Nick Sayer @ hackaday.io build a SD card RAID USB storage board. He writes:
This project is a hardware mechanism to provide secure “two man control” over a data store. It is a USB microSD card reader, but it requires two cards. The data is striped in the style of RAID 0, but the data is also encrypted with a key that is stored in a key storage block on each card. In essence, each card is useless without the other. With possession of both cards, the data is available without restriction, but with only one, the remaining data is completely opaque.
Orthrus – SD card secure RAID USB storage – [Link]
The LoRa IOT Home Environmental Monitoring System consists of an Arduino Mega based IOT-to-Internet gateway and Arduino Feather based remote stations with environmental sensors. The remote stations communicate wirelessly with the gateway using LoRa radios.
LoRa IOT Home Environment Monitoring System – [Link]
In 1982, the UK’s best selling computer, ZX Spectrum, was released by Sinclair as 8-bit personal home computer highlighting the machine’s color display. And today, a group of makers are introducing the Spectrum Next, an updated and enhanced version of ZX Spectrum.
The Spectrum Next is fully compatible with the original one. It enhanced to provide a wealth of advanced features such as better graphics, SD card storage, and manufacturing quality control. It also comes with a new software to make use of the new hardware, including new graphics modes and faster processor speeds.
As it is implemented with FPGA technology, it can be upgraded and enhanced using special memory chips and a clever design, while remaining compatible with the original hardware. It has a Z80 within, clocked to a blazing-fast 7Mhz, and an optional 1Ghz co-processor.
Technical Specifications:
Processor: Z80 3.5Mhz and 7Mhz modes
Memory: 512Kb RAM (expandable to 1.5Mb internally and 2.5Mb externally)
Video: Hardware sprites, 256 colours mode, Timex 8×1 mode etc.
Video Output: RGB, VGA, HDMI
Storage: SD Card slot, with DivMMC-compatible protocol
Audio: 3x AY-3-8912 audio chips with stereo output + FM sound
Joystick: DB9 compatible with Cursor, Kempston and Interface 2 protocols (selectable)
PS/2 port: Mouse with Kempston mode emulation and an external keyboard
Special: Multiface functionality for memory access, savegames, cheats etc.
Tape support: Mic and Ear ports for tape loading and saving
Expansion: Original external bus expansion port and accelerator expansion port
Accelerator board (optional): GPU / 1Ghz CPU / 512Mb RAM
Network (optional): Wi Fi module
Extras: Real Time Clock (optional), internal speaker (optional)
Spectrum Next has three graphical modes; “Radastan”, “Layer 2” and Sprites. Radastan is a 128 x 96 with 16 colours per pixel from an enhanced palette. “Layer2” is a Next exclusive mode that supports a “layer screen”, a 256 x 192 with 256 colours per pixel. Sprites are exclusive to the Next too and can be used over the other modes. A “sprite” is a 16×16 image with 256 colours per pixel that can be drawn anywhere on screen, including the border area. Sprites can also be moved incredibly fast over the screen, because the job is done by hardware, not software.
ZX Spectrum Next in action
Next is a “esxDOS ready” that uses the system designed by Miguel Guerreiro, and it’s one of the most powerful OS available at this time, including support for the .TRD format widely used in Russia and required for some of the most advanced programs currently available for the Spectrum.
Three days remaining of Spectrum Next crowdfunding campaign, where they already reached 215% of their goal. The current cost is about $225 and you can pre-order your board through the kickstarter campaign. More details about Spectrum Next is available on the official website.
Yann Guidon @ hackaday.io rebuild the TIL311 hexadecimal display using a pic microcontroller. He writes:
The TIL311 is a nice but expensive, obsolete, power-hungry hexadecimal display. It would be cool to make a tiny module with similar functionality which solves its shortcomings. A 20-pins PIC is a solution but other decoding chips could work too. The PIC16F527 is one of the cheapest 20-pins PICs (sub-dollar), but it can’t implement the latch pin as fast as the original TIL311.
PICTIL – Remake of the TIL311 hex LED display – [Link]
Lukas Fässler has designed and built an RX/TX sequencer based on a PIC16F18325, that is available on github:
Much like the beacon keyer presented here earlier, this RX/TX sequencer is a simple but useful little device. Its typical use is in ham radio applications when a separate power amplifier (PA) and/or a sensitive low-noise pre-amplifier (LNA) is used. Care has then to be take to safely transition between RX and TX states – and that’s where this sequencer comes in.
Segger Microcontroller is known for J-Links device about debugging and programming lots of architectures: ARM, Microchip PIC32 and Renesas RX. Segger provides a lot of other software and hardware tools for debugging and programming purposes; SystemView is one of these tools.
SystemView gives a complete insight of what is going inside the MCU graphically and in real time. All recorded data is fetched using J-link adapter with no extra hardware or extra pins. SystemView app requires small software module (< 2 KB) to be included in the device.
SystemView app GUI
The SystemView module collects the data and passes it to Real Time Transfer (RTT). The RTT module stores the data in the device buffer, which enables continuous recording. SystemView has the ability of analyzing which interrupts, tasks and software timers executed, how many times and when.
Segger announced a new PRO version for SystemView; with unlimited recording and creating custom filters for event, SystemView PRO extends the normal version. However, the free version “SystemView” is limited up to 1 million event recording and analyzing. Last but not least, buying the PRO version costs about 1,200 USD. Another option, is that you can purchase a J-Link and it will be shipped with a SEGGER SystemView PRO license (seems more economical option) .
The hackable electronic conference badges are more and more being adapted in technical conferences and especially those for hackers and makers. These badges can be reprogrammed easily and could be used later as a development board.
It’s not the first time to hear about a hackable badge; for example, Parallax has an open source one with lots of features like: exchanging contact information over infrared, accelerometer, A/V jack and more. The badge can be programmed via USB using Propeller’s Spin (Propeller Tool or Propeller IDE) or C (Simple IDE) languages.
Parallax’s Hackable Electronic Badge — Image Courtesy of Parallax
New designs for badges show up from time to time. The team behind SHA2017 (a non profit outdoor Hacker camp taking place in The Netherlands in 2017 on August 4th to 8th) had developed their own badge.
The team’s goal behind SHA2017 consists of two parts: “augment the event”, like reading the lecture subtitles live around your neck; and ”be a development platform” where you can find all the needed parts to write your own application using MicroPython.
Erich Styger @ mcuoneclipse.com has a series of tutorials using the new NXP MCUXpresso IDE. He writes:
During Embedded World 2017 in Nürnberg I was lucky to get a handful LPC800-DIP boards. To get all students who were lucky to get one, here is a tutorial to make that very exciting ‘blinky’ application on that board:
MCUXpresso IDE: Blinky the NXP LPC800-DIP Board – [Link]
Research institute IMEC has created a neuromorphic chip based on metal-oxide ReRAM technology that has the ability to self-learn. That self-learning has been applied to music making.
Self-learning neuromorphic chip composes music – [Link]
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