Video: This giant LED Tamagotchi hearts Atmel

The Tamagotchi (たまごっち?) is a handheld digital pet, originally designed in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai way back in 1996. According to Wikipedia, well over 76 million Tamagotchis have been sold world-wide.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

The majority of Tamagotchis are housed in a small egg-shaped computer with an interface (typically) consisting of three buttons, although the number of buttons may vary.

However, a Maker by the name of Vadim recently decided to create a unique, desktop-sized Tamagotchi using a spare LED matrix and an Atmel ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU) with an Arduino bootloader.

As HackADay’s James Hobson reports, the LED matrix comprises four 8×8 LED modules with four shift registers (74HC595) and two Darlington transistor arrays to take the current.

“This is because the 256 LEDs need to be multiplexed down to 32 IO’s (16 rows + 16 columns),” he explained.

After the hardware was deemed operational, Vadim started work on the coding side of things, writing the entire game from scratch.

“While it’s not that complex it’s still an impressive amount of effort that went into this desktop- sized Tamagotchi!” Hobson added.

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

ATmega328P-powered TinkerBots go live on Indiegogo



TinkerBots is an Atmel-powered (ATmega328P) building set that enables Makers and hobbyists of all ages to easily create an endless number of toy robots that can be brought to life without wiring, soldering or programming.

http://vimeo.com/91590326

Indeed, TinkerBots’ specialized “Power Brain” and kinetic modules twist and snap together with other TinkerBots pieces – and even LEGO bricks – adding movement and interest to whatever sort of robot a Maker can imagine and build.

“The inspiration for TinkerBots grew out of my lifelong fascination with LEGO toys. Tasked with building a ‘Dream Machine’ for my master’s thesis in product design, I thought it would be cool to create a construction kit that is as simple to use as LEGOs but has the ability to easily add robotics and make toys that move and do things,” inventor Leonhard Oschutz, creative director and co-founder of Kinematics GmbH, explained.

“It was music to my ears when a child described TinkerBots as being like ‘living LEGOs.’ With our TinkerBots building set, you’re not getting just one robot, you’re getting the ability to build any type of toy robot that you and your children can imagine.”

According to Oschutz, the centerpiece of the TinkerBots building set is a square, red “Power Brain” module (approximately 1.5”x1.5”x1.5”) that contains Atmel’s ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU). This module is tasked with providing wireless power and data transmission to kinetic modules such as motors, twisters, pivots and grabbers. 

Aside from Atmel’s ATmega328P MCU, additional key specs include:

• 

Two-cell lithium polymer battery (7.2V, 800mAh), including an undervoltage overvoltage cutoff, USB charger and balancer
• Onboard USB for programming
• 
Communication via Serial UART Bus-System, each module can communicate with any other module in a bidirectional method
• Bluetooth 4.0 module for app control and firmware update
s
• Speaker for sound feedback
• Status LEDs and control buttons
• 
Arduino libraries and examples for an easy start
• Three-axis accelerometer and gyroscope
• Software update of all modules via Power Brain

“Children can build anything they can imagine, such as a dog that walks, a snake that slithers, a bug that crawls or a tractor that digs,” said Oschutz.

“Small building blocks and other shapes such as rectangles and pyramids without electronics inside them are passive pieces that can be used to customize TinkerBots toy robots.”

Controlling TinkerBots robots is as easy as it is to build them. An integrated record-and-play function on the “Power Brain” module enables Makers to teach their robots what to do and bring them to life. To be sure, users only need to take their creation in their hands, press the record button and move their robot in the way they want it to move. 

When a user puts it down and pushes the play button, the toy robot will repeat over and over exactly what it just learned. The next time, Makers can teach the ‘bot something completely new, or start all over to build an entirely different robot using the same TinkerBots pieces. As expected, TinkerBots robots can also be controlled remotely via a tablet or smartphone with the TinkerBots app.

The basic TinkerBots building set is packed with three active modules: the “Power Brain,” motor and pivot modules. Passive pieces include two cubes and two adapter plates for LEGO bricks, along with a USB charger. More advanced robots are slated to offer additional components such as an infrared distance sensor. 

Last, but certainly not least, TinkerBots’ use of Atmel’s ATmega328P allows more experienced enthusiasts to dabble in Arduino IDE programming for their TinkerBots creations.

Preorders for TinkerBots are currently being accepted on Indiegogo, with shipping scheduled to kick off in the fourth quarter of 2014. General availability is slated for second quarter 2015, with retail pricing beginning at $159.

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

Winning with Atmel on Kickstarter

Kickstarter first opened its virtual doors on April 28, 2009. Since then, the wildly popular crowdfunding website has tracked over $1 billion in pledges from 5.9 million individuals who actively funded 59,000 creative projects.

Unsurprisingly, quite a number of Atmel-powered Kickstarter projects have been successfully funded over the past year, including:

MicroView



MicroView is a chip-sized platform with a built-in OLED (64×48) display that allows Makers to see what the Atmel-based board is “thinking” without having to link with a PC.

The device, designed by the Geek Ammo crew, is built around Atmel’s versatile ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU).



1Sheeld

Integreight’s 1Sheeld – designed around Atmel’s ATMega162 MCU – is an easily configurable shield for Arduino boards.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/integreight/1sheeld-replace-your-arduino-shields-with-your-sma

Essentially, 1Sheeld connects to a mobile Android app that allows users to take advantage of various smartphone features including the display, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, GSM, Wi-Fi and GPS.

DIWire



The first desktop CNC wire bender recently hit Kickstarter with an Atmel MCU (ATxmega192/TinyG) under the hood.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1638882643/diwire-the-first-desktop-wire-bender

Designed by Pensa Labs, the DIWire transforms drawn curves into bent wire that can be assembled to make just about anything.

Primo



Primo can best be described as a playful physical programming interface that helps teach children programming logic without the need for literacy.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1039674461/primo-teaching-programming-logic-to-children-age-4

Powered by an Atmel-based Arduino board, the Primo play-set uses shapes, colors and spacial awareness to instruct programming logic through a tactile, warm and magical learning experience

.

Robox



Robox is a 3D printing and micro-manufacturing platform designed byC Enterprise Ltd. (CEL).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robox/robox-desktop-3d-printer-and-micro-manufacturing-p?ref=live

Driven by an ARM-based Atmel chip, the Robox was designed by its creators to “demystify” the 3D printing process.

The EX¹ 

The Atmel-powered (ATmega2560) EX¹ allows Makers and engineers to quickly print circuit boards on a wide variety of material.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cartesianco/the-ex1-rapid-3d-printing-of-circuit-boards

Simply put, the EX¹ is helping to transform electronics and prototyping in the same way that conventional 3D printing revolutionized traditional manufacturing.

Touch Board: Interactivity Everywhere



The Touch Board is an Atmel-powered platform (ATmega32U4 MCU) that allows Makers to more easily create interactive and responsive projects.

The Touch Board can change the world around you by turning almost any material or surface into a sensor.

Flutter

Flutter is an open source Atmel-powered wireless platform with a 1000m+ (3200 ft) range.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flutterwireless/flutter-20-wireless-arduino-with-half-mile-1km-ran

Protected from digital intruders by Atmel’s ATSHA204 which offers 256-bit AES hardware encryption, Flutter makes it easy for DIY Makers to build projects that communicate across a house, neighborhood and beyond.

Hex ‘Copter

Hex – powered by Atmel’s ATmega32U4 – is a 3D-printed nanocopter that can be controlled using the gravity sensors in a mobile device.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1387330585/hex-a-copter-that-anyone-can-fly

Essentially, Hex imitates the movement of the smartphone or a tablet in the air. In addition, traditional throttle, elevator, aileron, rudder control systems can be used to operate your Hex.

ATtiny85 ISP!



Designed by Ben Escobedo, the open source ATtiny85 ISP! can probably best be described as a breakout prototyping board for Atmel’s ATtiny85/45/25 lineup.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rullywowr/attiny85-isp-shrink-your-arduino-projects-with-eas?ref=live

The project’s goal? Allowing Makers to take advantage of the ATtiny85 chip’s potential, while using the familiar Arduino IDE and harnessing the super awesome support from the Arduino community.

Agent Smartwatch



Atmel’s SAM4S and tinyAVR MCUs are inside the Agent smartwatch which raised well over a million dollars on the crowdfunding website.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/secretlabs/agent-the-worlds-smartest-watch

The next-gen smartwatch offers brand-new technology, world-class developer tools, unparalleled battery life and Qi wireless charging.

Blinky Tape



BlinkyTape – powered by Atmel’s ATmega32U4 – is a portable LED strip with 60 pixels and an integrated USB-programmable light processor.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/740956622/blinkytape-the-led-strip-reinvented

Additional key specs include 32KB Flash memory, 2.5KB RAM, 1KB EEPROM, a micro USB connector for power and data, as well as an on-board micro switch for interactive applications.

Vega Edge



Made of laser-cut leather, the Atmel-powered, Arduino-based Edge is a wearable light that snaps securely onto your clothing with the help of four strong neodymium magnets.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/868814363/vega-edge

You can wear it discreetly by day or brightly at night with your winter coat, cardigan, hood, scarf, handbag, collar, pocket, belt, or wherever you’d like a touch of light.

The Open Enigma Project

Designed by the ST-Geotronics crew, the Open Enigma (M4) Project – powered by an Atmel-based Arduino Mega (ATmega1280) – first surfaced towards the end of 2013.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/438986934/the-open-enigma-project

When it went live on Kickstarter, the Open Engima successfully raised over $62,000, facilitating the implementation of several important stretch goals.

Skirmos: Open Source Laser Tag

Skirmos is an open source, versatile laser tag system that features an ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU), Arduino bootloader, color LCD screen (acts as a realtime HUD) and an infrared LED.

Skirmos currently offers a trio of preset gametypes: basic, free-for-all and team slayer. However, the platform is ultimately expected to boast an almost unlimited number of gametypes.

OSCAR: Open Screen Adapter



OSCAR is a super high resolution 9.7″ screen with an Atmel-powered (ATmega32u4) adapter that allows users to easily link the display to their PC, Mac or Linux machine.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1859884318/oscar-the-open-screen-adapter?ref=live

The board is Arduino compatible ,which makes modifying the behavior easy, as all the software and hardware is open source.

DigiX

DigiX is an Atmel-based development board (AT91SAM3X8E) with WiFi and Mesh networking, Audio, USB OTG, microSD and 99 i/o pins.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digistump/digix-the-ultimate-arduino-compatible-board-with-w?ref=live

The DigiX was designed to be a dev board ready for any project – with no compromises.

Reactor Core – Arduino/AVR Programmer, DIY Soldering Kit



The Reactor Core is a hardware programming platform for Arduino boards and stand-alone AVR-based microcontrollers (MCUs).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1257390142/reactor-core-arduino-avr-programmer-diy-soldering?ref=live

Designed by Frank Fox, the Reactor Core is powered by Atmel’s ATmega328P MCU and an FT232R for USB to serial communication.

King’s Assembly Mouse

Solid Art Labs recently debuted the King’s Assembly – a unique device that packs a high-precision laser mouse, full mechanical keyboard and an analog joystick into a single platform.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/70308014/kings-assembly-a-computer-mouse-full-of-awesome

Atmel’s AT90USB128 MCU powers this three-in-one mouse. Key features include 30 keys for each hand, finger key rows angled for fast access and a two-axis analog joystick for each thumb.

Pi-Bot

The Atmel-powered Pi-Bot (ATmega328) is a hands-on robotic learning platform for both students and professional engineers.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1158090852/pi-bot-the-next-great-tool-in-robotics-learning-pl?ref=category#

According to STEM Center USA CEO Melissa Jawaharlal, the team designed the Pi-Bot from the ground up to optimize functionality and ensure affordability.

Game Frame: The Art of Pixels



Game Frame – an Arduino-based grid of 256 ultra-bright LED pixels – was designed by Jeremy Williams to showcase pixel art and old school video games.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jerware/game-frame-the-art-of-pixels

As Williams notes, video game artists used to draw everything with a sheet of graph paper, a few colors and a couple of animation frames.

Robot Army Starter Kit

The Robot Army is a DIY Delta Robot kit powered by Atmel’s versatile ATmega328 microcontroller for the rapidly growing Maker community.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1984252088/robot-army-starter-kit?ref=footer

The kit includes all mechanical pieces in grey and neon yellow plastic (the yellow fluoresces under black light), spacers, brackets, ball bearings and hardware required for assembly. In addition, the kit is packed with electronic components, PCB and wire harnesses.

MicroSlice: Mini Laser Cutter & Engraver



The MicroSlice is a mini laser cutter and engraver.

The open source platform, powered by an Atmel-based Arduino Uno (ATmega328), is currently being promoted as a kit that takes approximately 15 hours to build.

uARM: Miniature Industrial Robot



This four-axis parallel-mechanism desktop robot arm is modeled after the ABB industrial PalletPack robot and is built around Atmel’s ATmega328 MCU which powers a custom board.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ufactory/uarm-put-a-miniature-industrial-robot-arm-on-your?ref=live

The uARM platform is constructed with acrylic or wood parts and fitted with standard RC hobby servos.

Smart Nixie Tube



The Smart Nixie Tube is an open source platform powered by Atmel’s versatile ATmega328p.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/popshields/smart-nixie-tube?ref=live

Designed by Tyler Nehowing, the platform is fully programmable using the unmodified Arduino IDE, as it appears as an Arduino Uno running at 16MHz/5V.

OpenBCI: An Open Source Brain-Computer Interface For Makers

OpenBCI – designed by Joel Murphy & Conor Russomanno – is a low-cost programmable open-source EEG platform that offers Makers easy access to their brainwaves. In addition to an ADS1299 IC, the OpenBCI is equipped with Atmel’s ATmega328 (+ Arduino’s latest bootloader).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openbci/openbci-an-open-source-brain-computer-interface-fo?ref=live

The project’s vision? 

”To realize the potential of the open-source movement to accelerate innovation in brain science through collaborative hardware and software development.”

White Bread Shield for Arduino

Mark Davidson recently designed an Atmel-powered (ATmega328) Arduino prototyping shield that can also be used as a stand-alone board for various DIY Maker projects.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1214533021/white-bread-shield-for-arduino?ref=live

Dubbed the “White Bread Shield,” the platform is compatible with Arduino Uno boards.

Hauntbox



The Hauntbox is a prop controller and automation machine that is browser-configured and open source.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1020117671/hauntbox

The ATmega2560-based platform allows Makers to easily automate inputs and outputs without the need for complex programming.

ControlLeo

ControLeo – designed by two retired Silicon Valley engineers – can probably best be described as a quad relay controller enclosed in a professional box.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1471240030/controleo-an-arduino-compatible-controller?ref=live

The platform is driven by Atmel’s ATmega32u4 paired with an Arduino Leonardo boot loader.

FEZ Medusa



FEZ Medusa is an open source hardware (OSHW) processor board powered by Atmel’s ATmega328P.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1359959821/an-arduino-compatible-electronic-building-block-sy?ref=search

Aptly described as “electronic building blocks” by the GHI Electronics crew, the Fez Medusa is designed to keep soldering irons optional with a comprehensive ecosystem of mainboards, sensors and control modules.

Rapid IoT prototyping with SODAQ

The Atmel-based SODAQ (ATmega328P) is a LEGO-like, plug-in, rapid prototyping board.

Simply put, the multi-feature microprocessor board allows both Makers and engineers to easily connect a wide variety of sensors and devices to the Internet.

Oscilloscope Watch

A Maker by the name of Gabriel Anzziani recently designed a rather impressive oscilloscope watch built around Atmel’s versatile ATxmega256A3U MCU.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/920064946/oscilloscope-watch

The device boasts all the trappings of a modern watch (time, calendar and alarm), along with all the features of the popular Xprotolab – oscilloscope, waveform generator, logic analyzer, protocol sniffer and frequency counter.

GPS Cookie

Developed by Richard Haberkern, the open source GPS Cookie is built around Atmel’s popular ATmega328P.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/richardhaberkern/gps-cookie-leaving-crumbs-wherever-it-goes

The Cookie’s compact form factor (available in two form factors, or shapes) makes it easy to carry, experiment with and expand.

Little Robot Friends



Little Robot Friends are both interactive and customizable, each with a unique and evolving personality.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aesthetec/little-robot-friends?ref=home_spotlight

According to Mark Argo of Aesthetec Studio, the Little ‘bot family is built around Atmel’s ATmega328P MCU. Each Little Robot is powered by two rechargeable AAA batteries and depending on the frequency of use, should last for weeks or months on a single charge.

Lumapad



The Lumapad is an open source, high intensity, 8000 lumen LED lighting system built around Atmel’s ATmega328P MCU and an (optional) electric IMP.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/richardhaberkern/open-source-ultra-bright-led-light-pad-with-wifi-a

According to project designer Richard Haberkern, 32 ultra-bright LEDs are positioned in a landscape array to provide bright, even and controllable lighting, drawing only 88 watts. Last, but certainly not least, a built in electronic dimmer makes the light intensity adjustable to fit just about any environment.

Delta Six Game Controller



The Delta Six mirrors the look of a modern military combat rifle, including real time aiming as well as a kickback sensation. The Atmel-powered, Arduino-based Delta Six was developed using IR sensors, accelerometers and gyroscopes to provide unparalleled arcade experience.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/356540105/delta-six-a-new-kind-of-game-controller

The controller is compatible with Xbox 360, Play Station 3, and PC systems – and upgradeable for next-gen systems like Playstation 4.

Neko – A Color Field Oil Painter



Created by Laura Lippincott, Neko was brought to life with an Arduino Mega (Atmel ATmega1280), hobby parts and a 3D printer.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/painterbot/neko-a-color-field-oil-painter?ref=live

The ‘bot is currently being primed with color data in an attempt to make him more creative.

Smart Citizen Kit

Designed by Acrobotic, the Smart Citizen Kit is an open-source environmental monitoring platform powered by Atmel’s ATmega32U4.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/acrobotic/the-smart-citizen-kit-crowdsourced-environmental-m?ref=live

Dubbed the Ambient Board, the Kit hardware comprises two printed-circuit boards – an interchangeable daughterboard or shield, and an Arduino-compatible data-processing board. As the name suggests, it is equipped with sensors to measure air composition (CO and NO2), temperature, light intensity, sound levels and humidity.

Sparki – The Easy Robot for Everyone


Sparki is an easy to use Arduino-based robot (ATmega32u4RC) that offers a fun introduction to programming, electronics and robotics.

Although Sparki is simple enough for beginners, the ‘bot is packed with more than enough features to satisfy more experienced Makers.

Linkbot



Designed by Barobo, the Linkbot  is a modular robot platform powered by Atmel’s ATmega128RFA1 (running at 16MHz) that boasts 100oz-in (7.2 Kg-cm) of torque and a free-run speed of 300 deg/sec.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barobo/linkbot-create-with-robots

Atmel-powered MicroView is a Kickstarter champion

The Atmel-powered MicroView – which made its first official Kickstarter appearance last week – has already raised nearly $260,000 from over 3,000 enthusiastic backers.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1516846343/microview-chip-sized-arduino-with-built-in-oled-di?ref=live

For the uninitiated, MicroView is a chip-sized platform with a built-in OLED (64×48) display that allows Makers to see what the Atmel-based board is “thinking” without having to link with a PC.

 The device, designed by the Geek Ammo crew, is built around Atmel’s versatile ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU).

Additional key features and specs include:

• Support for the Arduino IDE 1.0+ (OSX/Win/Linux)
• Direct 3.3VDC – 16VDC power input, no power regulator required
• Standard DIP package
• Breadboard friendly or direct solder
• Operating Voltage: 5V
• Input Voltage: 3.3VDC – 16VDC
• Digital I/O Pins: 12 (of which 3 provide PWM output)
• Analog Input Pins: 6
• Flash Memory: 32 KB
• SRAM: 2 KB
• EEPROM: 1 Kilobyte
• Clock Speed: 16 Mhz

In addition to providing a wide range of tutorials, the Geek Ammo crew has developed a cross-platform MicroView course that takes Makers through a step-by-step process of building 11 different circuits including:

• Blinking LEDs and creating various colors on an RGB LED
• Obtaining readings from a potentiometer
• Taking the input from a push button
• Sensing temperature and light
• Controlling actuators relays, motors and servos
• Generating sound

The MicroView can be powered via a number of sources, including a coin cell battery, AA or AAA, USB, 9V (Square) and 12V (car).

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered MicroView? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here and Makezine’s recent write-up here.

PAVA 9 is a sleek ATmega328P-based tracker

Anthony Stirk – a member of The Register’s Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) project – has designed a sleek miniature tracker powered by Atmel’s ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU).

Dubbed Pava 9, the platform was inspired by Stirk’s goal to create the lightest tracker possible, with a run time suitable for long-distance High Altitude Ballooning (HAB) flights.

“The heart of the tracker is [Atmel’s] ATmega328P microcontroller as favored by the Arduino Uno, however in this guise it’s underclocked running at 2MHz to help with power consumption,” Stirk told Lester Haines of The Register.

“A snap-off programming header reduces the overall weight to 2.5g. Connected to the board is a u-blox MAX7C GPS module. The whole thing runs at 1.8V and can be powered either by a separate step-up or a LiPo+solar charger board… Power savings over the previous board are quite significant, giving 40 per cent more run time.”

According to Stirk, the original Pava utilized an off-the-shelf RFM22B radio transmitter, which experienced a number of issues with frequency drift due to temperature. Plus, it lacked support for modes such as DominoEX and THOR.

“[So] I decided to make a custom radio for this tracker based around SI’s 4060 transmitter chip. Making it myself meant I could choose all the components and ensure they work at the lower temperatures,” he explained.

“A TCXO (temperature-compensated crystal oscillator) ensures a stable frequency. The choice of frequency, although out of spec for the radio module, opens up the board to doing MFSK DominoEX and THOR modes.”

Before launching stratowards aboard the Vulture 2, the PAVA 9 is scheduled to relay telemetry during LOHAN’s “Punch” and “Judy” upcoming test flights.

Interested in learning more? You can check out The Register’s full write up here, the LOHAN project page here and Anthony Stirk’s PAVA project page here.

Uber-mini MicroView dev board has a built-in OLED

The MicroView – which recently made its Kickstarter debut – is a chip-sized platform with a built-in OLED (64×48) display.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1516846343/microview-chip-sized-arduino-with-built-in-oled-di

Essentially, the MicroView allows Makers to see what the Atmel-based board is “thinking” without having to link with a PC. The device, designed by the Geek Ammo crew, is powered by Atmel’s versatile ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU).

Additional key features and specs include:

• Support for the Arduino IDE 1.0+ (OSX/Win/Linux)
• Direct 3.3VDC – 16VDC power input, no power regulator required
• Standard DIP package
• Breadboard friendly or direct solder
• Operating Voltage: 5V
• Input Voltage: 3.3VDC – 16VDC
• Digital I/O Pins: 12 (of which 3 provide PWM output)
• Analog Input Pins: 6
• Flash Memory: 32 KB
• SRAM: 2 KB
• EEPROM: 1 Kilobyte
• Clock Speed: 16 Mhz

“No more cryptic ‘Hello World’ LED blink sequences or shoehorning oversized displays,” a Geek Ammo rep explained.

“Development is much easier when you can [actually] see what’s going on.”

In addition to providing a wide range of tutorials, the Geek Ammo crew has developed a cross-platform MicroView course that takes Makers through a step-by-step process of building 11 different circuits including:

• Blinking LEDs and creating various colors on an RGB LED
• Obtaining readings from a potentiometer
• Taking the input from a push button
• Sensing temperature and light
• Controlling actuators relays, motors and servos
• Generating sound

The MicroView can be powered via a number of sources, including a coin cell battery, AA or AAA, USB, 9V (Square) and 12V (car).

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered MicroView? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here.

Automating smart window blinds with an Arduino Fio

Bithead recently embarked on a journey to replace a pair of defunct residential shades with motorized window blinds. After researching and deciding on a specific brand, Bithead got to work building a digital bridge to interface the blinds with his home automation system.

“I wanted to make the device small and wireless. I had an extra Arduino Fio (Atmel ATmega328P) left over from an earlier project, so decided to use that as the base of my solution,” Bithead explained in a detailed blog post.

“Next, I purchased an Xbee S6B to allow the Fio to participate on the house WiFi network.  Finally, I purchased some 3V Reed Relays from Meder Electronics.”

On the software side, Bithead wrote a quick app to send command to the Fio, going through at least three major iterations before hitting on a stable version. He also coded an HTML5 interface that allows him to manually override the blinds from any mobile device connected to the house WiFi.

“I used slider controls in the app to set the height of the blinds which makes the app more intuitive,” he continued.

“In addition to a manual control option, I also added some functionality to allow the app to control the blinds autonomously.”

Basic rules include:

• 

At sunrise, raise the blinds to let in light
• At sunset, lower the blinds to provide privacy
• If the room gets too warm, lower the blinds to 50% to provide some shade
• When the room returns to a target temperature, raise the blinds again to let light in
• When the house is unoccupied, lower the blinds for privacy

“I already have a sunlight sensor configured to trigger the interior stair lights.  I also already have a temperature sensor in each room and house occupancy sensors, so writing the rules was a simple matter of tapping into those database tables and grabbing the current state to determine if the blinds should move,” he added.

Interested in learning more? You can check out HackADay’s write up here and Bithead’s official blog post here.

This 6X USB charger has a current monitor

Frank Zhao, an electrical engineer and DIY hobbyist, has designed a simple 6 port USB device charger with an individual current monitor on each port.

“The problem I faced was that I had too many devices to recharge at once, not having enough chargers and not having enough AC jacks,” Zhao explained in a recent blog post.

“Also my new Sony wireless headset was being picky about both the cable I use and the charger I use. I decided to troubleshoot this problem by building this tool.”

Key project specs include Atmel’s versatile ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU), an INA169 breakout board and an OKR-T10-W12.

The charging current is indicated using RGB LEDs. More specifically, blue means slow charge (under 250mA), green 250mA-750mA, red over 750mA and purple over 1500mA (for tablets).

“Wiring is done using 30 gauge Kynar coated wire. A decently capable wall-wart is needed, anywhere between 4.5V to 12V is acceptable and it must be able to supply enough current for all the devices to be charged,” Zhao continued.

“A DC/DC converter is used to increase efficiency, so a 12V wall-wart supplying 4A can actually charge about 8A total. The D+ and D- signals have the appropriate resistors to enable high charging rates on Apple devices – which is compatible with Sony, Samsung and other brands.”

Zhao also noted that he deliberately omitted a number of features from his charger due to cost and time constraints, including reverse polarity protection, input fuse, individual over-current cutoff and LED dimming.

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

Tannin is a DIY MIDI controller

Last week, Bits & Pieces got up close and personal with the Atmegatron, an 8-bit mono synth powered by Atmel’s ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU).

Today, we’re going to be taking a closer look at the Tannin, a DIY MIDI controller built around the Atmel-based Arduino Nano (ATmega328). 

Deisgned by Shantea, the system is equipped with 16 potentiometers, 19 buttons and four LEDs controller.

“It fully supports MIDI Note On/Off and CC messages, including the MIDI In (I’m using that feature in Traktor to control LEDs and set modifiers). It even features experimental MIDI Clock In support,” Shantea explained in a recent HackADay Project post.

“I’ve set it in a way that LEDs blink in sync with that clock, but there’s more work to be done to make it work fully. The buttons also have built-in feature of long press, that is, if you press button for half second (that can easily be defined) it will send another MIDI Note On on another channel (2, regular presses are sent on channel 1). The pots as well send MIDI Note On/Off messages, 6 per pot, depending on their position, with CC messages, of course.”

On the software side, Shantea used The Hairless MIDI to Serial Bridge, routing the messages via virtual MIDI cable software (loopBe30).

“When you match your virtual port in hairless-midi software, the once-serial messages from Arduino will become MIDI messages routed over virtual MIDI cable,” he said. “After that you can easily map your controller to any software which supports MIDI learn.”

In terms of hardware specifics, Tannin’s faceplate is manufactured out of a special plastic board 1.5mm thick (glued to 3mm plexiglas) and houses three PCBs designed in Eagle.

“Two for two groups of potentiometers to get really stable values (I used to connect the pots with wires which often resulted in gibberish values), and they both use ground planes on both sides,” Shantea added. “[Meanwhile], the main PCB [is fitted with the Atmel-based] Arduino, with connectors for two PCBs for pots. Each pot PCB has 4051 chip on it to read potentiometers. Buttons and LEDs [are] connected in a matrix with shared columns.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out HackADay’s introductory blog post here and the project’s official HackADay page here.

An AVR-based public transport display

When it is reliable, public transportation is almost certainly the way to go, especially for those who are environmentally conscious. 

Take Adrian and Obelix, for example. These two university students recently hacked an LED dot matrix display to show arrival times for stops near their dorm.



The duo found the display for the project, albeit with a defective controller, on eBay. However, Adrian and Obelix quickly swapped out the controller for a trusty AVR-based ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU) and TP-Link MR3020.

“The ATmega328P does all the hard work pushing every line into the registers of the display and multiplexing, [while] the MR3020 takes care of network communication where it’s wireless interface comes in handy, because you only need to provide power to the display,” the two explained in a detailed blog post.

“For now, a PC takes care of collecting all information and rendering an image, but this will eventually be done by the MR3020 in the future. For now, it’s more practical to do the rendering on a PC with Python, where later on a C-program would do all the work on the MR3020.”

It should probably be noted that the above-mentioned display actually comprises two separate displays – each with a resolution of 128*16 pixels. Indeed, each line is connected to a binary decoder.

“Both displays have a common line select, clock pin, enable and latch, but separate data pins and data output pins, so we connected the first dataout to the second and get a virtual 256*16 pixel display,” the two added.

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