Update: I have listed the LED Matrix Link on Tindie as a fundraiser to get this started. You can support it here: https://www.tindie.com/shops/FriedCircuits/led-matrix-link/ This prototype stems from another projectproduct to be that I haven’t posted about except for this sneak peak: Project Sneak Peak. I noticed that most LED Matrix drivers on the market use shift registers to give a microcontroller the ability to control more LEDs than would be possible. Last year I came across the MAX7219 from Maxim Integrated. This cool little IC does all the work for you to drive a LED Matrix or LED Segment display. It uses a variation of the SPI protocol and can be daisy chained. The other cool feature is you only need 1 resistor to set …
USB Tester and Sick of Beige
From the beginning I designed the USB Tester to use the Dangerous Prototype Sick of Beige (SOB) standard PCB sizes. 50x31mm being the smallest rectangle and most ideal for the USB Tester. One of these reasons was that in doing so it would fit their standard acrylic cases which can be found at Seeedstudio.com for $3. After waiting many days, my order has come in and I can show you one way you can use the case. When you order the enclosure it comes with the following: 4x Long Screws 4x Short Screws 4x Tall Stand offs 4x Short Stand offs 2x 50x31mm Acrylic cut with mounting holes I found what worked is to use one acrylic sheet, all eight hex stand offs and the four long …
USB Tester OLED Backpack with Display Fundraiser
Today we have started the fundraiser for the USB Tester OLED backpack with the display. This is a great addition to the USB Tester, which makes it easy to monitor voltage and current for any USB device. Now you don’t even need your DMM. You can use this to see how much power your Raspberry Pi is using or that custom Arduino based project you are working on. This is a great way to make sure you aren’t getting a voltage drop due to that USB hub you are using. Check out the product description below and thanks for your support. You can back your here: https://www.tindie.com/shops/FriedCircuits/usb-tester-oled-backpack-with-display/ USB Tester OLED Backpack measuring Raspberry Pi USB Tester OLED Backpack and USB Tester …
USB Tester OLED Backpack: Surprise Feature 3 (Not Needed Anymore)
This post was about a feature I was going to add, but after prototyping I realized that it isn’t needed. The microcontroller can be connected to both power sources and before the sense resistor without any affect on measurements. The maximum power you can use is still affected as mentioned at the end of the post. If no host computer is connected for the microcontroller, it will draw power from the same source as the device you are measuring. This can make it convenient for checking a device without needing to be near a computer or 2nd power source. This will be great for testing on the spot. In the future it might be possible to do some light data logging to the microcontroller via a …
WiFi Thermostat Control Part 1
Living in an Apartment can be a challenge when it comes to home automation. Most projects require modifying or tapping into the building in one way or another. Our Apartment was remodeled before we moved in but they didn’t replace the aging thermostat. It is the old style with the lever on top that controls a glass tube of mercury. I knew I could replace the thermostat with some relays and a microcontroller or get a retail WiFi thermostat but I needed something that didn’t modify it in any away. Looking through my inventory of parts I remembered I had a micro servo from the Adafruit Motor Shield kit. This servo with a microcontroller and a Wifly radio would be perfect. The idea is that …
Sparkfun XBee Shield Fix
There is a known problem with the older Sparkfun Xbee Shield with Xbee Series 2 and the Wifly radio. It has to do with the level shifting on the DIN pin. They use a diode to drop the voltage which works for the regular Xbee Series 1 radios which have a built in pullup to VCC. The series 2 is not enabled by default and the Wifly’s don’t have the option at all. Here is a quick fix that will get you up and running in no time. As you can see in the picture I added a 10k pullup resistor between VCC which is 3.3V and DIN. Originally I was going to use a though hole part but realized it would be …
USB Tester Review by Hybernaut’s Tinker Blog
An awesome review of the USB Tester can be found over at Hybernaut’s Tinker Blog http://tinker.hybernaut.com/blog/2013/02/03/friedcircuits-usb-breakout. Thanks goes to Daniel, the software engineer behind the blog, for mentioning and linking up the USB Tester and the USB Tester OLED. Be sure to check out his site – it’s a new one to watch!
USB Tester OLED Backpack v1 Prototype
The first version of the USB Tester OLED backpack is now a working prototype! This version has all the features that I have posted about previously except for one unannounced feature that will be in the next PCB version which is due next week. USB Tester and OLED Backpack The OLED backpack adds a display to the USB Tester so that you don’t have to connect your multimeter. This makes it a snap to check voltage and current on the bench or on the go. Using the desktop Java application you can graph the data, save it to a text file and set a threshold current for the on board warning LED. Just connect your project to the USB A port like you would to your computer. Then …
USB Tester OLED Backpack: Surprise Feature 2
Last month we released the USB Tester for measuring voltage and current of your USB project and devices. This tool made it easier to connect your digital multi-meter for measurement. You can read the full product description here: http://www.mobilewill.us/2012/12/our-first-product-usb-tester.html. This month we are working on releasing a OLED Adapter backpack. This will allow you to view the voltage and current without the need for a DMM. I recently released the first feature here: http://www.mobilewill.us/2013/01/usb-tester-oled-backpack-surprise.html.Today I wanted to announce another feature that the OLED Backpack will have. During development I came up with the idea to add a threshold warning LED. The threshold value is set using the desktop Java application. Once the current reaches the threshold value the LED will stay on until …
USB Tester OLED Backpack: Surprise Feature 1
Last month we released the USB Tester, a tool for measuring voltage and current of your USB project and devices. This tool made it easier to connect your digital multi-meter for measurement. You can read the full product description here: http://www.mobilewill.us/2012/12/our-first-product-usb-tester.html. This month we are working on releasing an OLED Adapter backpack. This will allow you to view the voltage and current without the need for a DMM. Today I wanted to announce one of the features that the OLED Backpack will have. The backpack will have a USB connection to power the microcontroller and display but it will also be able to data log the voltage and current usage via a desktop application. If you watched the Adafruit Show and …