Tindie

The original Nintendo Gameboy was the first time we had an 8-Bit console of pocket processing power at our fingertips, paving the way fot the likes of the Game Gear, Virtual Boy, PSP, Vita, and even the Switch! With new games being (obviously) few and far between for this late 80s system, it’s amazing to know that homebrew games like The Mist are still being released!

The Mist is an 8-Bit horror game about a haunted lighthouse, in which you have to investigate the disappearence of your predessesor by solving puzzles and jumping platforms. While it is possible to play the game using an emulator, we all know the only way to experience the real thing is in a den you’ve put together under your bed or in a nearby tree-house! Joking aside, this is a tremendous achievement from the seller to create a game from scratch – with his own design, story, scripting and coding! If you do decide to buy the real thing, this snazzy blue cartridge will fit into the original DMG Gameboy, the Gameboy Pocket and the Gameboy Color.

The Mist is made by Yliader who is based in France – selling eurorack modules and homebrew GB games with accompanying shells from the coast of Brittany. Here’s a run through of the game in action:

Keep Reading ›

Circuitmess are a relatively new seller on Tindie, that make amazing STEM kits for young people and adults to learn about a wide range of electronics – from DJ mixers, to video game consoles, WIFI walkie talkies and remote control cars. Based in Croatia, they have gone from strength to strength and were recently visited by the country’s president Zoran Milanović – here he is pictured with Albert Gajšak, CircuitMess’s CEO and Co-founder:

Their products are wonderfully presented with everything you need to get started and inspired by electronics included – we’ll be giving away two of them to lucky readers – details on how to enter are below the interview. We spoke to Albert to find out more… let’s get started!

Where did your fascination with electronics start?

My father is a mechanical engineer and he was always motivating me to build and take apart electronic devices when I was a kid. The first electronic device I made was a small car with an electromotor and a switch made from Meccano blocks. I’ve got no idea where it is now!

Your products have a huge educational element, as well as being great fun in themselves. Where did the desire for this come from?

I was super bored at school. Every single day, I would go to this community hardware club after school and build stuff with other kids there. I wanted to share this love and passion for building electronics that I felt and that’s why I started CircuitMess.

We love the Jay-D portable DJ device – what made you decide to make a musical device?

We came up with a STEM-learning subscription called STEM Box in 2020. We wanted to cover different STEM topics with our products. One of those topics was music and sound synthesis.

One day, I asked a bunch of kids from a friend of mine what is it that’s related to music that excites them. Everyone said – DJ! I want to become a DJ! That’s how we came up with a DJ mixtable kit. The Jay-D has been the most satisfying product we’ve released so far!

You’ve been a Tindie seller since 2018, how has CircuitMess changed in this time?

We’ve scaled our yearly revenue from $0 to $1.3M, sold 55k devices, moved from a small city in Croatia to the capital, employed 23 people, rented a 300m2 office space, bought a pick and place line, bought a laser cutter, and three 3d printers. We take great care to design something which looks unique – I hate Green PCBs because they’re so plain and boring! We also have a designer hired that’s helping us make everything look super pretty.

Tell us how the Nibble Game Console came about – did you play video games as a kid?

Yes, I was a huge video games fan. I was actually inspired by open-source gaming projects such as Arduboy and Gamebuino and that’s how nibble came to be. Apparently, everyone loves video games and Nibble has been our best-selling product up to this day.

Did you encounter any pitfalls on the journey to where you are today? (perhaps things that ended up being good learning experiences).

I employed 13 friends when I started the business, it all crashed and burned and I had to slowly build a team of people that are fit for the job. The team I have now is amazing and I’m proud of every single one of them!

You’re able to entice both kids and big-kids to your kits – how do you ensure your products have a wide appeal?

We usually make the basic kit as simple to assemble as possible and then throw in additional functionalities and upgrade options on top of that to satisfy the hardcore fans. When we test and prototype our products we let our end-users (children) test them. We have also designed a series of test jigs for every PCB we produce which are based on Raspberry pi and have pogo pins:

What inspires you to create new things?

Constant positive feedback from kids and adults from all around the world that tell us how we made their lives better and more enjoyable with our products. My mentor and co-founder Tomislav Car was a big inspiration for me too. He founded his own company when he was 19 and grew it from 0 to 500 employees without any external capital and all by working hard and working smart for 18 years.

What’s on the horizon for CircuitMess?

We want to build more products that will appeal to an even wider audience, especially younger children and people that are afraid of a soldering iron. We now offer a subscription service where you get a new product every three months. We’re going to become the LEGO of STEM education in a few years!

Thanks to Albert and the team for speaking to us! What a great company they are!

CircuitMess x Tindie Giveaway

If you’d like to be in with a chance to win one of the two prizes, a Jay-D DJ Mixer or Nibble Game Console, do one (or all) of the following:

Facebook

1. Like the CircuitMess Facebook Page and Tindie Facebook Page.
2. Comment on the CircuitMess x Tindie Giveaway post on the Tindie Facebook page and tell us which prize you’d like and why. Tag @theCircuitMess and use the hashtag #CircuitMessTindie in your comment.

Instagram

1. Follow @thecircuitmess and @tindie on Instagram.
2. Comment on the CircuitMess x Tindie Giveaway post on the @tindie profile and tell us which prize you’d like and why. Include the hashtag #CircuitMessTindie and tag @thecircuitmess in your comment.

Twitter

1. Follow @circuitmess and @tindie on Twitter.
2. Reply to the CircuitMess x Tindie Giveaway post on the @tindie profile and tell us which prize you’d like and why. Include the hashtag #CircuitMessTindie and tag @circuitmess.

The closing date for entries until 11:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, giving you just under one week to enter!

This Giveaway is open to anyone over 18, or over 13 with parental consent. The Giveaway is open to residents of the US, Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Japan, India, South Africa, and most other countries where the Giveaway is not prohibited or restricted by law.

Two winners will be selected at random from all the valid entries on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The winners will be announced on Monday, 16 May 2022 and contacted via DM by the official Tindie account.

Read the Full CircuitMess x Tindie Giveaway Official Rules to check your eligibility before entering.

– Good luck!

Keep Reading ›

The Roland TR-808 is one of the most, if not THE most coveted and heralded drum machines of all time. Here’s a great opportunity to build your very own authentic 808 in Eurorack form with the ER-808 Drum Machine PCB and Panel. The kit contains a front panel and set of PCBs to get you off the mark, putting you on an epic path to a soldering and sound adventure!

The entire unit is composed of 14 individual modules which plug into a common bus PCB. The drum machine has a built in sequencer and is driven by a PIC Microcontroller – with two button variations; one with capacitive touch panels and another with push buttons to program the beat! This advanced build comes with 15 high-quality PCBs, a programmed PIC microcontroller and 1 front panel only – requiring you to source the components in order to build the modules. Here’s what a finished build looks like in profile:

The seller has provided build instructions and BOMs to make sure you are supported along the way. The ER-808 is sold by PM Foundations who are based in Lakeland Florida, offering a small selection of modualr kits and eurorack builds for your setup.

See the unit in action here, with more videos on the seller’s youtube channel:

Keep Reading ›

Perhaps, like me, your first experience of DSP was recording your voice into an Apple Mac Performa 400 (or similar) about 30 years ago (or less), listening back in hysterical tears at the pitched up or slowed down versions of your own voice! Today, the same effect can be achieved on a device like the Voice Changer, turning your voice into a squeaky high pitched squirrel or the low tones of a Darth-Vader impersonator at the touch of a button!

The device has an on-board microphone to take the input signal and switch between three pitch modes: Kylo, Alvin, and Cthulu – it also has a bypass mode for a normal voice. Who do you want to be today? It’s powered by USB or 2x AA batteries, so it’s great for taking around with you, It uses an ESP32 μcontroller to do a Fourier transform to convert the incoming frequencies into something entirely new – there’s also a sound level indicator to display where the volume levels are coming in at.

The voice changer is sold by TurboLEDz who are based in Vancouver, Canada – offering a nice range of meters displays, and processors for various tech projects. Here’s a video of the unit in action:

Keep Reading ›

In most robotics projects, there’s an age-old conundrum. Do you pick the motors or the motor controller first? Sometimes the project requirements make the decision for you, but in lieu of that, you’re left with a “chicken or the egg first” type of problem.

That is, unless, you’ve found the perfect DC motor controller with a huge range of motors that will work with it with no problem! Enter, the Dual motor controller from Island Robotics. At a price point that would make any robotics enthusiast drool, and flexibility in spades, it is perfect for your next project or just to keep on hand for any spur-of-the-moment build.

This dual motor controller gives you flexibility in input power between screw terminals or XT30 connectors, and a buffet of motor connector options like JST, screw terminals, or even 6 pin motor connections to allow for encoder feedback. The board is able to handle 5-18V and up to 4.5A for each motor, and with a built-in closed loop speed control feature, it’s the perfect companion for just about any brushed DC motors out there. And as the cherry on top, the board is controlled over I2C, and already has a microPython library written by the creators themselves, so integrating it with your favorite microcontroller or microprocessor is a breeze!

If you’re looking for more lovingly crafted robotics components, be sure to keep an eye on the Island Robotics storefront. They’ve already got other wonderful add-ons like these ultrasonic sensor PCB mounts which would make object avoidance in your next robot build that much easier.

Keep Reading ›

Making visuals from music is very much en vogue at the moment, and what could be better than an 8-Bit Atari-inspired visual style?! Now you can achieve your lofi aesthetic dreams with the VID PIX – 8bit Animation Video Console Kit – generating pixel perfect interpretations of any sound you play into it!

Buy the relevant module for your region (PAL and NTSC available) and plug into the RCA out from a TV or monitor to see your gloriously generated glitches! Control the units sensitivity, auto/manual modes, color/patterns, gate/trigger input voltage and more to customize the audio-reactive-ultra-pixellated visual feedback! Choose from 2 menu modes – by selecting the Digital Diamond or PixelMusic3000 inspired visuals (the latter features classic game characters) and the glitch mode, which alters the amount of pixels and visual fragments on screen.

This is the console kit version which is fully programmable to code your own visual display unit – visit their Github page for more details on this! In case you want to see what the kit comprises of, you’ll find all the components on the available BOM.

The VID PIX is sold by Synthrotek who are based in Troy, in the United States of America. Check out their store for more incredible electronics! Here is the unit in action:

Keep Reading ›

The BBC Micro:Bit is a highly programmable device which is the perfect introduction to programming software and hardware. For those that want to use theirs for making music the Micro:bit Piano Mini Piano Module is an ideal accessory, coming with a capacitive touch sensor to trigger 13 musical notes!

In addition tothe buttons, LED light display, sensors, and I/O features, this keyboard allows you to play notes and hear them emitted from the on-board buzzer. It also has 4 RGB LEDs (WS2812B) which, presumably, can be programmed to represent any parameters you choose – for example indicating notes being on/off, showing how many notes are currently held, and possibly a little step sequencer?! There’s more info on the sellers GitHub page as well as json files to download and get playing.

You’ll find more information in the product Documentation page, with details on setting up and programming the device for playing music! Connect the musical keyboard using its edge connector and link multiple devices for polyphonic playback or jams with friends. The best place to start your programming journey is on the Micro:Bit makecode page!

It’s sold by SB Components a prolific seller from Halesowen in England, offering a vast selection of electronic accessories and glorious gadgets.

Keep Reading ›

When the Raspberry Pi Pico arrived last year, many folks immediately saw the potential for their favorite platform to be used in much smaller and more portable projects. And though the board doesn’t require any screens or keyboards, some projects need a display and interface option that’s just as small and mighty as the Pico itself. Enter, this wonderful 1.28 inch Round LCD HAT for Raspberry Pi Pico that is so much more than just an LCD screen!

The 1.28″ wide LCD screen has a 240×240 resolution and circular display, adding polish to any wearable project, and with 65,000 RGB options for each pixel, the customization options are endless. Add on top of that, the four-direction joystick with push-button capability just below the screen, and you’ve got yourself an interactive display on the same scale as the Pico itself.

Custom-made to fit perfectly on the pins of the Raspberry Pi Pico, this HAT runs on 3.3V and uses the Pico’s SPI pins to communicate with the LCD screen, while the joystick uses 5 of the other GPIO pins, all documented on the seller’s webpage for setup and use, making it easy as pie to integrate it into your next project.

The LCD display is sold by SB Components, based in Halesowen, England. Be sure to check out their store page filled with other great HATs for your next project!

Keep Reading ›

Whether in a matrix, ring, or “other” format, addressable LEDs shine in a wide range of colors to add something extra special to any project. The LumosRing, by Bradán Lane STUDIO uses 240 LEDs to form a 4-band ring, along with another 70 LEDs for two 5×7 blocks in the middle–a total of 310 individual lights. As shown in the video, the ring can be used as a clock, a chess timer, metronome, or just about anything else you can picture.

The device is programmed in CircuitPython, and runs on an ESP32-S2 with a handy USB-C port for power and programming. Since it’s using CircuitPython, reprogramming is a matter of modifying code on a text editor and saving it in memory, and several examples are available on the project’s GitLab page. The ESP32-S2 also means it’s WiFi-capable, opening up a wide range of control possibilities.

Despite the hundreds of LEDs onboard, the square device is small enough to hold between your thumb and index finger. Options include a black acrylic faceplate that LEDs can shine thought, along with arcade buttons for fast and furious timing action. It looks like a lot of fun, and something that’s bound to produce all kinds of ideas for how to use it!

Keep Reading ›

The Raspberry Pi is the biggest selling computer of all time for good reason – it’s portability, price, and power appeal alongside its versatility! This 64 LED 4x4x4 LED Cube for Raspberry Pi Pico (Red) is a superb example of the type of project you can simply put together, for a number of different projects – or to just expand your knowledge.

This 64 LED cube comes fully assembled and is powered by the dinky Raspberry Pi Pico – operating on 5V of DC voltage. It’s designed to perform illuminating functions for a range of products, with low energy consumption and simple installation for anyone to get going. More details on the device are available on the sellers Github page – and three vibrant colors are available (this particular product comes in red). It could be used as a music visualiser, a tabletop light show, or as an educational tool to understand how a 3D matrix operates. Once you’ve mastered how this 64 LED Cube works, it’s easy to upscale the concept to much bigger LED cubes, which work on the same principle.

The 64 LED Cube is sold by SB Components who are based in Halesowen, England – selling all manner of electronic accessories, kits and project expansions. Check out ther stor and keep your eyes open for later models in the series!

Keep Reading ›