tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84340733042355374932024-03-13T20:27:15.101+01:00HuB's blogpersonal blog of Martin HubáčekMartin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-53600978086801182472017-05-09T13:05:00.002+02:002017-05-09T13:07:15.546+02:00BigClown Open-Source Home AutomationExperienced electronics group of Jablotron spin-off created easy to start <a href="http://bigclown.com/">home automation modules</a>.<br />
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Wireless, low power, open-source software and hardware, clean and well documented SDK (Win, maOS, Linux) and many examples.<br />
They have many example projects which will help you to start with BigClown.<br />
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1443/0540/products/Product_WebPhotos_Core_Module_600x382.png?v=1481317598" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1443/0540/products/Product_WebPhotos_Core_Module_600x382.png?v=1481317598" width="320" /></a></div>
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Take a look at<br />
<a href="http://bigclown.com/">http://bigclown.com</a><br />
<a href="https://github.com/bigclownlabs/">https://github.com/bigclownlabs/</a><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXUr0buQZvM/WRGh0GngpMI/AAAAAAABJ4g/DNU-li-W36Y_QWSxIQJgfVmApt98pHxdACLcB/s1600/Logo%2BBigClown-Avatar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXUr0buQZvM/WRGh0GngpMI/AAAAAAABJ4g/DNU-li-W36Y_QWSxIQJgfVmApt98pHxdACLcB/s200/Logo%2BBigClown-Avatar.png" width="153" /></a></div>
<br />Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-42605111682031339902015-10-23T12:54:00.000+02:002015-10-23T12:54:17.770+02:00Bare-metal smallest STM32 assembly program<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;">loop:<br /> ADD R0, R0, #1<br />b loop</span></span> <br />
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I wanted to play with GCC assembler and linker. That's why I created really small and simple examples of code. It just increments register R0 but blinking LED example is on the way! So let's go to the <a href="http://www.martinhubacek.cz/arm/arm-cortex-bare-metal-assembly/stm32f0-cortex-m0-bare-metal-assembly">bare-metal world of ARM assembly with GCC</a>.<br />
<br />Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-16085429518291681072015-04-29T21:16:00.001+02:002015-04-29T21:16:01.864+02:00Laptop LVDS LCD hacking with FPGA #2<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BldAWWNUepo" width="480"></iframe>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-67474452650510511232012-06-10T23:30:00.001+02:002012-06-10T23:31:19.263+02:00Simple DIY SMD part storage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2198455/blogImages/DSC_0167.JPg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2198455/blogImages/DSC_0167.JPg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was thinking last week how to improve storage of my SMD parts. In my first SMD projects I used different parts in each of project. So I had one box for every project with the parts.<br />
Last week I found that I have 4 packs of 100nF capacitors across all my boxes. This time I realized that the time has come and I have to put some effort to organize my parts.<br />
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In the same time, dangerousprototypes <a href="http://dangerousprototypes.com/2012/06/07/workshop-video-parts-we-stock-and-part-storage/">published a post with some ideas</a> how to store you parts. There were some interesting ideas but none of them was perfect for me.<br />
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I don't have SMD parts on reels (yet) and I wanted to fit as much parts as possible to the small area. And here's my solution:<br />
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I wanted to create something like this organizer:<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/SMD-Organizer-Chip-Resistor-Capacitor-Enclosure-Carrier-/14/%21C%21Q%21W3%21%21Wk%7E$%28KGrHqJ,%21jgEzsBc4OpkBNCN5SJ0+Q%7E%7E_35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/SMD-Organizer-Chip-Resistor-Capacitor-Enclosure-Carrier-/14/%21C%21Q%21W3%21%21Wk%7E$%28KGrHqJ,%21jgEzsBc4OpkBNCN5SJ0+Q%7E%7E_35.JPG" /></a></div>
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I have lot of transparent A4 paper organizers like in the above picture but not with shelves for SMD strips. I had to make them somehow. I looked over the internet and I haven't the right kind of wire to generate the heat to create the shelves.</div>
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So I took the 0,25W through hole 1 Ohm resistor, pumped some serious current through it and started to experiment. The 1,7 A seemed to do the right job. IF you burn too much, you create holes and the plastic organizer gets weaker. So the best solution is to make small dots and leave some space between them. To make nicer organizers I printed template with lines on A4 paper to help me guide the dots. I can fit 11 different SMD parts in cutted strips in one A4 organizer.</div>
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The best marking of shelves is done with coloured post-it stripes. You can easily relocate them to different place if you need to. If you leave the top of the post-it little bit outside over the edge, you can put SMD strips inside much more easilly.</div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/108501288829330154737/albums/5752467257118430369?authkey=CJbwosTZn_GlZw">The whole image gallery is here.</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-36712112965352265382012-04-22T12:35:00.000+02:002012-04-22T12:35:06.698+02:00Universal menu library for MCUs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSQDjAnUzOU/TyXCCYRI54I/AAAAAAAAU8g/7spnRot_FWU/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSQDjAnUzOU/TyXCCYRI54I/AAAAAAAAU8g/7spnRot_FWU/s200/DSC_0064.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
I did a small cleaning in my menu routines and I was thinking, that it would be nice, if somone else could use it. Here it is! It's <b>platform </b>and <b>lcd hardware</b> <b>independend</b>. You have to define names of your own LCD routines in menu.h (lcdClear(), lcdString(str, x, y)).<br>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">Features:</span></b><br>
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<li><b>Tested on AVRs ( incl. Arduino ) and ARMs</b></li>
<li><b>more after break... </b></li>
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<a href="http://blog.martinhubacek.cz/2012/04/universal-menu-library-for-mcus.html#more">Read more »</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-71351113365322679332012-04-22T12:27:00.003+02:002012-04-22T12:27:30.652+02:00microCommander update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSQDjAnUzOU/TyXCCYRI54I/AAAAAAAAU8g/7spnRot_FWU/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSQDjAnUzOU/TyXCCYRI54I/AAAAAAAAU8g/7spnRot_FWU/s200/DSC_0064.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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MicroCommander is fully funcional, only the logger functionality is missing but SD routines works. You can get KiCAD files and source code on the<a href="http://www.martinhubacek.cz/arm/microcmd"> microCommander project page</a><br />
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Right now I'm adding IR transmitter support, it already works with my Genius 5.1 speakers.Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-6628675470025738602012-01-30T07:37:00.001+01:002012-01-30T07:40:00.027+01:00microCmd/LM3S5632 boards assembled Just a little update on my play-board. The three pieces of board are manufactured, one soldered. Now I'm bringing device's peripherals to life. More pictures inside the post. Of course there are few mistakes from my side:<br>
<a href="http://blog.martinhubacek.cz/2012/01/microcmdlm3s5632-boards-assembled.html#more">Read more »</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-41948273908095866562011-12-31T00:49:00.001+01:002011-12-31T00:50:20.324+01:00New pocket ARM LM3S battery device in developmentYou didn't miss anything. I was doing different sort of stuff last months instead of electronics.<br>
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Now I'm back in "business". Ordered few LM3S5632 chips and that forced me to create really small layout for this ARM MCU with interesting peripherals:<br>
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<a href="http://blog.martinhubacek.cz/2011/12/new-pocket-arm-lm3s-battery-device-in.html#more">Read more »</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-15967560415232582932011-09-13T19:20:00.000+02:002011-09-13T19:20:46.817+02:00IR code soundcard software decoder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ostan.cz/IR_protocol_analyzer/ir_protocol_analyzer_screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://ostan.cz/IR_protocol_analyzer/ir_protocol_analyzer_screenshot.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
If you need to analyse IR signals of your infra red remotes and you don't have oscilloscope - try this windows application. You record the signal from your soundcard and the software shows you the waveform, decodes the signal. It supports RC5, SIRP, NEC, Panasonic. Code is open and the app is written in Delphi<br />
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<a href="http://ostan.cz/IR_protocol_analyzer/">http://ostan.cz/IR_protocol_analyzer/</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-71809374621780890242011-06-19T23:53:00.000+02:002011-06-19T23:53:29.230+02:00Store and show your schematics online with CircuitBee<iframe class="circuitbee_embedded_viewer" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://c.circuitbee.com/build/r/schematic-embed.html?id=0000000007" width="500"></iframe><br />
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This service allows you to upload (for now only) KiCAD schematics file with libraries and embed them in your site/blog with zooming a panning. The creator of this web said that in the future we would create schematics in his online tool. That's what I'm waiting for years! I would like to have my electronics suite package in the cloud, always latest version and finally with all public libraries shared and instantaneously prepared for use.<br />
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<a href="http://www.circuitbee.com/">http://www.circuitbee.com</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-6309241058507165542011-06-15T02:38:00.000+02:002011-06-15T02:38:48.607+02:00USB HID rotary encoder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3SuwyzkYFI4/Tff_BEQaYlI/AAAAAAAAUcg/O1YY7vQXOkE/s1600/5834074107_292bd4d4db_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3SuwyzkYFI4/Tff_BEQaYlI/AAAAAAAAUcg/O1YY7vQXOkE/s320/5834074107_292bd4d4db_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I collected information and code of my older project. You can connect the rotary encoder to the USB and scroll with it in the menus. It's only a proof-of-concept. Take inspiration but don't take the exactly same code :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.martinhubacek.cz/electronics/usb-rotary-encoder">http://www.martinhubacek.cz/electronics/usb-rotary-encoder</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-63875313471147408292011-06-15T01:30:00.000+02:002011-06-15T01:30:06.196+02:00Interesting PIC constructions by Nicholas Sirirakbut the information on that page is useful also for developers with another platforms. There's something about Xbees, 9bit UART, RTC clock DS1307, Light dimmer.. and a lot of other useful informations and projects.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pic_examples.byethost3.com/">http://www.pic_examples.byethost3.com/</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-7358103231283492672011-06-14T19:25:00.000+02:002011-06-14T19:25:52.891+02:00RIGOL and other thingsThings are getting to move! I finished my Engineer degree, so now I hope in plenty of free time during holidays.<br />
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The RIGOL scope also arrived, so I hooked almost everything to it and studied all possible signals around me :)<br />
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Now I'm creating decoder of infrared protocol. I started this project because of need to turn on the HTPC with my infrared remote control. But after the basics I was thinking that maybe I can add support for another protocols, make the PC start impulse programmable, send infrared codes to the computer over UART, handle and program long button press, add support for different crystals and clock speeds.... :)<br />
<a href="http://www.martinhubacek.cz/electronics/ir-remote-control-decoder">http://www.martinhubacek.cz/electronics/ir-remote-control-decoder</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-25058141533467582742011-04-25T20:35:00.000+02:002011-04-25T20:35:50.493+02:00Interesting tutorials with ENC28J60 and AVRs<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="162" src="http://circuits.datasheetdir.com/367/ENC28J60-pinout.jpg" width="200" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>On <a href="http://we.easyelectronics.ru/tag/enc28j60/">this Russian site</a> ( <a href="http://translate.google.cz/translate?hl=cs&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwe.easyelectronics.ru%2Ftag%2Fenc28j60%2F">Google translator</a> ) are nice series of tutorials covering basic interfacing ENC28j60 controller and some software stuff with AVR. They talk about packets, their confirmation and lots of other interesting stuff.Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-61154063030905473032011-04-22T23:15:00.000+02:002011-04-22T23:15:59.899+02:00Nice USB communiction explanation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.usbmadesimple.co.uk/ums_g_heading.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://www.usbmadesimple.co.uk/ums_g_heading.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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I've hit very nice explanation of how USB works. There are many articles but <a href="http://www.usbmadesimple.co.uk/">this one is well treated</a>.<br />
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I'm also <a href="http://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb1.shtml">giving</a> out my other favourite site about USB.Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-73973757113650147202011-04-21T20:26:00.000+02:002011-04-21T20:26:09.258+02:00Design your PCB in 3D and find how it fits into the enclosure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UPPd8Iu2M0Q/TbAteCrgl9I/AAAAAAAAUYI/Ja6R5oST8OE/s1600/top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UPPd8Iu2M0Q/TbAteCrgl9I/AAAAAAAAUYI/Ja6R5oST8OE/s400/top.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
I was playing with <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">SketchUp</a> freeware 3D modeller from Google. I wanted to do a simple sketch to visualize some mounting concept with LCD and another board.<br>
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<a href="http://blog.martinhubacek.cz/2011/04/design-your-pcb-in-3d-and-find-how-it.html#more">Read more »</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-1551739051045269662011-04-17T20:00:00.002+02:002011-04-17T20:10:13.894+02:00Driverlib for EvalBot !<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QVXGws5-7kY/TassvQvhL9I/AAAAAAAAUXI/rHKIWY9Q-ww/s1600/DSC_8549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QVXGws5-7kY/TassvQvhL9I/AAAAAAAAUXI/rHKIWY9Q-ww/s400/DSC_8549.JPG" width="400"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0fLzrw9oOw/TUYDv46TzFI/AAAAAAAAUNM/dmjDvIHt3vo/s1600/31012011017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br>
</a></div>TI did what they promised half a year ago. They published driver library specially for EvalBot. The sample which made me happy is the sound example - video inside. What the package contains?<br>
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<a href="http://blog.martinhubacek.cz/2011/04/driverlib-for-evalbot.html#more">Read more »</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-58541175077892716252011-04-16T01:48:00.002+02:002011-04-16T21:56:57.324+02:00Freescale Race Challenge 2011 Finals in RožnovI was in the Rožnov pod Radhoštěm to see how fast are the best autonomous slot cars in Czech and Slovak Republic. I've made some videos so you can see how the cars are speeding up on the straights and braking before corners. It's simple idea to speed up in on the straight but very hard to implement. Sometimes your learning algorithm is "lost" and has to be synchronized by start lane or on the track crossings. The car is acting much different that you were thinking and the only way to figure out what is wrong is to store some telemetry during the ride to the SD card.<br />
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My car was almost excellent on short tracks but on bigger track with lot of corners was behaving unpredictably. One change in the code affected another two parameters and the perfect tuning of the PID, learning algoritm, track synchronization, accelerometer/gyro filtering was very hard.<br />
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FYI: I was just the visitor, not the racer in the finals. Because I ended in school round somewhere near the end of the table of winners ;) <br />
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The entire playlist of my FRC 2011 videos<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=CA8F11F18AE6A378">http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=CA8F11F18AE6A378</a><br />
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The winners' ride:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yw11yA52uMA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw11yA52uMA"><br />
</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-80106071977609269882011-04-04T13:19:00.000+02:002011-04-04T13:19:23.108+02:00Freescale Race Challenge 2011 - after competetionOK, my car failed a little :) On the small testing track worked surprisingly well, but on the racing track the car behaved like lost. Few times ended out of track and I lost lot of time with manipulation of switch. Also in the second ride I accidentally pressed the SD card and the card jumped out of the car in the race :)Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-38678718576387334042011-03-28T00:34:00.000+02:002011-03-28T00:34:36.414+02:00Freescale Race Challenge 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t5-zg6iRGR8/TUSqf_J1mdI/AAAAAAAAUMs/TaU4M3QMPtI/s1600/slotCar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t5-zg6iRGR8/TUSqf_J1mdI/AAAAAAAAUMs/TaU4M3QMPtI/s320/slotCar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Today is the slot car competition. I had a lot of other things to do so I didn't put much time into preparations. But the car itself can learn track. It has very predictive behaviour and some emergency programs and button in case that something goes wrong. The car can learn track, write it down to the SD card, brake before the corners. Now it's all on the car.. I've made enough :)Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-21972619531953094652011-03-07T00:42:00.000+01:002011-03-07T00:42:26.229+01:00Supercapacitor and MSP430<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xbjpQmjwMyU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>I love this circuit. Unfortunately I haven't supercapacitor so I can't try this at home. This guy connected MSP430 and LCD. This setup worked for four weeks only from capacitors. My MSPs are on the way.. I can't wait to get them :)Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-77084126606332026192011-02-28T02:37:00.000+01:002011-02-28T02:37:20.767+01:00Microsoft .NET Gadgteer<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/jws/gadgeteer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/jws/gadgeteer.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div> Microsoft created an interesting hardware development platform. Every connector, button, display, camera... is a single module and with their combination you create application that you want. You use .NET micro framework with C# as you can expect. Let's see how this platform will be used when it becomes available to public.<br />
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What is also interesting is their application that can design a box for your final design with holes for camera, screws etc.<br />
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More in the video @ Channel9<br />
<a href="http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Clint/NET-Gadgeteer">http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Clint/NET-Gadgeteer</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-53110885375534650322011-02-27T23:39:00.000+01:002011-02-27T23:39:19.864+01:00Destroyed Xbee & what's inside?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KJ83k5RimsU/TWrP5tUTiWI/AAAAAAAAUQs/w-UWWB_xC-s/s1600/DSC_8388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KJ83k5RimsU/TWrP5tUTiWI/AAAAAAAAUQs/w-UWWB_xC-s/s320/DSC_8388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I hate when that happens. 3 coincidence events that happened together and made small smoke inside the Xbee. Every time make sure that high voltage (~15V) wires on your breadboard are holding tight. If not, they can rip out, they can randomly move and they can itself connect to wrong hole on breadboard with 3.3V power rail.<br />
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Well I cure my angry with even more destroying the Xbee. What's inside? Freescale.. Another hateful coincidence. I hate Freescale chips right now because I'm trying to get them work on Freescale Race Challenge, the slot car competition. They're ... just different.. just not-so-well documented..<br />
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Iside the Xbee is <a href="http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=MC13213">MC13213</a> HS08 microcontroller with capabilities of ZigBee. 40MHz 8bit MCU with 60kB FLASH and 4kB RAM. The maximum power voltage is 3.4V and since I put 15V in this device, sleep well in the sillicon hea.. no.. HELL!Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-11239559334712057402011-02-25T18:51:00.001+01:002011-02-25T19:12:37.666+01:00TI's MPS430 LaunchPad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hackmeister.dk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/launchpad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.hackmeister.dk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/launchpad.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>I was forced by curiosity to try these microcontrollers. Since I'm using mainly AVRs in my projects, I was searching for points where this microcontroller can be better. I just read the datasheet and here are the interesting bits:<br />
<ul><li>Power consumption - really really small, specialy in deep-sleep modes</li>
<li>16bit core.. that's it.. 16×16bit hardware multiplier as peripheral</li>
<li>nice architecture with 16 16bit registers (12 general purporse registers), orthogonal instruction set</li>
<li>Vcc and GND pins on the top of PDIP.. easier routing of power wires on the PCBs</li>
<li>simple DMA controller!</li>
<li>proprietary 2 wire programming</li>
<li>bunch of standard peripheral, USARTs, I2C, SPI, PWM, ADC, DAC... depends on chip type</li>
</ul>The price is low also. The main issue is, that it's not easily and cheaply obtainable here in Czech Republic.. I hope that this become better in a time.Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434073304235537493.post-31035932107027801032011-02-20T16:43:00.000+01:002011-02-20T16:43:53.273+01:00Ethernet to IR gateway with LM3S6965<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://isendir.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/Documentation/Pictures/iSendIR_board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://isendir.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/Documentation/Pictures/iSendIR_board.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Interesting opensource project. This device recieves commands from ethernet and sends them via one of three IR emitters. Sourcecode and hardware design for Eagle is available.<br />
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<a href="http://code.google.com/p/isendir/">http://code.google.com/p/isendir/</a>Martin Hubáčekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15828632058174517747noreply@blogger.com0