Tindie

We’ve often written about the fabled sound chips of the past, and none is more heraded than the legendary SID chip which originally came in the Commodore 64! This particular piece is a SID Soundchip Interface, designed for the RC2014 giving rise to big low end basses, gleep-ing arpeggios and rich thick pad sounds.

The interface connects to a standard RC2014 slot and allows the Z80 to write to the registers of the SID chip. There is an interrupt generator added which can be set to generate at roughly 50/60/100Hz, in order to meet the frame rate of the Commodore 64. Send the outputted sound to your headphones or external device using the on-board stereo 3.5mm socket – though the SID outputs mono, it’ll be sent equally to both channels. Be aware that while this will make glorious chip music, there is currently no specific software available for the RC2014 to drive the interface; what better chall;enge to get great things going?!

You’ll find some things to help though, including  Z80 code on github (originally for the SAM Coupe) for emulating the C64’s CPU to play .sid song files. This SID Soundchip interface for RC2014 is designed by Quazar who sell all manner of RC2014 and ZX Spectrum Next among many others from their headquarters in Edinburgh.

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If you’ve been working with Arduino boards for any length of time, you’ve certainly come across addressable LED lighting. You might even take the ability to use them for granted. On the other hand, think back to before you ever touched an Arduino, or when you were just getting started. Addressable LED matrices may have seemed extremely cool, but also something that may have seemed out of your immediate reach.

Of course this isn’t just a matter of knowledge, but having all the bits and pieces together to support a matrix display. If you’d like to get started from scratch, or introduce someone else to the wonderful world of Arduino LED Matrix hacking, then this kit from Cohen Electronics looks like a perfect solution.

The kit includes everything you need to set up and power a matrix (sans programming computer), including an Arduino Nano, 5V, 4A power supply, connectors and of course an 8×8 WS2812B RGB LED matrix. There’s even a capacitor and a pair or resistors that are generally recommended for such lighting setups, but are often neglected.

Once you have these items in-hand, instructions are available on the Cohen Electronics website to help you set everything up. The kit looks like a great instructional tool, or even an excellent Christmas gift for those who might want to start their journey exploring the world of electronics.

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If you’re building a Eurorack modular synthesiser, you’ll know you always need more methods of creating novel voltage ramps. Using the CP7 Eurorack Mixer, you can combine and attenuate up to 7 input signals to create your own interesting and complex control shapes!

Inspired by the current electronics shortage, the CP7 arrives fully assembled and is 100% analogue! It comprises of a smart-looking solid black Eurorack compatible faceplate, a PCB circuit board, eight 3.5mm jacks, and eight attenuating knobs. There are no microcontrollers to be seen here – just the pure analogue goodness of transistors, resistors, and capacitors.

Below 50% gain, this device acts as a brilliant control voltage mixer – but where it starts to get awesome is in hearing the sweet sounds of analogue clipping as you raise the gain even further. This functionality means your sounds can be made much louder, and allows for experimentation with some gnarly analogue harmonics! The included master volume knob attenuates all of these signals at once to easily control your sound.

ATS are an independent company based out of Pennsylvania in the United States. They are relatively new to Tindie and aim to create cool electronic music products for the brilliant synth DIY community! Check out their Tindie storefront!

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The line between art and electronics can often cross over – the myriad of options at our fingertips mean that designing beautiful projects can become an important part of making, even when learning to solder! With the Cat Soldering Kit from Elkei Education, you can while away a few hours honing your soldering skills – and come out the other side with an outstanding piece of PCB art!

Snap out the parts from the beautiful immersion gold and black PCB, and get straight to assembling. This cute project lights up when it’s dark using a clever light sensing circuit, creating an unforgettable night light that you or a child can build from scratch.

Aimed at anybody over the age of eight, the meticulous design will draw everybody’s attention. Any maker would be more than proud to show off such a wonderfully designed and skillfully self-soldered project. I haven’t seen a PCB this beautiful in a long time, and I really enjoy the attention to detail that the creators have put into this product.

Elkei Education is a company selling multiple beautiful learn to solder kits on their Tindie Storefront. Based in Toowoomba, Australia, they are willing to ship worldwide. Support their brilliant designs and enhance your soldering skills by trying one out yourself!

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It’s a fairly safe assumption that if you’re reading this, you enjoy robotics to some extent. You may even be a fan of the Terminator series, or at least the machines involved. While this RoboSkull Badge from TeHyBug isn’t a Terminator badge per se, more of a Terminator with a bit of Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz thrown in, you’ll appreciate it’s fun style, and characteristic RGB blinking eyeball that evokes a bit of cinematic techno-nostalgia.

The blinking eyeball is, in fact a single RGB LED, controlled by an ATtiny13 microcontroller. Two buttons are available to adjust brightness, as well as switch between 10 standard glowing modes. A power switch is provided, but accommodations for the power source will need to be made by the user, and kept at 5V or below. Solder pads are available for reprogramming, so you can still get it to do your bidding if the available options don’t suit your style.

It was made as a light to attach to TeHyBug’s backpack so that cars could recognize someone walking along a dark road, and it certainly seems like it would do that in style. PCBs are available in red, black,and blue to suit your personal preference!

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Raspberry Pi single-board computers are truly fantastic devices, able to run Linux at a very reasonable price in one compact package. The problem, if you can call it that, is that you have to supply your own keyboard/mouse/monitor/etc for interfacing. So your $10 Pi Zero W, or now $15 Pi Zero 2 W, setup may end up costing quite a bit more.

To be fair, you’ve probably got a spare keyboard/mouse lying around, but what if you wanted to make an all-in-one setup as a sort of “Pi Game Boy?” This could be a fun project, but if you don’t want to start from scratch then check out the Zepir Mini  Computer HAT from Peter Misenko, AKA Bobricius.

The device is a clever combination of two stacked circuit boards that present the user with a compact keyboard, along with a 2″ 320×240 IPS screen and a speaker. A Raspberry Pi plugs in on the back of the boards; the combination of which is essentially a rather involved HAT, creating a miniature Linux terminal.

Misenko is quick to note that this is an experimental device, so you’ll need to do some development and hacking to get it working properly, and the keyboard is somewhat limited. However, if you’re up to the challenge, it could be a great little terminal interface that could perhaps be used to control some other experimental setup!

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Enchant your nerdiest houseguests with this beautifully modern piece of DIY tech art. The colourBoard does so much more than traditional ornaments, adding a geeky design touch to any surface, with the bonus of you being able to excalim: “I built that”!

Featuring a grid of 100 high-quality RGB or white-blue LEDs, the colourBoard is capable of creating beautiful interior light shows – with two different pattern options available. Experience the ever-relaxing smooth colour change mode, or lose yourself in the captivating analogue randomness of blinking LEDs – watch as they slowly drift into and out of sync in a gloriously chaotic pattern!

The colourBoard comes as a DIY kit, with the LEDs of your choice included, and is also possible to buy as a PCB alone. Add your favourite 5mm LEDs in the colours you love, or create a pattern with completely different colours! This project is a great way to practice your soldering skills and while away an afternoon on an outstanding optical object that will look great wherever you decide to place it.

The seller AutumnHippo is an independent company based in Kolding, Denmark, who sell a few other innovative technology products on Tindie. Their PCB projects are both exciting, and excellent soldering practice! Check out the colourBoard in action below:

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Raspberry Pi Zeros have been around for a few years now, and are capable of powering some incredible projects due to a diminutive size combined with incredible processing power. It’s no surprise that making them portable or powering them in-situ garners even greater results and so the PiSugar2, which does that, has become one of Tindie’s best-selling products!

The PiSugar2 is a mobile module which works with the Pi-Zero and Pi-Zero W/WH models with an output current of up to 2.4A. The unit can power a Pi Zero for more than four hours even at 900mAh – which is plenty enough power for an installation or performance, negating the need for any external power leads to trip over! It requires no soldering to install using the included pogo-pin connecting to the main board away from your precious GPIO – leaving them for other things. It also features timed power modes – so can be set to turn on automatically at any given time without human intervention.

It has a customisable button which can be set to carry out functions of your choosing, like switching between played back videos or sounds it might be playing – they’ve thought of everything! The PiSugar2 is sold by the imaginatively named PiSugar who are based in China, and offer a fantastic range of Raspberry Pi goodies for a number of applications.

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This cool, compact, and customisable mechanical keyboard makes a beautiful addition to any set-up. The 47 Keys RGB Keyboard gives you instant access to a board of fully-programmable LED backlit keys whether you’re gaming, working, or even controlling your home media centre!

Featuring 47 hot-swap sockets, each with individually programmable under-glow RGB LEDs, this keyboard has myriads of custom combinations to try out. Choose your favourite key switches and caps for this board, or mix and match endlessly to create the perfect keyboard for you.

It’s straightforward to use and easy to program, primarily because it doesn’t need third-party software or tooling to reprogram the lights. The 47 Key RGB Keyboard is run entirely from a Raspberry Pi Pico, and you can find the entire programming process in BlueMicros detailed documentation. 

If you’re looking for a great DIY kit, to create something that will be of a lot of use, or just to improve your surface mount soldering skills – look no further. This kit includes everything you need to get the board up and running, all the way from standoffs and screws to diodes and LEDs. It even includes a buzzer for audio feedback!

BlueMicro is an independent DIY electronics company based out of Saskatoon, Canada. They’ve been selling a lot of high-quality hardware on Tindie recently, and offer tracked shipping throughout Canada and the USA  – with standard shipping options available worldwide.

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Is the birthday of a nerdy friend coming up, and you’re stuck on what to buy them? We have the perfect answer; the Nerdy Birthday Card – DIY Version – ideal for two reasons; it’s a really fun little project to make and it negates the need for an accompanying birthday card! This modern take seeks to keep to tradition with an LED candle to blow out on the big day – as well as a digital screen to display your message with a song!

Everything you need to put it together is included, just some solder and a soldering iron required – then it’s ready for birthday time! Give the DIY kit as a gift or make it yourself and present this sweet, modern take on a card! Contact the seller for a customized message on the screen or receive a plain and simple HAPPY BIRTHDAY message by default. Regardless of the message, it’ll play happy birthday through the piezo buzzer and the sacred LED candle will illuminate ready for your wish! Please note: success of a wish may vary depending on the magnitude of the request.

Full documentation and details can be found on the sellers GitHub page. and you’ll find a youtube build guide below the writeup! This Nerdy DIY Birthday Card is made by MakeItHackin who are based in Huntsville, USA – and offer a fully made card as well as a hackable lanyard for Defcon 29.

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