hardware 2
Get flash to fully experience Pearltrees
embedded
BeagleBoardShoppingList -
This page is consistently out-of-date. The new home page for this information is: http://beagleboard.org/peripheral This is a list of all the items that I needed to create my Beagleboard setup.
<img class="mt-image-left" width="300" height="100" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" src="http://makezineblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/mz_webbanner_c_askmake.gif?w=300&h=100" alt=""/> Ask MAKE is a weekly column where we answer reader questions, like yours. Write them in to mattm@makezine.com or drop us a line on Twitter . We can’t wait to tackle your conundrums!
Make: Online : Ask MAKE: Software for designing circuits
Cheap DIY SD card breadboard socket
Do you have a project that needs an interface to mass storage, but don't have the resources to build a breakout board for a standard socket? In this Instructable, you will learn how to make an SD card socket that plugs right into a breadboard for less than two dollars in parts (depending on how you get them of course). I show you how to use a simple straight pin header and modify it so you can plug in an SD card and attach it directly to a breadboard for data logging and prototyping. This is quick and easy so you don't have to wait for a socket in the mail, or build/buy the SMD breakout board for it either. Basic soldering skills and common tools are required. I will cover how to make vertical and right angle sockets.
The frame of the tabletop Tesla is made entirely of half-inch (12.7 mm) PVC pipe. There's no point giving you exact dimensions of the stringers and risers because they depend on how big your secondary coil is. You can scale the frame up or down as you wish. I used a 12 inch long cardboard tube for mine, making the footprint of my coil 14 inches by 11.25 inches.
Tabletop Tesla Coil
Make: Online : Seven segment display explained
<img src="http://makezineblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/7segmentexplained-1.jpg?w=600&h=200" width="600" height="200" alt="7segmentexplained-1.jpg" /> MAKE subscriber Florin points out this thorough rundown on 7-segment display usage, even covering the basics of multiplexing with the common component - <img src="http://makezineblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/7segmentexplained-2.jpg?w=350&h=241" width="350" height="241" alt="7segmentexplained-2.jpg" />
This is a hot-air machine (stirlingengine), built with some old computer-parts (heatsink and the head of an old harddisk). This Stirlingengine (and all others also) works with a temperature difference between the hot bottom side (e.g. heatet with a candle) and the colder topside (cooled with the heatsink of an old 486 CPU) of an metal can (e.g.hairspray). Simplified the engine works as follows: The candle heats up the air in the tin can. Hot air needs more volume. While we have a nearly constant volume in the tin can, the pressure rises up. This will affect, that the main-piston moves up.
Rotating LED throwies driven by a Stirlingengine (eVoltis Stirli
<img src="http://makezineblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/diycosmicraydetector1_cc.jpg?w=600&h=391" width="600" height="391" alt="diycosmicraydetector1_cc.jpg" /> <img src="http://makezineblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/cosmicraydetector2_cc.jpg?w=600" width="600" alt="cosmicraydetector2_cc.jpg" /> Robert Hart is developing his own cosmic ray detector using familiar fluorescent tubes and a high voltage(~650V DC) power supply. The design is a variation on an example from CERN researcher Sascha Schmeling’s DIY Spark Chamber -
Cosmic ray
Make: Online : How-To Tuesday: Teacup Stirling engine
A few weeks ago Gareth had asked me to check out an article from an upcoming issue of MAKE. It was the Teacup Stirling Engine from Volume 17. Recently, I made the Gakken Stirling Engine Kit from the Maker Shed , which was really cool. However, I have never made one from scratch, and this was my opportunity to give it a try. I’m not going to go over every last detail of the build since it is really well documented in MAKE, Volume 17 and you can even check out the digital edition here . It’s a fairly finicky machine, but as you can see, it really does run, and it runs well.
MAKE: Blog: Toolbox: Benchtop power supplies
<img src="http://makezineblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/tookboxlogo011409.jpg?w=600&h=107" width="600" height="107" alt="tookBoxLogo011409.jpg"/> A benchtop power supply is a handy piece of equipment to have around if you do a lot of electronics or other powered projects on your bench and need a reliable source of power at different voltages (+5V, -5V, +3.3V, +12V, etc).This method of surface mounting is unconventional and is not recommended for production projects. If you plan to use the device in a mobile project make sure you seal it. It's a know fact that the surface mount devices are becoming more and more popular leaving behind the traditional through-hole mounting method. While for the electronics industry surface mounting brings a lot of benefits (one of them being the ability to pack more components per square inch) for the regular hobyst surface mount devices are often times a "show stopper". This tutorial is for those of you who absolutely need to mount a small surface mount device for prototyping purposes and do not have the means or time to perfom a traditional surface mount. There's obviously a "correct" way to mount a SMT component and I highly recommend reading the Surface Mount Soldering guide at Curious Inventor first before attempting this method.
Reverse Surface Mounting method for leadless surface mount devic
My Top Ten Most Useful Breadboard Tips and Tricks
There's 6 inches of snow on the ground, and you're cooped up in the house. You have momentarily lost your motivation to work on your GPS-guided metal-cutting laser. There haven't been any new projects on your favorite site which have piqued your interest. What to do with yourself? Well, how bout pimping up your breadboard and turning it into a lean, mean, digital-development machine?Lets build a 900,000+ volt Van de Graaff generator!! I built this one in about a week, using scrap parts from a sewing machine and materials ordered from http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/start.shtml I have seen the larger machines in operation at my local science museum and this one does just as well. I have made hair stand on end and even pie pans float up and off the machine. For an explanation of operation go to Wikipedia: