Ashish Adhikari

Created a small "PCB Christmas Forest" which is going to light up my study table this Christmas. In this video, I am going to show you guys how to design these PCBs and assemble them to create a small PCB Christmas Forest. Designing The PCBs Sorting Out Images To start the designing process, I need transparent PNG images of the Christmas Tree, Star, Snowflake, Candy Cane etc. So I went online, and did an "image search" and downloaded few black-and-white images of all the items that I need to design these PCBs. Using the good old "MS Paint" I edited all these PNG files. I removed the rounded base and made the base flat so that it easily sits on the base plate. Then I removed a small portion from the bottom to expose a bit of copper. Pouring a blob of solder on this plate will hold the PCB nice and tight from the front side on the baseplate. In my design I have 3 different sizes of the trees. If you look closely, they are all extracted from the same tree by removing the bottom layer each time and hence generating a new size of the tree. Generating DXF File For the customized shapes of the PCBs, we need to generate "DXF files" to set the "Board Outlines". I am using the "paint.net" application to fill in the white spaces of the tress as I only need the borders and nothing else from the original images. Then, I uploaded the images to "https://convertio.co/" and generated the DXF files. This website allows 10 free conversions in a day unless you have a paid account with them. Creating the Trees Now, lets add a "New PCB" to our project and remove the default board outlines. Then import the DXF files via File > Import > DXF menu. Make sure you have the "BoardOutLine" selected under layers when you import the dxf file. Now lets import the image that will go on the Top Silk Layer. Put the image over the board outline and move it to the "TopSilkLayer". Then lets go ahead and decorate our tree. Once all set, lets hide the Top Silk Layer so that we can work on the rest of items. Using the Rectangle tool from the "PCB Tools Plate" I added a rectangle to the bottom of the PCB. I exposed the copper, so that I can use this to hold the tree on the baseplate by poring a blob of solder on it. Next I randomly added few LEDs here and there at the bottom side of the board. Then I added few exposed copper rectangles at the back side of the board and connected them the LEDs. Remember this is just an example, the attached gerber is totally different from what you see onscreen. So, this is how the tree looks like in 3D. Creating the Baseplate Now to create the baseplate, we again need to add a "New PCB" to our project and remove the default board outlines. Then go to Tools > Set Board Outline.. and select the "Round Rectangular" from the "Type" selection. Specify the height, width and the radius of the edge and hit the "Apply" button. Then go-ahead and add the rest of the components one by one either to the "TopLayer" or the "BottomLayer" of the board and connect them using wires. I grabbed the back and the front exposed rectangles from the tree and added them to the baseplate. This way the spacings will remain intact when we solder the trees on the baseplate. That's it easy as that. Now just go ahead and download your gerber file and send it for fabrication. So, this is how my baseplate looks like. Bit complex, but it has the exact same logic that I just showed you guys. Ordering Process Once I had my design ready, I just had to upload the gerber file to the PCBWay's website and select the type, color and any other customization that I want and then just send it for fabrication. For my project, I choose the black, red and the green colors. The Code The code I wrote is very simple. I have just turned on and off the LEDs after a 500ms delay. The top white LEDs turn on and off in the opposite order to the rest of the LEDs. This code is just an example, you can write all sorts of funky stuff and load it to your Arduino board. Testing on Breadboard I tested my code on a breadboard before soldering the LEDs to the board. I wanted to see if the Arduino Nano can handle that many LEDs at once and I also wanted to check if combining different color LEDs on a same pin of Arduino will have any adverse effect. The result was pretty promising: - I was able hook up 3 LEDs without any issues to all the Digital (except D13) and Analogue pins of the Arduino. - I was "not" able to combine yellow and orange LEDs with any other color on the same pin of Arduino. Soldering So, this is what came in the mailbag. Have a look at the quality, its absolutely mind-blowing. Based on my design, the black one will stay at the back, the green one on right and the red one on the left hand side of the baseplate. Please make sure when you solder the trees, solder the small (red) one first, then the green one and finally the big black one at the back. This way, you will be able to solder them very easily, without going over or under the trees. Now, lets start soldering. Lets start by soldering the LEDs on the trees. Since the front side of the plate has all the decorations on it, I placed all the component markings at the back side of the plate. I then one by one soldered all the LEDs on the front side of the plates. Please be careful while adding the colors, as mentioned earlier you cannot hook up yellow and orange with any other color on the same pin of an Arduino. Please follow my final coloring patter. Now lets get the baseplate sorted. Lets start by soldering all the resistances to the board. Then, lets solder 2 x female pin headers to the board. These pin headers will house the Arduino Microcontroller in it. After that, lets solder the 2 pin micro-USB port to the board. Next, its time to solder the trees to the board. With lots of flux and very little solder this is what I ended up creating. Since a lot of the LEDs were getting hidden behind the trees, I ended up removing a lot from the final version. Just follow the onscreen color pattern and you will have a small Christmas forest sitting on your table in less than 30 minutes. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year... Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Video: Video Link Full Blog Post: Blog Post Code: Download Image Resources : Download Gerber Base : Download Gerber Small Tree : Download Gerber Medium Tree : Download Gerber Big Tree : Download GitHub : Visit Support My Work: BTC: 15cNh9hup8jidCVPwa1DTcxeoh2FPijVrX LTC: LbquH9Ku78vHtcm3LZnWXpD1JQWdKzeV4v DOGE: DEB2QBAihnBRhGsaB8P7kz559TDiucQhX6 ETH: 0x5d8c9ba0e54d8354d4af81871db26daa190d2194 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 COS: bnb136ns6lfw4zs5hg4n85vdthaad7hq5m4gtkgf23 Memo: 572187879 BNB: 0x5d8c9ba0e54d8354d4af81871db26daa190d2194 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

Intro In my hand is a 4-Digit 7-Segment display module. The heart of this module is an inexpensive Serial LED Driver from Titan Micro Electronics called the TM1637. In this tutorial, I am going to show you guys how to control the TM1637 4-Digit 7-Segment displays using an Arduino. If you want to displays sensor data, temperature and humidity, or want to design a clock, timer or counter, you will need this 4-Digit Seven-Segment Display. Topics Covered In this tutorial we are going to talk about: The Basics of a 7-Segment Display Hardware Overview and Pinout of The TM1637 Module TM1637 Library Installation Interfacing TM1637 Module with an Arduino Loading The Basic Arduino Code (that comes with the TM1637 library) Then we will have a look at some of these quick examples: Example 1: Displaying String and a Number Example 2: Displaying Scrolling and Blinking Text Example 3: Creating a 4 Digit Counter Example 4: Displaying Temperature & Humidity using DHT11/DHT22 Example 5: Creating an Arduino Based Digital Clock And finally we will have a look at some common errors. 7-Segment Display Basics A 7-Segment Displays consists of 7 LEDs making the shape of decimal number 8. These LEDs are called segments, because when they light up, each segments contributes in the formation of part of a decimal or hex digit. These individual segments are labeled from ‘a’ to ‘g’ representing each individual LED. By setting a particular segment HIGH or LOW, a desired character pattern can be generated. Hardware Overview and Pinout of TM1637 Module The module comes with 4 right angle male pin headers. I find it a bit annoying to have the pin headers on the top side of the board. However, you can always unsolder and put them at the bottom of the board. Now lets have a look at the GPIO pins: CLK - is the clock input pin. You can connect it to any digital pin of an Arduino. DIO - is the Data I/O pin. This can also connect to any digital pin of an Arduino. VCC - Connects to 3.3V to 5V power supply. GND - is the ground pin. CLK and DIO pins can be connected to any digital pin of an Arduino. This gives us an opportunity to hook up a lot of these modules to an Arduino, as long as each instance has a pin pair of its own. When writing the code, we just need to specify the pin pair and then just go ahead and use them in your project. If you run out of pins on your Arduino board you can use a GPIO Pin Extenders like the PCF8574. Please check out my tutorial on the Extender module, the link is in the description below. PCF8574 GPIO Extender: https://diyfactory007.blogspot.com/2018/12/pcf8574-gpio-extender-with-arduino-and.html The module has 4 x 0.36 segment 7-Segment Displays and a ‘colon’ at the center for creating clock or time-based projects. A bare four digit 7-Segment Displays usually requires 12 connection pins but the TM1637 LED Driver removes the need of the extra wiring for the 7-Segments and the entire setup can be controlled just by using 2 wires (DIO and CLK) and two more for power reducing the total wires to 4. These modules communicate with the processor using "I2C-like protocol". The implementation is pure software emulation and doesn't make use of any special hardware (other than GPIO pins). The module operates between 3.3v to 5v with a current consumption of 80ma and allows adjusting the brightness of the LEDs at the software level. They are available in few different colors. TM1637 Library Installation There are many libraries available for the TM1637 module. For this tutorial, we are going to use the "TM1637Display Library" written by "Avishay Orpaz". You can download the library using the library manager or from Github, the link is in the description below. To install the library using "Library Manager", navigate to Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries… Search for "TM1637" and look for the one by "Avishay Orpaz". Hit the "Install" button to install the library on your device. TM1637Display Library: Download Interfacing TM1637 Module with an Arduino Hooking up the TM1637 module to an Arduino is very easy. You just need to connect four wires: 2 for power and other 2 for controlling the display. You can connect the VCC of the module to either 3.3v or 5v pin of the Arduino. So, connect: CLK - Pin 2 of Arduino DIO - Pin 3 of Arduino VCC - 5V of Arduino GND - GND of Arduino As previously advised, you can use any pin combination for the CLK and DIO on the Arduino board. Just make sure you change the pin numbers in the code to reflect the change of wiring. So far, based on my experience I have only found one disadvantage. This module is unable to display floating points or dots between numbers. However, you can use the "HT16K33 module" for displaying floating points. Loading The TM1637Test Example Before going ahead, lets have a look at the example that comes with the TM1637 Library. Navigate to File > Examples > TM1637 and load the "TM1637Test" example. The sketch starts by including the "TM1637Display.h" library. Then it defines the CLK and the DIO pins that will be used to connect the TM1637 display. In this example Pin-2 of Arduino is used for CLK and Pin-3 for DIO. Next, you need to create a new instance of the "TM1637Display" class by passing the CLK and the DIO Pin values to it. Then, the code shows us 2 ways of displaying data on the individual segments by creating arrays of texts. a. 1st by passing "hexadecimal numbers" to the individual displays Passing "0xff" to all the 4 displays will turn them all ON, and passing "0x00" will turn them all OFF. Using the "display.encodeDigit()" function you can display digits between 1 and 15. This will display F___ on the display. b. 2nd by individually specifying the segments that you want to turn on. The below creates an array that sets the individual segments values and displays "dOnE" on the display. Now, to display these arrays, you need to pass them to the "display.setSegments()" function. The setSegments function accepts 3 arguments Data = The data to display Length = number of digits to be updated (0–4). Ex. for "dOnE", it will be 4, for the "°C" it will be 2. Position = determines the position from which you want to print (0-leftmost, 3-rightmost). Remember, the LEDs once turned on stays on until they are turned off. So, you always have to clear the previous value before displaying the new one. This can be done by passing 4 lots of 0xffto the "display.setSegments()" function or by using "display.clear()" function. The brightness of the display can be adjusted using the "setBrightness()" function. The function accepts values between 0 (lowest) to 7 (highest). The "display.showNumberDec()" function is the function that you are going to use the most to display numbers on the module. The first argument is a number that you want to display on the screen. The rest of the arguments are all optional. Syntax: Number = The number that you want to display on the screen. Values up to 9999 (type integer). Leading_Zeros = True/false. Setting it to True will add leading zeroes. Default value is false. Length = number of digits to be updated (0–4). Ex. for "dOnE", it will be 4, for the "°C" it will be 2. Position = determines the position from which you want to print (0-leftmost, 3-rightmost). Example: Template For the rest of the examples, I am going to use this template to write the code. I will only show you guys the bit which is different in each code. Example 1: Displaying Strings and Numbers In this example you can see letter "TEST" and a randomly generated number is alternating and getting displayed on the screen. To display the letter TEST, I am first clearing the screen and then lighting up the individual segments to display the characters. To display a number, I am first generating a random number between 0 and 9999 and then displaying it using the "display.showNumberDec()" function. Example1: Download Example 2: Displaying Scrolling and Blinking Text Now, to display a scrolling text, I am incrementing the position of the text by 1 and then displaying it from the new position. You need to pad the display with any character or it will end up showing random characters on the display. Blinking a text is super easy. All you have to do is display the text, add a delay, clear the screen and then again add a delay before displaying the text again. Example2: Download Example 3: Creating a 4 Digit Counter To display a counter, I am looping from 0 to 9999 and displaying the incremented value every time on the 7-Segments. You can also add a push button switch to start and stop the counter. Example3: Download Example 4: Displaying Temperature & Humidity using DHT11/DHT22 Connect the OUT pin of the DHT11/DHT22 sensor to Pin-5 of the Arduino. Then in the code include the "DHT.h" library and define the DHTPIN and the DHTTYPE. Next, create a DHT object and in the setup section initialize the DHT sensor using the "dht.begin()" function. Next in the loop section read the sensor data using the "dht.readTemperature()" function and display it on the 7-Segments. Example4: Download Example 5: Creating an Arduino Based Digital Clock You can also create an alarm clock using either the DS3231 or DS1302 RTC Module and display the data using this TM1637 module. I will cover that in full details in my next video. Common Errors Now lets have a look at some off the common errors: Display showing parts of the previous data. You always have to clear the previous value before displaying the new one. You can either use: or Display data going out of the display or showing partially Check the positioning of the display data. These are few of the issues that I came across while playing around with these displays. Do comment and let me know if you have any more to add to the list. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Links: Video: Video Link https://youtu.be/Ob9mrq_Lj9k Full Blog Post: Blog Post Datasheet: Download Schema: Download TM1637Display Library: Download Thingiverse : Download PCF8574 GPIO Extender: Blog Post Code: Example1: Download Example2: Download Example3: Download Example4: Download TM1637Test: Download Template: Download Support My Work: BTC: 15cNh9hup8jidCVPwa1DTcxeoh2FPijVrX LTC: LbquH9Ku78vHtcm3LZnWXpD1JQWdKzeV4v DOGE: DEB2QBAihnBRhGsaB8P7kz559TDiucQhX6 ETH: 0x5d8c9ba0e54d8354d4af81871db26daa190d2194 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 COS: bnb136ns6lfw4zs5hg4n85vdthaad7hq5m4gtkgf23 Memo: 572187879 BNB: 0x5d8c9ba0e54d8354d4af81871db26daa190d2194 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

Intro What do you generally do when your remote controls starts playing up? Do you generally use a multimeter and check the voltage and current produced by the battery? Or do you point the remote control to a digital camera and try to visualize the infrared light? In this video, I am going to show you guys how to create a simple InfraRed(IR) Receiver Circuit using TSOP4838 and will also show you how to read the code send by the remote controls. You can also use this circuit as an IR remote tester. Setup Without Arduino Lets first have a look at the setup without an Arduino. The main component of this circuit is the Infrared Remote (IR) Receiver TSOP4838. The TSOP4838 is tuned to 38kHz, which is typically the frequency range of the TV remote controls. From left to right Pin-1 is the OUTput pin, Pin-2 is GND and Pin-3 is VCC. Just remember, the pin assignments can be different depending upon the TSOP variant. So, please be very careful while hooking it up to your circuit. Now, lets have a look at the setup. Connect Pin-2 of IR Receiver to the -ve and Pin-3 to the +ve terminal of the battery. Then connect the -ve pin of the LED to Pin-1 of the IR Receiver and the +ve pin to the +ve terminal of the battery by placing a current limiting resistance in-between. To reduce the flickering rate of the LED, you can add a capacitor anything between 10mfd to 100mfd between Pin-3 and VCC of the circuit. That's it, as easy as that. Demo Without Arduino Now, lets do a quick test. As you can see, when I press any button on the the remote control the LED starts flickering. TSOP4838 demodulates the signals received from the remote control and gives the output in the form of active low to the LED. Adding a capacitor will lower the flickering rate of the LED. The supply voltage has to be strictly between 5V-6V. Setup Using Arduino Now, lets set this up using a MicroController and try to read the demodulated signals. Connect the +ve pin of the IR Receiver to 5V, -ve to GND and the OUT pin to Pin-2 of the Arduino. You can also add the optional LED to this setup to get a visual effect when the Receiver decodes the signal. The Code Now, go ahead and launch Arduino IDE and go to "Tools" > "Manage Libraries". Download and Install the latest release of the "IRremote" library from the library manager. Then, go to "Examples" and open the "SimpleReceiver" example. Go ahead and load the code without making any modification to the Arduino Board. Demo Using Arduino For this demo, I am using a Panasonic and a Sony remote control. The decoded data will be shown using the Arduino IDE's Serial Monitor. As you can see when I press a button on the remote control, the LED lights up and the decoded data is displayed on the serial monitor. The serial monitor displays a lot of information, but the one of my interest is the "Source" and the "Command" send by the remote control. Uses Some common uses of this project includes: Controlling devices using a remote control Decoding data sent over IR Troubleshooting remote controls Lighting up LED strips near your TV whenever you press a button on the remote control Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Video: Video Link Full Blog Post: Blog Post Datasheet: Download Support My Work: BTC: 15cNh9hup8jidCVPwa1DTcxeoh2FPijVrX LTC: LbquH9Ku78vHtcm3LZnWXpD1JQWdKzeV4v DOGE: DEB2QBAihnBRhGsaB8P7kz559TDiucQhX6 ETH: 0x5d8c9ba0e54d8354d4af81871db26daa190d2194 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 COS: bnb136ns6lfw4zs5hg4n85vdthaad7hq5m4gtkgf23 Memo: 572187879 BNB: 0x5d8c9ba0e54d8354d4af81871db26daa190d2194 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

Intro Walkie-talkie using Arduino, humm.. sounds interesting isn't it? Alright, lets spend some time today and design and understand this fairly simple circuit, and lets find out how our expectations are challenged by the reality. Story While compiling data for my tutorial on "nRF24L01 Module" (All About nRF24L01 Modules) I found this easy to use RF24-Audio library. This library has all the basic functionalities that you need to make a DIY walkie-talkie. The sketch is very simple, and I had all the components required to assemble this on a breadboard. To motivate me even further, I found tons of video tutorials of people making this "super cheap gadget" with "crystal clear voice" transmitted over "1km to 2km of range". Humm, sounds a bit doggy but I still wanted to give it a shot. This audio library works on top of the RF24 library. Logic Lets start by looking at the schematic of this circuit and lets also find out the components required to assemble this circuit. Before going into much details lets understand the basic requirements of this circuit. To transmit and receive data from one unit to the other we need some sort of transceiver module and a MCU to process the data. We need some sort of device/module to capture our voice, and a device/module to convert the sound waves received in the form of electrical signal and relay it as an audible sound wave. To start the transmission we need a push button and a LED indicator which lights up when the transmission begins. Similarly, at the receiving end we need a LED indicator that lights up when the unit starts receiving data. Schematic Alright, now lets replace our logic with the electronic components. The heart of this circuit is an Arduino Nano. The voice is transmitted from one unit to the other using a nRF24L01 Transceiver Modules. Using a Microphone Module connected to the A0 pin of the Arduino, I am going to capture my voice. And, using a 8ohm 0.5W speaker, connected to the D9 and D10 pin of the Arduino I am going to output the voice received by this circuit. To initiate the transfer I am using a push button switch connected to the A1 pin of the Arduino. The Red LED connected to the pushbutton lights up, when we press the button to transmit data. The Green LED connected to the D6 pin of the Arduino lights up when the unit starts receiving data. We also need to add a large decoupling capacitor anything from 470uF upwards on the 3.3V line to filter out voltage spikes and to provide enough power to the IC to keep the voltage stable. You may also need to provide additional power to the nRF24 module using a 3.3V voltage regulator. To transmit and receive data, we need exact copies of this module at both transmitting and receiving ends. The Code Now lets have a look at the code. Unless you want to do something super funky, just go ahead and upload the "Minimal" code provided with the RF24Audio library to both the Arduino's present at the transmitting and receiving ends. The code works perfectly fine with the circuit diagram we discussed in the previous section. If you want to change any of the pin combinations, then you need to edit the "userConfig.h" file which you can find inside the Arduino libraries folder. That's all you have to do to get this all up and running. Demo Alright, now the interesting bit. Lets go ahead and test this super cheap Arduino based walkie-talkie. As you can hear, the sound quality is a total disaster. I tried a few things like altering the sampling rate, altering the transfer speeds, adding a better microphone and an amplifier circuit, but nothing helped to improve the audio quality. This circuit is a total disaster. I feel like I wasted my weekend making this project, and I am glad that I did not end up designing a PCB for this setup. Frankly speaking, with this setup you can get about 20 meters or less with concrete walls in between. So, if you have a little faith in me, DONT WASTE YOUR TIME MAKING THIS STUPID PROJECT AT HOME. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Video: Video Link Full Blog Post: Blog Post Library: Download How to wire the buttons to the Arduino: Blog Post All About nRF24L01 Modules: Video Link Code: Download userConfig.h: Download Support My Work BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

Intro My 5-year old son asked me to create a Police Car like flashing light that he can put on top of his nerf-gun, while playing around with his mates. No worries mate, sounds like a plan to me. Bang, weekend sorted. In this tutorial I am going to create a Police Light themed LED Flashing circuit using the 555 timer IC. This circuit alternatively flashes between the Red and the Blue LED's while blinking each of them individually similar to the police strobe lights. To add some spice to this project you can also add a police siren to this circuit. However, I just wanted to keep it simple. Watch this video (https://youtu.be/4vDtWafMF0M) for detailed step by step instructions on how to build this circuit and for a complete instruction on how the circuit works. Disclaimer: This tutorial and the linked video are for educational purposes only. Components Required For this project we need: 6 x RED LEDs 6 x Blue LEDs 2 x 555 Timer ICs 2 x 1K Resistors 1 x 680K Resistor 1 x 100K Resistor 1 x 10uf Capacitor and 1 x 100nF Ceramic Capacitor (104) Depending upon the input voltage and the way you connect the LEDs (series or parallel) you will have to use different values of resistors in series with your LED’s. Please checkout http://ledcalc.com/ to calculate the resistor values based on your LED arrangements. How The Circuit Works Now, let's try to understand how this circuit works. This circuit has 2 parts. Part 1: Where the Blue and Red LEDs alternate and flash at a regular interval Part 2: Where a cluster of similar color LEDs flash like a strobe light In my previous tutorial "Adjustable Single/Dual LED Flasher Using 555 Timer IC", I showed you guys how to configure 555 timer IC to operate in an astable mode. In astable mode, the 555 timer IC acts as an oscillator (re-triggering itself) generating square waves [PWM Signals] from the output pin no. 3. Later I also showed you guys how to connect 2 LED’s in opposite polarity at the output pin Pin-3 so that they toggle ON and OFF at regular intervals of time. In this tutorial, I am using two copies of the previously shown "astable circuit" configured at different frequencies. The first 555 timer IC, uses a higher value capacitor and hence it takes more time to toggle the output. The second 555 timer IC uses a lower value capacitor and hence it toggles the output very fast. So, pretty much that's exactly what we want. The 1st 555 timer IC will help us in toggling between the LED clusters and the 2nd 555 timer IC will produce the strobe light effect. Now, lets connect the LED clusters to this circuit. The first LED cluster of the Red LED’s turns ON when the anode receives a positive voltage and the cathode is grounded. This happens when the output of first 555 timer IC is ON and at the same time the output of second 555 timer IC is OFF. Similarly, the second cluster of the Blue LED’s turn ON only when the output of the first 555 timer IC is OFF and the output of the second 555 timer IC is ON. Now, when the first 555 timer IC is ON it turns on the first cluster of Red LED’s and they blink at the speed at which the second 555 timer IC oscillates the output. Similarly when the first 555 timer IC turns OFF, the second cluster of Blue LED’s turns ON and blinks at the speed at which the second 555 timer IC oscillates the output. This cycle continues as long as there is power in the circuit creating a cool LED flashing effect similar to the flashing lights used on police cars. You can change the frequency of "toggling" between the successive LED groups by changing the higher value capacitor. Increasing its value will increase the time between the successive toggling between the two LED clusters and vice versa. Similarly, changing the value of the lower value capacitor will change the "blinking rate" of the LED clusters. Demo On Breadboard The Board So, this is how my board looks like in 2D and 3D. I have placed both ICs and all other electronics components to the middle of the board. To give the assembly a bit nicer look, I have placed the LED clusters on both sides of the board. Alright, now lets start soldering the components to the board. Soldering Since I care a lot about my ICs and microcontrollers I never solder them directly to the board. In case of ICs, I always try to use IC bases or if a base is not available I use female pin headers. After soldering the IC bases, I am soldering all the resistances to the board. Next, I am soldering the capacitors to the board followed by all the LEDs to the board. I am also soldering a female micro USB port to power this circuit board. Always check the polarity before soldering the socket to your board. To conclude the setup, I am installing the ICs to the IC bases. Final Demo So, this is how my final setup looks like. Do comment and let me know if there are any scopes of improvement. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Full Blog Post: Blog Post Video: Video Link Related Videos 1. Adjustable Single/Dual LED Flasher: Video Link 2. 555 Pulse Generator Module, How it Works: Video Link Gerber File: Download Schema: Download Resistor Value Calculator: Open Website Support My Work BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

The 555 timer IC is an integrated circuit that is used in a variety of timer circuits, pulse generators and oscillator applications. The heart of the tutorial is the 555 timer IC that is wired as an astable multivibrator. In this tutorial, I'll first blink "an LED" using the positive pulse generated by a "DIY 555 Pulse Generator Module" (video: https://youtu.be/bMAnipPOjFo), followed by "two LEDs" alternating and flashing at a regular interval. The output frequency of pulses can be adjusted using a potentiometer. The circuit can be operated from any voltage between 5 to 15 volt DC. Watch this video for detailed step by step instructions on how to build this circuit and for a complete instruction on how the circuit works. Items Required For this tutorial we need: 2 x LEDs 1 x 555 Timer IC 1 x 10µF Capacitor 1 x 220Ω Resistor 1 x 1kΩ Resistor 1 x 10kΩ Resistor and/or 1 x 10kΩ Potentiometer Circuit Diagram The circuit is very simple. By connecting Pin 2 and 6 of the 555 timer IC, we put the IC in astable mode. In astable mode, the 555 timer IC acts as an oscillator (re-triggering itself) generating square waves [PWM Signals] from the output pin no. 3. By changing the values of R1, R2, and C1 we can change the frequency of the output pulses generated at pin number 3. Alright, let me explain this with the help of an animation. How The Circuit Works * When Pin 2 of the IC detects voltage LESS than 1/3rd of the supply voltage, it turns ON the output. * And, when Pin 6 detects voltage MORE than 2/3rds of the supply voltage, it turns OFF the output. * When the output is OFF, the Discharge Pin (Pin7) gets internally Grounded. This is how the trigger pin (Pin2) and the threshold pin (Pin6) of the 555 timer IC sense voltages and controls the output at Pin 3. * Capacitor C1 will be in a discharged state immediately when we firing up the circuit. * So, the voltage at Pin 2 will be 0v which is less than 1/3rds of the supply voltage, this will turn ON the output on Pin 3. * At the same time Pin 7 will internally disconnect from the GND and the Capacitor C1 will start changing via resistors R1 and R2. * Once the voltage across capacitor C1 crosses 2/3rds of the supply voltage, Pin 6 turns OFF the output. * At the same time Pin 7 will internally reconnect to the GND causing the capacitor C1 to discharge via resistor R1. * Once the voltage across the capacitor C1 falls below 1/3rd of the supply voltage, Pin 2 turns ON the output, and the above cycle keeps repeating itself. You can hook up a multimeter to the circuit to measure the charging and discharging of the capacitor. Since resistance R1 is involved in both charging and discharging of the Capacitor, increasing or decreasing its value will increase or decrease the duration of the OFF cycle and will decrease or increase the flashing rate of the LED, as the capacitor will take more time to charge and discharge. By replacing the capacitor with a higher or lower value, you can also get a longer or shorter flashing rate. By replacing the resistor R1 with a potentiometer the blinking rate of the LED can be dynamically adjusted. Now, for the Dual LED flashing effect we need to connect a second LED with opposite polarity to the Pin 3 of the IC. That's it, as easy as that. Calculations Now, lets calculate the output frequency and the duty cycle of the output waveform. In my setup I have resistance R1 = 1kΩ, R2 = 10kΩ and capacitor C = 10uF There are many online calculators to calculate this online. I will provide a link to one of the astable calculators in the description below: https://ohmslawcalculator.com/555-astable-calculator Lets first calculate the value of t1 or the 'capacitor charge “ON” time which is 0.693(R1 + R2 ) * C1. Putting the values together we get 76.23 milliseconds. Now, for capacitor discharge “OFF” time or t2 we need to multiply 0.693 to R2 and C1, which then gives us a value of 69.3 milliseconds. Next, the total periodic time T is equal to t1 + t2 which comes out to be 145.53 milliseconds. The output frequency, ƒ is therefore comes out to be to 6.871Hz. Which gives a duty cycle value of 52.38% If you want to have more control over the charging and discharging use a higher value for R2 (100K) and lower value for R1 (1K). That way you will have 99% control over the charging and discharging resistance in the circuit. The maximum output current of this IC is 200mA therefore to drive a higher current load of up to 1A we have to use a transistor like the BD135. The Board To make it easy for you guys, I have created this tiny little "555 Pulse Generator Module". After assembling the components, you just need to power this module by providing a voltage between 5v to 15v to get an oscillating output at the "Pulse" pin. So, this is how my board looks like in 2D and 3D. There are 16 breakout boards in this 100cm x 100cm assembly. You can download the gerber file from the link provided in the description below and order it from PCBWay. Soldering Before moving forward, let me quickly show you guys how to assemble the components to this custom made board. Let's start by soldering the IC Base to the board. Then let's solder the potentiometer to the board. After that lets solder the 1kΩ (R1) resistor to the board followed by the 10µF capacitor (C1) to the board. Once done, let's insert the 555 timer IC to the IC base. To conclude I have soldered 3 x Male pin headers to the board. Applications and Uses This circuit can be used to control the speed of DC motors and Stepper motors It can be used to control windscreen wiper motors to generate a to-and-fro motion It can be used as square wave signal generator It can be used as an adjustable pulse generator for MCUs In Strobe lights and SoS signaling circuits Telecommunications for encoding purposes In turning indicator circuits for all types of vehicles and bicycles To generate adjustable pulse (timing pulses) to control other circuits. As, in combination with the 4017 & 4026 ICs I have used this IC in few of my other projects and tutorials like the: DIY - Boba Fett Helmet With LED Chaser Circuit : https://youtu.be/vtO_GD0SS2s LED Chaser Circuits Using IC4017 and Arduino : https://youtu.be/F6V1AjESWbU DIY - LAN CABLE TESTER : https://youtu.be/PSK5Aa-byHA 555 Pulse Generator Module : https://youtu.be/bMAnipPOjFo Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Full Blog Post: Blog Post Video: Video Link Related Videos 1. DIY - Boba Fett Helmet With LED Chaser Circuit : Video Link 2. LED Chaser Circuits Using IC4017 and Arduino : Video Link 3. DIY - LAN CABLE TESTER : Video Link 4. 555 Pulse Generator Module, How it Works : Video Link Gerber File: Download Calculator: Download Schema: Download Support My Work BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

In my last tutorial I created a NodeMCU based Duino Coin Miner. It is an awesome little miner that sits on my desk and mines few cents a day. However, adding these miners to my home network choked my WiFi router. Home Appliances and Smart Devices connected to the router constantly started dropping off. To my understanding, most of the wireless routers and access points can support upto 250 devices connected at once. So, what's happening here? To clarify my doubts I called my ISP. The answer they gave was absolutely shocking. "ONLY 30 devices can successfully connect and exchange data via their router at any given time". Bloody hell!! So, to overcome this limitation I added another router to the network to scale up the load. But, I was not happy with this solution. So, I did a bit of research and found this "NRF24L01 RF Transceiver Module" which I can use to create a mesh of wirelessly connected microcontrollers. In this tutorial, I am going to show you guys how to use this transceiver module to add wireless communication between two or more Arduino boards. I will be using this module for many of my upcoming home automation projects. Bang Problem solved.. What is a NRF24L01 RF Transceiver Module? So far, I have always used WiFi for wireless communication between microcontrollers. While this is easy enough to do, it is not exactly suitable for battery operated nodes. WiFi modules consume a lot of current when transmitting data plus they also have a slight delay when initiating the transmission as the module has to first connect to the WiFi network. After getting crippled by the abilities of my wireless router, I found this cheap, very popular and widely used "RF Transceiver Module" which you can hook up to any microcontroller (MCU). This module is called a RF transceiver because a single module can work both as a transmitter and a receiver. The module operates at a frequency of 2.4GHz, which is one of the ISM band which means it is open to use in most of the countries around the World. Data transfer rate is between 250kbps to 2Mbps baud. Power consumption? This module is designed for ultra low power wireless applications. It has 2 power saving modes operating at 22uA Standby-I mode and 900nA in power down mode - which makes these modules suitable for battery operated nodes. The high air data rate combined with two power saving modes makes the nRF24L01 module very suitable for ultra low power designs. The power consumption of this module is just around 12 milliamps during transmission (TX) which is even lower than a single led. Operating voltage is between 1.9V to 3.6V. All other pins on this board are 5V tolerant making it easy to connect to an Arduino without using a logic level converter. It has an integrated (on chip) voltage regulator. The Range of this module as per its datasheet is 100m but it works up to 50 to 60 meters in real world conditions. The module has 125 independent RF channels giving the possibility to have a network of "125 independently working modems" in one place. Each channel can have up to "6 addresses or 6 data pipes" or in other words, each unit can communicate with up to 6 other units at the same time (1:6 star networks). The module is configured and operated through a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI). It uses Enhanced ShockBurst™ for automatic packet assembly and timing, automatic acknowledgement and retransmission of packets. Enhanced ShockBurst™ enables the implementation of ultra low power, high performance communication with low cost host microcontrollers. The features enable significant improvements of power efficiency for bi-directional and uni-directional systems, without adding complexity on the host controller side. The module used in this video has an in-built PCB antenna making it compact. However, you can also buy a variant that supports an external antenna allowing much higher range of about 1000M in line of sight. nRF24L01 Pinout Now, lets have a look at the pinouts and specifications of the NRF24L01 module: GND: is the Ground Pin. It is placed inside a square for easy identification. VCC: supplies power to the module. Voltage can range from 1.9v to 3.9v. So, you can connect it directly to the 3.3V pin of our Arduino. Remember connecting it to a 5V pin will likely destroy your nRF24L01+ module! CE: (Chip Enable) is an active-HIGH pin. When selected the module will either transmit or receive, depending upon which mode it is currently in. CSN: (Chip Select Not) is an active-LOW pin and is normally kept HIGH. When this pin goes low, the module begins listening on its SPI port for data and processes it accordingly. SCK: (Serial Clock) it accepts clock pulses provided by the SPI bus Master. MOSI: (Master Out Slave In) It is SPI input to the module. It is used to receive data from the microcontroller. MISO: (Master In Slave Out) It is SPI output from the module. It is used to send data to the microcontroller. IRQ: It is the interrupt pin that alerts the master when new data is available to process. Setup and Schematic In order to get this working, we need two such NRF24L01 Modules and two Arduino Boards. For this tutorial I am going to use 2 Arduino Nanos. Just remember, we cannot use a breadboard with these modules because the pin spacing on these modules are not enough to place it in the middle and if you place it anywhere else, then you will end up shorting the pins. This means that you will either have to solder the wires directly to the modules or use some sort of jumper cables. The connection is exactly the same on both the transmitter and receiver end. Connect the GND pin to -ve and VCC pin to 3.3v pin of Arduino. The signals generated by these modules are very sensitive to power supply noises. So, adding a decoupling capacitor (anything from 10uF to 100uF) across the power supply line is always a very good idea. Then connect the CSN pin to D8, CE to D9, MOSI to D11, MISO to D12, and SCK to D13 pin of the Arduino. Since the nRF24L01+ module requires a lot of data transfer, it will give the best performance when connected to the hardware SPI pins on the microcontroller. Note that each Arduino board has different SPI pins that must be connected accordingly. Have a look at the table onscreen for quick understanding. Library Used For this tutorial I am going to use the "TMRh20/RF24" OSI Layer-2 driver for nRF24L01 on Arduino & Raspberry Pi/Linux Devices. You can download the library from the link provided in the description below: https://github.com/tmrh20/RF24/. Code 1 - Sending Text In my first example, I am going to send a character array from one module to the other. Using a split screen I am going to demonstrate this example. On my left is the Transmitter Code and on my right is the Receiver Code. Lets start by including the "SPI library" followed by the "RF modules library" downloaded from github in the code. Then we are creating a RF24 object by passing the CSN and CE as the two arguments to the radio() function. Next, we are creating an array of the addresses that the modules will use to communicate amongst themselves. The address can literally be anything, however, it has to be the "same" on both the transmitter and the receiver modules. This is how the RF modules know who they have to communicate with. In the setup section we first initialize the radio object. Then, using the radio.openWritingPipe() function we set the address of the transmitter which we will use to send data to the receiver module. On the receiving end we use the radio.openReadingPipe() function with the same address to read the data from the data pipe. Next we set the power amplifier level. Since the modules in this demo are sitting next to each other, I am using the "Minimum Level". Next, in the transmitter code we need to tell the module to stop listening using the radio.stopListening() function. This sets the module as a transmitter. On the receiver module we need to start listening using the radio.startListening() function. This sets the module as a receiver. After that, in the loop() section of the transmitter, we send an array of characters using the radio.write() function and on the receiver end we read the array using the radio.read() function and display it on the serial monitor every second. Code 1: Download Code 2 - Lighting Up LEDs In the second example, I am going to light up two LEDs on the receiver-end based on whichever button is pressed on the transmitter-end. To achieve this I have added 2 LEDs on the receiver end and 2 Push Button switches on the transmitter end. When Button B1 is pressed the transmitter sends "B1" using the radio.write() function and when Button B2 is pressed the transmitter sends "B2" using the radio.write() function to the receiver module. The "switch statement" in the receiver code then lights up the corresponding LED based on whichever button was pressed on the transmitter end. Code 2: Download Code 3 - Same Node Acting as TX and RX [Bidirectional Communication) In my 3rd example I will show you guys how a single node can act as both transmitter and receiver. Just remember you "cannot" send and receive data at the same time. Using the "stopListening()" and "startListening()" functions we will toggle between sending and receiving of data on the data pipes. What's different here from the previous code is that we are creating two pipes or addresses for the bi-directional communication. const byte addresses[][10] = {"ADDRESS01", "ADDRESS02"}; In the setup section we need to define both pipes in a way that the sending address of the 1st module is the receiving address of the 2nd module and vice versa the receiving address of the 1st module needs to be the sending address of the 2nd module. Now in the loop section of the 1st Arduino, we use the radio.stopListening() function to turn the node into a transmitter and send the data using the radio.write() function. On the receiver end we use the radio.startListening() function to read the incoming data. While there is incoming data (radio.available()) we read it using the radio.read() function. Then we add a bit of delay to the code. After that, we set the 1st Arduino to receiving mode using the radio.startListening() function and the 2nd Arduino to transmitting mode using the radio.stopListening() function. The data is then displayed on screen using the Serial Monitor. Code 3 : Download Code 4 - Multiple Nodes [Mesh - Multiceiver Network] The nRF24L01+ has a feature called Multiceiver. It is an abbreviation for Multiple Transmitter Single Receiver. In my 4th example, I am going to show you guys how to connect multiple transmitters to a single receiver. In a Multiceiver network each RF channel is logically divided into 6 parallel data channels or the data pipes. Each data pipe has its own unique data pipe address. Only one data pipe can receive a packet at a time. So basically, the primary receiver in the middle is collecting data from 6 different transmitting nodes simultaneously. The primary receiver can stop listening any time and start acting like a transmitter. This way you can create a mesh of network where each node can act as a repeater. There is a different library "RF24Mesh" you need to use to create this mesh network. Since I don't have that many modules handy at this moment, I am unable to show you guys the working bit of it. However, I will create a 2nd tutorial dedicated just to the mesh network, so stay tuned. Using Sleep Mode There is a way to conserve battery by sending the module to sleep mode. Please read through the "pingpair_sleepy" example for more details, I have provided the link in the description below. Factor Effecting The Transmission These modules work very well when the transmitter and receiver are close to each other. If the distance is too big you may lose the communication. The signals generated by these modules are very sensitive to power supply noises. Depending upon the amount of noise, the communication rate may vary. Setting the maximum output power can also improve the communication range. If there’s an obstacle in the line of sight you may see multiple dropouts. Reducing the data rate can significantly improve the performance. A speed of 250kbps is more than enough for most of our projects. Using an external antenna can also significantly improve the transmission rate. Another potential source of noise for RF circuits is WiFi. Especially when someone's network is set on the same channel. Since WiFi mostly uses the lower frequency channels, it is recommended to use the highest 25 channels for your nRF24L01+ modules. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Blog Posts: Visit Website Video references: Visit Website DataSheet: Download Schema Schema - Sending Text: Download Schema - Lighting Up LEDs: Download Code Code 1 - Sending Text: Download Code 2 - Lighting Up LEDs: Download Code 3 - Bidirectional Communication: Download Libraries Used TMRh20/RF24 : Visit Website TMRh20/RF24 : Download RF24Mesh : Visit Website pingpair_sleepy : Visit Website Support My Work BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

Crypto Mining using microcontrollers, wait what!!! Are you serious? How? Believe it or not, the rig you see onscreen actually mines a crypto currency called DUINO-Coin (ᕲ) or DUCO. The total cost of this rig is only $35. Now, if you believe me! then, grab yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and watch this video and start your journey into cryptocurrency with DUINO-Coin! What is DUINO-Coin? DUINO-Coin (ᕲ) was founded in 2019 and is a for-fun project. This project was developed by a team of young developers that focuses on energy efficient mining. It's mostly, but not only, dedicated to people who are just starting out in the crypto world and it doesn't require any expensive hardware. DUCO is a transparent, open-source, centralized, eco-friendly coin that focuses on mining with low-powered devices like Arduino. DUCO tries to achieve a reward system using "Kolka" a name derived from Coca Cola making the low-powered devices like Arduino earn almost the same or even "more" than a powerful device like CPUs or GPUs. It also prevents people from building huge mining farms. It causes each additional miner to earn a bit less from the previous one. DUCO is "centralized" and has an "infinite supply" and hence you can mine this coin forever. You can Mine DUCO using: Android smartphone Computer's CPU Arduino (or compatible AVR) Raspberry Pi, Orange Pi or Banana Pi ESP8266/ESP32 (or compatible boards) Internet browser on PC or smart-TVs Arduinos using ESP8266 as a host Arduinos using Raspberry Pi as a host Centralization: Making Arduino and other low powered devices not only profitable, but just possible would be impossible to maintain if the coin was decentralized. Hence, DuCo is a centralized coin with it's own chain. It is however possible to wrap (convert) DUCOs to wDUCO, bscDUCO, celoDUCO or maticDUCO to store them in decentralized form on another coin's chain. To start your journey, have a look at the getting started with Duino-Coin webpage. Then, create a wallet to store your coins. Next, download the miner binaries for the device you are going to mine the coin. If you are super tech savvy, then have a look at the coins whitepapers. The link is in the description below. In my setup, I am mining DUCO using NodeMCU. Schema The setup is very simple. In my setup I have added an extra LED to give my board a bit of Si-Fi look. Mining with ESP boards allows you to mine headlessly - you don't need to have them connected to a computer as they have their own Wi-Fi capabilities to connect to the server. The Board Now, lets have a look at my board. You can hookup, 5 x NodeMCUs to this board. Each NodeMCU has its own flashing LED. The board can be powered using just 5v using a USB cable. So, this is how the NodeMCU DUCO Miner blade looks like in 3D. Soldering Lets start by soldering all the small components to the board. I first soldered all the LEDs and the resistances to the board. Since I care a lot about my Sensors and Microcontrollers, I am not going to solder them directly to the board. Instead I am soldering 'female pin headers' to the board which will house the NodeMCUs in them. Finally, I soldered a USB cable to power the blade. I extracted this cable from a broken iPhone's charger. Code I downloaded the code from the DUINO-coins website. The current version is 3.0. I downloaded the windows version and then added my code block to make the blue LED flash on my blade. In the code, you just need to edit few line in the top section to add your Wi-Fi details and the name of the NodeMCU. If you're using an ESP8266 board, you can set the clock speed (Tools > CPU frequency) to 160 MHz to achieve better hash-rates. Then, just go ahead and upload the code one by one to all your NodeMCU's. Before adding the NodeMCU to your rig, it is a good idea to check it using the Arduino Serial Monitor (Tools > Serial Monitor), set the baud rate to 500000 baud and see how's the ESP is doing. If everything is correct, you should see messages saying that a share was accepted. If it all works fine, your ESP will mine as long as it has power and internet connection. Demo So, this is how my final setup looks like. To be very frank, the setup actually looks like having a small Christmas tree on your table, ha ha. Hash-Rate Mining DUCO at this stage is not very profitable. However, I just wanted to share the hash-rate table with you guys. Remember, Kolka will play an essential role, as you keep on adding devices to your rig. So, the hash-rate you will get may not be same as what you see on-screen. Claiming Via Faucets You can also claim DUCO via web-faucets. I have scene many faucets coming in and completely disappearing, so the links provided in the video may not be valid when you try to access them. The first one in list is the "faucet.duinocoin.com". You can claim 1 DUCO from this website by solving a captcha to start your journey. Remember you can only claim once from this website. The next one is the "furim.xyz". Again, you just need to solve a captcha to earn some DUCO. The 3rd one in list is "duco-faucet.pcgeek.pl" same as the other two, you can claim some DUCO every 15 minutes by solving a captcha on this website. Exchanging DUCO After mining some DUINO-Coins, you may want to exchange them to some other currency. To exchange your coins, simply visit the website and select the currency you want to exchange. At the moment of writing this tutorial, DUCO Exchange supports XMG, BCH, TRX, BYND and LKE coins. After deciding which coin you want exchanged, simply fill in the exchange form and wait for the exchange to happen (it may take up to 72 hours). You'll shortly receive an e-mail confirming the process and describing any further steps if needed. Other exchanges: Other exchanges supporting DUINO-Coin are Node-S, PancakeSwap, SunSwap, and SushiSwap. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Blog Posts: Visit Website Video references: Visit Website Code Release 3.0 Original: Download Release 3.0 Modified: Download Resource Pages Getting started: Visit Website Create Wallet: Visit Website App list: Visit Website Exchange: Visit Website White Paper: Visit Website Dashboards Dashboard-1: Visit Website Dashboard-2: Visit Website Dashboard-3: Visit Website Facets List Faucet-1: Visit Website Faucet-2: Visit Website Faucet-3: Visit Website Discussion Discord: Visit Website Reddit : Visit Website Support My Work: BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

In my last tutorial I created a Weather Station using Arduino and NodeMCU using DHT11 or DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor and displayed it using an OLED Display. In this tutorial, I am going create a Peg-Box using the same board but with a little bit of twist. In this setup, I am going to send the Temperature and Humidity readings to my Raspberry Pi based home server and store it in a MySQL database. The data can then be viewed using PHP and Google Charts, on a Mobile Phone or a PC connected to the home network. Circuit Diagram The setup is very simple. The temperature and humidity sensor sends the collected data to the NodeMCU on pin D3. NodeMCU then sends the data over WiFi to the Raspberry Pi, which is then saved in the MySQL database. The Yellow LED, which is the status indicator flashes every second and is connected to D6 pin of the NodeMCU. The Blue LED connected to pin D5, lights up when NodeMCU sends the temperature and humidity readings to the database. If you are planning to install this box somewhere inside the house, then you can also add an OLED display and display the readings on it. The Board So, this is how my board looks like in 2d and 3d. There are 3 breakout boards in this 100cm x 100cm assembly. Each board can be used with either Arduino or NodeMCU and DHT11 or DHT22 sensor or sensor module. Temperature and humidity readings can be collected using either a DHT11 or DHT22 Module or by using one of these sensors with a 10K resistor. The bottom section of the board is for the OLED display. The attached gerber is bit different from what you see on screen. I made some modifications in the final version and moved the sensors a bit far from the microcontrollers. Component Assembly Lets start by soldering the female pin-headers to the board. The pin-headers will house the NodeMCU in it. Next, lets soldered few more pin-headers for the LEDs, DHT11 sensor and the OLED display. Before installing the circuit in the peg-box, lets hook up the OLED Display and make sure everything works as expected. Boom, nailed it. The Code The code starts by including all the libraries and by defining all the constants and variables that will be used throughout the program. Then there are two functions SendIamAlive() and SendTemperatureAndHumidity() which sends heartbeat and the data read from the temperature sensor to the database server. The ReadDHTSensor() function reads the data from the DHT11 or DHT22 sensor. In the setup section we first setup the WiFi and then send a SendIamAlive() message to the server advising that it is back up and running. Then in the loop section the microcontroller send a heartbeat every minute using the SendIamAlive() function and if the time elapses it sends the humidity and temperature data using the SendTemperatureAndHumidity() function. The White LED flashes every seconds and the Blue LED turns on when the device sends the temperature and humidity data to the database server. MySQL So,the data sent by the NodeMCU over WiFi is saved in the MySQL database hosted on a RaspberryPi 4. Here you can see, the microcontroller sends the data every 30 minutes (you can change the frequency) which is then saved in the MySQL database. The data saved on the Pi's MySQL database can then be used to generate various different types of graphs either by using google charts or any other 3rd party application. It totally depends on you how you want to present it. 3D Design Now, lets look at the design of the peg-box. Using freely available pallet planks, I designed the body of the box. The pallet planks I am using are 160cm x 9cm x 2cm (length, width and thickness). So, the rest of the measurements will be based on that. The top bit of the peg-box will house the microcontroller and the sensors in it. Putting it on the top prevents the electronics from adverse climatic conditions. The back bit will stick to wall and hence we don't need to cover it up. You can either put the pegs straight in the front bin or throw it to the top bit, from where it will slide down to the front bin. The sliding design with an opening in the front will prevent rainwater from accumulating inside the bin. This mechanism will keep the bin dry throughout the year. Woodworking Using 2 hammers I am dismantling the pallet. My aim is to reuse all the nails used in building this pallet so that, I can use them in building my project. After that, I sanded the pallet planks to give them a nice and smooth texture. Then using a chop-saw or a hand-saw I extracted all the pieces of wood required for building this project. As mentioned earlier, my pallet plank are 9cm wide and hence, all the onscreen measurements are based on that. Final Assembly Using wood-glue I am joining all pallet planks used in making the box. I got a bit too excited and accidentally deleted one of my recordings. So, I am using 3D animation to show you guys how I joined the two sides of the box. I used a plywood board to created the base of the bin. I glued few cylindrical wooden sticks on the roof of the box. To be very frank these sticks changed the entire outlook of the peg-box. Coloring Since my aim is to install the peg-box outside the house, I have to make sure that I apply multiple coats of paint on the box to avoid the pallet wood from rotting. I applied 3 coats of paint on the entire setup and insulated all the holes that I found using wood putty. So, this is how it looks like. The electronics bit will stay hidden under the roof of the box. Ha ha, Don't worry, I will obviously insulate them and make them weather-proof before installing them on the wall. Installation Now the next thing you need to do is to find a spot where you want to install this unit. I am installing this near my clothesline, however you may want to install it in your pantry or behind a door or something like that. It totally depends on how much space you have and where you want to install it. I am using metal frame hangers to hang this on the wall. Place the unit against the wall, and using a pencil mark the points where you want to drilling the holes. Now, using a hammer drill, drill the holes in the wall. Then, put the wall plugs in the wall and then use a screw driver to install the screws. Alright so, that's it. This unit is now all set to hold all my pegs in it. Demo So, this how my final setup looks like. Do comment and let me know if there are any scopes of improvement. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Blog Posts: 1. Peg Box 2. DHT11 & DHT22 3. OLED Tutorial Video references: 1. Peg Box 2. DHT11 & DHT22 3. OLED Tutorial Resources: Gerber Schema 3D Model Code: Code (Arduino + PHP + MySQL DB) Code_With_OLED_Arduino Code_With_OLED_NodeMCU Code_With_PHP_NodeMCU Libraries: DHTStable.h SSD1306.h Adafruit display library Adafruit GFX library Support My Work: BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. This year, instead of giving her a rose bouquet, I wanted to express my love by gifting her an electronic breathing heart. This is yet another "cheap DIY kit" intended for educational purpose. There are a few variations of the breathing LED projects with similar setup, however the one with blue LEDs attracted me a lot. #valentinesDayGift #ArduinoGiftIdea #ElectronicsValentinesDay Video: https://youtu.be/cq6fEPNtxn4 Unpacking The Kit Same as any other cheap DIY kit, this one came in a zip lock bag without any instructions. However, the component values and polarities are vey well denoted on the board, so I did not had Google at all. Inside the zip lock bag you will find: 1 LM358 IC 22 LEDs 6 Resistors 1 47uf Capacitor 1 Push ButtonSwitch 1 Adjustable Tri-Pot and 1 SS8050 NPN Transistor There is no IC base present in this package. However, I would highly recommended using one for your IC. How This Circuit Works To get the fading effect we need to generate a series of triangular waves. Because of the triangular waves, the LED starts glowing slowly and then slowly dims off and the cycle continues. This setup is done using the LM358 IC. LM358 is a dual operational amplifier (Op-Amp) IC, integrated with two op-amps powered by a common power supply. Pins 1, 2, and 3 are one op-amp channel, and pins 5, 6, and 7 are the 2nd op-amp channel. As the capacitor charges and discharges the state of the PIN 3 switches from high to low and based on that the PIN 2 of the op-amp obtains the desire output. If you want to know more about this IC, please check out my "Tutorial No 21 : DIY - IR Module" : https://youtu.be/_M8FQIPi1qk. So, basically the op-amp here is used for voltage level detection. In this circuit, we are applying a voltage on positive pin (PIN-3) and the voltage to be detected is applied at negative pin (PIN-2). The transistor acts as a signal amplifier. You will need this if you are attaching a cluster of LEDs however for just 1 LED you can simply remove it. Soldering Soldering the components to the board was pretty straightforward and relatively trouble free. I just had to pay a bit of attention to the directions of the components when soldering them to the board. I started the project by soldering the IC base to the board followed by the capacitor, transistor, pot and the push button switch. Next, I soldered all the resistors to the board. After that, I soldered all the LEDs to the board, due to the repetitive nature of the LED installation the installation may slightly be tedious. However once you finish soldering all the components, I bet you will feel proud of yourself. Not to mention, the zip lock bag contains few spare LEDs, umm.. a thoughtful addition. Quick Test So this is how it looks like. The effect is a blue heart that increases and decreases in brightness in a cyclical fashion. The speed/depth can be adjusted using the onboard pot. To be very frank, the diffused LEDs make it quite appealing and less glary when you look at it. Cutting The Heart Now that I have all the electronics bit sorted, it was time for me to add the accessories to it. Something just clicked in my mind and I went ahead and cut a "heart shape" from a piece of pallet. I will later stick the circuit board to this heart shaped pallet plank. Sanding the plank well, and adding a bit of olive oil gave the heart shape a shiny, nice and smooth texture. Items Required For the rest of the project I am using a dog made of clay and some broken pieces of artificial plants. It totally depends on you, what you want to add to give your project a super sexy look. Preparing the base Now to house all the bits and pieces that I gathered so far, I need to create a base. For that, I am cutting a 6" x 3.5" pallet plank. All the bits and pieces will be glued to this pallet plank. Assembling The Heart I drilled a hole in the middle of the wooden heart. Through this hole I will pass the wire that will power the circuit board. The power supply to this board is between 4v-6v DC. Any USB interface, or three ordinary dry cells can be used to power this board. The supply voltage to the red LED version is slightly lower than that all other colored LEDs. A 4v power supply can power the Red version; however, other colors need voltage between 4v 5v 6v. Putting All The Bits Together All right, so now its just a matter of gluing all the bits and pieces one by one to the base pallet plank. Demo When you are young and restless, Valentines Day plays a significant role in your life. However, if you are deeply in love with someone who you are going to spend your rest of the life with, everyday becomes Valentines Day for you. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Blog Posts: https://diyfactory007.blogspot.com/2022/02/Valentine-2022.html Video: https://youtu.be/cq6fEPNtxn4 LED Fader: https://youtu.be/IIUsdICycOw DIY - IR Module : https://youtu.be/_M8FQIPi1qk Cos.TV: https://cos.tv/videos/play/34112835833860096 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Arduino:7/yt5s.com-Cute-Little-Valentine's-Day-Gift:3 Support My Work: BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

Sure mate

Couple of months ago, I bought a "Raspberry Pi Pico" to get some hands-on experience of it and to create some amazing projects using it. But since then, it has just been sitting on my desk, collecting dust. Today after a very long wait, I finally have decided to create a short video tutorial to show you guys how to get started with the Raspberry Pi Pico. Topics Covered In this tutorial, I am going to discuss: 1. What is a Raspberry Pi Pico? 2. The technical specifications of the board 3. How to program Pico using C/C++ and MicroPython a. Programming Raspberry Pi Pico using "Arduino IDE" i. Preparing the Arduino IDE ii. Loading the Blink Example iii. Demo b. Programming Raspberry Pi Pico using "Tonny Python IDE" i. Installing MicroPython on Pico ii. Installing Tonny Python IDE iii. Loading the Blink Example iv. Demo 4. Difference between Raspberry Pi Pico and Arduino 5. Advantages and Disadvantages of this board What is Raspberry Pi Pico? Raspberry Pi Pico is a low-cost microcontroller. It can be used to control other electronic modules and sensors same as any other microcontroller. Pico is not a Linux single board computer, rather it is a microcontroller like Arduino. Since, its a microcontroller it doesn't come with all the overheads that a computer brings and hence consumes much less current. actually it is more like Arduino than Raspberry Pi. Pico is not a rival of Raspberry Pi Zero, it actually can work in conjunction with the regular Pi's. Pico is breadboard friendly and has 40 GPIO pins operating at 3.3v (20 on each side). It has a Dual-Core ARM Cortex M0+ processor. Pico's brain - the RP2040 microcontroller chip is designed by Raspberry Pi in United Kingdom. It can be powered either via the micro USB port, or via the VSYS GPIO pin by providing voltage between the range of 1.8V to 5.5V. Technical Specifications of Pico Raspberry Pi Pico is absolutely different from all other Raspberry Pi models. Pico is one of the first microcontrollers to use the RP2040 "Pi Silicon" processor. It is a custom "System on Chip" (SoC) developed by the Raspberry Pi team in UK which features a dual core Arm Cortex M0+ processor running at 133 MHz, 264KB of SRAM and 2MB of flash memory for storing files on it. Specifications: - Microcontroller: RP2040 designed by Raspberry Pi in the UK - Processor: Dual-Core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz - Input power: 1.8 - 5.5 V DC - Operating temperature: -20°C to +85°C - Dimensions: 51.0 x 21.0 mm - Onboard Sensors: Temperature Sensor - Memory: 264KB of on-chip internal SRAM and can support up to 16MB of off-chip Flash 2MB on-board QSPI Flash (Adafruit's Feather RP2040, features 16MB of storage) - GPIO: It has 40 GPIO through-hole pins also with edge castellation - 26 × multi-function 3.3V GPIO pins, which includes 3 analogue inputs (The Analog inputs is something other Raspberry Pi's lack. They use variable voltages to connect to devices like a potentiometers, joystick or a LDR) - 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels - 8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support that can offload many kinds of timing-critical processes from the CPU - Other Features: - 1 × Contains 1 × USB 1.1 controller and PHY, with host and device support - Accurate clock and timer on-chip - Low-Power sleep and dormant modes - Accelerated integer and floating-point libraries on-chip - Works with Windows, Mac, Linux machines and Raspberry Pi Computers - Provides drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB The one biggest disadvantage of the Raspberry Pi Pico is that there is no WiFi or Bluetooth on it. ESP32 and ESP8266 which you can buy for similar price comes with WiFi and Bluetooth (ESP32). Surely we can add wireless connectivity via external components, however that would require a little bit more knowledge and experience to get it working. Since Pico is not a computer, we need to write our codes on a different machine using an external application and then "flash" the code onto the microcontroller over USB. Pinout Diagram: Here is the top view of the pinouts on the Raspberry Pi Pico. The pin-labels are on the bottom side of the board. How to program Pico using C/C++ and MicroPython Pi Foundation officially supports MicroPython and C/C++, however high-level programming language like CircuitPython (A fork of MicroPython created by Adafruit), and Drag and Drop Python Editor like Pico Piper which adds further enhancements and can be used to program the Pico boards. Programming Raspberry Pi Pico using Arduino IDE Python and C/C++ are both great for programming Picos. However, being able to program a Pico just like an Arduino would help us to integrate the Pico into the Arduino ecosystem. One of the best reasons to do this is because of the availability of libraries to integration of modules, sensors, and other complex stuff without having to write the entire code from scratch. i. Preparing the Arduino IDE To start, let go to Tools > Boards > Boards Manager and search for "Pico", select "Arduino Mbed OS RP2040 Boards" and hit the install button. Connect the micro USB cable to the Pico and then press and hold the "BOOTSEL" button before plugging the USB cable into the computer. Release BOOTSEL once the drive RPI-RP2 appears on your computer. Now, go to Tools > Port and you will now be able to see the number of the COM Port. ii. Loading the Blink Example Go to Files > Examples > Basics > Blink and click on Upload, this will load the code to the Pico board. iii. Demo After the IDE finished uploading the code, you will see the Pico's onboard LED blinking. You can now use your Pico like an Arduino and program it using the Arduino IDE. Programming Raspberry Pi Pico using Tonny Python IDE You can program your Pico using MicroPython by connecting it to a computer via USB and then dragging and dropping files to it. i. Installing MicroPython on Pico Installation of MicroPython on Pico requires a "UF2" file to be copied onto it. A UF2 file is a "binary data file" which contains a program that can be transferred from a PC to a microcontroller, such as an Arduino or Pico circuit board. To load MicroPython on Pico: 1. Download "MicroPython UF2 file" from the link provided in the description below. 2. Connect the micro USB cable to the Pico and then press and hold the "BOOTSEL" button before plugging the USB cable into the computer. Release BOOTSEL once the drive RPI-RP2 appears on your computer. 3. Drag and drop the UF2 file onto the RPI-RP2 volume. 4. Your Pico will reboot. That's it, you are now running MicroPython on your Pico. ii. Installing Tonny Python IDE To write code and save files to Pico we are going to use the "Thonny Python IDE". Thonny comes with built-in Python 3.7, so just one simple installer is what you need to learn programming. To get started: 1. Download and install "Thonny" free from the Thonny website for your version of OS. The website's link is in the description below. Note: If you are running "Raspberry Pi OS" then Thonny is already installed on it, but may need to update it to the latest version sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y 2. Connect the Raspberry Pi Pico to your computer. Then, in Thonny go to Tools > Options and click on the "Interpreter" tab. From the interpreter dropdown list select "MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)". The port dropdown menu can be left to "automatically detect the Pico". Click "OK" to close. 3. A Python Shell called "REPL" (Read, Eval, Print, Loop) will popup to show that the Pico is connected and working. iii. Loading the Blink Example 1. Click in the main editor pane of Thonny and enter the following code to toggle the onboard LED. from machine import Pin, Timer led = Pin(25, Pin.OUT) timer = Timer() def blink(timer): led.toggle() timer.init(freq=2.5, mode=Timer.PERIODIC, callback=blink) 2. Click the "Run" button to execute the code. 3. Thonny will ask whether you want to save the file on "This computer" or the "MicroPython device". Choose "MicroPython device". Enter "blink.py" as the file name. Make sure you enter ".py" as the file extension so that Thonny recognizes it as a Python file. iv. Demo You should now see the onboard LED switching between on and off until you click the Stop button. Difference between Raspberry Pi Pico and Arduino * Before Raspberry Pi Pico, Raspberry Pi has always been know for their single board computers. However, in 2021 Raspberry Pi Foundation stepped a few steps forward and launched the Raspberry Pi Pico giving a head-to-head challenge to Arduino and all other board based microcontrollers. * Arduino was first introduced in 2005 and since then Millions of Arduino Units have been sold in the market. Compared to that, the response Pico received after its initial launch in 2021 is absolutely mind-blowing. * Both units are made for automating applications that don’t involve human intervention. * Pico can be used alone or in combination with Arduino for Automation and AI purposes. * Both modules are different in terms of power consumption, value, functionality, and price. * Pico boards come unsoldered however Arduino comes pre-soldered or unsoldered. * Pico module supports MicroPython and C/C++, while Arduino codes are written in C/C++ using Arduino.IDE. So which one to go for… Pico or Arduino? Advantages and Disadvantages Now lets have a look at the Pros and Cons of this microcontroller board. Advantages: * Raspberry Pi Pico is cheap, very small, and easy to use microcontroller * Pico is a dual core device coupled to a high-performance bus matrix, which means its both cores can give you the full performance concurrently * Pico consumes very low power * Pico is a breadboard friendly * Pico can be programmed using C/C++ and MicroPython * Pico can be programmed using Arduino IDE * Pico has 26 × multi-function 3.3V GPIO pins (23 Digital + 3 Analogue) * Pico comes with 8 x Programmable IO (PIO) and 2 x Analog Inputs * Pico boots quickly and doesn’t require a safe shutdown Disadvantages: * Pico completely lacks WiFi and Bluetooth without any add-ons * It lacks the GPIO markings on the top side of the board * The board comes unsoldered so you will have to solder the header pins or surface mount it to use it in your project * GPIO pins are 3.3V, which could be seen as a disadvantage, however devises designed for 5V can still be used with 3V via a voltage divider or a logic level converter. * Pico still uses micro-USB port. While many other microcontrollers have moved to USB-C, Pico is still coming with the micro-USB port If you have a Windows, Apple, Linux or even a Raspberry Pi, then you are already well in your way to program the small, cute, and gorgeous Raspberry Pi Pico in your next project. I bet, there must be a lot of project ideas going in your mind, so get your supplies and start coding. And, what are you waiting for??? Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Blog Posts: https://diyfactory007.blogspot.com/2022/01/getting-started-with-raspberry-pi-pico.html Video: https://youtu.be/vO_2XWJDF70 Other Resources: RP2040 Datasheet : https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2040/rp2040-datasheet.pdf Hardware design with RP2040 : https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2040/hardware-design-with-rp2040.pdf Raspberry Pi Pico Datasheet : https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/pico/pico-datasheet.pdf Getting started with Raspberry Pi Pico : https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/pico/getting-started-with-pico.pdf MicroPython UF2 : https://micropython.org/download/rp2-pico/rp2-pico-latest.uf2 Thonny website : https://thonny.org/ Piper Make: https://make.playpiper.com/ CircuitPython 7.1.0: https://circuitpython.org/board/raspberry_pi_pico/ Support My Work: BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

I love mining and I truly believe that blockchain and digital currencies will one day change the world. Cryptocurrency has played a significant role in my life and has made me a morning person, ha ha. Miners require 24 x 7 access to the Internet. Recently, I went on a short business trip and my router for some stupid reason stopped working. I lost complete access to my home network and my miners. When I returned from my trip, my only aim was to fix this issue by creating an "Internet Hardware Watchdog" that reboots the router whenever something silly happens to it. Note: If you do any work with "mains power" such as 120v or 240v AC power wiring, you should always use proper equipment and safety gears and determine whether you have adequate skill and experience or consult a Licensed Electrician. This project is not intended for use by children. The Logic Let me first explain the logic to you. In a nutshell, in this setup I am going to ping "www.google.com" and as soon as the ping drops I will reboot the router. To achieve this, the NoduMCU first connects to the WiFi network and then pings 8.8.8.8 (www.google.com). If it receives a successful ping, one out of the 3 blue LED patterns is displayed. If the ping fails, 5 more retries are given before rebooting the router. The reason I am NOT rebooting the router straightaway is to avoid false positive ping fail responses. However, once the "fail_count" counter becomes 5, NodeMCU turns off the router by pulling the armature of the relay module. The armature of the relay is held for 15 seconds before releasing it so that the router is properly power cycled. Once the armature is released, the system waits for a minute before sending the next ping request. This gives enough time to the router to successfully perform its POST activities. The above steps are then endlessly repeated in the loop section of the code. Components Required For this project we need: NodeMCU Stepdown Converter Relay Module 2 x Red LEDs 3 x Blue LEDs 100Ω Resistor Power Plug and a Power Socket Schematic Now, let's put the components together exactly the way I have shown in the schematic diagram. Be very careful while handling AC Main Power sockets and cables. The Stepdown Converter powers the NodeMCU and the Relay Module. LEDs are connected to the Digital pins of the microcontroller. The relay acts as a switch and switches on or off the router based on the ping response. Please make sure you check the pins of your relay module before hooking it up to the circuit. The Board So, this is how my board looks like in 2D and 3D. I basically have created a replica of the NodeMCU Prototyping Board which you can buy from AliExpress for about $4 to $6. Components Assembly Lets start by soldering the NodeMCU to the board. Since I care a lot about my Sensors and Microcontrollers, I am not going to solder them directly to the board. Instead I am soldering 'female pin headers' to the board which will house all the sensors and the microcontrollers in them. I initially thought of soldering the LEDs directly on the board however something clicked in my mind and I went ahead and soldered them on a separate perfboard and then soldered the perfboard to the NodeMCU development board. Well, this was totally unnecessary. Once the LEDs were in place, my next step was to solder the step-down-converter and the relay-module to the board. If you want to know how I created this relay module, please check out my tutorial no. 19 DIY Relay Module : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n69b4sdDjk the video and the blog post links are in the description below. Next, I made a hole in the transparent box and glued the power socket into it. Well I created a bit of mess while gluing the socket and accidentally glued the box on to my dining table, silly me. I also drilled a hole at the back of this box, for the cable that will connect to the AC Main power supply. Pretty much that's it. Once again, I would like to warn you guys: If you do any work with the "main power" such as 110v or 240v AC, you should always use proper equipment and safety gears and determine whether you have adequate skill and experience or consult a Licensed Electrician. This project is not intended for use by children. To conclude the setup, I added a small skull inside the acrylic box. This skull has been sitting on my desk just collecting dust for over a year, ha ha. The Code Now, let's have a look at the code. You can download the code and other resources from the links provided in the description below. To Run the attached code you need to download and install the "ESP8266Ping" library. You can either download it from GitHub or from the link provided in the description below. Unzip and copy the archive to the Arduino's Library Folder and change the board type to ESP8266 in the Arduino IDE and select NodeMCU. The code starts by including all the libraries and variables on top. Then in the setup() section I have defined all the pin modes and have made a connection to the WiFi router. In the loop() section I am performing a ping test and based on the test result I am either blinking the blue LEDs or power cycling the router. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Blog Posts: Internet Hardware WatchDog : https://diy-projects4u.blogspot.com/2021/12/internet-hardware-watchdog.html DIY Relay Module : http://diy-projects4u.blogspot.com/2020/08/diy-relay-module.html Video: Internet Hardware WatchDog : DIY Relay Module : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n69b4sdDjk Other Resources: Code: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HyTUMUBDK0neO854XMl3dyy5ceoeTImw/view?usp=sharing ESP8266Ping Library : https://github.com/dancol90/ESP8266Ping.git ESP8266Ping Library : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uFfY5wW7-oWRNjP_XaBj2IM189M1n1FK/view?usp=sharing Schema: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gn2ZhMp5Uz4YDv5GjxgIq1rtzh-21Rwe/view?usp=sharing Gerber File: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l0bszJ0AV7S9s-y9jTWGcw9MrWayVJxZ/view?usp=sharing Flowchart: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CL3g0nT1IZfdL8MZqN_PB-mKC9k_JfWH/view?usp=sharing Support My Work: BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

If you have ever programmed a NodeMCU, then I bet you know the pain you have to go through while connecting sensors to NodeMCU on a breadboard. I looked for various solution on the web and found "NodeMCU Development Boards" for around $6 to $7. Well, I wasn't ready to spend that much for a simple projects. So, I went ahead and designed a replica of those boards, which, 10 of them I got fabricated from PCBWay for just $5. PCB Design Let me first show you the design of the board. I have placed the NodeMCU in the middle of the board. On the right hand side are the extensions of all the digital pins. And on the left hand side are the extensions of the left hand side pins. Starting from left to right I have the VIN and the -VE pin to power up the NodeMCU at the bottom left hand side of the board. NodeMCU has an inbuilt LDO voltage regulator which keep the voltage level at 3.3v so there is no need for an additional voltage regulator. Just above that, is a series of GND pins. On top of that is a series of +5v and GND pins, followed by a series of 3.3v and GND pins. I have also added a series of 3v3 and GND pins on the top right hand side of the board. Then there is a reset button and a set of TX and RX pins for serial communication. On the same breakout board I have also added an Arduino Nano's Development Board. Since, I had a fair bit of real-estate left on my board, I created a generic PCB out of the left over space. PCB Assembly Lets start by soldering the male and the female pin headers to the board. It really doesn't matter, what order you solder the components to the board. The only think to remember is that, do not solder a component that blocks another one. As you can see, I am soldering both male and female pin headers side by side on the board so that sensors with either male or female pin header can be hooked up to the board, making it more generic and expandable. So, this is how the final setup looks like. Please comment and let me know if there is any scope of improvement, thanks. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Blog Posts: https://diyfactory007.blogspot.com/2021/11/nodemcu-development-board.html YouTube: https://youtu.be/y2m2nh7wHaY Odysee : https://odysee.com/@Arduino:7/DIY---NodeMCU-Development-Board:1 cos.tv : https://cos.tv/videos/play/32048547001832448 Schema : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XRR2sNZ5t4NhLFla9X3DyjaPAujrjeGY/view?usp=sharing Support My Work: BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.

Created a touchless Covid Free Electronic Dice using Arduino to play some board games with my son. My new project is an amazing way of giving our younger generation the taste of board games while staying COVID free. Total cost: AU$12 Time taken: 4hrs Components Required For this project we need: 1 x Push Button Switch 1 x Arduino Nano R3 (or ESP8266) 1 x 8x8 Led Matrix with MAX7219 IC 1 x Step Up Power Module [MT3608] 1 x IR Sensor 1 x AA Battery Holder and Batteries and Some Connecting Cables Circuit Diagram Using a Step Up Power Module connected to 2 x AA batteries I am powering up the Arduino Nano. In my logic, I am using an IR Module to send interrupts, which changes the face of the dice which is then displayed using a 8x8 LED Matrix. If you want to know more about the DIY IR module please check out my "Tutorial No. 21: DIY - IR Module". Link is in the description below. Video: https://youtu.be/_M8FQIPi1qk Blog : http://diy-projects4u.blogspot.com/2020/10/diy-ir-module.html If you want to change the face of the dice by shaking it, you can use a tilt sensor to generate the interrupts. If you want to store the results in a database, you can use a ESP8266 board and send the result over WiFi and store it in a database. The possibilities are endless, however, I just want to keep my circuit simple. The Code The code is very simple. Lets start by including the "LedControll.h" library. I have included the link to the library in the description below. Next, lets define all the pins that we are going to use in our code. After that, you will find few functions that work in combination to generate the dice faces and the dice animation. In the setup() section, we are setting up the pinMode of the IR Sensor and initializing the display. We are also showing the initial animation where in my case, number 6 flies from right-to-left and fills up the led display. In the loop() section I am reading the IR sensor to check if someone has moved their hand over the sensor module. If a motion is detected, then a random number between 1 and 6 is generated, and based on that the face of the dice changes using ShowDicePic() function. Housing Design Now lets create the body of the dice. From a broken piece of chipboard, I extracted the 6 sides of the dice. Next, using a double-sided tape I attached the AA battery holder to the bottom of the dice. Then, I soldered the step-up converter to the AA battery holder. The step-up boost converter has to be adjusted to approximately 5V before installation by twisting the variable resistance in it. I made a hole on one of the sides for the push button switch, and then glued the push button switch to it. I hot-glued the 8x8 LED matrix to the top section of the dice. 8x8 LED matrix with MAX7219 driver IC, is a very cheap, easy to code and it takes up very little space in your project. The top section also has the IR transmitter and receiver LEDs. Pretty much I hot glued them all and then attached them to a Arduino Nano. Then, I made 4 holes on the bottom plate and attached the all the sides to it. Lets do a quick test before finalizing the project. Looks promising, isn't it? Cool, so this is how my final setup looks like. I covered the LED Matrix with a translucent black sheet. Let me know what you guys think of this project. If you have any suggestions or advises please feel free to drop a comment below. Thanks Thanks again for checking my post. I hope it helps you. If you want to support me subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tarantula3 Blog Posts: 1. Arduino Dice : https://diy-projects4u.blogspot.com/2021/10/arduino-dice.html 2. DIY IR Module: http://diy-projects4u.blogspot.com/2020/10/diy-ir-module.html Video references: 1. Arduino Dice : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4CnaDDR2x0 2. DIY IR Module: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M8FQIPi1qk Schema: https://drive.google.com/file/d/168eiuHINb_5dGh9wBQ1qDsTv3bXY39Hj/view?usp=sharing Code : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jLRFUFD3P037GIfAIZJU2GpHcbZOxgpc/view?usp=sharing LedControll.h : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U5SFjC8Q6bB_X8ZQeJ6Ifq7ID5iecZ0K/view?usp=sharing Support My Work: BTC: 1M1PdxVxSTPLoMK91XnvEPksVuAa4J4dDp LTC: MQFkVkWimYngMwp5SMuSbMP4ADStjysstm DOGE: DDe7Fws24zf7acZevoT8uERnmisiHwR5st ETH: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 BAT: 0x939aa4e13ecb4b46663c8017986abc0d204cde60 LBC: bZ8ANEJFsd2MNFfpoxBhtFNPboh7PmD7M2 Thanks, ca again in my next tutorial.