url stringlengths 37 208 | title stringlengths 4 148 | author stringclasses 173
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https://hackaday.com/2011/02/07/sniffing-rf-hardware-communication-packets/ | Sniffing RF Hardware Communication Packets | Mike Szczys | [
"Radio Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"keyboard",
"next hope",
"nRF24L01+",
"RF",
"travis goodspeed"
] | [Travis Goodspeed] put together
a proof of concept hack that sniffs wireless keyboard data packets
. He’s using the
Next HOPE badge that he designed
as the hardware platform for these tests. It has an nRF24L01+ radio on-board which can easily communicate with 2.4 GHz devices.
The real trick comes in getting that radio to listen for all traffic, then to narrow that traffic down to just the device from which you want data. He covers the protocol that is used, and his method of getting around MAC address verification on the hardware. In the end he can listen to all keyboard data without the target’s knowledge, and believes that it is possible to inject data using just the hardware on the badge. | 7 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "326282",
"author": "Digital",
"timestamp": "2011-02-07T19:28:26",
"content": "man, you could easily make people think that they had some old school “back oriface” installed on their system if you could inject…just saying.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,282.887157 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/07/hamster-powered-strandbeest/ | Hamster Powered Strandbeest | Mike Nathan | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"crabfu",
"strandbeest"
] | Gakken magazine featured a miniature wind-powered Strandbeest recently, converting it to run on everything from rubber bands to solar power. [
Crabfu
] thought it would be worthwhile to hack the Strandbeest kit that shipped with the magazine as well, so he started to brainstorm. Well-known for his steam powered hacks
previously featured here
, he did originally consider adding a steam plant to the walker. In the end, he scrapped that idea due to concerns about heat and weight. Thinking about it further he settled on something he considered ridiculous, even stupid: A hamster powered Strandbeest.
[Crabfu] added a few components including a hamster ball and a simple chain drive from a Meccano building set before testing the device with a toy train as the power source. Once he was certain that he had the proper gear ratio set, in went a friend’s hamster. The device worked wonderfully, much to the delight of his nieces, as you can see in the video on his site. | 22 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "326228",
"author": "Phil",
"timestamp": "2011-02-07T18:12:24",
"content": "Thats more than lol.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "326230",
"author": "spiritplumber",
"timestamp": "2011-02-07T18:14:53",
"content": "The ... | 1,760,377,283.067251 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/multitool-alarm-system/ | Multitool Alarm System | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"12f683",
"555",
"leatherman",
"multitool",
"pic",
"piezo"
] | Here’s a way to make sure you don’t leave your Leatherman multitool somewhere. It’s
an alarm system that will start a timer when the tool is removed
from the holster. After five minutes the module beeps to remind you to put the tool back where it belongs. Annoying? Possibly, but if you’re not done with your work just press the
reed
leaf switch on the module to reset the timer. A PIC 12F683 handles the timing and generates the waveform for the piezo buzzer. Perhaps this could have been accomplished with a dual
555 chip
like the LM556 (one timer for the countdown and another for the piezo waveform) but the PIC has power-down modes available that should make the button batteries last a long time. | 44 | 44 | [
{
"comment_id": "328295",
"author": "zool",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T22:16:11",
"content": "“…coulda done it with a 555”should be on one of the 555contest t-shirts",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "328299",
"author": "xeracy",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,283.010485 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/daft-punk-module-just-add-table/ | Daft Punk Module – Just Add Table | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"foam board",
"processing",
"rainbowduino"
] | This is just an 8×8 LED matrix, but the size and execution make it look marvelous. [Michu]
built this module
using foam board dividers to separate the cells, a foam board back to host the 64 RGB LEDs, and a sheet of heavy frost diffusion gel that is a stage lighting product. The display is driven by a Rainbowduino with input from a processing sketch. The effects seen in the video after the break are quite pleasing, and are just begging to be installed in
your next coffee table project
.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/17715232 w=470] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "328507",
"author": "Wes",
"timestamp": "2011-02-10T01:21:15",
"content": "Source code? Schematics?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "328567",
"author": "macona",
"timestamp": "2011-02-10T02:40:33",
"content": "So what ... | 1,760,377,282.842234 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/ossmann-talks-about-ubertooth-at-schmoocon/ | Ossmann Talks About Ubertooth At Schmoocon | Mike Szczys | [
"cons",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"bluetooth",
"cc2400",
"ossmann",
"ubertooth"
] | [Michael Ossmann’s] talk from Schmoocon about his open source Bluetooth test tool called Ubertooth is
now available to watch online
. The video really fills in the gaps from
the first time we looked at the project
, as he covers why he took on the challenge, and what has happened since. He talks about how
his work with the IM-ME
helped in choosing hardware along the way, and the choices he made while developing the USB dongle. His hardware considerations included parts that didn’t require a nondisclosure agreement (keeping it open source) and that were available in single quantities so that individuals could build and populate their own boards quite easily.
We’ve embedded the talk after the break. The project is coming along great, and
his Kickstart funds
have almost doubled the original goal.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSd_1FE6z4Y&w=470] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "328258",
"author": "uC",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T21:05:30",
"content": "I wonder if this is still worth while pursuing after Travis feat with the nordic chip / msp430 attack? (http://hackaday.com/2011/02/07/sniffing-rf-hardware-communication-packets/)I suppose they’re both going in... | 1,760,377,282.933858 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/low-cost-video-chat-robot/ | Low-cost Video Chat Robot | Mike Nathan | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"irobot",
"johnny chung lee",
"robotics",
"video chat"
] | [Johnny Chung Lee], having recently moved from Seattle to Mountain View, wanted a way to keep in touch with his fiancé who would not be relocating for several more months. While most of us would likely consider purchasing a pair of web cams to keep in touch, he decided to do things his own way. Using an iRobot Create and a netbook, both about $250 apiece, he constructed a
remote-controlled video chat robot
that he can steer around his former abode from 1,000 miles away. While $500 might seem expensive at first, [Johnny] reminds us that commercial versions likely run into the thousands of dollars.
The whole setup is controlled using custom software to manage the movement of the robot, which can be used in conjunction with freely available videoconferencing applications, such as Skype. He also modified the iRobot’s charging station to charge both the robot and the netbook simultaneously – a process he explains, but precedes with several disclaimers. Like some of his
previous projects we have covered
, he has made the C# source used in this project available for download on his site, along with documentation for both the control software and dock modifications.
Check out video of the robot in action after the jump.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LNS9CivO34&w=470] | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "328093",
"author": "Hirudinea",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T19:29:48",
"content": "While the build is impressive, and kind of creepy, (Johnny, please, I’m in the bathroom!) What’s really amazing is that a Hack a Day contributor has a fiancé!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,283.138627 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/four-axis-camera-mount-rides-on-a-wire/ | Four-axis Camera Mount Rides On A Wire | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"gimbal",
"mount",
"rotate",
"wire"
] | Here’s [Badwolf’s] team posing with their college project. It’s
a 4-axis gimbal mount for a camera
that they designed in CAD, cut parts using a laser, then milled them down to specifications. In the picture above there is a tiny point-and-shoot camera mounted inside the suspended ring but the rig’s strong enough to support cameras of any size.
That mounting ring can rotate like the hands of a clock, but it also pivots on a horizontal axis. The bracket that holds the ring can rotate on a vertical axis, and the entire assembly moves along the wire supporting it. After the break you can see some test footage that shows the rig being operated via a handheld radio controller.
This setup let’s the camera travel as far as the cable can reach. But if you want something that lets you
take photographs of very tall objects
you’ll need to use a different setup.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gVAol_Liv8&w=470] | 22 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "328057",
"author": "ColinB",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T18:40:24",
"content": "“let’s” means “let us”. “lets” means allows!!http://www.youryoure.com/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "328058",
"author": "BadWolf",
"timestam... | 1,760,377,283.266502 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/logisim-open-source-digital-logic-simulator/ | Logisim: Open Source Digital Logic Simulator | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"digital logic",
"logisim",
"simulator"
] | [Spi Waterwing] wrote in to make sure that we were aware of Logisim,
a Java-based open source digital logic simulator
. We’ve used
Atanua
quite a bit in the past but hadn’t heard of this program. It seems to have a pretty
big educational following
and right off the bat it’s got a feature we’ve always wanted, the ability to build your own ‘black box’ logic devices. That is to say you can build your own circuit out of logic gates and then package it into a part to be plopped into your next design. What it doesn’t have is the series logic chips that we’re used to with Atanua, but you can build your own with the black box feature if you really need that kind of functionality.
So grab a copy and
try building that binary calculator project
from last month. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "327978",
"author": "Apexys",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T17:14:22",
"content": "You can do the logic chip simulation with Hades.But a cool programm!Apexys",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "327990",
"author": "Doc Oct",
"times... | 1,760,377,283.201308 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/sumo-style-robot/ | Sumo Style Robot | Kevin Dady | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"robot",
"sumo"
] | [Jeremy] really wants to compete in some sumo bot wrestling, and in order to have robotic sumo wrestling one needs to make some robots, which is what
[Jeremy’s] build log is all about
.
The framework is made out of 6mm thick Sintra (which is a type of closed cell pvc foam sheet) with the use of a CNC machine, using a “sliced” design style framework. Two geared motors fit snug inside of the internal frame and some
wheels from solarbotics
are attached to the ends. The arrangement of the drive wheels in the rear, and the large front end, seems like good design for the end application where robots doing turtle flips would be no fun.
Keeping in mind this is not a fully finished project and therefore does not have code or schematics posted, the brains of this beast are in a similar state, and should be pretty easy to figure out. The thinking is handled by an atmega328, and fed by IR sensor pair’s to detect light / dark patterns on the floor or table, and an array of proximity sensors along the front and sides to detect its opponent.
And while this project may not be completed, it at one point was dead and set aside, after some months [Jeremy] went back for a second look and found out that the only thing dead about it was the power regulator and h-bridge and quickly got it back up and working, which is a good reminder to not give up, even when it does go poof. | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "328006",
"author": "Cricri",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T17:47:55",
"content": "Does it also take bribes to fix a match like a real sumo?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "328073",
"author": "Fallen",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09... | 1,760,377,283.310978 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/update-to-stairmonster/ | Update To Stairmonster | Kevin Dady | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"stairmaster"
] | The “
Stairmonster 2
” is an updated verison of the hyper speed, home brew stairmaster
we covered back in November
. It still features most of its original version’s features including a very sturdy construction, heart rate monitor, and 320×240 touchscreen interface. What is new about the Stairmonster 2 is its handlebars. V1 used stationary bike handlebars, which would be good for pull-ups or other similar exercises, but did not do much good while on the machine.
Version 2 on the other hand uses moving handles, when paired with the resistance of the machine allows the user to simulate a climbing action. The handles are also attached to rotary slip clutches so there is only resistance on the pulling cycle and not while retracting, which could be very bad at the speed this thing can run at.
Overall a good improvement to an already impressive machine, though don’t expect to see us climbing on it anytime soon. | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "362142",
"author": "Pa55w0rD",
"timestamp": "2011-03-18T18:30:43",
"content": "no comments?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "410627",
"author": "critic",
"timestamp": "2011-06-27T13:53:02",
"content": "Especially: laz... | 1,760,377,282.791171 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/pong-clocks-using-led-matrix-modules/ | Pong Clocks Using LED Matrix Modules | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"clock",
"led matrix",
"pong",
"sure electronics"
] | We love Pong clocks because they’re showpieces. This particular offering,
called the Wise Clock
, is the
third hardware revision
of the project. The LED display is dead simple since they’re using a 32×16 bi-color module from Sure Electronics. If you don’t want to
design and build your own multiplexing display
this is a somewhat inexpensive and high-performance alternative.
After the break you can see that the paddle movements look very realistic. They move like a human player might, which is quite often not the case with these clocks. If you want to see how that’s done, check out the code which was originally developed by [123led] for
a different project
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHxbknBYYAQ&w=470]
[Thanks Florinc] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "327966",
"author": "Avalableusername",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T16:37:16",
"content": "Definitely one of my favorite clock hacks. This and the pong watch. I just like the pong clock concept. Now if they could combine the two.. Led-matrix-pong-watch-game!",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,283.367816 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/09/animating-an-led-matrix-without-a-microcontroller/ | Animating An LED Matrix Without A Microcontroller | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"27c256",
"2n2907",
"4040",
"darlington",
"eprom",
"ripple counter",
"uln2308a"
] | [Konstantin] had some extra 27C256 EPROMS lying around and
decided to use them to animate an 8×8 LED matrix
. He’s not only using them to store data, but driving the display with them as well. The chip holds 32 kilobytes of data which equates to 4096 frames of animation. A 32 kHz clock circuit works with some ripple counters to scroll through each byte of stored data, turning on the columns while sinking the proper row. Of course current protection is a must so there is a ULN2308A darlington driver and some 2N2907 transistors at work, but you won’t find a programmable microcontroller. Neat!
Yep, you read that right. The picture above shows an EPROM chip that
requires a UV light source to erase
the data.
[Thanks Kopfkopfkopfaffe] | 20 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "327848",
"author": "BookerTWorthington",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T13:15:30",
"content": "Very clever.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "327849",
"author": "neorazz",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T13:23:49",
"content": "awes... | 1,760,377,283.486287 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/08/wireless-arduino-message-board/ | Wireless Arduino Message Board | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"vfd",
"xbee"
] | [uhclem] was looking for a novel yet easy way to remind his kids to do their chores, and instead of using a series of post-it notes, he constructed a nice
wireless Arduino-powered message board
. The message board is powered by an Arduino Pro, and communicates with his computer via a pair of series 1 Xbee radios which relay a series of canned messages to an attached VFD. He installed all of the components in an old cigar box, and mounted it on the wall, making for a nice overall presentation.
Programming of the messages does not require any special software as the user interface is handled by the Arduino and accessed via a standard terminal session. [uhclem] mentions that the his code consumes nearly all of the device’s RAM when running, so he keeps a handful of canned messages stored in the Arduino’s flash memory, recalling them when needed. The optional EEPROM is used to allow for streaming messages to the device as well. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "327419",
"author": "st2000",
"timestamp": "2011-02-09T01:07:54",
"content": "That is weird.(’cause that’s our old wall paper!)The project looks great!But why stop there? Most computer modems are obsolete. Still most have the smarts to provide caller ID. Grab that and send it off ... | 1,760,377,284.076383 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/08/grinding-down-your-computer-to-just-8-5-watts/ | Grinding Down Your Computer To Just 8.5 Watts | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks",
"green hacks"
] | [
"bios",
"drivers",
"picopsu",
"power",
"sleep"
] | What can you do to make sure your system is running as efficiently as possible? Take a page out of [Mux’s] book, who went to
great lengths to measure and adjust his system for ultimate efficiency
(
translated
). What he ended up with is 8.5 Watts of consumption at idle and about 50 Watts under load. Luckily he posted a six-part series with all of the details.
Some of the changes he made were in software, like reducing voltage to certain hardware by adjusting BIOS settings, and installing display drivers that put the screen into the proper sleep mode. Others were hardware changes like swapping out the power supply with a hacked PicoPSU and removing unnecessary parts from the motherboard like the MAX232 com-port chip. Looks like we need to audit our always-on MythTV box and see if we can apply any of these power-saving techniques.
[Thanks Gijs] | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "327350",
"author": "Willis75",
"timestamp": "2011-02-08T23:47:01",
"content": "Someone’s going to say it so I might as well be among the first… I already have this. It’s called a notebook. In fact, my 2008 Macbook reports as little as 5.9 watts at idle and only 12-13 watts with the ... | 1,760,377,284.327393 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/08/555-timer-circuit-simulation-software/ | 555 Timer Circuit Simulation Software | Mike Nathan | [
"contests"
] | [
"555 timer",
"circuits",
"contests",
"software"
] | [FightCube] wrote in recommending a
very helpful piece of circuit simulation software
for those of you still constructing entries for the
555 design contest
. LTSpiceIV, available from Linear Technology, allows you to construct moderately complex 555 driven circuits including common components such as capacitors, resistors, diodes, FETs, and more. Once you have constructed your circuit, you can view the results in an easy to use visualization window, without ever having to touch your soldering iron or a breadboard. According to [FightCube], the software is fairly easy to use, and best of all, it’s free.
He has shared one basic circuit he built as a demonstration of the software’s capabilities, and promises to share more in order to motivate others to enter the contest. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "327298",
"author": "BadWolf",
"timestamp": "2011-02-08T22:34:36",
"content": "Good job to Fightcube for getting featured ^^",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "327316",
"author": "Smokingman",
"timestamp": "2011-02-08T22:54:... | 1,760,377,283.839862 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/08/update-open-source-pick-and-place/ | Update: Open Source Pick-and-place | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"delta",
"pick and place",
"vacuum"
] | [Tim’s] been busy
moving his pick-and-place build toward completion
. We looked in on
the first version of the vacuum head back in October
. Since then he’s ditched the camera enclosure which allows for more light and better mounting. The tip has been replaced by one from a pair of vacuum tweezers, and the whole thing is now mounted on a diy CNC machine. The video after the break shows it picking up that IC and moving it around the table. Looks like the part rotation feature is very accurate.
He mentions that the CNC he’s using is quite slow. We hope he checks out
this printable Delta robot
; hardware that is
often used with pick and place
machines.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Deq2ZG6usIs&w=470]
[Delta robot via
Make
]
[Thanks | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "327260",
"author": "MrBishop",
"timestamp": "2011-02-08T21:40:52",
"content": "Nice build, Thank you for making it Open Source, I just realized we as a race don’t thank developers enough. I bet this guy would have no problem building a CNC.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,283.930877 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/07/rotary-wall-plug-from-scrap/ | Rotary Wall Plug From Scrap | James Munns | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"blender",
"dremel",
"mount",
"rotary",
"wall"
] | Rotary tools such as a Dremel are useful to have around for all sorts of tasks in a workshop, including cutting, polishing, and grinding. [Konstantin] sent us in his home made
wall mount rotary tool
based off of parts from a blender and an old bench top jigsaw. Unlike a Dremel where the motor is in the hand held part of the tool, this setup hides the blender motor (which provides the power) behind a wall panel, and is controlled via the blender’s speed settings buttons. We could see this configuration allowing for more delicate work due to the reduction of weight in hand, as well as the added bonus of a near impossibility of losing this tool. Overall an excellent re-purposing of leftover parts, be sure to check out [Konstantin]’s blog for more build info and photos. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "326163",
"author": "walt",
"timestamp": "2011-02-07T17:04:30",
"content": "I bet he used his rotary tool to make the hold for his rotary wall plug.1st!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "326197",
"author": "cpmike",
"timest... | 1,760,377,284.259954 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/07/diy-clapper/ | DIY Clapper | Kevin Dady | [
"classic hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"clapper"
] | [Patrick’s] latest Instructable walks us though making a
clap clap on / clap clap off
type of switching circuit, similar in use to that sometimes popular commercial product seen on TV. He does this by using a standard electret microphone, half of an LM324 op amp, a voltage comparator and a PIC micro controller.
The operation of the device is as simple as its wiring, the microphone picks up sound and produces a signal, that signal is stripped of its DC component and fed into the op amp, after 2 stages of amplification the signal passes though a voltage comparator, and if the sound was loud enough a timer is triggered on the pic. Two claps within the specified amount of time, the micro then switches on a relay which can toggle your outside appliance (keeping the load in mind).
On the last page [Patrick] also gives a rough outline of how to make a single clap on / off variant using a 555 timer and some flip flops. Join us for a quick video after the break, and be sure to check this one out.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dA7FjI7nSg&w=450] | 11 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "326156",
"author": "swighton",
"timestamp": "2011-02-07T16:51:23",
"content": "Isn’t the clapper used to switch 120VAC lights/tvs and such? This looks like it can only handle 5V.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1036706",
... | 1,760,377,284.122386 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/07/more-555-projects-to-enjoy/ | More 555 Projects To Enjoy | James Munns | [
"digital audio hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"555",
"amp",
"amplifier",
"box",
"fuel",
"injection",
"injector",
"led",
"music",
"visualizer"
] | We love all of the projects that are coming out for the
555 design contest
, so we thought we would share a couple more that have caught our collective eye. Have a 555 project of your own? Be sure to
share it
with us, and keep an eye out for the contest submission dates. Read on for a few of our project picks.
A wonderful combination of a number of commonly used ICs, this
amplifier
with built in visualizations features the LM3915 as a circular VU meter, a TDA2003 audio amp chip, as well as a 555 to control an LED “breathing” light. Sure the role of the 555 is limited as of now, but there is plenty of time to beef up any designs before the contest is over.
A follow up to a
previous project
we covered, this revamped low cost fuel injection tester, this build by [Dino] has taken in to account some of the suggestions by Hackaday commentors to step up the submission. Be sure to check out the
explanation video
, as well as a video
in action
.
This odd looking perforated disk acts similarly to a record, however it uses optical sensors in place of a needle to sense notes of a “song”. Using 555 timers to generate the audio signals, this project definitely has a
distinctive sound
to it. Right now it is hand turned, and the resolution seems a bit low, but a quick servo or stepper add on and some more fine tuning could yield a very unique music box build. | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "326150",
"author": "Whatnot",
"timestamp": "2011-02-07T16:45:55",
"content": "He should double-drive the LEDs of that circular VU meter to make a clockwise and counterclockwise symmetric effectJust using 2 LEDs where there is one is quick and cheap and simple.",
"parent_id": nul... | 1,760,377,283.890549 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/07/electronic-watering-can/ | Electronic Watering Can | Kevin Dady | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"plant",
"timer"
] | When [Deddies lab] was looking to keep their (rather large) Ficus Lyrata appropriately watered, they followed their motto, stuck a micro controller on it and whipped up an
Electronic Watering Can
.
The whole thing starts off with power that is switched on once a day for 15 minutes by a traditional mechanical lamp timer, and that is connected to a atmega8 micro controller running @ 1MHz which increments a counter by one. When that counter hits 7 the mega switches on a pump, watering the plant with roughly half a liter of water per week out of a bucket reservoir , which according to the article’s calculations should last about 4 months.
In order to assure that the pump does not run out of water a rubber duck was attached to a string, the other end is attached to a micro switch, and when the water gets too low the string is pulled, switching one of the micro controller’s pins low.
While we agree that it could use a low water indicator, that is trivial to add, and over all the project represents a great hack done on a Sunday using parts and materials already on hand. Join us after the break for a quick video too!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0YKamxX-mE&w=450] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "326112",
"author": "fotoflojoe",
"timestamp": "2011-02-07T15:50:26",
"content": "…switched on once a day for 15 minuets…15 minuets? Jeez, that thing must go on forever! Sorry, I’m not usually a grammar nazi, but I couldn’t resist that one! :-)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1... | 1,760,377,284.173361 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/07/simple-rfid-access-system-clone/ | Simple RFID Access System Clone | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"access controller",
"arduino",
"rfid"
] | A few months back, [John] was reading an article about a simple RFID security system kit, and decided he would like to
build one himself
. While many of the system’s details, including full schematics were provided, he was dismayed to find that the source code for the project was not published as it was held under copyright by the manufacturer. Believing that open source is better, he modified the original design, replacing their PIC controller with an ATmega328 armed with an Arduino bootloader.
His system replicates all of the original kit’s functionality, while offering plenty of opportunity for modification beyond the initial design. The article contains a complete parts list, wiring schematic, and the Arduino code required to get things up and running. He even has a video of his clone at work, demonstrating the acceptance and rejection of RFID tags as well as the system’s learning mode. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "326101",
"author": "Andrew",
"timestamp": "2011-02-07T15:41:39",
"content": "If you were to use this for access control, it is susceptible to someone sniffing your RFID tag and cloning it.Is there anything you could do with this module and rf tags to avoid this?",
"parent_id": n... | 1,760,377,284.218168 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/06/paintball-chronograph/ | Paintball Chronograph | Caleb Kraft | [
"Weapons Hacks"
] | [
"chronograph",
"speed"
] | This
slick little chronograph
can tell you how fast your paintballs are going, as well as what your firing rate is. In this instructible by [Klash69], you can see how to build one for yourself for less than $40. Chronographs themselves aren’t usually too interesting, but we thing he has done a great job here. You have a nice compact package with a big bright display. All it really needs now is a smooth enclosure. As far as the tech details go, he’s using IR sensors spaced 4 inches apart for detection, at the barrel. We’re not experts, but we think this might not work as well on a gun due to muzzle flash, someone who actually knows should let us know in the comments. The brains are a PIC18F13k50 and you can download a full parts list and schematic on the instructible.
You can see a video of it in use after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3EpZvSVgAw&w=470] | 20 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "325494",
"author": "Nathan",
"timestamp": "2011-02-06T23:20:12",
"content": "Paintball markers (if you’re using compressed air instead of C02) has almost no muzzle flash. The only time I’ve noticed it is during particularly humid days.Great project though, I might have to build one ... | 1,760,377,284.38494 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/06/versaloon-ported-to-stm8-and-stm32-discovery-boards/ | Versaloon Ported To STM8 And STM32 Discovery Boards | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"discovery",
"jtag",
"openocd",
"stm32",
"stm8",
"versaloon",
"vsprog"
] | [Bingo] did some work
porting Versaloon for STM8 and STM32 discovery boards
. Versaloon is a multiple-architecture programmer that
we saw a few weeks back
. At its center is an STM32 microprocessor, which greatly simplifies the work necessary to use
the two
discovery boards
instead. Flashing
the firmware
to the boards will zap the ST-link firmware and [Bingo] doesn’t know of a way to restore that so be warned. This hack is still pretty fresh off the bench, but so far it looks like vsprog and OpenOCD both work just fine with the new hardware. | 11 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "325514",
"author": "texane",
"timestamp": "2011-02-06T23:41:43",
"content": "just to inform an opensource stlink likestandalone software to program the discoverykit is on its way. It is a bit crapy yet (youwill have to look inside the source), but itsupport both flash and RAM progra... | 1,760,377,284.565071 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/06/switched-mode-power-supply-repair-guide/ | Switched Mode Power Supply Repair Guide | Mike Nathan | [
"how-to",
"Repair Hacks"
] | [
"recapping",
"switched-mode power supply",
"troubleshooting"
] | [Erich] spotted a broken DVD recorder at a local amateur radio meeting and decided to see if he could
restore it to working order
. While he was fortunate enough that someone labeled it as having a bad power supply, things aren’t always that easy. He gives a broad explanation as to how switched mode power supplies work as well as discusses some of the reasons these devices tend to fail. He identifies a few common components and areas that one should check while diagnosing a non-functioning power supply. While obvious bulging capacitors are easily identifiable, he discusses the need for an ESR meter and uses a kit-built model to test capacitors that do not have any visual signs of damage. While some of his walkthrough might be basic knowledge for readers who have experience in recapping circuit boards, it serves as a nice guide for those who are new to the world of electronics troubleshooting and repair. | 46 | 44 | [
{
"comment_id": "325414",
"author": "Just me",
"timestamp": "2011-02-06T20:37:59",
"content": "Does anyone know a good diy ESR meter page? I need one :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "325433",
"author": "Phil",
"timestamp": "2011-02-06T... | 1,760,377,284.824798 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/06/microsimon/ | Microsimon | Caleb Kraft | [
"LED Hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"pic",
"simon"
] | [Simoninns] is hoping to compete in the Sparkfun Microcontroller Contest with this
cool little Microsimon
instructible. The parts list is pretty small, at around 20 components. At the heart is a PIC 12F683 microcontroller. The whole project is very well documented with schematics, PCB layouts, code, and great pictures. This is a great project that you could put together really quickly and is a
perfect introduction to charlieplexing
. We find that, especially when teaching a new person, games are often a good project to learn from. The interactive and competitive nature of the finished product usually keeps people interested a little longer. You can catch a video of it after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4u700xVRqw] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "325361",
"author": "elektrophreak",
"timestamp": "2011-02-06T18:44:17",
"content": "i like it, especially because it is in SMT :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "325370",
"author": "Phil",
"timestamp": "2011-02-06T19:17:... | 1,760,377,284.637955 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/06/the-energy-detective-ted-5000-g-teardown/ | The Energy Detective TED 5000-G Teardown | Mike Nathan | [
"Teardown"
] | [
"plc",
"power monitor",
"zigbee"
] | Before [Steve] realized that it didn’t play nice with his network, he
dismantled his Energy Detective TED 5000-G
to see what made the device tick. He put together a nice teardown with high-res pictures throughout. Each component of the TED 5000-G is dissected, with the exception of the current transformers, which he claims are pretty boring anyhow. The gateway module is particularly interesting as it contains both an Ethernet interface as well as a 802.15.4 radio for wireless communications. While the device is still a bit expensive at the moment, the gateway module could be useful in projects requiring PLC or ZigBee communications some time down the road, once prices ease a little. | 18 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "325344",
"author": "Joel",
"timestamp": "2011-02-06T18:15:32",
"content": "Is it really that hard to set up a separate subnet on your network? Sounds kinda like throwing away a car because it needs an oil change to me.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},... | 1,760,377,284.694068 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/06/10-%c2%b5m-scanning-electron-microscope-from-vidicon-tube/ | 10 µm Scanning Electron Microscope From Vidicon Tube | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"helium",
"scanning electron microscope",
"sem",
"tube",
"vidicon"
] | [Segelfam]
built his own scanning electron microscope
. He based the machine around an old
Vidicon tube
, a video recording technology that was used in NASA’s unmanned space probes prior the Galileo probe in the late 1970’s. We struggle a bit with the
machine translation
of [Segelfam’s]
original build log
, but it seems that he filled the tube with helium in order to convert it for use as a microscope. But don’t worry, if you’re interested in this hack the information is all there – between the forum thread and build log – it’s just a matter of putting it all together to fill in the details.
In case you were wondering, the image to the upper right has been colored using Photoshop; the rest are straight from the SEM.
[Thanks Jerry] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "325281",
"author": "h3po",
"timestamp": "2011-02-06T15:44:44",
"content": "helium is needed when working on the tube (cutting the frontplate off, changing subjects) to protect the cathode. when work is done, it is assembled with the metal t-adapter to form a vacuum chamber.",
"p... | 1,760,377,284.744758 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/05/going-cellular-with-your-arduino-projects/ | Going Cellular With Your Arduino Projects | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"cellular",
"modem",
"shield",
"sm5100b"
] | You can add a huge measure of extensibiltiy to a project by using a cellular connection. Anywhere the device can get service you can interact with it. In the past this has been a pretty deep slog through datasheets to get everything working, but
this tutorial will show the basics
of interacting with phone calls and text messages. It’s the 26th installment of what is becoming and mammoth Arduino series, and the first one in a set that works with the
SM5100B cellular shield
.
We love the words of warning at the top of the article which mention that a bit of bad code in your sketch could end up sending out a barrage of text messages, potentially costing you a bundle. But there’s plenty of details and if you follow along each step of the way we think you’ll come out fairly confident that you know what you’re doing. Just promise us that you won’t go out and
steal SIM cards
to use with your next project. Find
part two of the tutorial here
and keep your eyes open for future installments. | 44 | 38 | [
{
"comment_id": "324670",
"author": "Justblair",
"timestamp": "2011-02-05T21:27:48",
"content": "It was only a matter of time before Hackaday spotted John’s amazing resource on the Arduino. Before one of the haters points out its not a hack can I say well done John.Anyone remotely interested in the... | 1,760,377,285.02542 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/05/n64-advance-portable-gaming-system/ | N64 Advance Portable Gaming System | Mike Nathan | [
"handhelds hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"n64",
"nintendo",
"portable"
] | Like many people [Kyle] loves the Nintendo 64 and decided he wanted a
portable version of his beloved console
so he could play games while on the move. One year, two PSOne screens, and three N64 consoles later, his vision is complete. A Game Boy Advance travel case was gutted and used to house the console, hence the “N64 Advance” moniker. Like many others, his project uses a PSOne screen for the display, and a Li-Poly battery pack that provides up to 3.5 hours of playing time. He made sure to include other members of the Nintendo family in his build by adding a pair DS Lite speakers to the mix.
This build also includes some nice “extras” such as having the N64 RAM expansion pack built-in, headphone and A/V out ports (with a screen kill-switch for TV use), and an external controller port that can be used by either the first or second player. Be sure to check out the video of his build after the jump.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZfwA4dioB4&w=470] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "324571",
"author": "Juicepig",
"timestamp": "2011-02-05T18:11:12",
"content": "Dude! How much to build one? That thing is sweet!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "324585",
"author": "Preston",
"timestamp": "2011-02-05T18:2... | 1,760,377,285.078987 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/05/steampunk-cd-player/ | Steampunk CD Player | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"brass",
"cd player",
"steampunk"
] | This custom CD-player enclosure may not be your style, but you can’t deny that
the fabrication techniques are top-notch
(
translated
). This starts with a portable CD player and a set of amplified speakers. A brass plate serves as the base for the electronics, with the CD player internals mounted from the underside. The brass dome that covers the spinning disk also started as a sheet of metal, with
quite a bit of work
(
translated
) going into shaping and smoothing to achieve these results. The base and speaker boxes exhibit some fine woodworking, and there’s even additional electronics for lights, control buttons, and to drive the two analog meters. A lot of thought went into each component of this build and that’s how you put together a masterpiece.
[Thanks Polossatik] | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "324545",
"author": "Vadim",
"timestamp": "2011-02-05T17:18:42",
"content": "Just amazing, I wish I had those set of fabrication skills :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "324551",
"author": "MrBishop",
"timestamp": "2011-... | 1,760,377,285.326972 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/05/custom-enclosures-made-of-paper/ | Custom Enclosures Made Of Paper | Kevin Dady | [
"hardware",
"home hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"paper"
] | [Sivan Toledo] needed a enclosure for a unique sized electronic project, not finding what he needed in off the shelf solutions, he went to the next best thing, …
Papier Mâché!
Using a mold made out of standard corrugated cardboard, he slowly built up layers made of magazine paper, and ordinary “white glue” diluted with water. After getting near the thickness wanted he switched over to typing / copy type paper for a nice clean outer surface. Ports were made in the usual fashion when dealing with soft or thin material, drill a smaller hole, going back with successively larger holes, and then follow up with an appropriate file, all while taking things slow along the way to prevent unwanted results. Finishing up with layers of paper carefully cut into strips to meet the circumferences / edges, along with the final outer surface to make it all even.
The end result is awesome as it stands, but we cant help but wonder what some sanding and paint would look like on a enclosure made like this, though any way you finish it, the idea comes down to custom enclosures that do not need special tools or materials to complete (on the cheap).
Thanks [Drone] | 47 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "324425",
"author": "Fallen",
"timestamp": "2011-02-05T15:02:26",
"content": "…Paper mache…:SIMO this is NOT a hack.Agreed with the author, it needs to be sanded and painted.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "324428",
"author":... | 1,760,377,285.266752 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/05/8x8-led-infinity-mirror/ | 8×8 LED Infinity Mirror | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"infinity",
"led",
"mirror"
] | [chromationsystems] put out a couple instructibles on building infinity mirrors. One with an
8×8 array of LEDs
and
one with a 32 LED ring
. These are very well documented covering the construction of the mirror enclosure as well as the circuit and code. The effect is quite nice. The 8×8 array is interesting, we haven’t seen that before. These would make a fine addition to any geek cave/electronics lab. While it looks like these were basically advertisements for a product he sells, you can definitely make your own from his instructions. We like this kind of advertising. | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "324475",
"author": "fotoflojoe",
"timestamp": "2011-02-05T16:01:09",
"content": "The 1970s called, they want their infinity lights back.I kid! I kid!Nice work.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "324533",
"author": "MrX",
"t... | 1,760,377,285.377324 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/homebrew-mp3-player-with-some-bonus-features/ | Homebrew Mp3 Player With Some Bonus Features | Kevin Dady | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"mp3",
"pic"
] | When [falldeaf] set about making his own
homebrew Mp3 player
, he ended up at the same place we most do while looking into the subject, the wonderful
Minty Mp3
. Basing the design on [
Adafruit Industries
] popular board, we are presented The Mp3 Garbler.
First change of the project was to replace the sometimes difficult to find ST013, or the more expensive ST015T Mp3 decoder chip, and the CS4340 digital to analog cconverter with a single vs1001k,
which we have checked out before
. And while yes VLSI says that the 1001 series is a discontinued product, and it may be a bit hard to find now days,
they also offer an updated model on their website
, which should suit the application fine.
Next up is a useful LCD display sporting a
Sparkfun lcd backpack
, that shows us all the important to know music info. And finally there is a 10×14 led matrix display, that can be used to display all sort of user feedback icons, and is driven by a
MAX6953
, which we think is a pretty spiffy chip.
While there is no schematic, there are brd files, and source code available for your PIC18F452 or similar micro controller to complete your own | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "324100",
"author": "Jordan",
"timestamp": "2011-02-05T05:06:38",
"content": "“[the LCD] shows us all the important-to-know music info….”Please. I have a 1st gen iPod Shuffle and do just fine. It’s even better than something with a screen because I can just leave it in my pocket the ... | 1,760,377,285.481982 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/analog-computer-does-math/ | Analog Computer Does Math | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"computer hacks"
] | [
"analog computer",
"calculator",
"potentiometer",
"resistor"
] | This analog computer
can multiply, divide, square numbers, and find square roots. It has a maximum result of ten billion with an average precision of 2-3%. [Miroslav’s] build recreates something he saw in a Popular Electronics magazine. It uses a resistor network made up of three potentiometers with a digital multimeter is an integral part of the machine. To multiply a number you set the needles on the first two knobs to the numbers on which you are operating. To find the result turn the third knob until the multimeter has been zeroed out and read the value that knob is pointing to. It seems much more simple than some of the
discrete logic computers
we’ve seen, yet it’s just as interesting. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "323866",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T23:17:41",
"content": "finally the end to confusing digital calculators!wait … what? O_o",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "323869",
"author": "Charles",
"timestamp": "20... | 1,760,377,285.431907 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/touch-sensors-overview-theory-and-construction/ | Touch Sensors: Overview, Theory, And Construction | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"ac",
"resistive",
"switch",
"touch sensor"
] | This collection of touch sensor information
should be of interest to anyone who liked the
simple touch sensor post
from Thursday. That was a resistive touch sensor and is covered in detail along with AC hum sensors that trigger based on induced current from power lines around you, and capacitive touch switches
like we’ve seen in past hacks
. Each different concept is discussed and clearly illustrated like the slide above. [Giorgos Lazaridis] has also put together individual posts that build and demonstrate the circuits. We’ve embedded his resistive sensor demo video after the break and linked to all three example circuits.
Resistive touch sensor video:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNmN_iaJuN0&w=470]
Resistive touch sensor circuit
AC hum circuit
Capacitive touch circuit
[Thanks Giorgos and Ben] | 21 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "323833",
"author": "andar_b",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T22:19:00",
"content": "“AC hum sensors that trigger based on induced current from power lines around you”Interesting…so these shouldn’t be used in mobile devices, just in case the user is in the middle of nowhere?",
"parent_... | 1,760,377,285.541192 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/charging-timer/ | Charging Timer For R/C Batteries | Mike Nathan | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"lcd",
"timer"
] | Santa brought [Quinten’s] son a shiny R/C truck for Christmas, but this new toy had one drawback – its batteries could only be connected to the charger for a maximum of 6 hours, lest he turn his house into a pile of smoldering ash. With grave warnings from the manufacturer dancing in his head, he searched around for a timer that would allow him to cut power to the battery after charging for its allotted time. Coming up empty, he decided to create his own
timed electric socket regulated by an Arduino
he had sitting around. He grabbed a project box and wired up a nice looking socket timer, complete with an LCD status display. To make things easy for his son, he added two buttons to the front of the controller – one for selecting the amount of charging time, and one to set the timer in motion.
As with his previous hacks
, [Quinten] has provided plenty of documentation in the form of pictures, code, and even a video of the timer in action. | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "323706",
"author": "arfink",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T20:35:51",
"content": "Interestingly enough, a timer socket such as are used for automating home lights and such would have worked perfectly for this. Still, that’s quite cool.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,377,285.652321 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/the-future-of-cyberattacks/ | The Future Of Cyberattacks | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"exploit",
"malicious",
"malware"
] | [Dino A. Dai Zovi]
gave a talk in the earlier part of 2010
where he shares his thoughts on the future of malicious exploits. You can
watch it on Ustream
and he’s also posted
a set of slides
(PDF) that goes along with it. We find the 48 minute video to be quite interested. Instead of going into mundane detail, he covers the broader picture; what has been done in the past, what will happen in the future, and how are we currently ill-equipped to respond to future threats? That last question is covered throughout the video, but seems to come back to the concept that we are stuck in a rut of terminology and past practice that is impeding our ability to innovate security strategies at the same rate that the bad guys are coming up with the next nasty thing to come down the pipeline. | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "323720",
"author": "Spork",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T20:49:02",
"content": "Curious how you find a video to be interested… what is it interested in?/grammarnaziThanks for posting this, sounds quite interesting.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,285.585789 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/34077/ | Simple Touch Sensor And Other Lessons | Caleb Kraft | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"darlington",
"touch"
] | [HankDavis] sent along
this link to a video
showing a tutorial on how to make touch sensors using a “darlington pair”. In the video we are taken through the idea and how we’re going to construct it. [Thad]explains in detail how this works in simple terms and illustrates it clearly. Unfortunately they don’t show an actual constructed system, but this is so simple you could toss it together quickly and see for yourself. This is a great lesson on how to get a simple touch sensor into your projects. This video appears to be one of a series of class visuals, and you can find several others on youtube under this account.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s61U35Nmpx0&w=470] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "322269",
"author": "ril3y",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T15:51:31",
"content": "We are the Borg.I kid. Nicely done videos.. Thanks for sharing!ril3y",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "322271",
"author": "Bill Porter",
"timesta... | 1,760,377,285.813842 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/stk200-pocket-change-programmer/ | STK200 Pocket Change Programmer | Jake W | [
"Linux Hacks",
"Microcontrollers",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"atmega",
"AVR",
"cheap",
"dongle",
"ide",
"programmer",
"stk"
] | A common complaints of beginners to microcontroller programming is the availability of
DIY tools that
do not require a parallel port. Using not much more than a couple of 74xx series chips and some protoboard, [Rue] was able to create
an AVR programmer
for less than the cost of some chips it can program – giving parallel programmers a run for thier money. [Rue] used
Linux
treat the ubiquitous PATA/IDE port as a parallel port. By having
avrdude
treat the programmer as an
Atmel STK200
, [Rue] was able to upload a blinky program to his AVR microcontroller through ISP. If anybody can think of an even lower cost unconventional solution give us a shout. | 48 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "322147",
"author": "Necromant",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T13:33:44",
"content": "Nice, now I know how to use all those IDEs in my old 486DX2 running as a debug station.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "322148",
"author": "Paul... | 1,760,377,285.758515 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/robo-rainbow-graffiti-machine/ | Robo Rainbow Graffiti Machine | Caleb Kraft | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"graffiti",
"rainbow",
"spray paint"
] | [mudlevel] built this
rainbow graffiti producing robot
for an art exhibit in San Diego. While there are no build details we can easily pick this apart from the pictures. Looks like the brains are an arduino, the drive is a power drill with the trigger removed, and a few other servos for firing the spray cans. The counter weighted arm for creating the rainbow was a pretty good idea too. Watching this, we had an idea for a super simple purely mechanical way to do this that would be similar to a catapult. You could use the motion of the trailer to “wind up” the counter balance with a simple ratcheting spool of string attached to the axle. Engage your spray cans and let the balance drop and you’re done. Pedal on to re-wind the counterbalance for another rainbow. | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "321642",
"author": "dwergf",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T01:40:49",
"content": "Darn. Now I can only hope noone steals my awesome idea of putting spraycans on a quadrocopters and use it to paint impossible spots!!111(no really that would be awesome. though it would need awesome precisi... | 1,760,377,286.058571 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/have-a-face-for-radio/ | Have A Face For Radio? | Jake W | [
"digital audio hacks",
"Linux Hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"ethernet",
"icecast",
"ogg",
"oggstreamer",
"otelo",
"vorbis"
] | The help of fellow members of the Austrian technology collective/hackerspace [
Otelo
] allowed [Georg] to develop a networked audio streaming board, with less than $20 worth of components. Dubbed the OggStreamer for obvious reason, it’s designed to relay audio from a mixing board to an
Icecast
server (an open source implementation of SHOUTcast) in real-time. The board is based on the STM8
Discovery kit
and the
Xport
Pro. It features stereo input, an onboard OGG Vorbis encoder, and (to top it off) is running
uClinux
. We think it’s very well thought out – but don’t take our word for it… the OggStreamer won second place last year in the Lantronix
XPort Pro Design Contest
, and [Georg] has
documented it
extensively (pdf). | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "321595",
"author": "MS3FGX",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T00:35:31",
"content": "Well, that’s pretty awesome. This could be useful for all sorts of projects.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "321597",
"author": "Bruce",
"times... | 1,760,377,286.001238 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/nokia-lcd-nunchuck-and-msp430-join-forces/ | Nokia LCD, Nunchuck, And MSP430 Join Forces | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"6100",
"g2211",
"i2c",
"msp430",
"nokia",
"nunchuck",
"spi",
"wii"
] | [JB’s]
driving a Nokia 6100 LCD using an MSP430
with input from a Wii Nunchuck. He’s using the G2211 microprocessor that came with the Launchpad, and developing his code with MSP-GCC. As you can see in the video after the break, this works but there’s some room for improvement. That’s being said, he is bumping up against the code memory limit, with just around 500 bytes left to work with. The LCD screen is SPI and currently it’s hogging the pins that are used for the hardware i2c. Since he needs an i2c bus to talk to the nunchuck he had to go with software i2c which explains part of his program memory troubles.
We’re in no way experts on this, but it seems like he could save space (and improve the input responsiveness) by rewriting his LCD drivers in order to remap the pins. Then again, it might just be better to
move up to a larger MSP430
. If you’ve got some advice, make sure to share it by leaving a comment.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtVn17k08fk&w=470] | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "321562",
"author": "MigSantiago",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T23:56:58",
"content": "Nice project!Yeah, the Nokia 6100 SPI pulses can actually be generated using bit bang and the output pins don’t need to be hardware controlled. SPI via software is easy.BTW, I re-wrote a Nokia 6100 lib... | 1,760,377,285.944297 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/ti-evalbot-development-under-linux/ | TI Evalbot Development Under Linux | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"arm",
"eclipse",
"evalbot",
"linux",
"texas instruments",
"ti",
"ubuntu",
"virtual machine"
] | We have some beefs about how Texas Instruments does things, the biggest of which is their lack of support for development under Linux operating systems. But if they build it, someone will try to get Linux involved in one form or another. This time around, [BLuRry] put together
a guide to developing for the Evalbot under Linux
. He got a shove in the right direction from the code package that went along with
that nunchuck-controlled Evalbot
. Picking apart that example to the bare essentials he wrote up the process of setting up the cross-compiling toolchain in a virtual machine so as not to clutter your system. From there he details how to set up and use Eclipse when starting a new project. What what did he choose for a Hello World experience? Well a plain “Hello World” was first but right on its heels is the “Hello Hack-A-Day” seen above. So if you’ve got one of these on hand get out there and start coding for it. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "321512",
"author": "AlanKilian",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T22:38:03",
"content": "YES!!!I just got the IAR compiler to build one ofthe uC/OS-III examples, and I wanted to usemy regular old Linux systems to continue developing.PERFECT timing. Thanks man.",
"parent_id": null,
"... | 1,760,377,286.450118 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/emulating-ink-cartridges/ | Emulating Ink Cartridges | Caleb Kraft | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"epson",
"printer"
] | [Smartie_on_computer] wanted to do some experimenting with an epson printer. After getting a somewhat disassembled one, the first step was to simply get it running. Unfortunately, one of the ink cartridges was missing and these printers refuse to do pretty much anything without all the cartridges installed. Rather than go purchase a costly cartridge that they didn’t intend to actually use, [Smartie_on_computer], chose to
emulate the cartridge using a microcontroller
. After some searching for the protocol used on the cartridge, the info ended up being in the
patent
. [Smartie_on_computer] now has a functional printer that is destined to be a 3d printer in the near future. You can see a video breakdown after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvxDNhdZ_30&w=470] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "321471",
"author": "Gdogg",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T21:52:16",
"content": "Not something I’d waste my time on, but he did great work reverse engineering it (and smart move checking the patent) and his documentation/tutorial is great.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"re... | 1,760,377,286.19087 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/eniac-was-first-right/ | ENIAC Was First, Right? | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"history",
"interview"
] | Well, no. Many of us who went to school and have degrees in various computer related fields instantly think of ENIAC as the first “computer”, but we’re all wrong. We know some of you are already familiar with the Atanasoff-Berry computer, and we are too… now. However, when we learned about it, it was long after our school lessons were over, and it felt like learning Santa wasn’t real, or the pilgrims didn’t really have a fancy dinner with the native Americans. [Jane Smiley] is releasing a book telling the whole story, and it should be fairly interesting. She
gave an interview
with Wired about the book. In the interview she talks about how fascinating the story is and even addresses [Alan Turing]’s role. | 46 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "322624",
"author": "nah!",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T23:08:42",
"content": "lol zuse z1 was first computer, get over it",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "322636",
"author": "jeditalian",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T23:23:26",
... | 1,760,377,286.386177 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/harvesting-ultrasonic-sensors/ | Harvesting Ultrasonic Sensors | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"ultrasonic"
] | With many modern cars coming equipped with an array of ultrasonic sensors mounted in the bumpers, it stands to reason that
many junk yards have them too
. [jimk3038] points out that, unless they’re crushed, they’re probably good. The list of features on these is pretty long, including being short proof, water proof, EMF proof and fast. These tough little suckers can be used in a multitude of projects and can have a range of roughly 2 meters. [jimk3038] documents in great detail how to use these things as well as offering some sample code to get you started. Why didn’t we think of this? | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "322587",
"author": "AlanKilian",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T22:23:12",
"content": "Mystery part could be an HE40106 Schmidt trigger hex inverter.http://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data%20Sheets/Philips%20Semiconductor%20PDFs/HEF40106B.pdfPincount, package and power and ground match.(Of cour... | 1,760,377,286.141448 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/pid-controlled-smoker/ | PID Controlled Smoker | Chris Nelson | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"cooking",
"pid",
"smoker"
] | [dafonso] purchased a nice 1500W smoker but was somewhat dismayed that it only had one cooking temperature. To compensate he designed his own
PID control system
which allows him to set the cooking temperature digitally. At the heart of the system is a PICAXE 18 micro which switches the smoker on and off using a solid state relay. Rather than testing the 110V system on the smoker itself (which would have been a pain indoors) he used a lamp instead. To see if he was getting the correct temperature he taped his thermocouple to the light bulb and let the PID switch the lamp on and off. Also be sure to checkout his
video
which does a good job of explaining how he was able to solder the surface mount components required for the control board. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "322529",
"author": "Fritoeata",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T21:27:53",
"content": "“…he tapped his thermocouple to the light bulb…”I am unfamiliar with this technique of adhering thermocouples. I’ve used the “tapping” trick for my monitors, keyboards, etc. but never thermocouples…>:)",... | 1,760,377,286.556227 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/triggering-a-dslr-shutter-with-an-audio-clip/ | Triggering A DSLR Shutter With An Audio Clip | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"intervalometer",
"ir",
"led",
"pentax",
"shutter"
] | Apparently Pentax DSLR cameras have a remote shutter option that used infrared signals. [Pies for you] gathered up several different hacks and built a method of
triggering the camera using custom audio
. He put together the dongle above, just a headphone extension cord and two IR LEDs, which plugs into the headphone jack of any audio device like an iPod or an Android phone. When you play back a file the audio signals drive the IR LEDs. This is completely worthless unless you craft your own audio file using the correct frequency, duty cycle, and bit encoding. [Pies for you] did just that and got things up and running. Looks like the system doesn’t do so well with MP3 compression, but take a look at the waveform analysis that he posted and then make sure you’re using a lossless format. | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "322458",
"author": "JC",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T20:24:03",
"content": "Nice hack. How about triggering it with an air freshener?http://jcopro.net/2011/02/02/remote-camera-trigger-using-an-air-freshener/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comm... | 1,760,377,286.508537 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/internships-have-fun-while-working-toward-a-career/ | Internships: Have Fun While Working Toward A Career | Mike Szczys | [
"News"
] | [
"internship",
"jobs",
"summer",
"waterloo labs"
] | Attention Students: Living your life with a devil-may-care attitude will soon come to an end… But while you’re at it, take the summer away from your normal school’s-out activities to
hack together something cool while tricking family into thinking it’s good for the career
.
That link will take you to Waterloo Labs’ announcement that they’re hiring four paid interns this summer. You’ll need a bucketful of hacking skills from mechanical, to electrical, to coding (or any combination thereof). If the name doesn’t strike a bell be warned; these guys and gals do things like
riding the roof of remote-control cars
, and
playing video games with real armaments
.
Is your company offering similarly radical internships? We’d love to connect some hardcore hackers with good summer homes.
Send a tweet a to Mike (@szczys)
so that we can post an internships follow-up with more opportunities.
[via
Twitter
] | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "322420",
"author": "TheBlunderbuss",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T19:18:59",
"content": "My 1988 Ford LTD Crown Victoria + Mario Kart Wii = Internship.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "322527",
"author": "BLuRry",
"timestamp"... | 1,760,377,286.600036 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/see-through-led-display/ | See-through LED Display | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"christmas lights",
"led",
"marquee",
"matrix"
] | [Ndsit] is having a party and wanted to liven up the place with some blinky lights. He’s a bit new when it comes to hobby electronics, and although we’d highly recommend inviting some resistors to participate,
the LED matrix that he built
is very nice. It’s 8×8, it’s big, and (as shown in the clip after the break) the lights seem to hover in midair. That’s because he didn’t use a substrate to make the display. A grid of enameled wire is strung between the four sides of the wooden frame. LEDs were gathered from a string of Christmas lights which means they’re in a holder and have insulated wires already connected. Each one was tied on at a junction point of the grid, then connected to a portion of the wire where enamel had been scraped off.
It works but there’s already one light that is out. We hope some current protection is added so that this can be used again and again.
[youtubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cls45QWcSE&w=470] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "322366",
"author": "xeracy",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T18:04:33",
"content": "You accidentally the link.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "322377",
"author": "Techrat",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T18:16:58",
"content": "Lo... | 1,760,377,286.647148 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/location-recorder-and-mapper/ | Location Recorder And Mapper | Mike Szczys | [
"gps hacks"
] | [
"18F2550",
"google maps",
"gps",
"pic"
] | [Jeroen’s] student project is a module that uses
GPS tracking to create travel data on Google maps
. It’s not really a spy device as the data isn’t transmitted, but would be a lot of fun to use on cycling and hiking adventures. A PIC 18F2550 reads location and altitude data from a GPS receiver as well as data from an accelerometer. This information can be displayed on an attached touchscreen display and it is also saved to a pair of EEPROMs. When you get back from your trip, the data pulled from the device via a serial connection is processed by [Jeroen’s] C# application and used to overlay the route on a google map. He’s got a source code package available for download but we’ve saved you the trouble if the schematic is all you’re after. It’s attached after the break. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "322322",
"author": "NotImpressed",
"timestamp": "2011-02-03T17:31:57",
"content": "Yeah, its called a GPS data-logger.I can not believe that these student projects make it past the screening phase. Great idea, lets give credit for a poorly done re-design of commercially available ha... | 1,760,377,288.64491 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/midi-input-for-the-kaossilator/ | MIDI Input For The Kaossilator | Mike Szczys | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"attiny2313",
"kaoscillator",
"midi",
"TouchPad"
] | This isn’t strictly a MIDI input hack; [Furrtek] pulled off
an alternate input hack for the Kaossilator
that he’s currently using with a MIDI connection. In its unhacked form the
Kaossilator
is a small touchpad-based sound manipulation tool. [Furrtek] sniffed out how the touchpad data is read and used on the little device. He then purposed an ATtiny2313 as the core of a circuit that spoofs those signals. The microcontroller now listens for incoming MIDI data, looks up the proper signal translations in a table, then outputs them to the Kaossilator.
In the video after the break you can see that it works perfectly, with no lag or noticeable problems. As we alluded to at the top, there could be so much more done with this. Since the ATtiny2313 is merely translating MIDI into touchpad signals, the input could be anything. The first thing that comes to mind is a dance floor that changes the music based on how many people are out there tearing it up.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmzb8iC33RA&w=470] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "323626",
"author": "Boricua",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T19:14:10",
"content": "I think this is great, maybe this can be integrated to the stock unit some day.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "323694",
"author": "Drew",
"ti... | 1,760,377,288.321794 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/cnc-milled-docking-system-for-droid/ | CNC Milled Docking System For Droid | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"bmw",
"bracket",
"cnc",
"droid",
"edge connector"
] | [Steve] wanted a dock for his Droid phone but couldn’t bear to put cheap-looking parts in his nice BMW.
He decided to build his own
in order to satisfy his functional and stylistic needs. His main goal was to have a dock with no wires showing, but it also needed to be removable and have the ability to work with different devices (GPS, Droid, etc.).
The hardest part of a build like this is matching the bracket system to the car’s interior. [Steve] sidestepped the problem by starting with a commercial mounting bracket made specifically for the BMW E90 series. From there he added the female half of a mounting bracket he milled himself. The male half connects to this part using an edge connector, passing signals and power between the car and whichever device is currently installed. This way he can design brackets for different devices and not change what’s in the car.
To get a closer look, check out the video after the break. The system he came up with looks wonderful and works great.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ndyB0uUmE&w=470] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "323559",
"author": "Aaron",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T18:00:53",
"content": "Off-the-shelf parts: [damn near everything]Custom parts: [a couple plastic widgets]Cool, I guess?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "323569",
"author":... | 1,760,377,288.378892 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/shotgun-blast-lights-up-your-controller/ | Shotgun Blast Lights Up Your Controller | Mike Szczys | [
"Xbox Hacks"
] | [
"controller",
"d-pad",
"shotgun shell",
"xbox 360"
] | [Jrfhoutx] makes gaming in the dark a bit easier with this
backlight shotgun shell d-pad
for an Xbox 360 controller. He’s building on
another tutorial he posted
showing how to use the brass base of a shotgun shell to replace the stock plastic direction pad. That hack uses most of the original plastic part, cutting it down a bit and capping it off with the shell base. But now he’s detailing the process used to add LEDs around the base. He picked surface mount 0603 packages which are first chained together, then held in place using hot glue. While you’re in there, give this
rapid-fire mod
a try as well. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "323493",
"author": "Gdogg",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T16:55:29",
"content": "ahh! stop linking that shitty rapid fire mod! It doesn’t work for any controllers manufactured after 2008.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "323498",
... | 1,760,377,288.589745 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/a-briefing-on-integrated-circuits/ | A Briefing On Integrated Circuits | Kevin Dady | [
"HackIt"
] | [
"design",
"history",
"ic"
] | Although technology is constantly racing to faster / smaller / more, so many of the fundamentals of how it is made remains similar, if not the same.
This interesting 30 minute video clip
[thanks to The Computer History Museum] was made in 1967 by Fairchild Semiconductor as a briefing on integrated circuits, and shows the different steps to produce ICs including:
Design, making the photo masks, manufacturing the silicon ingots, preparing the wafers, building of the circuit and its components (like transistors, resistors, and capacitors), testing, and final packaging. Add in some other cool items of interest such as a 1960’s pick n place machine, wave soldering, an automatic wirewrap machine, and toss in some retro computer action and it’s surely a video worth watching, with something for everyone.
So join us after the break, kick back and enjoy the show!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z47Gv2cdFtA&w=450] | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "323423",
"author": "Andrew Downey",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T15:26:34",
"content": "a automatic wirewrap machineAn*Awesome post though, loved the technology",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "323435",
"author": "Caleb Kra... | 1,760,377,288.232173 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/usb-controller-for-multiple-servos/ | USB Controller For Multiple Servos | Mike Nathan | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"atmega8",
"AVR",
"servo"
] | [dunk] constructed an easy to use AVR-based USB controller with the ability to
drive up to six R/C hobby servos at once
. While the USB-powered Atmega8 he used supplies the necessary PWM signaling for all of the servos, an external power supply rated up to 30v at 3A is necessary to provide the 5v of power each servo requires. His project is an extension of the USB servo controller built by [
Ronald Schaten
] and includes several significant upgrades. The addition of 5 more servos aside, [dunk] switched to AVRlib routines for multi-servo control and PWM management, as well as added the aforementioned power supply to prevent an excessive current draw on the USB port. His tutorial includes a complete parts list, Eagle PCB schematic, the required USB servo source code, as well as a sampling of commands that can be issued to the servo controller. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "323401",
"author": "Markus",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T14:59:59",
"content": "o.o he needs 90 watts to drive a couple servos? isn’t that a bit overkill? maybe if he is using industrial actuators… but for servos?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,288.484831 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/04/remote-camera-trigger-built-from-air-freshener-parts/ | Remote Camera Trigger Built From Air Freshener Parts | Mike Nathan | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"digital camera",
"remote"
] | [jcopro] took a look at a Glade automatic air freshener he had sitting around and couldn’t help but open it up to determine how the mechanism worked. After taking it apart, he found that the automated system was comprised of a 3v motor, a series of gears, and a mechanical arm. When actuated, this arm simply pressed the spray nozzle of the air freshener canister contained within the device. After some consideration, he decided that the components would make a great
remote trigger for his Casio point and shoot camera
. He fabricated a small plywood rig including both the camera and air freshener components, which was able to be mounted on a tripod. [jcporo] also mentions that the air freshener has the ability to be triggered by a built-in timer. Although the presets are locked at 9, 18, and 36 minutes, he suggests that a 555 timer could easily be used to add some custom timing intervals when wired to the manual trigger. Be sure to check out his video of the remote trigger in action. | 11 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "323339",
"author": "echodelta",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T13:33:11",
"content": "Stink-bombs. Helping rid the world of air pollution one device at a time.Some people are irritated by excessive intentional odors. These things are the worst offenders, and the ones with heaters in them ... | 1,760,377,288.531638 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/03/chrome-in-the-pwn2own-contest/ | Chrome In The Pwn2Own Contest | Devlin Thyne | [
"contests",
"News"
] | [
"chrome",
"contest",
"google",
"prize"
] | Google has announced that it will be sponsoring a $20,000 prize at the 2011 CanSecWest
Pwn2Own Contest
. $20,ooo will be given to the first person to escape Chrome’s sandbox through Google-written code in the first day. If researchers are unsuccessful on the first day, then days two and three will be opened up to non-Google-written code. In addition to the cash, there is also a Google CR-48 running ChromeOS offered as a prize, but it will not be the actual platform used to hack Chrome. We look forward to seeing what comes out of this contest.
[via
GearLog
] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "322721",
"author": "Chase",
"timestamp": "2011-02-04T00:50:12",
"content": "Noob question, but what is meant by “Escape the Sandbox”, is it a play on words or does it mean something.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "322727",
... | 1,760,377,288.697205 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/digital-measuring-tape/ | Digital Measuring Tape | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"16f819",
"encoder",
"inches",
"measuring tape",
"mouse",
"pic"
] | You’ll never come up short with this measuring tape. That’s because there isn’t actually any tape in the device; it
measures distance based on the rotation of a wheel
. Roll it across the room and you’ll get an accurate measurement of the distance the little bugger traveled. Like
the Etch-a-Sketch from Monday
this uses the encoder wheel from a mouse as the input. The IR emitter and sensor from the ubiquitous peripheral find a new home on the PCB that hosts the PIC 16F819. It monitors the rotation, turns it into inches, then spits that number out on a 7 segment display. Handy, and cheap! | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "321437",
"author": "Bill D. Williams",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T21:17:10",
"content": "I think the real hack is how he used his pet gerbil to make the window in the case.You know, hacks don’t have to look like ugly … just sayin’.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,377,288.433282 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/bringing-an-lcd-viewfinder-back-to-life/ | Bringing An LCD Viewfinder Back To Life | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"lcd",
"viewfinder"
] | [Foobarbob] posted a pretty simple job of bringing an LCD viewfinder back to life. He doesn’t specify what was wrong, but since he replaced the backlight, we’re guessing that was the main issue. It was pulled off of a JVC camcorder. The camcorders with LCD viewfinders are getting more and more common at garage sales, so we’re surprised we don’t see more of these used. [Foobarbob] cracked it open,
traced out the power lines and replaced the backlight
with an LED and a makeshift diffuser made from a bottle cap. His results look great, we could see this being perfect for an HMD, or possibly a home made VR helmet. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "321371",
"author": "Just me",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T19:49:42",
"content": "Looks really nice :) Good job!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "321374",
"author": "Tom",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T19:56:05",
"content": "I... | 1,760,377,288.279625 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/automating-automatic-racing/ | Automating Automatic Racing | Caleb Kraft | [
"Xbox Hacks"
] | [
"forza",
"xbox"
] | Hackaday forum user [Nikescar] upgraded his XBox360 hard drive. During this upgrade, his Forza 3 game save was lost. He had accumulated millions of in-game dollars and really wanted to get back to where he was. We’re not familiar with the game, but he says that one easy way to make some money is to allow the AI to run races for you while you do other things. Unfortunately, this requries coming back to the system and starting a new race every hour or so. Luckily, [Nikescar] had an arduino lying around doing nothing, so
he patched it into the controller and had it carry out a the correct button press sequence on a schedule
. Now his virtual driver makes virtual money while his virtual-person keeps it going. His real person sleeps. | 27 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "321339",
"author": "Decius",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T18:47:31",
"content": "I’m sure the button presses to get to the next race is only like 3, This seems a bit much to cover back money in a game? He does know you can transfer gamesaves via a memory unit…. lol It doesn’t surprise m... | 1,760,377,288.92999 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/building-infra-red-light-sources-with-regular-lights/ | Building Infra Red Light Sources With Regular Lights | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"flashlight",
"ir",
"torch"
] | [Oneironaut] sent us another IR hack. This time it is a writeup on the best ways to
create IR light sources from regular lights
. Since normal flashlight bulbs emit a broad enough spectrum to include visible light and IR light, this basically comes down to filtering. [Oneironaut] explores different light sources and different materials in depth, along with great pictures to show his results. This is a great resource if you’re needing to do some night vision for cheap. | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "321296",
"author": "Bob Spafford",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T17:50:37",
"content": "Edmund Scientific (used to) sell a glass IR pass filter that is cheap and happens to exactly fit a Mag-light AA flashlight. It’s visual wavelength “leakage” is close to zero, and used with a Gen II i... | 1,760,377,289.00908 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/02/shiny-acrylic-mame-box/ | Shiny Acrylic MAME Box | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"acrylic",
"mame",
"mini-itx"
] | This nice
table-top MAME arcade
features a two-toned acrylic case. [Fabricio] spent about 50-60 hours designing the 29 parts that make up the enclosure. Originally the sides were meant to be orange but one design flaw meant he had to have them recut and only had enough black stock for the job. But we like it this way. The screen is just over ten inches and inside you’ll find a mini-ITX motherboard with a gig of ram and a solid state drive. The seven page build log features some bending, glue, screwing, and wiring that really show off the depth of the project.
This results a very modern look but if you like your retro gaming to appear vintage we recommend
this cocktail cabinet
. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "321274",
"author": "James",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T17:01:21",
"content": "Modern look? If you’re locked in the 80s :)Nice build.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "321278",
"author": "GotNoTime",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T... | 1,760,377,289.065827 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/water-dosing-coffee-maker-augmentation/ | Water-dosing Coffee Maker Augmentation | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"coffee",
"pic",
"valve",
"washing machine",
"water"
] | [Arthur Benemann] has the worst part of making coffee licked. His
add-on for a drip coffee maker fills the water to the proper levels for you
, saving the drudgery of rinsing out the carafe, carefully filling it to the appropriate level, then pouring it into the machine without getting everything wet. This isn’t limited to a full pot, but is user selectable by the cup based on how many times in a row you hit that red button. One LED gives feedback on the selected mode, then the device uses a washing machine water valve to turn on the tap for the appropriate amount of time. We’re a little bit leery of connecting homebrew hardware to the water pipes in our house. Make sure you’ve done a good job of debugging so that an infinite loop doesn’t flood you out. | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "321215",
"author": "mavis",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T14:51:37",
"content": "erm, you meant does NOT flood you out, right?Cool hack, now add on bean grinder and grounds replacement system.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "321217",... | 1,760,377,289.121208 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/rotary-dial-authenticates-sudo-commands/ | Rotary Dial Authenticates Sudo Commands | Mike Szczys | [
"Linux Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"pam",
"rotary dial",
"sudo"
] | [W1ndman] won’t win any security awards for this build, but it’s an interesting idea. On many Linux-based systems commands can be run with administrator privileges by prefacing them with the keyword ‘sudo’. Normally you’d be asked for a password but [W1ndman] used the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) to authenticate via his own shell script. That script
checks a code from this rotary dial for authentication
. An Arduino takes care of listening for each digit that is entered and then sends the code via USB for comparison with a stored file. We’re not sure if that stored code is in a plain file or is otherwise protected, but at the very least this prevents you from using ‘sudo’ willy-nilly. | 27 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "320814",
"author": "bty",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T23:53:09",
"content": "oblig:http://xkcd.com/838/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "320818",
"author": "MS3FGX",
"timestamp": "2011-02-02T00:03:11",
"content": "Very l... | 1,760,377,289.182069 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/fermentation-temperature-control/ | Fermentation Temperature Control | Mike Szczys | [
"Beer Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"ATmega168",
"ds1820",
"fermentation",
"heating tape"
] | [Eric Friedrich] needed to keep the wort warm enough for yeast to ferment it into beer. To solve the problem
he built his own fermentation temperature controler
using a microprocessor to turn some heating tape on and off. You can see the heating element embracing that diminutive fermentation bucket in the picture above. This was originally meant for keeping reptile cages warm. It costs less than similar products meant just for brewing and works well for [Eric]. A DS1820 temperature sensor gives feedback to an ATmega168 which then uses a relay to switch the heat on and off. The target temperature can be changed using a potentiometer on the board, with the setting displayed on a character LCD screen on the project enclosure. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "320777",
"author": "adamziegler",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T22:49:26",
"content": "Fun. Another thought would be to take advantage of the < 60F (~16C) and Lager!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "320778",
"author": "gilbert wh... | 1,760,377,289.392753 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/nook-color-gets-honeycomb/ | Nook Color Gets Honeycomb | Caleb Kraft | [
"Android Hacks",
"Tablet Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"honeycomb",
"jailbreak",
"Nook",
"root"
] | [Deeper-blue] has
released all the files necessary to get Android honeycomb
working on your nook color. We had a chance to
play with the nook color
for a bit, but ours was only on Android version 2.1. It seems like they’ve come a long way with the capabilities of this simple e-reader since then. While he’s built out the majority of the features, it is still lacking some fundamentals, like sound. As you can see in the video after the break, the scrolling is a tiny bit choppy but the applications themselves see to be fairly snappy. We can’t wait to see how this works after a little improvement.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2kJaVnXhPQ&w=470]
[via
engadget
] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "320751",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T22:05:20",
"content": "very cool",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "320784",
"author": "jeditalian",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T23:01:27",
"content": "DO WANT, as long... | 1,760,377,289.34049 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/disco-death-ray/ | Disco Death Ray | James Munns | [
"Solar Hacks"
] | [
"archimedes",
"death",
"focus",
"lens",
"mirror",
"ray",
"solar"
] | Wielding the power to melt glass or instantly ignite most day to day materials can be
intoxicating
pretty fun. With a little math, a lot of patience, and 5,800 1cm pieces of mirror,
this build
requires welding glasses just to look at the 1-2cm focal point. With an idea rumored to date back to
Archimedes
, this more portable parabolic project is perfect for your home burning needs. Unfortunately, this setup seems to have burnt itself to death at some point, though that makes room for version two, which will reportedly bump the mirror count to 32,000 or so.
There are plenty of other ways to make a death ray out there as well, including using
lasers
or
lenses
. Think you have a better tool of destruction? Be sure to
tell us
about it. | 49 | 48 | [
{
"comment_id": "320654",
"author": "boricuagnu",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T19:27:43",
"content": "this thing is crazy, i dont beleave it works. the myth busters did this and didnot work well at long distances but it worked on closes distances.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": ... | 1,760,377,289.483854 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/keepon-finally-gets-a-cheaper-version/ | Keepon Finally Gets A Cheaper Version | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"dance",
"keepon"
] | Keepon, the adorable bot meant to help autistic kids with its jovial dance moves, seems to
finally be getting a cheaper version
. The original cost $30,000 and did a lot more than dance. Actually, we got to
play with it
a little bit at CES a couple years ago. The commercial version most likely won’t have facial recognition or any of the other fancy features of the first one, but we hope it can dance well. We’ve actually seen a couple
home
made
versions
and we’re hoping that the new one has some major hacking potential. The temptation to have one of these cute little bots around is made even stronger when you see that some of the money is going back into autism research. | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "320649",
"author": "Colecago",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T19:20:57",
"content": "Might be worth it at $40, if they make it hackable. $30,000 is pretty ridiculous, but I suppose your paying for the engineering pretty directly there.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,377,289.282944 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/what-development-board-to-use/ | What Development Board To Use? | James Munns | [
"Parts"
] | [
"Atmel",
"development",
"microcontroller",
"proto",
"STMicro",
"ti"
] | Here at Hackaday, we see microcontroller based projects in all states of completion. Sometimes it makes the most sense to design systems from the ground up, and other times when simplicity or a quick project completion is desired, pre-built system boards are a better choice. We have compiled a list of boards that we commonly see in your submitted projects, split up by price range and with a little detail for reference.
After reading our list, sound off in the comments or on
this forum post
, and we may include your board in a follow-up guide at a later date. We will also be giving away 10 Hackaday stickers to the most insightful, the most original, and most useful advice given on the forum, so if you haven’t registered yet, now would be a perfect time. Winners of the sticker giveaway will be selected from the forum thread, and the final decision for prizes will be judged by the wit and whim of the Hackaday writing team. More prize details to follow in the thread. Read on for our guide based on past project submissions.
The Cheap ($0-$50):
When it comes to cheap boards, users can expect a simple breakout board, usually with some debugging facilities and minimal extra components. These boards tend to be aimed at hobbyists and the education crowd rather than companies who can afford full featured development setups for their engineers. Unfortunately, boards that come directly from manufacturers tend to have locked down or overly simplified IDEs or debugging software, though low price points often inspire the open source communities to write their own to take advantage of all the features.
TI’s MSP430 Launchpad
:
Coming in at $4.30,
TI’s Launchpad
board is definitely a bargain. For your money, you get a set of 16-bit MSP430 processors, a mini-USB debugger and programming interface, and a set of Windows IDEs to choose from. Not much more to write home about, but we have featured a number of projects with this family of microcontrollers running the show.
STMicroelectronic’s Discovery:
Costing you a paltry $11.85, This 32-bit ARM processor may be one of the best performance to cost values. Similar to the Launchpad, the
Discovery
has a mini-USB interface, a breakaway programmer and debugger, and a few locked down IDEs to select. For students or professionals looking for experience with the ARM architecture, this Cortex-M3 based system would be a great place to start.
The Arduino Family:
Needing no introduction, these 8-bit AVR based systems have been displayed by us numerous times. Due to an open source hardware and software design, these boards are available for as low as $20 or so for
Arduino
Compatable clones, or any price range up depending on included peripherals. Because of the simple IDE and coding environment familiar to anyone familiar with C, C++, or Java, the Arduino is a common choice for beginners, non-engineering types, and professionals alike.
Mid-Range Boards ($50-$150):
For a little more money, more can be expected from a development board. Often featuring higher I/O pin counts, more complex interfaces such as host USB ports, Ethernet, or Video-Out, these boards are a great place for a little computational and functional muscle. However, with a higher cost, it is more difficult to just throw one of these boards at any one-off project. More costly boards are often supported better as well, because they are used by engineers who will decide on important purchasing decisions. This area is also a transition area from more hardy microcontroller type boards into the more powerful microprocessor type systems (such as shifting from the Cortex-M to the Cortex-A series of ARM processors).
The Arduino Mega:
For all the same reasons as the original Arduino, the
Arduino Mega
has its place in a prototyping or development environment. For a bit more money than the original, extra code space, processing power, and I/O pins are gained, with the same comfortable, familiar, and similar development tools. The Arduino Mega runs at $65, which makes for a costly 8-bit system.
The Chumby Hacking Board:
An interesting example of a product going from production to prototyping as an afterthought,
this board
is based on the guts of the Chumby One, featuring a 32-bit Freescale i.MX ARM processor at 454 MHz. This system has video out, as well as a trio of USB ports for all the peripherals you can find or write your own drivers for. The Chumby Hacking board clocks in at a reasonable $90 or so, though supplies seem to be dwindling, so act fast if interested.
The Original BeagleBoard:
At the top of the price range, the
BeagleBoard
(Revision C4) features a 600 MHz Cortex-A8 ARM processor capable of running a number of Linux systems, including Angstrom and Ubuntu. Designed to interface with cool toys like touchscreens, this board also features a powerful DSP chip for crunching numbers, as well as processing video and sound. For a newly discounted rate of $125, this compact powerhouse could be yours.
The Upper Crust ($150+)
At this price range, these boards often contain ARM processors from the Cortex-A series, and have more in common with high-end smartphones than the microcontrollers usually seen on Hackaday and in day-to-day life. Boards like these are a real investment, and often cost and perform similar to many older or low-end PCs and netbooks at a considerably more efficient performance to power use ratio in most cases. These boards tend to run Linux-based operating systems, including Android as well as others.
The BeagleBoard xM:
Coming in at just around $150, this
big brother
to the first BeagleBoard adds parts such as onboard Ethernet, an additional 2 USB ports, and a bump to a 1 GHz processor. Although the MSRP is listed at $149, a high demand has pushed the cost well above that at places where stocks are even available. Because of a strong similarity to the original BeagleBoard, the existing community is strong, and full of examples and guides to get the board going
The PandaBoard:
With features as far away from an 8-bit microcontroller as imaginable, this board comes dressed
to the nines
featuring a dual-core 1 GHz processor capable of handling 1080P video stream. We realize this is probably out of the ballpark of just about any “hack” level project at $174, but we know there are some engineers out there very excited to see this.
In Summary:
We know that brand and experience preference can be a strong motivator, so be productive with your advice and sound off in our forum with your picks for our follow-up post(s). We will do our best to wrap up all the information you provide into a more definitive, and hopefully even more informative guide for beginners and professionals alike. | 173 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "320515",
"author": "mi6_x3m",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T17:37:04",
"content": "I always use my own board for AVR development. For STM32 I use the Discovery.Arduino fans, where are thou?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "523949",
... | 1,760,377,289.581466 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/video-game-installations-for-kids-parties/ | Video Game Installations For Kids’ Parties | Mike Szczys | [
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"infrared",
"ir",
"laser",
"pirates",
"video game"
] | Why won’t someone think of the children?! Actually, some of the best hacks come from entertaining the little ones. Take [Piles of Spam’s]
two video game builds
. The first is a telescope-based controller that is used to shoot virtual cannon balls at a projection of a pirate ship. The second is a two-player cooperative game where one player drives and the other shoots. Both of them use a projector to display the playing field, an IR laser for targeting, and an NTSC camera to pick up the location of the laser dot. This works really well, thanks to the quality of the physical builds, and great audio and video on the game side of things. See for yourself in the clips after the break.
A couple of posts into the thread [Piles of Spam] talks about laser intensity. He wanted to make sure that there wouldn’t be a room full of half-blind five year olds thanks to the targeting system.
Pirate Game
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwNK34K3PKg&w=470]
Space Game
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsbFwmEBieM&w=470] | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "320491",
"author": "Scuzz",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T16:55:09",
"content": "Holy wow on the making the games bit. I guess I’ve never really given full-on 3D game making a try, mostly out of terror of the process consuming my precious little remaining time.I agree with the response ... | 1,760,377,289.633903 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/02/01/clever-555-hacks/ | 555s For Your Mouse And R/C Airplane | Noah Dunker | [
"LED Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"555",
"airplane",
"mouse",
"radio controlled",
"rc"
] | [lenny] decided to build a
555-based auto-firing mouse
based on a 555 after seeing
a similar PIC-based project
we posted earlier. Lenny’s version is self-contained in one mouse without requiring a second mouse to act as the rapid-fire button. It uses only a handful of components, costs less than $5 to build, and doesn’t require any programming.
But then, [wfdudley] shakes things up a bit. He added a 4022 counter IC and some diodes to act as logical “OR” gates in order to
create a unique blinking pattern
(short-short-long) for the lights on a friend’s RC airplane. While this project involves more components, it’s definitely a trickier problem to solve with a 555 timer IC. We love seeing people choosing simplicity in design over popular off-the-shelf microcontroller frameworks as these two have done.
Don’t forget, the
555 Design Contest
is still going strong, and you’ve got the entire month of February to submit your awesome designs. We wanted to highlight two of the more clever 555-based hacks that we’ve had in our backlog for a while, though. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "320448",
"author": "Simon Inns",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T16:00:00",
"content": "I’m not sure I would agree with the statement that a 555 timer based solution is ‘simpler’ than something like an 8-pin PIC12F which can often do far more with far less external components. Cheaper yes... | 1,760,377,289.688887 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/update-microtouch-the-8-bit-ipod-touch/ | Update: Microtouch The 8-bit Ipod Touch | Chris Nelson | [
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"8 bit",
"AVR",
"ipod",
"microtouch"
] | It looks like [rossum] and [Ladyada] have teamed up and been busy working on the
microtouch
. Since we covered it
last year
its had a few minor improvements like an upgrade to the ATmega32u4 microprocessor and some new software. The new and improved microtouch also features an accelerometer as well as some software to go along with it. Plus its now for sale on
adafruit
for about a quarter the price of an ipod touch (just in case you don’t feel like making your own).
For the unaware the microtouch is a lightweight AVR based ipod touch. It comes with a bootloader which allows you to download your “apps” to the microtouch without the need for an AVR programmer. While it may lack some of the computing power and features of the ipod touch (like music), the microtouch is definitely appealing for its open hardware/software and easy to use touch screen. | 58 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "319940",
"author": "Panikos",
"timestamp": "2011-02-01T00:11:09",
"content": "Caleb kind of posted the same thing a few hours ago onhttp://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/ask-an-engineer-live-streams-at-adafruit/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comme... | 1,760,377,289.779864 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/etch-a-sketch-computer-is-a-surprisingly-simple-hack/ | Etch-a-Sketch Computer Is A Surprisingly Simple Hack | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"etch a sketch",
"mouse"
] | We’re not sure whether to call this
an Etch-a-Sketch upgrade or a computer interface downgrade
but either way it’s unique. [Martin Raynsford] added a familiar red frame to his computer monitor with classic white knobs that control horizontal and vertical cursor movement. There’s even the click option by pressing the buttons in and, as you can see after the break, the modifications result in a perfectly usable digital Etch-a-Sketch. We’ve seen a lot of
computer controlled versions of the toy
which use fancy parts and take quite a bit of skill to build. This mimicry of the functionality is easy to build and the idea is genius in its simplicity. [Martin] separated the encoder wheels from a mouse. He placed each on one of the knobs and ran wires for sensors and micro-switches back to the original PCB which is stuck to the back of the monitor. From the computer’s point of view it looks and acts like a normal mouse but this is so much more fun (and less productive).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFaF5NFYZck&w=470]
[via
Hacked Gadgets
] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "319912",
"author": "The ThunderBird",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T23:06:03",
"content": "While I had an old mechanical mouse, I used to flip it over, remove the ball, and manually drive the wheels if I wanted to draw a perfectly straight horizontal or vertical line. This looks enjoyabl... | 1,760,377,289.923337 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/out-engineering-a-sneaky-cat/ | Out Engineering A Sneaky Cat | James Munns | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"animal",
"buzzer",
"cat",
"collar",
"led",
"pic",
"track"
] | Cats do what they want, which rarely coincides with what their owner wants them to do. In [Dumitru]’s case, his girlfriend’s cat [Pufu] tended to make it outside into the cold
more often
than desired. Rather than settle with the normal bell which gets obnoxious even when the cat isn’t misbehaving, he decided to put together a custom Cat Finding collar. He used a PIC microcontroller as the brains, and temperature and light sensors to decide whether the cat had snuck into the cold, dark night. Once the cat has been marked as being outside, a buzzer and LED are set to go off at regular intervals until returned into the safety of the indoors.
[Dumitru]’s website along with his YouTube videos are in Romanian, though the schematics and source code provided speak for themselves. He does a wonderful job walking through the entire design process, including time spend in the IDE as well as EAGLE designing the board. YouTube has managed to subtitle the majority of the details, but we imagine this post will be a real treat to any Romanian speaking hobbyists out there. Be sure to catch both videos after the break.
Detailed design Walkthrough
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXMY4wuM-wg&w=470]
Overview and Project in Action
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz3_N_avxO8&w=470] | 31 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "319885",
"author": "Ducky",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T22:21:18",
"content": "I was told one of the main points of a bell on a cat is so that birds can hear them when they’re coming, so they don’t get attacked/eaten.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,289.989377 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/target-hunting-uav-armed-with-fireworks/ | Target Hunting UAV Armed With Fireworks | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"balloon",
"fireworks",
"tricopter"
] | Don’t just build a UAV, use it to blow things up. In this case a
tri-copter seeks out colored balloons and pops them
using low-grade fireworks. We’ve seen
this type of flying armament
before, but not in a ‘copter form factor. It looks like the targeting and firing is done by an operator, and is not an automated system despite what the text overlays on the video after the break says. The lack of autonomous firing capability makes this delightful, rather than scary. Don’t miss
the build log for the tri-copter itself
. How do you think this one stacks up to
the last 3-bladed build
?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozHoP_YThRI&w=470]
[via
Engadget
] | 39 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "319830",
"author": "Kaj",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T21:10:58",
"content": "Ladies and Gentlemen, the real culprit of the Hindenberg disaster!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "319837",
"author": "daglitch",
"timestamp": "20... | 1,760,377,290.511353 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/how-to-build-a-ping-pong-ball-display/ | How To Build A Ping-pong Ball Display | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks",
"Featured",
"how-to",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"ATmega168",
"clock",
"ds3232",
"led",
"ping pong",
"rtc",
"shift register"
] | If you’ve been lusting after your own glowing display we’re here to help by sharing some simple building techniques that will result in an interesting project like the one you see above. This is a super-accurate clock That uses ping-pong balls as diffusers for LEDs, but with a little know-how you can turn this into a full marquee display. Join me after break where I’ll share the details of the project and give you everything you need to know to build your own.
Planning
Take some time to sit down and figure out how many pixels you need in your display. Above you can see the sketch that I drew on the back of some junk mail. Since I need a clock for my shop I’m only going to include LEDs for a twelve-hour time display. But I did plan to populate the entire grid with diffusers (ping-pong-balls) because it will look a bit cooler that way. I also planned to include a ring round the entire display so my final pixel area will be 15×7. Note the numbers below each digit, which are an LED count.
I also did quite a bit of planning at this point for the electronics. I need to make sure that I’m handling the current properly so that I don’t burn out any of the LEDs or chips that drive them. For now, let’s skip over the electrical issues and build the actual display.
Materials
First you need a box to host the project. I chose to use pegboard for the clock face because it already has accurately spaced holes that fit a 5mm LED quite snugly. The pegboard will be wrapped in a plywood frame which gives it strength, protection, and a place to mount the buttons and other hardware. You’ll also need all of the LEDs for the display (46 in my case) and ping-pong balls for the grid (105 in total).
From the start I wanted to complete this project with parts on hand. I already had the scrap of pegboard, and the plywood left over from building a wall-mounted desk for my office. Most of the electronic hardware was salvaged from another project (more on that later) and in the end I only had to buy ping-pong balls, hot glue, and some mounting hardware for the buttons. Here’s a list for the display itself, excluding the controller board and buttons:
Pegboard for the face
Plywood for the frame
LEDs
Ribbon cable
22 gauge hookup wire
IDC connectors
KK connectors or another 0.1″ pitch connector
Woodworking tools: table saw, circular saw, straight edge
Pocket screw jig and pocket screws
Hot glue gun and hot glue
Soldering supplies
Assembling the case
I first started by taping out the digits on a piece of pegboard, then clamped a straight edge along the cut lines and used a circular saw to trim it to size.
Pegboard is usually a bit flimsy so you should build a frame around it to make it rigid. I’ve just got some rudimentary woodworking tools so I’ve ripped 3″ plywood pieces, cut them to length with butt joints, and then cut a dado the width of the saw blade to receive the pegboard.
I bought this Kreg pocket screw jig when I was building my desk and I love it. Here I’ve cut pocket screw holes into the ends of the long rails. They butt up to the side rails and two screws will hold them nice and tight. You can get this jig for around $20, but if you don’t want to spend the money just pre-drill and countersink some holes from the outside and use wood screws to hold your frame together.
Here’s the outside of the finished box. All-in-all I’ve put about 90 minutes into the project. The majority of the time was spent measuring carefully, which you should take seriously. One wrong cut could cause an impromptu field trip for more supplies.
There’s plenty of room inside for the wiring and controller board. Now to start inserting the LEDs.
I had a great time building the
LED Jack-o-lantern
but that hardware has gone unused since Halloween night. Here I’ve desoldered all of the components from the protoboard and clipped apart all of the LEDs, separating them by color. I’ll reuse all of the green LEDs, the transistors, pin headers, some resistors, and many of the longer wires in this project.
Start by pressing the LEDs into place on the back of the pegboard. They’ll be quite tight and I found this process made my fingers hurt after a while. I checked each LED using a battery and resistor to make sure I had the polarity right and that they all worked and were the same color. Above I’ve started soldering all of the cathodes for each LED using ribbon wire. The cathodes are grouped by digit, and will be connected to ground by way of an NPN transistor.
Here all of the cathode connections have been made. I’ve used hook-up wire to run each of the four buses to one side, and inserted them together into a 4-channel KK connector. This will make it easy to plug the low end of the digits into a pin header on the control board. Don’t forget to hot-glue these wires to the pegboard as a form of strain relief.
Now it’s time to solder the anodes for the same pixel in each digit together. I used the waste pieces of ribbon cable from the last step in the process to do this. In the upper right you can see two ribbon cables which have IDC connectors hanging over the side. The top bundle drives seven of the 13 LEDs in each digit. The bottom bundle drives the remaining six. These will plug into double pin headers on the driver board, connecting the pixels through a resistor to a pair of shift register. The colon in between hours and minutes has been grouped with the hour-tens digit which only has pixels for the numeral 1.
Now it’s time to make sure everything works. We do need to add ping-pong balls as diffusers before the display will be finished but if there’s a problem you don’t want to have to remove the balls to fix it. Let’s build and test the control circuitry now.
Electrical Design
I wanted to use parts on hand for this project. I’ve got plenty of 595 shift registers but there’s one problem with those; the supply pin has a 70 mA absolute maximum rating. I can get around that limitation if I run my LEDs no higher than 10 mA each and split the 13 total pixels between two shift registers.
That takes care of the high side. To switch the low side of each digit I’ve sourced 2N3904 NPN transistors. They have a collector current limit of 200 mA which will have no issue sinking the 130 mA max coming off of a digit when the numeral 8 is displayed.
The multiplexing is handled by an ATmega168 running on the internal RC oscillator at 8 MHz. This makes it a breeze to drive the display without any visible artifacts, but it’s lousy at precision time keeping. I had a Maxim DS3232 real time clock on hand that will keep very accurate track of time. It has a backup battery which will keep time when power to the display is lost. This is perfect since I intend to power this from the bench outlets in my shop. I turn them off when I’m not working and that means the clock will only be illuminated when someone’s there to see it.
This how-to is intended to focus on the physical build and not the electronic design. If you make your own it would be much better to choose shift registers that offer constant current on each pin. This way the LEDs can be brighter and there’s no need to worry about pushing up against the current ratings of the shift registers. Most constant current drivers are low side, which means you would then use P-channel MOSFETS, PNP transistors, or similar to switch the high side of each digit. Basically the opposite of what I’ve done here.
Check out the
LED pumpkin matrix
for more on designing your own multiplexed displays. As for constant current drivers, there’s some nice hardware used in
this whiteboard/LED marquee project
. Just don’t feel locked into Maxim parts as they can often be difficult to source.
Building the controller
Having designed the circuit it’s just a matter of wiring it up and writing some firmware.
Here’s the breadboarded circuit. You can see the two IDC connectors jumpered with resistors to the shift registers on the breadboard. The yellow wires to the right connect the digit cathodes to their respective transistors. In the foreground is the
DS3232 on a breakout board
. You can see the
coin cell in its hacked holder
. I’m using a multimeter to measure the frequency of the 1 Hz square wave this chip provides, and a Bus Pirate to see what’s going on with the i2c communications. Now that it’s working, I just needed to find a more permanent solution.
Voila! The top of the finished controller board. Note the two pin sockets to received the DS3232 breakout board.
And the point-to-point soldering on the bottom. This took perhaps four hours to complete. It’s winter right now and I don’t like using Cupric Chloride inside to etch circuit boards so I went this route.
The last piece of the puzzle is adding buttons. I knew I had this old circuit board from a Sony shelf stereo system.
I needed four buttons so I used a Dremel to separate this segment from the larger board. I added two holes to use for mounting and soldered wires (reused from the pumpkin) terminating in another KK connector.
Here’s a view of the underside of the button board. I had to remove the resistors that connected the buttons into a matrix and I used hot glue for strain relief.
After a trip to Ace Hardware I was able to install the button board. I started by tracing the location of the buttons on a piece of paper, then using that as a template to drill holes through the top of the plywood case. You can just make out the ragged hole above each button.
While and the hardware store I picked up a dowel as well. Here I’ve cut it to length, eased the top edge with some sand paper (I spun the dowel in a power drill for that), and added a hole for a retaining pin.
Once installed I glued a finish nail into the hole of each button dowel so they won’t fall out.
Here’s the finished product. I love it!
Everything’s working, time to add the diffusers. I originally planned to buy ping-pong balls from the dollar store but they only had six 9-packs. I ended up ordering a gross online. I drilled a hole in each ball for the LED to stick through, then used hot glue to attach them. Make sure the drill bits you use for this are nice and sharp.
Here’s a test with the lights on.
And another with the lights off.
Conclusion
I’m quite happy with the way things turned out. If you build one yourself take into consideration the use of constant current LED drivers as I mentioned before. Also, I had crystal clear LED packages, you may want to experiment with diffuse packages. You can see that there is a bright point on the top of each ping-pong ball because of this. On the other hand, in bright light you can still make out the time because of those bright spots, so test this out before you purchase all of your parts.
When all is said and done the display portion of this was easy and quick to build. It took much longer to solder the control board and to finish writing the firmware. A link the git repository is included in the resources section below.
Resources
Source code repository
Follow Me
@szczys | 41 | 38 | [
{
"comment_id": "319768",
"author": "Mike Szczys",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T20:04:30",
"content": "I’m just starting my next project and wanted to get my ATmega168 back. Since I’m only using 2.6k of programming space I can easily swap out a pin-compatible ATmega8 which I have on hand.I’ve branched t... | 1,760,377,290.192928 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/printable-wax-as-pcb-etch-resist/ | Printable Wax As PCB Etch Resist | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"etch",
"inkjet",
"pcb",
"resist",
"wax"
] | What if there were only two steps for making your own printed circuit board; print, etch? That’s what [Jeff Gough] has been working on and
he presented the process in his talk at 27C3
. In the first portion of the video after the break [Jeff] talks about various industrial PCB manufacturing processes in a depth you may not have heard before. We found it to be interesting but at about thirty minutes into the clip he begins the presentation of his modified printer. It’s an inkjet that can print wax onto copper clad board. The wax acts as a resist for chemical etchants, and provides very high resolution. He’s using a heavily modified print head, which brings to mind
that diy piezo inkjet head
which also has wax printing in its future plans. This certainly seems promising and if the process can be simplified it might do away with the toner transfer method.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfCatc1HieE&w=470]
[
Ourduino
via
SpriteTM
] | 28 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "319761",
"author": "Robert Ely",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T19:50:01",
"content": "Brilliant, I have long wanted some one to do a proper reversing of Epson print heads. I need a similar setup but with distilled water instead of wax, (I really hope that makes the setup more stable, god... | 1,760,377,290.101147 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/ask-an-engineer-live-streams-at-adafruit/ | “Ask An Engineer” Live Streams At Adafruit | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"adafruit",
"chat",
"engineer",
"limur",
"phil",
"torrone"
] | I [Caleb], finally had a chance to catch one of the live chat sessions over at Adafruit.com called “
Ask an engineer
“. I was pleasantly surprised. Though the show is only an hour long, the amount of information covered was quite amazing. They started out, announcing a new,
this really cool looking touch screen system
, product and going over the tech specs. This very quickly turned into a question and answer session about how to utilize and modify the device. [Limor], aka [ladyada] was extremely knowledgeable and [rossum], the designer who made it even showed up in the chat to fill in the rare gap. After that, there was a general question and answer period where people were firing off questions so fast I couldn’t watch them all and still follow her answers. It was a lot of fun and quite frankly felt way too short.
Be sure to check it out on Saturday night at 10:00 P.M. ET | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "319758",
"author": "Pedro",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T19:47:52",
"content": "[Limur], aka [ladyada]aka Limor Fried.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "319763",
"author": "zing",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T19:54:25",
"conte... | 1,760,377,290.034276 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/29/network-packet-sniffing-with-linux/ | Network Packet Sniffing With Linux | Mike Szczys | [
"Linux Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"dsniff",
"network",
"p0f",
"packet sniffing",
"tcpdump",
"traffic"
] | Here’s a chance to learn a little bit about network security. This article walks us through some of
the core concepts of network manipulation and packet sniffing
using Linux tools. [Joey Bernard] discusses the uses for packages like tcpdump, p0f, and dsniff. They are capable of recording all network traffic coming through your computer’s connection, seeking out machines installed on the network, and listening to traffic for a specific machine. This isn’t going to give you a step-by-step for cracking modern networks. It will provide some insight on what is going on with your network and you should be able to purpose these tools to check that you’ve got adequate security measures in place. | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "318264",
"author": "Jordan",
"timestamp": "2011-01-29T22:18:50",
"content": "Man, I wish HaD would do an article on:“Network packet sniffing withOUT Linux”",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "318291",
"author": "tehgringe",
... | 1,760,377,290.300624 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/29/ego-box-monitors-web-hits/ | Ego Box Monitors Web Hits | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"7 segment",
"enc28j60",
"ethernet",
"science",
"traffic",
"web"
] | [Bogdan’s] latest project is
a box that displays web hits
for a chosen site. He calls it the Ego Box because depending on how traffic goes it either bloats or crushes your ego. This provides similar functionality as
our Troll Sniffing Rat
but the biggest difference is that this is a stand-alone Ethernet device. That’s thanks to the ENC28J60 Ethernet controller chip which manages the stack and has been
quite popular in DIY electronic projects
. In order to monitor your hits [Bogdan] crafted a bit of code to add to the header of your index page. It increments the counter file each time the page is loaded, and the Ego Box simply monitors that file, displaying the traffic on an eight digit 7 segment display.
[via
Adafruit
] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "318115",
"author": "CutThroughStuffGuy",
"timestamp": "2011-01-29T19:02:48",
"content": "Arduino + ethernet shield to do the same thing?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "318148",
"author": "Jake",
"timestamp": "2011-01-29... | 1,760,377,290.240289 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/29/meet-mr-haas-he-makes-eyes/ | Meet Mr. Haas, He Makes Eyes | Mike Szczys | [
"Medical Hacks"
] | [
"eye",
"glass",
"ocular",
"ocularist",
"prosthetic"
] | Here’s a story of an
ocularist who makes prosthetic eyes from glass
. Obviously here’s a necessary and important service, but we find it surprising that this seems something of a dying art. [Mr. Haas] lives in the UK but notes that most glass eye makers have been German, and tend to pass the trade down to their children. With that father-to-
son
daughter transfer of knowledge becoming less common these days we wonder just how many people know how to do this any longer.
But don’t despair, it’s not that there won’t be a source for ocular prosthesis, as
acrylic eyes
are quite common. But what we see in the video after the break is breathtaking and we hate to see the knowledge and experience lost the way
vacuum tube manufacture
and even
common blacksmithing
have.
[vimeo
http://vimeo.com/8320480
w=470]
[via
Engadget
] | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "318023",
"author": "pod",
"timestamp": "2011-01-29T17:04:46",
"content": "SorryThis video does not exist.:/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "318035",
"author": "Ross Domke",
"timestamp": "2011-01-29T17:16:22",
"conten... | 1,760,377,290.371178 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/29/security-audit-kit-in-a-mouse/ | Security Audit Kit In A Mouse | James Munns | [
"Linux Hacks"
] | [
"cracking",
"hack",
"hacking",
"mouse",
"security",
"usb",
"wireless"
] | Sometimes it helps to have an entire set of tools with you to tackle a problem, and sometimes it helps to take the discreet route. [StenoPlasma] took the
latter
of these approaches, and stuffed a USB hub, a 16 GB flash drive, and an Atheros based USB wireless adapter into a regular looking USB mouse to make a Linux bootable system in a mouse. Because he chose the Atheros adapter, he is also capable of doing packet injection with tools like Aircrack-ng, which can invaluable in a security audit or (white hat) hacking situation.
This is the only photo we have, so it could be possible that the mouse is no more than a mouse, however we know all of what [StenoPlasma] claims is 100% possible, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, and hope this inspires others to hack up your own mouse kits. Be sure to check out the full parts list after the break.
Parts:
Targus USB 2.0 4-Port Bend-a-Hub (Stripped and re-soldered)
Belkin USB 10′ Extension Cord (with the extension USB in place to make it easy for me to change cable lengths)
IOGEAR Atheros Wireless B/G Injectable Cracking Adapter
Corsair Voyager Mini 16 GB Thumb Drive
Logitech MX310 Wired Optical Mouse | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "317973",
"author": "Gray",
"timestamp": "2011-01-29T15:02:40",
"content": "Cute!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "317991",
"author": "M4CGYV3R",
"timestamp": "2011-01-29T15:44:09",
"content": "That is an awesome idea.... | 1,760,377,290.43313 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/fabulous-magic-8-ball-prank/ | Fabulous Magic 8 Ball Prank | Caleb Kraft | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"flash",
"joke",
"prank"
] | Hackaday forum user [arfink] has shown us a brilliant practical joke he built. This is a
magic 8 ball that will blind you
with a flash when you flip it over. Have you ever been in a room with one of these and
not
flipped it over? Neither have we. Using a basic flash circuit ripped from a disposable camera in conjunction with a mercury switch, this project took him about 2 hours to make. Admittedly, most of that time was just trying to split the 8 ball in half without completely destroying it. The circuit is pretty simple. Just figure out what 2 wires need to be crossed to trigger the flash and install your tilt switch there. He added a power cut off so you could disable it as well.
UPDATE: video added after the break!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu01p9kGoFk&w=470] | 37 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "317306",
"author": "Spork",
"timestamp": "2011-01-29T00:03:59",
"content": "Haha sounds like a fun thing to leave in the living room for guests.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "317308",
"author": "Gav",
"timestamp": "201... | 1,760,377,290.587577 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/wireless-electricity-enables-next-generation-of-annoying-packaging/ | Wireless Electricity Enables Next Generation Of Annoying Packaging | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"advertising",
"box",
"cereal",
"ecoupling",
"electroluminescent",
"induction",
"wireless electricity"
] | Yep,
these cereal boxes light up
. They’re using a new branded-technology called eCoupling that provides
electricity via induction
, which means the shelves have a coil with AC power running through it. The “printed coils” on the boxes allow inventory control and data exchange presumably thanks to a low-power microcontroller. But in the video after the break you can see that the printed lighting on the boxes lets them flash parts of the box art as a way to attract customers’ attention. We’d bet that they’re using
electroluminescent materials
but we weren’t able to get find specifics on how this is done. We just hope advertisers don’t start rolling noise-makers into their packaging.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7oMIM6Vjtg
[
Crave
via
Laughing Squid
] | 88 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "317258",
"author": "IceBrain",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T23:10:55",
"content": "Combined with paper transistors[1] (invented by a team at my Uni), I fear for our trips to the supermarket a few years from now.[1]:http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/hardware/paper-transistor",
"pare... | 1,760,377,290.676701 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/building-linear-amplifier-prototypes/ | Building Linear Amplifier Prototypes | Mike Szczys | [
"Radio Hacks"
] | [
"high voltage",
"linear amplifier",
"microwave",
"transformer",
"transmitter",
"tube"
] | We know way too little about this subject but hopefully [Bob4analog] helped us learn a little bit more this time around. He’s
building his own linear amplifiers
on what looks like sheets of MDF. This is an evolving design and the two videos after the break show two different iterations. He’s salvaged several components, like transformers from microwaves, as well as built his own components like the plate choke to the right of the tubes in the image above. In standby, the amp sits at 2800 volts, warming the filament before the unit is switched on.
So what’s he got planned for this? Good question, but it appears that there’s more than enough power to drive a long-range transmitter.
First iteration: two tubes
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB8cVwZyVmc&w=470]
Second iteration: single tube
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB8cVwZyVmc&w=470]
[via
Make
] | 15 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "317238",
"author": "datacop",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T22:41:27",
"content": "I’m sorry, but 80m (3.5-3.8Mhz) is not even anywhere near microwave (>=1GHz)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "317244",
"author": "js",
"timesta... | 1,760,377,290.730858 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/drop-f-bombs-into-a-magic-8-ball/ | Drop F-bombs Into A Magic 8-ball | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"8-ball",
"profanity"
] | People in search of something profane to adorn their coffee table need look no further. [Wizgirl’s]
magic 8-ball hack lets you change the messages inside
, and her messages all include the most powerful of four-letter-words. To do so she completely replaced the message cube inside with one she built from a sheet of plastic, plastic label-maker labels for messages, and craft googly eyes to make it float… Brilliant.
The whole thing was reassembled along with the original fluid but she’s not done yet. A bit of creative case modifications leaves this magic 8-ball looking like a cartoon bomb, complete with a thick white fuse. She’s now the proud owner of a magic f-bomb.
[Thanks Osgeld] | 15 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "319651",
"author": "arfink",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T16:31:25",
"content": "Lovely!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "319652",
"author": "walt",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T16:37:19",
"content": "instructables BOOOOOO!!!... | 1,760,377,290.898421 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/evalbot-nunchuck-control/ | Evalbot Nunchuck Control | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"evalbot",
"nunchuck",
"ti"
] | [Martin] got his evalbot recently and wanted to try controlling it with his Wii nunchuck. After some trial and error, he
finally got it working
. He’s shown that controlling the bot with the nunchuck was actually pretty simple, but there are some other tips that could be pretty helpful in the process. One was the fact that the point where he’s taking power for the nunchuck could easily be shorted on the motor. He wrapped his in tape, but we could see this little bug pestering us for a while before we figured out what it was. You can download his code and see his build process on his site. Be sure to catch the video of it working in both accelerometer and joystick mode after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpGJNhKFiE8&w=470] | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "319610",
"author": "epokh",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T16:10:54",
"content": "Just to let you know 3.3V and I2C are available on the two 20-pin headers (which are also compatible with the TI RF dev-modules).Cheers.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,290.950798 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/31/insane-covert-ir-illumination/ | Insane Covert IR Illumination | Caleb Kraft | [
"LED Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"infra red",
"ir",
"led",
"lucidscience"
] | [Onironaut] over at lucidscience sent us a link to his latest project,
some IR illumination panels
. At first, we were mildly enticed by his usual high standard of photography and description. It was just an array of LEDs though. Still, we kept hitting the “next page” button because he goes into such great detail. Then we saw version two. Instead of simply being an array of IR LEDs mounted outside for his security camera, he has mounted 1536 IR LEDs inside an old flat panel monitor. That’s a fake monitor producing 180 watts of IR light, and we think that’s even at half power! He replaced the screen of the display with one way mirror, so you would have no idea that it isn’t just a normal screen sitting on his desk. Great job as usual [Onironaut]. | 37 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "319548",
"author": "Mike",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T14:05:18",
"content": "perfect for peep cams :-b",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "319558",
"author": "hc",
"timestamp": "2011-01-31T14:19:45",
"content": "With 180 w... | 1,760,377,291.026199 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/30/snes-arcade-controller/ | SNES Arcade Controller | Caleb Kraft | [
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"arcade",
"AVR"
] | [Daniel] is making a mini arcade cabinet with an SNES housed inside. He wanted to build an arcade controller for it and chose to
construct something from scratch
instead of destroying an original piece of hardware. We can almost feel you guys sighing with relief at that one. He sent us some nice photos of his build and pointed out that he’s using one of the
Evilmadscientist AVR boards
housing an ATtiny2313. The arcade buttons are readily available at
sparkfun
. The source code for this project is available after the break.
/**
* Emulate a 16-bit input shift register with integrated pullup resistors.
* In other words, a SNES controller.
*
* Daniel Holth
*/
#include
#include
#include
ISR(SIG_PIN_CHANGE)
{
/* Pin change interrupt for latch */
USIDR = PINA | (PIND &amp; 0b01111100) | (PINB &lt;&lt; 7);
USISR = (1 &lt;&lt; USIOIF); // clear overflow bit, set counter to 0
USICR |= (1 &lt;&lt; USIOIE); // enable overflow interrupt
}
ISR(SIG_USI_OVERFLOW)
{
/* USI finished shifting out 8 bits... */
USIDR = (PINB &lt;&lt; 3) | 0x0f;
USISR |= (1 &lt;&lt; USIOIF); // clear overflow bit
USICR &amp;= (0xff ^ (1 &lt;&lt; USIOIE)); // disable overflow interrupt
// TODO: output should be low after all 16 bits have been read out,
// according to <a href="http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/arcade_control/arcade_control_en.php" target="_blank">http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/arcade_control/arcade_control_en.php</a>
}
int main() {
USIDR = 0xff;
USICR = (1 &lt;&lt; USIWM0) | (1 &lt;&lt; USICS1); // 3-wire mode; external, positive edge.
// USICR = (1&lt;&lt;USIWM0)|(1&lt;&lt;USICS0)|(1&lt;&lt;USICS1); // negative edge
DDRA = 0;
DDRD = 0;
DDRB = 1 &lt;&lt; 6; // MISO
// Enable pullups
PORTA = 0x3;
PORTB = 0b11111;
PORTD = 0xfc;
// USIDR is shifted out MSB first.
// pin change interrupt for latch pin
PCMSK = (1 &lt;&lt; 5);
GIMSK |= (1 &lt;&lt; PCIE);
sei();
while (1) {
sleep_mode();
}
} | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "319079",
"author": "Frode",
"timestamp": "2011-01-30T20:29:53",
"content": "Why use a microcontroller when you can get by with only two 8-bit shift-registers (4021Bs)? I’m sure the 4021B is much cheaped than any microcontroller.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies"... | 1,760,377,291.082714 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/30/snail-mail-notification-system/ | Snail Mail Notification System | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"doorbell",
"mail"
] | [Mime] lives on one of the upper levels of an apartment complex. The mailboxes, being located at the ground floor can be somewhat inconvenient to check regularly. [Mime] decided to
rig up a device to let him know when his mailbox had been accessed
. He started with a wireless doorbell, thinking he could use the door side button inside his mailbox as a trigger with only some slight modification. On the receiver side, he wanted an LED to flash, letting him know that it was time to check his mail. One simple circuit and a self blinking LED later and the whole setup was finished. Great job [Mime] | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "318970",
"author": "woutervddn",
"timestamp": "2011-01-30T18:03:13",
"content": "[mime] or [meme] make up your choice :p",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "318973",
"author": "bogdan",
"timestamp": "2011-01-30T18:13:05",
... | 1,760,377,291.146622 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/30/jeri-getting-her-own-show/ | Jeri Getting Her Own Show? | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"jeri ellsworth"
] | [Jeri Ellsworth] has been very excited about this new opportunity. She sent us a “
pilot video
“, so we’re assuming that there will be more to come. In the pilot, she explains how to build a musical art installation that will play music when a viewer is in position. She covers several different ways to detect the presence of the person, ultimately landing on using a PIR sensor for detection. We can’t wait to see where this show goes, but we hope she continues to do her own hacking videos as well. | 35 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "318941",
"author": "MigSantiago",
"timestamp": "2011-01-30T17:05:49",
"content": "An electronics vlog, with a girl, and actual interesting content… wow! Nice idea Jeri, please let us know if you’re going to do more videos! :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [... | 1,760,377,291.215719 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/30/hands-on-with-ez430-f2013/ | Hands-on With EZ430-F2013 | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Reviews"
] | [
"ez430-f2014",
"f2013",
"hello world",
"msp430",
"texas instruments",
"ti",
"usb"
] | At the beginning of the Month
we came across a coupon code
for a free
eZ430-F2013 development stick
. TI has given these things now and again so we took the opportunity to acquire one. It arrived yesterday and we’ve spent just a bit of time looking it over. Above you can see the first project completed; Hello World on a salvaged Nokia cell phone screen. Join us after the break for our thoughts on the device, as well as more pictures and details.
The development board comes as a USB dongle. But this isn’t the extent of the packaging. It came in a DVD case, along with a CD that has User’s Guides and “web resources” on it. We don’t need this, but okay. But wait, that’s not how it shipped. The DVD case came inside of a 9″x9″x10.5″ box that was shipped priority overnight via FedEx. That seems a bit wasteful, especially considering that we didn’t pay a dime for the hardware or the delivery. A manila envelope would have sufficed, but if it’s free we don’t get to make the decisions about this stuff.
Inside you’ll find the mainboard with a USB connector that makes up the programmer itself. The hind-end is small detachable board that hosts the F2013 microcontroller. The case was a bit finicky to remove but a little bit of prying does the trick.
0451:f430 Texas Instruments, Inc. MSP-FET430UIF JTAG Tool
When plugged in an LED on the daughter board happily blinks away as the example firmware intended. We were pleased to see that dongle was recognized by Ubuntu 10.04 as a UIF device that MSPdebug, the
software we used to program with the Launchpad
, can talk to. Time to make this little guy do something.
Here’s the microcontroller board. Note the small-pitch 4-pin socket for connecting to the programmer board. Also note the unpopulated 0.1″ pitch pads.
Here’s the underside of that board after adding two 7×1 pin sockets. This is where we discovered a nice design consideration. Since we didn’t have any IDC sockets that are this large (to plug into a pin header on is board) we went with the pin socket and will just insert jumper wires. Now that they’re installed we realized that the pin-out from the bottom is the same as the chip would be from the top; pin 1 in the upper left and pin 14 in the upper right. Time to hook this up to something and start coding.
We pulled out an old Nokia 3595 LCD screen that we’ve used in the past because it uses 3.3V which is the upper end for this chip. Porting the code over was a snap since
it was already used with another MSP430 chip
. A few minutes later out pops ‘Hello World’. To review: it was free, works with Linux tools, and it seems like the code works across several different chips. Win!
Our Thoughts on the Hardware
So what do we think about this as a development package? If it’s free, great! We’re a little baffled because it seems to be disposable hardware. No thought has gone into using the programmer for anything other than TI’s daughter boards that have the fine pitch connector. We’ll most likely end up gluing a pin header to the plastic case and soldering those pins to the proper connections to make this more robust. We do get the feeling that one hand doesn’t know what the other’s doing over there because the Launchpad
feels
like superior hardware. That being said, neither of the development boards have made it easy to program and debug off-board so for now we consider both of these as novelties.
You do have to give them credit though, by giving it away for free we now have an MSP430 chip already on hand for the next time we’re prototyping a small project. And this might be just the thing to use the 1.8V serial EEPROM we ordered a few years back thinking we were getting the 5V version.
Resources
It’s nothing special, and probably of no use to anyone, but here’s the
git repository for the hello world code
.
Follow Me
@szczys | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "318895",
"author": "truthspew",
"timestamp": "2011-01-30T15:27:56",
"content": "TI appears to be dong a fire sale on all it’s toys lately.I just received my Stellaris robot development kit last week. I mean, who could pass it up? You guys posted the coupon code here and to get a $15... | 1,760,377,291.27817 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/the-openservo-project/ | The OpenServo Project | James Munns | [
"Parts"
] | [
"ATmega168",
"i2c",
"openservo",
"servo"
] | When it comes to using servos in projects, there is a definite distinction between the cheap ones and the expensive high power and precision models. The
OpenServo project
gives you a couple options for enhancing your servo experience. By replacing the control board with a new one based on a
familiar
microcontroller, a whole new
set of features
can be attained. For those of you out there with a need for servos like these, you can buy the pre-built replacement board (unfortunately sold out right now), or build your own from the provided schematic, BOM, and source code. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "317177",
"author": "Spork",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T21:26:02",
"content": "Cool hack. Very useful.I’ve been working on a stepper motor controller of my own, I like them better than servos. =]",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "317... | 1,760,377,291.328466 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/simple-sensors-to-calculate-rpm/ | Simple Sensors To Calculate RPM | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"18F452",
"fan",
"ir",
"pic",
"rpm"
] | Ever wonder how to calculate revolutions per minute using a microcontroller?
This project shows you how
by purposing an IR emitter and detector and a computer fan. As the fan blades spin they disrupt the beam of infrared light between the emitter and the receiver. This results in a waveform on the receiver’s circuit which can be easily used to trigger interrupts in any microcontroller. In this case a PIC 18F452 monitors the detector’s signals for a rising edge. By measuring time data between interrupts the period can be established and RPM calculated. You can see a video of the test rig after the break.
So what can you use this for? It’s the method that most
spinning POV displays
use to stabilize the display. You won’t be limited to an IR sensor, but can use a hall effect sensor in the same basic fashion.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKEG8qzZYN4&w=470]
[via
Hacked Gadgets
] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "317128",
"author": "Travis",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T20:35:25",
"content": "wouldn’t the tachometer pin on the fan be a usable as a source for pulses that could trigger the interrupts in the PIC 18F452? (e.g. for this fan), instead of the IR beam splitting ?",
"parent_id": null... | 1,760,377,292.140039 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/take-your-ps3-on-world-tour/ | Take Your PS3 On World Tour | Mike Szczys | [
"Playstation Hacks"
] | [
"pelican case",
"playstation 3",
"ps3"
] | [Lossfresnos65] must be planning to do a lot of travelling because
he’s entombed his PlayStation 3 in a Pelican case
. Inside you’ll find some diamond-plate bezel to cover the console itself and used to surround the 19-inch high-definition television that is mounted to the lid of the case. In the picture above you see the door that lifts to reveal foam cutouts for a TV remote and two six-axis controllers. There’s no battery and no wireless Internet, but connection for the power cord, Ethernet, component video, and HDMI have an external port on the base of the enclosure. There’s also two fans to keep everything cool, and on the front you’ll find two USB ports and a headphone jack. After the break he shows off the finished product but there’s no internal build photos to be found. We linked his forum post at the top as ask him and perhaps he’ll deliver the goods.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4eOKU1nbA&w=470] | 22 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "317094",
"author": "Andrew",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T19:35:07",
"content": "Ben Heck did something very similar to this:http://benheck.com/12-20-2010/ruggedized-ps3",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "317095",
"author": "Nick M... | 1,760,377,291.388173 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/sim-card-carrying-traffic-lights/ | SIM Card Carrying Traffic Lights | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"HackIt"
] | [
"criminal",
"sim card",
"theft",
"traffic light"
] | Apparently some of the traffic lights in Johannesburg, South Africa have SIM cards in them to help maintain the network without a physical connection. Now that’s some and not all, but apparently thieves have learned that
the SIMs can be used in cell phones to make anonymous and unlimited calls
. Officials are convinced that the thieves have inside information because they only crack open the lights that DO contain a card.
We’re
white hats
here at Hackaday and certainly don’t want to give out information that aids criminals. But since this is already a huge problem we have an idea of how thieves might be identifying which lights to rob. Sure, they probably do have inside information, but wouldn’t it be fairly simple to track down which lights use cellular communication by using
a home made spectrum analyzer
? We guess it would depend on how often the lights send out communications bursts. Does anyone have insight on this? Leave you thoughts in the comments.
[Thanks Bob] | 47 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "316985",
"author": "alan",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T18:09:50",
"content": "If they want to keep track of which light is on which state, it would be almost every minute. that would rack up a lot so i am assuming that they are only polling the lights every so often.",
"parent_id":... | 1,760,377,291.592192 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/patching-into-an-optical-mouse-with-a-pic/ | Patching Into An Optical Mouse With A PIC | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"optical mouse",
"pic",
"serial"
] | [MikyMouse] cracked open a couple different optical mice (or is it mouses?) in order to
play with the data communications coming off of the chips inside
. Once he figured out the protocol, it wasn’t too hard to grab the data for use in his own projects. The chip that controls the mouse is one of two he looked at, either an ADNS2051 or an ADNS2610. They run at 5V and use serial communications via SDIO and SCK pins. The clip after the break shows the test apparatus displaying coordinates of the mouse on an LCD screen. This seems like an easy and inexpensive way to get position data from your project. The only tricky part is going to be deciding when and how to to zero out the location.
Not interested in this type of mouse hack? Can we spark your curiosity with this
mouse auto-fire project
?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccebebWv_fI&w=470] | 12 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "316962",
"author": "ino",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T17:25:46",
"content": "I wonder if the mouse sensor can be used as a contact less tachometer. Could be quite useful for some projects.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "316968",
... | 1,760,377,291.641143 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/reminder-santa-pede-challenge-ending-soon/ | Reminder: Santa-Pede Challenge Ending Soon | Caleb Kraft | [
"contests"
] | [
"bbb",
"contest",
"santa"
] | This is just a friendly reminder that our
Santa-Pede challenge
will be ending soon. Please send your submissions to us by emailing them to bbb@hackaday.com or by posting them in the projects section of
our forum
(did we mention we have a forum now?) by the end of January to be considered. We don’t care how silly, stupid, simple,or slick it is, just send it to us! We have some fun prizes from
Adafruit
and
Make
and even have [Phillip Torrone] as a judge. Get those submissions in ASAP. | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "316883",
"author": "CutThroughStuffGuy",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T16:34:38",
"content": "If nobody enters (again) I will snicker quietly to myself. Then post a comment about it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "316953",
"auth... | 1,760,377,291.687486 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/monitoring-the-engine-control-unit/ | Monitoring The Engine Control Unit | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"atmega644",
"ecu",
"engine control unit",
"oled"
] | Is there a place in the dashboard of your high performance automobile for this
Engine Control Unit feedback panel
? There’s several methods of showing information at work here. The row of LEDs at the top of the bezel provide RPM feedback. The two red LEDs with chrome bezels are alarm indicators. But that big OLED display is the centerpiece of the unit. Not only can you scroll through a myriad of display options, but the screen packs more than enough contrast to be readable during the day. It looks like [Mathieu] is selling these units and has decided not to release source code because of this, but there’s a schematic available and a video after the break shows the menu system from which you can draw inspiration.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo8FvmOQ6NA&w=470] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "316879",
"author": "Fallen",
"timestamp": "2011-01-28T16:25:31",
"content": "Very impressive. It would be quite time intensive, I don’t blame him for not releasing the source code. He deserves to make some money off this, it was very well executed.",
"parent_id": null,
"dept... | 1,760,377,291.763337 |
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