I’ve always wanted to play with these 10W RGB LEDs! The Idea So for some reason I bought 2 IKEA lamps at a flea market. As IKEA furniture has a long history of being hacker-friendly, I figured they shouldn’t be an exception to the rule. My plan? Fit a few 10W RGB LEDs in there […]
A Connected Lamp to Wake Me Up Read More »
Here you will find complete construction details including circuit diagrams, PCB layouts and PIC firmware (and the source code). The code was written in Proton PIC BASIC but the good news is that there is now a free version of this compiler available for download; AMICUS18. ** UPDATED 17th Aug 2013 ** There was a
PIC Digital Thermometer and Clock Read More »
This is a 24×6 LED matrix control board based on Syst3mX schematics on Instructables. The board is connected on the LED matrix board and an external MCU or Arduino is required to produce the control signals that are feed on GP8. The circuit is able to drive a 24×6 LED matrix using an external MCU
24×6 LED Matrix Control Circuit Read More »
This gadget steps up the game from leaving a light on at home when you’re out. Place it near a window to make it look like somebody’s at home watching TV. The Idea Update: Looks like somebody had this idea before me and made a product out of it. Just Google Fake TV. In fact,
Fake TV Security Light Read More »
A primer app note(PDF) on silicon transient voltage suppressors by Microsemi. Silicon transient voltage suppressors (TVSs) are clamping devices that limit voltage spikes by low impedance avalanche breakdown of a rugged silicon pn jucntion. They are used to protect sensitive components from electrical overstress such as that caused by induced lightning, inductive load switching and
App note: What is a silicon transient voltage suppressor and how does it work Read More »
Sitting for long periods has become more common in today’s jobs causing serious health issues. Unfortunately the plethora of activity trackers fail to address the issue: being rather active while sitting does not provide a good picture of the amount of time spent sitting. Sit.Up is a simple device that attaches to the chair and
Sit.Up – alerts the user if sitting to long Read More »
The AD8436 is a new generation, translinear precision, low power, true rms-to-dc converter loaded with options. It computes a precise dc equivalent of the rms value of ac wave-forms, including complex patterns such as those generated by switch mode power supplies and triacs. Its accuracy spans a wide range of input levels (see Figure 2)
RMS to DC converter covers wide range Read More »
A couple of months ago I picked up cheap WiFi-controlled LED bulbs (one among dozens of very similar devices), after seeing them at a friend’s place. This turned out to be an excuse to play with the ESP8266, which has inspired several hacks. I was overall very happy with these bulbs: decent Android and iOS apps and, compared to fancier
ESP8266 touchscreen WiFi light controller and clock Read More »
Introduction Especially for switch-mode power supplies (SMPSs), the printed circuit board (PCB) layout is a critical but often under appreciated step in achieving proper performance and reliability. Errors in the PCB layout cause a variety of misbehaviors including poor output voltage regulation, switching jitter, and even device failure. Issues like these should be avoided at
Five steps to a great PCB layout for a step-down converter Read More »
This Design Idea gives two versions of an indicator light that changes from green to red as a battery discharges. There are many circuits that do this sort of thing, but all the ones I have seen are too complex and costly for my taste. This DI shows a method that uses an absolute minimum
Voltage indicator transitions between colours Read More »
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