To do anything interesting, we need reliable communication across machines (e.g. over bluetooth) and oftentimes within as well, between components working together within a device. In one of my last projects, I wound up dealing with mounds of unreliable comm and here I’ll go over how I got around it and a few of the…
Mobile Raspberry Pi 3/Zero W: Tips and Lessons Learned
- by: Pat Deegan
- On
I just finished a project that involved video processing in a portable, wirelessly connected, package: a perfect opportunity to get to know the newer Raspberry Pi Zero W. Here I’ll go over a few lessons learned while making this little computer truly mobile. The main point of interest is power: power (as in applied voltage),…
Exactly What She Said
- by: Pat Deegan
- On
It was already sizable, but then it just kept getting bigger and bigger… The long awaited update to druid4arduino is finally on its way–it’s currently awaiting publishing in the app store–but it took a whole lot longer than expected, in part because of the enormous endeavour it morphed into along the way. It began with…
The Evolution of Druid4Arduino
- by: Pat Deegan
- On
The next version of druid4arduino is ready and I think it’ll be awesome! I’ll be posting updates here, and there’s a dedicated project site in the works. Some parts of druid4arduino have yet to be implemented in the newer version, but the changes make it worthwhile anyway, and those functions will be implemented in future…
Creating a sensor or peripheral with an SPI (slave) interface
- by: Pat Deegan
- On
Designed to interact with a 16-bit I/O expander, the firmware was ready for testing. Though I was still waiting on parts, I wanted to make sure it would all work as expected. What’s an impatient developer to do? Create his own SPI slave to replace the missing part, of course! If you’ve gotten anywhere beyond…
Real world Kicad project postmortem and more tips
- by: Pat Deegan
- On
As a follow-up to my intro/tutorial, I’ll go over a few more lessons learned using Kicad including some tips that should be of help to anyone embarking on a similar journey. The power module project was selected for a first adventure using Kicad as it was relatively small while being non-trivial. The circuit holds around…
A challenge for “hackers”
- by: Admin
- On
After encountering a bug and finally finding a work-around, I documented the circumstances and fix and posted it here. A day later, I found that the page had been defaced and all that remained was a message to the effect of “HACKED BY TINYNUTS“. It turns out, the version of WordPress used on the site…
Mystery black window workaround: Druid back in development
- by: Pat Deegan
- On
Months ago, I was forced to get a new laptop (thanksalot, kitty!) which uses an Intel HD Graphics 520 graphics card. When I got around to working on druid4arduino I hit a mystery bug with the display, as described previously. In short, a nice black window that wouldn’t display anything but the void. Development was…
Kicad: Techniques, Tips and Work-arounds
- by: Pat Deegan
- On
Kicad is an cross-platform, open source, electronics design suite. I’d toyed with it in the past, but had never made it to actually designing real projects with it until recently. Here, I’ll go over my experience and initial impressions, and provide a few pointers and resources for anyone curious about trying it out. We’ll tour…
Winners Adjustable DC Power Supply: Walkthrough and review
- by: Pat Deegan
- On
I recently received a little adjustable power supply, purchased off ebay for dirt cheap. It’s pretty nice, so if you’ve been considering something similar have a gander at the video: It can take between 4.5 and 23V in (recommended to stay below 20V) and has a 1.5V drop-out. It’s claimed that it can source up…