Page 848 – Electronics-Lab.com

IN-4 Nixie Clock using ATmega168

Posted on 6 July, 20166 July, 2016 by mixos

andrea biffi @ instructables.com has a detailed tutorial on how to build your own Nixie clock using IN-4 tubes and Atmel ATMega168 microcontroller.

Nixies are neon valve tubes, where ten cathodes have shape of digits and are lighted up by plasma when high voltage flows through them. I love these old era displays, which have been employed in last century before I was born.

In last year I’ve been slowly collecting components and knowledge to build some nixie clocks as Max Pierson’s beautiful creation, I like the old style, the roundness of glass tubes, the rough wood case, the simplicity of the design. That clock has definitely inspired my project. Even though I really love vertical digits arrangement I keep that original feature for my next clock.

IN-4 Nixie Clock using ATmega168 – [Link]

Arduino LED Scroll Bar using easyEDA

Posted on 6 July, 2016 by mixos

Today I want to make a LED Scroll Bar as is shown in the picture above. Ten LED strips can flash in different effect by using a control board.

Components: LED strip, Arduino Nano, Dupont line and a control board.

Arduino LED Scroll Bar using easyEDA – [Link]

Arduino LED Scroll Bar using easyEDA

Today I want to make a LED Scroll Bar as is shown in the picture above. Ten LED strips can flash in different effect by using a control board.

Components

LED strip, Arduino Nano, Dupont line and a control board.

How to make it ?

Step 1)

Cut the LED strip into 10 pieces with each LED arbitrary number.

Then, weld the traverse at an interface of the LED strip. Here I prefer using Dupont line to connect.

Step 2) Design

Make a control board. A control board is the pattern to control the flash of the LED strips. Aided by Arduino Nano and equipped with a keypad, we can control the LED strip to display different pattern.

Step 2.1) Design Schematic.

EasyEDA is a free EDA tool suite, it includes Schematic Editor, PCB layout, it has integrated a large number of component libraries, so you can feel easy to find the desired parts.

This is my Schematic shown in the picture below.

Notes: The voltage of the LED strip is 12 V with Nano 5V. Please remember to add a power regulator such as AMS1117-5.0.

Step 2.2) PCB Layout.

Step 2.3) Make a sample

After finishing designing the PCB, you can click the icon of Fabrication output above. Then you will come into the page of download gerber files and make sample, and are required to fill in some information such as PCB Thickness, Color, Qty of the plate. Next, add it to the shopping cart and after the payment is done, it is finished.

Step 2.4) Take delivery of the PCB

What a good PCB!

Step 2.5) Welding

It is very easy to make a control board. Just as the following picture described, as soon as the components are welded, it is completed.

Step 3) Connection

Connect the LED strip into the control board and at the same time please pay attention to the positive and negative of the terminals.

As is shown in the picture below.

Step 4) Download a program

Connect it to a 12 V power supply, download a program on the Arduino Nano and run it.

Press the button to switch flashes.

Here is the program.

Now I have finished my scroll bar.

You can also write a program to make the LED strip flash the way you want it to.

Video

SmartWatering – Arduino plant watering

Posted on 6 July, 2016 by mixos

Arduino based project in charge of taking care of your green plant.

Particle Core based project in charge of taking care of my green plants.

The water pump will not work with a voltage under 5V. In order to power it, I soldered a wire straight on the VUSB pin of the USB header. The following picture illustrates where to solder the wire on the former Arduino Nano. You can do the same with the Particle Core diode (black component between the USB header and the VIN pin).

SmartWatering – Arduino plant watering – [Link]

Easy Planter – A Simple Way Of Monitoring Plants

Posted on 6 July, 20166 July, 2016 by mixos

Easy Planter is a plant monitoring device able to sense temperature, humidity, pressure, moisture, light etc.

A small bluetooth low energy plant sensor that easily fits into a plant pot. It can monitor temperature, humidity, pressure, moisture, light, and has I2C extension pins so that you can add other modules. Information is sent to a phone, and notifies you when it needs something.

Easy Planter – A Simple Way Of Monitoring Plants – [Link]

One Channel Infra Red Remote Controller

Posted on 5 July, 201617 April, 2019 by mixos

One Channel Infra-Red Remote and receiver with onboard Relay provides normally open and normally closed output. The project based on PIC12F683 Microcontroller from Microchip , TSOP1738 used as Infra-Red receiver. Micro-controller decodes the RC5 serial data coming from TSOP1738 and provides high output if the data is valid. The output can be set Momentary or Latch using on board Jumper (J1) and closure. The board provided with 3 LEDs, Power LED, Valid Transmission LED and Output LED. This Remote works with switch No1 of RC5 Remote.

Features

Power Supply Remote 2X AA Batteries
Power Supply Receiver 7-12V DC
Current Consumption Receiver 30mA
Onboard jumper for momentary and latch operation selection
Transmitter range 10-15 feet
RC5 (Philips) Remote
Onboard power LED
Onboard output ON/OFF LED
Onboard Valid Transmission LED
Onboard 5V regulator
PCB Dimensions 59.06 MM X 29.53 MM

One Channel Infra Red Remote Controller – [Link]

One Channel InfraRed Remote Controller

Features

Power Supply Remote 2X AA Batteries
Power Supply Receiver 7-12V DC
Current Consumption Receiver 30mA
Onboard jumper for momentary and latch operation selection
Transmitter range 10-15 feet
RC5 (Philips) Remote
Onboard power LED
Onboard output ON/OFF LED
Onboard Valid Transmission LED
Onboard 5V regulator
PCB Dimensions 59.06 MM X 29.53 MM

Schematic

Parts List

Proteus Tutorial – Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Bar Graph Display

Posted on 5 July, 20165 July, 2016 by mixos

circuitstoday.com guide us to the basics of LED and bargraph usage in Proteus software.

In this post we will be learning on how to use the “Light Emitting Diode (LED)” component in Proteus simulation software. In case you have not got on through the basics of Proteus, here is the link – Proteus PCB Design and Simulation Software – Introduction.

Proteus Tutorial – Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Bar Graph Display – [Link]

Maximize the Energy from Long-Life Batteries

Posted on 5 July, 2016 by mixos

by digikey.com:

Battery lifetime is a key consideration for the development of the wireless sensor nodes that will populate the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In many applications, the sensor nodes will need to be installed in locations that are difficult to reach let alone service. The sensor nodes need to be autonomous in terms of energy because it is too costly and difficult to run power lines to them or to have maintenance workers replace batteries regularly.

Maximize the Energy from Long-Life Batteries – [Link]

How to Interface Flux Sensor

Posted on 5 July, 20165 July, 2016 by mixos

This tutorial is going to teach you the basics on using Flux Sensor:

It is a flex sensor which is 2.2 inches in length. This sensor works by bending the sensor itself. As the sensor is being flexed or bent, the resistance across the sensor increases. The greater the angle of bending, the greater the resistance. This can be tested with multimeter. The resistance of the flex sensor changes when the metal pads are on the outside of the bend (text on inside of bend).

How to Interface Flux Sensor – [Link]