Hacked Calipers Make Automated Measurements a Breeze
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/hacked-calipers-make-automated-measurements-a-breeze/
Now, digital calipers with wired interfaces to capture the current reading are nothing new. But the good ones are expensive, and really, where’s the fun in plugging a $75 cable into a computer? So when [Max Holliday] was asked to trick out some calipers for automating data capture, he had …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/hacked-calipers-make-automated-measurements-a-breeze/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/hacked-calipers-make-automated-measurements-a-breeze/
Now, digital calipers with wired interfaces to capture the current reading are nothing new. But the good ones are expensive, and really, where’s the fun in plugging a $75 cable into a computer? So when [Max Holliday] was asked to trick out some calipers for automating data capture, he had …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/hacked-calipers-make-automated-measurements-a-breeze/)
MIDI-Gurdy, MIDI-Gurdy, MIDI-Gurdy Man
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/midi-gurdy-midi-gurdy-midi-gurdy-man/
The hurdy gurdy is the perfect musical instrument. It’s an instrument with a crank, and a mechanical wonderment of drone strings and weird chromatic keyboards. No other musical instrument combines the sweet drone of bagpipes with the aural experience of an eight-year-old attempting to play Hot Cross Buns on a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/midi-gurdy-midi-gurdy-midi-gurdy-man/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/midi-gurdy-midi-gurdy-midi-gurdy-man/
The hurdy gurdy is the perfect musical instrument. It’s an instrument with a crank, and a mechanical wonderment of drone strings and weird chromatic keyboards. No other musical instrument combines the sweet drone of bagpipes with the aural experience of an eight-year-old attempting to play Hot Cross Buns on a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/midi-gurdy-midi-gurdy-midi-gurdy-man/)
Sprucing Up A Bell & Howell Model 34 Oscilloscope
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/sprucing-up-a-bell-howell-model-34-oscilloscope/
We’ll admit it, in an era when you can get a four channel digital storage oscilloscope with protocol decoding for a few hundred bucks, it can be hard not to see the appeal of analog CRT scopes from decades past. Sure they’re heavy, harder to use, and less capable, but …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/sprucing-up-a-bell-howell-model-34-oscilloscope/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/sprucing-up-a-bell-howell-model-34-oscilloscope/
We’ll admit it, in an era when you can get a four channel digital storage oscilloscope with protocol decoding for a few hundred bucks, it can be hard not to see the appeal of analog CRT scopes from decades past. Sure they’re heavy, harder to use, and less capable, but …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/sprucing-up-a-bell-howell-model-34-oscilloscope/)
Understanding Elliptic Curve Cryptography And Embedded Security
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/understanding-elliptic-curve-cryptography-and-embedded-security/
We all know the usual jokes about the ‘S’ in ‘IoT’ standing for ‘Security’. It’s hardly a secret that security in embedded, networked devices (‘IoT devices’) is all too often a last-minute task that gets left to whichever intern was unfortunate enough to walk first into the office that day. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/understanding-elliptic-curve-cryptography-and-embedded-security/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/understanding-elliptic-curve-cryptography-and-embedded-security/
We all know the usual jokes about the ‘S’ in ‘IoT’ standing for ‘Security’. It’s hardly a secret that security in embedded, networked devices (‘IoT devices’) is all too often a last-minute task that gets left to whichever intern was unfortunate enough to walk first into the office that day. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/understanding-elliptic-curve-cryptography-and-embedded-security/)
Raspberry Pi Catches The Early Bird
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/raspberry-pi-catches-the-early-bird/
If you live in an area with high bird activity, setting up a bird feeder and watching some hungry little fellows visit you can be a nice and relaxing pastime. Throw in a Raspberry Pi with some sensors and it can also be the beginning of your next IoT project, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/raspberry-pi-catches-the-early-bird/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/raspberry-pi-catches-the-early-bird/
If you live in an area with high bird activity, setting up a bird feeder and watching some hungry little fellows visit you can be a nice and relaxing pastime. Throw in a Raspberry Pi with some sensors and it can also be the beginning of your next IoT project, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/04/raspberry-pi-catches-the-early-bird/)
How Not To Get Paid for Open Source Work
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/how-not-to-get-paid-for-open-source-work/
[Avi Press] recently made a Medium post sharing his thoughts on a failed effort to allow for paid users of an open source project. [Avi] is the author of Toodles, a tool to help organize and manage TODO items in software development. Toodles enjoyed unexpected popularity, and some of its …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/how-not-to-get-paid-for-open-source-work/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/how-not-to-get-paid-for-open-source-work/
[Avi Press] recently made a Medium post sharing his thoughts on a failed effort to allow for paid users of an open source project. [Avi] is the author of Toodles, a tool to help organize and manage TODO items in software development. Toodles enjoyed unexpected popularity, and some of its …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/how-not-to-get-paid-for-open-source-work/)
Salty? Tip Canister to Rage Quit Games
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/salty-tip-canister-to-rage-quit-games/
Do you long for a more pronounced way to rage quit video games? Smashing buttons comes naturally, of course, but this hurts the controller or keyboard. You can quit your longing, because [Insert Controller Here] has an elegant solution that’s worth its salt.
The Salty Rage Quit Controller is simple. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/salty-tip-canister-to-rage-quit-games/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/salty-tip-canister-to-rage-quit-games/
Do you long for a more pronounced way to rage quit video games? Smashing buttons comes naturally, of course, but this hurts the controller or keyboard. You can quit your longing, because [Insert Controller Here] has an elegant solution that’s worth its salt.
The Salty Rage Quit Controller is simple. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/salty-tip-canister-to-rage-quit-games/)
Project Egress: Casting the Hatch Handle
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/project-egress-casting-the-hatch-handle/
Every door needs a handle, even – especially – the door of a spaceship. And [Paul] from “Paul’s Garage” got the nod to fabricate the handle for the Apollo 11 Command Module hatch being built as part of Project Egress.
For those not familiar with Project Egress, it’s a celebration …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/project-egress-casting-the-hatch-handle/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/project-egress-casting-the-hatch-handle/
Every door needs a handle, even – especially – the door of a spaceship. And [Paul] from “Paul’s Garage” got the nod to fabricate the handle for the Apollo 11 Command Module hatch being built as part of Project Egress.
For those not familiar with Project Egress, it’s a celebration …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/project-egress-casting-the-hatch-handle/)
Fly a Pi On Your Next Model Rocket
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/fly-a-pi-on-your-next-model-rocket/
From time to time, we see electronics projects for model rocket instrumentation. Those who have been involved in the hobby for many years may remember when 8-bit microcontrollers like the PIC16F84 were the kind of hardware you might fly on a mission. These days, however, there’s little reason not to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/fly-a-pi-on-your-next-model-rocket/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/fly-a-pi-on-your-next-model-rocket/
From time to time, we see electronics projects for model rocket instrumentation. Those who have been involved in the hobby for many years may remember when 8-bit microcontrollers like the PIC16F84 were the kind of hardware you might fly on a mission. These days, however, there’s little reason not to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/fly-a-pi-on-your-next-model-rocket/)
Building A Smart Speaker From Scratch
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/building-a-smart-speaker-from-scratch/
Smart speakers have proliferated since their initial launch earlier this decade. The devices combine voice recognition and assistant functionality with a foreboding sense that paying corporations for the privilege of having your conversations eavesdropped upon could come back to bite one day. For this reason, [Yihui] is attempting to build …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/building-a-smart-speaker-from-scratch/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/building-a-smart-speaker-from-scratch/
Smart speakers have proliferated since their initial launch earlier this decade. The devices combine voice recognition and assistant functionality with a foreboding sense that paying corporations for the privilege of having your conversations eavesdropped upon could come back to bite one day. For this reason, [Yihui] is attempting to build …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/building-a-smart-speaker-from-scratch/)
How To Turn A Chainsaw Into A Chopsaw
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/how-to-turn-a-chainsaw-into-a-chopsaw/
If you’re doing a lot of metal working, a chop saw is a great tool to have. It’s an easy and quick way to do a lot of neat, clean accurate cuts. [Making Stuff] wanted to do just that, but didn’t have a chop saw lying around. Instead, an old …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/how-to-turn-a-chainsaw-into-a-chopsaw/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/how-to-turn-a-chainsaw-into-a-chopsaw/
If you’re doing a lot of metal working, a chop saw is a great tool to have. It’s an easy and quick way to do a lot of neat, clean accurate cuts. [Making Stuff] wanted to do just that, but didn’t have a chop saw lying around. Instead, an old …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/how-to-turn-a-chainsaw-into-a-chopsaw/)
Bringing FPGA Development To The Masses
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/bringing-fpga-development-to-the-masses/
The Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is one of the most exciting tools in the modern hacker’s arsenal. If you can master the FPGA, you can create hardware devices that not only morph and change based on your current needs, but can power through repetitive tasks at phenomenal rates. The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/bringing-fpga-development-to-the-masses/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/bringing-fpga-development-to-the-masses/
The Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is one of the most exciting tools in the modern hacker’s arsenal. If you can master the FPGA, you can create hardware devices that not only morph and change based on your current needs, but can power through repetitive tasks at phenomenal rates. The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/bringing-fpga-development-to-the-masses/)
An Arduino Sickbay Display Worthy Of The Enterprise
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/an-arduino-sickbay-display-worthy-of-the-enterprise/
The various displays and interfaces in Star Trek, especially The Original Series, were intentionally designed to be obtuse and overly complex so they would appear futuristic to the audience. If you can figure out how Sulu was able to fly the Enterprise with an array of unlabeled buttons and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/an-arduino-sickbay-display-worthy-of-the-enterprise/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/an-arduino-sickbay-display-worthy-of-the-enterprise/
The various displays and interfaces in Star Trek, especially The Original Series, were intentionally designed to be obtuse and overly complex so they would appear futuristic to the audience. If you can figure out how Sulu was able to fly the Enterprise with an array of unlabeled buttons and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/05/an-arduino-sickbay-display-worthy-of-the-enterprise/)
Safely Measuring Single And Three-Phase Power
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/safely-measuring-single-and-three-phase-power/
There are many reasons why one would want to measure voltage and current in a project, some applications requiring one to measure mains and even three-phase voltage to analyze the characteristics of a device under test, or in a production environment. This led [Michael Klopfer] at the University of California, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/safely-measuring-single-and-three-phase-power/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/safely-measuring-single-and-three-phase-power/
There are many reasons why one would want to measure voltage and current in a project, some applications requiring one to measure mains and even three-phase voltage to analyze the characteristics of a device under test, or in a production environment. This led [Michael Klopfer] at the University of California, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/safely-measuring-single-and-three-phase-power/)
This Chiptune Player’s Got What Nintendon’t
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/this-chiptune-players-got-what-nintendont/
When it comes to chiptunes, the original Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy get all the accolades. The OPL synths have all the fun. But there’s another chip out there in dusty old machines that is at least as interesting with a repertoire at least as influential as the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/this-chiptune-players-got-what-nintendont/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/this-chiptune-players-got-what-nintendont/
When it comes to chiptunes, the original Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy get all the accolades. The OPL synths have all the fun. But there’s another chip out there in dusty old machines that is at least as interesting with a repertoire at least as influential as the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/this-chiptune-players-got-what-nintendont/)
3D Printed Buttons, Printed as a Single Unit
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/3d-printed-buttons-printed-as-a-single-unit/
These nifty buttons come from [Marc Schömann], and they are intended to cover just about any kind of tact switches. The buttons, their cover, and the compliant bits that act as a spring can be 3D printed as a complete unit that requires no assembly, and can be used fresh …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/3d-printed-buttons-printed-as-a-single-unit/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/3d-printed-buttons-printed-as-a-single-unit/
These nifty buttons come from [Marc Schömann], and they are intended to cover just about any kind of tact switches. The buttons, their cover, and the compliant bits that act as a spring can be 3D printed as a complete unit that requires no assembly, and can be used fresh …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/3d-printed-buttons-printed-as-a-single-unit/)
Guitar Made from Noodles Glows in the Dark
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/guitar-made-from-noodles-glows-in-the-dark/
Wood. Specifically, certain types of tone woods; woods that impart a certain tone. That’s what guitars are made of. And occasionally, plastic, or metal, or fibreglass or, well, anything. [_forwardaudio_] built his out of noodles, because, why not?
Well, not completely out of noodles. Epoxy is used to give some …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/guitar-made-from-noodles-glows-in-the-dark/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/guitar-made-from-noodles-glows-in-the-dark/
Wood. Specifically, certain types of tone woods; woods that impart a certain tone. That’s what guitars are made of. And occasionally, plastic, or metal, or fibreglass or, well, anything. [_forwardaudio_] built his out of noodles, because, why not?
Well, not completely out of noodles. Epoxy is used to give some …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/guitar-made-from-noodles-glows-in-the-dark/)
Phase Shift Pump Control? There’s an App for That.
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/phase-shift-pump-control-theres-an-app-for-that/
The sort of pumps used in the filtration systems of fountains and swimming pools don’t take kindly to running dry. So putting such a pump on a simple timer to run while you’re away comes with a certain level of risk: if the pump runs out of water while you’re …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/phase-shift-pump-control-theres-an-app-for-that/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/phase-shift-pump-control-theres-an-app-for-that/
The sort of pumps used in the filtration systems of fountains and swimming pools don’t take kindly to running dry. So putting such a pump on a simple timer to run while you’re away comes with a certain level of risk: if the pump runs out of water while you’re …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/phase-shift-pump-control-theres-an-app-for-that/)
Earthquake Detection on a Chip
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/earthquake-detection-on-a-chip/
If you’ve ever been in an earthquake you’d assume it would be pretty easy to detect one. If things are shaking, there’s an earthquake. In reality, though, a lot of things can shake a sensitive instrument that is detecting shaking, so — for example — mechanical sensors will produce a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/earthquake-detection-on-a-chip/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/earthquake-detection-on-a-chip/
If you’ve ever been in an earthquake you’d assume it would be pretty easy to detect one. If things are shaking, there’s an earthquake. In reality, though, a lot of things can shake a sensitive instrument that is detecting shaking, so — for example — mechanical sensors will produce a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/earthquake-detection-on-a-chip/)
Midiboy, The Portable Gaming Console With MIDI
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/midiboy-the-portable-gaming-console-with-midi/
The ArduBoy is a tiny little gaming console that’s also extremely simple. It’s only a small, cheap, monochrome OLED display, a microcontroller with Arduino-derived firmware, and a few buttons. That’s it, but with these simple ingredients the community around the ArduBoy has created a viable gaming platform. It has cartridges …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/midiboy-the-portable-gaming-console-with-midi/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/midiboy-the-portable-gaming-console-with-midi/
The ArduBoy is a tiny little gaming console that’s also extremely simple. It’s only a small, cheap, monochrome OLED display, a microcontroller with Arduino-derived firmware, and a few buttons. That’s it, but with these simple ingredients the community around the ArduBoy has created a viable gaming platform. It has cartridges …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/06/midiboy-the-portable-gaming-console-with-midi/)