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https://hackaday.com/2010/09/19/as-promised-more-industrial-robot-goodness/ | As Promised: More Industrial Robot Goodness | Jakob Griffith | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"arm",
"bmw",
"code",
"industrial",
"robot",
"scribblybot",
"twitter"
] | Remember [Mattythorne]? He took a BMW industrial arm and
re-purposed it to write twitter messages
on a white board. You can read a
small excerpt here.
Well [Matt] is back, and as promised includes an entire write up for how he got
@scribblebot
scribbling twitter messages. It’s a little light on details and we wish there was some more in-depth how-to magic, but then we remembered with most of the population not having an industrial arm in the first place the extra time spent incorporating the extra info would be far from worth it. Regardless, it doesn’t surprise that the previous commentators were not far off the mark in how difficult programing one of these machines would be. While such arms do have a few built in libraries it looks like a very exhausting process to override the default axis of motion, incorporate a UI, build a pen holder, and more. And in the end, is it worth it? [Matt] tells us the arm is going to be going back to monotonous car building work soon, giving weeks of prep only a day in the limelight. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "183012",
"author": "chrome",
"timestamp": "2010-09-19T14:31:15",
"content": "I’m so mad right now, abusing such a nice robot arm for writing twitter messages.I hate twitter on it’s own and i love robots but this makes my blood boil.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"repl... | 1,760,377,374.311539 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/18/smart-power-meter-interface-for-the-linux-crowd/ | Smart Power Meter Interface For The Linux Crowd | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"api",
"cc128",
"current cost",
"google",
"perl",
"PowerMeter",
"xml"
] | [Graham Auld] got his hands on an energy monitor for free from his utility company. The device seen in the insert provides a nice LCD display but he wanted a way to graph the data over time. There was an included cable and a method of using Google PowerMeter but only for Windows computers. He did a little poking around and came up with
a Perl script to interface the meter with Google’s tools
.
The hardware module is known as the
Current Cost CC128
and the developer was nice enough to publish an XML output description which [Graham] used in his script. From there it’s just a matter of registering and authenticating through the
Google PowerMeter API
. The script is not fully polished yet but it serves as a road map for your own implementation. | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "182691",
"author": "HARaaM",
"timestamp": "2010-09-18T21:30:35",
"content": "So, How EXPENSIVE is this thing?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "182696",
"author": "nyder",
"timestamp": "2010-09-18T21:42:52",
"content":... | 1,760,377,374.676731 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/18/daft-punk-table-with-ipod-dock/ | Daft Punk Table With IPod Dock | Mike Szczys | [
"ipod hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"daft punk",
"led",
"speakers",
"table"
] | This beautifully crafted
Daft Punk table with iPod dock
was built by [Dustin Evans]. The table itself was built with the help of a friend in one day with electronics added a bit later. It features an 8×8 grid of boxes with red LEDs mounted inside. The picture above is not quite the finished product, a diffuser will be added later to augment the scattering of light already provided by cutting the tip off of each LED. On the underside you’ll find a power supply and a set of speakers. The system is controlled by an Arduino which resides in the same drawer as the dock. See the final product in the clip after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksVysIMQl-4]
[via
HackedGadgets
] | 35 | 35 | [
{
"comment_id": "182666",
"author": "Tom",
"timestamp": "2010-09-18T19:55:46",
"content": "You mean Steampunk, right?!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "182667",
"author": "david",
"timestamp": "2010-09-18T20:05:13",
"content": "Gah! D... | 1,760,377,374.613058 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/18/intel-high-bandwidth-digital-content-protection-cracked/ | Intel: High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection Cracked | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"cablecard",
"encryption",
"hdcp",
"intel",
"master key",
"tuner"
] | Intel says that
HDCP has been cracked
, but they also say that it’s unlikely this information will be used to unlock the copying of anything. Their reasoning for the second statement is that for someone to make this work they would need to produce a computer chip, not something that is worth the effort.
We question that logic. Not so much for Blu-Ray, which is the commonly associated media format that uses HDCP, but for HD digital cable programming. There are folks out there who would like to have the option of recording their HD television shows without renting a DVR from the cable company.
CableCard tuners
have been mostly absent from the market, making this type of recording difficult or impossible. Now that there’s a proven way to get the encryption key for HDCP how hard would it really be to create a man-in-the-middle device that uses that key to authenticate, decrypt, and funnel the audio and video to another encoder card? We know next-to-nothing about the protocol but why couldn’t any powerful processor, like an ARM, or even an FPGA (both rather inexpensive and readily available) be programmed for this task?
Leave a comment to let us know what you think about
HDCP
, and what the availability of the master-key really means.
[Thanks Dave] | 54 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "182632",
"author": "John W.",
"timestamp": "2010-09-18T18:23:41",
"content": "Produce a chip, eh? A good FPGA definitely sounds like the perfect candidate for that. Only a matter of time before someone whips up the VHDL for that.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies... | 1,760,377,374.544243 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/18/usb-host-comes-to-zipit/ | USB Host Comes To Zipit | Mike Szczys | [
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"u-boot",
"usb",
"z2",
"zipit"
] | This USB to Zipit Dock adapter and a special kernel makes
USB host mode for the Zipit possible
. Previously, the cheap and hackable wireless client needed a hardware modification to enable USB support. The new kernel bootloader, called
U-Boot
, makes the internal alterations unnecessary (see the demo after the break). Now the only caveat is one of voltage. Zipit only supplies 3.3V when running on battery so your choices are to only use USB when the Zipit is plugged into a charger, or use a powered USB hub. But if you’re already building a hub adapter it shouldn’t be too much trouble to add in the option for a battery-powered hub.
So can we
play our NES games
using
a USB controller
now?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mex0PWkDOoI]
[Thanks Geordy] | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "182596",
"author": "johannesburgel",
"timestamp": "2010-09-18T16:52:33",
"content": "If I’m not mistaken U-Boot is a sophisticated Boot Loader, and not a kernel.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "182597",
"author": "nave.notni... | 1,760,377,374.927723 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/17/line-following-tank-without-a-microcontroller/ | Line Following Tank Without A Microcontroller | Mike Szczys | [
"News"
] | [
"analog",
"line following",
"phototransistor",
"tank",
"transistor"
] | This
line following tank
uses analog circuitry to sense where a dark line is and adjust its course. Despite the opening paragraph on
the schematic page
(which looks to be leftover from a past project writeup) this circuit relies on a set of transistors for motor control. [Chris] does a great job of explaining the setup in detail; it boils down to a phototransistor detecting reflected light and flipping which motor is running based on what is detected. A couple of potentiometers are included to tune up the accuracy of the circuit. There’s a short clip of the treaded-terror making a loop around the track after the break.
This is another great way to
try your hand at analog circuitry
. Once you’ve built the body (tank or otherwise) and line tracking circuit it can be repurposed by swapping out the brains for your next project.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA_tsduqYDU&feature=player_embedded] | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "182345",
"author": "Joel",
"timestamp": "2010-09-17T19:41:52",
"content": "Is it just me or does that *really* sound like manic laughter in the video?and I remember making these when we were about 13 at school, had to race them round a track which was pretty fun :P",
"parent_id"... | 1,760,377,374.734485 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/17/3d-digital-light-art-using-ipad-and-camera-trickery/ | 3D Digital Light Art Using IPad And Camera Trickery | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"dimension",
"ipad",
"led art",
"light art",
"light painting",
"tenth"
] | This
light art is created by a moving display
playing an animated image through several camera exposures. In this case the display they’re using is an iPad, but that really doesn’t matter as it’s just a high-quality screen and it’s portable. 3D animations are generated in software and then sliced into cross sections. As the camera rolls, the cross sections are displayed in order and the location of the screen is moved. Very much like
light painting with an LED
or
a Roomba
, the bright image remains and can be strung together for the 3D effect seen in the video after the break.
Using the cross sections of the video reminds us of what a three-dimensional object looks like to a two-dimensional being. If you have no idea what that means you should take a look at this
video on imagining the tenth dimension
.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/14958082]
[Thanks Ferdinand via
Flabber
] | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "182327",
"author": "Luke",
"timestamp": "2010-09-17T18:21:39",
"content": "I can see an Android and iPhone app built for this. Very cool idea!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "182330",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2... | 1,760,377,374.265749 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/17/building-linux-images-for-arm-architectures/ | Building Linux Images For ARM Architectures | Mike Szczys | [
"Linux Hacks"
] | [
"10.04",
"arm",
"gumstix",
"linux",
"lucid",
"omap",
"ubuntu"
] | Want to try your hand at building a Linux package for an embedded device? [SnowBot] decided to give it a try and set out to
build Ubuntu for a GumStix
. The single-board computer will cost you about $150 to get started, plus a way to connect to the device’s serial port. But once you’ve got your hands on it there is a lot of power in a tiny package.
He’s using
the RootStock package
to assist in the build. This is a suite of tools that generates the root file system that can be loaded onto an SD card for use with the Gumstix. It’s not quite building from the ground up, but there’s already enough hoops to jump through that this package is a welcomed shortcut.
Already rolling your own Linux packages for embedded hardware?
We want to hear about it
. | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "182296",
"author": "chango",
"timestamp": "2010-09-17T16:31:37",
"content": "It looks like he avoided all of the hard work in building a distro. He found a precompiled bootloader+kernel+modules, used a tool that automatically creates a rootfs, and built under Linux on the target to... | 1,760,377,374.799934 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/17/ben-heckendorn-gets-his-own-tv-show/ | Ben Heckendorn Gets His Own TV Show | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"ben heck",
"controller",
"heckendorn",
"the ben heck show",
"xbox 360"
] | That’s right, Benjamin J. Heckendorn (aka Ben Heck) has started churning out episodes of his own Internet TV show. We finally got around to
watching the first episode
and enjoyed it greatly. You’ll see him alter an Xbox 360 controller for a disabled gamer, making custom foot interfaces to take over the traditional role of your right hand. Also in the episode is part of a big build; making an Xbox 360 laptop out of the new slim model. We’re very interested in that overall build, but in this episode you only see him removing the components from the factory case. But we guess the promise of seeing the rest of the project is the hook to get you to watch the next episode.
Think that you haven’t heard of Ben Heck before? If you’ve been following
Hackaday
for a while you have. We’ve looked in on quite a few of his builds over the years, including his
pinball machine
,
Xbox 360 portable
, and his
access controller
. | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "182274",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-09-17T14:45:22",
"content": "I’ve been consistently impressed with his work. Glad to see he has a regular show now.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "182281",
"author": "davo111... | 1,760,377,374.364305 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/16/usb-adapter-options/ | USB Adapter Options | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"ftdi",
"lirc",
"max232",
"serial",
"usb",
"usbtinyisp",
"V-USB"
] | [Ladyada] takes some time out of her day to explain
the common options available for connecting projects through USB
. You may be thinking that you already do this with an Arduino. Well, yes and no. The Arduino uses one of these options, an FTDI chip that handles the USB on one side and spits out microcontroller-friendly voltage signals on the other. This chip can be used with your projects, a topic that [Phil Burgess]
covered in great detail
.
In the video after the break you’ll also hear about USB to serial converters which connect to the Universal Serial Bus and output the traditional 12-20V serial signals (with the exception of
cheap knockoff cables like the one from last week
). These need to be stepped down to 5 volts or less using a MAX232 chip to work with your project.
Finally there’s the option of using a microcontroller running the
V-USB firmware package
. This is how the
USBtinyISP
works and I’ve used it in my own projects
to build a LIRC compatible IR receiver
.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/14980412]
[Thanks PT] | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "182029",
"author": "sariel",
"timestamp": "2010-09-16T19:21:38",
"content": "sweet just ordered a MSP430 and hopefully i can use this info for a project i’ll be working on.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "182030",
"author": ... | 1,760,377,374.865501 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/16/low-power-wireless-home-automation-sensors/ | Low-power Wireless Home Automation Sensors | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"27",
"automation",
"low power",
"MHz",
"sensors",
"university of washington",
"wireless"
] | The line between serious research and well-executed hacks has been getting pretty blurry lately. The device above could have been designed in your basement but it actually comes from researchers at the University of Washington. They are
working on low-power home automation sensors
for monitoring things like humidity, temperature, air quality, and light. The key point in their research has been the use of a home’s electrical system for wireless communication. Operating at 27 MHz has proven quite efficient to the point that one of these modules placed within 10-15 feet of an electrical run can communicate with the rest of the home, powered only by a watch battery projected to last ten years.
That’s kind of exciting, it’s a heck of a lot easier to produce and distribute a set of small boards like this than to run communication wiring throughout the house. Now we just need to pair this with
the Air Force’s parasitic power work
and there’ll be no need for a battery at all.
[Thanks Sidhant] | 41 | 41 | [
{
"comment_id": "181957",
"author": "Johannes Burgel",
"timestamp": "2010-09-16T17:08:03",
"content": "Isn’t this an awfull waste of resources for a problem nobody has? Like Smart Meters?What exactly will monitoring temperature, humidity etc. do good for me? If some part of my house is too humid or ... | 1,760,377,375.005954 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/16/web-controlled-sprinkler-automation/ | Web Controlled Sprinkler Automation | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"atmega328",
"enc28j60",
"ethernet",
"solenoid",
"sprinkler",
"watering"
] | [Doug] needed to update his watering system to comply with his city’s new water saving ordinance. The old system wasn’t capable of being programmed to water only on even or odd calendar days. Rather than purchase a replacement
he decided to build his own sprinkler controller
. It needed to switch 12V solenoids, a job that’s not too hard to design for. Rather than re-invent the wheel, he modified a previous controller design. It is basically an Arduino and Ethernet shield on a his own etched board. In addition to the ATmega328 and an ENC28J60 (for ethernet connectivity) there is a bank of transistors to drive the watering solenoids. Now he has a web interface that controls the watering schedule and is fully in compliance with the new city code.
If you need another way to save when watering your grass you should take a look at the
sidewalk-avoiding sprinkler
. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "181989",
"author": "tantris",
"timestamp": "2010-09-16T17:54:41",
"content": "arduino bait..-ok, i take it:if you have an arduino and a ethernet shield, fine. if not, it’s cheaper (and more extendable) to use a dd-wrt router ($25 incl. sh)and put any micro you like on the serial por... | 1,760,377,375.057643 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/16/wii-sensor-bar-projector/ | Wii Sensor Bar Projector | Mike Szczys | [
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"fresnel",
"infrared",
"lens",
"projector",
"sensor bar",
"wii"
] | Having experienced quite a bit of trouble getting the Nintendo Wii remotes to work reliably with his home theater projector, [Sprite_TM]
designed his own sensor bar replacement
. If you’re not familiar, the Wii remotes have an infrared camera in the tip that sense two IR LEDs in the sensor bar that resides above or below your television. The problem is that if you’re too far away, the points of light are not where the remote expects them to be and the cursor will not perform as expected. Since this is a huge projected display it’s no surprise that the player is further away from the screen than the system was designed for.
[Sprite_TM’s] solution was to build a projection system for the two IR points. The unit in the picture above is a driver circuit with two IR emitters mounted on a heat sink, each with its own reflector. The reflected beams are shined through a Fresnel lens and projected on the same wall as the TV image. The viewer will not be able to see this light as it’s in a longer wavelength than the visible spectrum. But the Wii remote performs beautifully now and the replacement sensor bar is happily mounted out of sight above the projector. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "181932",
"author": "je5us",
"timestamp": "2010-09-16T15:55:56",
"content": "i hear you can also use candles, it’s quicker and sets a nice ambience",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181934",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": ... | 1,760,377,375.878553 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/16/dead-motor-think-again/ | Dead Motor? Think Again | Jakob Griffith | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"brush",
"commutator",
"dc",
"electricity",
"motor"
] | While hobby brush motors are pretty cheap now adays, there’s always that feeling of why replace when you can rebuild and reuse. As such [John Carr] presents how to
change the brush position in motors
to revive a dead motor. So long as the motor dies from
natural causes
commutator wear
, the idea is the brushes can be moved along the axes and fixed to a new portion of commutator that’s not worn at all. [John] also goes through the details of some tricky reassembly, but we think to make this complete a guide on brush replacement and commutator replacement might be in order
hint hint
. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "181890",
"author": "Sprite_tm",
"timestamp": "2010-09-16T14:15:06",
"content": "Lol @ mouseover on the picture :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181907",
"author": "Andrew H",
"timestamp": "2010-09-16T14:45:11",
"co... | 1,760,377,375.62708 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/15/robot-laser-tag/ | Robot Laser Tag | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"controller",
"EeePc",
"laser tag",
"photoresistor",
"xbox 360"
] | [Shay] and his friend built some battling robots for a school project. Instead of destroying each other’s robots with saws or torches,
they are playing laser tag
. Each robot sports an eeePC, a laser pointer on a movable arm, and some photoresistors. The goal is to get your laser to hit the other robot’s photoresistor to lower its health towards a kill. A server keeps track of the bout, monitoring shot fired because you won’t find unlimited ammo in this game. As for piloting the rig, the netbook webcam is streamed to a control station with an Xbox 360 controller for motion, aiming, and firing. Check it out after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqZ_a-yW2os] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "181715",
"author": "poiso",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T21:51:37",
"content": "effing awesome machine!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181729",
"author": "Amos",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T22:53:38",
"content": "Given the... | 1,760,377,375.93127 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/15/laser-marquee-projector/ | Laser Marquee Projector | Mike Szczys | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"laser",
"marquee",
"mirror",
"pointer",
"POV",
"projector"
] | This
laser message scroller
is built with inexpensive parts. The heart of [Raul’s] system is a spinning pill-box with eight mirrors on it. Each redirects the laser to a different vertical portion of the projection surface. There are eight small arms on the apparatus that each break the beam of an optical sensors as it spins, facilitating the precise synchronization needed to generate the projected image correctly. In the video after the break we can make out what looks like an Arduino controlling the system. This makes sense as it’s easy to connect the laser pointer and sensor, and the USB connection allows for the streaming of messages to the system.
Want to see a more complicated setup? Check out the
POV laser projector from a few years back
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03hpykIyNmA] | 22 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "181680",
"author": "xeracy",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T18:35:53",
"content": "fuuu.. that’s a brilliantly easy way to get the y-axis.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181682",
"author": "stealthmonkey",
"timestamp": "2010-... | 1,760,377,375.988256 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/15/atari-2600-recreated-in-an-fpga/ | Atari 2600 Recreated In An FPGA | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"atari 2600",
"dac",
"fpga",
"r-2r",
"ressitor ladder",
"Spartan-3E"
] | Behold [Retromaster’s] field programmable gate array
implementation of an Atari 2600
. The processor and video chip have both been built in the 100,000 gate Spartan-3E FPGA, with connectors for audio, video, and a Sega controller. The output signals are generated using two DACs made from R-2R resistor ladders, much like
the project we saw in August
. [Retromaster] included functionality for the system switches (difficulty and select) in the controller itself. There is VHDL code and board details available if you want to make one of your own. To help in making that decision we’ve embedded video of it after the break.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/14772895]
[Thanks Gokhan] | 16 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "181652",
"author": "svofski",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T17:38:26",
"content": "Hoorj!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181656",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T17:51:45",
"content": "A Sega controller? Bu... | 1,760,377,375.826844 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/15/psgroove-on-a-pic-microcontroller/ | PSGroove On A PIC Microcontroller | Mike Szczys | [
"Playstation Hacks"
] | [
"18F2550",
"exploit",
"pic",
"playstation 3",
"ps3",
"psgroove"
] | There’s now
a method of using PIC microcontrollers to exploit the PlayStation 3
. This is centered around a PIC 18F2550 which has been
popular in past hacks
because of its built-in USB serial port. This again makes use of
the PSGroove open source exploit code
and, like
the TI calculator version
, seeks to expand the selection of hardware the code runs on.
In addition to the chip and a PIC programmer you’ll need the CCS compiler as others cannot successfully compile this code. A licensed copy is necessary because the demo version of the CCS compiler doesn’t support this particular chip. Add to that the fact that because of the timing it may take several tries to achieve the exploit and you may find yourself disappointed by this development. But there’s always room for improvement and this is a proven first step on the new architecture.
[Thanks das_coach via
PS3Hax
via
Elotrolado
] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "181610",
"author": "1412",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T15:37:28",
"content": "i compiled for 18F4550 (other member of the same family)and it work excellent.it ‘s really important correct PLL configuration.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment... | 1,760,377,375.680857 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/15/169-linux-tablet-sortof/ | $169 Linux Tablet… Sortof | Caleb Kraft | [
"Linux Hacks",
"Tablet Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"chumby",
"linux",
"tablet"
] | The Insignia Infocast is a $169 simple media device being sold at Best Buy. Marketed as a way to share photos and run Chumby apps,
hackers are starting to release packages to extend its features
. [Bunnie] shows us one package in particular that allows it to be used as a web browser with an external keyboard. With an 800Mhz processor, an 800×600 touch screen, and 2 GB of memory, we can see that this is just scratching the surface of what is possible. [Bunnie] points out that some people are working on porting Android to the device, and if you really feel adventurous, you can
dig into the hardware
. | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "181585",
"author": "tantris",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T13:43:59",
"content": "It would make a nice wall panel for home automation, media control, etc.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181594",
"author": "zerth",
"timestam... | 1,760,377,375.563544 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/14/quadbike-bigger-is-better/ | Quadbike: Bigger Is Better | Jakob Griffith | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"big dog",
"bike",
"burning man",
"cycle",
"lawn chair",
"quad"
] | [Tom Wilson] has finished his latest human powered quadcycle.
The BigDog
, as its called, seats 4 persons in lawn chairs who pedal to their destination. We say latest, for [Tom] also made a slightly smaller version called
The DogSled
. Some improvements include being taller (8 feet total), larger (11 feet by 6 feet), and surprisingly lighter (over half the weight, bringing it in to 450 pounds). The build process is just as impressive as the bike itself; using pneumatic disk brakes to golf cart axles to even drainage pipe, its a perfect fit for
burning man
. Catch a video after the divide.
[Thanks Mowcius]
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exz9EduZNLI%5D | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "181411",
"author": "MarkyB86",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T00:04:14",
"content": "Awesome!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181416",
"author": "TerreurBV",
"timestamp": "2010-09-15T00:15:30",
"content": "It would be extr... | 1,760,377,376.048273 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/14/ritewing-zephyr-build-and-flight-footage/ | Ritewing Zephyr Build And Flight Footage | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"alps",
"rc",
"ritewing",
"video",
"zephyr"
] | That’s a camera perched atop this aircraft’s wing. [Trappy]
built the video system into his Ritewing Zephyr
and his test flights in the Austrian Alps make for some breathtaking video. The foam wing is pretty easy to work with and the tool of choice here is a hot knife to cut out cavities for the electronics. The total build time came in between ten and twelve hours, but this isn’t the first time [Trappy] has worked with this model. We’re not sure what setup he’s using for control, we’d guess
something head-mounted
, but do take a look from the cockpit after the break. You’ll like what you see.
[Trappy] informed Hackaday that he’s planning some altitude and distance testing next weekend. The goal is to reach 15,000 feet and a range of 12 miles.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrm3eqh9Yjk] | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "181312",
"author": "Grovenstien",
"timestamp": "2010-09-14T18:13:51",
"content": "EPIC!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181319",
"author": "David S",
"timestamp": "2010-09-14T18:31:45",
"content": "SO COOL! I WANT TO... | 1,760,377,376.163472 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/14/blade-runner-umbrella-saber/ | Blade Runner Umbrella Saber | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"blade runner",
"lightsaber",
"luxeon",
"polycarbonate",
"rain",
"umbrella"
] | Here’s
a Blade Runner umbrella build
that is done just a little bit too right. It delivers a double-dose of geekery with its lightsaber-gone-rain-protector look but where we think it crosses the line is at the built-in audio system. When you turn it on it plays recordings of popular lines from
Blade Runner
, something that might not fly in public. But the quality is in a different galaxy compared to the
dollar store illuminated umbrella
that we looked at last year.
[Erv’ Plecter] replaced the central support rod for the umbrella with a clear polycarbonate tube. An optic cable snakes through the hollow tube, illuminated by a Luxeon LED in the handle. The custom PCB and 900 mAh battery are both housed there as well. Take a look at (and listen to) the demo after the break. We’ll need to add this to our future projects list right after that
Lightsaber movie replica build
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DcFWnRMwks] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "181304",
"author": "Henrik Pedersen",
"timestamp": "2010-09-14T17:52:59",
"content": "When hackaday says something is to geeky… You need to get out more!!!No wait, don’t!!! Stay in, and give us more nerdiness, my over lord!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,376.099983 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/14/automated-entry-for-a-garden-gate/ | Automated Entry For A Garden Gate | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"code",
"electronic strike",
"garden",
"gate",
"iphone",
"keypad",
"lock"
] | [Dan McGrath] tipped us off about a solution for a problem that most people don’t have. He built
a web-based entry system for his garden gate
. This isn’t quite as original as
that chain and sprocket dorm room system
, but it does use a keypad for entry. [Dan’s] already got a web server and home automation box that is always running. He coded a webpage that presents a virtual keypad for code entry. If the right code is input the system unlocks the electronic strike on the other side of this gate. Since the interface is a web page you can load if from any web browser (an iPhone is used for demonstration purposes after the break). But if you don’t have internet access you’re in trouble; there’s no physical keypad. But we guess you could always just jump the fence.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riJTvfJsTCI] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "181274",
"author": "Mr Obvious",
"timestamp": "2010-09-14T16:18:51",
"content": "“…But we guess you could always just jump the fence.”Or use the key.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181283",
"author": "bob",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,376.334124 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/14/robotic-eye-surgery-controlled-with-magnets/ | Robotic Eye Surgery Controlled With Magnets | Mike Szczys | [
"Medical Hacks"
] | [
"clot",
"coil",
"eye",
"FIELD",
"magnet",
"robot",
"surgery",
"vascular"
] | If you’re in need of eye surgery you might just find yourself strapped into this contraption. It’s a
magnetic field generator used to manipulate a tiny, untethered probe
. It’s called OctoMag and the idea is that a robot less than half a millimeter in size is injected into your vascular system and, through the use of those coils, it busts up blood clots in the small passages inside of the eye.
Once you’ve seen the clip after the break we’re sure you’ll agree that this is amazing technology. Nonetheless it makes us cringe to think of the procedure done on a living organism but we’re sure that fear will subside given time. For now this seems more like a treatment from
A Clockwork Orange
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocE3MjF77Wk] | 26 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "181236",
"author": "hmm",
"timestamp": "2010-09-14T14:55:29",
"content": "Damn that’s scary.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181238",
"author": "transistor",
"timestamp": "2010-09-14T15:00:07",
"content": "That looks... | 1,760,377,376.397569 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/14/5-tones-1-arduino/ | 5 Tones, 1 Arduino | Jakob Griffith | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"generation",
"produce",
"pwm",
"reacxion",
"sound",
"tone"
] | Because the Arduino is in such high demand for producing
multiple musical tones at the same time
; [Jeremy Blum] has successfully figured out the math and other necessaries that will take your once previously single tone producing MCU and turn it into a 5 tone producing machine. unsurprisingly its really just some creative use of PWM control but it all works out in the end anyway and helps prevent you from purchasing additional
sound generating chips
. This truly does open up some new doors, as [Jeremy] shows with his still in production
thingamakit
like project:
ReacXion
. | 28 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "181216",
"author": "Eirinn",
"timestamp": "2010-09-14T13:42:08",
"content": "Oooh quite interesting, i’ve got to look into this some more.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181232",
"author": "Gregg Benjamin",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,376.28141 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/13/lego-host-for-all-of-your-prototyping-projects/ | LEGO Host For All Of Your Prototyping Projects | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"8880",
"arduino",
"lego",
"mega",
"nunchuck",
"super car",
"wii"
] | [Deadbird] decided to use a LEGO 8880 Super Car as a host for all of his electronic tinkering.
Throughout his blog
(
translated
) you’ll find the vehicle with an Arduino MEGA interfacing various prototyping bits. It starts with the motors for locomotion, closely followed by a servo for steering. From there we see the addition of a breadboard and graphic LCD screen. So far he’s worked out the use of a PS2 keyboard as a controller and, most recently he’s
interfaced a Wii Nunchuck
.
We’re more used to seeing
NXT kits adapted for wider use
, but if you’ve got a nice kit like this one it makes a great base onto which you can add your own robotic elements. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "181040",
"author": "dan fruzzetti",
"timestamp": "2010-09-13T20:14:06",
"content": "fantastic!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "181042",
"author": "deadbird",
"timestamp": "2010-09-13T20:23:21",
"content": "Thanks to ... | 1,760,377,376.688177 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/13/auxiliary-scoreboard-reads-status-directly-from-memory/ | Auxiliary Scoreboard Reads Status Directly From Memory | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"address",
"c++",
"cheat engine",
"counter",
"halo",
"kill",
"memory",
"pc",
"pointer"
] | [StaticChanger]
built a scoreboard
to display his kill statistics from Halo for the PC. Yes,
we’ve seen kill counters before
, but we like the way that he gathers the data. This project is
reading the score directly from an address in memory
.
Using a program called
Cheat Engine
, the memory used by a program can be sniffed. After a few passes, the program will help you find a static memory address for your desired data. Once you have that it’s just a matter of using a pointer to that address in your desired programming language. In this case, a C# program polls the value and instructs an Arduino to display the value on a couple of 7-segment displays. Voila, the number appears next to your screen as you see in the image above. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "181015",
"author": "Ploogle",
"timestamp": "2010-09-13T18:33:52",
"content": "I can see this not working well with Steam games. I’ll wager that it’ll raise all kinds of flags with your account if it detects something like “Cheat Engine” running alongside your multiplayer game…",
... | 1,760,377,377.037585 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/13/1-watt-laser-engraver/ | 1 Watt Laser Engraver | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks",
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"1 watt",
"diode",
"engrave",
"epson",
"stylus"
] | This laser engraver
was built using printer parts, a CD-ROM carriage, and some homebrew electronic boards. The laser diode is a 1-Watt model similar to what we saw used as
a weak laser cutter
back in August. When the width of the material changes the focus of the laser is affected so the diode was mounted on a CD-ROM carriage (in the Z axis) for easy adjustment. The X and Y axes are made using parts from Epson Stylus 800 and Epson Stylus Color II printers. After the break we’ve embedded a video of the machine engraving some wood using
EMC2 software
on an Ubuntu box. It also boasts the ability to cut paper and some plastic but it can’t compare in power to
a CO2-based unit
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkeiuM3bOTk]
[Thanks Panikos] | 20 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "180978",
"author": "tim",
"timestamp": "2010-09-13T17:08:23",
"content": "nice, but where can we find the 1W laser ?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "180980",
"author": "David S",
"timestamp": "2010-09-13T17:11:20",
"... | 1,760,377,376.80777 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/13/python-library-for-emotiv-eeg/ | Python Library For Emotiv EEG | Mike Szczys | [
"Medical Hacks"
] | [
"eeg",
"emotiv",
"epoch",
"library",
"python"
] | Want to control things with your mind? The Emotiv EPOCH EEG is one of the best pieces of hardware you can get that is ready to be hacked into your project. Too bad the entry-level SDK will set you back $500. Or you can take advantage of [Cody Brocious’] work by using
his Emotiv Python Library
. He sniffed around the data coming in over the USB connection and discovered that it’s encrypted. With a bit of trickery he extracted the key and built the 128-aes decryption routine into his package. So far this just pulls raw data from the unit so it’s up to you to figure out how to properly filter the signals and differentiate which sensor corresponds to each data stream. But it’s a start, and hopefully it’ll lead to more
mind controlled doo-dads
. | 23 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "180941",
"author": "CogScientist",
"timestamp": "2010-09-13T14:44:09",
"content": "Nice! Although I still have to be convinced that the EPOC is any good.There is great open-source EEG hardware out there (openeeg.sf.net or something) to work with!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth"... | 1,760,377,376.750199 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/13/analog-style-led-clock/ | Analog Style LED Clock | Caleb Kraft | [
"clock hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"clock",
"led"
] | We spied
this pretty LED clock
this morning and were impressed with how cleanly it was constructed. It was built to mimic an analog clock, so you have the typical hour markings and a minute and hour hand. The minute hand stays in each position for roughly 2 to 3 minutes. The brains behind all those LEDs are a PIC 16f877 with a DS1307 realtime clock. Over all, [WellyBoot] soldered 169 LEDs into place, and did it in a nice clean fashion. We suspect that if we had done it, it would resemble a spaghetti pile. You can see the schematics and build pictures on his site, or watch a video of it in action after the break.
[via
HackedGadgets
]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9nulOPBt_w] | 17 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "180926",
"author": "Brit",
"timestamp": "2010-09-13T13:39:30",
"content": "Would this effect be achieved more easily by simply putting LEDs on the hands of an actual traditional clock and simply mounting the clock behind the front plate there? Don’t get me wrong, it’s an impressive ... | 1,760,377,376.641962 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/12/home-made-t-e-a-lasers/ | Home Made T.E.A. Lasers | Caleb Kraft | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"aluminium",
"laser",
"t.e.a."
] | [Nyle] was interested in building lasers at home but felt that the exotic parts list was just too daunting. That was, until
he discovered T.E.A. lasers
. T.E.A. lasers can be constructed from a few bits of aluminum and some high voltage. They emit UV light, as you can see in his examples where he shoots them through a jar full of water with highlighter ink mixed in.
He has posted several variations of different sizes as well as numerous images of them in action. You can see a video of one in action after the break. We also have to point out the fantastic music in the video. It reminds us of those school videos left over from the 50s.
[via
Makezine
] | 46 | 44 | [
{
"comment_id": "180631",
"author": "brandonman",
"timestamp": "2010-09-12T17:08:08",
"content": "That. Is. TIGHT!!! May have to try it!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "180636",
"author": "Nathan Zadoks",
"timestamp": "2010-09-12T17:17:3... | 1,760,377,376.880063 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/12/building-a-power-supply-around-a-dc-dc-converter/ | Building A Power Supply Around A DC-DC Converter | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"boost",
"buck",
"converter",
"dc-dc",
"mc34063"
] | The EEVblog is on a roll with interesting topics lately. In the latest episode [Dave] takes us through
the nitty-gritty of switch mode power supply design
. Using DC-DC converter IC’s in not especially hard. The datasheets tend to have fairly good usage schematics but there’s always a bit of heartache that goes into figuring out which external components will make for an optimal design. Get your calculator out and, in the video after the break, he’ll walk you through choosing component values based on the formulas for the MC34063 converter chip.
[Dave] makes the point that this is an extremely common chip, available from several manufacturers, and often found in consumer electronics. In fact,
the switchmode supply hack from last month
was using a regulator based around the MC34063. So you can buy it or scavenge for it. One thing to note though, we checked Mouser and Digikey and they’re pretty short on these chips right now. Plan your projects accordingly.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGp82xhybs4]
[Thanks Ove] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "180600",
"author": "Quintin",
"timestamp": "2010-09-12T15:35:50",
"content": "I usually check eBay first, before going to regular web-stores. I’ve only failed to find a part on there once.Then I ordered it from a regular store and got the wrong part. Twice.I’ve watched half of the v... | 1,760,377,377.13546 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/12/small-cnc-gadget-draws-what-it-hears/ | Small CNC Gadget Draws What It Hears | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"art",
"lm386",
"mario marchese",
"microphone"
] | This
art piece makes drawings based on sound
. [Mario Marchese], who is responsible for
those illusion props back in february
, built this little guy out of a bunch of junk he had lying around. It features four microphones that listen to ambient sound and feed the signal through some LM386 audio power amplifiers. The output is translated into forward, backward, left, and right movements of the writing platform while the pen is fixed in the same position. Despite what we said in the title of the post this isn’t strictly a CNC machine, but more the primordial cousin of one. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "180586",
"author": "svofski",
"timestamp": "2010-09-12T14:38:15",
"content": "Reminds me of…http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b5/Unknownpleasures.jpg",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "180592",
"author": "MrX",
"ti... | 1,760,377,377.083477 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/11/cheap-cable-reused-to-add-usb-to-your-project/ | Cheap Cable Reused To Add USB To Your Project | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"AVR",
"cable",
"rs232",
"usb"
] | You get what you pay for. [Jkx] wanted to see how a USB to RS232 cable could be sold for just $1.70 and found out that it’s not actually RS232 compliant. The cable communicated as TTL levels, not the 12V expected of RS232 (although it can handle 12V incoming). He didn’t really want to use them for their intended purpose anyway. By betting rid of the DB9 plug and reusing the enclosed circuit board he now has
a really cheap way to interface a microcontroller with the Universal Serial Bus
. He worked out a couple of short subroutines that take care of receiving and sending data over the connection. | 39 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "180336",
"author": "RobThePyro",
"timestamp": "2010-09-11T22:32:02",
"content": "I did this too! :Dhttp://rambo.co.za/?p=65",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "180340",
"author": "fluidic",
"timestamp": "2010-09-11T22:36:14"... | 1,760,377,377.267155 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/11/keypad-door-lock-better-than-last-years-keyfob/ | Keypad Door Lock, Better Than Last Years Keyfob? | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"college",
"door",
"dorm",
"keypad",
"lock",
"opener"
] | It’s that time of the year again. The leaves are changing colors, it’s getting colder outside, and all the littler hackers are off to college. Which means we get to see an influx of dorm room locks and openers.
[Adam] is back at it again with a new
keypad dorm room lock
. Last year he had an exceptional setup
using a car keyfob
, so we’re a little curious as to why he would revert to such a low level system as a keypad that
isn’t even color coded
.
Perhaps its in his “new” way of presenting the hack. Rather than a blog or write up, he documents the
entire
most of the process in a little
less than 20 YouTube videos
. Watch him testing out the system after the jump.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJoK4qRlwk&feature=channel%5D | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "180321",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2010-09-11T20:51:28",
"content": "Wow I really like that, it’s so clean looking and simple.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "180322",
"author": "normaldotcom",
"timestamp": "2010... | 1,760,377,377.183411 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/11/macro-lens-for-a-nexus-one/ | Macro Lens For A Nexus One | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"epoxy",
"headphone",
"jack",
"lens",
"macro",
"putty"
] | [Thomas] tipped us off about
a macro lens attachment for his Nexus One
. As you’d expect, adding the lens helps the phone’s camera bring tiny details into focus. He re-purposed a lens from a pair of mini binoculars, using epoxy putty to make a mounting bracket. Now the last time we saw this putty used with a phone it was for
a snap-in bracket that cradled the phone
and included a lens adapter. Rather than go that route [Thomas] made use of the headphone jack just above the camera lens. An old headphone plug has been epoxied to the macro lens ring, holding it in place securely while remaining easily removable. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "180292",
"author": "zool",
"timestamp": "2010-09-11T19:13:50",
"content": "using the headphone jack to hold it there is a good idea, and his photos look cool but the lens seems to be off-center and you can see a black partial ring around the edge of the pics",
"parent_id": null,... | 1,760,377,377.32351 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/10/internet-controlled-remote/ | Internet Controlled Remote | Jakob Griffith | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"controlled",
"html",
"internet",
"ir",
"remote",
"server",
"spin",
"web"
] | How often does this happen to you? You’re leaving on a long trip, and half way there you remember the TV was left on. Never? Alright then, how about wanting to control an Xbox 360 from within the other room and you don’t have the remote. Still a rare occurrence?
Perhaps you have a better situation where an
internet controlled IR remote
, that can be programmed to work with any TV or IR accepting device, would be useful. [Nicholas McClanahan] starts off with USB Propeller from Parallax, adds an Ethernet module making a mini server, and ends with an IR LED and receiver. The code is nearly as simple being a combination of
SPIN
, Html, and JavaScript. All coming together under a nice website GUI that prompts for what IR signals to send. To make the project even more straightforward, [Nicholas] has included an
Instructable as well
. In the end though, while the hack is great, we’re still trying to find a decent enough use. Video after the rift.
[vimeo
http://vimeo.com/14622209%5D | 41 | 41 | [
{
"comment_id": "179959",
"author": "jeicrash",
"timestamp": "2010-09-10T22:05:01",
"content": "Setup a webcam pointing at the couch and let website visitors decide what you watch on tv while seeing your reactions. Its all i could think of.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,377.399903 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/10/pvc-pipe-fittings-just-for-building-stuff/ | PVC Pipe Fittings Just For Building Stuff | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"elbow",
"fittings",
"PVC"
] | If you’ve used PVC as a building material in your projects you may have run into trouble finding a way to make three pipes joint at right angles to each other (like the corner of a box outline). That’s because there’s no need for that type of joint when plumbing, the intended purpose of the PVC pipes. But [John] tipped us off about
FORMUFIT PVC Fittings
designed for construction use instead of plumbing. There’s a lot of interesting options, such as the ninety degree connectors, rounded end caps for aesthetics, and end caps designed to receive casters. We also enjoyed seeing the T connector that slides onto a pipe and can function as a swivel. We haven’t tried them out ourselves, but we think they’d come in hand whether you’re building
complicated moving structures
or just making a desk. | 50 | 49 | [
{
"comment_id": "179899",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": "2010-09-10T20:13:17",
"content": "nice but expensive … i never had a problem with fittings i got from lowes … these would look nice but unless they sell a kit for cheep … im not buying",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": ... | 1,760,377,377.480375 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/10/playstation-3-exploit-using-a-ti84-calculator/ | PlayStation 3 Exploit Using A TI84 Calculator | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"playstation 3",
"ps3",
"psgroove",
"sony",
"Teensy",
"texas instruments",
"ti84"
] | [Brandon Wilson] came up with a way to
exploit the Play Station using a TI84 calculator
. This uses the same
PSGroove open source code
that we looked at last week. That package was running on the Teensy,
which is currently sold out
(we’d guess because people want to run the exploit). There’s a video demonstration of this new trick after the break. The calculator connects via a USB A to USB mini-B cable which comes with the calculator and is also used to charge the PS3 controllers. Once the connection is made, launch the software on the calculator, power cycle the PS3, and turn it on with the familiar power-eject button presses. The only problem with the system is that the calculator needs to be connected every time you boot.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOSpCoCmOns]
[Thanks Scott] | 29 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "179871",
"author": "Mr_Bishop",
"timestamp": "2010-09-10T18:46:53",
"content": "Now thats a hack, I’m sad that the teensy is sold out though; I was planning on getting one of these bad boys. :(",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "17... | 1,760,377,377.624584 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/10/augmented-reality-uav-controller/ | Augmented Reality UAV Controller | Mike Szczys | [
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"augmented reality",
"glider",
"heads up display",
"uav"
] | Controlling a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle is much easier if you have
an augmented reality system
like [Fabien Blanc-Paques] built. On board the aircraft you’ll find a sensor suite and camera, both transmitting data back to the operator. As the title of this post indicates, the display the operator sees is augmented with this data, including altitude, speed, and a variety of super-handy information. For instance, if you get disoriented during a flight there’s an arrow that points back to home. There’s also critical information like how many milliamp-hours have been used so that you can avoid running out of juice, and GPS data that can be used to locate a downed aircraft. Check out some flight video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A54gyhhbJzE] | 45 | 45 | [
{
"comment_id": "179808",
"author": "Aero",
"timestamp": "2010-09-10T15:34:47",
"content": "I couldn’t go back to regular RC planes after that. Impressive!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "179810",
"author": "Remarknl",
"timestamp": "2010... | 1,760,377,377.558465 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/10/constructing-a-c02-laser-cutter/ | Constructing A CO2 Laser Cutter | Caleb Kraft | [
"cnc hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"cnc",
"laser"
] | [Owen] contacted us to show us his site dedicated to his
CO2 laser cutter build
. He spent about 2 years and roughly $15,000 putting it together, so this is not small build. The laser and optics alone were $9,000. This site isn’t necessarily meant to be a template to build your own, but he shares so much information that we would certainly suggest you read it before digging into a build. He does have some downloadables, like the tool paths and the emc2 configuration files as well as a copy of the entire website. Great job [Owen]. | 26 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "179784",
"author": "Billy",
"timestamp": "2010-09-10T14:02:00",
"content": "forgive me for being an annoyance, but its CO2 (charlie-oscar-two) not C02 (charlie-zero-two)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "179797",
"author... | 1,760,377,377.688173 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/09/web-controlled-watering-can/ | Web Controlled Watering Can | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"potentiometer",
"power window",
"watering can",
"webkit"
] | Here’s a watering can and water vortex that are
controlled with a webkit browser interface
. The interface displays a drawing of the watering can on your browser. If you grab one of the handles on the circle around the image and move it, the can will rotate as well.
Okay, so this isn’t going to change the world and actually presents a fairly useless watering setup. But [Ben] seems to be a master of fabrication and that’s what we appreciate in this build. The watering can is solidly mounted and moves fluidly with seemingly little effort from the motor. He uses a spring to keep the rope loop taut, sourcing a castor wheel and automotive power-window motor to provide the motion. The hinged base on which the can sits has a potentiometer in it, used to measure the current position of the watering can. Remember these techniques as they’ll come in handy in your future builds.
There’s also a little bonus at the end of the video after the break. We wondered what [Ben] might use that
power drill controller hack
for. Looks like it makes an appearance in his water vortex work.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKrlRJ-GJms] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "179581",
"author": "Limey",
"timestamp": "2010-09-09T21:46:18",
"content": "Out of all the cool things you could remotely control over the internet why a watering can? But aside from this it looks very well made.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,377.732697 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/09/laser-cutter-doubles-as-a-3d-printer/ | Laser Cutter Doubles As A 3D Printer | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"3d printer",
"laser",
"open source",
"reprap"
] | [Bart] figured out how to
use his laser cutter as a 3D printer
. We’ve checked in on
his open source laser cutter
in the past and we’re happy to see he’s now done with the build. But rather than stop there he took it a step further. For less than $200 he built an extruder head and added RepRap circuitry. You can see in the image above the laser tube is in the background and the extruder head with a line of black filament is mounted on the gantry. [Bart] has other plans for extensibility as well, including a knife cutter, a pen plotter, and a Dremel mount. | 10 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "179568",
"author": "Taylor Alexander",
"timestamp": "2010-09-09T21:20:28",
"content": "This is a great idea.The hobby world will explode with better and better stuff when you can build your own CNC Mill/Laser Cutter/Knife Plotter/FDM machine all in one, for cheap.They’re all pretty ... | 1,760,377,377.939511 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/09/76-flaming-trombones-led-the-big-parade/ | 76 Flaming Trombones Led The Big Parade | Mike Szczys | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"flame thrower",
"propane",
"red rot",
"trombone"
] | [Jonathan Crawford] is ready and willing to fire things up with
his flaming trombone
. A couple of years back his band teacher was going through the storage room triaging instruments. This trombone suffered from a bad case of
red rot
and would never function well again so [Jonathan] was able to get his hands on it and get to work.
He started by sanding down the instrument and painting it with high-temperature spray paint. Flexible copper tubing intended for an ice maker was used to relocate the propane outlet inside the bell of the instrument. A barbecue igniter, controlled with the player’s left thumb, lights the flame.
The torch that [Jonathan] is using would only allow a small amount of gaseous propane to come out the nozzle. He ended up drilling out the aperture, and using a short piece of vinyl tubing to bridge the gap between the nozzle and the supplementary copper tubing. At full blast this allows liquid propane to escape so be warned.
You can see him demonstrating this indoors in the video after the break. He mentioned to us that the first time he tried this out he set off the smoke detector. You’ve got to be careful when playing with fire, whether it’s a musical instrument, or
a wearable flamethrower
. So, you know, don’t try this at home.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPOKGzEe4sg] | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "179484",
"author": "HackJack",
"timestamp": "2010-09-09T18:46:09",
"content": "Yeah, right. Don’t try this at home. That’s just what he did. This is accident waiting to happen. I would at least do it in a garage to limit the damage.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"repl... | 1,760,377,377.80631 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/09/rfid-entry-uses-homemade-electronic-strike/ | RFID Entry Uses Homemade Electronic Strike | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"555",
"deadbolt",
"electronic strike",
"rfid"
] | [Fileark]
built an RFID entry system
that uses a pretty ingenious alternative to an electronic strike plate. An electronic strike is a rather expensive hinged plate that mounts in the door frame and catches the door latch. But this system opens a set of double doors. The door without the handle is fixed in place and has a normal strike plate. But it also has a deadbolt mounted in line with that plate. When the deadbolt is extended it is flush with the strike plate, pushing the latch from the door knob back and freeing the door to swing open. This is a bit hard to put into words so watch the video after the break to clear things up.
The system uses a cheap RFID package that provides a single signal line. This line connects to an old VCR motor which turns the deadbolt. Timing is provided by a 555 chip, and the deadbolt movement is limited by a couple of switches mounted along with the motor.
Now that the unlocking mechanism has been built it would be simple to use other authentication methods for unlocking the door, like
a wristwatch-based proximity system
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpOeuOM0NBo] | 22 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "179396",
"author": "Whatnot",
"timestamp": "2010-09-09T16:37:22",
"content": "This has an elegant simpleness, thanks for sharing.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "179411",
"author": "sol",
"timestamp": "2010-09-09T16:58:5... | 1,760,377,377.997017 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/09/password-exploitation-classes-online/ | Password Exploitation Classes Online | Caleb Kraft | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"crack",
"hack",
"hash",
"password"
] | Irongeek.com is hosting an
online class on password exploitation
. The event was a fundraiser called
ShoeCon
, but they are hosting the entire series for everyone to share. Not only are the videos there, but you can download the powerpoint slides as well. There is a massive amount of information here on various topics like Hashcat, OCLHashcat, Cain, SAMDump2, Nir’s Password Recovery Tools, Password Renew, Backtrack 4 R1, UBCD4Win. There’s so much info, they split it into 3 sections. The videos are fairly long, between 1 and 2.5 hours each. What might surprise people is the amount of time that google is actually one of the main tools.
These videos can be a fantastic resource for hobby hackers, IT admins, and security professionals. | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "179354",
"author": "Decius",
"timestamp": "2010-09-09T15:16:00",
"content": "Sounds interesting.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "179413",
"author": "zypher",
"timestamp": "2010-09-09T16:59:12",
"content": "“What migh... | 1,760,377,378.041741 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/09/revive-a-dockstar-and-get-so-much-more/ | Revive A DockStar And Get So Much More | Jakob Griffith | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"dockstar",
"jtag",
"parallel",
"tiao"
] | [Firestorm_v1] has done a fabulous writeup on not only resurrecting his
dead DockStar with JTAG
, but also includes some handy techniques and useful information that could be used with other hardware and
JTAG equipped devices
.
The tutorial itself goes into the details of finding the JTAG, correctly identifying the ports and making an adapter cable. Then wiring a
TIAO Parallel JTAG
kit and finally the flash and upload of firmware to the deceased Dockstar to give it new life.
While the fun stops a little short, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for [Firestorm_v1’s] future plans involving these surprisingly useful (read: hackable)
storage devices
, “roving USB camera with WiFi” we hear? | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "179338",
"author": "BLuRry",
"timestamp": "2010-09-09T14:45:59",
"content": "That’s a lot of work for a $40 device. Still, you can usually de-brick them with a $4 CA-42 nokia data cable since most of the issues are the crummy uBoot loader. Install Doozan’s uBoot on day one, it is ... | 1,760,377,378.090396 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/08/easy-quadrotor-helicopter-instructions/ | Easy Quadrotor Helicopter Instructions | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"accelerometer",
"arduino",
"gyro",
"gyroscope",
"helicopter",
"quadcopter",
"quadrotor",
"sparkfun"
] | Here’s a great tutorial on
building your own quadrotor helicopter
. This build isn’t necessarily less expensive than
others we’ve seen
since quality motors, propellers, and control circuitry aren’t cheap. But the design and assembly is well documented and presents a well-planned building procedure. The carbon-fiber tubes that make up the frame have extensions to protect the motors and propellers in the event of a crash. The Arduino, IMU, and transceiver are all tucked away between two aluminum body plates as well. They only thing missing is a solid methodology for tuning the four motors, a critical procedure that is just touched up at the end of the article. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "178927",
"author": "kristian",
"timestamp": "2010-09-08T19:37:45",
"content": "% /. “touched up” -> “touched on” ?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "178951",
"author": "austinmarton",
"timestamp": "2010-09-08T20:31:11",
... | 1,760,377,378.146518 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/08/location-tracking-with-twitter-and-google-maps/ | Location Tracking With Twitter And Google Maps | Mike Szczys | [
"gps hacks"
] | [
"18F25K20",
"gm862",
"google maps",
"gps",
"gsm",
"sms",
"twitter"
] | [Ryan O’Hara]
built a location tracker
he could use on motorcycle trips. Ostensibly this is to give his wife piece of mind be we think that was an excuse to play with GPS and SMS. To stand up to the trials of the road [Ryan] took his breadboarded prototype to the next level, using a manufactured board and a SparkFun enclosure. Tucked safely away is a PIC 18F25K20 gathering longitude and latitude from a GM862, formatting the info into a Google Maps link, and sending it to
the Twitter feed
via an SMS message. If you’re not familiar with the GM862, in addition to being a GPS module it can send and receive cellular data on a GSM network.
This is a nice solid hardware platform from which we can envision a couple of other hacks. The feed could be parsed to make a nice map graphic like the webpage for
that Twittering Road Bike
. It also might be nice to have a d-pad and character LCD to post your own tweets to the feed at the end of the day. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "178873",
"author": "Faelenor",
"timestamp": "2010-09-08T17:18:58",
"content": "piece of mind? be?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "178883",
"author": "Jake",
"timestamp": "2010-09-08T17:45:41",
"content": "My uncle h... | 1,760,377,378.201283 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/08/steroscopic-rig-requires-only-one-camera/ | Steroscopic Rig Requires Only One Camera | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"photography",
"stereoscopic"
] | [courtervideo] shares an instructible with us on how to build a
mirror rig to take stereoscopic pictures with one camera
. We’ve had the thought “couldn’t you just do that with some mirrors?” when looking at a
dual camera rig
. Well, as we all suspected, you can. There are some advantages here, a single click gives you your 3d image or video without any post processing, and unless you just happen to have an extra camera lying around you can save money there. You do however lose some resolution compared to two separate cameras. This setup could actually add some steps if you were wanting to interlace your images for viewing on a 3d tv. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "178863",
"author": "Pyrofer",
"timestamp": "2010-09-08T16:31:12",
"content": "This is a well known system, there are images of my 4mirror rig on my website and you can find more information at 3dphoto.net forums for stereo photographers.This system is easier than 2 cameras because y... | 1,760,377,378.251714 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/08/serial-port-controlled-cpu-fan/ | Serial Port Controlled CPU Fan | Mike Szczys | [
"Linux Hacks"
] | [
"fan",
"linux",
"noise",
"pwm",
"server"
] | [Christian] was running a Linux box as a home server but
needed a way to quiet the noisy machine
. Like many Linux servers, he’s using some pretty old hardware which doesn’t have an on-board header for the CPU fan which generates much of the unwanted sound. Those headers are nice because software can monitor the CPU and board temperature and adjust the fan accordingly.
[Christian’s] solution was to use the serial port for the task. He built a small circuit in which serial pin 3 drives the base of a transistor, pin 5 provides ground, and a floppy drive power cable supplies 5 volts. From there he wrote a RUBY program to monitor the CPU temperature and generate a PWM signal on the serial port, throttling the fan speed as needed.
[CC Photo Credit:
Garrette via Flickr
] | 38 | 35 | [
{
"comment_id": "178839",
"author": "Jake",
"timestamp": "2010-09-08T15:32:43",
"content": "You could also just use a thermistor to vary the base current into the transistor, and a potentiometer to calibrate it… That’s a LOT less work!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
}... | 1,760,377,379.882722 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/07/re-purpose-industrial-robotic-arms/ | Re-purpose Industrial Robotic Arms | Jakob Griffith | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"arm",
"bmw",
"bungie",
"car",
"halo",
"industrial",
"re-purpose",
"robotic"
] | We must find out where you can acquire these industrial robots pictured above. Sure, you expect car companies like BMW to have a few lying around, which they used to make into a
Twitter message writing robot
. But Bungie, a video game company, to have one as part of an
advertisement for Reach
?
The former is just a scratch on the surface, with
some pictures
, but a much more decent writeup will be provided after September 12th. The latter has a
few videos
, and you can watch it recreate a
monument with light ‘live’
. And while both are impressive uses of old tech, neither answered our first question, we gotta get us one of these.
[Thanks Matt and FurryFriend] | 53 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "178533",
"author": "JB",
"timestamp": "2010-09-07T21:27:39",
"content": "Mmm…. interesting to find out where to get one, but I guess only hackers with deep pockets need to apply here.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "178535",
... | 1,760,377,380.095417 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/07/beagleboard-cluster/ | BeagleBoard Cluster | Devlin Thyne | [
"Linux Hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"arm",
"beagleboard",
"Beowulf",
"cluster computing",
"omap",
"R"
] | What do you do after you make a
BeagleBoard graphing calculator
? [Matt] over at Liquidware Antipasto made a
BeagleBoard Elastic R Cluster
that fits in a briefcase. Ten
BeagleBoards
, are connected to each other though USB to ethernet adapters and a pair of ethernet switches connected to a wireless router. The cost for this cluster comes in around $2000 and while consuming less than 40 watts of power, out-paces a $4500 laptop. How might you use this cluster? What improvements would you make?
[youtube=”
http://www.youtube.com/v/dTpgcycBsQU%5D | 46 | 46 | [
{
"comment_id": "178427",
"author": "walt",
"timestamp": "2010-09-07T19:42:56",
"content": "I would use it to go to hackaday and add the following comment to every new hack…1st!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "178437",
"author": "kristian",
... | 1,760,377,380.224837 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/07/face-slapping-security-gaff-in-stored-value-cards/ | Face-slapping Security Gaff In Stored-value Cards | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"AT88SC0404C",
"card",
"laundry",
"smart",
"stored value"
] | The laundry machines at [Hans Viksler’s] apartment were converted over from coin operation to stored value cards. We’ve all dealt with these cards before and [Hans] thought it would be fun to do a little
sniffing around at how this particular company implements them
. We’ve covered
how to read these cards
and there have been several stories regarding
how to bypass the security
that they use.
But [Hans] wasn’t interested in stealing value, just in seeing how things work. So he stuck the card in his reader and after looking around a bit he figured out that they use the Atmel AT88SC0404C chip. He downloaded the datasheet and started combing through the features and commands. The cards have a four-wrong-password lockout policy. He calculated that it would take an average of over two million cards to brute force the chip’s stored password. But further study showed that this is a moot point. He fed the default password from the datasheet to his card and it worked.
We know it takes quite a bit of knowledge for the average [Joe] to manipulate these cards at home, but changing the default password is literally the very least the company could have done to protect their system. | 39 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "178391",
"author": "macusr",
"timestamp": "2010-09-07T19:02:01",
"content": "lol.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "178408",
"author": "Alan",
"timestamp": "2010-09-07T19:22:05",
"content": "That would be a “Forehead-s... | 1,760,377,380.010187 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/07/hacking-wing-commander-for-windows-7-compatibility/ | Hacking Wing Commander For Windows 7 Compatibility | Greg R. Jacobs | [
"Software Hacks"
] | [
"directX",
"games",
"opengl",
"win7",
"wingcommander",
"xp"
] | For everyone using a later version of Windows like Vista or Windows 7 they will probably never get to enjoy the awesomeness that was Wing Commander…
until now
. [Jari Komppa] has managed to use DirectDraw to his advantage and hack out a solution to this disappointing problem. He used DirectX to do this and has even managed to get OpenGL to load from a DLL after a few problems with Windows XP and Windows 7. This is truly a step forward in retro gaming. No more should we have to load a virtual machine to play Starcraft. Hopefully getting this ported to even older games such as Sim Farm or Commander Keen are on the way! | 26 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "178350",
"author": "chaos",
"timestamp": "2010-09-07T17:29:25",
"content": "I’d be happy if someone could fix the original Diablo to play on windows 7.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "3224918",
"author": "Sean Patrick ... | 1,760,377,380.607501 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/07/projectile-speed-sensor/ | Projectile Speed Sensor | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"ATmega128",
"bullet",
"laser",
"photodiode",
"projectile",
"sensor",
"speed"
] | [Mike] built
a sensor rig to measure projectile speed
. The setup uses a tunnel with two sensors in it. Each consists of a laser diode on one side focused on a photodiode in the other. The two are monitored by an op amp and measured by an ATmega128 microcontroller. When the beams are broken the elapsed time between the two events is measured in order to calculate speed. There is a setting to adjust the calibration for a range of speeds, which came in quite handy as [Mike] initially tested the device with rubber bands before moving on to a pellet gun and then a rifle.
It seems like he’s tempting fate by shooting a target just a few inches below his exposed circuitry but his marksmanship prevailed. We’ve seen bullet speed detectors in the past, used just for the delight of seeing
how fast the projectile is moving
, and also to
capture an impact at just the right instant
. | 16 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "178334",
"author": "Spork",
"timestamp": "2010-09-07T16:52:44",
"content": "Chronograph anyone?This is pretty sweet, not quite as polished as some we’ve seen, but it’s always cool to see how fast bullets are traveling.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
... | 1,760,377,379.938933 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/07/equinox-clock/ | Equinox Clock | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"driver",
"ds1307",
"equinox",
"rgb",
"rtc",
"tlc5940"
] | The
Equinox clock
is made up of simple parts but a combination of fine design and precision make it a gem of a timepiece. The guts are made up of an Arduino, a DS1307 real time clock, twelve LED drivers, and sixty RGB LEDs. These combine with a capacitive touch interface to tell the time using three lit blocks for the hours, one for the minutes, and a fading block for the seconds. See for yourself after the break.
To our delight, [Bram Knaapen] shared
the specifics of the case
. The black ring that makes up the body was laser cut and spray painted. He uses small blocks of acrylic that have been sandblasted to diffuse the light. This is also a great example of clean circuitry using interconnects between the different circuit boards.
We always enjoy seeing clocks
no matter what level of finish is involved
, but great design is something that makes us want to hang a project on the wall rather than stow it in a parts bin.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNpjX5mobfI]
[Thanks Mowcius] | 34 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "178258",
"author": "Luke",
"timestamp": "2010-09-07T14:53:26",
"content": "Wow. I dig it! A nice finishing touch would be to put the power adapter cord in the wall so there’s no cord coming out the bottom.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comm... | 1,760,377,380.460012 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/07/1953-radio-includes-tubes-am-fm-and-mp3/ | 1953 Radio Includes Tubes, AM, FM, And MP3 | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"am",
"amp",
"fm",
"modulator",
"mp3",
"radio",
"transmitter",
"tube"
] | This
vintage radio can play AM, FM, and MP3
, all with a classic sound. Inside you’ll find a new AM radio tube-amp, providing the functionality you’d expect from the device. The rest of it comes from a conglomeration of parts; an FM receiver board from another radio and an MP3 player with remote control and USB connector. The classic sound we mentioned above comes from an AM modulator. That’s right, the auxiliary audio boards aren’t connected directly, but are broadcast on the AM band so that your latest MC Lars album has the same sound quality as the traffic report.
Check out this similar project from last year that
adds RDS to a vintage radio
. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "178254",
"author": "Urza",
"timestamp": "2010-09-07T14:39:41",
"content": "Take it one step further and make it internet enabled – it checks the weather forecasts every so often, and modifies the signal strength of the AM modulator depending on the time of day and weather conditions... | 1,760,377,380.146969 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/06/snake-bot-climbs-trees/ | Snake Bot Climbs Trees | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"snake",
"tree"
] | While you are out enjoying your Labor Day festivities, keep an eye out for robot snakes in the trees. The CMU robotics lab has
built a snake bot named Uncle Sam that can climb trees and poles
. As you can see in the video after the break, the bot seems to have no problem at all scaling a tree. It wraps itself around the tree, then rotates down the center of its entire body. Once it has reached the top, it can take in the scenery. Though it is a little creepy looking, at least it isn’t in the water.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VLjDjXzTiU] | 27 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "177899",
"author": "Peter",
"timestamp": "2010-09-06T14:59:40",
"content": "It so does swim.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnRTTKJjZro",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "177900",
"author": "Roberto",
"timestamp": "2010-09-0... | 1,760,377,380.387299 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/05/self-playing-bayan-built-nearly-22-years-ago/ | Self Playing Bayan Built Nearly 22 Years Ago | Jakob Griffith | [
"digital audio hacks",
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"1988",
"accordion",
"bayan",
"computer",
"russia",
"solenoids",
"weird al"
] | The year is 1988
, where a Russian engineer [Vladimir Demin] has combined a Bayan, or button accordion, with several (we lost count at about 96) solenoids. If that alone doesn’t blow your mind the computer, also hand built by [Vladimir], controls the whole process leaving the operator to only work the bellows.
Putting truth to the fact in Soviet Russia, accordion plays you
. We wish we could find some more information about the instrument, but curse our inability to read Russian. Alas check after the break for a shorter version of the video in the link above.
Related:
Electronic accordion doesn’t compare
.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIK78jQo_0s%5D | 57 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "177557",
"author": "xoxplox",
"timestamp": "2010-09-05T17:06:18",
"content": "AWESOME!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "177558",
"author": "Vadim",
"timestamp": "2010-09-05T17:07:47",
"content": "That’s just awesome!T... | 1,760,377,380.552071 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/05/solid-ice-beer-caddy/ | Solid Ice Beer Caddy | Caleb Kraft | [
"Beer Hacks"
] | [
"beer",
"ice"
] | [Rob] has made an astounding contribution in the effort to keep our libations chilled. Not content with merely refrigerating his cold ones, or even putting them in a cooler full of ice, he has
built a beer caddy out of solid ice
. Though it may look simple initially, you can see from his writeup that it actually took quite a few itterations to get it to freeze correctly, and then actually survive the process of removing the bottle placeholders. Ultimately, he found that glass bottles full of sand work best and you have to freeze the caddy in layers. Though he calls himself an impatient person, we’ve seen people who insisted on having their
cold ones made frigid faster
. You can see a video of the ice caddy after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz5idMOzeOo]
[via
Lifehacker
] | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "177521",
"author": "Pouncer",
"timestamp": "2010-09-05T13:56:42",
"content": "Not a ha…Kidding. That’s cool, too bad it’s going to leave a puddle where ever it sits though. I want to see a video of it floating in the pool. lol",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies... | 1,760,377,380.672935 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/04/binary-calculator/ | Binary Calculator | Caleb Kraft | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [] | [Syst3mX] emailed us about his
Binary Calculator
earlier this week and it almost slipped into the depths of our inbox. Luckily We noticed it in there today and thought we’d share.
He wanted to be able to calculate binary values without having to jump through hoops or boot up his computer, so he built his own binary calculator. For the brains, he chose an ATTiny2313. He can do basic operations like NOT, AND, OR, XOR, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and modulo. It isn’t too bad looking either. You can catch a video of it in action after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkiyMTLeOY] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "177217",
"author": "Whatnot",
"timestamp": "2010-09-04T17:26:03",
"content": "Cute, but I find it odd that there apparently isn’t a direct input button for each binary digit, but I guess it doesn’t matter.Now all it needs is a nice case of some sort.Great way to establish geekness."... | 1,760,377,380.850404 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/04/shovel-guitar/ | Shovel…guitar? | Jakob Griffith | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"guitar",
"hero",
"instrument",
"music",
"pickup",
"shovel",
"string",
"tools",
"wood"
] | We didn’t believe this hack at all when we saw it, or rather heard it. Surly a
guitar made out of a shovel
couldn’t sound decent. But the video (after the jump, skip to 2:40 for the jam) to our untrained ears sounded pretty rad. Could be the supremely well done wood work, proper use of tools, high tech pickups, or maybe Russian magic, we don’t know.
In fact, if you continue the video it doesn’t stop there. The creators also made a 2 string bass and a few other instruments from shovels. Do I smell a new shovel hero?
Related: Guitars made out of things that
should not be guitars
.
[Thanks Paul]
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG7mhJbGFUI&feature=player_embedded%5D | 53 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "177184",
"author": "NatureTM",
"timestamp": "2010-09-04T15:47:14",
"content": "Umm, maybe it’s a translation thing, but I think it would have been cool to use an axe. I guess it’s easier to mount the hardware on a shovel.I think in electric guitars with coil, as opposed to piezo, p... | 1,760,377,380.983419 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/meter-clock-using-the-ti-launchpad/ | Meter Clock Using The TI Launchpad | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"analog",
"launchpad",
"meter",
"msp430g2211",
"ti"
] | Here’s an
analog meter clock using an MSP430G2211 microcontroller
. [Doug Paradis] chose this processor because it is the lesser of the two that come with
the TI Launchpad
. The parts count is fairly low too; a clock crystal, two analog meters, a few buttons, and a voltage regulator.
He’s done a nice job putting this together. We challenge you to give this a try yourself and build on [Doug’s] features. We really liked the calibration subroutine in
[Alan’s] multi meter clock
. It would be fun to implement that functionality and store the calibration code in the MSP’s flash memory. You can use
our ported garage door opener code
if you need an example of how to store data in flash. | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "176470",
"author": "Circuitmage",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T19:15:46",
"content": "This would look great in a car.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "176472",
"author": "matt",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T19:25:58",
"conten... | 1,760,377,380.748623 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/firmware-hacking-on-behringer-midi-devices/ | Firmware Hacking On Behringer Midi Devices | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"arm",
"behringer",
"firmware",
"gnu",
"midi"
] | A new project called
the Unofficial Behringer Control Development Kit
lets you tweak or completely replace the firmware on the popular devices. The proof of concept demo shows a custom message scrolling on the 4-character 7-segment display but you can do with the device is only limited by how well you can code for the ARM processor inside. Development takes place using the
GNU ARM toolchain
but don’t worry, you don’t have to crack the case open to program the chip. The BCR2000 and BCF2000 models supported by the project both run bootloaders that allow firmware updates via midi commands. There’s even a recovery mode if you screw something up. Just make sure you have a direct midi connection for recovery, the USB port won’t work for that purpose. If you need a shove to get you started there’s
a nice little example file
in the repository.
[Thanks Bjonnh] | 8 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "176464",
"author": "xeracy",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T18:48:54",
"content": "I doubt even the most gear-head artists would need to replace the firmware on a midi controller. There are free programs that can map and re-rout the signal to any other hardware/software…. Maybe deadmau5… ... | 1,760,377,380.795917 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/meat-smoker-texts-you-when-it-is-done/ | Meat Smoker Texts You When It Is Done | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"food",
"grill",
"meat",
"smoker"
] | [Peter Rauch] has built this
meat smoker that has a touch screen control interface
. His system is capable of controlling the cooking by monitoring the internal temperature of the smoker as well as the temperature of the meat itself. His touch screen interface allows him to enter his desired parameters and it basically just takes over from that point and texts him when it is done. You’ll have to
download the pdf
to get to the juicy details of his build, but it is an interesting read.
It looks like he’s using a 4-loop Gefran GFX4 temp controller in conjunction with a Modbus remote terminul interface and a TS8010 HMI touchscreen for the bulk of the electronics. It even has protection limits he can set to keep his family from bumping it up to 1200 degrees.
[via
Makezine
] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "176444",
"author": "The Cheap Vegetable Gardener",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T17:08:58",
"content": "Just need to automate the ability to empty pan and add wood chips every few hours and totally a set it and forget it.Immediately after buying my smoker this week I have had a similiar ... | 1,760,377,380.897575 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/barcode-infiltrator/ | Barcode Infiltrator | James Munns | [
"classic hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"barcode",
"database",
"injection",
"led",
"scripting",
"sql",
"xss"
] | Whenever someone manages to expose vulnerabilities in everyday devices, we love to root for them. [Adrian] over at Irongeek has been inspired to
exploit barcodes
as a means to attack a POS database. Based on an idea from a
Pauldotcom
episode, he set out to make a rapid attack device, using an LED to spoof the signals that would be received by scanning a barcode. By exposing the POS to a set of generic database attacks, including
XSS
,
SQL Injection
, and other errors easily solved by input sanitation, he has created the first version of an automated system penetration device. In this case the hardware is simple, but the concept is impressive.
With the hardware explained and the source code provided, as well as a basic un-sanitized input
cheat sheet
, the would-be barcode hackers have a great place to start if they feel compelled to provide a revision two.
[Thanks Robert W.] | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "176420",
"author": "spiritplumber",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T15:18:27",
"content": "That’s beautiful. Looks like a hack out of a movie :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "176425",
"author": "Durgo",
"timestamp": "2010-09-... | 1,760,377,381.173031 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/spy-video-trakr-software-and-first-hack/ | Spy Video TRAKR: Software And First Hack | Phil Burgess | [
"classic hacks",
"Featured",
"how-to",
"Robots Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"graphics",
"led",
"POV",
"robot",
"shift register",
"spi",
"spy",
"toy",
"tracker",
"trakr",
"wild planet"
] | Our initial view
of the Spy Video TRAKR “App BUILDR” site had us believing this would be an internet-based code editor and compiler, similar to the
mbed microcontroller
development tools.
Delving deeper
into the available resources, we’re not entirely sure that’s an accurate assessment — TRAKR may well permit or even require offline development after all. Regardless of the final plan, in the interim we have sniffed out the early documentation, libraries and standalone C compiler and have beaten it into submission for your entertainment, in order to produce our first TRAKR hack!
TRAKR software development at the moment, to phrase it just as politely as we can, has a Wild West flavor to it. The finished tools and reference materials aren’t expected until October. Early documentation is rough — entire sections still missing — so it’s frequently necessary to rummage through their example code to learn how things operate. And the compiler is
exceedingly
rough right now…it requires a minor patch just to get started, and works only within
Cygwin
, a UNIX-like command shell for Windows systems. So tonight we’re gonna program like it’s 1999! To continue, we’ll have to assume you’re at least vaguely familiar with command-line development tools, as explaining the entire process from scratch is more than we can fit here.
It probably goes without saying, but for posterity: these are beta tools and the entire process will almost certainly change as the TRAKR HAKR site nears release, rendering these directions obsolete. Until then, for those wanting to get an early start, here’s how we began building our own TRAKR hacks…
Getting the compiler
The C compiler and documentation are presently located on the
Apps Help page of the TRAKR web site
. Just follow the directions there to download the App Primer (containing the compiler and demo source code), the TRAKR Codebook PDF (an introduction to TRAKR programming), and the Function Reference and code snippets for lighter-weight reference once you’re familiar with the concepts.
The Apps Help page states that the tools work with Linux, but this isn’t entirely true. The App Primer ZIP file contains only the Cygwin (Windows) toolchain, along with the TRAKR libraries and sample code. The C compiler is based on arm-elf-gcc 3.4.6 — Linux users might stand a chance with the pre-built 3.4.3 package from the
GNU ARM
web site. You’ll still need to download the App Primer for the libraries. With Mac OS X, things get ugly…we’ve yet to locate a viable package for Intel Macs. Building the 3.4.6 toolchain from source (or via MacPorts) has brought only frustration, and the TRAKR makefiles don’t play nice with later (but working) arm-elf-gcc editions. Joy. Eager to move ahead, and not wanting to invest a lot of time on beta tools that are certain to change, some of us are simply using the Windows package in
VirtualBox
for now.
Getting the compiler
to actually work
After unpacking the App Primer ZIP file, copy the TRAKR.1 folder inside to a suitable working location within your Cygwin directory. The _MACOSX folder can be deleted — this is just an artifact of the files having passed through a Mac at one point; there are no OS X build tools here.
Just unpacking the Primer and trying to compile the examples, you’ll encounter a slew of “undefined reference” error messages and a failed build. There’s a problem with the TRAKR library — some test data that’s not properly archived — but it’s a straightforward fix. Go into the Internals directory and edit the Makefile using vi (or another editor of choice if you have one installed). Line 22 looks like this:
OBJECTS = $(S_OBJECTS) $(O_OBJECTS)
It should be changed to this:
OBJECTS = $(S_OBJECTS) $(O_OBJECTS) $(O_IMAGES)
Save the changes and exit the editor, then (still in the Internals directory) type:
make trakr.a
Now you can go back to any of the examples and successfully compile by typing “make”. For example:
cd ../EX06_Sound
make
This will create a “.bin” file that can be loaded onto the TRAKR. Attach a USB cable between your computer and the TRAKR vehicle (the power switch can be on or off, it doesn’t matter). In a moment, the TRAKR’s internal storage will show up as a small removable drive. Then just copy the .bin file to the APPs folder on this drive, e.g.:
cp EX\ Sound.bin E:APPs
Disconnect the USB cable, power up the TRAKR and remote, press the remote’s Home button and use either stick to navigate to the “EX Sound” menu item, then press the “Go” button. The app should prompt you to record 10 seconds of audio from the TRAKR’s microphone, then plays this back. Cool stuff!
Writing your own apps
Each TRAKR app is required to have three functions: Start(), Run() and End(). Your Start() function contains one-time initialization code, such as opening the motors to software control; End() is the complimentary function for when your program finishes, restoring control to normal TRAKR operation. Run() contains the meat of your application…this function is expected to return either “true” or “false” to indicate whether it should run again iteratively, or is ready to exit.
The header file svt.h contains constants and prototypes for the functions described in the Codebook and reference documents. This includes high-level functions for producing graphics and sound, turning the
infrared LED
on or off, reading the controls, driving the motors and accessing the SD card. This is all the
Official Documented Stuff
thatApp BUILDR will encourage us to use.
But there’s a second header, JAPI.h, revealing much of the underlying functionality on which the TRAKR library is built. And for the time being, this is the only way to access the really interesting stuff like digital I/O, video processing and USB host. This is most definitely
not
the Official Documented Stuff, and relying on it now means your code will probably require some changes to work with the Official Stuff later.
There’s something conspicuously absent from both libraries: higher-level digital I/O such as serial
UART
or precise
PWM
control. We’re not even certain yet whether any the accessible breakout lines correspond to these hardware functions. Maybe it’s something forthcoming, or maybe this will require the chip datasheet, with code talking to the registers directly. Worst case, such I/O will just have to be done with slower
bit-banged
methods. Which is exactly what we do with…
Our first hack
We really wanted to showcase both the software and hardware hackability of the TRAKR. There isn’t the space for an overly-technical writeup, but neither do we want to send you off with a trivial modification. Hopefully we’ve found a good balance here…mildly esoteric, but most readers with modest prior soldering and programming experience should be able to follow along and create something similar.
Our inspiration came from
an earlier Hack a Day article about the txtBomber
, a handheld dot-matrix graffiti printer:
The width of the TRAKR is about the same as a sheet of paper. With
a row of solenoids
and some paint markers, we could make a fantastic mess with this…or even simpler, skip the markers and head to the beach, having the TRAKR “comb” messages in the sand.
Problem is, we didn’t have a stack of solenoids on hand, and we wanted to get right into this rather than wait around for parts to arrive. Rooting among the detritus of our
secret underground vault
, we found a great substitute from a prior project: a row of 48 addressable LEDs driven by
shift registers
, the board on which they’re mounted perfectly matching the TRAKR’s 10 inch width! So our aim now was to achieve the same effect in light. The TRAKR moves too slowly for retinal
persistence of vision
to occur, but we could use
long exposure photography
to capture the results.
Anyone can buy a TRAKR off the shelf now, but the light bar was something custom-made for a POV project. The good news is that it’s
a very common circuit, something we’ve linked to before
, and a slightly scaled-back version can be built on a breadboard. Ours has a set of six 75HC595 shift registers with decoupling caps, each driving eight LEDs with associated current-limiting resistors. Very similar to what’s shown in that article, but cascaded out to six chips. You could also do something similar (and
way
more colorful)
using ShiftBrite LEDs
.
The LED board is held to the ’bot with masking tape. Spared no expense!
As pointed out in our
teardown
, the all-important JACK3, containing the GPIO lines, is smack dab in the middle of the TRAKR main board. The unpopulated header USB2, which we’ll use as a power tap, is closer to the outside edge.
In our haste to create a presentable demo, we just soldered wires directly to the TRAKR’s circuit board, but at some point intend to dismantle the thing again and solder on a proper header for inserting wires. For +5VDC and ground, the VDD5V and VGND pads of the idle USB connector are used. The shift registers require three data lines (as we’ll explain in a moment), and we opted to use the first GPIO lines on the board, labeled GPC0, GPC1 and GPC2.
The shift register interface, referred to as a
3-Wire
serial connection or sometimes SPI (Serial Peripheral Interconnect), is a
synchronous serial
interface, meaning that each bit of data is accompanied by the synchronized tick of a clock bit on another line. A third line, called the
latch
, signals the end of the data transmission — in the case of an 8-bit shift register, this will output on its 8 parallel data lines the last 8 bits that were “clocked in” over the serial connection.
For our light bar hack, we’ll use GPC0 as the clock line, GPC1 as the data line, and GPC2 as the latch. Most microcontrollers feature some kind of native 3-Wire/SPI support, but as mentioned earlier, with the TRAKR library at present we’ll have to trigger all these bits through software control.
Next thing we need is an image to display on the LEDs, one row at a time. Naturally, we’re going to use the Hack a Day logo:
In the source code archive provided later, the image is present as a 1-bit Windows BMP file, simple to work with because the data is uncompressed. The image is turned sideways as it requires less code for the program to decode each horizontal row of the bitmap than it would for processing vertical columns. It’s 48 pixels wide, corresponding to the 48 pixels in the LED bar, and 60 pixels high, including some blank lines at either end so repeated logos don’t run one into the next.
Our example program is hardcoded for this one demo image, which is embedded in the executable. A more sophisticated program might allow the user to load an image from the SD card, and would properly parse the BMP header to query the actual image dimensions. Again, we’re just looking to keep the code simple and not stretching out to hundreds of lines.
// POV demo for Spy Video TRAKR w/shift register LED bar.
#include "svt.h" // Official API
#include "JAPI.h" // Secret sauce
#define ROWS 60 // Image height in pixels
#define COLS 6 // Image width in bytes (pixels = 8x this)
#define PAD (3 - ((COLS - 1) & 3))
extern unsigned char _binary_logo_bmp_start[]; // In logo.o
#define CLOCK (1 << 0) // GPC0
#define DATA (1 << 1) // GPC1
#define LATCH (1 << 2) // GPC2
void Start()
{
JAPI_SetIoOutputMode(CLOCK | DATA | LATCH);
}
bool Run()
{
unsigned char *ptr, byte;
int r, c, b;
// 62 byte offset to start of image data within BMP:
// 14 byte BMP header, 40 byte DIB header, 8 byte palette
ptr = &_binary_logo_bmp_start[62];
for(r=0; r<ROWS; r++) { // Each line in image
for(c=0; c<COLS; c++) { // Each byte in line
byte = *ptr++;
for(b=128; b; b>>=1) { // Each bit in byte
if(byte & b) JAPI_SetIoLow(DATA);
else JAPI_SetIoHigh(DATA);
JAPI_SetIoHigh(CLOCK);
JAPI_SetIoLow(CLOCK);
}
}
JAPI_SetIoHigh(LATCH);
JAPI_SetIoLow(LATCH);
Sleep(20);
ptr += PAD; // BMP rows start on 4-byte boundary
}
return true;
}
void End()
{
}
The graphics-related #defines should be clear by now, we know this program is set up for this one specific image. The CLOCK, DATA and LATCH #defines correspond to the individual bits passed to GPIO-related functions, making subsequent code easier to read.
In the Start() function, the call to JAPI_SetIoOutputMode() initializes all three lines as outputs.
Because of the way the image is formatted, there’s minimal work now to be done in the Run() function. For each horizontal row of the image, six bytes of image data are output one bit at a time, 48 bits total: the DATA line is set either high or low to indicate the corresponding 1-bit pixel value, and then the CLOCK line is quickly toggled high and then low to “clock out” the data bit. At the end of each row, the LATCH line is similarly toggled to tell the shift registers to display the new data. A 20 millisecond delay holds the image for a moment so it’s not all scrunched together, given the TRAKR’s limited speed.
The next line advances the image pointer to the start of the next row, if required. In BMP files, rows are always a multiple of 4 bytes wide. Our bitmap is only 48 pixels (6 bytes) across, so this skips the two extra bytes at the end of each row. The final “return true;” line tells the TRAKR library to repeat our Run() function again indefinitely.
The End() function is empty for this program, but it still needs to be present to keep the linker happy.
A ZIP file containing the above source code, bitmap image and makefile can be downloaded here
. Extract this archive within the Trakr.1 folder, alongside (not within) the Internals directory. “cd” to this directory and type “make”. If all goes as planned, this should produce the file POV.bin, which can be loaded on the TRAKR as described earlier.
Something to consider when hanging circuitry off the TRAKR is the proximity to the 2.4 GHz antenna. We wasted a good half hour tracking down a “software bug” that in reality turned out to be our sloppy, long wires picking up radio interference (you can still see a few whacked-out pixels in the image above). Keep wire runs as short as possible, perpendicular to the antenna.
Bright future
Even in this early stage, warts and all, we’re quite excited by the prospects for this toy’s hackability. Wild Planet is to be applauded for their open-minded approach in encouraging software and hardware modifications. A lot of comparisons are already being made to the
Roomba
and
Rovio
, both of which have spawned enthusiast sites and even books. Time will tell if the Spy Video TRAKR catches on the same way.
So that’s our TRAKR hack…now let’s see yours! When you’ve got something cool to showcase, don’t forget to
tip us off
! | 23 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "176401",
"author": "Navic",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T14:12:26",
"content": "Awesome job, you guys have been so detailed in this project!! It’s nice to see the HAD logo all over this hack.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "176416"... | 1,760,377,381.295377 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/01/led-suit-lights-up-the-night/ | LED Suit Lights Up The Night | Jakob Griffith | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"app",
"arduino",
"coat",
"el",
"iphone",
"led",
"module",
"rgb",
"suit",
"wifi"
] | When the tipline popped up with
this LED suit
,
part two
, by [Marc DeVidts] we were expecing a simple led version of the previously known
EL coat
.
Well we were right and wrong in the same instance. Correct in that like predictions, the outcome is
stonking great
. Wrong in that this suit far outpaces EL in abilities we weren’t expecting. Namely to start off, an iPhone app over WiFi dictates to some 200 Arduino multiplexed RGB LED modules to dance randomly or follow patterns; an accelerometer and microphone are also implanted to further some effects. And finally if the suit isn’t enough to make you giddy, his PCB and enclosure milling surely will. Catch a video of the entire setup after the break.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZSldyNCI10%5D | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "176169",
"author": "Erik Johnson",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T00:06:12",
"content": "Aw damn, someone else beat me to getting an article on here for almost the same thing :( a WiFi-controlled RGB LED suit.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comme... | 1,760,377,381.564411 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/01/alarm-clock-learns-new-trick-opening-doors/ | Alarm Clock Learns New Trick, Opening Doors | Jakob Griffith | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"alarm",
"automated",
"chicken",
"clock",
"coop",
"door",
"open"
] | Waking up at 5:30 in the morning. [Mark Stead]
didn’t like the idea
either when his chickens started crying to be let out. One simple solution obviously is to
eat the chickens
build an
automatic door opener
. The mechanism starts out with an old style mechanical alarm clock, add a geared motor with some creative switch work to pull open the door, weather proof the entire thing, and done. [Mark] even modified the setup later to work with
vertical doors
. No MCU required for either.
Pair this with an
automated feeder system
, egg gathering and cooking setup, and you’re half way to having your breakfast ready for you when you wake up in the morning – around noon like the rest of us.
[Thanks MS3FGX] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "176136",
"author": "zigzagjoe",
"timestamp": "2010-09-01T22:21:24",
"content": "Brilliant.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "176144",
"author": "Mr. Sandman",
"timestamp": "2010-09-01T23:16:51",
"content": "eat the chi... | 1,760,377,381.22851 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/03/c-sharp-development-101-a-tutorial-series/ | C Sharp Development 101 – A Tutorial Series | Greg R. Jacobs | [
"Software Development"
] | [
"c sharp",
"c++",
"programming"
] | In this tutorial series we are going to look at C# Development using the Visual Studio 2010 Express editions. This will take you from the basics of installing Visual Studio 2010 Express, to the Object Oriented Programming style associated with C# and other languages, dabble in some database access (Access & SQL Server Express) and finally, design a project that will pull all of our knowledge together into a final solution.
We are going to begin by downloading the Visual Studio 2010 express from Microsoft’s
website
so that we can get started on some C# development. After the file has been downloaded you will need to have a connection to the Internet so that the program can download the necessary files to complete the install. For the sake of customization we won’t walk through the rest of the install and will pick up with some add-ons that will make your coding experience easier.
With the Express edition now installed, it is good to know that the express editions of Visual Studio 2010 do not support extensibility. This means that the ability to install plug-ins and add-ons is not included. If you happen to acquire or have a full version of Visual Studio 2010 then the option is there for you to add these plug-ins that have helped me out in a tough spot before.
Visual Assist X
This is probably one of the best applications out there for intellisense and document syntax highlighting. Now many of you might be saying that Visual Studio already does this. Yes they do, but not as well as Visual Assist X. This add-on will look into your added in files such as the Boost library, and retrieve all of the Boost functions and try and piece together a description of what that particular function would do. Syntax highlighting is the best around with the quick option to do minimal to maximum highlighting. A must have for the avid programmer but will run you $249 for a one year subscription and $49 maintenance fee every year afterwards. This price tag might discourage most but take the 30 day trial and take it for a test run.
Ghost Doc
A product of SubMain, this add-on will allow you to document your code quickly and efficiently using XML markup. To generate these comments it uses the elements type, parameters of the function as well as its name to generate the comment. This is especially useful for people who do not enjoy documenting functions in their code. Most promising add-on if you are looking for code documentation.
AnkhSVN
A free SVN add-in for Visual Studio that allows you to connect to a repository, browse the branches all within the comfort of the Visual Studio environment. Very easy to use for people who want to start a community project on Google Code or host their own. A must have for people who like to collaborate and don’t want to hover over one persons computer to review code.
All of these have been personally used and are highly recommended for use when developing for the .NET framework. The next part in this series will go back to an old classic for programmers; Hello World. We will go through making a project file and printing Hello World to the console as well as on a form. As always, any problems with the series or if you just have questions post to the comments so that we may learn from each others mistakes and grow as a community. If you can’t wait until the next post,
here
is how to start making a Hello World console app. Until next time, Happy Hacking! | 107 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "176883",
"author": "michael",
"timestamp": "2010-09-03T20:11:39",
"content": "Let me be the first to chime in.. I love C#. Let the flame wars begin.But seriously, I am freaking good at it. Say what you want about M$, C# is a nifty language.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,381.490989 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/03/the-spindicator/ | The Spindicator | Caleb Kraft | [
"computer hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"activity",
"indicator"
] | [Harvey] wrote in to share
the Spindicator
with us. The spindicator is a hard drive activity activity indicator built in a ring to resemble a dekatron. Using the pulses from the hard drive activity LED, [Harvey] tested several different methods of interpreting that data for display. The final version, negative edge triggered with a lowpass filter can be seen after the break. It is nice and smooth and vaguely reminiscent of many programs’ loading screens.
He has pictures and tons of detail on the project including videos of previous versions that acted quite erratically.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94-Xc5M5gO4] | 39 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "176869",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2010-09-03T19:16:43",
"content": "Cool. Was the choice of duct tape made for aesthetic reasons or to control airflow in the case? If the latter, I’ve never seen someone goto those lengths — good idea. :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth"... | 1,760,377,381.642173 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/03/eevblog-dissects-a-kindle-3/ | EEVblog Dissects A Kindle 3 | Caleb Kraft | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Teardown"
] | [
"ereader",
"kindle"
] | [Dave] over at the EEVblog did a review of the kindle 3 recently, but never got to the good stuff, the guts. He is now rectifying this with a
full video dissection of the eReader
. Full of details on how to open it up as well as specifics on the internals, this is a fun video to watch. One thing that caught our attention was the RFID tag on the inside of the case. It is probably for inventory tracking, but we can’t help but have a few tinfoil hat type thoughts. You can watch the video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD-wPmowR-Y]
[thanks Julius] | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "176954",
"author": "Osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-09-03T23:09:25",
"content": "“One thing that caught our attention was the RFID tag on the inside of the case. It is probably for inventory tracking, but we can’t help but have a few tinfoil hat type thoughts.”Obama put it there to see... | 1,760,377,381.746845 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/03/controlling-the-power-of-a-flash-with-a-tv-remote/ | Controlling The Power Of A Flash With A Tv Remote | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital cameras hacks",
"News"
] | [
"flash",
"photography",
"pic"
] | For those who do fancy photography, setting up the lighting ends up being one of the larger tasks of each session. There are flashes out there that can be controlled via a remote control to help ease the process, but they can cost a considerable amount more. [Dsvilko] shares with us a fairly simple circuit that allows you to
use a tv remote to control your flash
. He’s using a picaxe 08m and he states that before this project, he had never messed with microcontrollers. We say great job on your first microcontroller project. You can catch a video of it in action after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2osloXHi6eE]
[via
Makezine
] | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "176792",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-09-03T15:18:01",
"content": "Awesome! Great job, I bet you learned a lot on this project.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "176795",
"author": "Fallen",
"timestamp": "2010-0... | 1,760,377,381.687062 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/trossen-robotics-holding-another-contest/ | Trossen Robotics Holding Another Contest | Caleb Kraft | [
"contests"
] | [
"competition",
"contest",
"trossen"
] | You have until December 1st to get your entry into the
Trossen DIY robotics contest
. Unlike the last
Trossen contest we told you about
, this one has no clear theme. The goal is simply to make an awesome robot. Registration is free, and entries will be judged on Ingenuity, Originality, and presentation/documentation. There are prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, with the 1st place prize being the Interbotix Hexapod. If you haven’t seen it yet, it is a kit of a hexapod that is pretty quick on its feet. You can catch a video of it after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stfwAdV0Vmc]
[via
botjunkie
] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "176558",
"author": "Gh05t",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T22:15:30",
"content": "Sweet! :) I dont know much about robotics but i am doing electronics :) If anyone has a team out there interested in recruiting, please let me know. I’m more than willing to learn :) I love it!",
"parent... | 1,760,377,381.793073 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/using-an-nes-controller-on-an-android-phone/ | Using An NES Controller On An Android Phone | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"bluesmirf",
"bluetooth",
"emulator",
"nes"
] | [Sk3tch] rigged up a way to
use an original NES controller with Android
. He bought the controller and a breakout board for it at DEFCON. By combining the controller, an Arduino, and a
blueSMIRF BlueTooth module
the controller can be used as a keyboard on his Android device. In the video after the break he demonstrates pairing the devices and playing Super Mario Bros. 3 in an emulator.
He calls this Alpha quality but it certainly looks like it works well. In the beta version we’d love to see all of the extra electronics inside the controller case like
those USB mods
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FZTz2KO9vU] | 20 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "176525",
"author": "Ho0d0o/Heatgap",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T21:20:32",
"content": "This is really cool. Would be nice to find a way to make this a smaller blue tooth device that could fit in your pocket.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comm... | 1,760,377,381.850991 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/car-computer-requires-pin-for-ignition/ | Car Computer Requires PIN For Ignition | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"18F2550",
"18f4550",
"900a",
"boost",
"computer",
"EeePc",
"pic",
"pin",
"touchscreen",
"usb",
"volvo"
] | [Ben’s] added some nice goodies to his Volvo in the form of
an in-dash computer
. The system monitors two pressure sensors for boost and vacuum, as well as reading RPM, O2, and exhaust directly. All of this is tied into the touch interface running on an eeePC 900A. But our favorite feature is that the system requires you to enter a PIN to start the ignition. The forum post linked above is short on details so we asked [Ben] if he could tell us more. Join us after the break for a demonstration video as well as [Ben’s] rundown on the system.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yPlFFCGi2A]
Ben writes:
Hi, great, glad you like it. The EEE 900A has a 2GB ram upgrade and a 16GB SSD upgrade, running windows 7. I modified the computer so it could fit directly behind the screen, which involved relocating the USB ports, and also using a HP webcam from a broken laptop as a back up camera.
The black box has three circuit boards. I’ll send you some pictures of the most current version later. The first board is for power, It has a 3.3v and 5v regulators to provide the two voltage rails, and the three relays. One relay controls the power supply to the netbook, the second controls the car’s actual starter, and the third controls the auxiliary power and lighting system.
The second board uses two freescale semiconductor pressure sensors, one to read boost and the other to read vacuum. It also has a secondary microcontroller (A PIC18F2550) to read a direct RPM input as well as a wideband o2 sensor in the exhaust. This uC is running in i2c slave mode.
The final board in the back is a PIC18F4550, which has direct control over the relays, the secondary controller, and also directly reads the two pressure sensors. Both controllers run software written in PICBASIC.
Now the part that I like about the interface box, is in order to talk to the computer, it uses only the PIC18F4550’s USB port. one usb connection is all that the computer talks to the car with.
The software running on the netbook is an application that provides a front end to the control box, A PIN is required to be entered, and once the PIN is correct, you are then able to start the car via the
button on the screen. The normal key method of starting no longer works. For security, The interface ONLY sends the PIN number to the control box, the control box has a PIN number saved and encrypted on the PIC’s internal eeprom. The entire application was written in VC++, .net, and provide me with accurate boost, vacuum, RPM, and AFR on screen. Touching a gauge on the screen enlarges it, and minimizes the other two gauges for enhance readability.
It’s all cleanly installed in my 1998 S70 T5, which was an automatic from the factory and that I swapped to manual in January this year. To power the entire system on, you only need to press the unlock button on the keyfob. by time you get to the car, the computer is running, and the control box is connected to my software and waiting. Locking the doors via key fob (using the key on the door also works just as well) tells the contol box to use a transistor to electrical press the EEE’s power button and put it into sleep mode. Once the EEE is off, it cuts power to the EEE, and then both controllers go into sleep mode, drawing minimal current. I’ve left the car for a couple weeks with the entire thing hooked up, got home, and started it right up and drove away. I designed the entire system like any company would, to ensure reliability. There are safety measures that only I know about, that allow me to re-enable the standard key ignition in case of an emergency. | 51 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "176492",
"author": "Digitail",
"timestamp": "2010-09-02T20:13:03",
"content": "very nice set up, just have to clean up a few things and it’ll look factory.just make sure that no one knows where you put the switch to re-enable the standard use of the ignition key.",
"parent_id": ... | 1,760,377,381.989085 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/01/how-to-fix-avr-size-on-ubuntu-10-04/ | How To Fix AVR-SIZE On Ubuntu 10.04 | Mike Szczys | [
"News"
] | [] | The program avr-size is part of the AVR-GCC toolchain used to develop programs for that line of microprocessors. The program tells you how much space the code will take up on the chip, important information if you’re trying to cram a program into a small program memory. Perhaps more importantly, it shows you how much ram is being used. This is the “Data:” portion of the image above and if you overflow the memory this will be the only thing that lets you know that has happened (except for unstable behavior once the program is running).
For quite some time the avr-size package in Ubuntu has been missing a key feature that makes the information more human readable. [Jeff] over at mightyohm tracked down the solution to the problem on the bug tracker and posted the
directions on how to bring your copy up to date
. Basically, download the package from Debian (an upstream copy that has already been patched) and install it. [Jeff’s] guide is based on the AMD64 version so we’ve copied his procedure in a more generalized fashion after the break.
1. First,
go here
and download the appropriate package for your architecture. The most common is i386 and you should download the most recent revision number (2.20.1-1 at time of writing).
2. Use the Debian package management system to install the package you just downloaded (you will need to change the package name if you didn’t download the i386 version):
sudo dpkg -i binutils-avr_2.20.1-1_i386.deb
3. Place the package on hold to prevent automatic updates that actually downgrade back to the broken version:
echo "binutils-avr hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections
That’s all there is to it. We like to use a makefile written as a WINAVR example to compile and upload our AVR code. We’ve made the changes necessary to use the fixed avr-size program.
Download the makefile here
. | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "176135",
"author": "hajma",
"timestamp": "2010-09-01T22:14:24",
"content": "This is exactly the type of articles I do not want to see at HaD. Is there a way to filter it out?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "176140",
"author"... | 1,760,377,381.901759 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/01/using-quality-optics-with-a-webcam/ | Using Quality Optics With A Webcam | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"adapter",
"lens",
"macro",
"webcam"
] | [Devon Croy]
built a case to join a webcam sensor with a camera lens
. The box is a PVC conduit box you’d find at a home center. He used JB Weld to attach four bolts to the back of the box. These are used to fine-tune the mounting plate for the webcam sensor to ensure it’s at the focal point of the lens. The lens connects through a couple of extension tubes to an adapter mounted in the center of the box’s cover plate. The setup above shows a macro lens that
takes pretty good pictures
.
If you need images of really tiny things you should look into
a microscope adapter for your camera
. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "176074",
"author": "Kaj",
"timestamp": "2010-09-01T18:52:21",
"content": "Sad… not only did I immediately recognize the KMZ-build Zenit lens, but I also used the same lens (and a Zenit 12XP) in a similar experiment, mounting a cheap webcam sensor behind the shutter curtain with gaff... | 1,760,377,382.081159 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/01/open-source-version-of-the-play-station-3-jailbreak/ | Open Source Version Of The Play Station 3 Jailbreak | Mike Szczys | [
"Playstation Hacks"
] | [
"AVR",
"backup manager",
"copyright",
"ps jailbreak",
"psgroove",
"psjailbreak",
"Teensy"
] | Don’t steal. It’s a lesson that children are taught from the youngest age and a core principle in every society.
The PSGroove
sets out to follow this mantra in several ways. It is an open source implementation of
the PSJailbreak hardware
we covered a couple of weeks back. It’s difficult to find a definitive source of information on that hardware but
many have speculated that the original device contains stolen code
. Whether that’s true or not is moot as the PSGroove doesn’t include the backup manager program alleged to violate copyright.
The device is also aimed at running homebrew, and doesn’t natively allow one to play backups. It runs on a variety of AVR hardware, including the Teensy boards. If you have one of them, it’s just a matter of compiling the code and unlocking the potential of your PlayStation 3.
[Thanks Mark via
PS3news
] | 51 | 49 | [
{
"comment_id": "176022",
"author": "Lutzie",
"timestamp": "2010-09-01T16:42:06",
"content": "About time they made this!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "176025",
"author": "paul",
"timestamp": "2010-09-01T16:52:48",
"content": "There... | 1,760,377,382.68963 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/09/01/replacing-the-driver-board-in-an-old-school-door-chime/ | Replacing The Driver Board In An Old-school Door Chime | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"attiny26l",
"chime",
"doorbell",
"pnp",
"solenoid",
"transistor"
] | [Dan Kouba’s] parents replaced their doorbell button with one that lights up and found that the chime wouldn’t stop sounding after the button was pushed. These lighted buttons use an incandescent bulb in parallel with the button (a piece of hardware
we’ve hacked in the past
). It draws a small amount of current which isn’t enough to trigger the chime, but it is just enough that the chime unit reacts as if the button press never stopped. His parents asked what he could do about this and after some investigation he build a replacement board for the chime unit based around an ATtiny26L. The board monitors the voltage drop across a resistor in the doorbell circuit. When the comparator on the AVR detects a rise in the voltage drop across the resistor it rings the chimes, actuating the solenoids with a set of PNP transistors. [Dan] sent us all of the details which you can check out after the break.
Dan writes:
My parents have this really old door mechanical chime that they got as a housewarming gift 25 years ago, and recently when they replaced the doorbell button with a newer lighted one, the bell wouldn’t stop chiming. Apparently the light in the button passes enough current through it while its on (and the button is unpressed) that it triggers the bell over and over again. They didn’t want to get rid of the doorbell, as the newer electronic ones just aren’t the same, so I was asked to see what I could do about it. My solution was this project.
The old chime system consisted of a motor, which would be set into motion by pressing the button, and a set of contacts which the motor would revolve around and trigger the four solenoids that ring the chimes. Once I disassembled it, the cause of the infinite cycle was obvious. The motor’s start current was higher than the light in the bell would permit, but once it was triggered once by pressing the button, the bulb current was enough for it to remain in motion. There wasn’t a whole lot I could do to fix the old system, so I designed a microcontroller based replacement.
I used an Attiny26L (admittedly overkill, but it was all I had on hand) for the brains of the operation, a button press detector made out of a comparator and a resistor (more about that in a second), and four transistors for triggering the solenoids. Those parts along with the power supply (there was 20VAC available at the wall) fit onto a radioshack PCB which happened to fit perfectly where the old system had sat. The old system had the option to either chime a sequence or only a single chime when the button was pressed, and I replicated this feature in software using the large blue DIP switch shown in the pictures.
My detector circuit is simply an 82 ohm 5W resistor inline with the button/light combo. The button and the light are in parallel, so there is always some current passing through the line, causing a small voltage drop across the resistor. When the button is pressed, the light is shorted out and the current becomes much higher, thus causing a higher voltage drop across the resistor. I used a comparator attached to a voltage divider reference (half the supply) and to the resistor. That in turn is connected to the AVR which monitors for the button press and triggers the chime accordingly.
One of the problems I ran into was that the solenoids are high side switched. One lead of each solenoid is attached to the case, so unless I wanted to run 4 more wires, I had to use PNP transistors to switch them (I would have used MOSFETs, but I had the transistors in my parts box). I used an NPN transistor to pull their bases low so switching from my 5V AVR was easier.
The code is really simple; it’s just an infinite loop watching the comparator output for a trigger, and after that it triggers either the chime sequence or the single chime based on the switch input. I was originally going to use interrupts, but I had issued with multiple triggers. The interrupt flag was cleared as soon as the ISR was being processed, so if the bell was pressed twice before the chime sequence was finished, the interrupt would trigger a second time once the ISR finished its first run. A simple if…then statement fixed the problem.
Download [Dan’s]
code and schematic package
. | 33 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "175992",
"author": "xfred",
"timestamp": "2010-09-01T14:45:40",
"content": "Or…even simpler….as I’ve done before…cut out the light in the button?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "175994",
"author": "fastfourier",
"timesta... | 1,760,377,382.217968 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/31/making-a-smaller-keyboard/ | Making A Smaller Keyboard | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"keybaord",
"laptop",
"short",
"small"
] | The keyboard on [Marek’s] laptop stopped working. He didn’t want to buy a replacement so he decided to start using an external keyboard. But hauling around a full 104-key model is a bit of a pain so he decided to
make himself a shorter keyboard
. He basically chopped off the 10-key pad on the right side of the board. This had the unexpected consequence of removing the screws that hold the top and bottom of the case together so he ended up adding a few extra screws to shore it up. You may be wondering how the key matrix still works if a portion of it has been cut off. [Marek] used the simple trick of folding the extra part of the membrane over and covering the unused contacts with some tape.
If you try this you should consider getting rid of the directional arrows and editing keys as well. There must be a way to map those keys elsewhere. Perhaps the
half-qwerty keyboard hack
will give you some inspiration for that. | 44 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "175688",
"author": "Wes",
"timestamp": "2010-08-31T18:08:14",
"content": "“Hack” in its truest sense.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "175691",
"author": "Luke",
"timestamp": "2010-08-31T18:17:59",
"content": "Nice! T... | 1,760,377,382.601993 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/31/wearable-controller-for-your-paintball-tank/ | Wearable Controller For Your Paintball Tank | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"head mounted",
"motion",
"paintball",
"tank",
"wearable"
] | If you’re too frail to take the full impact of a paintball round let
this tank
serve as your surrogate. The camera perched on top of the platform feeds video back to the operator’s head-mounted display. Instead of using a joystick or other traditional controller, the user aims by looking around, with his or her head movements mimicked by the camera and barrel of the tank. It looks cooler than it sounds so jump with us after the break to see for yourself. If you’re playing against this thing, we’d recommend aiming for the camera lens.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3ZV3wMjneE] | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "175668",
"author": "deathventure",
"timestamp": "2010-08-31T17:23:22",
"content": "Looks like a prototype terminator tank. Pretty slow though so I wouldn’t consider it much of a threat unless it were uber quiet and could sneak up on you. Exposed wire also poses a robocop moment “the... | 1,760,377,382.418613 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/31/build-your-own-magnetic-levitator/ | Build Your Own Magnetic Levitator | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"electromagnetic",
"infrared",
"ir",
"levitation",
"levitator"
] | Here’s
a great magnetic levitator build
. [Scott Harden] dug up the link after seeing
that awesome rotating globe
this morning. This version hangs objects below an electromagnet but it has a sensor system to provide a constant distance between magnet and object even if the payloads are a different weight. This is done with a couple of infrared sensors. One acts as a reference detector, always viewing an IR LED in order to get a baseline measurement. That measurement is compared to a second detector mounted slightly lower. The circuit adjusts the electromagnetic field, making sure the object is always breaking the lower beam but never interrupting the reference beam. No microcontroller needed, this is handled with a couple of OpAmps. See it in action after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl0h4ivFIYA] | 34 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "175642",
"author": "Conner",
"timestamp": "2010-08-31T16:07:02",
"content": "The link to the project page is dead….",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "175645",
"author": "ino",
"timestamp": "2010-08-31T16:10:39",
"conte... | 1,760,377,382.36962 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/30/dwex-watch-looks-for-future-development/ | DWex Watch Looks For Future Development | Jakob Griffith | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"atmega328p",
"clock",
"experimenting",
"led",
"watch"
] | [FlorinC] sent in his
DWex Arduino watch
, with intentions for it double as an experimenting base. Inspired by the
MakerBotWatch
, it runs an ATmega328P, DS1337 RTC,and 24 LEDs to display the time. [FlorinC] tells us the (yet to come) case and strap will be similar to
Woz’s watch
to ensure airport security tackles him
. As for experimenting, the PCB contains an ICSP6 and also an FTDI connector for those “other-than-watch purposes”. We’re not all sure what else could be done with a watch; we racked our brains and came up with a compass, but with the source code and Eagle files available maybe you have a better idea? | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "175131",
"author": "Dstrcto",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T13:29:43",
"content": "Hmm… Wifi presence indicator? Accelerometer? and with some fancy calculations even a speedometer… v=at. It is a watch to begin with anyway…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
... | 1,760,377,382.746047 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/29/hackaday-links-august-29-2010/ | Hackaday Links: August 29, 2010 | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"art",
"drag soldering",
"frequency generator",
"lock picking",
"pcb"
] | Hotel room door lock picking
Here’s further proof that you should never leave anything of value in your hotel room. We’re not worried about someone getting in while the room is occupied. But these methods of
defeating the chain lock
and
opening the door without a keycard
(YouTube login required) do show how easy it is for the bad guys to steal your stuff.
iPhone frequency generator
Need one more way to make that iPhone a useful lab tool? Why not
use it as a frequency generator
. Start with a free app and mix in an audio cable with test leads and you’re in business.
Drag Soldering
[Andrei] sent us a link to a video about drag soldering. This is a method of soldering fine-pitch chips using a small bit of solder and a fat solder tip. The link he sent is dead now but we found
another great example of the process
. We were just using this method earlier in the week to
solder a TSSOP38 package
for an upcoming project and it worked like a charm.
Laser etched PCB
Here’s some
art in PCB form thanks to a laser
. We thought this might be interesting to share after seeing those
art pieces made from old circuit boards
. This example is laser etched, but not directly. As you probably guessed, the copper clad board is coated with resist and the laser etches some of it away. Whatever got zapped by the laser dissolves when the board is placed in acid, leaving [Riley Porter’s] art behind. | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "174955",
"author": "Osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T00:09:08",
"content": "drag soldering is fine if you have some “meaty” leads, but you start getting into the fine pitch stuff its not all that hard to really ruin a fine day",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies":... | 1,760,377,382.822601 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/29/from-repstrap-to-reprap-a-3d-printer-is-born/ | From RepStrap To RepRap; A 3D Printer Is Born | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"3d printer",
"extruder",
"mendel",
"rapid prototyping",
"reprap",
"repstrap"
] | [Gavilan Steinman] just
printed and assembled his own RepRap machine
and filmed the process. This isn’t news but we found it very interesting to watch. He started with
a RepStrap
, a rapid-prototyping 3D printer that as built by hand instead of printed by a similar machine. This is the seminal step in the self-replicating process.
From there he prints an extruder head which improves the quality of the parts the RepStrap can produce. We then see time-lapse footage of the printing process for
a Mendel unit
, the second generation of RepRap machines. We’ve embedded the video after the break. It’s a great way to spend ten minutes on a Sunday afternoon.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqhq5p6cKpM] | 33 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "174912",
"author": "Juan Cubillo",
"timestamp": "2010-08-29T22:07:36",
"content": "Cool. Dude knows how to make a video as well.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "174920",
"author": "xeracy",
"timestamp": "2010-08-29T22:29... | 1,760,377,382.89161 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/29/make-switched-mode-power-supplies-do-your-bidding/ | Make Switched-mode Power Supplies Do Your Bidding | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"potential divider",
"regulator",
"smps",
"switched-mode power supply",
"voltage divider",
"voltage regulator"
] | [Ken] needed to supply 3.3 volts of regulated power. He started by using a linear voltage regulator but after a few calculations he discovered that 72% of what he put in was lost to heat. The solution to this is a switched-mode power supply. Rather than burn off energy through a voltage divider, an SMPS turns the power on and off very quickly to achieve the desired voltage.
A car charger-type USB regulator was chosen as [Ken’s] donor device. He figured that
making adjustments to the resistors inside would affect the output voltage
and he was right. He adjusted the potential divider and ended up with a steady 3.295V.
We asked him to share the schematic that he put together from studying the board and he came through. See that and get the link to the DC-DC converter datasheet after the break.
Above is [Ken’s] hand drawn schematic. After conversing with him about this project he grabbed a jeweler’s loupe and was able to identify the DC-DC converter in the circuit. It’s an MC34063 whose
datasheet can be found here (PDF)
. | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "174857",
"author": "clocktownbrown",
"timestamp": "2010-08-29T19:33:18",
"content": "This is a great article and I appreciate the inclusion of the datasheet.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "174858",
"author": "chris",
"t... | 1,760,377,383.087779 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/29/art-piece-from-board-artwork/ | Art Piece From Board Artwork | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"art",
"circuit board",
"pcb",
"theo kamecke"
] | [Theo Kamecke] is an artist who
produces striking pieces using printed circuit boards
. We’ve seen
PCBs used as faux stained-glass
before, but [Theo’s] craftsmanship stands apart from everything we’ve seen. His webpage has at least one piece that sites the usage of vintage 1960’s circuit boards, but we wonder if he doesn’t design some of these to suit his work. Either way, we’d love to see him take on the finish work for that
mechanized expanding round table
we saw back in June. See more of his work on
his photostream
.
[
Photo Credit
]
[Thanks Mowcius] | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "174789",
"author": "mowcius",
"timestamp": "2010-08-29T15:32:12",
"content": "Umm, spelling???",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "174791",
"author": "Alex",
"timestamp": "2010-08-29T15:34:20",
"content": "That looks awe... | 1,760,377,382.936771 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/29/seaswarm-we-can-clean-up-the-gulf-in-a-month/ | Seaswarm: We Can Clean Up The Gulf In A Month | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"crude",
"mit",
"nanofabric",
"oil",
"robot",
"solar",
"swarm"
] | Want to clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in one month? Seaswarm says
it can be done with 5000 floating robots
.
As the name implies, the project uses swarm robotics. Each unit draws power from the sun, and drags around a conveyor belt of
oil absorbent
nanofabric
that doesn’t get wet in water. Once the fabric is saturated with crude it can be removed using heat; not a task the swarm can do by itself. But get this: after separating oil from nanofabric both can be used again. That means you get the environmental benefit of cleaning up the Gulf, not throwing away your collection medium, and the oil is once again a usable commodity. Sounds like a lot of high promises, but take a look at the video after the break and decide for yourself.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlHapZoIXqg]
[via
BotJunkie
] | 48 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "174749",
"author": "Sgt McBeast",
"timestamp": "2010-08-29T13:34:11",
"content": "Now if they would only sell kits of the robot to personalize and modify (without changing original function). Then we could track our own gulf cleaners.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"re... | 1,760,377,383.020992 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/28/beginner-concepts-analog-circuits/ | Beginner Concepts: Analog Circuits | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"analog",
"beginner concepts",
"circuit"
] | We look at a lot of projects that have microcontrollers in them. That’s because microcontrollers do cool stuff, but there are still plenty of tricks you can pull off with analog circuits.
[Osgeld’s] latest project explores this realm
, controlling the discharge of capacitors through an LED. His setup uses just nine components and, if you’ve been collecting broken electronics from your friends and neighbors like a good hacker, you can scavenge all of these parts. Try it, you’ll like it! | 38 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "174508",
"author": "xorpunk",
"timestamp": "2010-08-28T21:09:48",
"content": "Unless you want to learn particle physics you have to learn electrical engineering by abstract functions.You don’t need to though unless you want to do computer engineering or something. You can make FPGAs... | 1,760,377,383.161388 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/31/floating-globe-hacked-to-rotate/ | Floating Globe, Hacked To Rotate | Caleb Kraft | [
"classic hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"inductance",
"levitate",
"magnet"
] | [Alexy Sha] has done this fantastic hack, where he
modified a magnetic floating globe to be motorized and spin on a tilted axis
. The original globe was simply levitating via a magnet mounted inside. Though you could spin it by hand, it wasn’t motorized, and actually floated completely vertically instead of being tilted.
[Alexy] wanted to take this idea further and make it automatically spin on a rotated axes. He built a rotation assembly that was basically a motor, hung off-center, attached at the center of the globe. He had to power it via a coil hidden in the base unit, so that it could remain light enough to float. He did a fantastic job and the final product seems like it is the true way it should have been sold.
Check out a video of it in action after the break. We actually like the spinning ring, when he’s testing it, just as much as the final spinning globe.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW7Rd6Nn2-Y] | 56 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "175596",
"author": "Aero",
"timestamp": "2010-08-31T14:10:27",
"content": "Awesome.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "175597",
"author": "maroc",
"timestamp": "2010-08-31T14:10:52",
"content": "that is awesome",
"p... | 1,760,377,383.361964 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/31/controlling-an-ac-drill-using-one-pwm-connection/ | Controlling An AC Drill Using One PWM Connection | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"CdS",
"drill",
"led",
"photoresistor",
"pwm"
] | This peculiar setup allows [Ben Krasnow] to
control an alternating current device using one pin on a microcontroller
. He’s experimenting with a power drill and has relocated the trigger circuitry that makes it spin. On that board he found a variable resistor combined with a capacitor which control a triac, actuating the speed of a drill. [Ben’s] solution works great and isolates the drill from the control circuitry. He replace the variable resistor with a cadmium sulfide photoresistor (basically a variable resistor whose resistance depends on the intensity of light). Pulse-width modulation is used to adjust the brightness of an LED shining on that photoresistor and thereby affect the speed of the drill. This is such as simple alteration to the drill we’d call it MacGyver-esque.
See a demonstration after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yEABsNyRfo] | 22 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "175584",
"author": "elektrophreak",
"timestamp": "2010-08-31T13:20:41",
"content": "now that is just crazy.…but it works :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "6169613",
"author": "Phrance QuéTara",
"timestamp": "2... | 1,760,377,383.220582 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/30/pressure-mapping-sensor-mat/ | Pressure Mapping Sensor Mat | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"AVR",
"capacitance",
"horse",
"map",
"pressure",
"sensor"
] | [imsolidstate] built his own pressure sensitive mat. It utilizes two discs of copper clad board with a piece of foam in between for each of 64 sensors. As the foam gets compressed, the capacitance between the two pieces of copper changes, a measurement that is fairly easy to make with an analog to digital converter. The mat is being used to measure how well a horse saddle fits the animal. Data is read in through a serial port and then mapped using Excel. This prototype proves that the concept works but [imsolidstate] mentions that there’s room to improve the sensitivity and that there could be more noise filtering incorporated into the design. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "175378",
"author": "dan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T23:41:24",
"content": "good to know, but where is the site link?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "175382",
"author": "Munden",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T23:55:03",
"co... | 1,760,377,383.274608 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/30/spy-video-trakr-the-teardown/ | Spy Video TRAKR: The Teardown | Phil Burgess | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Teardown",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"robot",
"spy",
"teardown",
"toy",
"trakr",
"video",
"wild planet",
"wireless"
] | Last Friday
we looked at Wild Planet’s Spy Video TRAKR
programmable RC vehicle mostly from an end user perspective. Much of our weekend was spent dismantling and photographing the device’s internal works, and poring over code and documentation, in order to better gauge the TRAKR’s true hackability. Our prior review included some erroneous speculation…we can clarify a number of details now, and forge ahead with entirely
new
erroneous speculation!
Our plan with this teardown is to establish more concrete details of what’s hackable inside the device, what’s not, and to help nail down some of the unstated hardware specifications.
We incorrectly reported that no programming documentation or compiler is yet available. Turns out all this information was simply tucked away in a
help section of the TRAKR web site
, not on the “App BUILDR” page where we expected it.
Derp!
These resources are still in a rough state, yet proved to be a far more valuable source of information than the physical teardown. C code and PDFs aren’t very
photogenic
though, so we’ve got plenty of circuit board pr0n to start with!
Inside the Remote
There’s not as much to see or do inside the TRAKR remote, so we’ll power through that first.
The concealed rear USB port was mentioned last time, which we’ve been informed is to allow for field-upgradeable firmware. If you don’t mind being tethered to one spot, we discovered the remote can also be powered from a USB hub, or even from the TRAKR’s own USB host port.
In another nod to tinkerer-friendly design, both the remote and the TRAKR are held together with identical Phillips screws throughout, recessed but not hidden under stickers or rubber pads.
The LCD screen is one typically seen in cell phones, 15-bit color at 160×120 pixels.
The “Bot Switch PCB” has just some switches and passive components. SW1 and SW4 have dedicated purposes (home menu and power), but the functions of the others are defined by individual apps. If you’re looking for GPIO lines to hack in the remote, this might be your best bet.
The underside of the main remote PCB has some exposed pads, but there are no through-hole solder points. The pad labeled “V0_TVOUT” caught our attention, thinking it might provide a
composite video signal
, but this turned out not to be the case, or at least it’s not enabled in the present firmware. J9 looks like a
JTAG
header.
A few more test points tucked beneath the LCD.
2 megabyte SDRAM and 1 megabyte SPI flash in the remote.
We were really hoping that the joysticks might be analog internally, but no such luck…they’re simple forward/reverse switches. Even if replaced with potentiometers, without access to the firmware source there’s no way of communicating this information to the TRAKR.
The remote and TRAKR have outwardly-identical radio transceivers. They’re rather well-sealed and we’ve not dismantled them further yet, but recall hearing they’re based on a Nordic 2.4 GHz part. Wild Planet claims that with a forthcoming firmware change, they’ll be WiFi-capable. We remain hopeful but
skeptical
— it seems far more likely that the remote’s rear USB port will come into play, or in the interim perhaps one of the
SparkFun Nordic options
will prove a viable choice for PC control.
Inside the TRAKR
Removing the screws is straightforward, but fully removing the lid from the TRAKR requires several cables be detached first — and they’ve all been glued in place for reliability. We just cut through the glue with an X-acto knife and pried a bit, but maybe it can be more delicately dissolved or melted.
The right side of the main board (turned sideways here) focuses on connectivity and the CPU. The ribbon cable at left leads to the camera. The pair of two-pin headers lead to the microphone and front accessory bump switch. The purpose of the unpopulated SW1 isn’t known — it might be that early designs featured an additional rear or top switch, now vestigial. The larger headers lead to the radio module and the trim pots and recessed reset/debug switches on the bot’s undercarriage.
No need to get through that epoxy blob. Digging through configuration files for the compiler, the chip appears to be a Nuvoton
W55VA91
, featuring an ARM926EJ core running at 192 MHz, and hardware-assisted JPEG codec.
The middle section of the board is what TRAKR-hackers will become most acquainted with. JACK3, the vertical row of pads in the center, contains 8 digital GPIO lines and one analog input, with 0.1″ pin spacing. JACK4 looks like a JTAG port, with 2mm pin spacing. Below that is the connector for the USB host port, and the second (unpopulated) port at the right can be used as a 5V source. It’s a real shame that power and ground were overlooked on JACK3 despite its proximity to those traces. With the addition of power traces and a row header soldered in place, this would have made a nice standardized riser for small add-ons, much like the ecosystem of Arduino “
shields
” that has taken off.
Left side of the board is devoted mainly to power and motor control. The red/black wires at left lead to the battery compartment. Connector above that is for the speaker. The two 3-pin connectors at the bottom lead to the left and right motors, with the H-bridge driver circuit above that.
By the way — if you dismantle your TRAKR, when it comes time to put it back together, there are four screw holes that aren’t actually used despite their labeling on the silkscreen layer. You can see three of these in the photo above, and the fourth in a prior photo near the camera connector. Forcing screws in could damage one of the motor cables underneath!
Little to see on the underside. Another inactive V0_TVOUT pad taunts us! This side is dominated mostly by the SD card socket, and…
…ample 8 megabyte SDRAM, 2 megabyte flash. Together with the SD slot, USB and ARM9 CPU, we’re anticipating
ucLinux
and
DOOM
to be ported in 3…2…1…
The USB host port is on a small daughter board, and each of the motors has some local driver circuitry as well.
Each motor is driven through a reduction
gearbox
. They operate quietly with only a slight amount of slop. As with the radio, we’ve not further dismantled these yet.
Though not powered, the front wheels aren’t as boring as we first thought. This rack and spring mechanism keeps a constant tension on the rubber tread belts, allowing them to flex and maintain traction as the TRAKR drives over various terrain.
The partly-disassembled camera pivot mechanism. Two small rubber pads provide just enough friction to hold the camera in its set position, yet still allow it to pivot easily. If attempting to add
servo control
to the camera, removing those pads will likely help.
The camera is connected to the main PCB with a 24-conductor flex cable, 0.5mm pitch and about 6 inches long. Mounting the camera in a higher position might best be done by replacing the entire cable with a longer one, but we’ve yet to locate a suitable match from a source such as DigiKey.
Extracting the camera PCB from its housing, we were greeted with a low-hanging hack opportunity: the board was designed to accommodate multiple LEDs, but in practice shipped with just one large one in place.
Boosting the light output
should be a very simple matter of adding the missing resistors and LEDs, though you’ll need to drill holes through the case or run wires to mount the LEDs externally.
We’re not 100% certain of the camera sensor yet. From PR materials at Maker Faire, we know it’s from OmniVision, but don’t know the exact model. Based on size and specifications, the OV7670 looks like a possibility, in which case it
should
be capable of full VGA resolution, not just the QVGA output we’ve seen.
The “accessory port” is just a passive attachment point to clip things on; it resembles a headphone jack, but isn’t. There is a pushbutton switch behind it, maybe an interactive cat-poking stick is planned.
The artist’s signature.
Reassembly was straightforward. Cable connectors are keyed for orientation, and for those that aren’t a unique size, the correct positions can be inferred from cable length. And there was no mysterious “extra screw” at the end — everything went together easily and worked on the first try.
Passengers
Some readers have asked about
mounting external microcontrollers
or other devices to the rear transport deck. Adding a microcontroller isn’t an entirely ridiculous prospect — even though the TRAKR’s CPU has far more “oomph,” it remains to be seen if the GPIO lines are suited to tasks such as accurate
PWM
for servo control. Delegating such tasks may prove helpful, or even necessary. The usable area of the transport deck is a bit over five inches wide and three inches deep, and a couple of rubber bands or some foam tape will hold most boards securely. With the deck removed, the recessed notch above the battery bay is such a perfect size for certain things, it’s almost uncanny. Did [Dave] plan this?
Arduino, natch. Small devices like this can be powered from the TRAKR’s USB host port, but without an
FTDI
driver on the host side this connection can’t be used for serial communication.
Half-size and quarter-size breadboards fit exceedingly well, almost snapping into place. But anything placed back here though is going to block access to the SD and USB ports.
More Hack Ideas
Having explored the hardware inside and out, we’re already ruminating on the possibilities…
The TRAKR has a big infrared LED on the front (with two more easily added). The firmware for
TV-B-Gone
is open source. Enough said.
With the transport deck removed, the rear wheels of the TRAKR protrude slightly behind the body. With the addition of a gyro sensor, will it be possible to get the TRAKR to stand upright and scoot around
Segway
-style? The remote’s joysticks are non-proportional, but software control of the motors allows for very fine speed adjustment. It’s
been done with LEGO NXT
, so we think the practicality of this idea will come down to the responsiveness of the TRAKR’s motors. (Yes, we
know
it’s just propped up against the back wall there.
Shhh!
)
The wide stance of the TRAKR has us contemplating a
Chalkbot
or
txtBomber
printer attachment: the eight GPIO lines could be used to control a
row of solenoids
attached to paint markers or chalk hoppers. We didn’t have the parts on hand to build a physical printer right away, but we did have some
addressable LED bars
from another project, so a proof-of-concept was possible using
long-exposure photography
. And
it works!
We’ll elaborate on this hack in a subsequent article as we get our hands dirty…
very
dirty…with the TRAKR C compiler. | 44 | 40 | [
{
"comment_id": "175342",
"author": "nave.notnilc",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T21:58:06",
"content": "nice writeup! I look forward to seeing the programming stuff",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "175344",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": "20... | 1,760,377,383.586797 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/30/use-a-big-magnet-to-set-the-time/ | Use A Big Magnet To Set The Time | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"aluminum",
"nixie",
"tube",
"vacuum formed",
"wristwatch"
] | This bulky package is
a Nixie tube wristwatch
. We still like
[Woz’s
] watch
better but this one has a few nice tricks of its own. Notably, there aren’t any buttons to set the time. Instead, a large magnet is used to actuate a magnetic switch inside the body. Speaking of enclosures, the case is aluminum and the face plate is polycarbonate but looks like it’s been vacuum formed. Check out the clip after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM6Dt-GS2CI] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "175282",
"author": "hmm",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T19:16:36",
"content": "Good luck getting through security with that",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "175284",
"author": "deathventure",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T19:28:09"... | 1,760,377,383.647118 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/30/arduino-based-thermal-printer/ | Arduino Based Thermal Printer | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"panasonic",
"paper",
"thermal printer"
] | [Manuel]
built his own thermal printer
based around an Arduino. We’re a bit confused about the parts, his webpage specifies an EFA-1019HW2 print head but the bill of materials on
his
github
shows EPT-1019W2. We can’t find a source for either product number, but we did find similar thermal line printers for as low as $32.00. The controller boards on the other hand look to be around $150 so building your own is a definite win. [Manuel’s] version can print 96 points and has a font set that prints 32 characters per line. Check out the video after the break and let us know if the noise of the print head is a deal killer for you.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/13995215] | 42 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "175240",
"author": "coreyl",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T17:59:37",
"content": "a) You could use it to do the opposite of the previous project, and make a miniature typewriter.b) Is there a way to use that kind of printing/paper as a PCB mask?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,383.727902 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/30/usb-typewriter/ | USB Typewriter | Caleb Kraft | [
"classic hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"keyboard",
"usb"
] | [Jackzylkin] has posted an instructible showing, in detail, the process of creating a
USB typewriter
. He takes us through the process of disassembling the typewriter, mounting all the sensors where the little hammers strike, and wiring it all up to a custom board to interface with the computer via USB. While he is selling the board, the schematics are available if you want to build your own. We think the clickety-clack of a real typewriter could be very satisfying to the touch, though it might drive your co workers insane. The younger ones might also quiz you as to what that archaic machine is. We’ve actually seen
this done before
, way back in 2005. | 25 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "175138",
"author": "deathventure",
"timestamp": "2010-08-30T14:09:31",
"content": "That thing sorta brings up some crappy memories. I’ve had to use one of those to write school reports until 1997 or so when I got my first computer. Think of writing a 28 page report one on of them th... | 1,760,377,383.787162 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/28/prototyping-the-bulbdial-clock/ | Prototyping The Bulbdial Clock | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"clock hacks"
] | [
"bulbdial",
"clock",
"development",
"evil mad scientist",
"led",
"prototype",
"sundial"
] | Evil Mad Scientist posted a story about
what went into developing the Bulbdial clock
. We think
the Bulbdial
is one of the best pieces of kit out there for many reasons; using colored shadows for each hand is a brilliant idea, the design is clever and uses a low parts count, and the concentric rings that make it work also add to the aesthetic. But after seeing the
original wood prototype
it had crossed our minds that developing those circular PCBs isn’t the easiest thing to pull off. To save on board cost, the first run didn’t have the center routed out, but rather used almost-touching holes drilled during manufacture and finished by hand during assembly. They also go on to discuss the use of
Charlieplexing
to reduce part count and the search for a suitable diffuser for the clock face. | 1 | 1 | [
{
"comment_id": "174874",
"author": "JB",
"timestamp": "2010-08-29T20:13:48",
"content": "Cool project, and interesting way of dealing with a hollow circular board and Sunstone software. They are a pain when making circular boards, so I’ll be copying that solution.",
"parent_id": null,
"dep... | 1,760,377,383.823615 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/28/gas-plasma-pinball-display/ | Gas Plasma Pinball Display | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"15-segment",
"alphanumeric",
"display",
"driver",
"gas plasma",
"pinball"
] | [Whoopjohn] decided to
build a driver board for a display
he pulled from a pinball machine. You’ve probably seen these used to scroll both score and messages using a total of sixteen 15-segment digits. We’d love to get our hands on one, and you might too but where? [Whoopjohn] notes that these were usually installed two-per machine and the driver boards were run close to their maximum ratings. That means that somewhere there’s a collection of broken machines with working displays. If you do plan to make this happen, you should be able to figure out the circuit based on
this commented board layout (pdf)
. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "174451",
"author": "localroger",
"timestamp": "2010-08-28T18:13:16",
"content": "The most fun about these plasma displays is the 180VDC power supply. I used to work on an instrument that used a 7-segment version, and that 180V line snaking among the logic level stuff provided many ... | 1,760,377,383.873777 |
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