Electronics-Lab.com Blog

spaceagerobotics writes:

Some PCB fab houses (like SeeedStudio, with their Fusion PCB service) will allow you to panelize smaller PCBs.  For example, if you have a 2.5cm x 5cm board, you could panelize two of them on to a single 5mm x 5mm PCB.  Or, put a 7cm x 7cm board and a bunch of 3cm x 3cm boards onto a 10cm x 10cm panel.  Seeed will allow up to 5 sub-boards on a panel.

The freeware and light versions of Cadsoft Eagle limit the design area of the PCB to 10cm x 8cm.  This is enough to do many projects, but when you want to try and panelize to fill a 10cm x 10 cm board, it won’t work.  Plus, maintaining separate projects and updating them on the panel, and maintaining consistency of labels and reference designators can be a pain.

Panelizing PCBs for Seeed Using Eagle Free - [Link]

zmashiah writes:

I am using a Netdunio-Plus board (Physically looks like Arduino but is using C# as programming language) to display current and forecast weather information. I pull the information from Weather Underground. I recently posted a similar project where an Arduino board was used to show forecast of the weather from Google Weather service. This project is fully automatic, no configuration required, and there several enhancements to the graphical display (and bug fixes).

Weather station with Netduino - [Link]

Steven Keeping writes:

Despite the popularity of switching DC/DC converters, linear regulators still form a healthy percentage of the business of leading power module chip suppliers such as Maxim, Texas Instruments, Linear Technology, and austriamicrosystems. Modern design techniques and wafer fabrication processes have enabled linear regulators to remain the best choice for a number of applications.

This article compares linear and switching regulators and considers which applications could benefit most from the key advantages of the former, including their simplicity, low cost, and ability to provide stable voltages without the ripples inherent to switching converters.

Understanding the Advantages and Disadvantages of Linear Regulators - [Link]

Karan Shah writes:

LG Display has announced a 5-inch, full HD LCD panel for smartphones – the highest resolution mobile panel to date, giving a clear indication that the 720p display on your current top-end smartphone won’t reign supreme for long. This new, 5-inch Full HD LCD panel is a step forward from the existing mobile display technology and is based on AH-IPS (Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching) technology. It features a 440ppi and 1920×1080 resolution, providing, for the first time, Full HDTV quality on a smartphone. We had first carried a story about AH-IPS displays, way back in May 2011 and LG had announced then that they were indeed developing AH-IPS panels for smartphones. Here’s how AH-IPS improves on the existing technology.

LG announces 5-inch – 1080p displays - [Link]

Mayhew Labs writes:

The Rotary Encoder LED Ring is a position indicator for rotary encoders. Traditional knobs with indicator lines do not give accurate representation of an encoder’s value since rotary encoders have no start or end point.

Rotary encoders are used as input devices in applications where a single encoder has many functions or where a control responds to the rotation rate of an encoder. In these applications, the Rotary Encoder LED Ring offers a visual representation of how an encoder is reacting to the input as well as the current position or control value.

Rotary Encoder LED Ring - [Link]

www.danielandrade.net writes:

Long time ago I came across this page http://tobe.nimio.info/project/moodlamp, where Toon Beerten created a Moodlamp using a PIC16F628 µC. I remember that back then I didn’t have much knowledge on µC’s programming, so the first thing I did was to buy a Arduino board, and since that time I have been learning a lot and making many different projects with it…

Open Hardware MoodLamp - [Link]

Apple iPhone charger teardown on Ken Shirriffs blog:  [via]

Disassembling Apples diminutive inch-cube iPhone charger reveals a technologically advanced flyback switching power supply that goes beyond the typical charger. It simply takes AC input (anything between 100 and 240 volts) and produce 5 watts of smooth 5 volt power, but the circuit to do this is surprisingly complex and innovative.

Apple iPhone charger teardown - [Link]

jackzylkin writes:

Hey, we all LOVE the Arduino, and for my projects I make extra sure that I used the Arduino platform, so that everyone in the artist and hacker community could springboard off it for their own projects, and so that I can springboard off them. Its so universal and easy to learn! But, there are a few things THEY don’t want you to know about the Arduino…

A $3 Arduino - [Link]

Tools used:

• U-EC6 USB Emulator Debugger
• RF-2410M
• RF-2410U
• SHT11 Digital Humidity & Temperature Sensor
• Battery Holder
• Plastic Enclosure

Wireless USB Temperature & Humidity Datalogger - [Link]

smnoor88 writes:

I’ve always wanted to build an electronic led dice, but something different from what we see on the internet. Making it motion controlled… now that’s new! I make remote controlled led dice please share with every one and like my projects

Remote controlled led dice - [Link]