Electronics-Lab.com Blog

Here is an interesting electronics gadget. It’s a semiconductor component tester that displays the type, pinout, and some relevant specifications of the device connected to its probes. [via]

It doesn’t matter how you connect the test clips to the component, the Atlas DCA can analyse a vast number of different component types including bipolar transistors, enhancement mode MOSFETs, depletion mode MOSFETs, Junction FETs (only gate pin identified), low power thyristors and triacs (less than 5mA trigger and hold), diodes, multiple diode networks, LEDs, bi-colour and tri-colour LEDs. It will even identify special component features such as diode protection and shunt resistors in transistors.

Semiconductor analyser determines part type and value - [Link]

Christopher built an ATTiny85 development board. It has all the microcontroller pins broken out to a 2×4 dual row pinheader, a power indicator LED, and a reset button as well. [via]

DIY ATTiny85 Development Board - [Link]

dangerousprototypes.com writes:

A new internet controlled lighting project called SplashLight is being developed. It has 4 relays to turn lights on and off, and 3 PWM outputs to drive RGB LEDs. The core of the project is a Cortex M3 uC with an Ethernet PHY/MAC from Texas Instruments.

The project includes iPhone, Android, and web applications to control the board over the web. It looks like the PCB and schematic files will be made available in the future, but the license is still unannounced. Might be ripe for a remake.

Network controlled relays & 3 channel PWM - [Link]

This blog demonstrates how to drive a bi-color LED, or any 2 LEDs, by using only one microcontroller pin. Sinking or sourcing current from the LED selects which one will light up. Setting the pin as input turns both LEDs off.

Alternating between 0,1, and high-Z, both LEDs are fully controllable and even dimmable. The article also explains how to calculate the resistor values to get the desired current for the LEDs. The only drawback to this circuit is that consumption will increase because the voltage divider requires current even when the LEDs are off. [via]

Driving a bicolor LED from a single output pin - [Link]

Having been disappointed by the generic offering of Christmas lights with small customization options, he decided to make fully customizable light decoration.

Small PIC12F609 MCUs along with RGB LEDs are placed on a board and daisy chained over a 3 wire cable. A master MCU is placed on one end of the cable and controls the color of the lights individually by sending addressed data over the wires. [via]

Christmas lights with a MCU in each bulb - [Link]

To achieve a more aesthetic panel of your device, you can use flat top LED diodes Kingbright!

We´d like to focus your attention to well-proven flat top LED diodes intended mainly for indication on various controlling and indicating panels. In comparison to standard types with a half-ball top, these types offer a significantly more aesthetic solution when used in front panels.

From the most used cylindrical types, we keep in stock types with a diameter of 5 mm, 3 mm, as well as miniature ones with a diameter of only 2 mm. All offered types have diffused plastic packages, thus they feature a good visibility even from high viewing angles.

Don´t let LEDs stand out of the panel - [Link]

Andrea Belloni writes:

We realized this project for the “Arduino Day” in Rome 14/04/2011. For it we used two JeeNode (Arduino variant with wireless module on-board), one Rainbowduino + RGB LED Matrix and one PC with Processing. The Processing sketch generate the “plasma” animation and sends the images stream to the first JeeNode via serial port. This JeeNode receives the images and sends it to the second JeeNode via wireless link. The second JeeNode receives the images and sends it to the Rainbowduino + RGB LED Matrix via i2c. More details on the blog’s post (for the English version scroll down).

Wireless pixels - [Link]

Chris from PyroElectro writes us with this useful project to communicate serial data over an infrared link – [via]

Here’s an article that explains how to create a wireless infrared transmitter using an IR LED and a wireless IR receiver using a phototransistor to make a communication system. Asynchronous serial is transmitted over this link at 9600 BPS. Two PIC 18F452′s are used to transmit and receive the data.

Infrared serial link using PIC18F452 - [Link]

With a powerful relay interface module Finder 48 series you can control devices reliably and digestedly directly from a distribution box.

Very often used centralized control of devices from a distribution box via relay interface modules offers several benefits. This solution enables for example a transparent and quick installation, simple functionality test and easy changes in configuration if necessary. To place switching elements to a DIN rail can in many cases substantially increase the immunity to disturbances. It is thanks to the fact, that when a relay interface module is placed in a distribution box near a controlling electronics, wires leading to the module are very short. By this we avoid parallel layout of control wires with other power-line wires, often few tens of meters long, from which a current able to switch on a relay could be inducted in extreme cases.

Finder 48 are powerful relay interface modules in versions with one or two changeover contacts. They are available with a coil for DC or AC voltage as well as with screw or screwless terminals. From our stock we offer you 2 versions – 48.52 and 48.61 with a sensitive DC coil with only a 0.5 W power consumption. Interface modules already contain components protecting against wrong voltage polarity, for EMC suppression as well as indication circuit with a LED.

Besides high 16/8A switching currents offer Finder 48 also a high level of safety thanks to an up to 6 kV insulation voltage (coil/contacts). Finder 48 enable instant relay rejection by means of a plastic retaining clip, what makes an inspection or exchange of a relay easier. Also available is the jumper link for a mutual interconnection of several interface modules. Detailed information will provide you the Finder 48 datasheet.

Control devices from a DIN rail reliably and safely - [Link]

Programming of a graphic interface perhaps cannot be any simpler. Company 4D Systems brings to developers a new powerful graphic editor, which further shifts borders of simplicity and speed at a creation of a graphic output.

4D ViSi tool enables to very easily and intuitively arrange graphic control and displaying elements into the layout which we wish to achieve on the 4D Systems display modules. As a result, this way you will create the graphic interface very quickly and you can fully focus on the main – the application itself. In other words – you can put your effort to what the application “has to do” and not “how it should look”.

4D ViSi tool is a part of the 4D Workshop3 IDE – Alpha program, which is free to download. 4D ViSi is a powerful SW tool, which enables an immediate overview of your desired graphic layout for 4D Systems display modules. 4D ViSi contains a set of various dials, gauges and meters, which can be simply dragged and dropped onto the desired place. Every item has wide possibilities of adjustment. Without necessity to always reload the source code to a display module, you have a possibility to see every change on a monitor of your computer and all relevant code is inserted into the program at one click. In the enclosed video you can gain a closer view of the work in this program.

Focus on application itself and the 4D ViSi will take care about its look - [Link]