Peek Inside These Same-But-Different Power Supplies
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/peek-inside-these-same-but-different-power-supplies/
When [Kerry Wong] found an Amrel PPS 35-2 Programmable Power Supply from the late 90s on eBay, he recognized it as the single-channel version of another unit he owned, the dual-channel Amrel PPS-2322. Naturally, he purchased it and did a compare and contrast of the two models.
From the outside, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/peek-inside-these-same-but-different-power-supplies/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/peek-inside-these-same-but-different-power-supplies/
When [Kerry Wong] found an Amrel PPS 35-2 Programmable Power Supply from the late 90s on eBay, he recognized it as the single-channel version of another unit he owned, the dual-channel Amrel PPS-2322. Naturally, he purchased it and did a compare and contrast of the two models.
From the outside, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/peek-inside-these-same-but-different-power-supplies/)
A Pocket-Sized Terminal for Mobile Python Hacking
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/a-pocket-sized-terminal-for-mobile-python-hacking/
Inspired by the good old days when your computer would boot directly into BASIC, [Le Roux Bodenstein] has created a handheld device he calls “DumbDumb” that can drop you into a MicroPython environment at a moment’s notice. If that doesn’t interest you, think of it this way: it’s a (relatively) …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/a-pocket-sized-terminal-for-mobile-python-hacking/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/a-pocket-sized-terminal-for-mobile-python-hacking/
Inspired by the good old days when your computer would boot directly into BASIC, [Le Roux Bodenstein] has created a handheld device he calls “DumbDumb” that can drop you into a MicroPython environment at a moment’s notice. If that doesn’t interest you, think of it this way: it’s a (relatively) …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/a-pocket-sized-terminal-for-mobile-python-hacking/)
LED Flame Illuminates the Beauty of Noise
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/led-flame-illuminates-the-beauty-of-noise/
Have you ever wrapped up a nice blinky project only to be disappointed by the predictability of the light or the color patterns? When it came to lighting this LED candle, so was [fungus amungus]. But there’s a better way, and it involves noise.
Perlin noise was created in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/led-flame-illuminates-the-beauty-of-noise/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/led-flame-illuminates-the-beauty-of-noise/
Have you ever wrapped up a nice blinky project only to be disappointed by the predictability of the light or the color patterns? When it came to lighting this LED candle, so was [fungus amungus]. But there’s a better way, and it involves noise.
Perlin noise was created in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/led-flame-illuminates-the-beauty-of-noise/)
Subterranean Uses for LIDAR: Cave Surveys
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/subterranean-uses-for-lidar-cave-surveys/
LIDAR has gained much popularity as a means for self-driving cars to survey the space around them. At their most basic, LIDAR is a surveying method that uses lasers to paints the space around the sensors and assembles the distances measured from reflected light into a digital three-dimensional representation. That’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/subterranean-uses-for-lidar-cave-surveys/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/subterranean-uses-for-lidar-cave-surveys/
LIDAR has gained much popularity as a means for self-driving cars to survey the space around them. At their most basic, LIDAR is a surveying method that uses lasers to paints the space around the sensors and assembles the distances measured from reflected light into a digital three-dimensional representation. That’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/subterranean-uses-for-lidar-cave-surveys/)
Building A Spinning Moiré Effect Lamp
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/building-a-spinning-moire-effect-lamp/
Moiré patterns are interference patterns created when grids of different size or alignment are placed over each other. You’ve probably seen these when photographing a TV screen or looking through a pair of windows screens at the same time. [ChrysN] put the effect to work with this spinning Moiré lamp …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/building-a-spinning-moire-effect-lamp/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/building-a-spinning-moire-effect-lamp/
Moiré patterns are interference patterns created when grids of different size or alignment are placed over each other. You’ve probably seen these when photographing a TV screen or looking through a pair of windows screens at the same time. [ChrysN] put the effect to work with this spinning Moiré lamp …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/28/building-a-spinning-moire-effect-lamp/)
FET based Motor Driver is Better than L298N
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/fet-based-motor-driver-is-better-than-l298n/
If you want to build a small robot with a motor, you are likely to reach for an L298N to interface your microcontroller to the motor, probably in an H-bridge configuration. [Dronebot] has used L298N chips like this many times. In the video below, he uses a TB6612FNG instead, taking …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/fet-based-motor-driver-is-better-than-l298n/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/fet-based-motor-driver-is-better-than-l298n/
If you want to build a small robot with a motor, you are likely to reach for an L298N to interface your microcontroller to the motor, probably in an H-bridge configuration. [Dronebot] has used L298N chips like this many times. In the video below, he uses a TB6612FNG instead, taking …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/fet-based-motor-driver-is-better-than-l298n/)
Analog Meter Clock Uses Parts From A Simpler Time
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/analog-meter-clock-uses-parts-from-a-simpler-time/
Clocks with hands that turn are all well and good for the common folk, but hacker types prefer something different. [Sjm4306] is one such person, and developed this analog dial clock with parts we’d almost consider retro by modern standards.
The microcontroller at the heart of the build is a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/analog-meter-clock-uses-parts-from-a-simpler-time/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/analog-meter-clock-uses-parts-from-a-simpler-time/
Clocks with hands that turn are all well and good for the common folk, but hacker types prefer something different. [Sjm4306] is one such person, and developed this analog dial clock with parts we’d almost consider retro by modern standards.
The microcontroller at the heart of the build is a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/analog-meter-clock-uses-parts-from-a-simpler-time/)
36C3: Phyphox – Using Smartphone Sensors For Physics Experiments
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/36c3-phyphox-using-smartphone-sensors-for-physics-experiments/
It’s no secret that the average smart phone today packs an abundance of gadgets fitting in your pocket, which could have easily filled a car trunk a few decades ago. We like to think about video cameras, music playing equipment, and maybe even telephones here, but let’s not ignore the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/36c3-phyphox-using-smartphone-sensors-for-physics-experiments/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/36c3-phyphox-using-smartphone-sensors-for-physics-experiments/
It’s no secret that the average smart phone today packs an abundance of gadgets fitting in your pocket, which could have easily filled a car trunk a few decades ago. We like to think about video cameras, music playing equipment, and maybe even telephones here, but let’s not ignore the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/36c3-phyphox-using-smartphone-sensors-for-physics-experiments/)
Turning Sounds from a Flute Into Sheet Music
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/turning-sounds-from-a-flute-into-sheet-music/
Composing music can be quite difficult – after all, you have to keep in mind all of the elements of musical theory, from time signature and key signature to the correct length for all of the notes. A team of students from Cornell University’s Designing with Microcontrollers class developed a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/turning-sounds-from-a-flute-into-sheet-music/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/turning-sounds-from-a-flute-into-sheet-music/
Composing music can be quite difficult – after all, you have to keep in mind all of the elements of musical theory, from time signature and key signature to the correct length for all of the notes. A team of students from Cornell University’s Designing with Microcontrollers class developed a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/turning-sounds-from-a-flute-into-sheet-music/)
36C3: Open Source is Insufficient to Solve Trust Problems in Hardware
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/36c3-open-source-is-insufficient-to-solve-trust-problems-in-hardware/
With open source software, we’ve grown accustomed to a certain level of trust that whatever we are running on our computers is what we expect it to actually be. Thanks to hashing and public key signatures in various parts in the development and deployment cycle, it’s hard for a third …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/36c3-open-source-is-insufficient-to-solve-trust-problems-in-hardware/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/36c3-open-source-is-insufficient-to-solve-trust-problems-in-hardware/
With open source software, we’ve grown accustomed to a certain level of trust that whatever we are running on our computers is what we expect it to actually be. Thanks to hashing and public key signatures in various parts in the development and deployment cycle, it’s hard for a third …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/36c3-open-source-is-insufficient-to-solve-trust-problems-in-hardware/)
Hackaday Links: December 29, 2019
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/hackaday-links-december-29-2019/
The retrocomputing crowd will go to great lengths to recreate the computers of yesteryear, and no matter which species of computer is being restored, getting it just right is a badge of honor in the community. The case and keyboard obviously playing a big part in that look, so when …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/hackaday-links-december-29-2019/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/hackaday-links-december-29-2019/
The retrocomputing crowd will go to great lengths to recreate the computers of yesteryear, and no matter which species of computer is being restored, getting it just right is a badge of honor in the community. The case and keyboard obviously playing a big part in that look, so when …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/hackaday-links-december-29-2019/)
The Smart Home Gains An Extra Dimension
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/the-smart-home-gains-an-extra-dimension/
With an ever-growing range of smart-home products available, all with their own hubs, protocols, and APIs, we see a lot of DIY projects (and commercial offerings too) which aim to provide a “single universal interface” to different devices and services. Usually, these projects allow you to control your home using …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/the-smart-home-gains-an-extra-dimension/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/the-smart-home-gains-an-extra-dimension/
With an ever-growing range of smart-home products available, all with their own hubs, protocols, and APIs, we see a lot of DIY projects (and commercial offerings too) which aim to provide a “single universal interface” to different devices and services. Usually, these projects allow you to control your home using …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/the-smart-home-gains-an-extra-dimension/)
At Three Grand A Tail Light, There’s An Opportunity For A Hacker
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/at-three-grand-a-tail-light-theres-an-opportunity-for-a-hacker/
It can be amusing sometimes, to read an incredulous reaction from outside our community to something that would be bread-and-butter in most hackerspaces. Take the sorry saga of the Cadillac XLR tail light, as reported by Jalopnik. This car was a more-expensive Corvette with a bit of lard around its …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/at-three-grand-a-tail-light-theres-an-opportunity-for-a-hacker/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/at-three-grand-a-tail-light-theres-an-opportunity-for-a-hacker/
It can be amusing sometimes, to read an incredulous reaction from outside our community to something that would be bread-and-butter in most hackerspaces. Take the sorry saga of the Cadillac XLR tail light, as reported by Jalopnik. This car was a more-expensive Corvette with a bit of lard around its …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/29/at-three-grand-a-tail-light-theres-an-opportunity-for-a-hacker/)
VGA Signal in a Browser Window, Thanks to Reverse Engineering
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/vga-signal-in-a-browser-window-thanks-to-reverse-engineering/
[Ben Cox] found some interesting USB devices on eBay. The Epiphan VGA2USB LR accepts VGA video on one end and presents it as a USB webcam-like video signal on the other. Never have to haul a VGA monitor out again? Sounds good to us! The devices are old and abandoned …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/vga-signal-in-a-browser-window-thanks-to-reverse-engineering/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/vga-signal-in-a-browser-window-thanks-to-reverse-engineering/
[Ben Cox] found some interesting USB devices on eBay. The Epiphan VGA2USB LR accepts VGA video on one end and presents it as a USB webcam-like video signal on the other. Never have to haul a VGA monitor out again? Sounds good to us! The devices are old and abandoned …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/vga-signal-in-a-browser-window-thanks-to-reverse-engineering/)
Image Sensor from Discrete Parts Delivers Glorious 1-Kilopixel Images
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/image-sensor-from-discrete-parts-delivers-glorious-1-kilopixel-images/
Chances are pretty good that you have at least one digital image sensor somewhere close to you at this moment, likely within arm’s reach. The ubiquity of digital cameras is due to how cheap these sensors have become, and how easy they are to integrate into all sorts of devices. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/image-sensor-from-discrete-parts-delivers-glorious-1-kilopixel-images/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/image-sensor-from-discrete-parts-delivers-glorious-1-kilopixel-images/
Chances are pretty good that you have at least one digital image sensor somewhere close to you at this moment, likely within arm’s reach. The ubiquity of digital cameras is due to how cheap these sensors have become, and how easy they are to integrate into all sorts of devices. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/image-sensor-from-discrete-parts-delivers-glorious-1-kilopixel-images/)
Parallel Pis for Production Programming; Cutting Minutes and Dollars Off of Assembly
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/parallel-pis-for-production-programming-cutting-minutes-and-dollars-off-of-assembly/
Assembly lines for electronics products are complicated beasts, often composed of many custom tools and fixtures. Typically a microcontroller must be programmed with firmware, and the circuit board tested before assembly into the enclosure, followed by functional testing afterwards before putting it in a box. These test platforms can be …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/parallel-pis-for-production-programming-cutting-minutes-and-dollars-off-of-assembly/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/parallel-pis-for-production-programming-cutting-minutes-and-dollars-off-of-assembly/
Assembly lines for electronics products are complicated beasts, often composed of many custom tools and fixtures. Typically a microcontroller must be programmed with firmware, and the circuit board tested before assembly into the enclosure, followed by functional testing afterwards before putting it in a box. These test platforms can be …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/parallel-pis-for-production-programming-cutting-minutes-and-dollars-off-of-assembly/)
36C3: All Wireless Stacks Are Broken
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/36c3-all-wireless-stacks-are-broken/
Your cellphone is the least secure computer that you own, and worse than that, it’s got a radio. [Jiska Classen] and her lab have been hacking on cellphones’ wireless systems for a while now, and in this talk gives an overview of the wireless vulnerabilities and attack surfaces that they …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/36c3-all-wireless-stacks-are-broken/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/36c3-all-wireless-stacks-are-broken/
Your cellphone is the least secure computer that you own, and worse than that, it’s got a radio. [Jiska Classen] and her lab have been hacking on cellphones’ wireless systems for a while now, and in this talk gives an overview of the wireless vulnerabilities and attack surfaces that they …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/36c3-all-wireless-stacks-are-broken/)
Linux Fu: Leaning Down with exec
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/linux-fu-leaning-down-with-exec/
Shell scripting is handy and with a shell like bash it is very capable, too. However, shell scripting isn’t always very efficient. Think about it. If you run grep or tr or sort to do some operation in a shell script, you are spawning a whole new process. That takes …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/linux-fu-leaning-down-with-exec/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/linux-fu-leaning-down-with-exec/
Shell scripting is handy and with a shell like bash it is very capable, too. However, shell scripting isn’t always very efficient. Think about it. If you run grep or tr or sort to do some operation in a shell script, you are spawning a whole new process. That takes …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/linux-fu-leaning-down-with-exec/)
Jeremy Cook is Living His Strandbeest Dream
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/jeremy-cook-is-living-his-strandbeest-dream/
The first thing Jeremy Cook thought when he saw a video of Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest walking across the beach was how incredible the machine looked. His second thought was that there was no way he’d ever be able to build something like that himself. It’s a feeling that most of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/jeremy-cook-is-living-his-strandbeest-dream/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/jeremy-cook-is-living-his-strandbeest-dream/
The first thing Jeremy Cook thought when he saw a video of Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest walking across the beach was how incredible the machine looked. His second thought was that there was no way he’d ever be able to build something like that himself. It’s a feeling that most of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/jeremy-cook-is-living-his-strandbeest-dream/)
Focus Stacking For Tiny Subjects
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/focus-stacking-for-tiny-subjects/
Focus stacking is a photographic technique in which multiple exposures are taken of a subject, with the focus distance set to different lengths. These images are then composited together to create a final image with a greater depth of field than is possible with a single exposure. [Peter Lin] built …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/focus-stacking-for-tiny-subjects/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/focus-stacking-for-tiny-subjects/
Focus stacking is a photographic technique in which multiple exposures are taken of a subject, with the focus distance set to different lengths. These images are then composited together to create a final image with a greater depth of field than is possible with a single exposure. [Peter Lin] built …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/focus-stacking-for-tiny-subjects/)
36C3: SIM Card Technology From A to Z
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/36c3-sim-card-technology-from-a-to-z/
SIM cards are all around us, and with the continuing growth of the Internet of Things, spawning technologies like NB-IoT, this might as well be very literal soon. But what do we really know about them, their internal structure, and their communication protocols? And by extension, their security? To shine …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/36c3-sim-card-technology-from-a-to-z/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/36c3-sim-card-technology-from-a-to-z/
SIM cards are all around us, and with the continuing growth of the Internet of Things, spawning technologies like NB-IoT, this might as well be very literal soon. But what do we really know about them, their internal structure, and their communication protocols? And by extension, their security? To shine …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/30/36c3-sim-card-technology-from-a-to-z/)