Electronics-Lab.com Blog

Zak Kemble builded a network monitor device able to show basic network statistics on a small LCD screen. He writes:

Whenever I want to see why a download is going a little slow or getting lag on an online game I’d have to log in to my routers web page or SSH in to see if its someone else in the house downloading/uploading, the net connection going wonky or just the server, this was a bit annoying to do, so I made this device to constantly show network statistics.

Bluetooth Net Monitor - [Link]

Pulsar is a wireless heart rate monitor device without a chest strap! It communicates with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S iPhone 5, Motorola RAZR, etc over Bluetooth 4.0. Continuously monitor your heart rate without a chest strap!

Pulsar – Bluetooth Wireless Heart Rate Monitor - [Link]

This is a simple project of Android Bluetooth Car with Bluetooth control. This project is open source and multiplatform: Arduino (Processing), STM32, MSP430, PIC, AVR, FEZ Panda II (.NET Micro Framework) and may be even В Raspberry Pi.

To control the car used Android-device with a built-in accelerometer. Tilt forward – car goes forward, tilt to the left – car turns to the left, tilt back – car goes back. Speed of movement or rotation depends on how much you tilt the device. Sensitivity and value of the tilt set in the configuration Android-apps. Also are provided a normal way to control: the buttons on the screen. In addition to all I implemented the touch control. Total 3 ways to control the RC Car.

Simple RC car for beginners (Android control via Bluetooth) - [Link]

Pittsford, NY:  imPulse(tm) is a personal, iPhone-compatible, handheld ECG Touch Monitor that will be introduced at this year’s Electronica Show in Munich, Germany, designed using unique EPIC touch sensors.  Created by the sensorʼs manufacturer Plessey Semiconductors,  imPulse(tm) is aimed at the home health market, and will allow the routine, quick and accurate recording of ECG signals outside of the medical environment – without the need for conductive gel or skin preparation. Read the rest of this entry »

Irdroid v2.0 is advanced version of the Irdroid remote control hardware. The unit is standalone, powered by 12V DC adapter and it has a bluetooth communication module. The unit features a infra-red remote control for android and a Bluetooth Music receiver in one. The module can be used simultaneously to control home TV/AV equipment and to turn any speaker into a wireless bluetooth speakers.

Irdroid v2.0 – universal remote for Android - [Link]

All in one GSM 3G module Quectel U10 simplifies schematics and shortens testing time thanks to a quantum of built-in interfaces. If you´re searching for a module for transfer of data, voice, video, SMS and MMS, which has everything imaginable already built-in, then the Quectel U10 is the right solution for you.

Unbelievably many functions, supported protocols, built-in interfaces and other features are provided by the new 3G module Quectel U10. Thanks to this, in the most of applications it isn´t necessary to connect any other interfaces, what decreases the production cost of a target device. Only the list of features itself would occupy the whole article, that´s why we will mention at least some of them. 

The module supports dual mode and is multi-band (WCDMA & GSM) and a UMTS (HSPA) high-speed data transfer, further supported even by a high-speed USB 2.0 interface and three UART channels. CMOS camera interface with an 8 Mpx resolution enables a direct camera connection without other extra costs. All necessary can be stored into a directly connectable SD card with up to 32 GB capacity. To gain a Bluetooth communication, it is only necessary to connect an antenna to the U10. The U10 module also contains a control circuit for Li-ion battery charging, what is convenient in mobile applications, as well as when using a battery as a backup source. RIL (radio interface layer) driver for WinCE6.0 and a USB driver for WinCE 6.0, Win7/XP and Linux 2.6 further simplify a communication and connectivity. Excellent sensitivity, advanced audio algorithms and video codecs contribute to universal usage of the U10 module. So that it was possible to use all functions without limitations, a given circuit should have a wide operating temperature range – U10 meets even this requirement at 100% and has a guaranteed functionality in range from -40 to +85°C. Connection of the U10 to a PCB is very simple, by an SMD connector (board to board). The module naturally enables to use SIM cards of any GSM operator. U10EVB-KIT development kit is also available for a development support.

Basic information will provide you the U10 module specification and the Quectel U10 presentation. Detailed information will provide you the U10 Hardware Design, U10 AT Commands set, U10 EVB kit user guide and the video call application note.

U10, as well as U10-EVB kit are available directly from our stock. Guide price of the U10 module is 50 EUR at purchase of 1 pcs. Upon request we´ll let you know the exact price for your project.

UMTS 3G module Quectel U10 will amaze you by a quantum of functions - [Link]

www.lucadentella.it writes:

The BTSwitch project was developed to switch electric devices (lamps…) using an Android smartphone.

In the following video, you can watch the device working, while in the next pages you can find some technical details… enjoy your reading!

BTSwitch – Switch electric devices using an Android Smartphone - [Link]

Ams has introduced the AS3421 and AS3422 single chip devices for active noise cancellation (ANC). Featuring integrated speaker drivers, the new devices make it easier to implement ANC in Bluetooth wireless headsets, headphones and earpieces. The ANC circuitry processes external noise sensed by a microphone embedded in the headset and generate a noise-cancelling signal, while amplifying the desired audio signal with very low distortion.

Low power consumption and long battery life are particularly important requirements in wireless headsets, and the all-analogue design of the new chips is more efficient than DSP-based (digital) speaker drivers. The devices draw just 7 mA at 1.5 V in stereo ANC mode, and less than 1 µA in quiescent mode. They also implement an ultra-low power ANC bypass mode when the user selects the playback-only function. The new devices additionally provide differential stereo line inputs to match differential line outputs from typical Bluetooth-based headset systems. [via]

Active Noise Cancellation on a Chip - [Link]

Bluetooth stack

A new Open source Bluetooth stack for PIC24 and PIC32. For hardware, a PIC drives a cheap USB Bluetooth dongle using a USB host interface. The Bluetooth part is open source, unfortunately is also uses Microchips undistributable USB drivers. [via]

• The code is really easy to understand, very well documented and really small.
• Designed to be extended and ported.
• Works straight out of the box with the PIC32 USB Starter Kit II and should be fairly simple to port to other PIC32 or PIC24 boards.

Open source Bluetooth stack for PIC24 and PIC32 - [Link]

Holst Centre, imec and DELTA announce an innovative body patch that integrates an ultra-low power electrocardiogram (ECG) chip and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio. This unique combination fuses power-efficient electronics and standardized communication, opening new perspectives for long-term monitoring in health, wellness and medical applications. The system integrates components from Holst Centre and imec’s R&D programs. It is designed in collaboration with DELTA and integrated in DELTA’s ePatch platform. 

The ECG patch measures up to 3 lead ECG signals, tissue-contact impedance and includes a 3D-accelerometer for physical activity monitoring. The data are processed and analyzed locally, and relevant events and information are transmitted through Bluetooth Low Energy. The patch is capable of monitoring, processing and communication on a minimal energy budget. When computing and transmitting the heart rate, the entire system consumes a mere 280µA at 2.1V, running continuously for one month on a 200mAh Li-Po battery. When transmitting accelerometer data (at 32Hz) on top of the heart rate, the power consumption remains below 1mA in continuous operation, giving about 1 week of autonomy.

Innovative technology for an ECG patch - [Link]