Everyone loves NeoPixels. Individually addressable RGB LEDs at a low price. Just attach an Arduino, load the demo code, and enjoy your blinking lights. But it turns out that demo code isn’t very efficient. [Ben Heck] practically did a spit take when he discovered that the ESP32 sample code for NeoPixels used a uint32 to […]
INEFFICIENT NEOPIXEL CONTROL SOLVED WITH HARDWARE HACKERY Continue Reading
These days, you could be forgiven for thinking driving an LCD from a microcontroller is easy. Cheap displays have proliferated, ready to go on breakout boards with controllers already baked in. Load up the right libraries and you’re up and running in a matter of minutes. However, turn your attention to trying to drive a
DRIVING A CONTROLLERLESS LCD WITH THE HUMBLE ARDUINO UNO Continue Reading
Generating random data is incredibly hard, and most of the random data around you isn’t truly random, but merely pseudo-random. For really random data, you’ll have to look at something like radioactive decay or *holds up spork* something like this. YouTube commenters will also suffice. The idea of using random data for generating musical notes
Truly Random MIDI Control Continue Reading
Makers, developers and electronic enthusiasts may be interested in a new Arduino programmable Internet connectable LED matrix display launched via the Crowd Supply website this week, which is now available to back with early bird pledges available from just $29. The LED display is available in six different colours including white, blue, red, orange, green and purple.
Internet connectable LED Matrix from $29 Continue Reading
Distrelec Ltd, leading European distributor of electronics, automation and measurement technology has added the new Spresense range by Sony, manufacturer of consumer and professional electronics, to the webshop. The Spresense is a compact development board based on Sony’s power-efficient multicore microcontroller CXD5602. Featuring an integrated GPS, high-res audio output and multi mic inputs, the board
Distrelec adds the new Sony Spresense range to webshop Continue Reading
[Edward], creator of the Cave Pearl project, an underwater data logger, needed a way to measure temperature with a microcontroller. Normally, this problem is most easily solved by throwing a temperature sensor on the I2C bus — these sensors are cheap and readily available. This isn’t about connecting a temperature sensor in your Arduino. This build
THE NO-PARTS TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN YOUR ARDUINO Continue Reading
Despite most of the common gauges remaining the same over the last 60 years, the automotive dashboard of days past used very different technology to those today. Cable driven speedometers were common, along with mechanical drive for the odometer, too. Fuel and temperature gauges were often wired directly to their senders, and some oil pressure
MUSTANG DASH BECOMES BOOKSHELF ART PIECE Continue Reading
Hackaday readers are perhaps familiar with the Arduboy, an open source handheld gaming system that aims to combine the ease of Arduino development with the seething nostalgia the Internet has towards the original Nintendo Game Boy. While not quite the same as getting one of your games published for a “real” system, the open source
FPGA Brings Arduboy to the Game Boy Advance Continue Reading
While I do know how to mow my lawn, that’s a job my husband normally takes care of. We like to divide and conquer when it comes to household chores – I do the laundry, he mows the lawn, I vacuum and he mops, et cetera, et cetera. Maybe I would enjoy mowing the lawn
Mechanical Engineer Makes 95% 3D Printed Autonomous Robotic Lawn Mower Continue Reading
There are rumors of a cheap chip that does USB natively, has an Open Source toolchain, and costs a quarter. These aren’t rumors: you can buy the CH552 microcontroller right now. Surprisingly, there aren’t many people picking up this cheap chip for their next project. If there’s no original projects using this chip, no one
HOW TO PROGRAM A REALLY CHEAP MICROCONTROLLER Continue Reading
