Ever hear of the Phoniebox project? If not – tune in, that’s a hacker’s project your entire family will appreciate. Phoniebox is a software suite and tutorial for building a jukebox controlled through RFID cards, and it can play audio from a wide variety of sources – music and playlists stored locally, online streams like […]
Bluetooth is a backbone technology for innumerable off-the-shelf and hacker devices. You should know how to work with it – in particular, nowadays you will certainly be working at the Bluetooth GATT (Generic Attribute) layer. This two-part project by [V. Hunter Adams] of Cornell fame spares no detail in making sure you learn Bluetooth GATT […]
If you’ve ever designed a battery-powered device with a Pi Zero, you have no doubt looked into decreasing its power consumption. Generic advice, like disabling the HDMI interface and the onboard LED, is omnipresent, but [Manawyrm] from [Kittenlabs] goes beyond the surface-level, and gifts us an extensive write-up where every recommendation is backed with measurements. […]
Some time ago, while designing the PCB for the Sony Vaio replacement motherboard, I went on a quest to find a perfect 5 V boost regulator. Requirements are simple – output 5 V at about 2A , with input ranging from 3 V to 5 V, and when the input is 5 V, go into […]
When it comes to polarizing and confusing questions in electronics, wiring up shields is on the top-10 list when sorted by popularity. It’s a question most of us need to figure out at some point – when you place a USB socket symbol on your schematic, where do you wire up the SHIELD and MP […]
[Marius Taciuc’s] latest endeavor, the B4 Thinker, offers a captivating glimpse into microcontroller architecture through a modular approach. This proof-of-concept project is meticulously documented, with a detailed, step-by-step guide to each component and its function. Launched in 2014, the B4 Thinker project began with the ambitious goal of building a microcontroller from scratch. The resulting […]
The loom has been a transformative invention throughout history, shaping the textile industry from simple hand looms to complex, fully automated machines. Now, thanks to advancements in 3D printing, this age-old craft is being revitalized by modern makers. One such creator, [Fraens], has recently designed a unique 3D-printed table loom with eight shafts, offering a […]
There are a ton of fun Raspberry Pi and Linux projects that require audio output – music players, talking robots, game consoles and arcades, intelligent assistants, mesh network walkie-talkies, and much more! There’s no shortage of Pi-based iPods out there, and my humble opinion is that we still could use more of them. To help […]
Last time, I talked about how MicroPython is powerful and deserving of a place in your toolkit, and it made for a lively discussion. I’m glad to see that overall, MicroPython has indeed been getting the recognition it deserves – I’ve built a large number of wonderful projects with it, and so have people I’ve […]