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[Reply #75 on:]

I've got a Bus Pirate, but haven't really worked out what real-world application I can use it for. The Logic analyzer is very useful, I use that practically every day.

I just Googled for examples and found this:

http://www.starlino.com/bus_pirate_i2c_tutorial.html

I suppose what Bus Pirate does, that an analyzer doesn't, is let you feed data into the stream. Is that what you use it for?

[Reply #76 on:]

I've got a Bus Pirate, but haven't really worked out what real-world application I can use it for. The Logic analyzer is very useful, I use that practically every day.

I just Googled for examples and found this:

http://www.starlino.com/bus_pirate_i2c_tutorial.html

I suppose what Bus Pirate does, that an analyzer doesn't, is let you feed data into the stream. Is that what you use it for?

The main page has lots of documentation and examples, and it has a crazy active user community:

http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/Bus_Pirate

I use my Bus Pirate a lot when hacking new devices; it speaks SPI, i2c, CAN, 1-Wire, etc natively.  Plug it in to the device and communicate with it via a serial terminal.  It's amazingly useful.  It's also really handy as a replacement for several single-purpose gizmos (CPLD/FPGA programmer, etc).

Synthetos makes a really nice laser cut lexan enclosure for the device that makes it a lot more practical for bench use: https://www.synthetos.com/webstore/index.php/bus-pirate-v3-enclosure-sfe-edition.html

[Reply #77 on:]

Microsoft Visual Basic, Professional Edition.

Haven't even unwrapped it yet!

[Reply #78 on:]

The price seems to keep going down on these USB TTL serial converter modules. I had bought one before but at these prices I couldn't resist getting two more.

Uses:

1. Upload sketches via IDE to 'standalone' boards. Therefore not requiring including a FTDI or 8u2 chip, just a female sip connector to plug in this module only when required. The design of this unit makes it easy to add a .1ufd cap from the DTR pad to the reset pin on the connector, and then cut the trace originally going to the reset pin. So the IDE initated auto-reset function works great.

2. Use as a serial debugger port using software serial and sending debug messages to any PC terminal program.

At $3.39 (including shipping!), what have you got to lose? http://www.ebay.com/itm/370532286388?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

[Reply #79 on:]

Two items, both sniped for great deals.  The first is a decent deal, but the second may be a resell and profit buy:

		MAX3002 Logic level Shifter - 99 cents.   This ought to come in handy, odd that I've not seen the module out there before.  Maybe the chip is sold as Surface mount only, I didn't look if there's a DIP out there for it.. I would think there would be.. but the module is a convenient way to handle it anyway. Update: Seems that it's only available in the SMT 20pin, FYI
		X10 Home Solutions "Grab Box" - $23.00 shipped. The box on the bottom is pack of wall modules and controller bridge to PC.  Guy bought all this stuff and never used it.  Looks like there's an Arduino/X-10 project in my future... I've already got a box with some modules and a x-10 security camera I got from a yard sale a while back, and another box with a couple of Z-Wave modules I got given to me.. though I wasn't impressed with Z-wave.  Hmm, x-10 to zwave bridge could be useful I bet..

Ain't Ebay grand?

[Reply #80 on:]

Where did you get the level shifter?

I found one on ebay but's $8,- + shipping

[Reply #81 on:]

Was on ebay... I got it cheap as I was the only bidder, so I'm not sure what normal retail might be.  Here's the original listing, maybe you could contact the seller?  It certainly looks like a tremendously useful device.. bidirectional with levels usable from 1.2v to 5.5v, handled automatically by the chip.  I think I'm going to be using this quite a bit, if only for 3.3v devices..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200648216126?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

[Reply #82 on:]

It's the same seller a I found. But shipment to europe is $8,-.
I'm going to see if I can buy the chip and then have a couple of pcbs made by itead or seeed.

[Reply #83 on:]

FWIW, Here's Farnell Netherlands page for it..  I use http://www.Octopart.com to search for a lot of things, not perfect but certainly finds good deals pretty often...

http://nl.farnell.com/maxim-integrated-products/max3002eup/translator-8-ch-15kv-esd-3002/dp/1379762?CMP=GRHB-OCTOPART-1004055

and looks like they sell an adapter that would work with it:

http://nl.farnell.com/roth-elektronik/re933-04/adaptor-smd-tssop-20-0-65mm/dp/1426183

I just ran it down on Farnell, but looks like Newark and others have it in stock in Europe, so you should be able to get it a lot more reasonably than international shipping.. though you are on your own deciphering that obviously made up moon-man language.  Sheesh, dang foreigners don't have the common courtesy to speak English... ROFL... Sometimes it's fun being the "Ugly American" I'm expected to be..

[Reply #84 on:]

Thank's I'll have a look.

[Reply #85 on:]

As I broke my only RTC, I decided to buy another one. Plus 29 spares :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30PCS-DS1307-2-Wire-Real-Time-Clock-DIP8-IC-/260816379486?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item3cb9de1e5e

Then I added a USB to TTL convertor for playing with:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-2-0-TTL-UART-Module-SERIAL-CONVERTER-6pin-CP2102-/160641428244?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item2566f9ab14

And why not an RS232 to TTL convertor, while I'm at it? :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RS232-Serial-Port-TTL-Converter-Module-MAX232-/130400068620?pt=UK_Computing_Networking_SM&hash=item1e5c73240c

Oh yes, because my computer has no RS232 port. Add a convertor cable to that:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/USB-RS232-Converter-Cable/dp/B00077DJIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314730092&sr=8-1

I was hoping to talk to my multimeter through the RS232 to TTL convertor, and connect it to my computer through the convertor cable. Sadly, the convertor cable technique does not work. Now to wait for the other bits to arrive...

Onions.

[Reply #86 on:]

As I broke my only RTC, I decided to buy another one. Plus 29 spares :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30PCS-DS1307-2-Wire-Real-Time-Clock-DIP8-IC-/260816379486?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item3cb9de1e5e

that was pretty cheap. I just ordered 50 spares at dipmicro.com

Then I added a USB to TTL convertor for playing with:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-2-0-TTL-UART-Module-SERIAL-CONVERTER-6pin-CP2102-/160641428244?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item2566f9ab14

I have that too. Same chip CR2102. Not too bad. Just mine has no proper pin to reset arduino for upload.

And why not an RS232 to TTL convertor, while I'm at it? :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RS232-Serial-Port-TTL-Converter-Module-MAX232-/130400068620?pt=UK_Computing_Networking_SM&hash=item1e5c73240c

Got MAX232 but never got the time to experiment on.

Oh yes, because my computer has no RS232 port. Add a convertor cable to that:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/USB-RS232-Converter-Cable/dp/B00077DJIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314730092&sr=8-1

I've got one of those in my box with an HMI. Now I just need 24V DC to program it.

As for myself, got a bluetooth bee and shield from iTeadstudio in the mail yesterday, along with my 16X2 compact size phi-panel PCBs. Assembled one for testing. Sweet!

[Reply #87 on:]

that was pretty cheap. I just ordered 50 spares at dipmicro.com 

I went for a pack of 30, just because they were cheap. I only really needed one or two spares, but 29 was good too .

I have that too. Same chip CR2102. Not too bad. Just mine has no proper pin to reset arduino for upload.

Mine does have a reset pin, but I have not managed to upload anything to the arduino with it yet... Still, it will work to talk to a breadboarded AVR.

Got MAX232 but never got the time to experiment on.

Haven't got mine yet (the downside to mail order), but I have came up with plans for what to use it with. Now to play the waiting game...

Onions.

[Reply #88 on:]

As I broke my only RTC, I decided to buy another one. Plus 29 spares :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30PCS-DS1307-2-Wire-Real-Time-Clock-DIP8-IC-/260816379486?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item3cb9de1e5e

Wow. Just ordered 30 too. Looks like my next projects will all have clocks on them.

[Reply #89 on:]

must...avoid...ebay...

Dang, that seller has some wicked deals on parts.  Gonna have to do some ebaying when I get home tonight