",
"timestamp": ... | 1,760,377,158.865329 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/23/making-wheelchairs-more-safe-through-high-visibility/ | Making Wheelchairs More Safe Through High Visibility | Mike Nathan | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"assisted living",
"led",
"transportation",
"visibility",
"WheelChair"
] | When traveling around the city or even rural areas in a wheelchair, we imagine it can be pretty easy to get overlooked. [Rui] was asked to
add some lights and sounds
to an electric wheelchair in order to ensure that its rider remained visible to those around him.
The system uses several different components to ensure that the driver can be seen. The first is a message board strapped to the back of the chair which was constructed from a pre-made 8×32 LED matrix enclosed in an acrylic project box. The board uses a PIC16F88 to store and display messages, which are triggered by a control board mounted near the chair’s joystick. He also added headlights and taillights, using bright white and red LEDs, respectively. A 107dB horn was mounted on the chair to ensure that if the driver is not seen, he will certainly be heard.
Everything looks like it fits nicely, without hindering the operation or looks of the chair. Check out the video below to see his high-visibility system in action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG8NKjDXHCg&w=470] | 28 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "409353",
"author": "steve",
"timestamp": "2011-06-23T22:24:48",
"content": "Sweet idea for nighttime, but during daytime the little LEDs are not going to cut it. Painting it brigh fluorescent orange would have done a better job.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies"... | 1,760,377,159.258861 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/23/use-fpgas-the-easy-way-with-alien-cortex-av/ | Use FPGAs The Easy Way With Alien Cortex AV | Mike Nathan | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"alien cortex",
"arduino",
"fpga",
"microcontroller",
"msp430",
"pic"
] | Hackaday reader [Louis] wrote in to call our attention to a neat project over at Kickstarter that he thought would interest his fellow readers. The
AlienCortex AV is a pre-built FPGA board
from [Bryan Pape] with gobs of ports and a ton of potential. At the heart of the board is an Xilinx PQ208 Spartan 3e 500k FPGA, which can be configured to perform any number of functions. The board sports a healthy dose of analog and digital I/O pins as you would expect, along with PS/2 inputs, VGA outputs, and even a pair of Atari-compatible joystick ports.
The AlienCortex software package allows users to easily load projects into the FPGA, which can run up to four different emulated microcontrollers at once. The software comes with half a dozen pre-configured cores out of the box, with others available for download as they are built. The default set of cores includes everything from a 32-channel logic analyzer, to a quad processor Arduino-sketch compatible machine.
Now, before you cry foul at the fact that he’s emulating Arduinos on a powerful and expensive FPGA, there’s nothing stopping you from creating an army of whatever microcontrollers you happen to prefer instead. We’re guessing that if you can run four Arduinos on this board at once, a good number of PICs could be emulated simultaneously alongside whatever other uC you might need in your next robotics project. A single board incorporating several different microcontrollers at once doesn’t sound half bad to us. | 83 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "409347",
"author": "Alex Parting",
"timestamp": "2011-06-23T22:02:51",
"content": "That’s a decent price for that kit. I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t gotten into FPGA’s to try it out. Personally I use Altera so I don’t know about the quality of Xilinc free software (or even ho... | 1,760,377,159.18927 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/23/10000-year-clock-sounds-like-an-indiana-jones-flick-makes-us-wonder-if-were-being-trolled/ | 10,000 Year Clock Sounds Like An Indiana Jones Flick – Makes Us Wonder If We’re Being Trolled | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"10000 year clock",
"chime",
"limestone",
"long now",
"mountain"
] | So you hear that someone is building a clock that will run for 10,000 years and you think ‘oh, that’s neat’. Then you start looking into it and realize that it’s being built on a mountain-sized scale in a remote part of the US and things start to get a bit strange. As much as it might sound like a Sci-Fi novel (or some creative trolling), the Long Now Foundation is in the process of building and installing
a clock that will chime once per year for the next ten millennia
.
The clock, currently under construction will be over 200 feet tall, residing in a shaft drilled in a limestone mountain in West Texas. The allusion to [Indian Jones] sprung to mind when we read that the shaft will be drilled from the top down, then have a shaft with a robot arm installed to mill a spiral staircase into the stone walls. And this isn’t the only clock planned; a second site in Nevada has already been purchased.
There are a lot of interesting features, not the least of them is a ‘chime engine’ that plays a unique tune each year that will never be repeated again. [Alex] sent us the original tip to
a Wired article that covers the project
in incredible detail. But we also found a SETI talks video that runs for an hour. You’ll find that embedded after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nphxoUxSvgY&w=470] | 54 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "409302",
"author": "mike",
"timestamp": "2011-06-23T20:08:32",
"content": "great so in 10,000 years, future generations will think the world is gonna end. great idea.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "409304",
"author": "YT209... | 1,760,377,158.947182 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/23/repaired-microwave-keypad-looks-as-good-as-new/ | Repaired Microwave Keypad Looks As Good As New | Mike Nathan | [
"home hacks",
"Repair Hacks"
] | [
"keypad",
"matrix",
"microswitch",
"microwave",
"repair"
] | Instructables user [Rohit]
had an out-of-warranty microwave with a broken membrane keypad
. Much like
our friend [Alexandre]
from Brazil, he found the cost of replacement parts beyond reasonable, so he had to find a way to repair it instead.
He disassembled the front cover of his microwave to get at the main controller board. Once it was detached, he removed the keypad’s cover to get a closer look at the matrix underneath. While taking notes on how the matrix was wired, he found that some keypad traces connected to other traces rather than buttons. He says that they are likely used by the microwave to detect that the keypad is present, so he made sure to short those traces out on the controller board when he wired everything back together.
He replaced the aging keypad with microswitches, but rather than mount them on the front panel of the microwave, he drilled holes for each switch so that he could mount them inside the face plate. Once everything was wired and glued in place, he re-mounted the keypad’s cover. Now the microwave looks stock but has firm, reliable, user-serviceable buttons that are sure to last quite a while. | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "409336",
"author": "monster",
"timestamp": "2011-06-23T21:35:51",
"content": "wonder how user serviceable it actually is with all that glue on each button. if he cracks that plastic removing a failed switch he’ll have nothing to mount the new one to",
"parent_id": null,
"dep... | 1,760,377,159.312666 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/23/3-axis-plotter-made-from-spare-parts/ | 3 Axis Plotter Made From Spare Parts | Jeremy Cook | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"cnc",
"mach3",
"plotter"
] | The plotter featured above
was, according to the author, made almost entirely of salvaged parts. In addition to what he had accumulated, only $20 in parts was needed to complete this build. Pretty good considering the thousands of dollars that a new plotter goes for.
Control of all axes is accomplished using unipolar stepper motors. In this case only one unipolar motor was available along with two bipolar motors. [Lovro] actually hacked these into a unipolar setup to save costs on the build.
Mach3
control software along with a parallel port is used to control the steppers. A similar “junk” setup could be used to power a CNC mill or laser engraver, so think twice before tossing that old printer in the trash! Check out the video of this plotter in action after the break! Also, see this hack for a similar
laser engraving machine
using Mach3 control software.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XcvXbbDQNw&w=470&h=349%5D | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "409188",
"author": "svofski",
"timestamp": "2011-06-23T13:27:03",
"content": "Very nice pen holder/actuator!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "409198",
"author": "fco",
"timestamp": "2011-06-23T13:41:50",
"content": "h... | 1,760,377,159.412262 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/23/tiny-morse-code-trainer/ | Tiny Morse Code Trainer | Brian Benchoff | [
"classic hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"attiny85",
"morse code"
] | [Eric] wanted to teach his kids Morse code, so he built a
tiny Morse code trainer
.
[Eric] built the trainer around an ATtiny85, and the rest of the circuit follows this minimalist idea. After connecting a piezo beeper and 6-pin ISP header, the only thing left to do was
write a little code
and start teaching his kids Morse. The Morse trainer is programmed to repeat the message, “SOS the moon rover has broken down and I am stuck in the trash can in the garden shed,” [Eric] planted a Lego moon rover in his shed as a prize for learning Morse, making him one of the coolest dads ever.
Although learning Morse
isn’t required for an amateur radio license anymore
, it’s a requirement for continuous wave radio. We think this is a great way to learn Morse the right way – actually hearing the characters – instead of memorizing the
Huffman tree
of Morse characters. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "409175",
"author": "Scott",
"timestamp": "2011-06-23T12:32:09",
"content": "I love it! Morse is actually far easier to learn than you’d imagine. If anyone actually does want to learn Morse code, grab a character chart and check out Morse.exe onhttp://c2.com/ward/morse/morse.html",
... | 1,760,377,159.46635 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/23/synapse-turns-your-kinect-into-a-dubstep-theremin/ | Synapse Turns Your Kinect Into A Dubstep Theremin | Mike Nathan | [
"digital audio hacks",
"Kinect hacks"
] | [
"burning man",
"dubstep",
"Kinect",
"music",
"theremin"
] | [Ryan Challinor] is part of a group constructing a display for this year’s Burning Man festival that includes the Kinect, Ableton Live, and Quartz Composer. As the programming guru of the project, he was tasked with creating a method for his partners to utilize all three products via an easy to use interface.
His application is called Synapse
and was inspired by videos he saw online of people controlling individual Dubstep beats or sound effects with the Kinect. Synapse allows you to map multiple effects to each limb, sending joint positions, hit events, and image depth data to both Ableton and Quartz Composer via OSC. The user interface looks fairly easy to work with, enabling musicians and artists to create awesome audio/visual displays using their bodies as instruments, in a very short period of time.
Check out the pair of videos below to see a brief walkthrough of the software interface as well as a quick video demonstration of what Synapse is capable of.
[via
KinectHacks
]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teHCHsjxI00&w=470]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ge7RcIBWsc&w=470] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "409141",
"author": "BiOzZ",
"timestamp": "2011-06-23T12:11:07",
"content": "i remember being made fun of in high school for loving dubstep“random pointless geek music” lol when did it get so damn popular? lol",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"c... | 1,760,377,159.359389 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/puncture-resistant-bike-tires-from-old-seatbelts/ | Puncture Resistant Bike Tires From Old Seatbelts | Mike Nathan | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"bike",
"inner tube",
"ride flat",
"tires"
] | [Nicolás] often rides his bike in the city, and on more than one occasion
has ended up with a flat tire
. A flat tire might not sound like a big deal, but imagine if you are a few miles from your destination and running late – now your day has gone from bad to worse.
He was contemplating how he might protect his bike’s tires from being punctured by glass and other debris, when he came across some old car seat belts that used to serve as straps for various messenger bags. He pulled the tires off his bike and after removing the inner tubes, he unrolled the seat belts inside the wheels. The belts were cut to size, then the tubes were reinserted into the wheels and inflated as normal.
He hasn’t run into any glass shards just yet, but [Nicolás] is betting that the reinforced nylon mesh of the seat belts will keep his tubes safe whenever he does.
[via
Make
] | 71 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "408903",
"author": "dannyid",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T21:06:07",
"content": "I’m curious how this rides. Seems like it might come out lumpy and awkward. Is it smooth?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408909",
"author": "Stev... | 1,760,377,160.139621 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/24-cellphone-buttons-controlled-with-6-microcontroller-pins/ | 24 Cellphone Buttons Controlled With 6 Microcontroller Pins | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"74hc138a",
"arduino",
"decoder",
"optoisolator"
] | [J8g8j] has been playing around with an old cellphone. He wanted to control it using a microcontroller but since there’s 24 buttons he wasn’t thrilled about hooking up a couple dozen relays to do the switching. Instead, he managed to
control all 24-buttons using just 6-pins of a microcontroller
.
The proof-of-concept video that he posted on his site shows the phone responding to an arbitrary string of button presses. [J8g8j] spent the majority of his time reverse engineering how the phone’s keypad is wired. Once he figured out the rows and columns of the key matrix he soldered wires to access each of them. This turns out to be 14 connections. To these, he wired up a set of opto-isolators to handle the switching. These are in turn controlled by a set of three 74HC138A 3-8 bit decoders. what’s left are six input pins that leave plenty of room for him to hook up other items to the Arduino serving as the microcontroller. | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "408889",
"author": "NickS",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T20:27:30",
"content": "You can also do it with 2 8-bit latching shift registers and 3 output pins on the microcontroller.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408896",
"author"... | 1,760,377,160.049241 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/building-diy-blinkm-clones/ | Building DIY BlinkM Clones | Mike Nathan | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"attiny45",
"blinkm",
"led",
"pixels",
"rgb"
] | If you are planning on using more than a handful of BlinkMs in a project, you will likely find that their $15 price tag quickly adds up. Instructables user [jimthree]
found himself in that position
and opted to create his own homebrew version of a BlinkM instead. He calls his creations “Ghetto Pixels”, and while they might not look as professional as the real thing, they get the job done just the same.
He bought a batch of RGB LEDs online for under a dollar apiece, pairing them with ATTiny45s that he scored for about $1.50 each. [imthree] popped his uCs into a programmer, flashing them with an open-source BlinkM firmware clone called CYZ_RGB. He then prototyped his circuit on some breadboard, adding the appropriate resistors to the mix before testing out the LEDs. When he was confident everything was working correctly, he assembled Ghetto Pixels deadbug-style.
When everything was said and done, they came together in a pretty compact package comparable to that of the BlinkM. As you can see in the video below, they work great too!
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/25324291 w=470] | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "408861",
"author": "Chad",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T19:22:05",
"content": "When will these be for sale? I’ve been considering this route myself as the price for the BlinkM is a bit steep for more than a few.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"c... | 1,760,377,159.855363 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/automated-scanning-for-a-pile-of-documents/ | Automated Scanning For A Pile Of Documents | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"scanner"
] | The Gado project is part of the Johns Hopkins University Center for African Studies. It has been tasked with archiving documents having to do with the East Baltimore Oral Histories Project. In short, they’ve got a pile of old pictures and documents that they want digitized but are not easily run through a page-fed scanner because they are fragile and not standard sizes.
The rig seen above is an automated scanner
which picks up a document from the black bin on the left, places it on the flat-bed scanner seen in the middle, and moves it to the black bin on the right once it has been scanned. It’s not fast, but it’s a cheap build (great if you’ve got a tight budgt) and it seems to work.
The machine is basically a three-axis CNC assembly. Above you can see one motor which lifts the lid of the scanner. You can’t see the document gripper in this image, but check the video after the break which shows the machine in action. A vacuum powered suction cup moves on a gantry (y-axis) but is also able to adjust its height (z-axis) and distance perpendicular to the gantry (x-axis) in order to grab one page at a time.
The pictures on the build log have captions to give you an idea of how this was built. We didn’t see any info about post-processing but let’s hope they have an auto-crop and auto-deskew filter in place to really make this automatic.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QbE3UPDm-w&w=470] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "408837",
"author": "deltron",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T18:15:02",
"content": "you could hire an illegal immigrant to do it twice as fast for half the cost.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408841",
"author": "Tom",
"times... | 1,760,377,159.915513 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/build-a-standalone-basic-interpreter/ | Build A Standalone BASIC Interpreter | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"32mx695f512h",
"32mx795f512h",
"basic",
"pic32"
] | Here’s a photo of the circuit board for the
Maximite, a BASIC interpreter
that [Geoff] built. The design idea was sparked when he was exploring the possibilities of the PIC32 family of chips. [Geoff] wanted to write about the hardware for a magazine article but needed an actual product to really show it off.
The design can utilize one of two microprocessors, a PIC 32MX795F512H or 32MX695F512H. The 32-bit chip has more than enough power to emulate BASIC, and even allows for floating point calculations. It’s VGA compatible and has a jack for a standard PS/2 keyboard, which makes it a standalone device. You can store programs on an SD card, or it can be interfaced with a computer via the USB-B port that you see next to the power jack. The microprocessor is a surface mount chip, but the rest of the components are through-hole, making this an easy kit to assemble. But if you’re not afraid to etch your own 2-layered PCBs there is board artwork available in [Geoff’s] download package.
[Thanks Bill] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "408834",
"author": "Pilotgeek",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T18:08:43",
"content": "So it’s a modern 80’s era computer. I like.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408857",
"author": "nes",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T19:03:33",
... | 1,760,377,159.979019 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/reworking-ball-grid-array-circuit-board-components-at-home/ | Reworking Ball Grid Array Circuit Board Components At Home | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"bga",
"flux",
"ftdi",
"griddle",
"reflow",
"rework",
"solder"
] | [Jack Gassett] is developing a new breakout board for an FPGA. The chip comes in a ball grid array (BGA) package which is notoriously difficult to solder reliably. Since he’s still in development, the test boards are being assembled in his basement. Of the first lot of four boards, only one is functional. So he’s setting out to
rework the bad boards
and we came along for the ride.
To reflow the surface mount components he picked up a cheap pancake griddle. The first thing [Jack] does is to heat up the board for about two minutes, then pluck off the FPGA and the FTDI chips using a vacuum tweezers. Next, the board gets a good cleaning with the help of a flux pen, some solder wick, and a regular soldering iron. Once clean, he hits the pads with solder paste from a syringe and begins the soldering process. BGA packages and the solder paste itself usually have manufacturer recommended time and temperature guidelines. [Jack] is following these profiles using the griddle’s temperature controller knob and the timer on an Android phone. In the video after the break you can see that he adjusts the timing based on gut reaction to what is going on with the solder. After cleaning up some solder bridges on the FTDI chip he tested it again and it works!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkjOwuSEzKU&w=470] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "408803",
"author": "sean",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T16:49:48",
"content": "Nice documentary. Well done. Thanks.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408806",
"author": "elektrophreak",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T17:01:45",
... | 1,760,377,160.199873 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/converting-a-roomba-into-a-mars-rover/ | Converting A Roomba Into A Mars Rover | Brian Benchoff | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"mars rover",
"roomba"
] | When we first heard of [Dino]’s
all-terrain Roomba
, we hoped the ‘stair-climbing Roomba’ problem had finally been solved, but the final build turned out much cooler.
A year ago, [Dino] built a
small robot
based on a
rocker-bogie suspension
. This suspension system has been used on every Mars rover, including the huge
Mars Science Labratory
scheduled to land on Mars next year. [Dino] beefed up the suspension from the previous version and changed the wheels and center of gravity. Now, the little Roomba rover seems quite capable of climbing over objects as tall as itself.
The control of the rover is similar to other Roomba hacks we’ve seen – just tapping a few transistors. [Dino] is using a Seeduino and an ultrasonic sensor to avoid collisions. [Dino] says that he’s thinking about pivoting each wheel independently to get around the skid-steering, but maybe an
omnidirectional wheel
would be better suited.
Check out the video after the break for a demo of the Roomba rover traversing the treacherous boulder strewn terrain in [Dino]’s garage.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNgpl1TL4xg&w=470] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "408760",
"author": "Bill",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T14:26:11",
"content": "I love Irobot products. My senior design project was built off a gutted Create. They make for some nice platforms.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpEDXo-Rw_cI rememeber seeing the first version of Dino’s mod (... | 1,760,377,160.24804 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/spokes-we-dont-need-no-stinking-spokes/ | Spokes? We Don’t Need No Stinking Spokes! | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"bicycle",
"bike",
"burning man",
"tricycle"
] | The Air Kraken is a bicycle for demon spawn. Well, that’s what it reminds us of anyway. [Gabriel Cain] took his inspiration from burning man and also had several reasons for building it, but the one that we just love to hear is ‘because I can’.
The over-grown tricycle built for two is more than just some bicycle frames welded together. [Gabriel] built the wheel set himself using some very interesting methods. We believe the hubs themselves are actually automobile rims drilled to accept eye bolts. Instead of rigid spokes, a network of steel cable keeps the rims, made from plastic culvert pipe, centered. For grip, mountain bike tires were cut into pieces and screwed onto the pipe parts. The whole shebang is steered using a ship’s wheel (not pictured above) to turn the small wheel located behind the two riders.
After the break we’ve embedded a video of the vehicle in motion. It is the second of three videos that have been posted so far, with the other two walking through how [Gabriel] solved the design challenges facing him during the build.
[Gabriel] sent us a link after seeing
the quadbike post on Monday
. Don’t keep your projects to yourself, make sure to
send us a tip
and we’ll make sure to keep posting about them.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_ixFLQOqXA&w=470] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "408732",
"author": "Stevie",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T13:18:44",
"content": "I like it, kinda cool, but why is it so noisy while he’s peddling?I could imagine 2 poor farmers riding that through their field to plow it or something hahaha",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"... | 1,760,377,160.307174 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/photo-hardware-had-automatically-produces-rotating-gifs/ | Photo Hardware That Automatically Produces Rotating GIFs | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"animated",
"boobie board",
"GIF",
"rotating",
"stepper"
] | [Fergus Kendall’s] company is making development and breakout boards targeting electronic hobbyists. As with any endeavor that involves selling something, they need marketing. It sounds like [Fergus] was put in charge of getting some nice animated 360 degree images of each component. Instead of going through the drudgery of snapping frames by hand in a stop-motion-style, he whipped up
a rotating platform that does the work for him
.
The brain of the operation is a Boobie Board, a microcontroller breakout board that is one of their products. It controls a stepper motor attached to the cardboard platform via a quartet of power transistors. [Fergus] mentions in passing that their digital camera didn’t have a connection for a shutter trigger attachment. But they modded it to make things work. There’s no detail on that part of the hack but we’d wager that they soldered a transistor to the contacts for the shutter button.
The stepper motor has 48 steps, so the hardware is programmed to take 48 pictures which become the frames of an animated GIF – embedded after the break – to show off the product. | 38 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "408704",
"author": "Nicco",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T12:10:51",
"content": "Confusing topic title is confusing…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408707",
"author": "t11r",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T12:17:28",
"content"... | 1,760,377,160.549095 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/22/twitter-notifier-lets-us-know-how-awesome-we-are/ | Twitter Notifier Lets Us Know How Awesome We Are | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"alert",
"arduino",
"led",
"processing",
"python",
"twitter"
] | Let’s admit it, you’re just a little bit vain. Heck, we’re all just a little bit vain when you really think about it. Instructables user [pdxnat] was self-absorbed enough that he constructed
an LED “mood light” that alerts him
each time someone mentions his user name on Twitter.
The build is pretty simple, with most of the work being done on his PC. His Arduino is wired to a simple RGB LED that calmly cycles through various colors until someone mentions his name on Twitter. At that point, the client software running on his PC passes a message to the Arduino over a serial interface, causing it to wildly pulse the LED. Once it catches his eye, he stops the alert cycle with the press of the reset button, returning the LED to its previous state. As a bonus, he decided to write the Twitter-polling application in both Processing and Python, enabling fans of either language to easily replicate his work.
It’s a pretty cool idea, and it would be great to see someone expand it to include other online services to provide a greater overall feel for how awesome they really are.
Keep reading to see a quick video of the notifier in action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UpfmQKsjZo&w=470] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "408698",
"author": "Alex Parting",
"timestamp": "2011-06-22T11:32:04",
"content": "Life for these days would be so much simpler if we still had parallel ports.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408703",
"author": "fartface",
... | 1,760,377,160.474955 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/21/making-airsoft-guns-far-more-potent/ | Making Airsoft Guns Far More Potent | Mike Nathan | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"airsoft",
"gun",
"laser",
"rifle"
] | [Drake] wrote in to share his recent project, which involves repurposing an Airsoft rifle that was sitting around, collecting dust. Airsoft guns as a whole are not all that impressive, but
convert your Airsoft gun into a laser rifle
, and we’re all ears.
His laser blaster is honestly pretty straightforward as far as laser projects go, but we just couldn’t resist. He pulled apart the Airsoft gun, removing all of the “airy” bits, leaving just the trigger behind. He added a 9v battery and a linear power supply to the gun, wiring them up to a 700mW laser diode from what we hope was a broken Blu-ray burner.
In the obligatory “look at what I can destroy with my laser gun” video embedded below, [Drake] shows off his gun’s potency at various ranges, popping balloons from 35 feet away. He even shows off the laser’s usefulness as a light pen for glow in the dark surfaces.
While his modifications are nothing we haven’t seen before, his gun is far more accessible
than others we have featured
.
Have any cool high-powered laser projects of your own? Share them with us in the comments.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTnqamZJ97g&w=470] | 27 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "408535",
"author": "Addidis",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T21:53:18",
"content": "Hehehe notice the little dark spots on the white carpet ?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408542",
"author": "graymalkin",
"timestamp": "2011... | 1,760,377,160.665144 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/21/the-engineering-guy-explains-fiber-optics/ | The Engineering Guy Explains Fiber Optics | Mike Nathan | [
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"fiber optics",
"lasers"
] | [Bill the “Engineer Guy” Hammack] is back with another lesson in the science behind the technology we know and love, but might not fully understand. This time around
he discusses fiber optic cabling
and how it is used to relay data across distances both small and large.
He starts off by showing how laser light can be easily transmitted from one end of an audio-grade fiber optic cable to the other. To show us how this is accomplished, he sets up a simple table top demonstration involving a bucket, some propylene glycol, and a green laser pointer. The bucket has been modified to include a clear window at one side and a spout at the other. The laser is carefully lined up, and when the spout is unplugged, a steady stream of propylene glycol is released into a second bucket. As [Bill] explains, the laser stays within the stream of fluid due to total internal reflection, and can be seen shining in the second bucket.
[Bill] also discusses how fiber optics were employed in the first transatlantic telecommunications cable, as well as how pulse code modulation was used to send analog voice data over the undersea digital link.
As always, [Bill’s] video is as entertaining as it is enlightening, so be sure to check it out below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MwMkBET_5I&w=470] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "408494",
"author": "medix",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T20:07:17",
"content": "http://www.rp-photonics.com/Everything you ever wanted to know about lasers and fiber, all in one place.Good resource for those who would like to know more..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"rep... | 1,760,377,160.602779 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/21/photographing-near-space-objects-were-not-supposed-to-know-about/ | Photographing Near-space Objects We’re Not Supposed To Know About | Mike Szczys | [
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"motorized",
"satellite",
"shuttle",
"space",
"spy",
"telescope"
] | [Thierry Legault] doesn’t just look up at the stars, the uses a motorized telescope base of his own making to
track and photograph secret objects orbiting the earth
. What do we mean by ‘secret objects’? Spy stuff, of course.
Last month he captured some video of the
X-37B
, an unmanned and secretive reusable spacecraft (read: spy shuttle) which is operated by the United States Air Force. That was back on the 21st of May but a few nights later he also saw the USA-186, an optical reconnaissance (Keyhole) satellite.
After trying to cope with manual tracking using the RC control seen above [Thierry] set out to upgrade his equipment. He ended up designing his own software package (and then
released it as freeware
) to automatically track the trajectory of orbiting objects. He uses a second telescope to locate the object, then dials it in with the bigger telescope. Once in frame, the software takes over.
[
Wired
via
Dangerous Prototypes
] | 57 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "408461",
"author": "Monty Werthington",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T19:17:52",
"content": "I wonder what else is up in space? nice approach. Monty’s approval.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408463",
"author": "schmidtn",
"... | 1,760,377,160.81561 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/21/quadbike-smaller-is-faster/ | Quadbike: Smaller Is Faster | Jesse Congdon | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"big dog",
"burning man",
"cycle",
"lawn chair",
"quad"
] | After three huge mutant vehicle builds, [Tom Wilson] thought: “why not build
another
?” This time he decided to weld together a (comparatively) smaller more agile two-seater he calls the Boxer. We covered [Tom]’s previous quadbike,
Big Dog
, which features a similar tube frame, full suspension, and the familiar culvert pipe wheels. This time around [Tom] actually built an extensive jig out of plywood to ease in the build process. The Boxer is much lighter than its predecessor, weighing in at 125lbs Vs the Big Dog’s 490lbs, and about four feet shorter. The shorter lighter vehicle makes for a much more agile ride. If you are interested in building your own quadbike [Tom]’s
site
is a really good resource with tons of detail.
We really look forward to seeing this latest creation at
burning man
, check out a video of the (comparatively speedy) Boxer in action after the jump!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHLoqKT9Gog&w=470] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "408418",
"author": "tony",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T17:23:24",
"content": "Makes me want to see Primus.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408430",
"author": "Unknown",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T17:46:34",
"content": "I’... | 1,760,377,160.871027 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/21/roomba-shares-all-of-its-daily-activity-on-the-web/ | Roomba Shares All Of Its Daily Activity On The Web | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"remote control",
"roomba",
"tweet",
"twitter"
] | Instructables user [matchlighter] wanted to see what he could program his Roomba to do, so he decided he would
make his little cleaning machine report its status on Twitter
whenever something happened.
He popped open the Roomba’s case to access its serial connector, crafting a simple interface cable from some spare Cat5 he had sitting around. He added a small voltage regulator between the Roomba and his Arduino in order to protect it from the high power output present while the Roomba is charging. Once the proper bits were in place, he hooked the Roomba’s serial interface to the Arduino and attached a SparkFun WiFly shield to allow for wireless communications. After a bit of coding, the Roomba was sharing its activities with the entire world on Twitter.
Not only did he want the Roomba to tweet, but he decided that he also wanted the ability to control it from the web. He created a simple interface using a handy library he found online and was sending cleaning commands to the Roomba in short order.
While there is no video of the Roomba in action, you can
check out what it is up to here
, and there’s plenty of code to be had on his Instructables page. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "408397",
"author": "Greg Smith",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T16:11:27",
"content": "I wish there was a non Instructables version of theses instructions.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408402",
"author": "Elias",
"timestamp... | 1,760,377,160.720796 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/21/the-passing-of-bob-pease/ | The Passing Of Bob Pease | Mike Szczys | [
"News"
] | [
"analog",
"bob pease",
"obituary"
] | We are saddened by the recent passing of [Bob Pease]. You may not be familiar with the man, but his work has touched your lives in more ways than you can count. As an electronics engineer who specialized in analog components he was responsible for hardware that made some of the electronics in your life possible, and designed components that you’ve probably used if you dabble in electronic design.
EDN has a lengthy
obituary celebrating his life and accomplishments
. [Bob] was part of the 1961 graduating class at MIT. He started his career designing tube amplifiers before finding his way to a position at National Semiconductor about fifteen years later. Throughout his career he worked to promote education about analog electronics both through written text, and more recently as the host of
Analog by Design
, an online video program where a panel of experts discuss the ins and outs of electronics.
[Bob] was killed in an automobile accident on June 18th at the age of 70.
[via
Make
] | 36 | 35 | [
{
"comment_id": "408369",
"author": "DanJ",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T14:24:13",
"content": "RIP Bob. Thanks for everything. I enjoyed your articles.Sadly, he was returning from a memorial service for Jim Williams who helped found Linear Technology.Ironically he had written a book “How to Drive int... | 1,760,377,161.040624 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/21/pll-101/ | PLL 101 | Kevin Dady | [
"how-to"
] | [
"Jeri",
"PLL"
] | [Jeri Ellsworth] and former Commodore Computer engineer and current full time tinkerer [Bil Herd] have a little chat on skype covering the 101’s of Phase Lock Loops in this hour long video. PLL’s are handy for many applications, but their basic use is to keep clock signals in sync.
Topics covered include: Why we care, a basic explanation for the CD4046, capture ranges, and meta stability. Examples from analog tv, to clock recovery, finding falling edges and FPGA’s. This thing is jam packed full of information.
With talks of future episodes and a quick tour of [Bil’s] bench this is something to not miss. Join us after the break for the video! | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "408346",
"author": "michael",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T12:40:06",
"content": "really cool. A wealth of knowledge from two very insightful people",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "408349",
"author": "turn.self.off",
"timest... | 1,760,377,160.920678 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/20/turning-spotlights-into-soft-led-nightlights/ | Turning Spotlights Into Soft LED Nightlights | Mike Nathan | [
"home hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"led",
"lighting",
"retrofit"
] | [Bob] had a couple of bright, 12V halogen spotlights in his hallway that didn’t get much use. Rather than toss them out or leave them sitting idle,
he decided to replace the bright bulbs with dimmer LEDs
that he could keep lit through the night.
He opened up the spotlights, removing the bulbs and the built in mirrors before fitting them with 350mA LED pucks. The pucks were mounted to a pair of L-shaped aluminum scraps, which serve as both a mounting plate and heatsink. When running, the underdriven LEDs barely heat the aluminum plates, so he is pretty confident that the lights are adequately cooled.
The orange LEDs provide a nice warm glow in his hallway, and he says they are perfect for late night trips to the fridge. They currently stay lit all the time, but [Bob] is considering adding a light sensor to turn them on them automatically, as well as a PIR sensor to increase the brightness as someone passes by. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "408171",
"author": "boondaburrah",
"timestamp": "2011-06-21T00:28:51",
"content": "Oh man, I was slightly confused for a second from the title. My brain went into full on theatre mode and assumed we were talkin’ bout big honkin’ cans o’ light that made you sweat on stage being conve... | 1,760,377,160.965156 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/20/diy-softboxes-light-your-photos-on-the-cheap/ | DIY Softboxes Light Your Photos On The Cheap | Mike Nathan | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"diy",
"lighting",
"photography",
"softbox"
] | Softboxes are often considered a must-have piece of equipment when doing any sort of portrait or studio photography. While they are not the most expensive photography accessory, they can be built far cheaper than you would pay for an off the shelf model.
[Don] needed a softbox for his studio, and he ended up
constructing a fairly nice one out of a styrofoam cooler
. He mounted an outdoor light receptacle inside the cooler after laying down a reflective backing, bolting everything to a piece of plywood situated on the back of the cooler. He stretched some white cloth over the front to diffuse the light, and then mounted it on a light stand. You can see a video of the construction process below, as well as additional softbox-lit images on his site.
[Aud1073cH] had a similar need for a softbox, but
went about his construction a bit differently
. He grabbed a lampshade and a white dress shirt at a thrift store, stretching the shirt over the bottom opening before securing it with Velcro. He mounted the lampshade on a light stand, inserting his camera’s speed light through the smaller lampshade opening. As you can see in his photostream, the softbox does a great job at softening the shadows in his pictures.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fujyu-h6-no&w=470] | 10 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "408077",
"author": "taktoa",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T20:16:48",
"content": "I find that very thin G10/FR4 works well as a light diffuser (example:http://www.mcmaster.com/#grade-g-10/fr4-garolite/=cu0kwg).",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comm... | 1,760,377,161.118385 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/20/salvaged-coil-magnetizes-tools-on-demand/ | Salvaged Coil Magnetizes Tools On Demand | Mike Nathan | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"magnet",
"magnetize",
"tools"
] | When working in hard to reach areas, magnetized tools can mean the difference between wrapping things up quickly and spending way too much time blindly grasping for dropped screws. [Damir] wrote in to share a handy little contraption he built
which allows him to magnetize and demagnetize his tools
as needed.
While rubbing a magnet against the tip of a screwdriver will impart a weak and temporary magnetic field, he felt that a stronger more permanently magnetized tool was far more useful. It is pretty well known that subjecting metal to a direct current magnetic field will magnetize the item, and an alternating magnetic field will demagnetize the same object. [Damir’s] wand will perform either task with the simple flip of a switch.
He salvaged the motor coil from a broken washing machine and mounted it in a project box, along with a single-pole changeover switch. A small diode is used to perform rectification on the AC input, providing the DC current required for magnetizing his tools.
Every once in awhile we find the need for magnetized tools, so we think this would be great to have around the workshop.
Check out a quick video demo of the magnetizing wand after the jump.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv1djiPowJY&w=470] | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "408018",
"author": "Henrik Pedersen",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T18:08:48",
"content": "I needed that thing so ******* much just yesterday as I was trying to mount a new “strip” of power outlets (built into an industry type plastic box suited for those) under my desk …. I was fumbling... | 1,760,377,161.18268 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/20/receipt-racer-wastes-a-lot-of-paper/ | Receipt Racer Wastes A Lot Of Paper | Brian Benchoff | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"openframeworks",
"printer",
"receipt",
"videogame"
] | [Joshua Nobel] and the team at undef came up with a
receipt printer game
for the OFFF 2011 festival in Barcelona.
The game is a small
openFrameworks
app that prints a maze on a thermal printer. A ‘car’ is guided through the maze with input taken from a DualShock 3 controller. The game is limited to a maximum distance of 50 meters, the length of the roll of paper. We wondered about the waste of paper this would be until undef pointed out, “ecologically it’s pretty much a disaster, just like any real car.”
The undef team tried to use the printer for the entire visual representation of the game but that didn’t quite work out until [Joshua Noble] came up with a ‘beamer’ to project the car and score onto the paper. We’re not quite sure what the ‘beamer’ is, but everything syncs up and the resulting game is quite nice.
The game itself reminds us of a
certain flash game
, but that can’t be where the original idea came from. Check out the Receipt Racer gameplay video after the break.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/24987120] | 40 | 40 | [
{
"comment_id": "407938",
"author": "Alex",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T15:03:31",
"content": "Haha wow, I love this.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407944",
"author": "Rob",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T15:08:42",
"content": "its no more ... | 1,760,377,161.594566 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/20/equipment-needed-to-get-started-in-electronics/ | Equipment Needed To Get “Started” In Electronics | Jeremy Cook | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"books",
"electronics",
"workbench"
] | [Kenneth] is a Mechanical Engineer who likes to dabble in electronics. Besides providing us with an excellent picture of his workbench, he has put together
a list
of things that you’ll need as you learn to work with electronics. A beginner electronics kit from one of a number of different sources may work for some, but others may not be interested in a kit.
[Kenneth] gives links and recommendations for categories of: books, electrical equipment, development tools, components, digital electronics, and analog chips. As he puts it, this post is a “gigantic list of everything I would buy right now to replace my entire workshop if mine were to disappear.” This is a great list of things you may need if you’re starting out. If you have some experience, this list may introduce you something new. Check out some of [Kenneth’s] other projects like his
cloud chamber
or the
Chumby webserver
that he made. | 31 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "407928",
"author": "Morbious Stone",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T14:10:47",
"content": "Very Cool!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407939",
"author": "elitesec",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T15:03:32",
"content": "If you ne... | 1,760,377,161.326991 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/20/electronic-cufflinks-for-the-discerning-hacker/ | Electronic Cufflinks For The Discerning Hacker | Mike Nathan | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"adafruit",
"cufflinks",
"fashion",
"mac",
"reverse engineering"
] | [Phillip Torrone] gave us a heads up about a project he and [Limor Fried] along with [Mike Doell] have just wrapped up.
Their aptly-named “iCufflinks”
softly pulsate with light the same way in which you see many Mac products do.
The cufflinks are made from machined aluminum and have the ubiquitous “power symbol” milled into the face. Inside the cufflinks, you will find a small circuit board and a battery, which powers the device for up to 24 hours. The team reverse-engineered the soft LED pulse found in Mac products in order to deliver the exact same visualization in their cufflinks.
Ignoring for a minute, the name and the inspiration for the product, we think they are pretty darn cool. There’s nothing like a set of softly glowing cufflinks to spark conversation at any social gathering.
Like anything else you’ll find on Adafruit.com, the cufflinks are completely open source, so you can feel free to tweak and remix the design any way you’d like.
Continue reading to see a video of the cufflinks in action.
[vimeo
http://vimeo.com/25108667
w=470] | 38 | 38 | [
{
"comment_id": "407912",
"author": "Robert",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T13:25:11",
"content": "I’d be interested in a pair if they were thinner. As it is, they look 0.75″ thick.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407934",
"author": "gman",
"... | 1,760,377,161.414966 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/20/mini-google-street-view-car-built-from-lego/ | Mini Google Street View Car Built From Lego | Mike Nathan | [
"digital cameras hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"google",
"lego",
"nxt",
"remote control",
"streetview"
] | [Mark] was playing around with a small GPS sensor when a light bulb lit over his head. He imagined it would be pretty cool to
replicate one of Google’s Street View cars
at a fraction of the scale using Lego NXT parts. He figured it would be easy enough to rig a few cameras to a remote controlled car, recording images and GPS coordinates as it went along.
The mini Street View car is controlled by a single NXT module that receives commands from a PS2 controller via a PSPNx sensor he purchased. A trio of cameras have been attached to the car, which are meant to take pictures in all different directions when triggered by his remote. A handful of additional motors are also used for driving the car, steering, and for activating the shutter release on the cameras.
The car worked decently during testing, but [Mark] says there is still plenty of room for improvement. He is having issues reliably triggering all cameras at the moment, but we’re sure he’ll have it sorted out soon enough.
Keep reading to see a video of his mini Street View car in action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysyjGkcTTw4&w=470] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "407890",
"author": "unsy",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T12:37:48",
"content": "I love lego. Nice work…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407899",
"author": "Anon",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T12:48:45",
"content": "Little ‘ty... | 1,760,377,161.640989 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/20/arduinos-in-spaaaaaace/ | Arduinos…. In…. Spaaaaaace….. | Brian Benchoff | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"cubesat",
"flight computer",
"flight module",
"satellite"
] | Since 2007, [Adam Kemp] has been leading a team of students from Thomas Jefferson High School, guiding them through the process of
designing and building
a small satellite that
NASA selected
for launch early next year.
The CubeSat, officially named TJ³Sat, uses commercial, off-the-shelf components for nearly all its systems. The team ran into a problem interfacing the
FM430 Flight Module
(PDF warning), so [Adam] designed an Arduino-based replacement. Based on an ATMEGA328, the entire board is a drop-in replacement for the FM430 Flight Module. On July 1st, the TJ³Sat will begin testing at Orbital Sciences Corp. to make sure the entire satellite is up to snuff.
The TJ³Sat’s payload will take data from the ground controllers and using a TextSpeak module convert serial data into spoken voice. This audio will then be transmitted over amateur radio frequencies and will be picked up by hams all over the world. We’d like to wish the students at Thomas Jefferson High a hearty congratulations for being the first High School to build a satellite and hope the testing and launch go as planned. | 37 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "407864",
"author": "DjXero210",
"timestamp": "2011-06-20T11:15:37",
"content": "i know this might not be disclosed information… but where is that high school???… becasue in my city there is a thomas jefferson high school… as im sure there are plenty across the nation",
"parent_i... | 1,760,377,161.760286 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/19/the-infrared-graduation-cap/ | The Infrared Graduation Cap | Jeremy Cook | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"ATmega168",
"infrared",
"led"
] | It’s graduation time for many high schoolers, and while many students would love to decorate their caps, administration generally looks down upon this practice. [Victor], however, thought of a way around this.
The human eye cannot see infrared light, but camcorders generally can. Putting these two concepts together with a couple of infrared LEDs, [Victor] was able to
make a cap that displayed his decoration in everyone’s “digital memory”,
but wouldn’t be detected until the video of the offense was displayed. Hopefully by the time the prank is detected, [Victor] will have successfully graduated and presumably gone on to other pursuits.
An ATmega 168 controls this hat to display his message, “Congratulations Class of 2011,” in Morse code. What a creative use of both old and new technology to pull off an awesome graduation prank. Be sure to check out the video after the break to see how everything was put together.
[vimeo
http://www.vimeo.com/25287134
w=470&h=300] | 31 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "407724",
"author": "truthspew",
"timestamp": "2011-06-19T19:12:08",
"content": "Love it! This is a phenomenal hack for a graduation cap.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407726",
"author": "Ian Page-Echols",
"timestamp": ... | 1,760,377,161.821493 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/19/hackaday-links-saturday-june-18th/ | Hackaday Links: Saturday, June 18th | Jeremy Cook | [
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"air conditioning",
"container house",
"ipod",
"tripod"
] | Tripod CNC Machining Setup:
Here’s a strange
“tripod” device
using the EMC software package generally used for CNC machining. In this case it looks like something that (when scaled up) might control a sky-cam-like device that one would see at football games.
The Off-Grid Container House:
Project to make an
off-grid container house
. Pretty crazy idea, but definitely not developed yet. This seems like a cool idea, so hopefully this guy will come through. It may give you some other ideas, so check it out.
Pizza in a cup
anyone?
Iphone Window Pocket
Iphone window pocket
– This Instructables article shows how to make a “window” in your pants for your Ipod. The combination of bad style and nerdiness gives a great first impression every time. Not sure how it works with the capacitive touch screen, but it should be good for viewing at least.
The Multiple AC Unit Experiment
Here’s someone who’s done some experimenting with using a
central AC unit with several window units
. Not bad, considering he documents shaving about 1/3 off his power bill. Maybe it could inspire something even better!
Incredible CNC “hexapod” Milling Center
Finally,
this machine
isn’t exactly a “hack”, but a professionally designed machining center. It uses a machining setup similar to a delta robot. Six linear actuators are coordinated to allow this CNC robot to move in five degrees of freedom with incredible speed. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "407702",
"author": "Hackerspacer",
"timestamp": "2011-06-19T17:29:28",
"content": "Hexapod CNC is amazing.Shipping container house has promise but you need to consider quite a bit – building with containers has very little in common with building with wood and nails. Of course, it i... | 1,760,377,161.875353 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/19/modding-a-car-charger-to-a-variable-power-supply/ | Modding A Car Charger To A Variable Power Supply | Brian Benchoff | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"car charger",
"reverse engineering"
] | For an upcoming road trip, [Patrick] needed a small variable power supply. Instead of lugging around a bench supply, [Patrick] did the sensible thing and
reverse engineered a cell phone charger
to fit his requirements.
After cracking open an old Kyocera car charger, [Patrick] found a small PCB with completely labeled, all through-hole components – excellent reverse engineering potential. After finding an
On Semi MC33063
IC, [Patrick] tore through the datasheets, generated a netlist, and developed a
schematic
that closely resembled the reference schematic given by the datasheets.
With all the grunt work done, [Patrick] set out to finish what he started – modifying the charger to output 3-10 Volts. After replacing a resistor with a 5k multiturn pot, [Patrick] was left with a power supply with a variable output from 2.8 to 8.8 Volts. Not exactly what was desired, but more than enough for the application at hand. While this hack isn’t a
disco floor
, it’s a great walkthough of the hacking process – building or modifying something to suit a need. | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "407683",
"author": "vtl",
"timestamp": "2011-06-19T15:23:53",
"content": "Not really groundbreaking but I think the most helpful thing is that the DC-DC converter is a switchmode one which can be quite handy if you want to put it into some kind of battery powered project where you d... | 1,760,377,161.686758 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/19/the-party-popper-security-robot/ | The Party Popper “Security” Robot | Jeremy Cook | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"lego",
"robot"
] | This
“security” robot
is based around the
Lego Mindstorms
NXT platform. As shown in the video after the break, this robot is capable of firing a “popper” at any intruder the owner of the robot sees fit. It takes a decent amount of force to fire a popper, so this is pretty impressive with a Lego components by itself. If you’ve been looking for components to build your next robot, Lego might be worth a look.
This bot also features, according to the 14 year old Australian that built this, an HD webcam person ID system that sends him an email when it sees someone. It uses bluetooth for control. Lego designs have come a long way since the grey castles some of you may have built in the 80s and 90s. Be sure to check out the video after the break.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h31h7341vY&w=470&h=349%5D | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "407663",
"author": "Rambo",
"timestamp": "2011-06-19T13:11:52",
"content": "“Lego designs have come a long way since the grey castles some of you may have built in the 80s and 90s.”…or the 60s…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "40... | 1,760,377,161.975265 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/18/the-perfect-beer-every-time/ | The Perfect Beer Every Time | Nick Schulze | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Beer Hacks"
] | [
"beer",
"perfect pour",
"pour master"
] | The
Pour Master Pro
is a beer pouring robot, designed and built by a team of beer/robot lovers as their entry to the Red Bull’s Creation Contest. Pour Master keeps it simple (opposed to some of the other
bar bots
we have seen), it uses a modified kegerator and tap for the beer, and a few sensors which it uses to maintain its state and pour the perfect beer. The standard tower on the kegerator was replaced with a rack and pinion driven tower constructed using the Vex Robotics Design System, this allows the Pour Master to set its height to the size of any glass using a limit switch and a set of ultrasonic rangefinders.
For a perfect pour the beer must not spill over the side of the glass and needs a decent 3/4″ head, to manage this the Pour Master uses the ultrasonic rangefinder to detect the thickness and height of the head. The entire thing is controlled by an Arduino running a finite state machine which provides state feedback to the user with an LCD display. Check out the video after the break for their competition entry, now all you need is one robot to
make the beer
and why not another to
drink it
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2RSi4d4_Zc&feature=player_embedded&w=470] | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "407463",
"author": "sneakypoo",
"timestamp": "2011-06-18T19:28:07",
"content": "Skip to the 6 minute mark if you want to see the thing actually doing something.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407465",
"author": "Alex Partin... | 1,760,377,162.040798 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/18/you-can-keep-your-mints-safe-we-have-the-technology/ | You Can Keep Your Mints Safe; We Have The Technology | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"555",
"cellphone",
"mints",
"timer",
"vibrate"
] | After having his mints disappear for quite some time [Quinn Dunki] came up with an idea to get back a the fresh-breath thieves. A bit of circuit design, parts scavenging, and free-form construction led to the creation of his
mint-tin burglar system
.
Here’s how it works. Flip the on/off switch in the base of the mint tin before you head off for lunch or a coffee break. When the foul-mouthed pilferer hits up your stash they’ll get what they were looking for at first. But by opening the tin they tripped a timer circuit that will send the mints vibrating across the table soon after having been opened.
The breadboard above holds the prototype timer circuit, built around or friend the 555 timer. The vibration motor from a cellphone is a perfect choice for this hack as it’s very small and is just waiting to run from a low-voltage source. We especially liked the use of the cells from inside a 9V battery as a power source and the compact assembly that manages to fit inside the mint container. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "407413",
"author": "The Cageybee",
"timestamp": "2011-06-18T17:21:35",
"content": "Some people really do have too much time on their hands!Why the 2 minute delay before it starts getting “angry”?The thief would be long gone by then.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"repl... | 1,760,377,161.926509 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/18/if-you-dont-have-a-steampunk-smartphone/ | If You Don’t Have A Steampunk Smartphone… | Nick Schulze | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"smartphone",
"steampunk"
] | [Richard] has been working on the concept of
“incorporating more feeling into our digital objects”
. His design is still just a concept but hopefully someone will take up the idea because we think the results would be amazing. The attention to detail in the design is impressive, the Rotary Mechanical Smartphone as he is calling it contains a generic smartphone maintaining all the features such as the touch screen, but also including a set of interchangeable rotary dials on the back. There is the true rotary dial just like an old phone and a push button dial, for complete integration of the old and new technologies.
Once the design was complete, Richard built himself a proof of concept model to show off his work. The shell was 3D printed and copper plated to get the desired steampunk finish. The rotary dials are made from brass plate and hand finished. [Richard] has put in a lot of effort getting the finish right with electroplating, painting, and sanding. The final results are nothing short of impressive. Check out his site for some very nice photos and build details. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "407389",
"author": "roy",
"timestamp": "2011-06-18T16:06:55",
"content": "oooo first :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407400",
"author": "tooth",
"timestamp": "2011-06-18T16:17:04",
"content": "that reminds me of t... | 1,760,377,162.098655 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/18/disco-isnt-dead-diy-dance-floor-spotted-at-student-parties/ | Disco Isn’t Dead: Diy Dance Floor Spotted At Student Parties | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"AVR",
"cpld",
"dance floor",
"disco",
"embedded",
"fpga",
"led"
] | Your party is lame if it doesn’t include interactive blinking lights on the dance floor. [Mario] and [Lukas] didn’t want to have lame parties, so they enlisted some fellow students to
build an interactive dance floor
(
translated
). The finished party-piece is 4 meters by 2.5 meters (that’s about 13’x8′ for us yanks) and includes 160 lighted squares. But it’s the electronics that really make this a heavy project.
Milled into the underside of the pressboard base are a series of pockets and channels to hold various components. If you look hard enough, you’re going to find eight AVR microcontrollers which control the LEDs, 8 CPLDs to manage the weight sensors which make the floor interactive, and an FPGA and embedded computer to tie everything together. It’s movable, a hit at parties, and so far it seems to hold up to the occasional spilled beverage.
You can’t share a project like this without some video. See it after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um1bMXSOXw8&w=470] | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "407356",
"author": "Draget",
"timestamp": "2011-06-18T13:11:26",
"content": "Oh god, next time warn if the sound is a *little* overdriven x.xAppart from that, funky project =)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407358",
"author... | 1,760,377,162.354135 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/17/devboard-deal-ti-experimenter-board-for-15-50-off/ | Devboard Deal: TI Experimenter Board For $15 (50% Off) | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"coupon",
"development board",
"texas instruments",
"ti"
] | Cheap things come to those who wait. If you’ve had your eye on a TI Experimenters Board (MSP-EXP430FR5739) now’s the time to pull the trigger. You can use the coupon code MSP430_FRAM to
get 50% off
. This pulls the total price down to $14.50
plus shipping
with several readers reporting free shipping.
The board features an upgraded MSP430. Instead of using flash memory, it’s got ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) which boots the power savings of these aready lean-mean chips.
We’ve posted a few deals from Texas Instruments before, like
the announcement of the Launchpad
which was just $4.30, as well as a coupon-deal gone awry
with the evalBot
. There were huge threads in those posts reporting back how long shipping took, as well as how well the codes worked. So feel free to share your thoughts on this deal by leaving a polite comment.
Of course if you get one, we want to see what you do with it. Don’t forget to write up your projects and
send in a tip
. | 77 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "407221",
"author": "NatureTM",
"timestamp": "2011-06-17T22:40:32",
"content": "Ordered mine yesterday, TI said it shipped today.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "407223",
"author": "NatureTM",
"timestamp": "2011-06-17T22:... | 1,760,377,162.298191 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/17/slot-car-lap-timercounter/ | Slot Car Lap Timer/counter | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"graphic lcd",
"MSP430G2553",
"reed switch",
"slot cars",
"ti launchpad"
] | For his first project using the TI Launchpad [VOJT4] built
a lap timer and counter for slot cars
. For us it’s always hardest to come up with the idea of what to build and we think he found a great one here.
Each time a car passes the finish line of the track it trips a reed switch that was hot glued to the underside of the track segment. Both reed switches have a capacitor to smooth out the inputs (is this acting as a hardware debounce?). The time and lap number are then pushed to a graphic LCD by the MSP430G2553.
You must be logged into the forum where [VOJT4] posted the project in order to see the images. Because of this, we’ve embedded them (including the schematic) after the break along with a demo video. But do take a look at his project thread to hear his thoughts and peruse the code he wrote.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwz0Ui2cySw&w=470]
[Thanks Opcode via
43oh
] | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "407219",
"author": "Bob D",
"timestamp": "2011-06-17T22:12:51",
"content": "Thanks for embedding the images here. That whole “You must log in to see how awesome we are” thing went out in the 90’s. I have no idea why anyone would “share” a project that way.",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,162.451329 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/06/17/keypad-uses-a-pics-built-in-capacitance-functionality/ | Keypad Uses A PIC’s Built In Capacitance Functionality | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"16f1937",
"capacitance",
"keypad",
"pic",
"touch sensor",
"TouchPad"
] | [Giorgos Lazaridis’] most recent project was to
build a capacitive touch pad
. Since he’s using a PIC 16F1937 it will be relatively easy. That’s because it has a 16 channel capacitance sensing module built right in. But there are still some design considerations that make the development a bit touching.
This isn’t the first time he’s worked with capacitance sensing. Through past experience he has found that it is very important to position the microcontroller as close to the button pads as possible. Because of this, the chip is soldered on the back of the PCB used for the keypad itself. Because he’s hand soldering vias, he also used some foam tape to raise the button pads just a bit. This way they will be flush with the acrylic overlay, which cannot sit flat on the board due the via solder joints.
Check out the video after the break to hear [Giorgos] walk us through the project.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cQ2ht0CYO0&w=470] | 8 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "407213",
"author": "xeracy",
"timestamp": "2011-06-17T21:52:11",
"content": "His voice is like a Hispanic speak-n-spell! Mesmerizing…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "3296281",
"author": "Thomas R. Koll (@ananasblau)",
... | 1,760,377,162.406572 |
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