Starling is a modular, Open Source LED display with WiFi connectivity. It comes with a mobile app for easy configuration and usage and has hardware support for Bluetooth.
The LED matrix is driven by an Atmega8 microcontroller (MCU), instead of a standard ASIC. This provides a lot of flexibility in the firmware. The firmware detects and assigns IDs to newly plugged-in modules. The microcontroller also stores font tables; hence if ASCII is sent on the serial (UART) port of the MCU, ASCII is what will be displayed on the matrix. Since the firmware detects adjacent displays, it can easily decide if it needs to display static or scrolling text.
Konstantin Dimitrov has published his Arduino OLED clock which uses DS1307 real time clock module and TMP102 temperature sensor that communicate through I2C.
This clock will not only show you exact time and date but also it will show you the ambient temperature in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, with accuracy of 0.5°C (-25°C to +85°C) and with resolution of 0.0625°C. The pages are changing on every 10 seconds, but you can change that.
OpenSource Arduino OLED Clock with temperature measurement – [Link]
Dan Watson @ syncchannel.blogspot.com wanted to have more fun with his MightyOhm Geiger Counter so decided to add an OLED display and Wifi capability to it. To achieve that he modified the counter, added a Feather HUZZAH ESP8266 with OLED FeatherWing and wrote some code. The process is documented on his blog:
I assembled my Geiger counter kit from MightyOhm some time ago. It’s a very fun kit and the finished counter looks awesome. Oh, that Geiger-Muller tube sitting on that yellow PCB! I’ve always wanted to modify it somehow and add functionality. Today I realized that an Adafruit Feather sits PERFECTLY where the AAA battery holder normally goes. Doesn’t it look like they belong together?
Wi-Fi and OLED Upgrade for MightyOhm Geiger Counter – [Link]
ianjohnston.com has designed a nice power supply based on ATMEGA328P and Arduino bootloader. The output is dual channel 0-24vdc @ 3A each, with preset constant current and independant voltage/current control.
This isn’t a full design blog but I’ve tried to document/add stuff as I go along, the idea being I’ll put all design documentation (schematic, partslist, Eagle PCB files, wiring diagrams etc) when it’s all finished.
Home Built Bench Power Supply using ATMEGA328P – [Link]
Linear Technology Corporation introduces the LTC4123 to further expand its offerings in wireless battery charging. The LTC4123 combines a 30mW wireless receiver with a constant-current/constant-voltage linear charger for NiMH batteries, such as Varta’s power one ACCU plus series. An external resonant LC tank connected to the LTC4123 enables the IC to receive power wirelessly from an alternating magnetic field generated by a transmit coil. Integrated power management circuitry converts the coupled AC current into the DC current required to charge the battery. Wireless charging with the LTC4123 allows for a completely sealed product and eliminates the need to constantly replace primary batteries. Zn-Air (Zinc-Air) detection allows applications to work interchangeably with both rechargeable NiMH batteries and primary Zn-Air batteries with the same application circuit. Both battery types can directly power a hearing aid ASIC without the need for additional voltage conversion. By contrast, a 3.7V Li-ion battery requires a step-down regulator in addition to the LTC4123’s functionality to power the ASIC.
Maurizio tipped us with his latest article on how to use Serial Port in C#. The article does cover the basic code needed to achieve serial communication.
The serial port of the PC is a very important resource both in industrial environment and in home-made electronics, due to the wide popularity of the UART interface which is to be found on many microcontrollers or on many test and design instrumentation (programmable power supplies, multi-meters, oscilloscopes etc).
The circuit provided here is a transformer-less non-isolated power supply which is capable of delivering an output of 12V at 120mA current for an input voltage varying from 85VAC-265VAC. The LNK304 is the heart of this circuit which supports buck boost and flyback topologies. This project is low in cost and simple when compared other tramsformer-less power supplies.
Features:
Input(V): 85V AC to 265V AC
Output(V): 12V DC
Output load: 120mA
PCB:75mm X 35mm
Notes:
The above circuit deals with lethal AC voltage levels. Its very dangerous to work with it, without proper experience and precautions!
Extreme caution is advised while experimenting/building this circuit as the output isn’t isolated from mains.
The components are close to what shown in the 3D preview
Researchers at MIT has announced a new RFID chip that is almost impossible to hack and it could mean that an identity thief couldn’t steal your credit card number by sitting next to you.
The researchers’ new chip uses a bank of 3.3-volt capacitors as an on-chip energy source. But it also features 571 1.5-volt cells that are discretely integrated into the chip’s circuitry. When the chip’s power source — the external scanner — is removed, the chip taps the 3.3-volt capacitors and completes as many operations as it can, then stores the data it’s working on in the 1.5-volt cells.
Linear Technology Corporation announces the LT3089, a rugged 800mA wide input voltage range linear regulator with key usability, monitoring and protection features. The device has an extended safe operating area (SOA) compared to existing regulators, making it ideal for high input-to-output voltage and high output current applications where older regulators limit the output. The LT3089 uses a current source reference for single resistor output voltage settings and output adjustability down to 0V. Output current limit can be set externally with a single resistor. This regulator architecture, combined with low millivolt line and load regulation, enables multiple ICs to be paralleled easily for heat spreading and higher output current. The current from the device’s current monitor can be summed with the set current for line-drop compensation, where the output of the LT3089 increases its current to compensate for line drops.
36V, 800mA Robust Linear Regulator Has Extended SOA – [Link]
educ8s.tv has uploaded another tutorial on how to use a e-paper display with Arduino. Source code is provided.
Electronic paper and e-paper are display technologies that mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper. Unlike conventional backlit flat panel displays that emit light, electronic paper displays reflect light like paper. This make them more comfortable to read, and provide a wider viewing angle than most light-emitting displays. Many electronic paper technologies hold static text and images indefinitely without electricity.
How to use the 4.3′ E-Paper display with Arduino – [Link]
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