Tindie

It takes a lot of effort to bring something from the past into the present. We’d all like to dust off those old retro gaming consoles hiding in closets and basements, but the second you think about hooking it up to a modern display things get tricky. Not even nostalgia can save you.

Enter SyncSlayer, a fully assembled SCART to VGA adapter that includes RCA audio and a breakout header for expansion. It includes terminal posts for Vsync, Hsync, Csync, RGB, and even left and right channels for audio.

The adapter outputs a 15Khz VGA signal, so you’ll need the correct type of monitor to support it, as this is a low refresh rate that many current monitors don’t support. That being said, it’s still a lot easier than trying to find something with a SCART input so your retro gaming nostalgia will thank you.

Keep Reading ›

There’s no denying the complexity of building something from nothing. Even the most experienced makers will look for a way to streamline the process, though, which is why things like the Power Block Arcade PCB exist.

This PCB takes out the headache when you’re distributing power to a mini-arcade built with a Raspberry Pi or another single-board computer. It has easy terminators for wire pairs or DC pigtails to make the wiring process easier.

If you’re using a 12V DC input on your arcade, the PCB also supports adjustable LM2596 DC buck converter modules commonly stocked by many electronics suppliers. Using this, the PCB essentially becomes a universal PSU hub for any of your projects that require power.

You can even stack the PCB into a multi-voltage power supply. By using the proper soldering and resistors, it can even function as a high-current USB charger. The resistors, of course, are not included.

The board breaks out switch jumpers to screw terminals as well, so you can add on/off switches into the design. The creator, RetroBuiltGames, designed this PCB after completing hundreds of mini-arcades and sought to take away the issues associated with wiring in such a small space.

Keep Reading ›

The remote is easily one of the greatest inventions of the modern age. There’s nothing quite like being able to control something from a distance, especially when you don’t feel like getting up. In their pursuit of controlling every home electronic with Raspberry Pi, BitTradeOne has created a universal remote expansion board to make the Pi into one remote to control them all.

You’ll find ten mounted switches on the board with the ability to record infrared remote control operations on the board memory. By combining this with other Raspberry Pis, it’s possible to program multiple advanced control actions like turning on your lights at specific times, as well as simple actions like turning on the TV.

Support for nine infrared light emitting diodes radially offers the ability to send signals no matter where the Pi is pointed. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to upgrade my remote.

Keep Reading ›

Whether or not you’re an avid chess player, you’ve probably seen the odd scene in a movie or TV program where a pair of competitors face each other over a board with a clock between them. If you wanted to get into the timed version of this ancient game, a variety of suitable devices are available. Few, however, have the brilliant raw electronic styling of the Game Clock from seller Omzlo.

It features a pair of 4-digit 7-segment displays to keep track of time, as well as a buzzer for audio feedback. A pair of snap-action microswitches hand off the game time to the opposing player. An ATmega328PB microcontroller along with a RTC module is used for control, and it features an XBee socket for optional wireless networking.

Everything is laid out of a black circuit board behind a piece of clear acrylic, giving it such a cool look that you may be tempted to find a justification for this gadget whether or not you play chess. If that sounds like you, the good news is that it’s open-source and can be programmed with an FTDI breakout, making it capable of alternate uses.

It can also display the current time for those times when you’re not playing board games. If, however, you only care about what time it is, you might also consider the MSP430 Nixie clock, seen here.

Keep Reading ›

For gamers and musicians alike, the Yamaha OPL chips are synonymous with lush bleeps, bright bloops, and lazerbeam zaps emanating from a pixellated galaxy. Built into Adlib and Soundblaster cards of the day, they delivered a rich and warm range of sounds in sync with classic games. Now that sound has been resurrected in the shape of the Resound OPL3 recently released on Tindie!

TexElec bring you this custom soundcard with the Yamaha OPL3 Chipset, featuring 4 channels of audio for exact FM authenticity from any PC with an 8 or 16 bit ISA slot. This is FOUR TIMES the capabilities of the OPL2 chip, which was only ever able to deliver one (mono) channel. The card comes with a 14.31818 Mhz oscillator which ensures that whatever your machine’s bus speed, you won’t have any fear of the pitch deviating from it original place.

There is no emulation in sight with the OPL3 — this is the true sound of DOS gaming in its purest form. For anyone into retro games, or an interest in true chiptunes, this sound card is a must! Find out more about it with a detailed set of “Nerdy Notes” on the product page.

Keep Reading ›

Making foley beats and “found sound” percussion is an incredibly expressive way to create music — and with the MIDI switcher from 64Pixels it can be controlled directly from your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Not only that, you can hook up a whole host of objects to interact with, to generate light shows, create sound installations and control all kinds of electro-mechanical gadgetry!

The MIDI switcher sends messages to Solenoids, DC Motors, Relays, High power LEDs and Filament Bulbs to make real-world interaction happen — all triggered by MIDI from your computer or sequencer. It comes with 8 outputs, controlled by MIDI notes, Control Changes, and Program Changes; and it’s fully configured from this custom SYSEX page.

The switching pulse can be shaped too. You can adjust the hold duration from 10ms to 16 seconds on four of the outputs using hardware PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to achieve a 1kHz signal, with the other outputs using software PWM at around 150Hz. You can expand on your experiments by linking two MIDI switchers, with the option multiply them further with a MIDI Splitter!

The MIDI Splitter from 64Pixels comes fully constructed and tested and will bring joy from the digital realm into the real world. Check out this video of the previous version to get a taste of what’s possible:

Keep Reading ›

With a grand prize of $500, plus four $100 Tindie gift cards and five $100 OSH Park gift cards, you might think it’s the prizes that get people excited about the Square Inch Project. I think some would argue the real draw is the challenge of fitting something clever onto just 1 square inch of circuit board.

The original Square Inch Project was held back in 2015 and it was a big hit. The goal was simple, but supremely devilish: create an awesome and useful project using a 1×1 inch PCB. It was a runaway success, leading to its triumphant return this year, and the results were spectacular.

Winning Designs From The Square Inch Project

The return of The Square Inch Project brought with it some truly amazing designs and very clever uses of both space and creativity. Tindarians took home a win in three categories! Here’s a look at the winners and the runner-ups:

Grand Prize: Smart Motor Driver For Robotics (Danny FR)

The grand prize went to Danny FR who created this Smart Motor Driver (SAMI) for running a micro gearmotor. The goal was to implement PID control over the motors with the corresponding RPM feedback. With all the components already on board, all you need to do is supply power and send orders via I2C.

Best Project: Hive Tracker (Drix)

The Best Project award went to the HiveTracker. This is a small, low-cost, and scalable device for sub-millimeter 3D positioning. It’s a miniaturization of the Vive Tracker by HTC. It allows for 9DoF IMU with sensor fusion. Not only is it cheaper than other 3D tracking solutions, but it can track more objects.

Best Artistic Element: Rainbow Jellyfish (ꝺeshipu)

This jellyfish design uses LEDs with matching resistors colored the same as the wires coming out of the PCB. The ground wire is the only exception, but this is common for all LEDs. Connect the device to your breadboard projects and see the signals on the pins.

Best Social Media: Purple Snowy (nwmaker)

This PurpleSnowy badge offers a fun soldering challenge, and it looks great as a pin on your clothes or backpack. The latest version also offers blinking eyes.

Best Documentation: Compact, $25 Spectrometer (Kris Winer)

Building a spectrometer for under $25 sounds like a pretty difficult project, but doing it with a 1×1 inch PCB? That’s impossible, isn’t it? Apparently not, because this project uses AMS’ new AS7265X smart spectral sensor to put you well on your way towards building a modern tricorder.

In addition to these winners, five runner-ups won $100 OSH Park gift cards:

• Compact $25 Spectrometer – Kris Winer
• Boson Frame Grabber – Greg Davill
• Rotovis-Mod1 – Zakqwy
• STM32L4 Sensor Tile – Kris Winer (Tiera Corp)
• 1 Square Inch 20msps Oscilloscope – Mark Omo

Congratulations to the winners and runner-ups!

Keep Reading ›

Soldering is one of those things that fun and easy even though to the uninitiated it appears serious and tricky. The truth is, it’s cool and the foundation of so many maker project, so why not instill these skills in the next generation while they’re young? KITS for KIDS has several different beginner soldering kits, but the UFO Alien is perhaps my favorite.

The purpose of the kit is to teach soldering skills, but it also uses an astable multivibrator instead of self-flashing LEDs for a little tech history. The 1206 components are also easy to solder for beginners, along with the 3528 LEDs.

If you’re looking for other designs, be sure to check out the full selection of soldering kits to see all the different options.

Keep Reading ›

The Hackaday Superconference is just around the corner! It’s the single greatest gathering of hardware hackers, builders, engineers, and enthusiasts this side of the solar system. The conference runs from November 2nd-4th, 2018 in beautiful Pasadena, California.

Let’s take a look at all the things in store for those who are attending. We still have a few tickets left as of this writing, but they do sell out every year, so grab yours before it’s too late. In the meantime, let’s see what’s in store!

Something For Every Engineer and Enthusiast

The Hackaday Superconference begins this year with workshops and badge hacking, along with a kick-off party at the Supplyframe headquarters on Friday, November 2nd in the evening.

Have a look at the full schedule, it’s packed with excellent talks, and a few events for you to mingle with your fellow Tindarians:

• A pad printing demo, sponsored by Tindie with limited edition Kiss Tindie badges
• A Tindie meetup & Bring-A-Hack on Saturday (November 3rd) during lunchtime. Come see some of Tindie’s products in person, check out projects from both the Tindie and Hackaday communities, and bring your own creations to show off as well!
• Several talks and workshops from Tindarians

If that’s not enough to get you pumped, then check out this year’s conference badge! The video below takes us through its epic functionality.

Seriously, this badge would demolish a desktop computer from the 1980s. It features a 320 x 240 color display, a full qwerty keyboard, and huge potential for some amazing hacks. Keep in mind that these badges are included with the cost of admission. And by attending the Supercon you find out who wins this year’s Hackaday Prize live!

In addition to numberous talks about hardware creation, there are a ton of workshops this year. There’s only four left that haven’t already sold out, those run the gambit from making weird synthesizers, to supercooling electronics and cooking with liquid nitrogen. If you’re interested, grab a workshop ticket while you’re registering for your main ticket.

We may even have some discounted tickets for Tindarians who plan on attending. Let us know if you’ll make it to this year’s Hackaday Superconference by sending us an email: hello (at) Tindie (dot) com.

Keep Reading ›

If you fancy yourself an artist, give the world of 3D drawing a try. Now, this term can have a lot of meanings, but in this instance we’re talking about drawing with materials to create physical objects. It’s like holding a 3D printer in your hand, but like a pencil and paper, what you create is a spur of the moment decision.

The 3Dsimo Mini 2 has a primary function as a filament extruder — it squeezes out molten plastic which quickly sets in the shape drawn by the artist. But the 3D pen also includes attachments with the ability to solder, burn, or cut as needed. It has automatic detection and configuration parameters when you switch between attachments, which makes it easy to use for all skill levels.

For the best experience, you’ll need to connect it to a smartphone via a Bluetooth module, which allows you to use the app. The also connects you with tutorials, templates, and even preset material profiles. Those without a smartphone can also utilize the included display to set basic material profiles.

Keep Reading ›