Category Archives: Arduino-Compatible

BlueDuino Rev2 is an Arduino-compatible dev board with BLE

The BlueDuino Rev2 is an ATmega32U4 based development board with Bluetooth Low Energy.

Developed by Beijing startup April Brothers, the BlueDuino Rev2 is an Arduino-compatible development board based on the versatile ATmega32U4 along with a built-in CC2540 BLE module. This enables Makers to easily plug the pint-sized board into their project and immediately begin programming.

The firmware for the BLE module — called ZeroBeacon — supports iBeacon features, UART transparent transfer, and can be configured with AT commands. Meanwhile, Makers can program the board in the Arduino IDE.

Aside from the ATmega32U4 running at 3.3V/8MHz, other key specs include:

On-board micro-USB connector for programming
Four 10-bit ADC pins
12 Digital I/Os (Five PWM capable)
Rx and Tx hardware serial connections
1.3″ x 0.7” in size

Interested? BlueDuino Rev2 is currently available on Tindie for $14. Otherwise, you can head over Wiki page to learn more.

Croduino Pico is an Arduino-compatible board for Makers

Domino.IO is an open hardware platform for the IoT

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Domino.IO is an affordable yet advanced Wi-Fi platform for the Internet of Things.

Designed with the Maker crowd in mind, Domino.IO is a low-cost, modular 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi hardware platform that features unlimited extension capabilities and is entirely Arduino-compatible. The kit is comprised of three different pieces of hardware: the Domino Core, Domino Pi and Domino Qi.

First, the Domino Core is a Wi-Fi module based on the Atheros AR9331 WiSOC. It is a surface-mountable single-sided Linux module, which exposes nearly all of the AR9331 WiSoC available signals to regular 2mm pitch castellated pads for both easy hand and automatic SMT soldering. The Core only requires a single 3.3V power supply to get going, and has a maximum consumption of only 0.5W. The Core comes pre-loaded with an open-source OpenWRT Linux system, enabling users to install more than 3,000 ready-to-use software packages. Beyond that, Makers can modify and customize the distro to better fit their project needs.

Next, the Domino Pi board extends the capabilities of the Domino Core module by adding a range of features, including integrated USB ⇔ UART bridge for serial port, +5V input / +3.3V output and a 2A DC/DC power supply, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi PCB antenna, a jumpstart push button, some power and wireless LEDs, and two 28-pin, 2.54mm pitch headers. Makers can also customize their Pi board using any of seven building blocks, or tiles, including USB and microSD, single and dual Ethernet, LEDs, JTAG/SPI, as well as I²S audio. This allows Makers to play music from their USB discs or straight from an Internet stream through its open-source I2S audio codec and player.

Last but certainly not least, the Domino Qi Mini is a derivative of the Arduino Yùn, just crammed into a smaller form factor. The inexpensive, compact OpenWRT-based 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi board is based on an ATmega32U4 MCU and an Atheros AR9331 WiSoC, while communication between the two chips is achieved using the Yùn’s Bridge Library. To get started, a Maker simply connects the Qi Mini to the Domino Qi baseboard. From there, the device becomes fully-compatible with the ubiquitous Arduino Shield form factor and gives way to hundreds of already existing shields for rapid prototyping.

The Qi Mini is equipped with a 5V input / +3.3 V output and a 2A DC/DC power supply, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi PCB antenna, a ’32U4 reset, a WLAN reset, some push buttons, two 22-pin, 2.54 mm pitch headers, in addition to power, wireless, WAN and USB LEDs. Just like the Yùn, the board can be programmed in the Arduino IDE and supports the Linino OS as well.

The entire platform comes with an iOS and Android-ready app that lets users control their devices, including RC cars, right from their smartphones. What’s more, Domino.IO is both cloud and framework agnostic; meaning, users can choose from services like SparkFun data stream, ThingSpeak and Weaved, and create their projects in a wide-range of languages such as Python, Node.js, PhP and Lua.

Intrigued? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the team is currently seeking $30,000. If all goes well, shipment is expected to begin in June 2015.

Flash your headlights to open your garage door

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Tired of always having to hit a remote to enter your garage? Just blink your lights three times.

If you’re tired of always having to hit a remote to enter your garage, you’re in luck. That’s because Maker Luis Rodrigues has designed a DIY automation system that opens the door by simply flashing his headlights at it.

How it works is relatively simple: Blink three times and the garage door will open. Flash another three and it’ll pause. Three more times and it’ll shut. Rodrigues also has an outer gate to his home, which he coupled with the system. This enables him to hold the lights for more than a second, and both the door and the outer gate will be activated.

This is all made possible by connecting a control box under the hood of his car to the headlight’s output. A Moteino — a low-power, RF Arduino variant based on the ATmega328P — reads the input signal of the headlights flashing three times, and then communicates wirelessly to the garage door, which houses a second Moteino, in order to open it. And as you can imagine, another wireless board can be found inside the gate’s box.

Upon first glance, you may wonder as to how safe this system can truly be. In other words, can’t anyone flicker their lights to access the door? The answer is no, the system is specific to only his car.

Watch it in action below!

Ardhat is a Raspberry Pi-compatible HAT for Makers

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Ardhat is the missing link that connects the Raspberry Pi with the real world.

After migrating from an Arduino to a Raspberry Pi, Maker Jonathan Peace discovered that there were still some things that he just couldn’t do with a barebones Unix platform. In search of a way to help alleviate this problem, Ardhat was born.

Billed as the “missing link that connects the Raspberry Pi with the real world,” Ardhat embeds an Arduino-compatible MCU (ATmega328P) in a Raspberry Pi-compatible HAT, which responds quickly to real-time events while letting the Pi do all of the heavy lifting.

For those unfamiliar with HATs, or Hardware Attached on Top, the Raspberry Pi B+ had been designed specifically with add-on boards in mind that conform to a specific set of rules that make life easier for users. A significant feature of HATs is the inclusion of a system that allows the B+ to identify a connected HAT and automatically configure the GPIOs and drivers for the board.

“Ardhat adds the environmental protection and awareness, real-time performance, and low-power operation that a real world system needs. In a super-compact Raspberry Pi compatible HAT, Ardhat protects and enhances the Raspberry Pi for real applications, and is accessible to everyone that has used an Arduino,” Peace writes.

The Ardhat comes in four different models — two equipped with long-range radio modules, the other two without. Each unit is packed with analog sensors, a real-time clock, user interface controls, supply monitoring, 5V Arduino shield capability, a wide operating voltage range (including automotive), high-current outputs for driving peripherals and full power/sleep management — all of which are accessible from either the Raspberry Pi or the Ardhat’s on-board AVR chip. Makers looking for a little more oomph can also choose between the Ardhat-I and Ardhat-W. The first adds a 10-DOF inertial measurement unit, while the latter boasts a long-range ISM wireless node (with up to 15km range) to make it IoT ready right out of the box.

Not only does it accept most Arduino shields, the Ardhat sports a ‘FlatTop’ design which leaves plenty of space for any battery or a prototyping board. It even comes with an optional tailored high-capacity 1800mAh battery that plugs directly into the standard JST connector and fits snugly between the shield headers of the flattop board design.

Ardhat’s smart power management features a power switch and charge control, and enables a Raspberry Pi to run on real world power supplies, ranging from automotive to LiPo batteries, for months. This allows the HAT to connect to and drive 5V systems like servos, quadcopters and smart LEDs.

The Ardhat doesn’t just protect the Raspberry Pi from external voltage spikes and power outages, an optional laser-cut perspex ‘TopHat’ enclosure can physically safeguard it as well. However, Makers can still gain access to the Arduino shield pins for experimenting and teaching purposes, without the danger of damaging the delicate circuitry of the Raspberry Pi circuit board.

In true Maker fashion, Ardhat’s scheduler and applications are entirely open-source. Though its real-time software is supplied as a preloaded sketch, Makers can modify and update it as they wish using the Arduino IDE.

So whatever you’re building, whether it’s a self-balancing robot, an IoT gateway or a mind-blowing light show, Ardhat has you covered. Those wishing to learn more can head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the ubIQio team is currently seeking £25,000. Shipment is expected to begin in August 2015.

Creating an Internet-connected ordering button with Parse for IoT

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Parse uses the combination of an Arduino, a button, and its SDK to simulate ordering toilet paper when running low.

Just the other day, Amazon announced their Dash button, a connected device that lets shoppers reorder frequently used household domestic products like laundry detergent and paper towels with a simple touch. Inspired by the recent system, the Parse team decided to create one of their own using an Arduino Yún, (ATmega32U4), a push button and the newly-revealed Parse for IoT SDK.

Much like the Amazon Dash Button, this DIY device simulates the process of ordering toilet paper when the roll begins to run low. This was accomplished by attaching a push button to the Arduino and using a small breadboard so that the button would sit neatly atop the board. These electronics were then housed inside the Arduino’s actual packaging, which was spray painted to make it a bit more aesthetically pleasing.

“Taking this example further, you could associate devices with user accounts, fully integrate with Shopify or another API (or build your own) and offer a premium push-button experience for people using your app,” the team adds.

Impressively, the entire application consists of less than 100 lines of code. Given the rise of the Internet of Things, you can expect to see many real-time systems like these begin to take shape, and surely Parse for IoT will help streamline the development process. Intrigued? Read more about the project on Parse’s official blog, or get started by heading over to its Github repository here.

PLEN2 is the world’s first printable, open-source robot

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Say hello to your new robotic sidekick.

R2-D2. GERTY 3000. Marvin. K-9. Jinx. These are just a few of the most well-known robotic sidekicks that super geeks like us have come to love over the years. Soon, PLEN2 may join the ranks of these memorable sci-fi characters, with the only difference being actual use in the real world. Whether you’ve ever wanted someone to go to class in your place, to break the ice with an attractive girl at the bar, or to fetch your morning cup ‘o joe, you’re in luck.

Launched on Kickstarter by Japan-based PLEN Project Committee, the 3D-printable, humanoid robotic kit consists of a control board, servo motors and other electronic accessories that allow Makers of all levels to put together themselves. What’s more, you don’t need any technical knowledge or special tools in order to bring your open-source PLEN2 to life.

3D data for the main components of the robot are provided free of charge, and with the help of a 3D printer, users can customize the data as well as make their own original parts. Upon completion, the easy-to-manuever and highly-agile humanoid stands approximately 7.87” tall, weighs just over 21 ounces and boasts 18 degrees of freedom. Designed to mirror its human counterpart, PLEN2 aspires to revolutionize the relationship between homo and robo sapiens. To help spur this adoption, the project’s creators have made its kit super simple to assemble, personalize, and of course, use.

The robot’s command center is built around an Arduino Micro (ATmega32U4), and by employing some open-source software, can be programmed to meet any Maker’s wants and needs. PLEN2 is equipped with 24 RC servo motors, 1Mb of on-board EEPROM and an RS-485 communication port in both its control and head board. The head unit also comes standard with a BLE113 Bluetooth Smart module and a six-axis motion sensor, while PWM will drive the LEDs that PLEN2 uses for eyes.

Gadget-lovers can take pleasure in knowing that each PLEN2 can be customized not only in color and design, but in the way that it is controlled as well — this includes by iOS or Android smartphone, facial expression, gestures, myoelectrics and brainwaves, among countless other input methods.

Not only for leisure activities, the humanoid can play an integral role in both educational and medical settings. A wide-range of uses cases include communicating with others in your place, carrying small items around, throwing a pickup game of humanoid soccer, as well as improving medical rehabilitation. What’s more, it can help entice children to pursue STEM disciplines and enable them to experience the joy of making things themselves.

As to whether this project takes off, or if you decide on programming a PLEN2 of your own, one thing is certain: Its theme song will get stuck in your head. Consider yourself warned…

…We told you so. Interested in learning more? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where its team is currently seeking $40,000. If all goes to plan, you can have can have a PLEN2 alongside of you come November 2015.

Building a homemade filament extruder

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Maker creates a DIY extruder using common parts that can be found on any workbench.

What’s a 3D printer without filament, right? In an effort to reduce the costs typically associated with purchasing new materials, Dinçer Hepgüler recently decided to devise his own homemade extruder using parts that were readily available throughout his workshed.

In order to bring his DIY Filastruder to life, the Maker employed a metal body that contains the screw mechanism to extrude the substrate, two cartridge heaters, a 100k thermistor, a IRLZ44 MOSFET, an optional 16×2 LCD and any Atmel based Arduino. The device was driven by a powerful stepper motor, however Borsaci notes that even a household drill can drive the system for few hours.

To help ease the process, Borsaci created a CAD model detailing the parts that are required to construct the Filastruder. How it works is relatively simple: The plastic pellets go into a feeding cone that loads them into the heating element that melts the plastic. The stepper motor rotates a screw-shaped barrel, which in turn, forces the melted plastic out to the extruder nozzle forming the new filament.

“The radius of output filament can be monitored by a sensor for accuracy, but I do not think I will need that as long as the shaft is driven at constant speed. As for the heating control, I decided to use the same ceramic 12v heaters and 100k thermistors used in RepRap printer extruders (actually there will be more than one on the front end around nozzle),” Borsaci notes.

Interested? Head over to the project’s official Instructables page to learn more.

These 3D-printed Easter eggs will hide themselves

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Get ready for the Internet of Eggs.

While going on the hunt for colorful Easter eggs typically filled with chocolate, jelly beans and sometimes even cash may be fun, Guido Burger has decided to bring the age-old game into the Internet of Things era. The Maker has crafted self-hiding, 3D-printed eggs using Platinchen (or blueIOT), a platform that combines both a certified BLE module along with an ATmega328P MCU.

The beacons bring a variety of exciting new features to the egg hunt, including proximity detection (which senses when someone is nearby and takes action) and retrieval avoidance (which allows them to emit sound and hide themselves).

Each unit features a 9-axis, absolute orientation sensor that is used to detect motion, allowing it to change color and make noise when touched. Burger also implemented an Adafruit vibrating mini motor disc and controller to enable unique movements of the eggs while out in the yard or scattered throughout the house.

What’s more, the devices are entirely open-source, meaning Makers can add their own ideas to it as well. And yes, there’s still room to hide a few treats inside its 3D-printed shell.

Interested in this eggs-ellent idea? Head over to Hackster.io for a complete step-by-step breakdown of the build.

Apio is an IoT platform that lets you build smart devices

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Apio lets you create smart objects in five minutes, while its SDK guides you along the way.

Apio is an open-source platform for the Internet of Things, which lets Makers and designers create their own smart systems and connected objects in a matter of minutes. The platform is comprised of two USB devices, the General and Dongle, both of which are based on an ATmega256RFR2 and ATmega16U2, along with a custom operating system and SDK.

The General is a low-cost, low-power board that communicates wirelessly with the Dongle. This is tasked with connecting up to 65,000 General units, and through the Apio OS, controlling them via a mobile device or PC.

The General is entirely Arduino-compatible, which means users can write their own code in the Arduino IDE, and features an integrated IEEE 802.15.4 communication channel, the LWM. This allows for every board to “talk” with one another in a wireless mesh network. Apio makes it super easy for Makers to get started right out of the box, thanks to a comprehensive set of libraries. Being open-source, more advanced users can also modify existing or write their own codes, thanks to a powerful framework that supports a number of applications including IFTTT, Unity3D and Temboo.

So, what sort of IoT applications can the General be used for? For starters, Makers can develop an automatic watering system that lets them know when their plants are thirsty, or smarten existing household units like a smoke alarm or thermostat. Additionally, users can design an intelligent set of blinds or even connect a General to an electronic door lock to access remotely. The possibilities are endless.

Meanwhile, the Dongle connects wirelessly to each General through the Apio’s OS, permitting anyone to control the boards from a smartphone, tablet or PC. The Apio Dongle integrates with Atmel’s Lightweight Mesh protocol using the ATmega256RFR2, which paves the way for all single devices to become signal repeaters. The signal becomes stronger as the devices are brought closer, therefore overcoming Wi-Fi’s typical coverage problems. According to the team, Atmel’s LWM combined with XBee can provide a more affordable, lower power solution than Wi-Fi when it comes to radio communication. Beyond that, the pairing of a Dongle and a Beaglebone Black or Raspberry Pi gives users the ability create their own smart home gateway.

“With Apio, you can interact with your creations as in an orchestra and you’re the leader. You don’t need wires or expensive installations to create your own symphony,” the team explains.

Interested? You can delve deeper into the IoT platform on its official page here, or its detailed Wiki page here.

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