NotesiP SoluÂtions has creÂated a SerÂial PeriphÂeral InterÂface (SPI) command-line utilÂity for the RaspÂberry Pi (www.raspberrypi.org) platÂform. The utilÂity, spincl, is licensed under Open Source GNU GPLv3 and is being offered by iP SoluÂtions as a free downÂload with source included.FeedUnfurl
NotesI finally dug out that LCD from the mess in my room and got it to work :) . Turns out , its really simple. You dont even need a microcontroller to do it.Unfurl
Notes Whenever you come across a LCD that looks like it has 16 connectors it is most likely using a HD44780 controller. These devices provide the same pinouts making them relatively easy to work with. The LCD uses a parallel interface meaning that we will need many pins from our raspberry pi to control it. In this tutorial we will use 4 data pins (4-bit mode) and two control pins.FeedUnfurl
NotesA couple months ago I saw an article or video of the worldâs largest game controller and thought to myself âI bet I could make the smallestâ and so I did.FeedEmbedUnfurl
NotesThis post is based on the work made previously by tomek in wiring LCD displays using 4 bits. The basic idea is to group the 7 pins that are needed to drive the LCD in only 3 using a shift register. This is a cheap alternative to serial LCDs. Unfurl
NotesHD44780 based character LCDs require at least 6 I/O lines from microcontroller to display data. Therefore, they are not suitable for low-pin microcontrollers like PIC12F series microchips. In this project, I am going to show how to drive an HD44780 based LCD display with only 3 pins of a microcontroller. I am going to demonstrate it with PIC12F683 microchip. The character data and command from the microcontroller is transferred serially to a shift register (74HC595), and the parallel output from the shift register is fed to LCD pins.FeedUnfurl
Notes Adding a LCD to any project immediately kicks it up a notch. This tutorial explains how to connect a inexpensive HDD44780 compatible LCD to the raspberry pi using 6 GPIOs. While there are other ways to connect using I2C or the UART this is the most direct method that get right down to the bare metal. FeedUnfurl
NotesWhen mine arrived, I didnât really know what to use it for, but then it hit me: I can build an emulator box for all the NES and SNES games that I loved to play as a child.FeedUnfurl
NotesThe three models (all of which we use here at Digital Diner) are the Arduino, Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone. We chose these three because they are all readily available, affordable, about the same size (just larger than 2âł x 3âł) and can all be used for creating wonderful digital gadgets. Before we get to the comparison, here is a brief introduction to each one.FeedEmbedUnfurl
NotesFor running systems with a Raspberry Pi computer which do not require any auxiliary devices to be connected. For example web, FTP, file, media, database servers. Yet the Raspberry Pi device is still accessible enough in isolation, to be able to administer the system independently.Unfurl
NotesIf you have trouble remembering the IP address of your Raspberry Pi when you want to access it over the network, install avahi with the command âsudo apt-get install avahi-daemonâ and youâll be able to use raspberrypi.local instead of the IP address.FeedEmbedUnfurl
NotesDo you want to remote into your Raspberry Pi and see a graphical desktop? Itâs actually really easy. If you donât want to dedicate a monitor or the TV to the pi but still want to use it, hereâs your solution.Unfurl
NotesI've found that most of the technical books published before about 1964 never had their copyrights renewed, so now are in the public domain. So I am endeavoring to digitize and post some selected books relating to the "vacuum tube age" of electronics here.Unfurl
NotesOkay, so now I've got your attention - it's true - the cabinet construction was completed in 24 hours, but it took about three months to get around to the last few bits (like decorating the unit), so don't complain if after one day you don't get something that looks like the unit on the left!Unfurl
NotesIâm proud to present my latest creation: The Hammer! The Hammer is a prototype test-your-strength game thatâs an insertable, muscle-controlled, light-up dildo. Update, 1/5/13: The Hammer has been listed as Cracked.comâs #1 Geekiest Sex Toy! Welcome, everyone!Unfurl
NotesSince getting my hands on a compatible TV tuner, Iâve been able to listen to police radio, pager networks, garage door openers, air traffic control, and lots more.FeedUnfurl
Notes In this instructable, you will learn how to transform an old, broken laptop into a nice desktop. This project involves a total rework of the computer case. With this mod, you can give new life to an old laptop.In order to do this, you do not need any advanced craftmanship or tools (but if you have them, they will come handy).Unfurl
NotesIt turns out that there are several ways to get such a thing going again (thank you, Google). I ended up buying a DPMI/VGA interface board on eBay, complete with high-voltage supply and cables. It worked right out of the box:Unfurl
NotesOne dynamic that happens in a lot of idealist communities: we praise our opponents who make even a small step in our direction, but we attack our own mercilessly when they make even a small step away from us. Itâs counter-productive.Unfurl
NotesBy making the Kinect portable, [Mike] et al made the Microsoftâs 3D imaging device much more capable than its present task of computing the volumetric space of the inside of a cabinet. The Reconstructme project allows the Kinect to be used as a hand-held 3D scanner and Kintinuous can be used to create a 3D model of entire houses, buildings, or caves.FeedEmbedUnfurl
NotesEconomical alternative to original Arduino ethernet shields, allows data rates up to 10 Mbps and is achieved with a traditional assembly components.FeedEmbedUnfurl
NotesFrom the moment these LED displays made an appearance on our weekly Ask an Engineer show, comparisons were being made to the DeLorean time circuit from the Back to the Future films. It was a moral imperative then to make a demo! If youâre handy with Arduino and some shop tools, you should be able to pull off something similar (better, even), or adapt the ideas to other projects. This was quickly built in fun, so please donât expect the same level of polish as a finished product tutorial.FeedUnfurl
Notes Tweet-a-Watt is a DIY wireless power monitoring system. The project uses an 'off the shelf' power monitor called the Kill-a-Watt and adds wireless reporting. Each plug transmits the power usage at that outlet to a central computer receiver. The receiver can then log, graph and report the data. This pack contains nearly everything* necessary to build a single outlet monitor and receiver. To monitor additional outlets, you will need an add-on transmitter pack. One outlet can monitor up to 1500 Watts.FeedUnfurl
NotesPhil Torrone of Adafruit sent me a bag full of maker skill patches. When my 9-year-old daughter came home from school today, her eyes popped out like a Tex Avery wolf. I told her she could have them all, but she has to earn them! Iâll work with her to help her earn the LED patch first.FeedEmbedUnfurl
NotesMarriage is a sacred commitment; it's no kind of small thing to consider. You need to show you mean business. You need to put some effort into a proposal.
Jered McFerron did when he decided to rewrite the code for the 1986 NES classic, Metroid, in the C++ programming language. This undertaking wasn't initially to propose to his love, Jenni, but struck as an inspiration mid-project when he knew she was the gal for him.FeedUnfurl
Notes A LOT of people are having the problem that the xbox turns on automatically when you plug in the power and then they must unplug it to turn it off. This is going to help most of those people I hope. Unfurl
NotesIt has been pointed out by chunkhead from the afterdawn.com and llama.com Forums that some X-Box motherboards have a corrosion problem on some traces.
This corrosion is due to some sort of contamination from the factory.
Due to this corrosion, it was found that some X-Boxes affected can produce the following symptoms:
(1) The X-Box fails to power down using the power on/off button on the front panel. The power cord has to be pulled out to shut it down.
(2) As soon as the power cord is plugged in, the X-Box powers up without pressing either the on/off or eject buttons.
(3) While the X-Box is on for a certain amount of time, it shuts down by itself for no reason. The time factor before shut down can vary wildly. Unfurl
NotesWe can learn several crucial lessons from this diverse, creative group, and that understanding will allow us to encourage innovation. For some, the main impetus for DIY is that it provides an outlet from their daily grind: Many employees suffer the life of the cubicle-bound "knowledge worker." In his best-selling Shop Class As Soulcraft, Matthew Crawford argues that the elimination of industrial arts and home economics classes from public school curricula has left us dependent on machines that we donât understand and frustrated by the outsourcing and off-shoring of production. We also derive little satisfaction from what we âproduceâ at work. Weâve become a nation of shoppers and consumers. DIY is a way to engage the physical things around us and create durable (and drinkable) objects. Based on informal conversations with other DIYers, some of these motivations include self-reliance, community-building, autonomy, independence from monopolies, an alternative to rampant consumerism, innate curiosity, and the desire to make something cool.FeedUnfurl
Notes Presenting the Dymaxion Auto-Matic Buckminster Fuller. It's a retro-futuristic black and white screen mounted into a 1950s (or so) radio chassis, which generates and displays text that American luminary R. Buckminster Fuller might have said if he were a piece of software.FeedUnfurl
NotesCommunicating with a host computer can allow a simple Arduino-based system to gain access to a wide variety of devices and information. Most people link an Arduino to a host using serial communications across a USB connection with custom code running on the host to send information to the Arduino or receive it in return, but giving your Arduino the ability to pretend to be a keyboard or mouse opens up a whole world of possibilities because it means your Arduino can interact with software that was never intended for external control. That could be desktop software such as a game or a web browser: your Arduino could "type" into a web form and submit it on your behalf, or act as a custom controller for a game!Unfurl
NotesIn a follow-up to his rocketry reviews in the Make: Ultimate Kit Guide, Stefan Jones sent us this wonderful backstory on how he got involved in hobby rocketry. It really brought back memories for me because I was introduced to model rocketry through the same yearâs Estes catalog and had a very similar reaction. Iâm sure many makers of our generation had a similar experience. -GarethUnfurl
NotesThe ADK TinkerKit is a complete pack of 25 TinkerKit Modules, Arduino Mega ADK, Mega Sensor Shield, and necessary wires to kickstart your Android development experience without soldering. Unfurl
NotesThis shield allows you to connect a HP C6602 inkjet cartridge to your Arduino turning it into a 96dpi print platform. It only uses 5 pins which can be jumper selected to avoid other shields. It is designed with a Arduino Mega footprint but fully supports both the Arduino and the Arduino Mega. It uses all through-hole components to make assembly easy even for beginners.FeedEmbedUnfurl
Notes If we had to imagine our dream DIY project chances are it would involve Arduino, Twitter and, of course, cats. How we'd combine those things we're not sure, but we'll admit to being big fans of Samuel Cox's eSleeper, which turns a hollowed-out eMac into a bed for his feline. Inside the shell is an Arduino Ethernet connected to an IR sensor, some LEDs and a sound shield. When the cat breaks the infrared beam it triggers the iconic Mac chime and turns on a series color-shifting LEDs for a little mood lighting. From there the clock starts ticking. When little Fluffy (Captain Whiskers? Matlock? Penny? Greg?) decides she's had enough napping and leaves the white plastic cocoon, tripping the IR sensor again, a random phrase is tweeted, along with the length of the cat's siesta. Check out the video after the break to see the eSleeper in all its adorable DIY glory. FeedUnfurl
NotesWhen it came time to try out some old-school computing [Quinn Dunki] grabbed a 6502 processor and got to work. For those that are unfamiliar, this is the first chip that was both powerful, affordable, and available to the hobby computing market back in the 1970â˛s. They were used in Apple computers, Commodore 64, and a slew of other hardware.Unfurl
NotesThe ÎźWave is a hack involving an Arduino and a TouchPad taped to a microwave door, which plays YouTube clips perfectly matched to your cooking time. This Frankenstein uses the Arduino to send data from the microwave's seven-segment displays to a web server, which finds a highly-rated YouTube video of the right length. The web client running in the browser treats you to a video clip that ends right when your food is done, then optionally tweets or sends a text message. The hack was created by students at the University of Pennsylvania, where it won first place in the PennApps Hackathon. There are no stated plans for commercialization, but the team will present the project to Google as part of the grand prize. If Mountain View announces a microwave any time soon, we'll know to expect great things.FeedUnfurl
NotesCome this (Black) Friday, it'll officially be the season for gift-giving and general family dysfunction. So, why not warm that tech-tinkering heart while heating up the creative juices of the baby-bound set with a Freaklabs purchase that puts your money to good use? The outfit's got a monster mash FredBoard up for order that splices together an Arduino and breadboard to make your first brush with homegrown modding a relatively painless affair. Oh, and the proceeds are destined for a Mommy-centric hackerspace -- dubbed Mothership HackerMoms -- in San Francisco that does double duty as a day care for little leg-clingers and a lab for their electronics-inclined parents. These ladies-in-programming currently swap house hosting duties, but with the boost from your potential feel-good donations, could snag a proper venue of their own. Feel like getting in the holiday spirit early? Then click on the source below to bring some early cheer to Bay Area baby Mommas. FeedUnfurl