Abstract: This article is how-to guide, intended as a quick learning aid for engineers considering using the MAX6954 to drive 14-segment monocolor LEDs. The MAX6954 is a versatile display driver, capable of controlling a mix of discrete, 7-segment, 14-segment, and 16-segment LED displays through a serial interface. This application note shows a typical application and configuration […]
Driving 14-segment displays with the MAX6954 Continue Reading
How about a cheap serial terminal for less than a fiver all-in? In a previous blog entry I’ve been working on more developments for the increasingly powerful home control system using an Arduino as a kind of universal I2c peripheral to the ESP8266. The reason for that is just the vast range of driver software
Cheap Arduino Serial Terminal Continue Reading
It has been about one year since the announcement of ESP32 SoC and the beginning of its beta testing for some developers. Last Month we covered the release of ESP-WROOM-32 module datasheet, which promised that “New SDK features, tutorials and example applications will be released over the next few months.”. The ESP-32 datasheet was released
Public Release of ESP32 SoC The Big Brother Of ESP8266 Continue Reading
The mighty Class-D amplifier—build one yourself and be amazed by its efficiency. The heat sink barely gets warm! Have you always wanted to build your own audio power amplifier? An electronic project where you not only see the results but also hear them? If your answer is yes, then you should continue reading this article on
How to Build a Class-D Power Amp Continue Reading
Today I made a high frequency multiplier using a single component: the ICS501 PLL clock multiplier IC. This chip provides 2x, 5x, 8x (and more) clock multiplication using an internal phased-lock loop (PLL). At less than a dollar on eBay, $1.55 on mouser, and $0.67 on Digikey, they don’t break the bank and I’m glad I have a few in my
ICS501 simple frequency multiplier Continue Reading
While making my mini table saw I bought a 12 V motor speed controller module from eBay. Fair enough, I thought … that was an easier and straight forward solution. But then I decided to make my own. I did some hunting around on the interweb and found a pretty good starting point in Circuits
12V NE555 PWM Controller Continue Reading
Researchers want to give a 25-core open-source processor called Piton some serious bite. The developers of the chip at Princeton University have in mind a 200,000-core computer crammed with 8,000 64-bit Piton chips. It won’t happen anytime soon, but that’s one possible usage scenario for Piton. The chip is designed to be flexible and quickly
Open source 25-core processor can be stringed into a 200,000-core computer Continue Reading
A situation many can relate to: an empty smartphone battery and no outlet around! That’s exactly why I recycled an old laptop battery into an USB power bank. Follow the link for the full article with close ups of the electronics and insights into the building process. This article will show you the basic powerbank
DIY USB power bank from laptop battery Continue Reading
Measurements from the real world often contain noise. Loosely speaking, noise is just the part of the signal you didn’t want. Maybe it comes from electrical noise: the random variations you see when calling analogRead on a sensor that should be stable. Noise also arises from real effects on the sensor. Vibration from the engine
Filtering Noisy Arduino Measurements Continue Reading
Whoa? Turn any EL (Electro-Luminescient) material into a touch sensor with no additional hardware. It’s an open prototyping platform for wearable electronics! Open source and Arduino IDE compatible. There are many different EL materials, including EL paint, EL panels, EL tape, EL wire. They have been integrated into a variety of applications, from motorcycle jackets, to
Whoa Board: Dream With Touch Sensing EL Wire, Panels, Paint Continue Reading
