Tindie

I’d venture to guess that a large number of Tindie sellers and customers like to document their projects, electronic or otherwise, for fame and “Internet glory.” Unfortunately, this means taking your hands off of whatever you’re working on to take a photo of it.

For a good “in action” shot, you’ll need to use a timer, somehow manipulate your camera and workpiece with one hand each, or have a dedicated photographer available. There are alternatives of course, and I personally use a voice-controlled GoPro Hero5 for most of my project documentation. Though I initially thought I’d never use that control feature, and it sometimes acts “hard of hearing,” it’s actually been extremely useful.

No way to get this shot without some setup.

This type of camera does have its limits though. I wouldn’t want to depend on voice commands for a critical shot, and though the GoPro is great for documenting generally, it’s not the best option for really precise shot control.

For this, you really want a DSLR. With a wide variety of lenses, mounts, and settings, there is really nothing better for photo documentation. But preparing your DSLR so it’s easy to use is key. Use the tripod-mount on the camera to set it up where you’re working so it’s ready and waiting for the right moment. The last piece of the puzzle is a shutter release. If you’re working with your hands, a foot pedal shutter release like this one means excellent in-action shots are only a foot tap away! As noted, this model can be customized to fit your particular camera.

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Perhaps you’ve been hearing over and over about how the ESP8266 module is such a great device, with its 80 MHz processor and built-in WiFi, but just haven’t quite taken the leap into using one. Getting started with this module is a bit more complicated than getting started with, say, an Arduino Uno. That’s because the modules leave the user to work out power supply, pin settings to enter programming mode, and a serial connection to the computer. All of this can be solved with a development board, such as the WEMOS D1 Mini Pro, or the WEMOS D1 Mini. You can learn more about both in the video below. You’ll be up and running quickly, with convenient access to IO pins to build out the rest of the hardware for your project.

Once you’ve built a project around one of these board, you’ll need some place to put it. Choosing a module made your development process easier, and picking up an enclosure built specifically for that module will do the same. Add a little refinement to your design with this WEMOS D1 mini Pro enclosure from Exo_Square. Functionality-wise, it allows access to headers, as well as the reset button and USB connection. And the top attaches using threaded inserts so it will not wear out from frequent removal.

Exo_Square notes that if you prefer the less powerful standard WEMOS D1 Mini, the USB connector there is slightly shifted when compared to the pro, so that connection will be tight. However, if you do need to accommodate the standard D1 Mini, the model can be adjusted upon request, and he’s even planning to offer the standard version as a separate product in the future.

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Perhaps you remember playing with a secret decoder ring from a box of cereal as a kid, encoding notes to be passed around the classroom, or having a secret password for your treehouse. As fun as that might have been at the time, few of us could predict how many passwords we’d need to remember as adults to access various online portals.

One very bad alternative is to use the same password on every site you visit, or you could write them down somewhere, use an online password manager, or perhaps even make up a naming rule based on the website itself. These all have their pros and cons, but what if you were to revive the secret decoder ring concept for password use?

Well, now you can, with the RiNGminder™ from Russtopia Labs. This set of rings has the alphabet printed on each one, along with a random character next to it. All you do is dial in the website’s name, and input the letter/character combination below to form the first part of your password. The other part can be a word repeated for each website, meaning strong security, while only remembering one word.

It’s a brilliant concept, and if you have two sets of matched rings (just request this in the notes when ordering) you could even use them to encrypt messages! For another similar concept, you may remember Russtopia’s key fob password generator that I blogged about last year!

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If you want to make some sort of electronic jewelry, there are many options. Something small like an Arduino Nano or Adafruit Trinket would generally fit the bill, but then you need to find somewhere to fit sensors, LEDs, a power source, and whatever other interesting components you decide to add.

For a simple solution, to this challenge, Relabs has come up with the LightMini. The 30 x 30 mm board features an ATtiny85 processor for control, and has a built-in connector for a coin cell battery. It comes with either 4 or 6 programmable LEDs for display purposes, and can be outfitted with a photoresistor or thermoresistor, allowing the device to react to its environment.

The device can be ordered with firmware already loaded, but you can program it as an ATtiny85, using an Arduino as an ISP (in-system programmer). Information on this technique can be found in this high-low tech article, which is great information for programming an ATtiny in any situation. If you only need a limited number of I/O, at a very low price, having a few “tiny” microcontrollers in your toolbox is a great option!

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When you’re prototyping electronics, there’s a good chance you’re working with through hole components, where the leads are literally pushed through a hole to solder. On the other hand, there’s an entire separate world of components out there known as surface-mount devices, or SMD. Alternatively, the “D” can be swapped out for “T” to mean surface-mount technology, referring to the process of making these boards. The terms, however, are more or less used interchangeably.

Semantics aside, what we do know is that adding these little buggers into your design by hand requires patience and coordination, both of which we could all use a little more of. On the other hand, some technology is only available in this format, and using these components can help you save board space. Because of this, you may be forced to break out your fine-tipped iron, tweezers, and perhaps even magnifying instruments, and go to work. The video below will give you some clue as to what you’ll be up against:

Though the video makes the process look approachable, this isn’t presenter Collin Cunningham’s first try at soldering! For a bit of help through the process, a manual pick and place tool like the ezPick Manual Pick and Place Tool found here could be very helpful. It allows you to pick up the components with a vacuum head, rotate them as needed, then place them on your board. According to the item’s writeup:

ezPick transformed a laborious awkward task into a joyful simple task, always resulting in BIG smiles and a precisely assembled board that rivals the big guys.

Though I can’t guarantee that you’ll be smiling every time when using this, it sounds like it’s at least worth checking out!

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When you’re prototyping something on a breadboard, usually the last thing on your mind is making it look finished, and there’s a huge risk of wires getting pulled out when unattended. To some extent that’s just part of the process, though perhaps you’d be wise to take a picture of your design before putting it away. At least that would give you a better chance of putting it back together.

On the other hand, why don’t we have enclosures that are meant to hold a development board, while at the same time protecting the breadboard that holds all of the accessory pieces? It’s a good question, and as you might suspect, the enclosure pictured here presents an answer beyond putting it in a dedicated drawer—or perhaps a cardboard box!

Yes, this enclosure is large enough to fit an Arduino Uno next to a standard solderless breadboard, measuring 8.5cm x 5.5cm. Importantly, it features an acrylic body with a clear lid, allowing you to see what’s going on inside, even when closed. Though it won’t protect your project from every danger, at least it stands more of a chance when stored or even used in this form!

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It may not be the most glamorous or exciting part of an electronics project, but your device will need some sort of a power supply. In fact, there’s a good chance that you’ll either need a 3.3 or 5.5 V source of power, which is easy to obtain… Just go to your local retailer of fine electronics, and ask them for the needed 3.3 or 5V battery.

Oh, that’s right, there’s no such thing.* You could wire 2 AA batteries together in series for 3V, or 3 for a close enough 4.5V, but do you really want your project dependent on a voltage source that may or may not be adequate? One solution would be a DC-DC converter, either a boost converter if you need more voltage, or a buck converter to step it down.

Alternatively, this dual regulated power supply lets you input between 6.5 and 12V DC, and magically produces both 3.3 and 5V supplies via a pair of voltage regulators. This means that you can use a standard 9V battery with your project. The device even includes a 9V connector if that’s what you choose.

*Yes, I know, you could use a rechargeable USB power supply for 5V, though I’m not sure where you can get a portable 3.3V supply. Feel free to ping me over the head on Twitter with any obvious solutions I’m missing!

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As you might suspect, pretty much all the people who preuses Tindie (and of course those who sell products on Tindie) are engineering-minded. Deservedly or not, a reputation for putting functionality above all else is often attributed to this mindset. Personally I take a lot of pride in being able to make machinery look great too. This is mostly a function of using high-quality components and wiring methods, both of which contribute to the health and ease of maintenance for a machine. But let’s face it, if you build something that works and looks great, it’s a much more satisfying experience when you show it off to people.

When making things at home, however, many of us put the emphasis is on getting something to work, just to prove that we could. The robot or mechanism is then forgotten about, recycled into another contraption, or simply discarded. Sure, this kind of build brings the maker a lot of satisfaction, but why not take it the extra mile and give some thought to how it looks to those that aren’t enthralled with circuit boards and gear trains?

While this concept could be applied to all kinds of projects, if you happen to build one of these RobotGeek hexapods, this interesting 3D-printed shell makes it look like an ant. It’s a fun enhancement in itself, and could be improved even further with an excellent paint job. Sure, a decorative exterior isn’t for every project, but something to consider if you want it to resonate with everyone!

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Like most of us, you need to keep track of time. There are many ways to do this, from traditional dial clocks, to digital clocks (or phones), to all kinds of iterations in between. It seems that makers never give up on the idea of new and interesting clock designs, so here’s a new one that combines digital and analog in an interesting way.

Instead of using LEDs to form a rough set of numbers, or perhaps some sort of binary display, 180 LEDs are used to display the time, 60 for seconds, another 60 for minutes, and a third set of 60 for hours (that increment every 12 minutes). The design, which was originally Robert Gill’s senior electrical engineering project, manages to control these, along with “PM,” and “Alarm” LEDs, using an 18-pin microcontroller. The project went so well he kept it going and now offers it as a product in his Tindie store.

The clock keeps accurate time using the 50 or 60 Hz sine wave that comes from the power grid, not an RTC or other means that you might suspect. Although not a common method in today’s technology, it’s a trick as old as (electronic) time which is explained in this Hackaday blurb.

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So, as you might have heard, Tindie recently hit product listing #10,000, which is awesome. On the other hand, what is actually being sold here? Well, I’m glad you asked, because here are the top five products by the number of sales in the last 12 months!

#5 Mooltipass Mini Offline Password Keeper

So you visit websites that need a password. Sure, you could use the same password for every site, but then if one is compromised, your other data is now at risk. For something that combines offline security with the ability to automatically enter passwords, the Mooltipass Mini connects to your computer or smart device, and features a removable smart card for data storage.

#4 RN2483 Breakout (Bare Board)

If you’d like to work with LoRaWAN, this board will help you break out the RN2483 and RN2903 LoRa transceivers from Microchip. All of the GPIO pins are available, as well as serial pins for your hacking needs!

#3 Pi Camera HDMI Cable Extension

The Raspberry Pi camera is useful for many things, however, if you want to use it away from the Pi itself, the ribbon cable used makes things difficult. This camera extension adapts the standard ribbon cable to HDMI use, allowing it to be positioned well away from your processor.

#2 I2C Soil Moisture Sensor

Does being a good hacker and gardener generally go together? Anecdotally, I’ll say “no,” however, I don’t think it’s a matter of not knowing what to do, it’s more a matter of procrastination. Apparently I’m not the only one that feels this way, as this soil moisture/light/temperature sensor has sold over 5000 units!

#1 I Can Solder Badge v1

And finally, for the #1 item on Tindie, may I present the I Can Solder badge. The kit that includes the components needed (not including the iron or solder) to solder an LED light to a coin cell battery into a badge. Given that over 7000 of these badges have been ordered, it seems there’s a huge market for educational/STEM products!

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