Electronics
Table of Contents
Projects
Here are some details about some of my projects. I have recorded random thoughts, status, features and brief descriptions.
To Build
- White Noise (2 transistor)
- Envelope Generator
- Frequency Counter
Bathroom Night Light
Turning on the bathroom light at night wakes others with bedrooms on the hallway. I decided to make a lower light device to illuminate the bathroom.
- Mini PIR
- Adjustable delay from when motion has stopped being detected
- Use up some sample LED strip
- Status: Juryrigged / Stalled. Stuck some LED strip to the top of a plugpack and stuck it in the powerpoint.
Magnetic Stir Plate
Yeast will do it's job without agitation, however, agitation and introduction of air into solution help yeast grow and multiply more rapidly.
- Really, no, really-really simple.
- Variable regulator on an old DSE kit board "Universal Power Supply"
- Status: Completed
- Gallery
Dummy Load
I want something to load test power supplies up to 50W. This also includes using the unit at work to test that wall warts and power supplies we import are up to claimed specs.
- See EEVBlog
- Use low Rds on Automotive FET
- Use up some 1R Al. clad resistors
- Add nice shrouded banana sockets
- Create set of test leads - 5.5x2.5mm DC to Bananna etc. for testing power supplies.
- Leave open & mount on a big heatsink or box it?
- Status: In progress 2011-08-15.
- Gallery
1 for 4 Trigger
This circuit is designed to exhibit XOR behavior to trigger sound modules. The sound modules "playing" status LED is hijacked as an interrupt so that no more sounds can be triggered until playback is finished. They were supposed to be used in an interactive display.
- 4 buttons, xor behaviour with 'busy' feedback interrupt (hook all outputs back through AND gates)
- Debounce buttons with Schmitt triggered inverter 40106
- Need 4027 and 4030
- Look at price of ITead or Seeeds PCB Fusion.
- Status: Design Completed, Abandoned.
- Gallery
10 Way LED Lamp Demo Strip (Completed)
This circuit is designed as an interactive demonstation (and test bed) for LED downlights which we import at work. The display will cycle through 10 MR16 sockets fitted with each model of downlight attracting attention. The customer can stop the cycle and dim the downlights (via voltage or PWM) and can also manually advance the sequence to select a particular downlight. Having both PWM and voltage dimming allows us to evaluate the downlights performance and compatibility with existing (halogen) installations.
- PWM Dimming, 555 driven
- Voltage Setting (Dimming)
- Rotate between 10 downlights in a cycle
- Variable step speed
- Manual step advancing / pause
- 40106 debounce
- 4017 decade counter, 555 clocking it
- Cheap 8A darlingtons
- Should have submitted it to the 555 contest =P
- Status: Completed. Running In-Store.
- Gallery
Ferment Controller
- LPT Interface, drive other modules through ULN2803
- Modular design
- Dual Triac boards with zero crossing control (MOC3041)
- 4 Channel
- Python controlled
- Gallery
- Status: Completed, Abandoned. No fricken PCs have LPT ports any more! (Will probably redevelop using a uC)
- Gallery
TG Watchdog
The TG watchdog has been designed to be a versatile IO device allowing a PC to interact with the real world. The primary use for the TG watchdog is looking after routers. The TG watchdog is put inline with the routers power supply and can use this as a power source.
- RS232 Connection (Aim for USB CDC later when I get it working)
- Serial CLI based
- Take power from +5 inside PC direct or from either of the two relay inputs
- Monitor temperature
- Design in some SMD devices to learn about them
- Don't use really tiny SMD, hand solder
- Use it to learn Assembler
Video Distribution Amp
I built this amp from a Dick Smith kit for the TV display at work (Dick Smith at the Time). The DVD players and set top boxes don't have the guts to drive more than a few screens through standard RCA splitters.
- 1 in 8 out
- Status: Completed
433 Meg Wireless Stuff
- Wireless Temperature Sensors
- PIC Notes
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/micahdowty/3215138248/
- http://cdselectronics.com/Kits/radcont.htm
OWFS (One Wire File System)
http://owfs.org/
Needs the following so you can use owfs and owpython:
- libtool
- automake
- autoconf
- fuse-devel
- swig
- python-devel
1 Wire Serial Interface
http://martybugs.net/electronics/tempsensor/hardware.cgi
1 Wire Stuff
Nixie Tubes
http://www.tube-tester.com/sites/nixi.../nixie-tubes.htm
Nixie tube stuff - very interesting.
Nixie Tube Pad Generator for Eagle
Serial IO
http://www.rentron.com/PIC16F84.htm
USB IO
- http://www.schmalzhaus.com/UBW/index.html
- http://www.oceancontrols.com.au/communications/sfe/USB_Bit_Whacker.htm
- http://www.ftdichip.com/Products/FT2232H.htm
- http://australia.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=retrieveTfg&Ne=4294960308&Nr=AND(avl%3aau%2csearchDiscon_au%3aN)&Ns=stockPolicy_au|1||new_au|1&N=4294832602+4294857444+4294702372+4294705817&method=retrieveTfg&multiselectParam=4294832602%204294857444&multiselectParam=4294832602%204294857444&selectAttribute=USB%20converter#breadCrumb
PIC Stuff
- http://www.micahcarrick.com/04-25-2005/pic-c-programming-linux.html
- http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1408
- http://picprojects.org.uk/projects/rgb/
Built my own take on this one it's great.
PICC with Piklab
- Had to install PICC with MPLAB
- Had to move the PICC folder out of Program Files so it is in a path that has no spaces (wine freaks out for some reason)
- Had to symlink the picc.exe and libr,exe to picc and libr because there may be a bug in Piklab
Random
- http://dangerousprototypes.com/2010/09/30/prototype-web-platform-v1-1/
- Geek Shirts http://www.zazzle.com/classic_555_timer_chip_schematic_circuit_tshirt-235193027808469926
- Solar AP with SLA http://www.voltsxamps.com/?p=532
- http://www.teds.com.au/canon-eos-5d-mark-ii/w1/i5353394/