Are any of the "automotive grade" chips by atmel compatible with the arduino IDE?

Doesn't need to be pin compatible, as long as I could get the bootloader or program it in arduino-speak.

No?

Has anyone found the actual parts list?

NICE!

My first impression is that it isn't exactly "mini" - but that would be a great breadboard device for prototyping!

Very well done!  Love the mini USB connector.

- Can we see the PCB layout? (I just want to see how you dealt with all the traces)
- Do you have a target price?

Look for a "print to PDF" printer drive.  Dopdf is one of 100's.

I didn't find anything in the "play ground" about this, and only a few thread turn up in search.

- What is the proper way of driving a logic level with an arduino?
- How does one pick the correct value of the gate resistor?
- Or, if it better to use something like a 2n2222 to drive the fet?  Seems like you wouldn't need to.

Specifically, I was looking at the MTP3055 - since it's such a common part.

http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheets/90/489299_DS.pdf

I've seen gate resistors values from 100 ohm to 1k ohm.  What gives?

A stepper motor is your best bet:
http://www.blog2.angryviking.com/?p=49

Well I looked at the links - Thanks you - but neither answered my  question.

I've seen triac for dimming light bulbs, but wans't sure if you can use it for speed controlling a motor?  Anyone?

So, recently was in the hospital for a month.  I had acute pnomonia, and it was so bad that they had to put me into a drug induced coma for a month and I was on a ventilator.  I've recovered nicely, but for me anyways - I kinda need to take care of my lungs the best I can.  Enough about that.

So the commercially available fume extractors don't really appeal to me.  They just move the air around.  I know that industral units are out there, but that is way outside my budget, requirements, and space.

I wanted to make my own fume extractor that vents to the outside.  I think that I'm going to use some dryer duct, make a arm to support it, and build a fan into a box that sucks the air in, and then pushes it out the window.

For different work, I would like to control the fan speed. Higher for soldering, and maybe lower for say, fumes from glue drying.  So my question is:

How can I speed control a 100-200 watt AC fan motor?

Thanks!

George

Really nice - you submit that to hack-a-day.

You'll get more "resolution" or steps if you scale in hardware, but either way the sensor isn't going to give you much more distance detection.

Also, the human skin (since you want to use your finger) is mostly red in color.  That's why the weather man stands in front of a green or blue screen - so the the colors will be the furthest from the color of skin.

Maybe try a red led.  Or even a red led, and a red filter over the sensor.

Just a thought.

GG

So you don't want to increase the sensors *actual* dynamic range - you just want to convert the present values to a 0-1024 range?

Sounds like a perfect use for the map function.

map(value, fromLow, fromHigh, toLow, toHigh)

http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/Map

I guess I would have tried to scope or logic probe the tx and rx lines to see what is going over them when the phones were working.

But that is a really great idea with the phone - I think you are onto something!  They are dirt cheap, run a good while on a small battery, and have good range - could make for a perfect little radio.

I'd recommend the X-10 products, but that's the opposite of what you want to do.  Can you give us a few more details?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_divider