Tindie

We’ve all been there: you’ve got a simple task you’d like to do with your microcontroller, and need an LED or ten to indicate that things are working correctly. You should use a current limiting resistor to keep from burning out LEDs prematurely, but this means selecting the proper resistor and soldering or breadboarding things into place. This is often neglected if you’re just doing a quick prototype, but it’s hard to shake that nagging feeling that you’ve broken the rules a bit.

For an easy solution to this tiny problem, seller Radomir Dopieralski offers the Rainbow Jellyfish Kit. This lovable design comes with a jellyfish shaped PCB “head,” which is adorned with LEDs in a variety of colors, along with the proper resistors and probe tentacles that hang down to plug into a breadboard.

While not explicitly advertised as such, it could make a nice learn-to-solder/SMD challenge device. It’s handy for its intended purpose, but it will also look nice adorning your garage or workspace, perhaps the end of a fan pull-cord!

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There’s no denying the power and convenience of open-source software and hardware provides. Bringing these type of technology into your project can only speed things up and also elevate it to the next level. That’s exactly what this Digital Signage Infrared Development Kit seeks to do.

By leveraging open-source hardware and software provided by Iridoid, this kit is a complete infrared remote control transmitter, receiver, IR extension, and enclosure compatible with Raspberry Pi. It speeds up your digital signage development process by reducing the time-to-market.

Digital Signage developers will find a complete open-source infrared remote control solution with IR extension cables, enclosure, and an IR transceiver. In addition to Raspberry Pi and Raspbian, it also works with LIRC.

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Let’s be honest, the Game Boy is the best handheld gaming system ever made. Sure, there have been some solid successors, but the Game Boy will always be the king of portable gaming. This is why so many makers create emulators and devices that seek to harness this golden age of gaming.

The Gaboze Pocaio is one such device. You may be wondering where the name came from, it’s actually an acronym:

• Game
• Boy
• Zero
• Pocket
• All
• In
• One

This device features a 2.4″ TFT LCD screen with 60 FPS display, a classic Game Boy button layout, battery charger, headphone jack, and speaker capability. The board has been tested with Emulation Station, Lakka, and RetroPie.

In addition to this board and screen, you’ll need a Raspberry Pi Zero W, a LiPo battery, a micro SD card, and a Game Boy Pocket Shell to complete the package. Once you’re all set up, you’ll have a stylish and capable arcade that fits in your pocket!

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The Hackaday Superconference is the greatest gathering of hardware hackers, builders, engineers and enthusiasts in the world, and takes place in Pasadena, CA from November 2-4 (2018). Besides a variety of activities, workshops, and talks, the price of admission also covers food during the day, as well as access to “Party Day One” on—you guessed it—the first day of the conference, November 2nd at Supplyframe HQ. On top of that, you get a custom electronic badge that you can cherish forever!

The specific speakers and talks for the conference are currently undecided as the Call for Proposals is still open. This means that you could be one of the speakers. We do know that talks and workshops will fall under the overarching theme of hardware creation—lessons learned, techniques, engineering heroics, or anything that could somehow be entertaining to a hacking audience. So, exactly in line with the Tindarian audience. Don’t be afraid to send in a proposal; those selected to speak get free admission, and even if you don’t, you’ll still get tickets for half off the normal price!

To see what you missed last year, check out this Hackaday.com writeup, or if you need more convincing, here’s Hackaday’s announcement for this year’s event. The playlist of talks from last year is embedded below.

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When you take your first steps on the road to becoming a maker, one of the first skills you’ll need to master is soldering. It’s the backbone of just about every electronics project, but it’s not an easy skill to master. Don’t let the fear stop you, soldering opens up a lot of DIY projects for you.

With the I Can Solder Badge, you’ll not only learn the basics, but you’ll also have proof to show the world. This badge project is unique in that it also teaches you about circuits and includes a switch to save the battery power.

Included in the kit is a purple PCB manufactured in the USA by OSH Park, an RGB LED, a resistor, a switch, and a battery holder for the CR2032. Keep in mind that you’ll need to purchase the battery yourself as it cannot be mailed out with the kit due to USPS guidelines.

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August is in full swing, meaning that Tindarians are cleaning out space on workbenches worldwide to make room for Halloween projects.* While some previously-valuable electronics will sadly end up in landfills, other electronic detritus may make it to the Tindie Flea Market. Let’s see what’s on tap this month:

^{*Is this true? I don’t know. Let’s be honest though, your bench could use a nice tidying up once in a while.}

Linear Actuator/Stage

If you need to precisely position something for a CNC machine or other robotics application, this stage is described as “very rigid,” and is driven by a NEMA17 stepper motor. Looks like a great device for the right application.

5V Input ==> Lower Voltage Output

Yes, you might be able to run a component on 5V even though it says something different, but you really shouldn’t. This device, Texas Instruments part number PTH05050WAH, converts a 5 V input to an output between 0.8 V and 3.6 V at an efficiency up to 95%!

3D Printer Width Sensor Kit

If you’re worried about the variation in your 3D printing filament, this kit measures its diameter, allowing you to set up your printer to adjust accordingly. Note that the sensor itself is only included in some of the options.

Russian Vacuum Fluorescent Display

There is not a whole lot of info on these devices, with a product description that notes: “This was produced in USSR for use in some sort of electronic devices.” It displays 4 digits, as well as some Russian text, and could make a great prop for a retro-futuristic themed hack.

Tah: BLE Arduino-Compatible Dongle

Tah is a dongle that can plug into your computer or other system with a USB port to act as an HID. It’s Arduino-compatible, and since you can link it up with a smartphone, it opens up all kinds of control possibilities!

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Strobe lights are used in everything from photography, to haunted houses, and in both cases, they have an amazing effect on our perception of time. Harold “Doc” Edgerton was an American electrical engineer who created high-speed photography techniques by developing and improving strobes to seemingly freeze objects in time and space.

His “Piddler” machine used a stroboscopic technique that made water droplets appear as if they were levitating or even flowing backward. This is the inspiration behind the Time Fountain from jolliFactory.

This Time Fountain DIY Kit gives you the basic building blocks you need to build a small and portable version of this concept. An Arduino Nano or compatible microcontroller is required, but not included in the kit.

A few add-ons are also offered, including the main panel fit, enclosure, and an Arduino Nano clone microcontroller pre-loaded with the JF Time Fountain program. Detailed instructions are also available on Instructables.

Prepare to be amazed as you watch this fountain in action below!

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LoRa® technology is a major player in the Internet of Things (IoT) world. This long range, lower power wireless platform is ideal for building massive networks that span huge distances. The DRAGINO LoRaST IoT module is a small wireless transceiver module that allows you to deploy industrial level LoRA and IoT solutions.

The wireless aspect of this device is based on SX1276/SX1278, which allows the user to send data across massive distances at low data-rates. It can provide a long-range spread spectrum of communication with high interference protection and minimal power consumption.

A device like this could be used for things like irrigation systems, smartphone detection, distributed sensor networks, and plenty of other IoT and automation projects. Since this is an open-source product, users can program the IoT module via USART1, USART2, or STLINK. Stock firmware supports LoRaWAN 1.0.2, but the user can also use AT Command to interface with their project directly.

The flexibility of this device and the power of LoRa technology make this an excellent component for all of your IoT projects.

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While I don’t have the best eyesight, I’ve met people who can see something move in the distance with insane levels of accuracy. Even if you’re someone with eagle eyes, an infrared sensor will always beat out human eyes for motion detection.

This Passive Infrared Motion Sensor utilizes a 3-pin PIR sensor to detect both people and animals from up to 20 feet away. You can configure the device for timing and enable or disable repeat signaling. It also features automatic induction, photosensitive control, and temperature compensation to achieve maximum performance in a variety of settings. By adjusting the distance and delay potentiometers clockwise or counter-clockwise, you can even customize the sensing distance and induction delay to suit your needs.

It does require a board, but it’s compatible with many of the boards in the BurgessWorld Custom Electronics store, or with most microcontrollers, including Arduino boards.

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Logic probes are used to test the logical states of a digital circuit. LEDs are used to indicate things like a high or low logic state, which helps makers troubleshoot issues. This simple version of a programmable logic probe takes out any complicated switches or settings and boils the concept down to a useful and easy device.

Once power is supplied, the probe can display logic high with a green LED, logic low with a red LED, and Hi-Z with a yellow indicator. Separately, a white LED indicates an edge transition, and a combination of yellow and white LEDs show high-frequency signals.

The probe includes the bootloader that works through the probe tip and is built around Atmel ATtiny45. You can update the firmware with a USB to UART adapter, so there’s no need to disassemble it to perform updates. Python scripts for generating update files are included as well.

When you power it on, the probe displays white on both LEDs for two reasons: to self-test and verify that all LEDs are functioning, and to show the bootloader is listening for a commands.

You can power the probe from 3.3 V or a 5 V supply. Reverse voltage project is included as well.

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