DEC7
Open source hardware SD logger: OpenLog
How do you make a GPS logger? Well, the simplest way would be to get a GPS receiver, a microcontroller to parse NMEA data and SD or MMC memory card to store it all on. In that case you would need to make your own "file system" on memory card and PC application to download the data and put it all together. The other way would be to write FAT16/32 routines in microcontroller to store data in classic TXT files. Yet another way would be to buy DOSonChip IC that handles FAT and not worry a thing about the file system whatsoever.
This project is very very similar to DOSonChip. One big difference is that it is open source (open hardware) and based on ATmega328P! You can talk to it via serial communication using special set of "AT" commands to write, read and delete files. Very very cool stuff.
Source: Roland Riegel
DEC3
The Decision Maker - fun microcontroller project
Now this looks like a fun project to build and to use. You can use it on daily basis which is not recommended, or just in those mind-splitting situations.
While the traditional Magic 8 Ball gives you more answers which you can interpret however you like, this machine is straightforward - the answer is either yes or no. It is based on PICaxe 08M microcontroller which has internal A/D converter, but with source-code included it can easily be translated to PICBasic. The sensors are touch-sensitive copper plates - two coins actually, and when touched the current passes through your fingers or the entire body if more than one person is looking for the "universal" answer. The PIC reads the A/D value and randomizes two LEDs giving out a random result after the sensor is released.
Source: Chris the Carpenter @ GadgetGangster
DEC1
PC mouse based on accelerometer
This one is for all of you game freaks out there. Tired of dragging your mouse on a flat surface? Try tilting it in mid-air for a change!
It is powered from and connected to RS232 port with a special "driver" application written in Visual Basic. The main thing inside this mouse is Freescale's MMA6270 dual axis (X/Y) accelerometer which is connected to PIC16F690 microcontroller. PIC reads accelerometer values via internal A/D converter and transforms this data to serial data which is fed to RS232 port through MAX232 level translator IC. Later in the video we can see that this mouse works pretty good, the only thing it lacks is USB connection and standardized USB mouse protocol.
Source: uC Hobby
NOV25
Wireless XBee temperature sensor
XBee is one cool chip. I never worked with them so I didn't know that you could configure it to periodically read and send an analog readout of some of it's analog input pins. This way if you need to make some analog measurements you don't need an additional microcontroller, just good old XBee.
This project is a remote temperature sensor with LM34 temperature sensor and XBee at one side (the transmitter) and an Arduino with XBee and LED display to receive, parse and display the temperature value. Cool stuff!
Source: Michael Krumpus
NOV23
Innovative tiny password reminder
Now this is how professionals do it! Small, compact, easy to use and most important - very intuitive implementation of a simple password storage device.
This device has an amazing data-entry method. It can receive data from any web browser literally by "looking at the screen" with its photo-transistor. Custom web page with some JavaScript was made for data-entry, so to store a new password you just need to go to that web page and store it by pointing a device to the monitor screen. Access to stored passwords is PIN-protected and all data is displayed on 2x16 LCD display.
Source: Alberto Ricci Bitti
NOV20
Ultra-compact LM4780 audio amplifier
Here is a very nicely built audio amplifier.
It has it's own dual power supply, very simple schematics for the amplifier part and nice looking box to fit it all inside. It is based on LM4780 IC which gives 60W per channel (and it has two channels). No PCB was designed for the amplifier part since point-to-point wiring was used.
Source: Mark Hennessy
NOV16
LIDAR gun tester with Arduino
LIDAR is a device that police uses to measure speed of vehicles. Lidar detector is a device that we use to detect those lidars and lower our speed before it is too late.
We don't know if our lidar detector works before police hits us with their lidar signal so it is a good practice to test it out once in a while. This can be done by reproducing the same IR impulse that lidar is sending and that's just an impulse of certain frequency. This lidar tester or lidar simulator can do just that and since there are many lidars with different frequencies, this device can simulate many of them including: Jenoptik Laveg, Jenoptik LaserPatrol, Kustom Prolaser 1, Kustom Prolaser 2, Kustom Prolaser 3, Kustom ProLite, Laser Atlanta, Stalker LZ-1, Ultralyte 100/200 LR Revision 1, Ultralyte 100/200 LR Revision 2 and Ultralyte Non-LR.
Source: BlackLight99
NOV13
Coating electronics in clear polyester resin
No project is complete until it is placed in a project box (this automatically means that most of my projects are actually not completed, but never mind that).
So here we can see Arduino board with led dot-display (this is actually a twitter scroller) which was placed in a mold and polyester resin was poured into it, onto the electronics. This is a very good way of packaging electronic devices especially when we want to protect our work from copying. In that case, resin should be black and it would be very hard to get to the PCB without damaging the components. By the way, happy Friday the 13th to all of you paraskevidekatriaphobics.
Source: davidnin1
