Thunderboard React – A New BT 4.2 IoT Kit From Silicon Labs
https://www.electronics-lab.com/thunderboard-react-new-bt-4-2-iot-kit-silicon-labs/
Silicon Labs recently introduced a new platform that enables users to develop their own sensor driven IoT application, this platform is called Thunderboard React and it’s for 29$. Thunderboard contains Silicon Labs’ BGM111 bluetooth smart module connected with punch of sensors which are: Silicon Labs’ Si7021 relative humidity and temperature sensor, Silicon Labs’ Si1133 ambient […]
RTL8710 Is a New ESP8266 Competitor
https://www.electronics-lab.com/rtl8710-new-esp8266-competitor/
In the last two years, ESP8266 was the Wifi Chip/Module which dominated the market of hobbyists, even a lot of commercial products use ESP8266, due to the low price, ease of use and large community around ESP8266. RTL8710 is a Wifi network solution from the Taiwanese Company Realtek. It can operate independently, or as a […]
IEEE Ranking for Programming Languages – 2016
https://www.electronics-lab.com/ieee-ranking-programming-languages-2016/
Are you an embedded system programmer? Checkout the rank of your favorite programming language according to IEEE Spectrum ranking. C language is in the first place for programming devices controllers, followed by C++, Arduino, then Assembly. IEEE Spectrum has special methods to figure these ranks, for example they “measure the number of hits for each […]
TFoC: FPGA & Forth = VGA
https://www.electronics-lab.com/tfoc-fpga-forth-vga/
Here is a fun project, created from start to finish by Matthias Koch: In itself, this is no big deal. The generated pattern is a 16×16 expanded pixel image, and 640×480 displays are pretty basic by now – although they’re fine for presenting text-mode information and retro games. TFoC: FPGA & Forth = VGA – […]
Opto-isolated laser controller build
https://www.electronics-lab.com/opto-isolated-laser-controller-build/
Scott Harden built his own opto-isolated laser controller and wrote a post on his blog detailing its assembly: My goal was to utilize a free hardware output line to signal to a device that I build to modulate the laser in a special way. This way there would be no modification to any existing equipment, […]
App note: Solid-State Relays
https://www.electronics-lab.com/app-note-solid-state-relays/
Solid-state relays introduction from Vishay, (PDF) MOSFET SSRs feature an optocoupler construction, but have a pair of MOSFETs on the output instead of a phototransistor. A pair of source-coupled MOSFETs emulate an electromechanical relay by providing bidirectional switch capability and a linear contact. No output power supply is required. App note: Solid-State Relays – [Link]
MAX232: The classic IC lives on since 1988
https://www.electronics-lab.com/max232-classic-ic-lives-since-1988/
by Len Sherman @ edn.com: The June 23, 1988 issue of EDN included a Maxim Design News insert where we asked “Who in their right mind would choose a computer interface standard that uses ±12V supplies, requires expensive connectors, works over a limited distance, is error prone, difficult to network, and has no current loop […]
FARMBOT Open-source CNC Farming Machine
https://www.electronics-lab.com/farmbot-open-source-cnc-farming-machine/
FarmBot is an open-source CNC farming machine designed for small-scale precision food production. Similar to any CNC milling machine, FarmBot hardware employs linear guides in the X, Y and Z directions for tooling. FarmBot tools include: seeder, watering nozzle, camera, weeder and soil sensor. FarmBot is powered by a Raspberry Pi 3, Arduino Mega 2560 […]
Mumai – Control Anything Using your Muscles
https://www.electronics-lab.com/mumai-control-anything-using-muscles/
Alvaro Villoslada designed an open-source muscle-machine to control any kind of electronic device through the myoelectric (EMG) signals. The name of this project is Mumai and it is published on hackaday.io. “The Professional EMG systems are very expensive, cumbersome and complex” Alvaro said. And that is the problem which Alvaro tries to solve in this […]
Simple two-transistor circuit lights LEDs
https://www.electronics-lab.com/simple-two-transistor-circuit-lights-leds/
Barry Tigner @ edn.com has a design idea on how to power a LED from a 1.5V battery using two easily available transistors. A previous Design Idea describes a circuit that uses an astable multivibrator to drive an LED (Reference 1). The circuit in Figure 1 uses a simpler alternative approach. The circuit uses a […]