Marking PCBs has evolved, it seems, from showing where components go, with a version number and information on the designer, to an art form all in itself. If you’re looking for a great way to celebrate this pursuit and/or retro computing, then look no further than the Retro Computer Circuit Board Charm Set by Happy Hardware.
This happy little trio consists of a 3.5″ floppy PCB, along with a slightly larger than life-sized mouse, and a desktop computer that would look appropriate for 1995 or so. Each item comes in green with a white silk screen, and includes a lobster claw style clasp for easy attachment to your garments or other to-be-adorned items. The largest of these charms is 27mm x 27mm, and are lead-free.
If that doesn’t make you happy enough, Happy Hardware has a variety of other 80s/90s retro computing/electronics jewelry PCBs, so it’s worth poking around on the store. Notably their set of two broken heart charm PCBs are nice, and come in an appropriate red solder mask and white silk screen. While it’s too late for Valentine’s day 2022, you could always order a set now to prepare for 2023!
Of course, while such art is fun and entertaining, there is no actual circuit involved. So are these items truly circuit boards? Does a tree that falls in the woods that no one hears make a sound? Feel free to let us know what you think on Twitter @Tindie!
Valentines day is nearly upon us and what better way to woo, reaffirm or state your love for someone than this beautiful Valentines Heart.
This lovely heart is powered on the reverse by a common 3V coin cell and although the LED’s appear animated, they are simply flashing LED’s and don’t use a separate microcontroller. The result is a pleasing display that gently flickers and pulses, rounded off with this years date making this a lovely token.
If you want to go one step further, rather wonderfully, Ardutronic has also created an instructable on how this badge was made. Creating a template simply in MS Paint and loading the resulting bitmap into Eagle, the instructable walks you through purchasing the bill of materials and even a quick guide on how to solder the project together.
Whilst you might need to buy the pre-assembled version in time for this year, we hope perhaps this project might help you on your way to creating your own romantic electronics for next year! We look forward to seeing them in your Tindie store.
This heart beats like no other. From the human heart you would expect a steady beat at a consistent pitch. Wired Heart is an audio synthesizer that goes out of its way to take a different approach.
This battery-powered synth has six sensors for detecting touch and humidity, with each sensor controlling the pitch of an oscillator. There’s a ton of ways to alter the sound. Pressing harder or softer, and trying it with sweat on your hands or dry palms will all have a different effect. You can even press multiple sensors at once to create cross modulations. Wired Heart works by using two master oscillators which each control secondary oscillators.
There are even extension ports for adding extra electronics. The kit includes 3 LEDs, 3 LDRs and a potentiometer, allowing you to make the oscillators react to light. Further extensions are only limited only by your own imagination and parts bin.
Trust me, you’ve never heard a heartbeat like this, but once you do, you may not be able to get it out of your head.
It’s the most heart-themed day of the year: Valentine’s day. Whether you planned ahead, or you find yourself unprepared to bestow an appropriate gift on that special someone, it’s never to late to give a gift — or to treat yourself to one!
Here’s a look at some of the unique gear found on Tindie that will help you tell that special someone you love them. Pro-tip: If you did forget to secure a great gift, order now, give your loved one a picture of the kit and apologize for delayed shipping. You can relive the holiday once your package does arrive!
Heart-Shaped Led Chaser Kit
Everything is better with blinking LEDs! This heart features an array of 10 little lights that chase each other around a heart-shaped PCB. There are lots of uses for this little ornament, whether as a piece of jewelry or attached to a bouquet of roses. It uses a 555 timer and a decade counter to make the blinky lights go round and round.
Heart Gears
This “steampunk and sciency” heart-gear assembly is set up to turn its different lobes, deforming the heart until it finally returns to form when turned enough. This gift would make a great last-minute option, as it can also be 3D-printed based on files found here.
Solar Blinking Heart Does It With No Battery
LED chasers are nice, but if you’d like to forgo the battery, this heart pendant takes care of things via solar power. It can even function via indoor lighting due to its ultra low power design!
Heart-Rate Break Breakout
What says hearts/Valentine’s Day more than a pulse oximeter and heart-rate breakout board? This device lets you obtain this data and pass it to a microcontroller via I2C, letting you devise your own heart-based gift using only a few wires!
I Heart Tech T-Shirt
This “I HEART TECH” shirt shows off your passion for tech in a red t-shirt emblazoned with a golden heart-shaped circuit board. Foil glasses are, of course, optional.
Double Heart Blinky LED Kit
Let’s be honest, Valentine’s day (and every day) for hackers is all about blinking lights. This blinky solder kit is by far the most involved on this list, and features 85 LEDs arranged in a hearts/arrow pattern, all powered by an STC12C5A60S2 microcontroller. This gives it the ability to produce 15 animations, and even has a buzzer for playing your sweetheart’s favorite tunes!
Don’t have that special someone in your life right now? You could always buy one of these items in anticipation so you’ll be ready when the time comes, or simply get one for yourself, a family member, or a pet. While Fido might not act like he appreciates wearing a blinking badge around his neck, we’re sure he doesn’t mean it. If this type of thing does look interesting, but you didn’t see quite what you’re looking for, we have even more stuff available with a search for the term “heart”.
If you’re often engrossed in making interesting projects for your own entertainment, it’s understandable if you forget holidays once in a while. So, to put the word out, Valentine’s day is coming up on February 14th, less than a month away.
For something that combines your love of technology with this special holiday, the Heart: Wearable Blinky-Board Soldering Skills Kit meshes the two into a fun badge that blinks two LEDs back and forth when the lights dim. It uses a CR2032 battery for power, and a pair of transistors and capacitors, along with few resistors and an LDR for control. It’s a great little blinky badge that makes for fun soldering practice with several different types of components that are spread out enough to keep things fun and not frustrating.
Check it out blinking away with several similar badges in the video below:
This would also be a great take on the homemade gift from kids to mom or dad, making something interesting, while learning a little bit about electronics at the same time! If you’d like one of the other shapes featured here, they’re available on the Kevin Wright – Makerbytes store.
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