Electronic-Geek.comYour Electronic Source
|
|
Figuring which way is ‘up’ for any one of the various IC packages may be second nature to circuit veterens, but getting acquainted with all possible indicators is definitely an important step for newcomers – and it can be a tad tricky at times. Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories posted a detailed photo guide on the subject, even going over orientation tips for seven-segment and LED matrix displays – good stuff!
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
WHAT? Un-freaking-believable! Energizer battery charger contains backdoor
The United States Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) has warned that the software included in the Energizer DUO USB battery charger contains a backdoor that allows unauthorized remote system access. In an advisory, the US-CERT warned that he installer for the Energizer DUO software places the file UsbCharger.dll in the application’s directory and Arucer.dll in the Windows system32 directory. An attacker is able to remotely control a system, including the ability to list directories, send and receive files, and execute programs. The backdoor operates with the privileges of the logged-on user.
When considering a battery charger, if there’s an open source one, choose it – and avoid the one that comes with software for no good reason, otherwise this could happen… MAKE stocks the MintyBoost, and while that charges devices (not batteries) – it’s open source, does not require software, will not trojan your computer.
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
Spotted in the MAKE Flickr pool:
Flickr user zeni666 made this neat visualizer using an Arduino, oscilloscope, and homemade resistor ladder. Here’s what the setup looks like:
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
MIT folks Leah Buechley, Emily Lovell, and Hannah Perner-Wilson put together a video reel of a bunch of their flexible/soft circuit prototypes to make this demonstration reel. Check out more projects at the High-Low Tech research group site. [via Fashioning Technology]
More:
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
Pete Friedrichs, author of the can’t-be-recommended-highly-enough Voice of the Crystal and Instruments of Amplification (which I review in MAKE Volume 21), has posted online his two-part article “Fun With Homebrew Cuprous Oxide Diodes,” which originally appeared in the Xtal Set Society Newsletter. In it, he shows you how to build an old-school Cuprous Oxide-based radio detector (diode) using little more than some metal scraps, misc hardware, and garden shed/kitchen chemicals. The results don’t sound all that compelling, but given the crudity of the components… And the detector stand you build in the process can be used for experiments with other natural semiconducting materials. And Peter always does such a lovely job on these builds. It’s like a piece a tech art, cobbled together from junkbox bits.
Fun With Homebrew Cuprous Oxide Diodes
More:
From MAKE magazine:
MAKE Volume 21 is the Desktop Manufacturing issue, with how-to articles on making three-dimensional parts using inexpensive computer-controlled manufacturing equipment. Both additive (RepRap, CandyFab) and subtractive (Lumenlab Micro CNC) systems are covered. Also in this issue: instructions for making a cigar box guitar, building your own CNC for under $800, running a mini electric bike with a cordless drill, making a magic photo cube, and tons more. If you’re a subscriber, you may have your issue in hand already, and can access the Digital Edition. Otherwise, you can pick up MAKE 21 in the Maker Shed or look for it on newsstands near you!
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
Feeling nostalgic for those frantic days in the digital design lab? Wish there were perhaps a game that put you in the place of an engineer, trying to design new ICs to meet the goals of some unspecified organization? Want to get your SI on? No idea what I am talking about?
Well then, let me introduce you to Kohctpyktop: engineer of the people, by Zachtronics Industries. It’s the first game I’ve ever seen where you have to design integrated circuits as a challenge, sort of like pipe dream for electrical engineers. In the game, you are placed in the role of a silicon designer, who must lay down metal, and n and p type doping to make BJTs, in order to create different types of logic circuits. The game takes a little bit of artistic license in the way circuits are run (there isn’t any ground, and one would certainly use FETs to build most of these devices), however it is an interesting logic puzzle, and perhaps a good introduction to learning about digital circuits. The only thing that took me a while to figure out is that you need to press shift to access some of the features. [via HeatSync Labs]
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
Clock Loop’s BlackBox 2.0 sequencer project uses 4 Parallax Propeller chips driven by a single 5MHz crystal to create some sweet electro rhythm. The above-seen demo shows off what two of the devices can do together – one handling sound synthesis, while the other’s on sequencing duty. Have a look at the project’s schematic & source code over in the Parallax forums.
In the Maker Shed:
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
Video courtesy YouTuber BozkurtTekinTahsin.
In case you didn’t believe Louie the Lightening Bug when he said “ya gotta stay away from power lines,” consider the fate of this gentle tree branch, who apparently never got to watch Saturday morning PSAs, or at least wasn’t paying attention if it did. It screams, literally, for about 14 seconds before bursting into flames like a vampire in a tanning booth.
[via Neatorama]
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
What do you do once you are already a skilled radio designer and restorer? Well, if you are Greg Charvot, you decide to build a shortwave radio using a single type of transistor as an active element. Normally, one would use number of different transistors, each designed to handle different amounts of power and amplifying bandwidth. Limiting yourself to a single type may seem like a mental exercise today (pun intended), but was apparently much more common back when transistors weren’t easy to come by, so Greg isn’t completely off his rocker. Also, by only using one kind of part, it should make repairs much easier.
Designing a radio like this is a little bit complicated, but not nearly as much as it might sound. The trick is to divide the radio function into manageable pieces, which can then be designed and tested individually. You will notice that Greg’s radio (pictured above) is made up of a bunch of small prototyping boards. Each board contains a single circuit with a specific function, and physically separating them makes it much easier to test the parts, as well as swap out the ones that might be malfunctioning. It’s also a neat design aesthetic, because it very closely resembles the way you would draw an electrical schematic to represent the circuit.
If you are interested in building a radio, I would strongly recommend giving it a go. Start with a kit, though, and pick one that explains the design of each stage so that you can learn how it works. It will definitely be an interesting experience, and who knows, it could be the start of a new passion! If you have a favorite kit or other guide to recommend, chime in on the comments.
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |
Jason Moungey of macetech dropped me an e-mail yesterday to let me know that the 9×9 RGB LED matrix table they were showing off at Maker Faire Bay Area 2009 (as shown above) has been upgraded with a Bluetooth shield that lets it receive tweets that control the display. Construction and programming details are available here, and there’s a live feed of the table here.
[Thanks, Jason!]
Read more | Permalink | Comments |
Read more articles in Electronics |