Solder In The Veins
Electronics and Programming for All
From hackedgadgets: Drink Mixing System
Dec 31st
How’s this for a class project! Based around a PIC32 Microcontroller and sporting a touchscreen interface, it allows the user to custom mix their own drinks or select one of the preset options programmed into it.
There’s also some clever use of RFID technology here as well. RFID tags embedded in the cups are used to match up users with their selections. Faster than you can say “Same again please, Bar Tender.” It’ll whip up your usual based on your previous choice.
Handy Link: “Invent with Python”
Dec 29th
Need an accessible guide to learning Python that won’t send you to sleep? “Invent with Python” is just what you need!
Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, 2nd Edition (to give it its full title) is a book written by Al Sweigart. It is available for free on-line in both HTML and PDF format. You can download the PDF format from here.
The book is released under a Creative Commons licence and is aimed at people who are completely new to programming.
Comprised of 19 Chapters (at the time this post was written), it guides the reader through the basic concepts (Installation of Python, use of the Python interactive shell, Variables, functions, etc) and some of the more advanced stuff as well.
The coding examples in the book are all games (so you can actually have some fun with what you create as you go through the book!), which increase in complexity as the chapters progress.
There is also a Blog related to the book, so you can keep up with any future additions that are made to it.
From techradar: History of Modems
Dec 27th
There’s an interesting article over at techradar.com showing the development of modem technology, from the 1950′s onwards. Re-live those dialup days!
Merry Christmas!
Dec 25th
Hope everyone has had a good Christmas. What gadgets were you all lucky enough to receive this year?
Handy Link: The Ultimate Online Calculator
Dec 17th
Need a calculator for every occasion? This handy online calculator site has everything a science or Electronics nerd could possible need. Hope it’s useful.
Handy Link: Using the AVR EEPROM in GCC-AVR
Dec 11th
EEPROM memory can be extremely useful in Microcontroller projects, either as a fail-safe mechanism (to stores the state of your outputs so you can restore them if power is lost) or as a non-volatile storage area for data gathered via sensors.
This tutorial from AVR Freaks explains how to read from and write to EEPROM memory using AVR-GCC. Hope its useful to someone.
From alan-parekh.com: Single Button Code Entry System
Dec 9th
Forget keypads and RFID tags, the guys over at alan-parekh.com have come up with the simplest possible user interface for a code entry system: a single button. Sold in kit form via their online store and incorperating a PIC 16F628A microcontroler and relay, this kit allows you to program and input a four-digit code using only one button.
Details and a video explaining how the kit works can be found here.
Handy Link from scienceprog: MAX232 Alternatives
Dec 8th
The MAX232 Intergrated Circuit is invaluable to anyone wanting to interface their 5v UART projects (or other embedded devices, such as the Linksys WRT54G) with a PC. But what if you want a simple (and, more importantly, cheaper) alternative. This article from Scienceprog.com should scratch your itch.
Simple LAN Controlled Stereo Audio Switch
Dec 7th
I needed an idea that I could use to teach myself about using a relay with Microcontrollers and solve that age old problem: Switching between speakers and headphones on my PC without having to actually get up and mess around in the rats nest of wire’s behind it.
The solution: Use a 5v DPDT relay, a few 3.5mm stereo sockets and an Ethernet-capable Arduino to create a simple audio switch which would allow me to switch one audio source (my PC’s Soundcard in this case) to one of two outputs (headphones or speakers) via a web interface running on the Arduino from the comfort of my web browser.
Handy Link: AVR Timer Calculator
Nov 30th
Ok, here’s another little gem I came across on the web that I think you’ll find useful: A web-based Timer calculator, courtesy of Frank at circleofcurrent.com
Just put in your clock frequency and the time (in seconds) you need to count to and let the calculator do the rest.
8 bit and 16 bit timer resolution values are catered for and he even includes a prescaler function so you can experiement with different prescaler values.
Note, You’ll need to make sure that you have Javascript enabled in your browser to use it.
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