Adafruit builds a WiFi Yún soundboard

Adafruit’s Tony DiCola has put together a detailed tutorial describing how to transform an Atmel-based Arduino Yún (ATmega32u4 MCU) into a soundboard that can be controlled from a webpage over WiFi.

Aside from the Atmel-powered Arduino Yún, key project components include a MicroSD card with 20 megs of available space and a USB audio adapter (or USB speakers).

“Before you get, started you will want to have your Yun connected to your wireless network and be familiar with connecting to the Yún over SSH,” DiCola explained.

The project’s first step? Making sure the MicroSD card is inserted into the Yun and powered on. After connecting to the Yún with SSH, Makers are instructed to install the audio and drivers.

Next up? Installing and configuring the Flask web application framework.

“Once the audio and Flask setup steps are complete, you can install the software for this project,” said DiCola. “While connected to the Yun over SSH, execute commands to download the software and unzip it on the SD card.”

As DiCola notes, Makers can add their own sounds to the soundboard by simply copying MP3 files into the YunSoundboard-master/sounds folder. For Mac or Linux, the scp tool is used to copy files from a PC to the Yun by executing in a terminal. On Windows, Makers will need to install the pscp utility, with the syntax the same as used for the Mac/Linux command, except for the ‘pscp’ command instead of scp.

“Once the sounds are copied over, reload the web page and you should see them added to the list of sounds automatically,” he noted.

According to DiCola, the above-mentioned project is a great example of how to use the Yún’s Linux processor to host a web application and play sounds. Of course, the basic project can be modded or expanded to run on other boards. Makers can also copy their music collection to the device for WiFi controlled boombox, or hook up a PIR motion sensor to the Yun and have the web page alert them if someone is near the device and ready to be pranked.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the Atmel-powered Yún has been used in a wide variety of Maker projects that we’ve recently covered, including an electricity monitor, mesh extender platform, high-five camera, Foursquare soap bubble machine, a Gmail (alert) lamp, water heater regulator, smart measuring camera and a security camera.

Interested in learning more about building a WiFi Yún soundboard? You can check out Tony DiCola’s full tutorial on Adafruit here.

Going retro with Zorkduino

Zork is considered one of the earliest interactive fiction computer titles, with roots drawn from the original genre game, Colossal Cave Adventure.

According to Wikipedia, the first version of Zork was written in 1977–1979 using the MDL programming language on a DEC PDP-10 computer. The authors – Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling – were all members of MIT’s Dynamic Modeling Group.

Recently, an experienced modder by the name of Rossum decided to rekindle fond memories of long nights playing Zork on his Atari 800 by building the aptly named Zorkduino.

The Atmel-based, Arduino-powered platform generates both audio and video. As expected, Zorkduino is built to be hooked up to a TV and keyboard. 

Key components include:

• Atmel-based Arduino Uno, Pro, or Pro Mini.
• SD card or micro SD card + breakout board (from Adafruit, eBay etc).
• RCA A/V Cable (eBay).
• 470ohm, 1k and 100k resistors.
• Breadboard, wires, etc.
• WebTV or MsnTV IR Keyboard or PS2.
• IR receiver TSOP38238,TSOP4838 or equivalent.

So, how does the retro gaming platform work? Well, as HackADay’s Brian Benchoff reports, Rossum capitalizes on the onboard hardware of the Arduino.

“Video is generated by using SPI mode on a UART at top speed – 8 MHz. This just shifts out pixels from the video buffer on an SD card,” writes Benchoff.

“The keyboard is handled like any other PS/2 keyboard project on the Arduino, [while] audio is generated by toggling a pin at 1000Hz for a keypress and 3600Hz for SD card access.”

As a bonus, Rossum includes an number of additional games on the SD card, including Leather Goddesses of Phobos, along with the ability to run Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Interested in learning more about the Zorkduino? You can check out Rossum’s original blog post on the subject here and the project’s official HackADay page here.

Building a mini GPS with Atmel, Adafruit & Arduino

Oscar Liang recent debuted GARLOW, which he describes as a mini GPS watch based on the Atmel-powered Arduino Nano (ATmega328 MCU).

“Garlow stands for GPS Arduino Rechargeable Logger OLED Watch. It does what the name suggests: Accurate time, positioning related information are received from GPS satellites, [which] can be logged on SD card and shown on a OLED display,” Oscar wrote in a recent blog post.

“It can be carried as a watch or simply left at the back seat of your car as a GPS data logger. The whole system is built on the backbone of an Arduino Nano board, with a LiPo power module which enables USB battery recharge.”

Aside from the Atmel-based Arduino Nano (Uno was used for prototype), key GARLOW specs include:

• Adafruit’s GPS Module
• Mini SD card module
• 0.96′ mono color OLED display
• Power cell – LiPo charger/booster
• 600mAh 1S LiPo battery
• Jumper wires

“Wiring is easy and soldering is minimum. I used jumper wires so each component can be disconnected for future projects,” he explained.

“I built the case using Plastic Styrene sheet (my favorite DIY material). Everything is then glued together using hot glue, and some nylon screws and nuts.”

According to Oscar, the GPS clock draws a total current of 40mA at standby mode (OLED turned off, SD card modue turned off, only GPS working and 80mA normal operation (all on).

Current consumption is broken down as follows:

• Arduino Nano – 20mA
• GPS Modue – 20mA
• OLED Display – 15mA
• SD Card Module – 25mA

“So with a fully charged battery (600mA) it can run 13 hours on standby mode (with 10% left), and 6.5 hours on normal operation,” he added.

“[Plus], the GPS positioning accuracy is about +/- 3 meters. [The] update rate is very good which is 10Hz. It also works indoor but needs to be close to the windows.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out GARLOW’s official blog page here.

Getting started with Adafruit’s Atmel-powered FLORA

Adafruit’s Becky Stern and Tyler Cooper have penned a new book about the company’s popular Atmel-powered FLORA platform.

Titled “Make: Getting Started with Adafruit FLORA,” the upcoming book details various wearable electronics projects that can be designed and built using the device.

Indeed, FLORA weighs in at 4.4 grams and measures only 1.75 inches in diameter. Featuring Arduino compatibility, the platform is one of the most beginner-friendly way to create wearable projects.

“This book shows you how to plan your wearable circuits, sew with electronics and write programs that run on the FLORA to control the electronics,” Stern explained in a recent blog post.

“The FLORA family includes an assortment of sensors, as well as RGB LEDs that let you add lighting to your wearable projects.”

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Adafruit’s wearable electronics platform is built around Atmel’s versatile Atmega32u4 microcontroller (MCU).

The microcontroller boasts built-in USB support, eliminating the need for pesky special cables and extra parts.

According to Adafruit’s Limor Fried, FLORA is extremely “beginner-friendly.” Indeed, the device is difficult to accidentally destroy by connecting a battery backwards, thanks to a polarized connector and protection diodes.

Meanwhile, an onboard regulator ensures even connecting a 9V battery won’t result in damage.

Interested in learning more about Adafruit’s Atmel-powered FLORA? You can check out the platform’s official page on Adafruit here and sign up for book updates here.

This geiger counter is powered by Adafruit & Atmel

The Geiger–Müller counter, also known as a Geiger counter, is an instrument used for measuring ionizing radiation. According to Wikipedia, the device detects radiation such as alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays using the ionization produced in a Geiger–Müller tube.

Recently, Johan of dynode.nl designed geiger counter powered by Adafruit’s Atmel-based (ATtiny85 MCU) Trinket.

“Lately I have been messing around a bit with microprocessor powered geiger counters. One smart guy came up with the idea of generating high voltage using PWM signals from the microprocessor itself,” Johan explained in a detailed blog post.

“With some additional external parts a HV supply and negative going pulse suitable for microprocessors is easy to make.”

So, how does the circuit work? Simply put, a ~1 Khz squarewave turns the MPSA44 high voltage transistor on and off – generating high voltage when the inductors current is shut off.

As Johan notes, the specific voltage is contingent upon the pulse width of the square wave which can be tweaked on a software level.

“The 1N4007 diode rectifies this voltage, and the HV cap removes most of the ripple on this voltage. The resistor limits current to the GM tube,” he continued.

 “The current pulses from the tube generate a voltage drop over the 100K resistor which turns on the BC546. When this happens, the voltage [via] the 10K resistor is pulled to ground, generating a negative going pulse each time the GM tube detects an ionizing ray or particle.”

It should also be noted that Johan’s design supports serial logging capability using a tx only software serial library tasked with outputting the measurements in CPM every 10 seconds on pin 4.

So, what’s next for the Trinket-powered geiger counter? Well, Johan says the platform still requires some tweaking, as the circuit is quite susceptible to electromagnetic interference which causes erroneous counts.

Interested in learning more? You can check out the project’s official page here.

Adafruit builds a smart (Yún) measuring cup

Adafruit’s Tony DiCola has put together a detailed tutorial explaining how to build a smart measuring cup that displays the volume of liquid in a real time on a web page. The brains behind the smart measuring cup? An Atmel-powered Arduino Yún (ATmega32u4) and an eTape liquid level sensor.

Additional project components include:

• Female to male hookup wires
• Graduated cylinder or other container to hold liquids
• 
MicroSD card for storing scripts and data

“The Yun is the perfect platform for this project because it can read sensor data with it’s ATmega microcontroller and serve a web application (written in python and Flask) using it’s Linux-based processor,” DiCola explained.

“No longer will you need to squint and guess while measuring liquids; the smart measuring cup’s web page clearly shows the measured volume and even converts between units or tares measurements like a digital scale!”

As DiCola notes, the assembly of the hardware is relatively simple as the eTape liquid sensor is actually a resistive sensor, just like a photocell.

“Attach one of the middle two leads to ground on the Arduino. Attach the other middle lead to an analog input such as analog 0 on the Arduino,” said DiCola.

“Finally, attach the 560 ohm resistor that comes with the sensor between the analog 0 and 5 volt pins on the Arduino. The outer two pins on the sensor will be unused (they’re for temperature compensation in a bridge configuration).”

Next up? Attach the liquid sensor to a container. First, DiCola recommends placing the sensor against a wall of the container. Then, ensure the sensor is hanging vertically without bends or crimps.

“Only the top portion of the sensor above the MAX line can be attached to the container,” he emphasized.

“The rest of the sensor must be allowed to hang freely so liquid can touch both the front and back of the sensor. [A binder] clip works well as a temporary means of affixing the sensor. For something more permanent consider taping or gluing the top of the sensor to the container (remember only glue or tape the sensor above the MAX line!). Use a food safe adhesive such as silicone sealant if necessary.”

After attaching the sensor, Makers can run an Arduino calibration sketch to report the volume of measured liquid. Last, but certainly not least, the Arduino Yún should be configured to display the measured volume on a web page that updates in real time.

“This project is an example of how to use an eTape liquid level sensor to build a smart web-enabled measuring cup,” DiCola concluded. “You can use the code from this guide to help get any sensor data onto a web page using an Arduino Yún.”

With some tweaking, future project uses could include:

• Logging volume or liquid level data to a cloud service such as Google Docs or Amazon DynamoDB.
• Putting a water level sensor in your home’s sump pump and send an SMS message when water is rising dangerously high.
• Making a web application to help you mix drinks and other concoctions with the liquid sensor.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the Atmel-powered Yún has been used in a wide variety of Maker projects that we’ve recently covered, including an electricity monitor, mesh extender platform, Foursquare soap bubble machine, a Gmail (alert) lamp, water heater regulator and a security camera.

Interested in learning more about building a smart measuring cup? You can check out Tony DiCola’s detailed tutorial on Adafruit’s Learning System here.

 

From Shanzhai to OSHW: The Maker Movement in China

Although the Maker and open source hardware movements are a global phenomenon, the DIY culture in China can actually be traced back to the ancient concept of Shanzhai. As Gabrielle Levine, the newly appointed president of the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) notes, China is going to be a huge driving force in the open source hardware landscape.

“There are many similarities between [the local concept of] Shanzhai and the open source hardware community,” Gabriella Levine told OpenElectronics in February. “Both Shanzhai and open source hardware projects borrow information, tools, source code, CAD files and techniques; both improve upon other’s work to accelerate development.”

SeeedStudio founder Eric Pan expressed similar sentiments during a recent interview with Atmel’s official blog, Bits & Pieces.

“MakerSpaces will likely enable a new wave of tech startups in China as in the US,” he confirmed.

“Clearly, hardware development is becoming a more agile process with the aid of [open source] prototyping tools like RepRap and Arduino boards – both of which are helping to facilitate innovation across the world and particularly in China.”

Similarly, David Li, co-founder of Shanghai’s first Maker Space, told The Economist that the DIY movement has inspired the creation of legitimate and innovative products, with socially progressive Makers teaming up with more traditional manufacturers in China.

We at Atmel are at the strategic heart of the international Maker Movement, with a comprehensive portfolio of versatile microcontrollers (MCUs) that power a wide range of Maker platforms and devices, including 3D printers (MakerBot Replicator 2 and RepRap), the vast majority of Arduino boards, as well as Adafruit’s Gemma, Trinket and Flora platforms.

Indeed, Arduino boards are currently used by millions of Makers, engineers, schools and corporations all over the world. At least 1.2 million Atmel-powered Arduino boards have been sold to date, with the ATmega328-based Uno being a particular Maker and prototyping favorite. Of course, stand-alone AVR microcontrollers like the tinyAVR lineup are also popular amongst the DIY crowd.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, an increasing number of Makers are kicking off project prototyping with Atmel-based Arduino boards. Concurrently, we are also seeing a jump in professional engineers relying on Atmel-powered Arduino boards to create initial models for their devices, platforms and solutions.

Atmel-powered uArm

According to Gartner, 50% of companies expected to help build the rapidly evolving Internet of Things have yet to coalesce. This is precisely why Atmel views China’s Maker Movement as one of the primary tech incubators for future IoT companies and devices, many of which will undoubtedly use Atmel microcontrollers (MCUs) to power their respective platforms.

Atmel will proudly be attending Maker Faire Shenzhen this year on April 6-7. Our booth – #4 – is located right next to Center Stage. We’ll be showcasing a number of Atmel-powered products including a Zigebee-based lighting demo, robotic model car, various Seeeduino boards, the Rainbow Cube (LED light controlled by Atmel MCUs) and an e-ink badge.

I’ll also be giving a presentation about Atmel microcontrollers, the IoT and Makers at 2PM on April 7th at the Center Stage. Hope to see you there!

Adafruit builds a Yún-powered security camera

Adafruit’s Marc-Olivier Schwartz has designed a DIY wireless security camera built around an Atmel-based Arduino Yún (ATmega32u4), USB webcam, microSD card and a PIR motion detector.

“The first application [of the Yún-powered security camera] will be a modern version of standard tasks that you want for a security camera: taking pictures when some motion is detected. The project will store pictures taken by the USB camera on an SD card inserted into the Yún, but that’s not all,” Schwartz explained.

“Because we are in the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), we also want these pictures to be automatically uploaded on a secure location. And that’s exactly what we are going to do by uploading the pictures to Dropbox at the same time.”

As expected, the Yún-powered security camera is also capable of streaming video directly to YouTube.

Schwartz recommends kicking off the project by inserting the SD card into the Yún, connecting the camera to the USB port and linking the motion sensor (VCC pin to the Yun 5V pin, GND to GND, SIG pin to the Yun pin number 8).

After connecting to a PC via the microUSB port, Makers should configure their Temboo and Dropbox accounts. Subsequently, additional software needs to be install on the Atmel-based Yún, including UVC drivers, python-openssl package, fswebcam utility and the mjpg streaming library.

In terms of streaming videos to YouTube, Schwartz first creates a local stream which is then transmitted to a PC via Wirecast and finally, to a YouTube live event.

“Of course, there are several ways to build other cool applications using this project. You can drop the motion detection part and build a camera that take snapshots at regular intervals and upload these on Dropbox,” Schwartz added.

“You can [also] easily create time-lapse videos with this kind of project: just collect the pictures from your Dropbox account, paste them into a time-lapse software. You can also extend this project by adding more Yún + camera modules, to have a complete video monitoring system in your home.”

Interested in learning more? Schwartz’s detailed tutorial is available on Adafruit’s learning system here.

Readers may also want to check out other Yún-based Maker projects including an electricity monitor, mesh extender platform, Foursquare soap bubble machine, a Gmail (alert) lamp, water heater regulator and the high-five camera.

Report: Wearables to drive significant battery revenue

Analysts at IHS say the global market for batteries used in wearable electronics will increase more than tenfold in just four short years, propelled by new devices suitable for active sports and fitness lifestyles. 

Indeed, worldwide revenue for wearable electronics batteries is projected to reach $77 million by 2018, up considerably from a mere $6 million by year-end in 2014.

In addition, industry revenue will have grown nearly 120 percent from 2014 levels.

“Wearable electronics will be the key to sustaining the current very-high-growth levels of battery revenue in consumer electronics,” explained Thomas McAlpine, power supply and storage component analyst for IHS.

“The tremendous expansion in store will come thanks to an increase in the shipments of smartwatch products, wearable health monitoring devices and smart glasses—products geared toward an active lifestyle combining advanced technological trends in miniature computing with newly smart consumer imperatives in fitness and fashion.”

In addition, annual shipments for wearable electronic devices will reach an estimated 56 million units by 2018, fueling continued demand for the batteries that power these products.

“Of the total number of batteries expected to be installed in wearable electronics by 2018, lithium polymer batteries will take the predominant share, accounting for 73 percent of total wearable electronics battery revenue,” said McAlpine. 

”Lithium polymer batteries are typically the preferred choice as they are lighter in weight and can be manufactured into a wider range of shapes and sizes, compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.”

Image Credit: Vega Edge

Smartphone and tablet PC demand will continue to drive the majority of revenue growth in the lithium battery market for portable electronics over the next couple of years, with the combined shipments of these devices projected to grow 46 percent from 2013 to 2015. 

However, shipments will decrease from 2015 onward, and coupled with projected erosion in the average selling prices of lithium battery cells, growth will decelerate for the overall lithium battery market for portable consumer electronics.

“This means the emergence of new applications in the market is critical. Lithium batteries will remain an integral component for innovation in consumer electronics,” McAlpine added. “To achieve sustained market growth, new wearable electronics and other devices need to be introduced and adopted by the mass market, similar to what is occurring now in recently emerging product categories.”

Adafruit’s Becky Stern

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel is right in the middle of the wearable tech revolution, with the the soft electronics DIY Maker community adapting various Atmel-powered platforms specifically for wearables, including the Arduino Lilypad (ATmega328V) (developed by MIT Media Lab professor Leah Buechley), along with Adafruit’s very own Gemma (Atmel ATtiny85) and Flora (ATmega32u4), the latter of which can be easily daisy chained with various sensors for GPS, motion and light.

In addition, Atmel’s microcotrollers are found in a number of smartwatches and wearable medical devices.

Interested in learning more about wearables? You can check out our extensive article archive on the subject here.

Mathilde Berchon talks open source hardware for devs

Writing for the EETimes, MakingSociety.com founder Mathilde Berchon offers some valuable advice to startups using open source hardware.

“The open-hardware movement started with prototyping tools. Building together tools that everyone can use is at the core of the movement,” Berchon explains.

“For a hardware entrepreneur, there are now plenty of them to use for creating your prototype- microcontrollers, sensors, machines and associated software are all available for you to use at very affordable cost. Massive communities of inventors/entrepreneurs just like you develop their products while contributing to each other’s success.”

According to Berchin, open hardware is essentially a trade-off between having access to great resources and giving back to the community.

“Access to open-source prototyping tools will quickly make you realize that you can also leverage a full community of skilled enthusiasts who are able to tell you what you do wrong and how to directly improve your product,” she continues.

Adafruit’s Atmel-powered Gemma

“In exchange for their help, you give them the right to use, modify and sell your product under the same license (if you decide so). Because you are the one behind the project, you are also the one who sees the big picture, who knows how everything works. With open hardware comes great responsibility – you have to be in charge.”

Berchin also notes that utilizing open hardware can help with marketing efforts, specifically for building a successful brand. In addition, she recommends that startups respect customers and backers, learn from their users and make products affordable.

“Arduino, Adafruit, SparkFun [and] Makey Makey are all very strong brands,” she adds.

“They are associated with strong values and ethics. They are watching over their behavior as well as the community is.”

As a final thought, Berchin shares a quote originating from a 2012 3D printing blog post penned by Brook Drumm, founder and CEO of Printrbot.

“For the record, Printrbot will always be an open-source company. Only time will tell if that’s a good idea or not. It may help distinguish us from the competition, or we may die trying,” writes Drumm.

Image Credit: Printrbot

“We have already played a small part in pushing the 3D printing forward and there is much more to do. I’d rather die with a legacy behind us that stretched as far and wide as the open-sourced information can spread than to be driven by fear and hold tightly to every last dollar we can squeeze from the market with closed hardware.”

The full text of Mathilde Berchon’s article titled “Hardware Startups: Don’t be Scared, Share!” can be read on EETimes here.