SDI-12 on AVR with bitbanging
Recently I had to implement SDI-12 communication on a multi-parameter sensor. The PCB had an extension port on the PCB, exposing UART1 RX&TX, but also 2 GPIO's. While I considered…
Decoding Renke Weather station data
The Renke RS-FSXCS-N01-*-EX weather station is a compact, all-in-one environmental monitoring solution capable of measuring key atmospheric parameters such as wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, noise levels, air quality (PM2.5, PM10),…
NMEA GPS Library for Microcontrollers -2-
A few years back I wrote a NMEA parser library that would run on AVR Microcontrollers. Released as open source under GPL, it became quite popular. All these years I…
TTP229 Capacitive Touch Keypad
Use a TTP229 as a multitouch capacitive keypad that can function even from beneath a plastic enclosure, making this a perfect interface option for devices in sealed enclosures.
SSD1306 OLED LCD Library
Although there are already many examples and fine libraries readily available, most of them are using a buffer, meaning all the drawing operations are saved to a memory array and them dumped to the LCD as one complete frame. This has certain advantages that I would normally go for, but it also uses a lot of memory, a no go for small microcontrollers. This is why I wanted to write a library that will directly write to the LCD hardware instead of using a buffer. It's a bit slower but it saves considerable memory!
Simple AVR Bootloader tutorial
I've used AVR microcontrollers both for hobbies and work projects. These versatile microcontrollers ran the code I programmed them with, but once the final device was shipped, it was hard…
RAK831 LoRaWAN Gateway
Previously, I covered the Dragino LG01 Single Channel LoRaWAN Gateway, a low cost solution good for testing basic LoRaWAN communication setups. I needed a better gateway and I was about…
RN2483 / RN2903 Firmware upgrade guide
The Microchip RN2483 and the RN2903 are Low-Power Long Range LoRaยฎ Technology Transceiver Modules, in the same package and Pin compatible. The RN2483 is intended for the 433 MHz and…
Simple IOT temperature sensor
IOT stands for Internet of Things and refers to small devices equipped with direct internet connectivity, without needing an external computer. They are usually composed of a main microcontroller and…
Dragino LG01 LoraWAN Gateway
I already covered the impressive LPWAN LoraWAN technology with a proof of concept remote air quality monitoring unit based on the BME680 from Bosch and the RN2483 from Microchip, in…
Portable Power Supply
I have a few excellent external batteries, the kind with USB female connectors used to charge phones. Now I needed a high voltage 12V battery, or more specifically something in…
CNC Router for DIY PCB manufacturing
I'll have to go straight to the point: get yourself a CNC router now! I'm serious: I used to make my PCBs dual layer and in the kitchen, as Hackaday…
An IOT Swing
The new generations benefit of an advance over their predecessors. This is a simple equation that guarantees progress. For that I can do a simple comparison between the toys I…
Microcontroller Programming Issues
Bugs in software are bad, bugs in hardware are even worse, but inconsistent results are what makes it a total nightmare. Not my first post on crazy voodoo wasting precious…
Easy PCB Manufacturing
For a maker, there's now no excuse in not using his/her creativity to the maximum extent. All the tools are readily available, you just need to think of what you…
Gerber Viewer
You designed your new PCB board and you're sure it's all perfect, but some mistakes can go unnoticed resulting in wasted time and money. This is why it is important…
Introduction to CC2541
Exploring the versatile AVR microcontrollers or the powerful STM32 counterparts were amazing experiences which resulted in interesting projects, many of them presented on this blog. For a hardware designer, the…
Sharp GP2Y1051 dust sensor
The previous Sharp GP2Y1010 dust sensor was already a successful optoelectronic product due to its small factor, simplicity and low cost. The 1051 update comes with some important improvements to…
LoRaWAN, RN2483 and BME680
Some of the best moments are those when exciting technologies come together to create even greater products or results. This is such an example. Taking advantage of the latest IoT…
Full metal Delta 3D Printer
Finding the right 3D printer is not an easy task, considering the many options on the market. Many sellers claim unprecedented innovation, when instead all they offer is just another…
Featured by Atmel
Trained as a software developer I've been active in the field doing mostly mobile apps since 2003. My first contact with microcontrollers came later, in 2009, and I still remember…
City Air Quality
Introduction Environmental surveillance is a big thing. Important for our health, but also resource consuming when it comes to designing a system that works. I started with the first unit…
DIY Geiger Counter Kit 1.1
This is an Open Source Digital Radiation Dosimeter, that can be used both as a portable detector, but also as a monitoring station to upload readings to the uRADMonitor network.…
Yihua 858D Hot air rework station
I tried, but there was no way to properly solder the BME280 tiny sensor using the soldering iron alone. After destroying one sensor and almost damaging the PCB, it was…
The finalists
There was a tough road to get the 3x Portable Environmental Monitor beta prototypes to the Hackaday Headquarters in time, but the effort was worth it! With today's official announcement,…
Post Beta hardware iteration
For the Portable Environmental Monitor beta release, both the project summary and the system design document presented some of the things to improve next. The first PCB was fine, but…
Portable Environmental Monitor
The portable environmental monitor addresses pollution, the kind that we are unable to see but directly affects our health and causes life threatening diseases. Airborne toxic chemicals, radioactive dust and…
The first prototype
It's been a crazy run, trying to make this happen. After less then one month I now have the first functional hardware iteration or the first prototype. The Portable Environmental…
A true hacker makes his own PCBs
A true hacker makes his own PCBs. Dual layer. And in the kitchen. Why so? Because doing them as DIY and not paying lots of money to some greedy company…
Resistive touchscreen
A complicated project July was a tough month, and August is no different. Due to some components arriving late, I've only been able to start my work on the Hackaday.io…