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https://hackaday.com/2008/06/01/powered-bicycles/ | Powered Bicycles | Sean Percival | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"bicycle",
"bike",
"electic vehicle",
"electical",
"ElecticVehicle",
"ev"
] | We’ve started to noticing a lot of commercial electric bikes on the street. Last year we looked at an
electric trike project
, after the break find out what people have been up to lately with similar projects.
[Jeff Radtke] and [Hans Noeldner] are two engineers who put together a
self-contained electric powered bicycle wheel
. The unit can attach to just about any bike and covers around 10-20 miles on each charge. By using standard Dewalt 36V battery packs, new batteries can be easily swapped out when needed. Overall you are getting about 1HP with this setup and maximum speed of 28MPH.
Inventor [Eric Peltzer] recently announced his
electric bike project
was going open source. After sharing his experience through on his website for years he is now looking for contributors to help develop and monetize the project.
[Frankg] lost his license some time ago so he built himself another form of transportation. He candidly takes us through the building and tweaking of his
electric bike conversion
through his website. He even takes us through the process of
how
not
to build an electric bike
as well. | 17 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "36079",
"author": "robind",
"timestamp": "2008-06-02T04:11:28",
"content": "So then he just leaves his electric bike kit on the side of the road? It probably won’t get stolen.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36080",
"author"... | 1,760,377,825.621126 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/01/this-week-in-our-history/ | This Week In (our) History | Sean Percival | [
"News"
] | [
"2005",
"cable",
"hackaday",
"nokia",
"nokia770",
"nokia810",
"speaker",
"speakercables",
"week"
] | Time to look way back into the Hackaday archives, well back to 2005 at least. This is a new feature to follow up and revisit some of our favorite projects of the past. Our first installment includes the week of May 24-31 2005.
Pictured above we see one of the amazing cable braiding machines from UK based
Cobra Machinery
. This link was found on a post about
creating your own high end speaker wires
from cat5 cable. At the time we hoped to find a DIY braiding machine. No such luck today but we did come across and interesting site in the process.
diyAudoProjects
has a ton of great how to guides for all things audio. They even have a few walkthroughs for
creating your own speaker wires
.
We looked at the
robotic dexterous hand
from
The Shadow Robot Company
. Browsing through their
high rez image gallery
its pretty clear to see the product has been progressing nicely: 24 degrees of freedom complete with force feedback and a GPL based software package.
Three years ago we covered the Nokia 770 internet appliance and it’s
upcoming SDK
. The device has now been replaced by the
Nokia N810
(pictured on the right). However, open source support from Nokia has continued to develop. We found a blog from software developer
Ari Jaaksi
where he talks about Nokia’s involvement in the community. Recently he discussed the latest news from
MAEMO
, the platform used for open source development of Nokia internet tablets and other Linux-based devices. | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "36071",
"author": "Kenneth",
"timestamp": "2008-06-01T22:08:57",
"content": "Excellent post – but there’s one thing I’d like to say: I would be careful to make sure that projects have had progress or that you have something more to say. Other sites, like LifeHacker, started gettin... | 1,760,377,825.471322 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/09/ti-83-intervalometer/ | TI-83 Intervalometer | Eliot | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"camera",
"dslr",
"eos",
"texasinstruments",
"ti",
"ti-83"
] | The headline
How to Make Time Lapse Video With Your DSLR
didn’t really grab us. Honestly, you pay that much for a camera and it can’t do time lapse out of the box? Well, we nearly missed the real story: [Chris Martino] was
using a TI-83 to act as the intervalometer
for the camera. The calculator has a 2.5mm audio jack for it’s data port and the camera has an identical port for the shutter trigger. The TI-83 runs a program with a FOR loop to act as the timer. When the loop completes it sends data to the port, and the voltage triggers the shutter. The rate isn’t very exact and varies depending on the charge left in the batteries. [Chris] estimated 10000 program iterations ends up being about 26 seconds between pictures. This technique has been tested on 84, 86, and 89 series calculators too. There are a couple example time lapse videos embedded after the break.
[via
Lifehacker
]
permalink | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "36529",
"author": "Nephroth",
"timestamp": "2008-06-09T19:32:39",
"content": "Yeah, I wrote a lot of programs for the TI83 back in high school, and I always lamented its lack of an RTC. Neat idea though.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"commen... | 1,760,377,825.768129 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/09/rgb-laser-diode-projector/ | RGB Laser Diode Projector | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"friggin lasers",
"FrigginLasers",
"hd-dvd",
"lasers"
] | [fl-consult] published
this
interesting RGB laser diode projector. The build uses three lasers, 532nm green, 660nm red and a 405nm blue diode from an XBox 360 HD-DVD drive. Aside from the salvaged diodes, it uses some off the shelf hardware to power and scan the lasers to make the display. Details are a bit lacking, but google translate helps
a bit
. If you’re not quite sure what’s going on: the three lasers bounce off of a set of mirrors that scan from side to side as well as up and down to create images.
permalink | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "36518",
"author": "gm",
"timestamp": "2008-06-09T15:31:34",
"content": "Add a smoke machine between the projector and the projection screen :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36519",
"author": "cossist",
"timestamp": "20... | 1,760,377,825.530148 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/08/hackit-simple-portable-monitor/ | Hackit: Simple Portable Monitor | Eliot | [
"HackIt"
] | [
"display",
"HackIt",
"playstation",
"psone",
"screen"
] | We’re often asked what a simple way to add a display to a project is and we even hinted at this yesterday with
the HMD comparison
. The answer is: we’re not really sure. In the past, the go to was
PSOne add on displays
. They accept composite input which means you can painlessly attach almost any other consumer device with video out. The problem is they’re a little large. Then there’s the
spy video car HMD
. It’s black and white and accepts composite video too. It’s a little small though, which makes it difficult to work with outside of the original application. So, Hack-a-Day readers, what have you used as a simple palm sized portable display in your projects? | 43 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "36480",
"author": "pokey",
"timestamp": "2008-06-09T06:06:31",
"content": "There’s no lower common denominator than HD44780-based character LCDs. They’re cheap, easy to find, easy to interface to, and don’t have the uC memory overhead of storing fonts and icons. Moving on up, ther... | 1,760,377,825.714852 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/08/portrait-robot/ | Portrait Robot | Eliot | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"drawing",
"ink",
"portrait",
"quill",
"robot"
] | [
bre
] passed along this
portrait drawing robot
from the same people that brought you the
chief cook robot
. Like the previous project, the portrait drawing bot emphasizes man machine interaction. The subject sits down and is asked for the quill. The robot captures the subject’s image and runs it through several processing steps. One set is to determine the contours and another is to determine the fill. The robot then draws the the contours and fills returning to the ink pot each time it reaches a trajectory threshold. Quill drawing can be quite hard for novice illustrators, but the robot’s smooth trajectory calculations prevent drips and stains.
permalink | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "36474",
"author": "Hello1024",
"timestamp": "2008-06-09T02:49:12",
"content": "This is quite a feat – just the image processing is pretty hard, getting a (probably grainy) image of the person, seperating it from the background, detecting edges etc. is a real challange.The voice synt... | 1,760,377,825.915451 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/08/robofish-real-fish/ | Robofish > Real Fish | Juan Aguilar | [
"News"
] | [
"fish",
"robofish",
"robot",
"robotics",
"robots",
"underwater",
"underwaterrobot"
] | This is the kind of engineering that gets us excited, and not just because we like
machines modeled on living things
. Science Daily reports that Associate professor [Kristi Morgansen] from The University of Washington has
developed these robofish for underwater data collection
. Her technology is notable for two major reasons: the small robots use fins for locomotion instead of propellers, which reduces drag and creates greater maneuverability. The second and more important reason is that the robofish can communicate with each other via sonar, largely obviating the need for the robofish to surface for more instructions. Both design concepts were inspired by the shape and behavior of real fish. Currently the robots are only programmed to swim with or away from each other, but these are still prototypes and the technology looks promising. For more tech specs on these “Fin Actuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicles” (see why Robofish is better?), you can have a look at
Morgansen’s notes
.
permalink | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "36469",
"author": "aaron",
"timestamp": "2008-06-08T20:40:01",
"content": "After everyone started complaining I don’t think I’ve seen a bad post on the site…Good job.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36470",
"author": "Gibbta... | 1,760,377,825.960816 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/08/diy-tomtom-docking-station/ | DIY TomTom Docking Station | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"gps hacks",
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"diy",
"gpd",
"pcb"
] | TomToms have been getting pretty cheap. We like ’em because they’re
nice and hackable
.
This
diy docking station was made from some etched PCBs, a bunch of male pin headers and a bit of hot glue.
permalink | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "36466",
"author": "rasz",
"timestamp": "2008-06-08T17:15:20",
"content": "oh mah god that is so ghetto, i love itbut Tomtoms are still WAY overpricedin Poland you can get Chinese knockoffs running Windows CE like Akira 3512 or Manta 020 for $90http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgC-avBD... | 1,760,377,825.566373 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/07/consumer-hmd-comparison/ | Consumer HMD Comparison | Eliot | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"gizmodo",
"goggles",
"headmounteddisplays",
"hmd",
"videogoggles"
] | We’ve wanted headed mounted display technology to take hold for a long time. Gizmodo recently
compared two consumer models
: the Zeiss Cinemizer ($400) and the Myvu Crystal ($300). Unfortunately the resolution of HMDs has gone nowhere in the last 10 years. These two devices only support 640×480 and are aimed specifically at iPod users. With computers getting smaller and higher resolution, we’re surprised that HMDs have not followed suit. Why isn’t someone going to market with a 1280×720 headset? If you really must choose one of these two, we’d recommend the Myvu. It has composite input so you can hook almost anything up to it.
permalink | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "36442",
"author": "alex",
"timestamp": "2008-06-08T07:21:55",
"content": "Snow Crash.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36443",
"author": "visionetiks",
"timestamp": "2008-06-08T07:30:48",
"content": "oh, please…",
... | 1,760,377,825.872493 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/01/picaxe-tachometer/ | Picaxe Tachometer | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"digital gauges",
"DigitalGauges",
"diy",
"gauges",
"vehicle"
] | It might seem like we’re on a vehicle hacking kick this weekend, but [Rex] built an excellent
custom digital tach
for his race car. It uses the classic seven segment displays, a PICAXE microcontroller and works with most engines. He’s released full source and PC board designs to boot. This looks like a great little tachometer project for you microcontoller fiends out there.
permalink | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "36066",
"author": "splame",
"timestamp": "2008-06-01T14:34:01",
"content": "If anyone has a good resource that describes how to ‘condition’ the output on the coil and the a pulse counting input on a tachometer/rev-counter (basically, take the huge voltage spike when the field around... | 1,760,377,825.809689 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/31/silicon-hacking/ | Silicon Hacking | Juan Aguilar | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"chris",
"christarnovsky",
"nailpolish",
"nds",
"nitricacid",
"satellite",
"silicon",
"smartcard",
"smartcards"
] | Wired recently posted
an article
and
video
detailing our friend [Chris Tarnovsky]’s process for hacking smart cards. In the video, [Chris] shows how he strips away physical components of the chips inside the smartcards using various gadgets and chemicals.
The first step is to remove the chip from its plastic frame. After soaking it in acid for about 10 minutes, the epoxy is removed and the chip is exposed. After that the outer layer is loosened by soaking the chip in two solutions of acetone, the second being the “clean” one. Then the chip is placed on a hotplate where a drop of fuming nitric acid is applied with a dropper; the chip is washed again in an ultrasonic cleaner, removing any residue left.
[Chris] then returns the chip to the card. He will apply nail polish to act as a masking material. He scratches a hole through the polish with a needle held by a micro positioner in the area of interest. The hole is treated with hydrofluoric acid and then etched in short intervals until the desired layer of silicon is exposed. At this point, the card is fully prepped.
Now by powering the chip with the needle resting on the bus, [Chris] can read the code on the chip by sending it various commands and watching how it reacts. To see more of [Chris]’s reverse engineering work, check out
Flylogic Engineering’s Analytical Blog
. It’s a enjoyable read even if you’re new to silicon hacking. | 13 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "36057",
"author": "Bp",
"timestamp": "2008-06-01T06:49:40",
"content": "sweet",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36058",
"author": "alex mccown",
"timestamp": "2008-06-01T07:03:01",
"content": "does any one else think t... | 1,760,377,826.035279 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/31/robotic-cats/ | Robotic Cats | Eliot | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"cat",
"necoro",
"robot",
"roboticcat"
] | It’s caturday, so let’s post some freaking cats. With a little research we found commercial, hobbyist, research, and cyborg cats.
First up is
NeCoRo
. Released in 2001, this is probably the most recognized commercial robot cat; renowned for its creepiness.
Not wanting to be shut out of a market Sega has developed their own creepy cat. Yume Neko Smile is available for $72 and as the video demonstrates, gets very annoyed when you pull its tail.
Household robot cats aren’t a new invention. Straight out of the “Teddy Ruxpin era”, comes
Petster Deluxe
. The fur covered robotic lump can avoid obstacles, respond to claps, or use a wired remote.
Philips Research’s entry into this feline nightmare is the
iCat
. It’s a 38cm tall cat equipped with 13 servos to control facial movements. The goal is to have shared platform for researching man machine interaction: man’s interaction with weird looking cats.
Hobby robot company Dynamizer took the popularity of humanoid robots and
developed an entry level cat robot
. It’s designed to be cheap and easy to expand with new sensors.
Above is a cat robot scratch built by Lim Tian Siak.
Finally, we have Elvis, the cyborg cat. He lost use of his hind legs in an accident, so his
BattleBot building caretakers
created a bot he could drive by pressing on two buttons. It seems, given the right equipment cats would spend their days spinning clockwise. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "36047",
"author": "Tom",
"timestamp": "2008-06-01T03:15:29",
"content": "nice post!since reading/watching this i’m now very afraid of cats, thanks for ruining that feline avenue for me.i also herd u liek mudkips?/b/tards are everywhere!man.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,826.194565 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/31/nanobot-nanosoccer/ | Nanobot Nanosoccer | Juan Aguilar | [
"News"
] | [
"football",
"medgadget",
"nanobots",
"nanosoccer",
"nanotechnology",
"nist",
"robocup",
"robocupopen",
"robot",
"soccer"
] | Medgadget recently published a post about a
soccer competition for nanobots
at
RoboCup
. The nanobots compete on a field that measures 1500 by 2500 micrometers with goals on the long sides jutting 500 micrometers out. Like normal soccer athletes, the nanobot teams attempt to push the ball – in this case, a silicon dioxide disc with a 50 micrometer diameter – into the goal. The nanobot competitors are monitored by an optical microscope and are remotely controlled by magnetic signals sent across the arena.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and RoboCup have already held two nanobot competitions in the last year. Nanobots made by different teams from various universities compete to test various abilities that will be critical for their practical applications in medicine, manufacturing, and other industries.
Though it is referred to as nanosoccer, the competition is actually a triathlon. The bots must sprint to the goal with the ball in one event, then maneuver the ball around stationary “defenders” and into the goal in the next event, and finally score as many goals as possible within 3 minutes. NIST and RoboCup hope to show the practical potential of nanobots with this competition and have a little fun in the process.
[via
Medgadget
]
permalink | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "36045",
"author": "Dosbomber",
"timestamp": "2008-06-01T08:51:47",
"content": "FYI, a micrometer = one millionth of a meter, or one thousandth of a millimeter.Cans of compressed air don’t filter foreign particles this small.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []... | 1,760,377,826.436238 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/31/digidash-digital-dashboard-for-megasquirt/ | Digidash: Digital Dashboard For Megasquirt | Will O'Brien | [
"Misc Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"dashboard",
"digital",
"efi",
"knight rider",
"KnightRider"
] | The
Digidash project
is an open source digital dashboard designed just for the megasquirt EFI system we mentioned in our diy
EFI motorcycle post
. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t link the hardware design. From the description, I’m assuming that it’s essentially a graphic LCD driven by an Atmel microcontroller that talks to the Megasquirt to get the display info.
permalink | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "36041",
"author": "twistedsymphony",
"timestamp": "2008-05-31T19:48:29",
"content": "I’d be interested in something like this that output to a standard composite cable based LCD. I’ve got a double din DVD/NAV unit in my car and plan in moving to a MegaSquirt system in the future…. t... | 1,760,377,826.32737 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/30/alternative-3d-controllers/ | Alternative 3D Controllers | Sean Percival | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"3dconnexion",
"googleearth",
"SecondLife"
] | There are several very nice 3D mice out there for navigating services like Google Earth or
Second Life
.
3Dconnexion
for example makes a whole line of devices for 3D navigation. Their compact units offer 6-8 degrees of freedom with several customizable options. The company has an SDK available and many of their devices are natively compatible with Linux (or available for access through an XInput driver). So while that is all well and great, lets look at some alternative ways people are navigating 3D spaces.
We are glad to see it didn’t take long for someone to figure out how not to get healthy with a Wii Fit.
The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence
turned one unit into a global surf board. Using the Bluetooth connection of the Wii Fit they developed software to port the user’s motion back into Google Earth. The result, surfing over the alps to 90s techno music. They also briefly demo using the balance board to walk in Second Life.
Why use any input at all when you can use your face? The
Human Media Lab
has developed software that allows for hands free navigation of Google Earth simply by moving your face. The software is free (although a download link is missing) and currently only available for Windows. They do appear to be using
OpenCV
as part of this package which is open source.
Lastly from the virtual world of Second Life we have navigating with your mind. This brain-computer interface (BCI) was developed by Japanese professor Jun’ichi Ushiba of Keio University in Japan. The user wears a headpiece that monitors activity in three areas of the motor cortex, where movement signals are processed. A user simply thinks about the direction they want to move and the avatar responds accordingly. Still under development, this device is aiming to recognize more complex movements and gestures in the future. | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "36035",
"author": "moses",
"timestamp": "2008-05-31T07:28:58",
"content": "Um you forgot the do-it-all Wii-remote.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36036",
"author": "Che Gumby",
"timestamp": "2008-05-31T09:09:04",
"c... | 1,760,377,826.634731 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/30/upcoming-convention-roundup/ | Upcoming Convention Roundup | Sean Percival | [
"cons"
] | [
"con",
"conference",
"conferences",
"convention",
"defcon16",
"thelasthope"
] | Lots of con news is coming in these days so lets do a quick roundup of upcoming events:
REcon
June 13-15, 2008
Montreal, Canada
REcon has started posting information about their
training sessions
such as the
Advanced Reverse Engineering
session with Nicolas Brulez.
The Last HOPE
July 18-20, 2008
New York City
The Last HOPE
just announced
its speaker list. It includes the infamous
Kevin Mitnick
, Mythbusters co-host
Adam Savage
, and author
Steven Levy
to name a few.
DEFCON 16
August 8-10, 2008
Las Vegas
The DEFCON team also
released the first batch
of speakers for this year’s convention. Qualification starts tonight at 10PM EST for the
capture the flag (CTF) contest
so be sure to get registered.
Check the txt
for more information. We recently talked about the
beverage cooling contraption contest
, but you can find
many other contests
on the forums. | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "111639",
"author": "Audio Visual Installations",
"timestamp": "2009-12-14T06:30:08",
"content": "You wouldn’t believe it but I have wasted all day looking for some articles about this. Thanks for this, it was a wonderful read and really helped me out. Have a good one,Audio Visual ... | 1,760,377,826.496347 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/03/roomba-pac-man/ | Roomba Pac-Man | Sean Percival | [
"LED Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"led",
"mpu",
"pacman",
"roomba"
] | [
Ron Tajima
] fashioned a
Pac-Man casemod for his Roomba
using 448 LEDs and a SH2 MPU control unit. It features the correct arcade sounds and even the death animation. The bot has Bluetooth access thanks to his
previous Wiimote hack
. He hopes to use this platform to create a real world version of the game.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wsP_nmk_iw&hl=en]
For more Roomba hacking, check out the
Hacking Roomba
book and our previous
Roomba related posts
.
[via
Geekdad
]
permalink | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "36222",
"author": "will d.",
"timestamp": "2008-06-04T06:36:29",
"content": "i really like this guy’s sense of humor.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36223",
"author": "Carpespasm",
"timestamp": "2008-06-04T06:57:00",
... | 1,760,377,826.542373 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/03/using-multiple-browsers-for-security/ | Using Multiple Browsers For Security | Sean Percival | [
"firefox hacks",
"News"
] | [
"browser",
"bug",
"firefox",
"linux",
"memory",
"securosis",
"virtualmachine"
] | [Rich] over at Securosis takes us through some of his
browser paranoia exercises
. He uses different browser profiles for different types of web activities. Based on potential risk, various tasks are separated to protect from
CSRF attacks
and more. Everyday browsing with low risk passwords is done in one. RSS reading with no passwords is done in another. He runs his personal blog in a browser dedicated just to that.
For high risk research, he uses virtual machines to further minimize any potential nasty code getting through. Very high risk sites are browsed through a non-persistent read-only Linux virtual machine. While these techniques can be less effective if the entire OS is comprised, they can still provide a few layers of additional security.
Fellow browser paranoia sufferers may want to consider Firefox plug-ins like
NoScript
and memory protection from
Diehard
.
permalink | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "36207",
"author": "ronsense",
"timestamp": "2008-06-04T04:45:20",
"content": "wow. how very slashdot.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36208",
"author": "bikedude880",
"timestamp": "2008-06-04T04:55:17",
"content": "W... | 1,760,377,826.593637 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/03/playing-the-building-with-david-byrne/ | Playing The Building With David Byrne | Juan Aguilar | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"art",
"artinstallation",
"artinstallations",
"building",
"buildings",
"byrne",
"davidbyrne",
"installation",
"organ",
"pipeorgan",
"talkingheads"
] | Do you remember the
solenoid concert
that used a sequencer to control several solenoids striking different surfaces? Musician
David Byrne
has taken the concept and executed it on a much larger scale with his “
Playing the Building
” installation in an old municipal ferry terminal in New York. Devices that bang the girders, rattle the rafters, and blow through the pipes of the building are attached to the only object inside, a weathered pipeorgan. Every key is wired to different device in the building, each producing a unique sound. Attendees are invited to fiddle with keys of the organ to produce sounds from the building’s various materials, thus playing the building like an instrument. Here’s a
video from the installation
.
[via
Today and Tomorrow
]
permalink | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "36204",
"author": "zoinks",
"timestamp": "2008-06-04T11:59:44",
"content": "no writeup? no schematic? no hack!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36205",
"author": "Phil Barrett",
"timestamp": "2008-06-04T16:51:45",
"... | 1,760,377,826.709205 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/03/creeping-wave-antenna/ | Creeping Wave Antenna | Juan Aguilar | [
"News"
] | [
"antenas",
"antenna",
"biosensor",
"creepingwave",
"medgadget",
"medical",
"wban"
] | Monitoring medical patients remotely 24 hours a day has always proven to be a difficult proposition due the size of the wireless sensors attached to the patient’s body to relay vital signs. A team from Queen’s University Belfast has come up with a solution that
utilizes the creeping wave effect
. The effect applies to electromagnetic waves as they come into contact with solid objects. While the majority of the waves are absorbed by the object, a small amount move along the surface of the object before they continue their path.
Since most of the signal sent by conventional biosensors is absorbed by the patient’s body, the signal must be strong enough to compensate. The antennas designed by the Queen’s University team, though, focus their broadcast laterally instead of inward and outward, maximizing the amount of waves that will travel along patients’ bodies via the creeping wave effect and minimizing the amount that are absorbed. These antennas are up to 50 times as efficient as conventional antennas of the same size, broadcasting a stronger signal with less power.
The applications to the wireless body area networking, attaching multiple biosensors to patients’ bodies, field are obvious, but this technology could be used in other ways. Since the creeping wave antenna is small and wearable, it could conceivably be used to boost low power communication to PDAs, cellphones, or any other portable wireless product.
[via
Medgadget
]
permalink | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "36202",
"author": "mike",
"timestamp": "2008-06-04T00:53:46",
"content": "I heard the test gave 40% stronger results in men under the age of 25… Hmmm … ?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36203",
"author": "amor fati",
"ti... | 1,760,377,826.671366 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/03/flying-manta-ray-blimp/ | Flying Manta Ray Blimp | Juan Aguilar | [
"News"
] | [
"airray",
"air_ray",
"balloon",
"festo",
"helium",
"heliumballoonaircraft",
"manta",
"MantaRay",
"mantas",
"ray"
] | German engineering firm Festo has created
this flying manta ray
. Dubbed the Air_ray, it’s a balloon made of an aluminum-vaporised “PET foil”. Inflated with helium, the Air_ray’s propulsion system is a flapping wing drive. Each wing has alternating pressure and tension flanks that are attached to an internal set of ribs. The flanks are connected to a remotely controlled servo motor. When pressure is applied to either of the flanks, the wing bends in the opposite direction. By alternating pressure on the flanks, the wings beat. The servos are powered by two 8V LiPo accumulator cells.
The total weight of the Air_ray including the balloon, propulsion system, power supply, and helium is 1.6Kg. Festo has
more specs in this PDF
.
[via
Neatorama
]
permalink | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "36187",
"author": "EvilTwin",
"timestamp": "2008-06-03T21:32:28",
"content": "That is seriously cool-looking. The Zeppelin mk2! ; )",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36188",
"author": "Ryan",
"timestamp": "2008-06-03T22:01... | 1,760,377,826.762069 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/03/cnc-milling-gun-parts/ | CNC Milling Gun Parts | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"cnc hacks",
"Misc Hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"aluminum",
"beretta",
"cnc",
"gun",
"guns",
"milling"
] | Gun issues aside, [Justin]’s been CNC milling his own gun parts for quite a while. We’ve been a fan of his work simply because of the technical challenge that this sort of milling presents. Even if you’re anti-gun, you should check out the work he’s been turning out. Pictured is one of his early projects: a
92fs Beretta frame
in the process of being milled from a solid block of aluminum. Our friend the gun nut is insanely jealous of his
AR45 lower project
.
permalink | 31 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "36166",
"author": "rasz",
"timestamp": "2008-06-03T14:22:58",
"content": "nice, illegal in Poland tho",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36167",
"author": "Tom",
"timestamp": "2008-06-03T15:33:21",
"content": "Awesome, ... | 1,760,377,827.053726 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/06/02/diy-ballistic-gel/ | DIY Ballistic Gel | Sean Percival | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"ballistic",
"ballistics gel",
"ballisticsgel",
"chronograph",
"gel"
] | Earlier today, we looked at
DIY ballistic glass
, so we decided to look into
DIY ballistic gel
as well. Anyone who watches
Mythbusters
is probably already well familiar with their extensive use of this wonderful gel. Turns out the stuff is beyond easy to create at home. With some gelatin molds (and firepower) you could have a lot of fun with it.
To get started, pick up a box of gelatin powder from your local supermarket. Using 8 oz. of the powder and 2 quarts of cold water, stir together until the consistency is thick and all powder moist. Then, place the mixture in the fridge to chill for two hours. You will then need to heat the mixture until melted; be sure the liquid does not exceed 130 degrees. Finally, apply a layer of nonstick spray to your favorite mold or tupperware, and pour the mixture in. Allow to set in the fridge for 36 hours before use.
If you want even more DIY ballistics, check out this nice
guide to creating your own chronograph
, for measuring bullet velocity. After the break are videos on making and, of course, shooting the final product.
permalink | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "36154",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2008-06-03T05:58:46",
"content": "The chronograph link didn’t work, I think this is the right linkhttp://www.geocities.com/pest3125/chrono/chrono.htm",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "36155... | 1,760,377,826.977238 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/30/oink-arrests/ | OiNK Arrests | Juan Aguilar | [
"News"
] | [
"arrest",
"arrests",
"bittorrent",
"filesharing",
"music",
"oink",
"torrent",
"torrentfreak",
"torrents"
] | British authorities have reportedly begun arresting users of
OiNK
. Last week at least one person was
arrested for seeding a single album
on the now-defunct torrent index. The user was questioned by police and then released on bail.
Though it is not new for record companies to engage in civil action against users of filesharing networks, legal experts who have commented on the case are puzzled by what – if any – criminal charges can be filed against filesharing defendants. It is unknown if any further arrests have been made.
permalink | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "36008",
"author": "David R",
"timestamp": "2008-05-31T01:30:29",
"content": "I’m confused…why is this posted on hackaday? I come here for neat hardware/software homebrew/hacks/etc. I could care less about legal action against some random pirate stealing some random album.",
"par... | 1,760,377,827.122124 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/30/psp-external-controller-wiring/ | PSP External Controller Wiring | Eliot | [
"Playstation Hacks",
"PSP Hacks"
] | [
"controller",
"playstation",
"ps2",
"psp"
] | Acimods contributor [Blizzrad] has just finished one of the cleanest mods we’ve seen in a while. With minimal modification to the outside of the PSP he was able to
add an external PS2 controller
. This naturally took a lot of internal modification. The controller and PSP use a 25 pin SMT connector salvaged from a laptop. The controller’s connector housing is from a set of component cables. Video after the break plus some wiring pictures.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTDq2-jaEo0&hl=en]
[Blizzrad] has put together a
great wiring guide for the PSP/PS2 controller
. It takes a lot of delicate work with 30AWG wire, but he’s done most of the hard work figuring out what vias you can use and where you should route wires. We love seeing people take the time to document difficult tasks like this.
[via
Engadget
]
permalink | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "36004",
"author": "DarkFader",
"timestamp": "2008-05-30T22:08:59",
"content": "There’s a PSP look-a-like that also has an external controller port.But I think a firmware hack is more useful to the rest of us.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"c... | 1,760,377,827.196976 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/30/xy-fabric-interface/ | XY Fabric Interface | Juan Aguilar | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"conductivefabric",
"ConductiveTechnology",
"textile",
"xyinteraction"
] | [Maurin Donneaud], the
giant fabric keyboard
builder, has also been working on the
XYinteraction tactile interface
. XYinteraction is made of two sheets of fabric stretched across a square frame with the conductive threads of each sheet running in opposite directions. When the user touches one of the sheets, it makes contact with the other sheet, relaying x-y coordinates to a computer via a
LilyPad Arduino
. More details after the break.
This diagram illustrates how the XYinterface works.
In one version, a design was rendered onto the translucent textile surface for composer [Marco Marini]. It shows the location of different notes and audio samples. The team has written a software suite to handle zone, gesture, and angular detection, as well as software to handle the sound libraries in use. The detection software is available for Pure Data, Processing, and Python.
Since the XYinteraction is not an instrument in and of itself, rather an input interface, it can be used for other things. With the conductive sheets left blank, it can be used in conjunction with a projector to create this simple touch display. Though the technology is simple, it can be used in many innovative ways. You can see more photos at
[Donneaud[‘s Flickr stream
, or read up on more specs at the
XYinteraction site
.
permalink | 1 | 1 | [
{
"comment_id": "4174247",
"author": "Maurin DONNEAUD",
"timestamp": "2017-10-30T10:43:07",
"content": "Seehttp://eTextile.org;-)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
}
] | 1,760,377,827.605696 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/30/led-ambient-light-strips/ | LED Ambient Light Strips | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"LED Hacks",
"Misc Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"ambient",
"ambilight",
"led",
"leds"
] | [Shadow] sent in his ambient LED strip project. He picked up a ton of RGB (Red/Green/Blue) LEDs off of eBay and built several LED strips. To get up and running, he used an
LED-wiz controller
. With the off the shelf controller, this is a pretty easy project, and the ambient lighting effect looks great. Check out the video after the break or on the
project page
.
In 2006, we posted about [rafkep]’s similar
ambient lighting project
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w9TP2gae3Y]
permalink | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "35998",
"author": "Hal Hockersmith",
"timestamp": "2008-05-30T16:18:24",
"content": "YE GODS! SEIZURE TIME.Ok you really need to add some fade control to that. Your ambient lights are seriously ambient _strobe_ lights. A fade system would make it even more professional. That video w... | 1,760,377,827.274475 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/30/best-of-the-rest/ | Best Of The Rest | Eliot | [
"News"
] | [
"bestoftherest",
"links"
] | Here are some more stories from yesterday that we found interesting:
MediaDefender takes down Revision3
. Revision3 posts about it; takes down self.
Monkey cyborg
Multiplayer iPod Touch Pong
[via
Waxy
]
Powered exosuit available for preorder
, 200 pound capacity
Atari Punk Capsule
[via
BoingBoing
]
That
CSS history leak
keeps getting
pitched as a feature
[via
Download Squad
]
Turbografx-16 emulator for iPhone
Video of
cyborg Luke arm from All Things D
shows a 3 armed engineer; we’d like one too.
Comcast gets defaced
by meddling kids.
BBtv goes to a
wearable technology fashion show
.
ASUS Eee Box teardown
[via
Engadget
]
See an interesting project? Please
send us your tips
! | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "35993",
"author": "redfireant3",
"timestamp": "2008-05-30T14:35:40",
"content": "great, coming soon army of Doc Oct!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35994",
"author": "Tijmen Stam",
"timestamp": "2008-05-30T15:00:47",
... | 1,760,377,827.23784 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/29/solar-powered-lawnmower/ | Solar Powered Lawnmower | Juan Aguilar | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"batterycharging",
"electricalwiring",
"lawn",
"lawnmower",
"lawnmowerbattery",
"solar",
"solarpanel",
"solarpower"
] | Our post about what it takes to
convert your home to solar power
probably put you in a green mood, but if you want to start with something smaller, check out this guide on
how to add a solar panel to your lawnmower
.
You will need a battery-powered lawnmower for this, as well as a 12-volt solar charger with a car lighter jack. This easy hack mainly involves a small amount of work with the wiring; the car lighter jack must be removed from the solar panel so that the wires can be attached to the batteries. Yeah, that’s it. We’d love to see a more elegant solution since the way it is now you have switch the wiring from parallel to series everytime you want to mow.
For a more complete lawnmower hack, check out this
remote control lawnmower
.
permalink | 8 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "35987",
"author": "Joel Sullivan",
"timestamp": "2008-05-30T15:12:20",
"content": "This is crap. That cheap amorphous panel is most likely rated at 5 watts. There is —no–possible–way— that solar panel is going to charge those batteries in 4 to 6 hours. Try more like 2 weeks.This ... | 1,760,377,827.571692 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/29/how-to-super-simple-serial-terminal/ | How-To: Super Simple Serial Terminal | Adam Harris | [
"how-to",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"hackaday",
"howto",
"lcd",
"linux",
"serial",
"terminal"
] | This hack shows how to make a dumb terminal out of a keyboard, LCD screen, and an 8-bit microcontroller. From time to time, a portable dumb terminal can be handy for when you have to rescue a headless server that’s acting up or if you are building a minicomputer out of a WRT, or if you just want to learn how to run a keyboard and LCD screen with a microcontroller. This super simple serial terminal will use RS-232 to control a headless linux system. Additionally, you might want to check into some of the
command line interface programs
that allow web browsing, AIM and IRC chatting and more directly from the terminal, but nothing beats being able to
track your pizzas
with this device.
The Linux system in question here will be
Linux Mint
. It’s a young distro based on Ubuntu that’s gaining a lot of attention lately, though the principles can be used for other Linux distros.
The Hardware:
For this How-To we’ll be using an ATMEGA128 running at 16MHz. Since this device will be communicating through RS-232, we’re going to need a level shifter. RS-232 uses 12 volt signals which will fry our 5V microcontroller. To fix this problem, we’re going to use a MAX233 chip.
This is the schematic of the level shifter circuit.
This is an example layout.
I’m using the
ET-AVR stamp module
with the
stamp board
for this project. This dev board is cheap and has the essentials built in. I’ll be using the on board power supply and the MAX232 RS-232 level converter.
The LCD chosen for this project is a very common 4×20 character LCD. These LCDs are really easy to control
with a microcontroller
(PDF), and
even without one
(PDF). The HD44780 chip allows for several bit widths for parallel programming, as well as commands, and even custom characters. This LCD has nice software library, which makes it even easier to use.
A more attractive choice would have been to go with a graphical LCD, which are also supported by our library, however, we only had the character LCD on hand.
A common AT keyboard will be used for character input, again these aren’t hard to find, you probably have an extra one laying around somewhere .
If you don’t want to buy the ET-AVR, you can build the circuit for this hack yourself. (Click for larger pic).
A full parts list of above circuit: :
Part
Jameco Part #
Futurlec Part #
Atmega128 IC
1406045
ATMEGA128-16AC
16MHz Crystal
14453
CRY16.000
DB9 Connector (female)
15771
DSUBSCF9
DB9 Hood
1719922
DSUBCH9
MAX233 Level Converter
106163
MAX233CPP
22pF Capacitor (x’s2)
332340
C022PC
0.1uF Ceramic Capacitor
151118
C100UC
220 ohm Resistor
690700
R220R14W
10k ohm Resistor
691104
R010K14W
10k Potentiometer
255522
TRIM10K
6 Pin Minidin (optional)
310789
(cut)
MINIDIN6PC
4×20 Character LCD
658873
BLUELCD20X4BL
AT Keyboard
319812
If you would like to use the ET-AVR or some other dev board, you can use this parts list:
Part
Jameco Part #
Futurlec Part #
ET-AVR stamp module
ET-AVR STAMP
ET-AVR stamp board
ET-AVR STAMP
ET-AVR programmer
ET-AVR ISP
DB9 Connector (female)
15771
DSUBSCF9
DB9 Hood
1719922
DSUBCH9
220 ohm Resistor
690700
R220R14W
10k ohm Resistor
691104
R010K14W
10k Potentiometer
255522
TRIM10K
6-Pin Minidin (optional)
310789
(cut)
MINIDIN6PC
4×20 Character LCD
658873
BLUELCD20X4BL
AT Keyboard
319812
The Software
:
We used
WinAVR
with
AVRlib
installed. AVRlib is a set of libraries that can run servos, set up A/D conversions, etc. It can do pretty much anything else you need it to do. To install WinAVR,
get the newest version here
and follow the directions on the installer. We generally don’t follow the directions here for installing AVRlib and place it into the include folder of WinAVR installation found at C:/WinAVR/avr/include/AVRlib. This way your included headers are easier to see and find.
eg. #include <AVRlib/servo.h>
Once this is done, you can open up Programmer’s Notepad and begin coding. We’ve already written
the code for this project
(with room left over for some adventurous readers to modify).
The Keyboard Protocol:
Keyboards use a simple serial communication setup. There are only 2 lines, the DATA and the CLOCK. Generally, nothing is happening on these lines (both the CLOCK and DATA lines are high) until you hit a key. Once a key is pressed, the DATA line goes low. Shortly thereafter, the CLOCK falls. The clock will go for a total of 11 cycles. As this happens, data must be read form the DATA line on the falling edge of the clock. The data is sent from the keyboard in reverse (least significant bit first) with a parity and a stop bit.
The overall data package is:
Start Bit
D0
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7
Parity
Stop Bit
The Start bit, Parity bit, and Stop bits are going to be ignored in this simple hack.
After the keyboard sends a key’s scancode, it also sends a 0xF0 when the key has been released.
Looking at an example, it is easier to understand. Imagine the ‘m’ key has been hit on the keyboard. The data line goes low to make a start bit, then the scancode is sent with the LSB first, then the parity (odd parity) and a stop bit. Since the scancode for ‘m’ is 0x3A, we should get that value in the data portion of the package. Again, the keyboard sends data LSB first, so since we are expecting 0x3A (binary 00111010) we will actually get the reverse of that (binary 010111100). Just remember to read the data bits from right to left to make it easier to see the scancode. After the data, we’ll receive a 1 in the parity bit to make the package odd parity, then the stop bit. After the scan code has been sent, the keyboard will send another scancode when the button has been released. This release code is always 0xF0 and can be ignored, and it gets handled in the code.
So when ‘m’ is hit, the keyboard sends :
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
= ‘m’ or 0x3A
Start Bit
D0
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7
Parity
Stop bit
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
= Release (0xF0)
Start Bit
D0
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7
Parity
Stop bit
A more advanced explanation on how this works can be found
elsewhere
.
We must only read the data line as the clock falls to make sure we get good data. We attempted to do this using an external interrupt on the ATMEGA128 and AVRlib’s external interrupts routines. This proved more complicated than it needed to be. We then remembered that not too long ago Sparkfun had posted about some kind of keyboard widget on their site that used an AVR. The code for their keyboard reading routine was really simple and didn’t use external interrupts at all. We modified the “getkey” routine from the one [Nathan] at Sparkfun wrote for their
key-counter widget
.
Once the scancodes have been read, they must be converted into something useful. As far as we could tell, keyboard scancodes have no mathematical relation to ASCII code so we set up two ASCII lists. Each list is actually an array of ASCII characters. One list has all the values for shifted characters, and another list has the values for unshifted characters. We looked up the ASCII value for each scancode and placed them in the array in order. This allows for a simple way to return the ASCII value of a given scancode.
When you hit the ‘h’ key for instance, the program catches the scancode 0x33 and goes to the 0x33 rd value in that array, which happens to be 0x68, the ASCII value of ‘h’. The resulting ASCII character is sent to the LCD and to the UART, both being controlled by AVRlib to make them easier to deal with.
There are a lot of 0s used as placeholders in the arrays. This is because AVRlib automatically loads the LCD’s CG RAM address 0x00 (the ASCII code for NULL) with a character. Basically, if those codes are send to the LCD, it will just look like garbled mess. We used ‘0’ so we could tell what was going in if that were the case.
Extended keys are not currently supported. The Function keys (F1-F12) have been given normal functions used in Linux, but not supported by the rest of the program. For example, pressing F1 sends the same command as “Ctrl+X” in Linux. See the code for the other function keys. Not all the keys are used (purposely) so if you want to add custom functions to the terminal, there’s plenty of space to.
The UART:
The ATMEGA128 has two UART ports. Using the first one (UART0) characters can be sent from the AVR to the terminal, and vice versa. The UART is initialized and set to 9600 baud, 8-bits, no parity, one stop bit. Make sure to set the terminal program to the same settings. We’ll modify Linux later to make sure the settings match.
With AVRlib, using the UART is a breeze. Simply initialize it, give it a baud rate, and you can start sending and receiving data.
Fiddling with Linux:
You’ll either need a monitor and keyboard on the Linux machine, or SSH into the machine and set this up.
There are
several
good
guides
on the internet for setting up a Linux machine to use a serial console. However, Linux Mint is based off of Ubuntu, which is a bit different than most OSs when it comes to setting up serial access at boot.
This guide explains the basics
, but we’ll need to tweak that a little to make it work for us.
First you need to find out if you even have a serial port on your machine. Look at the back and try to find a DB9 connector.
Now you will need to figure out what that serial port is referenced on your machine. Open a terminal window on the machine and enter the following command:
======================================
$ dmesg | grep tty
======================================
The output will be something like this:
======================================
[ 35.742036] serial8250: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
[ 35.742435] 00:08: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
======================================
This shows that we have 1 serial port on this particular machine. And it is called “ttyS0”.
Now we must set up a way of logging into the serial console. This is handled by the getty process. This process will open the tty port you specify and send a login prompt.
To set this up, we need to create a file in /etc/event.d called ttyS0. Open up your favorite text editor and type in the following:
======================================
start on runlevel 2
start on runlevel 3
start on runlevel 4
start on runlevel 5
stop on runlevel 0
stop on runlevel 1
stop on runlevel 6
respawn
exec /sbin/getty -L 115200 ttyS0 vt102
======================================
Now save this file as /etc/event.d/ttyS0.
Now, that’s fine for the regular users on the machine, but to do things as root, there will have to be a pass in the /etc/securetty file. Go to /etc and use a text editor to open the securetty file. (That’s “securetty”, not “security” ).In this file, type “ttyS0”. This allows that port to have root access. Save the file and close the editor.
Now the final step is to have the console available when the machine boots. To do this, we must modify the grub bootloader. You have to go to /boot/grub and edit the menu.lst file. First go there and make a clean copy of the menu.lst file:
======================================
cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu_orig.lst
======================================
Now open menu.lst in a text editor and type the following
======================================
serial --unit=0 --speed=9600 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1
terminal --timeout=10 serial console
======================================
This first line tells grub that you want ttyS0 to be used (–unit=0) with a baud rate of 9600 (–speed=9600) using 8n1 (–word =8–parity=no –stop=1)
The second line says to display the terminal on both the serial console as well as the screen, if there is one.
If you want to watch the boot messages on the serial console, you can add the following line to the end of the “kernel” line in this file:
======================================
console=ttyS0,9600n8 console=tty0
======================================
Save this file.
Now you should have access to the serial console when you boot, but the default shell is bash. This is bad because bash sends a lot of extra characters when it executes commands. On many terminals, these characters are stripped from displaying, however, it is hard to do that on an LCD, and with only 80 characters, we don’t have much room to spare on our screen. We need to use something a little simpler.
[Fabienne] suggested using sh as the shell to get rid of bash’s weird characters. This worked during tests, so we made it the default shell on the machine. This allows it to automatically load during the boot, making it much easier to use with the device we’ve just made.To do this, simply open a terminal window and type:
======================================
chsh
======================================
This will ask you for your password. Once you enter it, you will see a screen like this:
======================================
Changing the login shell for <username>
Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default.
Login shell [/bin/bash]
======================================
At this point you need to type the following:
======================================
/bin/sh
======================================
Hitting ENTER again will save this new setting.
Now you are ready to connect the device and see it in action!
Connecting the device:
You can play with this on a windows machine, but its real power is with a Linux machine. If you have a Windows machine, you can now communicate to the device through hyperterminal or some other
terminal
program
. Just plug in a serial cable to the DB9 plug and set the terminal to 8n1 as mentioned above. Typing on the keyboard will display on the terminal and on the LCD.
To use it with the Linux machine, plug in the DB9 to the serial port on the computer, and turn the machine on. The first that that should happen is that the system will ask you to “Press any key to continue”. Hit anything on the keyboard to begin loading the OS. After pressing the key, you should see all the boot information scrolling on the screen. Once this stops, hit “enter”. This will bring up the logon screen (remember setting up the getty?).
Type your login name, and hit enter, then your password. As with most Linux systems, typing in the password field will NOT print to the screen. Go ahead and get an “ls” of your home directory. Notice that the screen isn’t large enough to show all the files and folders. We’ve written in a simple single screen buffer that will show the previous 4 lines displayed on the screen. So this kind of emulates a “Page Up” function.
Now you have the code, and the hardware lists, lets see what you can do with it. | 38 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "35955",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2008-05-30T03:25:53",
"content": "Nice, this is sooo detailed, I actually might try it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35956",
"author": "TheZeusJuice",
"timestamp": "2008-05-30T... | 1,760,377,827.367604 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/29/what-it-takes-to-go-solar/ | What It Takes To Go Solar | Juan Aguilar | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"alternativeenergy",
"greenpower",
"solar",
"solarpanel",
"solarpanelinstallation",
"solarpanels",
"solarpower"
] | ExtremeTech has posted
an article detailing the process of adding solar power to a house
. The author included some interesting detail about his personal power consumption, and details about the process of selecting his contractor too. The total cost of the installation came to about $36,000 after state and federal rebates for going solar.
It’s not a homebrew setup, but it’s good to see an article detailing all that is involved. We’ll take you through the tech side of it after the break.
The first thing to discuss is the overall architecture of a home solar power source. Power is collected by the panels as DC power, which is converted to AC by an inverter. The inverter feeds the AC power to the main circuit box, which distributes it to the house.
The panels themselves are not installed until a few steps later; first, the mounting racks, the inverter, and a safety cutoff switch are installed. Once that has been completed, the wiring that would connect to the panels was installed into the racks. After installing grounding wires, the wiring is connected to the conduit that links it to the inverter. Then it is possible to install the panels themselves. The safety switch can then be flipped on, allowing the juice to flow into the main circuit box. Bear in mind that although the process is well-detailed in the article, you still need municipal permits to have an alternative energy source (even if it’s something other than solar panels, like this
wind turbine
we featured earlier), so self-installation should be considered carefully.
Even if you can’t afford such an extreme home mod, it’s interesting to note that the company that did the installation,
ReGrid Power
, claimed that the solar setup would cover 75% of the user’s energy needs, cutting down about 90% of the monthly cost. The author also mentions that the cost can be recouped in nine years. Not bad numbers, and it’ll make your life greener. Still, if you’re eager to start now, try
these instructions
on how to build a solar panel using common household items.
permalink | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "35936",
"author": "Michael Gross",
"timestamp": "2008-05-29T22:54:25",
"content": "Glad it was done, and I like the return numbers. If the cost is still too big for you, register for another method athttp://SolarPanel-Rental.com",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies"... | 1,760,377,827.437079 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/29/mpguino-injector-level-fuel-montoring/ | Mpguino: Injector Level Fuel Montoring | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Misc Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"efi",
"fuel",
"fuel montoring",
"FuelMontoring",
"mpg"
] | [dcb] posted about his work on the
mpgduino
mpguino
. The project uses an arduino with a LCD display to monitor fuel consumption based on vehicle speed and the pulses of the fuel injectors being fired. It’s definitely an interesting project given current fuel costs and the passive nature of the project. You can easily tap the wires needed for the monitor and remove it without voiding your warranty (not that we really care).
permalink | 28 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "35912",
"author": "twistedsymphony",
"timestamp": "2008-05-29T15:03:40",
"content": "I would think that any fuel monitoring system of a modern EFI engine would be done at the injector level, Where else would you monitor the fuel? I suppose you could run some fancy calculation taking... | 1,760,377,827.668747 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/28/best-of-the-rest-2/ | Best Of The Rest | Eliot | [
"News"
] | [
"android",
"balanceboard",
"bestofrest",
"links",
"wii",
"wiifit",
"windows7"
] | Here are some more stories from today that we found interesting:
First Wii Fit hack:
Control Google Earth
New Android UI demoed
Google opens App Engine
Windows 7 demoed
, multitouch ducttaped in
Mac security update released
Hacker scripts $50000 in microdeposits
Displacements
shows history of white washed room
Biggest drawing in world was a hoax | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "35908",
"author": "tjhow",
"timestamp": "2008-05-29T08:23:54",
"content": "“First Wii Fit hack”, NEGATORY!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35909",
"author": "Eliot",
"timestamp": "2008-05-29T09:49:20",
"content": "so... | 1,760,377,827.748134 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/28/embedded-led-pong-table/ | Embedded LED Pong Table | Juan Aguilar | [
"LED Hacks",
"Uncategorized"
] | [
"corian",
"dupont",
"led",
"leds",
"moritzwaldemeyer",
"pong",
"table"
] | There are few things that are enduring and axiomatic in life, but one of the things on our short list is love of Pong. Designer [Moritz Waldemeyer] apparently shares our obsession: you may remember the
LED-lined stage uniforms
he designed for OK Go, but this concept for a Pong table is certainly older and arguably several times more awesome.
The Corian table was commissioned in 2006 by DuPont. Inside the table are 2,400 red LEDs and a touch sensor on either end. The trackpads control the motion of the paddles and the LEDs display the paddles’ positions as well as the position of the ball. Since the LEDs are completely embedded, it can still be used as just a table. It was recently displayed in a MOMA exhibit called
Design and the Elastic Mind
.
[Waldemeyer] also created a matching LED mirror using similar specs. The mirror’s design closely resembles that of the table, but instead of using trackpads for input, it uses a webcam mounted on the top. The image of anything in front of it is captured by the camera and displayed as a “reflection” by varying LEDs’ intensities.
Earlier this year he revealed a simple
mini SMD POV
he designed for FLOS. Only 500 were produces, so you probably won’t be able to get your hands on one. Since the pong table is one-of-a-kind and part of a touring design installation, your chances are even slimmer there.
[via
Gizmodo
] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "35902",
"author": "Ammoc",
"timestamp": "2008-05-29T07:27:59",
"content": "This would be great alternative for my new kitchen counter.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35903",
"author": "A_Blind_Man",
"timestamp": "2008-0... | 1,760,377,827.708519 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/28/giant-fabric-keyboard/ | Giant Fabric Keyboard | Juan Aguilar | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"conductivefabric",
"ConductiveTechnology",
"fabric",
"fabrickeyboard",
"keyboard",
"keyboardhack",
"ladyada",
"maurin",
"maurindonneaud",
"textile"
] | [
ladyada
] pointed us in the direction of this giant fabric keyboard built by [Maurin Donneaud]. The construction of it looks fairly simple, like the buttons used in [fbz]’s
WiFi detecting backpack strap
, but on a larger scale. We’ll take you through its construction, pictures and all, after the break.
[Maurin] used several lengths of conductive fabric, a perforated foam core, and an Arduino.
Pictured above is the foam core being punched. The holes will create contact points between the conductive layers. The grid shows where the keys of the keyboard will be in the finished version.
After that, the conductive layers, and inner foam layer are sewn together. The conductive layers are placed in opposing directions, creating a switch matrix.
An Arduino is used to translate each step into a button press. While full design specs are nowhere to be found, the higher resolution photos on
[Maurin]’s Flickr stream
should give you enough of an idea to build your own.
[via
ladyada
]
permalink | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "35893",
"author": "zinge",
"timestamp": "2008-05-29T03:00:21",
"content": "Could the same design/idea be used to build one of those giant floor piano/keyboards like they have at FAO Schwartz?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "3589... | 1,760,377,827.921347 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/28/beverage-cooling-contraption-contest/ | Beverage Cooling Contraption Contest | Juan Aguilar | [
"cons",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"bccc",
"beer",
"beveragecooling",
"beverages",
"cooling",
"coolingdevices",
"defcon",
"defcon16"
] | Let’s face it: no one likes warm beer. In the arid August air of Las Vegas, though, it’s difficult to get anything else. To combat this problem, Deviant has hosted a competition the last three years at
Defcon
called the
Beverage Cooling Contraption Contest
, or BCCC. We’re not talking about something as simple as a Coleman cooler or even a
peltier cooler
: the devices entered in this contest have to be able to take a beer from hot to cool and your glass within minutes.
Contestants must pour 72 ounces of beer into their device where it must emerge in a continuous flow no more than one minute after having been poured. No internal reservoir is allowed; the idea is that the beer must be cooled as it flows through the device. The target temperature of the beer is 38º F, but they often start out at temperatures topping 90º F.
Raw numbers are one part of the competition, but another is efficiency and elegance of design. One design that has been entered and refined every year is a styrofoam cooler filled with a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and dry ice.
The latest design
dipped ziplock bags full of beer into the mixture, cooling it at a rate of nearly one degree per second. With the current rules, however, this method would not be allowed. The rules are tougher than ever, but if you want to compete, you can sign up at the
Defcon forums
. Defcon 16 will be on August 8-10 at
Satan’s rectum
the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, and the fourth BCCC will be at noon on the 8th, next to the pool.
[Thanks
Renderman
]
permalink | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "35876",
"author": "sarsface",
"timestamp": "2008-05-29T00:18:40",
"content": "Rapid temperature change destroys a beer’s flavor, but this could be great for other stuff.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35877",
"author": "hog... | 1,760,377,828.037101 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/28/gsm-remote-control-project/ | GSM Remote Control Project | Will O'Brien | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"classic hacks"
] | [
"diy",
"open source",
"OpenSource",
"remote control",
"remotecontrol",
"sms"
] | It’s been
a while
since we’d seen any new SMS/GSM/serial remote interface projects. [Emanuele] sent in
his version
of a project to do just that. It uses a PIC16F84 and will send or receive commands. A pair of relays provide options for controlling whatever you want to hook it up to. You’ll need a login, but he’s released the full schematics and firmware. He developed this to find uses for old phones, but an alternative is to pick up a cheap calling card cell and dedicate it to a project like this. This seems like a great way to add an out of band alarm system to your house/car/robotic minion.
permalink | 12 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "35870",
"author": "varient6",
"timestamp": "2008-05-28T20:01:48",
"content": "Nicely done. Only problem that I see, is that this is very similar to devices being used to detonate IED’s in Afghanistan and Iraq. Whatever your position on the conflicts there are, I personally would b... | 1,760,377,827.87453 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/27/porting-chdk-to-new-cameras/ | Porting CHDK To New Cameras | Eliot | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"camera",
"chdk",
"digicam",
"digitalcamera",
"firmware",
"ir",
"raw",
"serial",
"soundcard"
] | While researching the
CHDK How-To
, we came across the team’s instructions for
porting the firmware to entirely new cameras
. In theory, CHDK should work on any Canon running the DIGIC II or III processor since most of them are running the same VxWorks OS. A dump of the camera’s firmware is required before porting work can begin. On some cameras, the firmware was retrieved using software, but others required a hardware route. Pictured above is a Canon A610 that’s slowly flashing out every bit of its firmware using the built in LED. The photodiode is hooked up to a soundcard where the entire bitstream is recorded. It takes 1-7 hours to read the entire firmware. Once the sound file has been captured, it’s reverted to the original bytes and can then be decompiled with something like IDApro.
permalink | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "35862",
"author": "Taylor Alexander",
"timestamp": "2008-05-28T06:42:46",
"content": "Canon 40D? The firmware images are freely downloadable online (assuming it’s the right format). I’d love to be able to do time lapse without hooking it up to a PC (or maybe it does this? heh, i hav... | 1,760,377,827.965002 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/27/the-integrated-desk/ | The Integrated Desk | Sean Percival | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"cables",
"desk",
"lego",
"legos",
"office",
"workbench",
"workspace"
] | Since it happens to be the day after a nice holiday break, many of us are finding ourselves back in front of our desk once again. Perhaps some of you never left it the entire weekend. In any case, it seems fitting to take a look at a few interesting integrated desks we’ve come across lately. Follow through after the break to see our favorites.
Cable management seems to be a constant struggle for many of us, do we have too many electronics? Probably, but how can one effectively manage the cable clutter? [Van Mardian]
came up with a nice solution
that only required about $30 in parts from a local hardware store. Using a pegboard mounted under the desk itself he was able to hide most of his wires and even some peripherals. The comments have a lot of other examples.
For those who live in a closet or perhaps a New York apartment, available space can sometimes be an issue. Thankfully a Romanian design company called MTI Impex has created
the cube PC desk
. Unfortunately we couldn’t find additional information such as plans, but it doesn’t look like it would be too hard to construct.
Similar to the previous example
this normal looking trunk
converts into a mini cubicle on wheels. From Japan, this melamine resin trunk comes complete with a fold out desk and several pre-drilled holes for cables. Ordering is available on the
official site
, but will set you back $2000US.
Lastly, we have the desk that inspired this post as it made its way around the net today.
This beauty
is like a mullet, all business up front with a party in the back. From a 1947 edition of Popular Mechanics this “dream desk” is just aces with all the features a modern executive needs. Yes, it has a 6 tube radio, dictating equipment, and even an electrical convenience outlet. More importantly, the backside (or play side) is equipped to turn any office into party central with its fridge and other spirit related fineries. Toss in a safe and we can only imagine this desk weighed more than its short lifespan was worth.
If you have come across an interesting desk hack, or have created one yourself, please let us know in the comments. | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "35842",
"author": "Sam",
"timestamp": "2008-05-28T05:19:36",
"content": "I need to get a new desk.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35843",
"author": "happypinguin",
"timestamp": "2008-05-28T05:21:09",
"content": "Nic... | 1,760,377,828.335208 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/27/violating-terms-of-service-equals-hacking/ | Violating Terms Of Service Equals Hacking | Juan Aguilar | [
"News"
] | [
"fraud",
"hackinglaws",
"hackingnews",
"law",
"lawsuit",
"loridrew",
"meganmeier",
"termsofservice",
"tos",
"tosviolation"
] | A new legal precedent may be set with the case of [
Lori Drew
], the St. Louis woman who posed as a teenage boy on MySpace and harassed 13-year-old [
Megan Meier
] until she committed suicide. Drew is being charged under the
computer fraud and abuse act
, on the grounds that she violated the terms of service agreement of MySpace. If she is convicted of these charges (she is also being charged with conspiracy), it may allow for the
criminal prosecution of anyone who violates the terms of service agreement
of a site under the same law.
The computer fraud and abuse act was written primarily to target hackers who break into private networks to steal or destroy information, but prosecutors will argue that by willfully violating the MySpace user agreement, Drew’s access to the site was not authorized and thus an illegal intrusion.
The ramifications for a typical user may reach further than website TOS violations though; if for example, you have an unprotected wireless network at home or in your office, it could be a violation of the agreement with your ISP. Right now an ISP could cut your service, but if a new precedent is set, you could be charged with fraud.
If you’re a user of a social network, though, you may already be a guilty of what would be felony offenses. The major social networks all include a clause in their TOS agreements against using libelous, slanderous, or defamatory content. What’s more, if convicted of even one offense, the maximum penalty under the expanded law is 10 years of incarceration. Since Drew is being tried on two counts, she is facing a maximum of 20 years for these charges alone.
The decision to invoke the law has been criticized by many legal experts, suggesting that it creates a slippery slope where even people running a home eBay business or checking sports scores at work can be prosecuted.
[via
Acidus
]
permalink | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "35812",
"author": "Ray",
"timestamp": "2008-05-28T02:14:58",
"content": "I’m all for sending people like her to jail, but this is the wrong way to solve this problem.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35813",
"author": "Wizzar... | 1,760,377,828.271426 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/27/wireless-hacking-with-the-olpc-xo/ | Wireless Hacking With The OLPC XO | Eliot | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"metasploit",
"nessus",
"olpc",
"olpcxo",
"slashdot",
"xo"
] | Not even a week ago we asked
what we should do with our OLPC XO
. InformIT’s [Seth Fogie] has written a great two part article that covers turning it into a hacker toolkit. Part one is an
overview of the OLPC
, how to upgrade it, and do some usability tweaks.
Part two
covers installing Nessus, Metasploit, and doing some wireless sniffing. We’ll be building our own little green monster based on this and let you know how it goes.
[via
Slashdot
]
permalink | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "35805",
"author": "thegimpster",
"timestamp": "2008-05-28T01:14:12",
"content": "I almost wish i had one of these to screw with. Not like I don’t have enough projects to work on right now. I love all of the new stuff coming out, but you might want to call the sight hacks-a-day. Chee... | 1,760,377,828.185387 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/27/how-to-expand-your-camera-with-chdk/ | How-To: Expand Your Camera With CHDK | loganwilliams | [
"digital cameras hacks",
"how-to"
] | [
"camera",
"canon",
"chdk",
"digicam",
"digitalcamera",
"dslr",
"firmware",
"hdr",
"howto",
"intervalometer",
"lifehacker",
"pointandshoot",
"powershot",
"timelapse"
] | As anyone who has lusted over the technical specifications for Canon’s new
Digital Rebel XSi
knows, the capabilities of the average point and shoot camera are severely limited. Using the
CHDK firmware hack
, the features of Canon point and shoot cameras can be significantly expanded, allowing for ultra-high speed photography, very long exposures, time lapse photography, and RAW capture. This How-To provides a guide to our experiences using the CHDK firmware, and shows just how easy it is to get more out of a point and shoot than ever thought possible.
Installing CHDK
The first step is to install the CHDK software. Our friends at Lifehacker
recently ran an article covering exactly that
, so we won’t bother repeating the instructions. Be sure to install the Allbest build, it has all of the nice features.
After installing, you’ll want to have the firmware autoload when you boot up your camera. To do so, open up the main CHDK menu by pressing your ALT button, then the MENU button. Scroll down to “Debug parameters”, then click on “Make card bootable…” After it is done, turn off your camera, remove the SD card, and toggle the write protect switch. When this switch is toggled, the camera will automatically boot into CHDK (you’ll still be writing to it).
Taking long exposures
Long exposure photography is appreciated for its soft, sometimes surreal images of (usually) night scenes. Many point and shoot cameras only allow exposures of 15 seconds, but with CHDK, you can take photos at up to 64 seconds.
Navigate to CHDK’s main menu and find Extra Photo Operations. In Extra Photo Operations, change the Override Shutter Speed value to the shutter speed you wish to shoot at, such as 64 seconds. Scroll down and change the Value Factor from OFF to 1.
Though the camera will not indicate the modified shutter speed, the changes will take place. Just take a picture as you normally would. Be sure to have your camera set to manual mode. Taking photos of moving things works best for long exposures: try subjects like the ocean, windy trees, and traffic. Additionally, using
neutral density filters
, you can even take long exposures in the day time!
Taking ultra-fast exposures
Just as you can override the shutter speed for long exposures, you can take ultra-fast exposures as well, at up to 1/100,000 of a second with some cameras. Flash will sync at up to 1/60,000 of a second, and you’ll need flash with such short exposures. We were unsure how useful or easy this would be to use, but the results surprised us: in just a few minutes we were able to capture nice looking water droplets, without a hint of motion blur.
Navigate to CHDK’s main menu and find Extra Photo Operations. In Extra Photo Operations, change the Override Shutter Speed value to the shutter speed you wish to shoot at, such as 1/16,000 of a second. Scroll down and change the Value Factor from OFF to 1. Be sure to have your camera set to manual mode.
Note that the minimum shutter speed is restricted by the aperture value you have selected in the camera’s manual settings. The wide end (lower numbers), can usually only shoot at down to 1/8000 of a second, while the narrower end (higher numbers) can shoot for the full range.
Prefocus before taking the picture, either by using manual focus mode, or by holding the shutter button halfway down. Though the camera will not indicate the modified shutter speed, it will use the short shutter speed. There are many different things that can be done with high speed photography: capture water droplets, capture explosions, or even capture a bullet leaving a gun. All of these are possible with CHDK.
Running scripts
The real power in CHDK comes from running user made scripts. The first script we will look at is an intervalometer, which allows you to take many photos over a period of time. We used it to easily create a time-lapse video.
Copy and paste
this script
into a new document, and save as ult_intrvl.bas to your computer. Then, plug in your camera’s SD card, and copy ult_intrvl.bas to /CHDK/SCRIPTS/.
To use the intervalometer, navigate to the main CHDK menu, find “Scripting parameters”, and click “Load script from file”. Find ult_intrvl.bas, and press set. Then, scroll down and adjust the script parameters: the delay until the first shot is taken, the number of shots you wish to take, the interval between each shot, and whether or not you want it to take an “endless” number of photos. Then, exit the menu, but leave your camera in ALT mode, and press the shutter button to start the script.
The video above was created by taking approximately 700 shots at 15 second intervals over 2 hours and 45 minutes. Just set your camera on a tripod or another steady surface, and start the intervalometer. Using QuickTime Pro, go to File>Open Image Sequence to convert the hundreds of separate images into a movie. For space and processing considerations, we recommend setting your camera to a low-resolution mode before starting the intervalometer.
Exposure bracketing
Exposure bracketing allows you to take many pictures at slightly different exposures nearly simultaneously. You can use this to correct errors in the camera’s autoexposure, or merge exposures for
HDR photography
. Many higher end Canon PowerShot’s have exposure bracketing built in, but for those that don’t, CHDK has the answer.
Like with the intervalometer script, simply copy and paste
this
script into a new text file. Name it bracketing.bas, and place it in the /CHDK/SCRIPTS/ folder of your SD card.
Then navigate to the main CHDK menu, find “Scripting parameters”, and click “Load script from file”. Find bracketing.bas, and press set. Then, scroll down and adjust the script parameters. The step size is the difference between each image taken, in 1/3 EV steps, the correction is the EV of the middle image taken. The only slightly tricky part here is that first parameter is the (number of images – 1)/2. This means that if you want three pictures, it must be 1, five is 2, seven is 3, and so on. To run the script, exit the menu, leave the camera in alt mode, and press the shutter button.
With these different exposures, you can create HDR tone-mapped images, that show very bright and very dark regions exposed properly. For example, taking the seven different images of the lighthouse above into an HDR program such as
Photomatix
, optimizing settings for realism, produces this result:
You can also use HDR to produce more dramatic photos, such as this train. It is all in how you process the images.
There is a lot that can be done with HDR, from
extremely vibrant photos
, to the scarily surreal, such as this one below from
Till Krech
.
..
For more information on HDR photography, Stuck In Customs has an
excellent tutorial
.
Taking RAW photos
RAW photos can be extremely useful to digital photographer. They enable you to extract more information from bright highlights in an image, and RAW gives the you complete control over white balance. For example, in the above photo the JPG had an incorrect white balance, which was easily corrected using the RAW image. While DSLRs offer 12 bits of data in RAWs, most point and shoot cameras can only provide 10, meaning that even with CHDK, you won’t be able to extract as much information from highlights as you could with a DSLR. Still, RAWs are very useful for having precise white balance control.
In the Raw Parameters menu, enable “Save RAW”, and adjust the other parameters as shown. Now, you can take photos as normal, and a RAW will be automatically saved with your JPG. The RAW file will take quite a bit a more space than the standard JPG, so your camera will not be able to correctly display remaining space on the SD card.
Processing RAW photos
To process your RAW photos, you’ll need to convert them to the Digital Negative format, DNG. The
DNG4PS-2
software can do this for these cameras: A610, A620, A630, A640, A710 IS, S2 IS, S3 IS, A700, G7, A560, A570 IS, IXUS 700, IXUS 70, IXUS 800, A720 IS, S5 IS, IXUS 950, A650 IS, A460, SD800 IS, A530, A540. You can also process the files using
UFRaw
or
dcraw
, though that is much more difficult.
Open DNG4PS-2, then go to settings. Adjust the model settings based on how many megapixels your camera is. Next, press OK, and find the path to RAW files option. This is not the location of the file that you wish to convert, but the folder that contains the files. When you have selected the correct folder, press “Convert”.
The DNGs will be in a folder marked with today’s date, and from there, you can process them in Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop, or whichever RAW processing software you prefer.
Adding a battery meter
Tired of have the low battery warning sneak up on you? CHDK can add a battery meter to your camera, though the configuration depends on what type of camera you have.
To enable it, go to OSD parameters in the main menu, then to Battery. Edit the parameters so that they are as they appear above, if you have a camera with 4 AA rechargeable batteries. Cameras with 2 AA rechargeable batteries should be about half of that. For other power sources, experiment to find the best value.
Writing your own scripts
CHDK uses a very simple BASIC-like language called UBASIC. It has all of the features that one would expect from any language, but there are many camera specific features.
Input/output
Each script begins with a special header, that provides information and control to the user.
@title Intervalometer
@param a Number of shots
@default a 10
@param b Interval (Minutes)
@default b 1
In this header, the title of the script is declared, as are two user adjustable parameters. The syntax is simple:
@title
declares a title,
@param par
declares the name and label of a parameter, and
@default [par]
declares the default value of a parameter. Scripts can only receive input through the header, at the beginning of their execution.
To output information to the user, the
print
command is used:
print "Num shots: ", a
will print the number of shots, as inputted in the script header. Note the use of the comma to seperate text from variables. The
print
command is limited to 25 characters of text. To clear what has been printed, use the
cls
command.
Standard program flow
let a = 2
for x=1 to 10
gosub "display"
next x
:display
rem print even numbers
if x % a = 0 then print x
return
This block of code demonstrates many of the logic features of the UBASIC language. To assign values to variables, use the
let
command. You can also see a
for
loop and a subroutine. Note the use of the
rem
command to insert comments, and the single line
if
statement. UBASIC supports most standard mathematical comparisons, including
+, -, *, /, %, <, >, =, <=, >=, <>
(not equal to)
, &, |, ^
(xor).
Camera control
The meat of UBASIC is in its many commands for controlling the camera:
shoot
Takes a photo
click
/
press
/
release "button"
Clicks (press and release), presses, or releases on the cameras buttons. The following are available:
up, down, left, right, set, shoot_half
(depresses the shutter halfway)
, shoot_full, zoom_in, zoom_out, menu, display, print, erase, iso, flash, mf
(manual focus)
, macro, video, timer
.
wait_click
timeout
Waits for a button to be pressed, then continues. The timeout value is optional.
is_key x "button"
Immediately follows a
wait_click
command. If the last button pressed is
"button"
, then the variable x is set with the value of 1. If
wait_click
timed out, then
"no_key"
is used as the button name.
set_tv val
Sets the shutter speed to
val
. Note that
val
is not “1/1000” or something similar, but rather an integer value. Each increase in the integer value corresponds to a 1/3 EV increase. The absolute mapping between integer values and shutter speeds varies between cameras, but tables are available
here
. This, and all following commands must be used with the camera in manual mode.
set_tv_rel val
Sets the shutter speed relative to the current shutter speed. Example:
set_tv_rel 0-1
increases the shutter speed by 1/3 EV.
get_tv target
Sets
target
equal to the current shutter speed.
set_av val, set_av_rel val, get_av target
With the same syntax as shutter speed commands, these adjust aperture settings.
set_zoom val, set_zoom_rel val, get_zoom target
Just like
set_tv/set_tv_rel
commands. In
set_zoom_rel
,
val
is +/- the relative change. Zoom values range from 0 to 8 or 14 for A-series cameras, and 0 to 128 for S-series cameras.
set_zoom_speed x
S-series only. Sets the zoom speed, at
x
% of maximum speed.
x
may vary between 5 and 100.
set_focus x, get_focus target
x/target
is distance in millimeters.
set iso x, get iso target
x/target
is one of the following values:
0 (Auto ISO), 1 (50/80), 2 (100), 3 (200), 4 (400), 5 (800), -1 (High ISO)
.
Where to go from here
Try checking out the
CHDK wiki
, for more features then are even printed here. Finally, take photos! The most important thing that you can do to improve your photography skills is to take lots of photos. | 50 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "35782",
"author": "buzzkill",
"timestamp": "2008-05-27T18:59:07",
"content": "Now THAT is a freakin hack-a-day article. I LUV CHDK. I recently discovered it and put it to use with the motion detection on my SD 850 IS. My son had a science project about hummingbirds. We loaded up... | 1,760,377,828.587094 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/27/automatic-muffin-maker/ | Automatic Muffin Maker | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"automatic",
"automation",
"muffin"
] | [Jerome] sent in this
awesome Muffin maker
(yes, muffins) that [Carl Boucher] and [Dominic Dussault] built for [Carl]’s final project in his Industrial Electrical Technician program. No real technical details, just some tasty inspiration. If you prefer cookies, you might want to check out
fabbing with Nutella
.
permalink | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "35770",
"author": "Ortzinator",
"timestamp": "2008-05-27T15:37:04",
"content": "rip muffin man",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35771",
"author": "nahtical",
"timestamp": "2008-05-27T15:41:04",
"content": "This brings... | 1,760,377,828.497288 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/26/homebrew-channel-for-wii/ | Homebrew Channel For Wii | Juan Aguilar | [
"Nintendo Hacks",
"Nintendo Wii Hacks"
] | [
"homebrewchannel",
"homebrewchannelwii",
"twilighthack",
"twilighthackwii",
"wii",
"wiihomebrechannel",
"wiitwilighthack"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/6ji2imug_bc]
Had enough Nintendo homebrew action yet? We haven’t either. Especially not now that the doors to the homebrew scene have been blown open by
The Homebrew Channel
. Up to this point, the only way you could run homebrew on an unmodded Wii was the
Twilight Hack
, which leveraged a flaw in Twilight Princess save games. The Homebrew Channel lets you launch various homebrew apps with a useful GUI instead of performing the hack every time you want to run them. It can access apps stored on an SD card, a computer on the same network, and even
USB Gecko
. There is no USB flash drive or DVD support at the moment.
The Homebrew Channel can be loaded onto the
Wii
by running the Twilight Hack (don’t worry, it’ll probably be for the last time) with the Homebrew Channel Files in the root of your SD card. The Wii will reboot and then the channel will appear in the list. We tested it ourselves, and found that everything loaded properly from the SD card (we didn’t try the other sources). We did run into a problem where it failed to load any of our homebrew apps or even reboot properly if a Gamecube memory card was in the slot, but it’s an easy fix, just pull it out.
The devteam behind this release wanted to make things as easy and accessible as possible, so they included download links to the Twilight Hack, The Homebrew Channel, and even a homebrew software bundle to get you started. If you want more homebrew apps, head to
Wiibrew
.
[via everywhere] | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "35757",
"author": "Jordan Horwich",
"timestamp": "2008-05-27T04:39:01",
"content": "Yay! Finally some nice good homebrew for the Wii instead of the old homebrew for the GameCube. Can’t wait to see the new homebrew apps!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,828.685023 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/26/beverage-hacks/ | Beverage Hacks | Eliot | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"beer",
"guinness",
"margarita",
"mixer"
] | It’s Memorial Day in the US, so we thought we’d put together a collection of links we’ve covered in the past that might help you celebrate.
The
Apu 3000
is one of the finer examples of drug use leading to carpentry. It’s a 4 gallon frozen margarita machine built out of a garbage disposal. A
new
garbage disposal. We don’t have the time here to speculate on what sort chemical dangers you may expose yourself to by constructing this though.
Continuing the trend of throwing horsepower at problems is the
gas powered blender
. It’s good for people that love a refreshing beverage while inhaling the fumes of 2-stroke engines.
We’ve covered a couple peltier based cooling projects in the past too. The first was a
can cooler for the desktop
. The second involved snaking a CAT5 cable across the yard to
power a mug
.
Back in 2005, Hackaday regular [evan] sent in his
BASIC Stamp controlled kegerator
. It’s very reliable and way cheaper than a commercial unit.
We’re closing on a sad note: It seems the instructions for making
Guinness beersicles
have fallen offline, again. From what we remember, you throw the can in the freezer till it reaches a thick slush stage. Then, release the gas so it forms a head in the can. Pierce the bottom of the can and insert the stick. Return the can to the freezer and let it freeze solid. | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "35748",
"author": "Abbott",
"timestamp": "2008-05-27T00:48:16",
"content": "i was thinking of using an atmel chip to do a vari-temp freezer. i managed to find this quite awesome freezer in the trash! just like the guy who made the kegerator has, only free. only problem is that it ca... | 1,760,377,828.446698 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/26/make-an-ecg-with-your-sound-card/ | Make An ECG With Your Sound Card | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Misc Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"deadly",
"diy",
"ecg",
"electronics",
"op-amp"
] | [Marcus] sent in his
work
on making ECGs. His
first
one was inspired by
[Jason]’s
. Believe it or not, you can build this thing for under $5. After getting it semi-functional, he decided to
pick up a cheap one
and mod it for PC input via the sound card. (There are plenty of
sound card oscilloscope
projects that will work for this.) Remember kids, don’t go sticking electrodes on anyone unless you know what you’re doing: correctly placed electrical shocks (even low power ones) can
be deadly
.
permalink | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "35742",
"author": "Jon",
"timestamp": "2008-05-27T01:08:21",
"content": "I think you meant incorrectly placed electrical shocks.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35743",
"author": "Michael",
"timestamp": "2008-05-27T07:03... | 1,760,377,828.62734 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/25/simple-linux-robot-with-ir-camera/ | Simple Linux Robot With IR Camera | Juan Aguilar | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"ir",
"linuxrobot",
"qwerk",
"robot",
"webcam"
] | Here’s something else we found while writing up our duplicate
Ikea Linux Cluster
post. [Janne] also built this
simple linux robot
. The robot uses the
Qwerk robot controller
, a webcam with the IR filter removed (something like
this one
), a usb WiFi card, an IR spotlight, and a set of repurposed model airplane wheels. The WiFi adapter and webcam attach directly to the Qwerk via its on-board usb ports; the servo motors are also connected via built-in ports. Although [Janne] doesn’t post specific instructions, the Qwerk platform seems fairly easy to work with. Have a look at the
Qwerk overview
for more information.
permalink | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "35741",
"author": "DigitalMind",
"timestamp": "2008-05-26T19:54:41",
"content": "Seems like fun !! I gotta build me some robots too ! :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "182980",
"author": "Michael",
"timestamp": "2010-09... | 1,760,377,828.86281 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/25/ikea-linux-cluster/ | IKEA Linux Cluster | Sean Percival | [
"Uncategorized"
] | [
"cluster",
"ikea",
"ikeacluster",
"ikeahack",
"linux",
"render"
] | Building a render cluster doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money, even if you’re buying brand new hardware. [Janne] built this
6 unit cluster
inside of a 6 drawer IKEA Helmer cabinet. He wanted the cluster to be low power and low cost. After finding a good price on 6 65nm Intel Core 2 CPUs, he found 6 cheap Gigabyte motherboards. The memory on each board was maxed at 8GB. With 24 2.4GHz cores consuming 400W, the power consumption and cost isn’t much more than a high end PC. Each board is running Fedora 8 and mounts an NFS share.
Dr Queue
is used to manage the render farm’s processes. [Janne] says jobs that previously took all night now only require about 10-12 minutes. The estimated capacity is 186Gflops, but plans are already in motion for a12Tflop version.
His site also has plans for an
underwater camera housing
like
our recent post
. If you want to see more IKEA abuse, check out
IKEA Hacker
, even if it’s not very technical.
[via
Hackzine
]
[
UPDATE:
yep,
we duped ourselves
]
permalink | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "35732",
"author": "Ari",
"timestamp": "2008-05-26T02:24:41",
"content": "Isn’t this a repeat?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35733",
"author": "Wonko",
"timestamp": "2008-05-26T02:27:36",
"content": "I’ve seen this ... | 1,760,377,828.825497 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/25/nintendo-ds-music-creation/ | Nintendo DS Music Creation | Juan Aguilar | [
"Nintendo DS Hacks",
"Nintendo Game Boy Hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"ds",
"dscratch",
"gba",
"midi",
"nintendo",
"nintendods",
"scratch",
"touchscreen"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQCZnwNr0ms&hl=en]
Homebrew developer [yaarglafr] recently released this video of his Protein DScratch in action. You can download a
demo version here
. The program simulates DJ scratching on the DS with an intuitive interface much like the ones on the touchscreen turntables
we discussed the other day
. It works well with any of the major DS slot devices; just run a
DLDI patch
on it and you’re good to go.
Aside from what is demoed in the video, DScratch can record and scratch audio directly from the microphone. It also has the ability to send midi data via the DS’s wifi, which in turn can be used to control external MIDI apps. Dscratch also has
NDSMotion
support. The DS slot and GBA slot DS Motion accessories contain accelerometers and gyroscopes that generate different effects in DScratch when the DS is shook, tilted, and turned. It’s not required for DScratch to work, but it maximizes the app’s functionality.
If you can’t wait for a full version, you can get the
Korg DS-10 cartridge
. Instead of emulating a turntable, though, this software emulates a Korg MS-10 synthesizer. It can handle music creation and editing like DScratch, but it cannot do midi controlling via WiFi. For that, try DSMI, an open source software suite
we covered back in 2006
. It consists of software for the DS that controls and sends midi messages via WiFi to the server software on a computer, which in turn feeds it to any running MIDI software. Neither of these do exactly what DScratch does, but they should keep you busy until the full release. | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "35729",
"author": "bikedude880",
"timestamp": "2008-05-26T00:11:22",
"content": "Very slick and responsive! It’s homebrew like this that makes me wonder why companies don’t open up the hardware…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "3... | 1,760,377,828.946671 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/25/lcd-projector-repair/ | LCD Projector Repair | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"diy",
"gimp",
"graphics",
"hometheater",
"ht",
"parts",
"projector",
"repair"
] | [Kieth] picked up an Infocus projector only to find that it
needed some repair
. The polarizer on the blue light path was
toast
. When he
parted out
an Optoma projector he scored a polarizer that was just about right for the repair. It’s a good read even if you don’t have a projector in pieces at the moment. He ended up bending the mounting bracket a bit to hold the filter and got his projector fully up and running again.
permalink | 4 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "35727",
"author": "Tuckie",
"timestamp": "2008-05-26T04:51:29",
"content": "I have a projector (vpl-hs3)that has random blue pixels scattered throughout the image (any input/even over the osd), focused primarily on the bottom half and middle of the screen. Does anyone know what wou... | 1,760,377,828.906179 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/25/metalabs-led-matrix-display/ | Metalab’s LED Matrix Display | Will O'Brien | [
"LED Hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"fpga",
"led",
"project"
] | Our friends at Vienna’s
Metalab
have been working on this project quite a while. Soldering their hearts out to create an FPGA controlled monochrome LED dot matrix display. It’s 48×72 array totaling
3,456 LEDs, soldered by hand. It creates some serious geek bling thanks to an mplayer plugin developed just for the project and it runs up to 72fps. Build details and source code are on the
project page
. Be sure to check out the awesome video demo below.
The video being played is the impressive Python SVG demo
Die Ewigkeit schmertz
.
[via
laughing squid
] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "35714",
"author": "aaron",
"timestamp": "2008-05-25T11:46:25",
"content": "great project. pretty impressive",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35715",
"author": "mitch",
"timestamp": "2008-05-25T12:37:44",
"content": "... | 1,760,377,830.780567 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/23/haptic-feedback-roundup/ | Haptic Feedback Roundup | Sean Percival | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"haptic",
"haptic feedback",
"haptic technology",
"hapticfeedback",
"HapticTechnology",
"touch",
"touchscreen",
"touchsensor"
] | Haptic feedback (sometimes referred to as tactile or force feedback) offers what some might call a
brave new world
of interaction and immersion. The 1932 book of the same name was probably the first introduction many people got to the idea of computer generated touch sensations. In the book, movies are replaced with what are called “feelies”; patrons sit in chairs that provide feedback throughout the screening.
While we don’t see this coming to your local megaplex any time soon, we are starting to see the technology creep into our lives. After the break lets take a look at some examples, talk about projects we’ve covered before, and how you can get started developing your own.
The
Novint Falcon
is one of the first mass produced and consumer friendly versions of a haptic feedback device. With force capabilities of 2lbs and a resolution of 400dpi the unit can interact with several software programs and
video games
. The unit sells for around $239 and includes several compatible games.
Some inventors like [Steve Yohanan] feel robots need better response to the basic human touch. His latest creation the
Haptic Creature
is a small bunny that responds to touch through pressure sensors and then responds. Different forms of touch result in the creature changing it’s breathing, purring, and of course wiggling its little bunny ears.
On the fun side of things, we have several toys making their way into the market with haptic feedback features built in. The
Pleo
being one for of the more advanced examples with it’s almost unlimited amount of responses and feedback. The toy itself is touted as something to interact with as opposed to simply control.
UGOBE
is also talking up its therapeutic value for both children and adults.
While some of this technology may seem out of reach of DIY, there is one organization trying to bring open source to the scene. Backed by
SenseGraphic
the
H3D API
is an open source initiative to help programmers interface with various haptic devices. Browse their
hall of fame
page to see what individuals and universities have done with the API. This PDF also provides a
broad overview of the history of haptics
.
We’ve covered a ton of haptic projects here on Hackaday:
D’Groove a force feedback turntable
, a
personal haptic radar
, a
PSP with feedback
, and even
reverse engineering the Falcon
we mentioned earlier.
[via
Gizmodo
] | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "35625",
"author": "adam",
"timestamp": "2008-05-24T05:06:31",
"content": "Cool… just wanted to say that the site has really been moving lately and that you all are doing a really good job with very cool articles lately, keep up the good work!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,... | 1,760,377,830.72825 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/23/touchscreen-turntables-scratching-without-vinyl/ | Touchscreen Turntables, Scratching Without Vinyl | Juan Aguilar | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"attigo",
"attigott",
"finalscratch",
"scotthobbs",
"scratch",
"touchscreen",
"turntable"
] | While we were researching the
AudioCubes
, we ran into this
amazing DJ system by designer [Scott Hobbs]
. He calls it the ATTIGO TT, and it uses two touchscreens to simulate the turntables on a conventional system. More technical details after the break.
Hobbs’ goal in making the ATTIGO was to create equipment that would allow DJs to play MP3s the same way they would play vinyl records. The first step was finding an adequate touchscreen. Hobbs bought two 17″ touch-screen overlays and put them in a custom wooden housing, then attached both screens to a mixer. The screens display the waveform of the audio, and the user can touch the waveform at any location and drag it back ad forth across a line in the middle of the screen. The music plays faster, slower, or in reverse depending on the user’s motions.
The software that controls the ATTIGO is
Max/MSP
with a custom patch for the touchscreens. For the graphical interface, Hobbs used Flash, with
Flashserver
acting as the bridge between Max and Flash. The application register s contact with the touchscreen as mouse clicks, and it also recognizes and uses various other mouse states (individual clicks and extended mousedown moments).
It’s great to see a new interface that goes beyond what
FinalScratch
and
Serato
have done recently. Hobbs is currently searching for a manufacturer for the ATTIGO, so you’ll have to wait until then to snag one for yourself. Until then, enjoy this video demo of the ATTIGO in action.
[via
psfk
]
permalink | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "35619",
"author": "wasted",
"timestamp": "2008-05-24T01:44:33",
"content": "Hooooly smokes! This is pure awesome..though I’ll ahve to wait till I get home to see the video, but it will also be awesome",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_i... | 1,760,377,830.980907 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/23/real-life-power-suits/ | Real Life Power Suits | Juan Aguilar | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"cyberdyne",
"exoskeleton",
"hal5",
"hardiman",
"ironman",
"lifesuit",
"powersuit",
"powersuits"
] | There was a time when the notion of powered armor like the set Ironman wears was just science fiction, but that time is gone. So, while the
geeks at io9 are still dreaming of the future
we’re very much in tune with the work that is being done
right now
. We’ll go through some of the most impressive powered suits out there after the break.
The first attempt at building a power suit we could find was GE’s
Hardiman
. In 1965, they began development on this hydraulic behemoth, but only managed to get one of its arms working properly, which could lift an impressive 750 pounds. Development was halted in 1970 after repeated failures to make the legs work properly. Interest in powered exoskeletons would only rise in the coming years.
The next two decades were relatively quiet, with no notable advancements in the field until the mid 1980s. That’s when [Monty Reed], an Army Ranger who’s back was broken in a parachuting accident decided to begin work on his
LIFESUIT
. The LIFESUIT is designed to assist the disabled with normal tasks like walking and climbing stairs, with the hope of eventually producing a version that is quiet and small enough to be worn under normal clothes. After Reed spent much of his own money and made several design revisions and updates, the first LIFESUIT was produced in 2001. Additional prototypes were made in the following years, culminating in the most recent version, LIFESUIT 14, which weights about 75 pounds, is powered by compressed air. It can walk at speeds up to 2.5mph. Reed has made substantial progress, but without serious funding, the going has been slow.
Given his aim to make the LIFESUIT wearable under the clothes, Reed might be interested to learn more about the
Soft Pneumatic Exoskeleton
designed by student [Che-Wei Wang]. It uses a CO2 tank to pneumatically assist the leg motions of its wearer. The soft materials mean it can conform to the body more naturally than a metal exoskeleton ever could, and it weighs in at a mere 6.5 pounds. While it does not boast the power of other exosuits, its light weight and pliable materials allow for a great range of natural motion. There is a slight noise problem though, as every assisted motion gives off a loud pneumatic hiss.
For slightly less noise and a lot more power, look to the University of California Berkeley’s Human Engineering Laboratory: with major funding coming from DARPA, they developed the Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton, or
BLEEX
for short. It consists of a pair of leg braces, and a vest and backpack that attach to the brace armature, and a pair of modified combat boots that are firmly attached to the bottom of the braces. The backpack contains a small power source that delivers hydraulic power to the moving parts. The backpack can stow up to 70 pounds, but when the suit is on, it feels like only 5 pounds to the wearer. BLEEX’s top speed has been clocked at around 4mph. Unlike the LIFESUIT though, the BLEEX is not designed for the disabled. It is intended for use by able-bodied military infantry personnel, who often carry more than 100 pounds of weapons and equipment over long distances.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ4J69EEpu4&hl=en]
Another exoskeleton funded by DARPA is the
XOS Exoskeleton
designed by Utah engineering firm Sarcos. The XOS goes further than the other two by adding assisted movement to the upper body as well as the legs. With its powerful arms, the XOS can easily lift 200 pounds repeatedly with virtually no strain on its pilot. Development for the XOS focuses on its use in noncombat tasks such as loading missiles into planes, precisely the sort of task the Hardiman was designed to do back in the 60s.
While all those suits feature amazing technology, you probably won’t have much luck getting one for yourself. If you have a spare $1,000 every month though, you can rent a
HAL 5
(Hybrid Assistive Limb) by Japanese robotics company Cyberdyne-a company that’s single handedly taking back all the evil robot names. The suit features one of the most advanced control systems of its kind, sensing electrical impulses in the skin it determines the user’s movement and predicts desired motion from a set of likely movements. The suit assists in locomotion and in lifting; according to Cyberdyne it increases the strength of the wearer about tenfold. It’s designed for a range of commercial tasks that involve physical labor, but If you can
afford it
, you should start thinking about your superhero name now.
Powered exoskeletons have come a long way and boast remarkable technology, but you may be asking “where’s the heart? where’s the soul? where are the laughs?” The answer can be found at RoboNexus, the robotics conference from 2005. It was there they held
Tetsujin
, the world’s first exo-assisted deadlifting competition. These man-and-metal competitors used hydraulics, pneumatics, screw drives, and various other mechanisms to lift hundreds of pounds. Not every exhibition was successful, and the scientific value is questionable, but you can’t argue with the entertainment it provided.
We’ve talked a lot about the power side of things and not much about armor. That’s probably because the definitive example is [Troy Hurtubise]’s Ursus personal armor suit. Designed to withstand a bear attack, it shields the wearer behind thick layers of titanium, chain mail, and fireproof rubber (for those dreaded firebreathing kodiaks). We leave you with the hilarious test video embedded above, and knowledge that despite a few missteps, the future of power suit development looks strong. | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "35609",
"author": "bre",
"timestamp": "2008-05-23T22:44:34",
"content": "Wow, that was an awesome rundown… and I could watch men in powersuits fall off cliffs all day!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35610",
"author": "Sp4nk... | 1,760,377,830.842438 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/23/lumenlabs-new-kit-open-source-cnc/ | Lumenlab’s New Kit: Open Source CNC | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"cnc hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"cnc",
"lumenlab",
"metal",
"robots"
] | Imagine our surprise when we stumbled on the
latest Lumenlab project
: gantry style CNC. Until now the only time we ever invoked their name was for
DIY projectors
. The kit looks pretty interesting, and they’re taking pre-orders right now. It’s designed for a full sized router and you should be able to cut a 4′ by 8′ sheet with a feed roll. Even without, the cutting area is a large 26″ by 50″ and features 8″ of Z movement. Between their kit and an order from Online Metals, they’re projecting that you can build your own for around $1000. We’re definitely in when the final kit is released in June.
permalink | 12 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "35606",
"author": "MaX-MoD",
"timestamp": "2008-05-23T19:46:20",
"content": "Nothing very impressive…The only remarkable point is that there’s a website with (quite) well structured informations.Rather a “résumé” of cnczone’s forum posts on tutos and worklogs.",
"parent_id": n... | 1,760,377,830.601627 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/23/audiocubes-by-percussa/ | AudioCubes By Percussa | Sean Percival | [
"Portable Audio Hacks"
] | [
"audiocubes",
"cdm",
"createdigitalmusic",
"cube",
"dj",
"midi",
"percussa",
"video"
] | [Peter Nyboer] has written an extensive post about
his experience with AudioCubes
from
Percussa
. Aside from their unique glowing exterior, these cubes are an innovative way to control and even produce audio tracks. Four faces of each cube are equipped with IR sensors to detect distance and communicate with other cubes. The cubes also have USB, a rechargeable battery, and audio in/out. Moving your hands around the sensors changes the MIDI output of the cube. Changing the cubes’ orientation and distance from each other also changes the signal.
Max/MSP
and
Live
are both supported out of the box, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to get started. [Peter] makes an important point: unlike traditional instruments, there’s no obvious way to get started. At 400euro for 2 cubes and 650euro for 4 cubes, these devices aren’t exactly being given away, but it’s great to see new interfaces being imagined. A video of [Peter]’s first experiments with the cubes is embedded below;
read his full post
to see more footage of the cubes in action… and naturally we’d love to see any DIY versions of this you can come up with.
permalink | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "35596",
"author": "Zinetwin",
"timestamp": "2008-05-23T12:24:08",
"content": "Pretty spiffy, but not a cool as the reactable.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-RhyopUmchttp://reactable.iua.upf.edu/Reactable is a multitouch surface with as many cubes as you can stick on it.",
"par... | 1,760,377,830.530333 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/22/projector-hacks-roundup/ | Projector Hacks Roundup | Will O'Brien | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"diy",
"home theater",
"hometheater",
"mods",
"projector"
] | Projectors have long been a favorite toy of hardware hackers. From reactive displays to cheap home theater, there are plenty of reasons to play with photons. Seeing some
cheap projector repair
put us in the mood to cover some of our favorite projector projects – check em out after the break.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention [Johnny Lee]’s interactive whiteboard right off the bat. His software uses a LED light pen and a wiimote to detect the users actions. If you’re looking for the code, hit the second project on
this page
. Oh, and don’t forget his
automatic projector calibration
project.
LumenLab
projectors are just the thing for the true DIYer. Take a standard desktop or laptop LCD, strip the casing, add some optics and a decent light source (Metal Halide works great) and you’ve got your own projector. They can produce HD quality or be built as cheaply as possible. We wrote up
our own build
a while back for engadget.
If you’re considering building your own, you should look into some of the nicer custom projector controller projects, like the
P-Brain
.
We’ve seen a few DIY screens. The
blackout cloth
version, the
tyvek/PVC
version and the
mix your own
paint version and the DIY
electric
version. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "35590",
"author": "tyler",
"timestamp": "2008-05-23T08:05:20",
"content": "wow, i just had to comment on how awesome the site has been the past few days– things are picking up around here! keep up the awesome work guys, and bravo to the new hack a day contributers- top notch writeup... | 1,760,377,830.889704 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/22/twittering-from-the-command-line/ | Twittering From The Command Line | Sean Percival | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"adafruit",
"api",
"arduino",
"ethernet",
"hack",
"hardware",
"twitter"
] | Twitter
users often have trouble explaining just exactly what the service is for. The site specifically asks “What are you doing right now?” A simple interface and multiple ways to update means people have started hooking it to different real world objects… objects that aren’t reporting
what they had for lunch
. After the break, we’ll cover a couple devices that have interfaced Twitter to the real world and how you can update from your command line.
Justin Wickett
was looking for a way to control his room lights via his cellphone. By using
Bob Paauwe’s iLink INSTEON software
and Twitter, he was able to control basic functions. Now he can SMS text like “bedroom lights off” and the software does his bidding. Of course, in the time it takes to send and process this request you could just as easily walk over and shut of the lights. We’re sure he’s planning more features than just that.
Adafruit Industries is selling an interesting device called the
Botanicalls Twitter kit
. It will post directly to Twitter when your plant is in need of water. Using a moisture sensor and built in Ethernet port it just requires some basic soldering to get started.
Pictured above is Ninja Networks’ Shoutwall from Defcon (photo:
pinguino
). It receives and displays direct SMS messages and Twitter updates. It also does reverse number lookups on Dodgeball to get user icons. An Ericsson T39m with a data cable is used because it provides an easy SMS interface. Take it to a party and your service provider is sure to wonder how you managed to receive 4000 inbound txt messages in one weekend.
curl --basic --user "$user:$pass" --data-ascii
"status=testing123"
http://twitter.com/statuses/update.json
If you want to strap twitter to your own project, it’s probably best to learn how to update from the command line. Dave Thomas with Linux Journal posted
how to do it using cURL
. It’s definitely an easy way to get your feet wet with the
Twitter API
.
permalink | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "35583",
"author": "Volt",
"timestamp": "2008-05-23T09:21:10",
"content": "I actually came across a command line Twitter client written in Perl just a couple days ago:http://www.floodgap.com/software/ttytter/It uses curl or lynx to communicate with the servers.",
"parent_id": nul... | 1,760,377,830.691333 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/24/underwater-camera-housings/ | Underwater Camera Housings | Juan Aguilar | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"camera",
"cvs",
"macroframer",
"photography",
"rov",
"underwater",
"underwatercamera",
"underwatercase",
"underwaterrov"
] | Underwater cameras can produce some amazing photography, but who wants to pay for housing if you can make something yourself?
This
underwater camera housing
on Instructables doesn’t require a specific container, allowing you to choose anything you have around the house that’s watertight and large enough to fit your camera. A finger from a glove is added so you can still operated the controls. A similar project
uses an insulated water jug
, accommodating any camera that fits inside. Neither of these involve any camera mods.
Maybe you want something less bulky for your camera. This method
uses a plastic bag
and a repurposed piece of thermoplastic to make a waterproof enclosure. You’ll have to shape, cut, and attach the thermoplastic to a clear window and a bezel that goes outside of the plastic bag to keep it in place. It should work underwater, but this project was designed to keep the camera dry while kiteboarding. They suggest putting an Alka-Seltzer tab inside the bag to let you know of any leaks. If things get really bad, the bag should inflate and float on the surface.
If you want to go the incredibly cheap route, you might consider building
this underwater camera
housing that we discussed back in 2006. It’s a modified
Pelican #1010
case, and the camera is a CVS Single Use Digital Camcorder (
a hacker favorite
) with an added magnetic record switch.
Even commercial housings can be improved upon. [Andrew Newton]
added a macroframer to his underwater rig
. There aren’t any specific instructions on how to build it, but the step-by-step images give a good idea of the process. A macroframer allows you to take detailed up-close photos like the one above without needing use a view finder or wait for autofocus.
Now that you’ve got an underwater camera, why not let an underwater ROV do all the swimming for you? Hackaday contributor
[Jason Rollette]’s mini submarine
is constructed of PVC piping and is controlled by custom software written in Visual Basic; commands are sent via an attached RS232 serial port. With a camera mounted, you’ll be able to take awesome photos of undersea life… or the bottom of your pool. It’s your call. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "35709",
"author": "Jack",
"timestamp": "2008-05-25T06:29:01",
"content": "I’ve always wanted a camera i could use while surfing, hey I want to run this by you guys, I surf a a lot and I’m learning to shape boards, is there any way I could place some LEDs in the foam of a board to ma... | 1,760,377,830.939499 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/24/pic-controlled-spray-paint/ | PIC Controlled Spray Paint | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Misc Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"pic",
"robot",
"spray paint",
"SprayPaint"
] | Most people make LEDs light up for their first microcontroller project. [Alex] built a “
large scale dot matrix printer
.” This beast is a PIC controlled ground graffiti machine. As it rolls across the ground it deposits strategically located bits of spray paint. Rather than use actual spray paint, he opted for a set of solenoid controlled nozzles that shoot the paint downward.
permalink | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "35705",
"author": "Kendall",
"timestamp": "2008-05-25T12:09:36",
"content": "this looks like it could be the basis of an interesting business. “give us your images and we’ll paint them wherever you want them” and rig it up to go up and down a wall, on someone’s driveway, etc.",
... | 1,760,377,830.642371 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/24/icontrolpad-iphone-gamepad/ | IControlpad, IPhone Gamepad | Sean Percival | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"iphone hacks"
] | [
"icontrolpad",
"iphone",
"OpenSource",
"sdk",
"snes"
] | [CraigX] has been dabbling in
iPhone
accessories lately by adding a gamepad. Called the
iControlpad
it surrounds the iPhone making it look very PSP like. As anyone who has jailbroken and installed emulators probably knows, without feedback the touch screen based buttons are less than great.
The unit is currently a prototype however there are plans to produce and sell the units. They have received support from
Zodttd
, an organization that has created iPhone apps like
snes4iphone
and genesis4iphone. The developers also state they’ll provide source and SDK support. The sparse development blog announces their success using a hacked up SNES controller over the docks serial connector, but they provide
absolutely no details
.
[via
Engadget
]
permalink | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "35699",
"author": "Urza",
"timestamp": "2008-05-25T02:54:36",
"content": "YES! If this thing’s able to be produced at a decent price, I’d totally buy one. On-screen keys or accelerator-based controls simply don’t work.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
... | 1,760,377,831.113408 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/24/the-chief-cook-robot/ | The Chief Cook Robot | Eliot | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"algorithm",
"chef",
"chief",
"cook",
"lasa",
"learning",
"robot",
"video"
] | We feel the need to apologize immediately for the use of Yakkity Sax in the
preceding video
and recommend you watch the longer, yak free, video below. It shows researchers at the
Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory
teaching a robot how to make a ham and cheese omelet. Each working area and food item is labeled with a machine recognizable tag. The researcher demonstrates the task by guiding the robot’s hand. The robot combines multiple demonstrations to generalize the skill. It can then adapt the learned skill to the specific task. You can see this in the video when the robot adjusts to the location of the bowl and cutting board when they’re moved around. Teaching through demonstration would make the use of robotics much easier for the general population.
[via
Presurfer
]
permalink | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "35691",
"author": "Crash",
"timestamp": "2008-05-25T02:17:53",
"content": "http://www.hackaday.com/2008/05/06/teach-your-robots-to-cook/",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35692",
"author": "cde",
"timestamp": "2008-05-25T0... | 1,760,377,832.070499 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/24/biggest-drawing-in-the-world-created-with-gps/ | Biggest Drawing In The World Created With GPS | Eliot | [
"classic hacks",
"gps hacks"
] | [
"art",
"battery",
"dhl",
"gps",
"package",
"pelican"
] | UPDATE:
The text: “This is fictional work. DHL did not transport the GPS at any time” has been added to the bottom of the page since the original posting.
Artist [Erik Nordenankar] has created the
Biggest Drawing In The World
. At least that’s what his URL says. He used the movement of a GPS device to create a giant single line self portrait on the globe. His Pelican case containing four large batteries and the GPS data logger was handed off DHL with very specific travel instructions for its 55 day journey. It’s a pretty amazing feat, but we really wish the case had managed to make the trip without the close watch shown in the video.
[via
Waxy
]
permalink | 44 | 44 | [
{
"comment_id": "35649",
"author": "mace",
"timestamp": "2008-05-24T20:40:03",
"content": "Ambitious, but rubbish.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35650",
"author": "redguy",
"timestamp": "2008-05-24T21:06:01",
"content": "Hmmm. I’d ... | 1,760,377,831.630357 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/24/the-best-cnc-project-machines/ | The Best CNC Project Machines | Will O'Brien | [
"cnc hacks",
"Roundup",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"aluminum",
"cnc",
"cncmachine",
"machine shop",
"MachineShop",
"metal",
"minimill",
"robot",
"shopbot",
"snowboard"
] | We’ve lost track of the number of home built CNC machines we’ve covered in the past, but we thought a comprehensive list of the best would help you understand why we’re so excited about the
LumenLab CNC machine
.
The
hoss machine router
is the result of one man’s quest to upgrade the living hell out of a Chinese made mini-mill. He put together a nice
USB controller
, created his own five axis version thanks to an
articulating head
and a rotating lathe style table attachment. He even added an
automatic tool changer
. We’ve had the creator make parts for us before; he does fantastic work.
We built our own modest version of the
X2 CNC Mini-mill
. It’s based on the same X2 Mini-mill with stepper motors,
ball screws
, and
PIC controller based stepper drivers
.
The
MechMate CNC router
came about by upgrading a ShopBot CNC machine so much that it just wasn’t a
ShopBot
anymore. The plans are completely free (aside from the odd requirement to paint it blue and slap “MechMate” on it). The claim to fame is that it’s scalable to to greater than 4×8′ sheets for full shop quality production.
Since CNC machines are usually somewhat pocket intensive, we put together a series of How-To’s for Engadget on building a CNC machine from cutting boards and printer parts. Check out
part 1
,
part 2
and
part 3
of the build.
[Steve], of the
KillaCycle project
, set up his CNC machine for pick and place operations. We wrote about it a while back, and since then he put together a PDF writeup of his work. It’s not as detailed as we like, but still interesting.
[Mike]
built his own
CNC router just for
building his custom snowboards
. It features a wood router, 80/20 aluminum construction, and a vacuum brush head for collecting the chaff produced as it mills the boards.
The
RepRap project
has come a long way since we first started covering it. Now it can produce all of the custom plastic parts needed to reproduce itself. SkyNet approves.
Probably
one of the nicest
mods for a CNC machine is a digital read out. This
kit version
uses some inexpensive Chinese scales/calipers to get the position data and outputs it to a nice LED display. For manual machining or just calibrating a mill, these things rock. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "35640",
"author": "kersny",
"timestamp": "2008-05-24T17:09:49",
"content": "What about thehttp://buildyourcnc.com/default.aspxproject? It has instructional videos and some parts for build a very capable cnc machine. It also helps you understand how they work and the parts.",
"pa... | 1,760,377,831.880814 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/23/google-android-application-challenge-winners/ | Google Android Application Challenge Winners | Sean Percival | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"cellphone",
"google",
"googleandroid",
"linux"
] | The
Google Android
team recently launched a
challenge
to encourage development for their new cellphone based platform. Part of the first phase was to narrow down the 1,788 submissions to the best 50 application ideas. They’ve posted the
complete list
of winners on their website and put together a little
slide show
(PDF) as well. As part of the challenge some $10,000,000 is up for grabs from Google.
We browsed through the list and found a lot of social this and family that; nothing overly exciting honestly. There were a few interesting application ideas in there though:
BioWallet
– Biometric authentication system that uses iris identification.
Talkplay
– Video and voice message system, see and talk to your friends while on the go.
Writing Pad
– A unique way to enter text into your phone where common words are replaced by simple strokes.
The Android platform will probably cause the largest adoption of Linux based cellphones yet. We can’t wait to see what the homebrew community does with the platform and so much development for an unlaunched phone is amazing. Apple seems to
go out of their way
to lock us out, where this platform couldn’t be more open. With 3G support, WiFi, SQlite, Virtual Machines, GPS and much more what’s not to like.
Have any of you experimented with the Android
SDK
?
[via
LinuxDevices
]
permalink | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "35635",
"author": "Saint Alucard",
"timestamp": "2008-05-24T08:04:31",
"content": "anyone know any cool helio kickflip hacks? mine got disconnected and im anxious to reuse it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35636",
"author"... | 1,760,377,831.963032 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/22/what-to-do-with-an-old-laptop/ | What To Do With An Old Laptop? | Juan Aguilar | [
"laptops hacks"
] | [
"green",
"laptop",
"laptoprepair",
"mediaextender",
"mediastreamer",
"photoframe",
"pictureframe",
"recycling",
"repair"
] | Back in November
we asked
what you would do with an old unused laptop. If you have an old laptop that’s not doing much more than gathering dust, chances are you could put it to better use. You could sell it, but you probably wouldn’t get too much for it. Donating or recycling can also get it out your hair, but if you’d like to try something different, read on for some ideas.
Salvage usable parts
Not the flashiest choice, but potentially the most useful one. Just because the processor and RAM no longer meet your needs doesn’t mean that the hard drive, optical drive, and even the LCD screen should be thrown out too. All of these parts can be easily removed, and, with the exception of the screen in some cases, do not require total dismantling. When removing any of these parts, be careful to remove all mounting screws and carefully detach any cables before removing it from the case. LCD monitors almost always have a cable that attaches directly to the mainboard, and tearing it could render the monitor useless. If you wreck it, you’ll have to buy a new monitor to
extend your desktop display
.
Of course, you can also get a wealth of small parts from an old laptop, including screws, jumpers, heatsinks, cables, LEDs, and even keys from the keyboard. FRC Tech offers a good instructional page on the
basics of dismantling a laptop
, and a forum on ThinkComputers.com offers a comprehensive set of guides to
taking apart many different Toshiba laptops
.
Make a digital picture frame
A digital picture frame can be a great gift that you made yourself. Your mom would probably like it more than the ceramic pencil holder you made in the third grade. Unlike that time, though, you’ll have to decide whether the frame will show only preloaded images or whether it will access an online source like Flickr. PopSci.com offers this
useful guide to building your own photo frame
, as does
Repair4Laptop.org.
Install Linux and make a media extender
Old laptops aren’t great at running memory or processor-intensive software, but they can make great Linux terminals. You could outfit it with Linux for exclusive internet use, data storage, or even for controlling other devices like a home entertainment center. Unfortunately you may also have to retrofit it with a larger harddrive or WiFi card to get better use out of it. Yesterday
we mentioned
both
MythTV
and
XBMC
as alternative frontends. This article at Linux.com has more information on
building a Linux home media center
. There’s also
this guide by The MediaCenter Expert
or
this article by ZDNet’s George Ou
.
Get creative with upgrades
Sure, you could do the standard mods and add WiFi or Bluetooth, but why not get adventurous with your modding? You could give the old laptop a
snazzy wooden case mod
, an extremely potent
air-cooling system
, or switch to the qwerty keyboard out for a
Dvorak keyboard
. Your imagination is the limit.
In the spirit of our previous post, what would you do? | 60 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "35542",
"author": "Raging",
"timestamp": "2008-05-22T22:46:18",
"content": "This is one of the best Hack a Day articles yet! I wish I had more craptops laying around. I turned my last craptop into a jukebox using win98 and dwjukebox.http://www.ragingcomputer.com/archives/51",
"p... | 1,760,377,831.553954 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/22/how-to-go-green-with-lead-free-solder/ | How-To: Go Green With Lead Free Solder | Jason Rollette | [
"classic hacks",
"how-to",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"california",
"eu",
"feature",
"hackaday",
"howto",
"lead",
"leadfree",
"rohs",
"solder",
"soldering",
"solderingiron"
] | We covered many of [Jason Rollette]’s personal projects in the past and are happy to welcome him as our newest Hack-A-Day contributor.
The electronics industry has shifted to lead free compliance, but most hobbyists haven’t even considered the personal impact of using lead. Today’s How-To will cover what it takes to switch from tin/lead solder to completely lead free. Our previous posts
Introduction to soldering
and
the follow-up
still apply to lead free. You may have never considered switching to lead free before, but we hope to help you make an informed decision.
The reason we are even talking about this is because of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive. RoHS was adopted in February 2003 by the European Union; all electronics sold there must comply. The substances restricted are:
lead
, mercury, cadmium, chromium VI also known as hexavalent chromium plating, and pbb, pbde flame retardants used in plastics. We will focus on lead. Solder joints must contain less than 0.1% lead
to be compliant
. RoHS is not currently required in the US, but California RoHS, effective September 2003, had a compliance deadline of January 2007.
Although the electronics industry has been directly targeted it only accounts for a small percentage of the lead used in manufacturing. The battery industry consumes nearly 80% of manufactured lead. Tire wheel weights also account for a larger percentage.
There are some good reasons for the hobbyist to convert to lead free solder, both personal safety and environmental. Lead poisoning can occur when lead enters the body through inhalation, ingestion or dermal contact such as direct contact to mouth, nose, eyes, and skin lesions. Even if you keep using tin/lead solder, wash your hands before and after you do anything. Most poisoning cases are from lead building up over time. The main environmental issue is lead leaching into drinking water or watersheds when disposed of improperly.
There are many different varieties of lead free solder. Two alloys seem be the most popular: SAC305 contains 96.5% tin, 3% silver, and 0.5% copper and melts at ~217C, SN100 contains 99.3% tin, 0.6% copper, and some nickel and silver and melts at ~228C. Choose whatever alloy and brand you feel is appropriate for you. Compare those alloys to traditional 63% tin and 37% lead melts that melts at ~183C. The higher melting point is part of what makes lead free harder to work with. We use SAC305 with a “no clean” flux core.
In addition to picking an alloy, you also need to decide on the diameter. We recommend for through hole .032″,.020″ and .015″ for SMT. Choosing the right diameter solder is very important to success.
A finished joint viewed from the side should look like a little Hershey’s kiss, not an inflated balloon. The correct diameter solder makes this much easier to control.
A high wattage soldering iron with temperature adjustment is the best choice for precision work. Get a soldering iron with several sizes of replaceable tips for different soldering applications. Having a good iron makes soldering with lead free easier because of the higher melting point. It also helps to keep the dwell time as short as possible reducing damage to components caused by excessive heat.
Choosing the correct size tip for the job is perhaps the most important part for a new person learning to solder. Lead-free is less forgiving and the right tip will go a long way in preventing defects.
Using a tip that is too small will take longer, abuse the tip, and will not efficiently transfer heat to the joint. A small tip will seem too cold or too slow.
Using a tip that is too large will damage the circuit board, over heat and damage the parts, and burn off the flux too soon causing a bad joint.
Use tips that are designed for lead-free. Tips designed for lead free will have the longest life. The iron temperature should be set to 700-800F. Do not use pressure to compensate for lack of wetting and heat transfer; this will cause damage to the circuit board. Heat transfer is optimized by providing the best contact area.
Differences from tin/lead soldering
Tin/lead solder should not be mixed with lead free solder because it decreases the strength of the joint. Lead free parts can be used with tin/lead solder. You should try ordering all parts, ICs, resistors, caps, proto boards, etc. lead free even if you are not using lead free solder yet. This will ease the conversion for you in the future.
Consumables such as flux and tip cleaner should be certified for lead free soldering. Flux will need to withstand higher temperatures and longer dwell times, and some tip cleaners have tin/lead solder in them that could contaminate the lead free solder joints.
Not all fluxes are capable of sustaining high soldering temperatures. Flux charring, called “black tip syndrome”, occurs when thermally incapable fluxes turn the tip black and make re-tinning nearly impossible. Heat transfer is severely reduced when this happens. Buying compatible flux is key.
As we’ve said many times: you’ll need to set your solder iron slightly higher temperature than you are used to. You will also notice that slightly longer dwell times are needed because of higher melting points. Wetting or spread is also a little slower when compared to tin/lead. The resulting lead free solder joints will appear slightly grainy and dull compared to shiny tin/lead.
The iron must be kept clean and fully coated with the solder alloy, otherwise at the higher temps oxidation can occur. Solder tips will need to be cleaned and tinned more frequently. Use a wet sponge for cleaning and keep your tip tinned by adding a small amount of solder. In general, all tips will have a reduced life when using lead free alloys.
Lead free solder is more prone to solder bridges (shorts).
Tin whisker
growth is also possible with high tin alloys, but is poorly understood.
The temperatures required make lead free soldering a different experience, but not out of reach. If you can solder with tin/lead solder, you can solder lead free. If you are having problems soldering, maybe some of the tips here will help. Remember, soldering takes practice; solder, desolder, resolder some old circuit boards from computers or consumer electronics before attempting a project. Otherwise you can’t expect a perfect outcome. Knowledge, practice and experience will provide the consistency required for excellent hand soldering results. Please share any experiences you have working lead free. | 82 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "35514",
"author": "h_2_o",
"timestamp": "2008-05-22T19:59:28",
"content": "yeah i hate lead free solder. Glad i stocked up on the good stuff before this BS really went crazy. I know i will get jumped on for bashing lead free solder but it has caused us more headaches and really di... | 1,760,377,831.830936 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/22/cheap-projector-repair/ | Cheap Projector Repair | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"bulb",
"cheap",
"diy",
"home theater",
"hometheater",
"projector",
"replacement"
] | [Ryan] sent in this writeup on some
DIY projector repair
. The write-up is a little hard to follow, but maybe it’ll inspire some future projector landfill saves. [Dissident] replaced the light bulb and ballast in an older DLP projector with some salvaged MR-16 hardware from an even older over head projector. The main trick required was to bridge the trigger leads that tell the projector that the bulb is on and working.
permalink | 31 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "35506",
"author": "twistedsymphony",
"timestamp": "2008-05-22T18:56:57",
"content": "Quite interesting… though the key to a good projector bulb is it’s ability to produce a natural white light. Overhead projectors aren’t much on quality and usually just throw uneven dingy yellow sha... | 1,760,377,832.030623 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/22/fpga-projects-roundup/ | FPGA Projects Roundup | Will O'Brien | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"defcon",
"encryption",
"fpga",
"projects",
"roundup"
] | FPGA’s have become especially useful to the hacker community of late. Once upon a time, these lovely pieces of dedicated hardware were fabled to only be within reach of deep pocketed graphics card producers working to up their shader and vertex counts. Today they’re often found in the bowels of high end network gear. As reprogrammable arrays of logic gates, FPGAs represent a happy middle ground between general purpose CPUs and dedicated silicon. After the break, we’ll recount some of the more interesting FPGA projects we’ve seen, like the
open source graphics card
we featured yesterday.
Some of our favorite FPGA work has been done by [h1kari]. We made it to a few of his
con talks
and his group has released
several projects
that use FPGAs to crack various encryption schemes. Lately he’s been presenting on
cracking the A5 encryption
used by GSM cellphone networks. They use fairly high end cards like the
Pico E-16
, but the code could certainly be adapted for use with lower end hardware.
[Sklylark] doesn’t have his web interface up yet (but you can ask him nicely via irc) to allow open usage of his
NSA@home project
. He re-purposed some HDTV FPGA based encoding boards into a dedicated key cracking system for SHA-1.
Nothing says high end like completely emulating really old hardware. The minimig (short for mini Amiga) that
we featured
so long ago has evolved into a production quality board and the
full source
has been released. Pics of the evolution can be found
here
.
If you’re interested in getting started with FPGA projects, don’t forget to peruse [John Kent]’s
collection of documentation
. The closest thing we seen to an entry level project is this
24 channel logic analyzer
based on a ~$150 FPGA kit. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "35499",
"author": "TJHooker",
"timestamp": "2008-05-22T13:19:53",
"content": "I followed the RFID cracking research from that one university for years. They never revealed details for there custom code.My interests for FPGA are in the form of demos and cracking.",
"parent_id": n... | 1,760,377,831.920358 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/21/guitar-hero-without-the-console/ | Guitar Hero Without The Console | Juan Aguilar | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [] | If you thought your Guitar Hero controller was only good for pretending to play music, think again. Yeah, lots of people have
hacked the controller
to
achieve perfect scores
, but what can you do that doesn’t require a console. Look after the break for some more creative ways of making music with a Guitar Hero controller.
You can start expanding your controller’s repertoire by playing any song of your choice in an open source version of Guitar Hero, called
Frets on Fire
. The software is available for Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD and Windows. It’s written in Python and designed to be played with a regular keyboard, but supports Guitar Hero controllers with the applicable drivers.
If you’d like to go bit deeper, try
GHX
. We saw developer [Thom Robertson]’s
presentation at Notacon
, where he showed off his GHX arpeggiator software playing real music using an Xbox X-plorer controller. All the heavy lifting has already been done in GHX, the only thing you’ll need is a controller and about $20 to buy it. Sweet deal, considering you can get a full refund “if it sux.”
If you want to go even farther, you can convert your GH controller into a midi controller. Many such mods (like
this one
) require a computer to do the actual work, but
one of the most recent projects
to hit the scene uses the Wii version of the guitar to create a MIDI instrument. All of these projects are great; just don’t expect to get any cred from “real” guitar players. | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "35492",
"author": "zishmusic",
"timestamp": "2008-05-22T06:27:36",
"content": "This dude is the biggest f’in NERD! Awesome! I salute you, brother!Play sum skinnerd, man!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35493",
"author": "sar... | 1,760,377,832.115238 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/21/dish-wins-1050-in-satellite-cracking-case/ | DISH Wins $1050 In Satellite Cracking Case | Sean Percival | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"dish",
"dishnetwork",
"newscorp",
"satellite",
"silicon"
] | Who doesn’t love a good corporate espionage story? We certainly don’t mind them, especially when they involve hiring a notable hacker to do the company’s dirty work. It seems this is exactly what happened in the case of Dish Networks vs NDS Group. Last month, Christopher Tarnovsky
admitted he was paid $20,000 in cash
to crack the security protocols used on DISH Network access cards. NDS Group claimed the reverse engineering was simply for comparative reasons while DISH is said it resulted in $900 million in damages.
The trial
came to an end this week
with the court finding NDS group guilty of cracking 1 card (a fine of $49.69) and liable for an additional $1000 in damages. Not quite the big payoff DISH was hoping for, but both companies have expressed feelings of vindication about the decision. DISH Networks says that the jury ruled in their favor, proving that they were right all along (just not $900 million dollars right). NDS maintains that Tarnovsky’s work was never publicly shared and that they never intended to flood the black market with cracked cards as DISH has implied.
permalink | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "35489",
"author": "Cameron",
"timestamp": "2008-05-22T05:29:22",
"content": "haha. i knew those cards could be cracked. ive wanted to do it but didnt want to risk getting caught. now somebody needs to do it to a cable box like cox, comcast, ect.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth":... | 1,760,377,832.152067 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/21/hacking-the-olpc-now-and-the-future/ | Hacking The OLPC Now And The Future | Sean Percival | [
"laptops hacks"
] | [
"laptop",
"negroponte",
"olpc",
"olpcxo",
"xo",
"xo2"
] | While we haven’t talked about the OLPC
XO laptop
much here, don’t think we haven’t had our eyes on its developments. Originally shipping last November, this unit captured the interest of many for its humanitarian goal, low cost, and potential hackability. After the break, let’s take a look at what has been done with this device and poke at the prototype for version 2.
To start with, every unit ships with Sugar (a custom Linux flavor) created specifically for the OLPC. You can
emulate the OS
without a laptop as all images have been made available to the public. Pouring over the official wiki we find pages like
Hacking Sugar
but not a whole lot else. A few guys did manage to get Doom to run on it as we see in the below video.
The OLPC team has setup a
developers key procedure
if you are interested in accessing the firmware and modifying the bootup options. Some laptops are shipping without the firmware locked down. However, all laptops included in the
Give One, Get One
program have firmware security enabled.
We did find an interesting
telepresence application
: in conjunction with a
iRobot Create
you can control the camera/microphone and even give this little guy some mobility. In this example, all controls are available through a nice simple web interface.
While we are still waiting for more interesting hacks to surface for the XO, OLPC founder
Nicholas Negroponte has
unveiled the prototype for version 2
. Pictured below this device almost looks
too
pretty to hack. With two touch sensitive displays, we can’t tell if this is the world’s largest Nintendo DS or just the work of an over ambitious designer. Even with these new bells and whistles they hope to keep the cost low and continue to encourage open source development. In fact, looking at these images one can’t help but feel this device may be embraced as an open source
iPhone
meets Kindle. We’re not looking forward to touch typing on a rigid surface though.
We’ve actually got an XO lying around the office; what would you like to see us do with it? Please, let us know in the comments. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "35473",
"author": "barry99705",
"timestamp": "2008-05-22T04:21:46",
"content": "You could send it to me. :) As for typing on the “new” version, it probably wouldn’t be too much different from the first one. Those little rubber keys don’t have too much travel do they? I read somew... | 1,760,377,832.208519 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/16/how-to-scavenge-a-mouse-for-parts/ | How-To: Scavenge A Mouse For Parts | chriskiick | [
"classic hacks",
"how-to",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"feature",
"hackaday",
"howto",
"mouse",
"parts",
"ps2",
"salvage",
"scavenge",
"usb"
] | Chris Kiick posted about
swarm robotics
earlier in the week and today publishes his first Hack-A-Day How-To.
Old computer mice are being abandoned in droves. They’re tossed out because of dirt, obsolescence, or for being entirely too beige. Anyone who has a computer usually has more than one mouse and you can get them for pennies, if not free just for asking. Fortunately for the discriminating (read: cheap) hacker, these little widgets are chock-full of project parts. Today’s How-To will dissect a computer mouse, extract the useful parts, and give some ideas about how to use them.
Here we have a standard PS2 mouse; a USB mouse will look pretty much the same. We’ll talk about optical mice later on.
Lets open it up. First, take out the mouse ball. Then there will be one or more screws on the bottom side that need to come out. Screws are sometimes hidden under the rubber pads.
The first thing to notice is the cable connector. Most mice have a very convenient plug for the cable, instead of soldering it onto the board. That’s the first usable part: a 4 (or 6) conductor cable with a nice plug on one end. The socket can be removed from the PCB and used in other projects.
With the cord out of the way, we can start pulling out parts. First thing that pops off is the mouse wheel. Yes, it’s just a big rubber wheel. If you’re annoyed by the mouse wheel’s clicking noise,
you can silence it
. There are at least two micro-switches and usually a third one under the mouse wheel which can be used for bump sensors or buttons.
Next thing to take out are the two plastic slotted discs. They’re the encoder wheels. They turn whenever the mouse moves and interrupt an IR beam, producing pulses. It used to be that precision encoder wheels were pretty expensive, but not anymore. Every single (non-optical) mouse comes with a pair built in.
On either side of the encoder wheel are some little boxes. One side is an IR emitter, and the other side is a pair of IR detectors. Sometimes the emitters and detectors will be one complete unit. A pair of detectors is used because with 2 detectors slightly offset, it generates
quadrature encoding
, so that mouse knows the direction of rotation.
These IR emitters and detectors are fairly modular pieces when it comes to hacking and can be removed with some careful desoldering. It is a good idea to use a multimeter to see what kind of voltage is going to them before removing them. They are probably TTL parts, because mice are powered by 5v, but sometimes they are an even lower voltage. The emitter/detector pair by itself can be
interfaced
directly. Those parts alone can be used for a
proximity sensor
or for a
line following robot
.
Add an encoder wheel and this sensor setup has lots of uses. From a tachometer, to a wind speed indicator, to sensing a robot’s speed, this will do it. The quadrature output (with some decoding) can be used to measure distance, direction, and speed.
One tricky thing about using the encoder with the IR sensor is getting the emitter to line up with the detector(s). No problem: instead of desoldering the parts from the PCB, use a rotary tool to cut off the little piece of PCB that has the sensors on it (already lined up). Wires can then be soldered to the pins/traces on the other side. If holding the encoder wheel in place is a problem, a hunk of the mouse casing can be used with it. Be sure to leave enough PCB to keep it stable on the mouse casing.
This is a picture of an encoder wheel with quadrature from a PS2 mouse on a small robot. Rather than make custom parts, the mouse is carved up and the whole assembly is fitted to the motor axis.
What’s left to salvage on the mouse? The sensors for the mouse wheel. Depending on the model, the mouse wheel movement may be sensed with switches or a low resolution encoder, suitable for measuring slow rotation.
The final bit is the mouse controller chip. At first thought it seems pretty useless: it’s a single purpose part made specifically to run a computer mouse and nothing else. However, if your controller chip isn’t an anonymous blob, the datasheet could be very enlightening.
Octopart
can help find datasheets based on the chip’s part number.
This
(PDF) is a typical datasheet for a mouse controller.
This specific part does a number of useful things:
decodes the quadrature input from the encoders
keeps a running count of the number of encoder pulses in a set of registers
filters out jitter
debounces the micro-switches and keeps track of their state
packetizes the information and sends it up the cord.
For a PS2 mouse, getting at these features is not too difficult. The
PS2 protocol
is pretty friendly, even for microcontrollers. Here’s an example of
interfacing a microcontroller with a mouse
. For USB mice, check the controller’s datasheet to see if it can do both PS2 and USB; with older mice there’s a decent chance it does. While pure USB is not very easy to talk to with a microcontroller, it’s really easy to hook to a PC (with the right software).
We promised a look at optical mice. Optical mice do not have any rotary encoders. There are still some switches and a low-res encoder for the mouse wheel. What an optical mouse has in it is a mini-camera, lights, and lenses. The light is probably a fairly standard LED, although they tend to be bright, and the lenses are purpose built. However, it is possible to
interface directly to the mini-camera
or
use it as a really poor scanner
.
We hope this How-To has sparked some ideas and that your obsolete mouse won’t seem as useless anymore. | 35 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "35229",
"author": "Skyler Orlando",
"timestamp": "2008-05-17T01:21:40",
"content": "Salvage the mouse case. Remove the buttons, add a couple collision sensors to the openings, put some wheels in the back and a servo-controlled drive wheel in the front(or vice-versa). Add a tail and ... | 1,760,377,832.416175 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/15/syringe-logic-probe/ | Syringe Logic Probe | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [] | [Travis] sent in his oh so simple(why didn’t I think of that)
syringe logic probe
. that he put together for his version of the
sump logic analyzer
. Real probes tend to be pretty expensive. With some effort, you can probably fit an led/diode/resistor in there and make a simple 5v logic probe. If you’d like a nice logic analyzer, Spartan-3 board that it’s based on is
only $99
.
permalink | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "35216",
"author": "Gordon Rogers",
"timestamp": "2008-05-16T06:10:48",
"content": "Another really nice logic probe that i have build from kit form in this one:http://siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_109342/article.htmlVery small and seems to work very well.",
"parent_id": null,
"dep... | 1,760,377,832.465239 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/15/the-worlds-spookiest-weapons/ | The World’s Spookiest Weapons | Eliot | [
"News"
] | [
"atomic",
"atomicbomb",
"darpa",
"engineering",
"heatray",
"military",
"popsci",
"popularscience",
"weapon"
] | As purveyors of a fine hacks, we often get pitched on what are generally considered
very bad ideas
. Luckily, most of these ideas die on the drawing board due to a lack of time and energy or maybe having a shred of moral accountability. There’s nothing that government funding can’t fix though. Popular Science has put together a gallery of
The World’s Spookiest Weapons
. It’s a who’s who of real and speculative engineering that could lead to our eventual destruction. Opening with the atomic bomb, it moves quickly into more bizarre territory, everything from heat rays, to rail guns, to gassing people with elephant tranquilizers. Our personal favorite is The Rods from God. Imagine getting smote by a precisely targeted metal power pole dropped from space that has accelerated to 36,000 feet per second thanks solely to gravity. What a wondrous world we live in.
[via
Acidus
]
permalink | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "35207",
"author": "wisefire",
"timestamp": "2008-05-16T02:47:35",
"content": "c..r..eepy..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35208",
"author": "Johnny B. Goode",
"timestamp": "2008-05-16T05:21:31",
"content": "Interest... | 1,760,377,832.587803 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/14/defcon-ctf-2008-qualifier/ | DefCon CTF 2008 Qualifier | Eliot | [
"cons"
] | [
"ctf",
"defcon",
"defcon16",
"kenshoto",
"lasvegas"
] | Kenshoto
is back again to run the Capture the Flag competition at
DefCon
. CTF is a multiteam competition featuring creative attack and defense of servers and lasts the entirety of DefCon. Unreleased exploits are often seen during the competition. As in previous years, Kenshoto will be
narrowing the field with a qualification round
. Quals will start the evening of May 30th and run for 48 hours.
NOPS-R-US
has a solution guide for the previous two years so you can get some idea of what you’re getting yourself into. They’ve even got a couple write ups for
last year’s final
. The competition should prove entertaining even if you don’t make the final cut.
[via
Midnight Research Lab
]
permalink | 1 | 1 | [
{
"comment_id": "35206",
"author": "hackerjoe",
"timestamp": "2008-05-23T03:37:09",
"content": "The Quals round starts on Friday MAY 30th !!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
}
] | 1,760,377,832.756212 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/14/bruce-schneiers-opinion-on-everything/ | Bruce Schneier’s Opinion On Everything | Eliot | [
"News"
] | [
"bruceschneier",
"crypto",
"cryptography",
"freakonomics",
"nytimes",
"schneier",
"security"
] | Honestly, we were originally sent
this Q&A with famed cryptographer [Bruce Schneier]
as a restaurant recommendation (
112 Eatery
, Minneapolis). Posted last fall on NYTimes’ Freakonomics blog it covers [Bruce]’s opinion on nearly everything. Here are a few items in particular that really stuck out to us:
The most immediate threat to the average person is crime – in particular, fraud. And as I said before, even if you don’t store that data on your computer, someone else has it on theirs. But the long-term threat of loss of privacy is much greater, because it has the potential to change society for the worse.
What you’re really asking me is about the security. No one steals credit card numbers one-by-one, by eavesdropping on the Internet connection. They’re all stolen in blocks of a million by hacking the back-end database. It doesn’t matter if you bought something over the Internet, by phone, by mail, or in person – you’re equally vulnerable.
We already knew he
doesn’t secure his WiFi
(neither do we) and you’ll find many other interesting discussions in the article. If you want Bruce Schneier facts though,
you’ll have to look elsewhere
.
permalink | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "35204",
"author": "Kirby",
"timestamp": "2008-05-16T08:36:13",
"content": "Not to distract anyone from the rest of the post, but where can I get instructions for the led boards shown in the picture?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id"... | 1,760,377,832.721885 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/14/interfacing-your-laptops-onboard-i2c/ | Interfacing Your Laptops Onboard I2c | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"laptops hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [] | [ladyada]
ran across
this
excellent hack by [phillip]. Apparently there’s a clock, data, 5v and ground connection available in most modern video connections. (He even notes HDMI cable pins) He wrote some drivers and can now control i2c hardware directly from the
PC
Mac. [Ladyada] notes that most laptops use an i2c bus for extra sensors as well. For now,
the code
only works on Mac OS X. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "35192",
"author": "pburgess",
"timestamp": "2008-05-14T10:24:12",
"content": "Woot, thanks for the mention. There’s a slightly more descriptive version (with additional pictures) posted at Instructables:http://www.instructables.com/id/worlds-cheapest-i2c-i-squared-c-adapter/I’m a bi... | 1,760,377,832.641148 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/13/swarm-robotics/ | Swarm Robotics | chriskiick | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"ai",
"austin",
"edatechforum",
"irobot",
"jamesmclurkin",
"mit",
"modular",
"OpenSource",
"robot",
"robotswarm",
"swarm"
] | Uber-geek [
James McLurkin
] was in Austin recently demoing his robot swarm. He’s on tour with
EDA Tech Forum
. [McLurkin] has multiple degrees from the MIT AI lab and worked at iRobot for a couple of years. Lately, he has been working on distributed robot computing: robot swarms.
[McLurkin] was an entertaining speaker and had an interesting view of robotics. He is optimistic that robot parts will become more modular, so it will be easier to build them, and more importantly, faster to design them.
Some quotes:
“There’s more sensors in a cockroach’s butt than any robot”
“12 engineer years to design, 45 minutes to build”
“If it can break your ankle, it’s a real [rc] car.”
His swarm (pictured above) is made up of over a hundred small identical bots, but he only brought about a dozen with him. The demo was still quite impressive. He had the robots spread out, clump together, play follow the leader and circle the wagons. Each behavior had a very simple rule behind it. To spread out, for example, each robot tries to move away from it’s nearest neighbor. The really fun part was when he had the robots perform a
physical
bubble sort. The rule for this was that each bot tried to put a higher-id bot on one side and a lower-id bot on the other. After a minute or so of bumping around the bots all lined up in id order.
I was interested in the details of the robot itself. Here’s a picture with the parts labeled.
Each robot has a unique ID number. They communicate with each other via IR and have sensors so that they can tell which direction and how far away the other bots are. The lights on top are just indicators so you can tell what the bots are doing. A mesh network is rebuilt several times a second, creating a directed graph from the ‘leader’ (which can be any arbitrary bot) that connects to each bot in the swarm. Any bot can act as a repeater, relaying instructions to bots that can’t talk to the leader directly.
Robot swarms are not a new idea: they’ve been floating around as concepts for many years. However, [McLurkin] was one of the first to actually build and program a large swarm (at one time he held the record for the largest robot swarm in the world). The idea caught on with researchers and today there’s even an
open source robot swarm project
. If you’re not up to building a whole bunch of robots, there are also
simulators
.
After the demo, we asked [McLurkin] about the cost of the robots. He said he didn’t know for sure, but estimated at least $2000 per bot. When we commented that “that’s a lot of money for 100 bots”, he pointed out that compared to the $20K+ that research robots can go for, it’s a bargain. He also said “This whole new world of hobby robotics just didn’t exist in the 90’s”. For robots to be deployed in swarms of hundreds or even thousands, in situations where they can get damaged or lost (search and rescue, military exercises) the cost will need to drop dramatically.
Here he is packing up his robot swarm. After the demo, we half expected them to pack themselves – no, they don’t.
For more info on robot swarms, their inspiration and possible uses take a look at
[McLurkin]’s web site
.
permalink | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "35189",
"author": "Joey y",
"timestamp": "2008-05-14T06:10:20",
"content": "Any hope of seeing video of the physical bubble sort? I am certain that it would be quite entertaining…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35190",
"au... | 1,760,377,832.681057 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/20/multitouch-rear-projection-tv/ | Multitouch Rear Projection TV | Eliot | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks",
"Multitouch Hacks"
] | [
"instructables",
"jeffhan",
"multitouch",
"naturaluserinterface",
"nui",
"rearprojection",
"rp",
"surface",
"television",
"touch",
"touchscreen",
"tv"
] | [
Christopher Jette
] did a amazing job
converting a 56″ rear projection television into a multitouch display
. His original inspiration came from this
drafting table project
. The screen is a large sheet of 1/2″ acrylic with a screen material attached to the back side. The screen edge is surrounded by 168 IR LEDs. When a finger tip touches the surface it scatters the LEDs’ IR light. A webcam sees this scattered light and determines where the fingers are. Inside the box is a standard video projector. This is a great reuse of old equipment and we love to see a hobbyist making up ground where manufacturers aren’t. For more info on multitouch projects, we suggest the
Natural User Interface Group
. Here’s a video of [Christopher]’s display in action:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCwn0FwWh3c&hl=en]
permalink | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "35375",
"author": "aaron",
"timestamp": "2008-05-20T12:21:56",
"content": "thats a pretty impressive project. Im a big fan of the multitouch display.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35376",
"author": "zatblast",
"timest... | 1,760,377,832.817176 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/19/flying-rc-penis-violates-chessmasters-airspace/ | Flying RC Penis Violates Chessmaster’s Airspace | Sean Percival | [
"News"
] | [
"flyingpenisattack",
"garrykasparov",
"greifing",
"helicopter",
"loldong",
"minicopter",
"penis",
"quadcopter",
"rc",
"SecondLife"
] | A speech by famed chess player
Garry Kasparov
was
interrupted Saturday by a remote controlled flying penis
. Since many of you are at work or school we’ll leave all the pictures, videos, and tasteless jokes after the break.
LOLDongs definitely aren’t the main order of business in this office, but we have to admire the child like glee the builder of this contraption must have experienced. RC helicopters definitely are our expertise as we’ve covered several mini RC helicopter projects before:
using an IR camera for position tracking
,
quad-copters at CCCamp
, and
basic building tips
, but never anything so… turgid.
While first watching the video, we too were struck by the similarities to the
infamous griefing attack
on Second Life land baron Anshe Chung in 2006. While there doesn’t appear to be any hard evidence this was inspired by its virtual counterpart it is interesting to see the crossover into the real world. In both cases, the end result is the same: a room full of chuckles, an embarrassed speaker, and the blogosphere suddenly becomes dick pundits. At least we can agree on this: some things just weren’t meant to be airborne.
permalink | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "35347",
"author": "The Rocketeer",
"timestamp": "2008-05-20T02:44:51",
"content": "You have a typo. I believe that line should read, “some things just were meant to be airborne.”",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35348",
"aut... | 1,760,377,832.993039 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/19/bump-key-experiments/ | Bump Key Experiments | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"bump key",
"bumping",
"BumpKey",
"lock",
"lock picking",
"lockpicking",
"naughty"
] | [Barry] took one of his blog readers comments to heart and started wondering
just what happens
when you bump a lock. As suggested, he made a cut away lock core and started experimenting. [Barry] doesn’t have a high speed camera, so he tried some alternatives like filling the chambers with grease to indicate pin movement. Master Lock put together a nice
video demo
of lock bumping (in order to sell their new bump stop gear).
permalink | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "35337",
"author": "Ari",
"timestamp": "2008-05-19T18:40:10",
"content": "Awesome, more locksport articles. I’m pretty familiar with bump keys, but I appreciate the foray into the genre.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35338",
... | 1,760,377,833.03659 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/18/usb-microcontroller-devemulation-sticks/ | USB Microcontroller Dev/emulation Sticks | Will O'Brien | [
"classic hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [] | [nazerine] sent in [Emanuele]’s
list
of interesting USB micro-controller development tools. Some of them are surprisingly cheap for what you get. The
wireless dev/emulator stick
looks extra interesting for developing remote projects. (The purchase links are through the manufacturer – at first I thought he might be selling the things)
permalink | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "35329",
"author": "otherguy",
"timestamp": "2008-05-19T05:53:20",
"content": "Yea, these have been around for a while. TI has annual conferences across the country (which are free) called 430 day (their processor is the MSP430 for those who didn’t already know). At the conferences t... | 1,760,377,833.079795 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/17/voice-controlled-wheel-chair/ | Voice Controlled Wheel Chair | Will O'Brien | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"robot",
"wheel chair",
"WheelChair"
] | [Amnon] sent in this demo of his groups voice controlled wheel chair. I couldn’t find any details, but sometimes just a demo is enough to find some new inspiration. They connected a
hm2007
speech recognition kit to an
Innovation FIRST controller board
on an electric wheel chair chasis. Additional sensors detect stairs and other obstacles.
permalink | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "35320",
"author": "[Matt]",
"timestamp": "2008-05-17T11:35:15",
"content": "for some reason, glovepie came to mind.dont know why though…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35321",
"author": "Amnon",
"timestamp": "2008-05-17... | 1,760,377,833.220939 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/16/poll-where-should-we-go-from-here/ | Poll: Where Should We Go From Here? | Eliot | [
"News"
] | [
"hackaday",
"hiring",
"poll"
] | Hack-A-Day is looking to expand its coverage. We’re hiring
fulltime bloggers
and
freelance how-to contributors
. We have an idea of where we should go with the site, but we’d like to know what you, the readers, want to see more of on Hack-A-Day. | 55 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "35266",
"author": "Weirdguy",
"timestamp": "2008-05-17T05:53:22",
"content": "I would vote for them all if I could…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35267",
"author": "Juan Cubillo",
"timestamp": "2008-05-17T06:01:43",
... | 1,760,377,833.514908 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/16/diy-rebreather-scrubber-refill/ | DIY Rebreather Scrubber Refill | Will O'Brien | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"rebreather",
"scuba"
] | Most people fear refilling their own ink cartridges. [Skipbreather]
made his own
CO2 scrubber refill for his rebreather. (Modern rebreathers are damn impressive.) The build is fairly straight forward, but requires some machining. I had to laugh when I found out that part of his build involved toilet seat hold down bolts.
permalink | 27 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "35251",
"author": "Michael Witt",
"timestamp": "2008-05-17T07:06:32",
"content": "please, stop posting scuba stuff. you said you wouldn’t post scuba stuff the first scuba post; it was too dangerous. this seems just as dangerous!stop posting theese!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"de... | 1,760,377,833.282777 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/21/media-streamers-buy-or-build/ | Media Streamers: Buy Or Build? | Juan Aguilar | [
"Uncategorized"
] | [
"bittorrent",
"mediastreamer",
"mythtv",
"netflix",
"roku",
"xbmc"
] | The market is flooded with new media streamers, but which one is for you? One of the cheapest and easiest options is the unambiguously titled
Netflix Player
. With an active account, the Netflix Player streams movies and television shows from their online library (currently around 10,000 videos). It connects to the internet via 802.11b/g WiFi or ethernet, but delivers low-quality video if your connection speed is less than 1Mbps. It costs $99 plus at least $8.95/mo for a Netflix subscription. It
runs Linux
so hopefully we’ll see some hacks for it soon like we did with
previous Roku products
. A fine device, if you want to stream movies and nothing else, but if you want to stream data from other sources, like a network, usb hard drive, or (gasp)
bittorrent
, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
A friend of ours recently purchased the
Popcorn Hour
. This set-top box can stream video from a network or usb hard drive using practically any codec or container format, can be configured to download torrents with an internal hard drive, and supports a number of web services including YouTube and Flickr. The Popcorn Hour is at least a fair value at $180. The downside? It doesn’t come with a hard drive or WiFi.
The lack of internal storage might be deal-breaker for you; if so, the
Myka
could be a better fit. In addition to coming in 80, 160, and 500GB flavors, this device opts out of all proprietary content delivery services in favor of open ones. It has strong synergy with BitTorrent.com built in, downloading directly from it or a number of other torrent services like ISOHunt. Prices range from $299 to $459.
If you’re like us, you’d rather build your own Linux media streamer. All you need is a spare computer. Cheap graphics cards with component out are fairly easy to acquire. For a frontend, you could use DVR software like
MythTV
, but that might be overkill. Check out the
Linux port of XBMC
which is what the Mac version of XBMC
we covered previously
is based on. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "35458",
"author": "dandin1",
"timestamp": "2008-05-22T03:59:09",
"content": "I don’t think lack of wifi is really a downside for these kinds of products, since speed matters here.As for the DIY alternative, I’m still searching for one that isn’t its own distro and will only use a sp... | 1,760,377,833.4318 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/21/open-graphics-card-available-for-preorder/ | Open Graphics Card Available For Preorder | Eliot | [
"classic hacks",
"computer hacks"
] | [
"fpga",
"graphicscard",
"ogd1",
"ogp",
"opendesign",
"opengraphicsproject",
"openhardware",
"OpenSource"
] | The Open Graphics Project has started
accepting preorders for their OGD1
, a graphics card with a completely open source design. This initial release is billed as a high-end FPGA prototyping kit specifically designed to test computer graphics architectures. The card has two DVI connectors, S-Video, 256MB RAM, and a 64bit PCI-X connector. The core of the system is a Xilinx Spartan-3 XC3S4000 FPGA. A nonvolatile Lattice XP10 FPGA is used to bootstrap the Xilinx at power up. Here’s the
layout of the specific components
.
An open design like this could prove very beneficial to the free software community. The open hardware makes driver development much easier; binary drivers from traditional graphics manufacturers have been very hard to work with in the past. The OGD1 could also be used with CPU architectures that wouldn’t be unsupported by normal graphics cards. An FPGA based design means that CPU intensive processes like video decoding could be offloaded to the video card without needing a dedicated chip. There is still a lot of work to be done and at $1500 we’re pretty sure most of you won’t be buying the first generation. It’s still exciting to see traditional PC hardware getting reinvented and opened up. Check out the
OGD1’s FAQ
for more info.
permalink | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "35442",
"author": "mike",
"timestamp": "2008-05-21T22:32:52",
"content": "not to detract from their proejct at al, but one side benefit of something like this is it might pressure the suits at ati and nv to open up their designs. That might seem anti-competitive, but if it shifts de... | 1,760,377,833.333599 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/20/erase-an-iphone-properly/ | Erase An IPhone Properly | Eliot | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"iphone hacks",
"News"
] | [
"air",
"apple",
"erase",
"flash",
"forensics",
"hack",
"iphone",
"macbook",
"macbookair",
"refurbished",
"ssd"
] | A fundamental problem with flash memory has just gone mainstream. A detective successfully
recovered data from a refurbished iPhone
purchased from Apple. Flash memory controllers write to blocks randomly so using standard secure erase techniques are no guarantee that all of the storage space will be written.
[Rich Mogull] has posted a method that should
wipe out almost all remnants of your personal data
. You start by restoring the iPhone in iTunes and turning off all the syncing options. Next you create 3 playlists large enough to consume all of the phone’s storage space. Sync each playlist in turn and your residual personal data should be obliterated. All that’s left to do is sit back and wonder when the first article about the MacBook Air SSD being impossible to securely erase will be published…
permalink | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "35433",
"author": "jrod krip",
"timestamp": "2008-05-21T07:29:16",
"content": "hrrm, or you could try the will it blend approach…securely erasing the iPhone should work too…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35434",
"author": ... | 1,760,377,833.37745 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/20/nintendo-ds-homebrew-guide/ | Nintendo DS Homebrew Guide | Juan Aguilar | [
"Nintendo DS Hacks",
"Nintendo Game Boy Hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"dldi",
"ds",
"dshomebrew",
"homebrew",
"homebrewds",
"moonshell",
"nintendo",
"nintendods"
] | Running homebrew applications on the
Nintendo DS
is easier than ever these days, but if you didn’t get into the scene on the ground floor, knowing where to start can appear much more daunting than it actually is. The great thing is: you don’t need to crack open your DS and void the warranty. There are numerous peripheral options that handle this easily with no hardware mods required.
DS Fanboy has served up a useful guide
to the most popular peripherals and homebrew software. They explain the pros and cons of each peripheral along with the installation and uses of a few popular homebrew apps.
Already well versed in the homebrew arts? Then try some hacks we’ve featured previously, like
building a serial interface
or installing
DSLinux
and loading it with with software like this
on-screen qwerty keyboard
.
permalink | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "35419",
"author": "dmang",
"timestamp": "2008-05-21T05:01:11",
"content": "got anything for those gba sp people? preferably with a rtc",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35420",
"author": "luke",
"timestamp": "2008-05-21T05... | 1,760,377,833.867603 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/20/multitouch-project-roundup/ | Multitouch Project Roundup | Sean Percival | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"home entertainment hacks",
"iphone hacks",
"Multitouch Hacks"
] | [
"multitouch",
"multitouch trackpad",
"multitouchscreen",
"multitouchtrackpad"
] | It seems that ever since Microsoft unveiled the
Surface
table the concept of multitouch has really started to snow ball. We’ve been fans ever since seeing
[Jeff Han]’s original research
in this area. Earlier today we looked at a
multitouch rear projection TV
project but what else is out there? After the break, we’ve got several multitouch projects you might be interested in.
The
MTmini
sounds perfect for those with a limited budget and time. With just a simple webcam and a few software programs you can build your own multitouch device. Although this technique isn’t as elegant as IR applications it appears to get the job done.
CUBIT
is taking a unique approach by offering an open source programmable multitouch unit for sale. Their
Touch Kit
product comes in two flavors, Do It Yourself, for $800 and The Full Meal Deal, for $1480 with most of the hard work done for you.
We couldn’t talk about multitouch without giving some mention of Apple. They deserve credit for bringing this technology to the masses through the
iPhone
. If recent patent filings are any indication, you can look for multitouch on your
mouse
and even the
entire laptop interface
in the future. Just last week Apple hackers presented Lux,
a multitouch framework for OSX
. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "35405",
"author": "Andrew",
"timestamp": "2008-05-21T02:47:30",
"content": "How do they do multi-touch without a Camera? Is it possible to use the IR sensors from a mouse (ball style) or laser light sensors (from LED mouse) or would they not be powerful enough?",
"parent_id": nu... | 1,760,377,833.623073 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/20/modular-reconfigurable-on-the-fly-robot-demo/ | Modular Reconfigurable On The Fly Robot Demo | Will O'Brien | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [] | [Erik] Sent in this modular robot video. It’s not as mentally disturbing as the
snake robots
we featured before, but it’s still pretty cool. It looks like it’s using
M-TRAN
modules. Details are completely lacking, so if you’ve got some, share ’em. | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "35397",
"author": "uRbAn",
"timestamp": "2008-05-21T00:50:19",
"content": "It’s like a Rubik’s Cube, but mechanically automatic. It’s still pretty cool, nonetheless.-=uÉqɹn=-",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "35398",
"author... | 1,760,377,833.757188 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/20/phlashing-denial-of-service-attack-the-new-hype/ | Phlashing Denial Of Service Attack, The New Hype | Eliot | [
"News"
] | [
"ddos",
"embedded",
"embeddedsystem",
"firmware",
"fon",
"fonera",
"lafonera",
"pdos",
"router",
"slashdot",
"tftp"
] | Imagine how surprised we were to discover that by accidentally bricking our router we were executing a brand new attack:
Phlashing Denial Of Service (PDOS)
. This week at
EUSecWest
, researcher [Rich Smith] will present the theoretical PDOS attack. Instead of taking over control of an embedded system, the attacker turns it into a nonfunctioning brick by flashing it with a broken firmware. Anyone who has flashed a device knows the danger of interrupting the procedure.
Embedded systems, like wireless routers, network cameras, and printers require remote access to be upgraded. This could be over the network or just a USB cable. Unfortunately most devices go unpatched because of this lack of easy access. The upgrade procedure can be very insecure too. The last time we
flashed a custom firmware on our La Fonera
we had to set up a
TFTP
server for it to download the firmware from. The TFTP protocol has no authentication, so anyone could pose as the server and offer a bad firmware for download. Many embedded system upgrade tools use TFTP because of its ease of implementation and low hardware overhead.
The PDOS attack hasn’t been seen in the wild and we don’t expect to. Malware is a business and destroying hardware doesn’t seem to have much income potential. The article presents this as an alternative to maintaining a botnet to perform a DDOS. With a DDOS, you deny the service, ask for ransom, and return service when they pay. With PDOS, you threaten to deny their service, they don’t pay, and then you destroy their equipment and get nothing. We agree with [HD Moore] that a more successful attack would be installing your own custom firmware that gives you full control of the system and full access to the network to do as you please.
Outside of griefing, the PDOS attack is not a threat. In any case, firmware upgrade procedures for embedded devices need to be improved.
[via
/.
]
permalink | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "35388",
"author": "Jesse Krembs",
"timestamp": "2008-05-20T23:46:04",
"content": "Well this is pretty handy attack if, your not thinking commercially. If say my goal is to ruin your ability to operate on the internet and I can brick all your edge routers, I’d say it works for me. N... | 1,760,377,833.669002 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/10/maker-faire-2008-schwag/ | Maker Faire 2008: Schwag | Eliot | [
"cons"
] | [
"AVR",
"businesscard",
"eff",
"emsl",
"ifixit",
"makerfaire",
"makerfaire2008",
"shiftbrite"
] | As our final Maker Faire post, we thought we’d talk about some of the curious items that were handed us during the event.
While checking out
Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
‘ latest generation
CandyFab
were given their
AVR business card breakout board
.
[Garrett] gave us a handful of
ShiftBrites
to play with in a future project.
We donated to the
EFF
, as we’re wont to do, and received a super bright blue flashlight for spotting the
yellow tracking dots
on color laser printouts. If you’re not familiar with this topic, you should check out bunnie’s
blue light scanner
.
Our final stop was at
ifixit
to pick up a free set of spatulas (
spudgers
?) for popping open iPods. All around a decent haul. | 1 | 1 | [
{
"comment_id": "35100",
"author": "Wayne D.",
"timestamp": "2008-05-12T19:04:02",
"content": "If you want, I can take some of that off your hands…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
}
] | 1,760,377,833.713713 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/10/kernel-driver-for-the-pic18f4550-microcontroller/ | Kernel Driver For The PIC18F4550 Microcontroller | Will O'Brien | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [] | [Pziz] wrote in with
one
of his projects. He created a linux kernel driver for the PIC 18F*55* series based on some available development tools. Continue reading for his (slightly edited) writeup.
I think Hack-a-day readers might be interested by a project I did, as a french (…) engineering school project. The goal was to provide a way to do Linux-only USB communications with the PIC18F4550 (the “linux” part was actually my idea ;-) ). While most projects seen on the internet involving this chip end up with some kind of MS windows driver, this one shows how to make a kernel module that will create simple /dev/ interfaces and sysfs attributes.
It’s actually a modified version of the
PIC USB Framework
, which didn’t provide for data transfer code in the firmware (except for the bootloader), and no kernel module, but it includes everything needed to get you started with the PIC18F*55* series: (a compiler (sdcc), programmer, firmware and a USB bootloader.
The transfer speed is not huge (you should be able to reach something like 300kB/s, and I used some tricks to get that speed with that chip), but that’s not what the 18F4550 was made for anyway.
That driver was made without any feedback from “experts” in kernel modules, and there’s probably a lot of bugs, so if you have any remarks, you can contact me at psizzz+hackaday at
gmail.com
.
Possible developments with this firmware and driver include “proprietary” protocols for any low/full speed application, but you can also modify the firmware to make it behave as a HID for example (low speed inputs (as a keyboard, mouse, …) / outputs (as keyboard leds, etc.)), or a mass storage device, which means no driver development, and the ability to use it on any OS.
May the Hack be with you.
permalink | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "35096",
"author": "bertrik",
"timestamp": "2008-05-11T01:49:04",
"content": "Why not use libusb instead of a kernel driver? AFAIK libusb supports any USB transfer mode except isochronous. It’s much safer to do this kind of thing in user-space.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1... | 1,760,377,833.907159 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/09/diy-dynomometer/ | DIY Dynomometer | Will O'Brien | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [] | A Dynomometer measures actual horsepower and torque output at the wheels of a vehicle. Aside from racing, it’s long been the way to test out engine modifications. [Steve]
built his own
. It uses a Basic stamp for
data acquistion
, and a
custom machined drum
for the physical interface.
permalink | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "35088",
"author": "mike",
"timestamp": "2008-05-10T06:55:03",
"content": "I built one in welding shop in high school for use in the small engines class, but it wasn’t microcontroller’ed or anything. I forget which all parts I used, but they were old 80’s buick parts. I think like ... | 1,760,377,833.957712 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/09/maker-faire-2008-puzzlemation/ | Maker Faire 2008: Puzzlemation | Eliot | [
"cons"
] | [
"animation",
"grid",
"makerfaire",
"makerfaire2008"
] | [
John Peterson
] showed us his
Puzzlemation
, animated tile puzzle at Maker Faire. It was originally designed for the
Microchip 16-bit Embedded Control Design Contest
. The puzzle is made from multiple modules each with an 8×8 LED grid. The tiles are battery powered and each one has
PIC24FJ64GA004
microcontroller. They sit on a tray with flat copper strips as a serial bus. The tray controller broadcasts the animation to the tiles. Each tile waits for its unique identifier and saves that portion of the animation. The tiles don’t actually know what order they’re in so once the animation is in motion you can figure out their proper order; rearranging them so the animation is correct. We’ve got a video of it in action after the break. | 1 | 1 | [
{
"comment_id": "64733",
"author": "J. Peterson",
"timestamp": "2009-03-01T05:21:55",
"content": "There’s more information, and an embedded YouTube video demo athttp://www.puzzlemation.com",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
}
] | 1,760,377,833.995049 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/09/hackers-needed-los-angeles/ | Hackers Needed, Los Angeles | Eliot | [
"News"
] | [
"engineer",
"hackaday",
"hacker",
"hackers",
"hiring",
"job"
] | Hack-A-Day is looking for fulltime contributors in the the Los Angeles area. The details are in
this Craigslist ad
.
Our friends at Mahalo are also looking for a
Systems Engineer, Los Angeles
.
permalink | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "33459",
"author": "Dean Putney",
"timestamp": "2008-05-10T00:41:56",
"content": "Bluh. How depressingly far away.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "33460",
"author": "XgenMods",
"timestamp": "2008-05-10T01:01:15",
"con... | 1,760,377,834.054839 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/09/maker-faire-2008-robogames-and-warships/ | Maker Faire 2008: RoboGames And Warships | Eliot | [
"cons"
] | [
"battleship",
"bbtv",
"boingboing",
"makerfaire",
"makerfaire2008",
"robot",
"robotgames",
"warship"
] | Today’s episode
of BoingBoing TV comes straight from Maker Faire. The first segement is about
RoboGames
arena combat. The second segment covers a favorite exhibit of mine.
Western Warship Combat Club
brought their 1/144th scale battleships to fight it out in a large pool. The RC boats fire ammunition up to 1/4-inch ball bearings and the even feature bilge pumps to keep them afloat. Scoring is based on where on the hull the strike happens. Here’s a direct link to the
mp4
. | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "33457",
"author": "Mike",
"timestamp": "2008-05-09T22:37:39",
"content": "Oh man those little warships are cool. I like anything that shoots stuff.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "33458",
"author": "kelly",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,834.271992 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2008/05/08/long-range-rc-on-868mhz/ | Long Range R/C On 868Mhz | Will O'Brien | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"airplanes",
"rc",
"robots"
] | Been looking for some extra range for your R/C projects? [Tron]’s
managed to control
his planes from 9.8Km using this kit at 868Mhz. I don’t know if I’d have the patience to fly the plane for that long, but this beats the pants off of just about everyone else home R/C gear.
permalink | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "33447",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2008-05-09T05:33:11",
"content": "That’s _nice_!I’d like to use something like that with a wheeled ROV but real time video over those kinds of distances over the ground…ouch. :(This is an awesome project.",
"parent_id": null,
"... | 1,760,377,834.239288 |
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