Circuit Diagram Knowledge

The library supports FAT16 formatted SD cards up to 2GB in size. 4GB FAT16 formatted SD cards might work, but is untested. Long file names are not supported. Keep you file names compliant with the old 8.3 standard. The SD card should be connected to the SPI-pins on your Arduino. Pin connections are available in the documentation in the download. [Link]

Does this sound familiar to you? After spending many hours on optimizing for speed and memory your super-duper MCU application, you can only conclude that it will not run on an Arduino board. You have built the shield (the Arduino compatible extension board) with your special I/O and you wrote most of the software, but these last functions that should add that finishing touch just don’t fit in the board’s memory. Maybe Rascal can help?

Built around a 400 MHz AT91SAM9G20 ARM9 from Atmel, the Rascal is an open source Linux board compatible with Arduino extension cards or shields. Programming the board is easy thanks to a library written in Python from Pytronics that allows easy access to peripherals and shields. The Rascal’s firmware comes with a web server that can serve as a programming interface; you can write your applications directly in a web browser connected to the Rascal board.[Link]

panStamp is an open source project created for the enthusiasts that love measuring and controlling things wirelessly. panStamps are small wireless boards specially designed to fit in low-power applications, simple to program and simple to work with. With panStamps, you can measure almost everything by simply connecting your panStamp to the sensors, placing a battery and sending wireless data from the first moment.

panStamps are suitable for any kind of project needing remote control and low-power wireless transmissions, including home automation, energy metering, weather monitoring and robot control. If you are one of these three things: a hobbyist, a professional or an end-user, you will find that panStamps provide extreme flexibility and power when creating custom wireless networks. [Link]

It’s my first post in English on this blog, just to get to the broader English crowd of the maker world. I’ll present my latest project, the fifth iteration in my quest to create a remote control for my DSLR.

There’s a night-mode, where all the LCD turns red, useful for astro-photography, when you need to be able to look at it without compromising your acquired night vision. The interface is limited to a single rotary knob you can push to validate your choices. It remains easy and intuitive to use even when it’s minus 20°C and it’s pitch black. The output is a standard 3.5mm stereo jack, you can use different cables to control different brand of DSLRs. [Link]

Simpleclock is an easy to assemble attractive 4-digit 7-segment LED display clock with temperature and alarm function. It is available in three display colors: Red, Blue and White. It comes as a kit of through-the-hole parts and can be soldered by any person with basic soldering experience. An attractive acrylic stand is included. [Link]

Plants liven up any space by adding a sense of airiness and life. That is – of course – when you don’t forget to water them, and they shrivel up and die. I am very bad at remembering to water plants. That is why I built this self-watering plant to do it for me. Using a soil sensor, and an Arduino-controlled water pump, I have created a system that will never forget to do it.

 

Instead of remembering to water my plants when the soil goes dry, I only have to remember to once and a while refill the water reservoir. In this way, I have decreased my obligation to these plants and put it off to a much later date. Perhaps further iterations of this device can be connected to a rain barrel so that I won’t even have to worry about refilling my reservoir, and the entire system can be fully automated. [Link]