Your latest purchase

Being as the LPC1114 is the only DIP ARM around I'd say it will be a popular chip. You can get in a TSSOP as well and that will fit inside the DIP footprint IIRC. So you could make a board that allowed for PHT and SMD, one for hobbyists/protoyping and the other for production.

Coridium have loaded a BASIC interpreter, maybe Picaxe had better look out. I'd post about this on their forum but they are very touchy about posts regarding other products and they get summarily deleted.


Rob

It's not a Basic interpreter!

The HackaDay article was really misleading, it runs compiled code.

HackaDay seem to be going down hill at a rate of knots!

The "just plug an FTDI cable in and pretend it's 1986" was a crock.

In the comments section the bloke from Coridium address's a few of the claims the writer made.

Yes I see, it's a compiler.


Rob

cyberteque:
HackaDay seem to be going down hill at a rate of knots!

yea ... I really should start writing for them again, then it will go down 3x as fast hehe

retrolefty:
A total steer by wire would be pretty scary for me

Well, now now you can find out if it really would.

Japan's Nissan Motor Co plans to equip some of its luxury cars with a system to control steering electronically, rather than mechanically, the first time so-called "steer-by-wire" technology will be used in mass-produced vehicles.

And, in theory, you could hook an Arduino into that too! ]:smiley:

I broke down and bought a lamp/magnifier that has 36 white LED's rather than a weird circular flouro tube.
It seems whiter than my last illuminated magnifier, maybe a tad brighter as well.

Certainly runs cooler than a flouro one!

Beginning to realise I need glasses!

Beginning to realise I need glasses!

Sad fact of life I'm afraid :frowning:

Try one of the head-mounted magnifiers, they are great, a bit cumbersome but you can really see the small stuff clearly.


Rob

justjed:

Japan's Nissan Motor Co plans to equip some of its luxury cars with a system to control steering electronically, rather than mechanically, the first time so-called "steer-by-wire" technology will be used in mass-produced vehicles.

And, in theory, you could hook an Arduino into that too! ]:smiley:

They may be doing it to cut cost, like replacing tactile buttons with touch screens. By the way, I tested the MPG for my car. On highway if I use cruise control I can get the advertized 38MPG at 75MPH. I was on the other hand trying my best but only got 24MPG on local roads. They promised 27MPG. I was driving like a senior citizen.

I think the CVT is very good at high speed. It shifts to a gear ratio that optimizes engine efficiency. My engine is running at 2,000 RPM or less at 75MPH. You want to always drive with cruise control otherwise if you step on the gas, the RPM goes up and ruins your MPG. But the same CVT is horrible at low speed, especially at stop to go. It easily revs at 2,000 when I was trying to get from 0 to 20MPH and then shifts down to 1,250RPM when I hit 30PMH. Maybe I need a tune-up.

Graynomad:

Beginning to realise I need glasses!

Sad fact of life I'm afraid :frowning:

Try one of the head-mounted magnifiers, they are great, a bit cumbersome but you can really see the small stuff clearly.


Rob

After getting the same advice from Grumpy Mike last year I went to Harbor Freight and checked theirs out. The one to get is the most expensive, almost $10 before the discount coupon -- I paid $7. It's got a light and has a box with 4 different double-lenses and clips on the visor I expect to hold the lens at 2 distances though you can put 2 lenses in at once (gets heavy) and maybe see germs with.

The lens flips up or down, the visor does too (and occasionally needs tightening), it's always in the right position as you move your head and it leaves both hands free. I was using a magnifier with base but the visor is so much easier to work with I won't go back. It's well worth the money or even 2x-3x what I paid.

This is the item, compare to the next cheaper one if you go there:

GoForSmoke:

Graynomad:

Beginning to realise I need glasses!

Sad fact of life I'm afraid :frowning:

Try one of the head-mounted magnifiers, they are great, a bit cumbersome but you can really see the small stuff clearly.


Rob

After getting the same advice from Grumpy Mike last year I went to Harbor Freight and checked theirs out. The one to get is the most expensive, almost $10 before the discount coupon -- I paid $7. It's got a light and has a box with 4 different double-lenses and clips on the visor I expect to hold the lens at 2 distances though you can put 2 lenses in at once (gets heavy) and maybe see germs with.

The lens flips up or down, the visor does too (and occasionally needs tightening), it's always in the right position as you move your head and it leaves both hands free. I was using a magnifier with base but the visor is so much easier to work with I won't go back. It's well worth the money or even 2x-3x what I paid.

This is the item, compare to the next cheaper one if you go there:
http://www.harborfreight.com/head-strap-magnifier-with-work-light-95890.html

Based on comments on another thread I posted about working with surface mount parts, I bought this:

More expensive than Harbor Freight but hopefully it is worth it.

If it isn't, try the other as 4 different strength lenses to choose from is really nice.

Last night Adafruit had 10 Arduino Dues available. I got mine. All gone now, sorry.

They just shipped! WHOOT

Order Confirmation from Adafruit Industries

Thanks for shopping with us today!

The following are the details of your order.

Products

1 x Arduino Due - assembled (Due) [ID:1076] = $49.95

Sub-Total: $49.95
Sales Tax: $0.00
United States Postal Service (0.19lbs) (First-Class Mail incl. $0.75 insurance): $3.87
Total: $53.82

peanut-butter-jelly-time.gif

I got 100 18mm piezos for $10.40.

They work but not so well as the ones I paid more for and they are flimsy, not suited for hard use but okay as vibration/touch sensors.

I haven't tried yet but I'm not sure they'd last as buzzers either, not after how one came apart.

As buttons, I think a diode will serve to debounce (real fast touch read) but maybe need 4 as a bridge to keep pin-safe?

I also got some CR2025 batteries for a remote and note DealExtreme shipped a 5 pack as ordered but with 1 missing. I won't raise hell over it (maybe 25 cents) but it's not a good sign at all.

Still waiting on 3 bare-board MP3 players with SD adapter and 3 breadboard-ready SD adapters.

I got my SD Modules and MP3 players (which were not quite what I thought) and went looking for docs on the SD modules. But there's none posted so I emailed LC China Tech and they say they will datasheets on whatever they make.

I'd like to get opinions of the things they do make, some of the modules psych me up a bit. Like the two that look like they can do USB hosting, and the nice MP3 module and others that should take care of those "Arduino hasn't got the speed" projects.

http://www.lctech-inc.com/Hardware/

I bought the SD modules through DealExtreme, $2.60 each for 3. So far it looks like all it will take to connect to an UNO is 8 female-to-male jumper wires. If I can work them out then just about anyone should be able to use them. :slight_smile:

LC tells me they will beat the price on 1 or many without asking what I paid. Also they tell me they take PayPal. However their site looks like it needs help if it's to become hobby-friendly.

Of course soldering up an SD adapter is probably even cheaper.

eh i dunno in single quantities I spent 2.90 for a socket, 52 cents on a level shifter, + board + time + header

Hey I -have- the SD modules. They did cost me $2.60 each though shipping on the total $48 order did run almost $2. What are the chances that China subsidizes electronics, like they do solar panels?

its not a matter of being subsidized, its a matter of bulk

just order 10 of something save 30 cents a unit, now order 100,000 of them ...

And when you make things in 100x previous quantities, it is possible to include tricks that radically cut the cost to make them. I know this for a fact having "been there, done it, wrote the cost estimation and bidding packages" back when I was a production engineer in the 80's.

I say possible because I'm not there. They may be clearing out a lot of items they don't want to continue or just made too many of and want to clear warehouse space. That would also be economical.

Maybe Dealextreme made a mistake and sold these at a loss? Ever find something mis-marked at a big store? Usually luck like that happens when my pockets aren't full, but I've scored before!
Or not a mistake? China LC Tech never asked what I paid, just blanket-stated they could beat the cost.

So for me and you where we are is kind of the same boat. But hey man! You want links? Maybe get some yourself?

http://dx.com/s/sd+module.html?range=ShortHeadLine1&category=499&GEPrice=1.00&LEPrice=4.00
I got the 3rd one, it's $3.20 in single but I bought 3. Catch is when you order "bulk" (more than 1) you have almost $2 shipping for the whole order instead of free shipping.

http://dx.com/c/electrical-tools-499/diy-parts-components-410
This is the whole DIY selection, note the BT module for $6.60 in single, $5.48 ea at 10.

And I got docs. The only one I couldn't have found is the module schematic showing the LM1117-3.3 between the 5V and 3.3V pins. Other than that, I might need to run at 3.3V or level shift MOSI, MISO, SCK and CS.... I need help to be sure. Man, that could ruin the "quick, clean and easy" part of this nutritious breakfast!

The rest of the docs are generic SD card and SPI specs. I will share if you want.

You do know there's info in the Playground to solder wires to an SD adapter (the kind you often get with micro-SD cards) and run directly from that (must be 3.3V levels). It's not elegant or quick and clean but to a guy with your skills I guess easy is still on the list. :wink:

Edit:
Looking more at the schematic, I see where the signal lines all connect to 3.3V through 10k resistors. I am puzzled, perhaps 5V signal loses kick through the resistors while the same don't allow enough 3.3V through to give logic level ON? For all I know, I'm looking at a level-shifter, I don't know hardware beyond the rank amateur level.

I've bought a number of items from China and yes (almost) they subsidize shipping. Most of the stuff come with free shipping.

Well, wasn't feeling too hot for a few days, so I got up to one of my favorite timekillers, bottom feeding on weird stuff on ebay. I'll just surf around looking for oddball items that nobody bids on, and throw a dollar bid. When I do this, I'll bid on like ten or twenty items, and maybe one item out of a hundred or so, I will win...

So, this time I bid on and won this:

Brand new in box "Zahm and Nagel" laboratory testing device.. seems to be some type of thing for measuring gas pressure and taking samples. Absolutely no idea what to do with it.. I think it may end up as part of the "Alchemy" props. If I find out the thing has some great value I will of course try to resell it- but since it was up for auction for a week and got ONE bid (mine) I suspect that selling it might be difficult at best. On reading the docs online, it seems it might be for brewing beer and wine, maybe the local Brew-it-yourself hobby beermaking shop might be interested.

On a more useful bent, I got four Dallas DS12887A real time clocks, new in tube.. I only needed one, and got the tube for a buck.; two SMC air valves ($1.75); a ten pack of ULN2003 ($1.60); and a five pack of 3w UV LED's ($2.50); two 328's ($3); and a couple of discretes like resistors and caps for under a dollar. The parts bins and wallet both appreciate me shopping at three am with no immediate need for the purchases being made...