Electronics-Lab.com Blog

SOIC Breakout Boards - [Link]

This is an open source development board for ATMEGA8 builded especialy for Linux users. This development board is perfect for all the newbies that want to learn about AVR Microcontrollers or want to build some nice projects with it. [via]

ATMEGA8 DevBRD – [Link]

Chris writes -

David Fowler at uCHobby has introduced his new-and-improved breadboard power supply, which is both an excellent introduction to soldering technique *and* a useful tool for further electronics work.

Indeed it is a nice little board – with additional header pins to bring power out to both sides of the board and add some extra stability. Jumper selectable 3.3/5V operation, plus one feature I don’t see often enough on supplies like this – a power switch. It seems one should consider adding a heatsink to that voltage regulator if you plan on using an input source higher than 25V. [via]

Breadboard power supply hits both rails - [Link]

Here is the new 6 channel relay USB card to switch from different devices, lighting or motors by a computer program via the USB interfaced. [via]

USB – relay board - [Link]

Electronic Printed Circuit Board Layout Software that is a cost effective, easy to use electronic printed circuit board PCB layout application. Features: Export Gerber RS274X and Excellon NC drill. Import ASCII netlist. Up to 16 layer boards supported. Rulers, Guidelines and Dimensioning lines. Five libraries – new components and libraries can be added. Automated ground planes, isolated copper removal. Tracks snap to pads for easy routing. Multiple Undo / Redo. [via]

Rimu PCB - [Link]

LochMaster is a developers tool for stripboard projects. It has useful functions for designing, documenting and testing a board. Therefore you will find features like auto-generation of components lists, a connection test, an editable library with a large number of symbols and components, and many more. [via]

LochMaster 3.0 - [Link]

The MAX6953 from Dallas Maxim is a compact cathode-row display driver that interfaces a microprocessor (like PIC or AVR) to four 5×7 dot matrix LED display trough an I2C compatible serial interface. The chip includes some features that can help us to handle easier the displaced data. These features are included on chip ASCII 104 character table and also fond data for 24 user definable characters, low-power shutdown mode, segment blinking that can be synchronized across multiple drivers if desired, test mode that forces all LEDs on (so that we can handle led problems) and also 16-Step digital brightness control that maybe differs from panel to panel.

MAX6953 Development board - [Link]

This circuit is not a PIC programmer, but it can be easily interfaced with one of the many programmers you can find, allowing you not to remove the microcontroller from the board (in-system programming).

Compared to the version 1.1, connection also to LVP programmers is now supported; besides this characteristic, it is of course possible to work both with chips with the LVP bit set (just a switch need to be set) and with the LVP bit not set; it is of course possible to interface the board with traditional programmers (12 V on /MCLR), the most part, I would say. [via]

PIC 16F877 / 16F874 Development Board - [Link]

Although i linked to some DIY tutorials on printed circuit board making in the past, i decided to write my own tutorial to cover all the bits and pieces so that any beginner with no knowledge can obtain a PCB using the photo etching method. Lets start with the tools and materials i used:

DIY Printed Circuit Board Using Photo Etching Method - [Link]

There are tons of various development boards around the internet. If you are looking for one – might be this one will fit your needs. It is featured with:

• ATMega32 MCU clocked at 16MHz;
• RS232;
• RS485;
• I2C EEPROM (64KBytes);
• 4-way Piano Switch;
• Reset and some LEDs;
• 2 x 40 pin DIL breakout connectors.

Board is 100×75mm size with tracks on both sides. Probably it is best to send Gerber files to your nearest PCB manufacturer and get professionally looking PCB. [via]

Simple and flexible ATmega32 development board - [Link]