0 Motivation When I bought such a motor control shield recently, it came as a kit without any instructions. I could find the circuit diagram and list of parts on the Internet after some searching, but almost nothing on assembly and how to control it. Official Documentation Connections Connection strip J3 (upper left, to Arduino; from left to right) 8 NC Not Connected 7 GND ↔ Arduino-GND 6 DIRB ↔ Arduino-13 Controls motor direction resp. activity for MOTORS 1 and 2 (LOW 1, HIGH 2) 5 DIRA ↔ Arduino-12 Controls motor direction resp. activity for MOTORS 3 und 4 (LOW 3, HIGH 4) 4 PWMB ↔ Arduino-11 Controls activity motor 3-4 3 PWMA ↔ Arduino-10 Connects activity motor 1-2 2 E2 ↔ Arduino-9 (Stepper mode: Connected to IC3 1A) 1 E1 ↔ Arduino-8 (Stepper mode: Connected to IC3 4A) Connection strip ENCODER (upper right, to Arduino) Connection strip STEPPER The "official" documentation states that jumpers or bridges have to be installed here (vertically!) Sample Code:
Raspberry Pi Microcomputer Gets Beefed Up — Still Only Costs $35 The Raspberry Pi microcomputer has been a stunning success. More than 2.5 million of the low-cost Linux microcomputers have been sold in the two+ years since the gizmo went on sale, helping to power all manner of homebrew projects. The sales figure is especially impressive when you consider that the not-for-profit UK organization behind the device initially reckoned it would sell maybe a few thousand units over its lifetime. Given the large community that’s built up around the Pi, there have inevitably been calls for tweaks to the design to incorporate improvements that make the board more flexible and capable. In a video introducing the new model B+, the Pi Foundation’s Eben Upton stresses that the B+ is not the next generation of Pi — but rather the final upgrade of the original design. The model B+ Pi is on sale now, via the Foundation’s usual distributors (in the UK that’s element 14 and RS Components).
t r o n i x s t u f f Collaborative Consumption is Overrated Don't get me wrong, I like collaborative consumption. I think Airbnb makes the world a more interesting place, allowing people have more authentic travel experiences. I love TaskRabbit. But I still think collaborative consumption is overrated compared to the other side of the sharing economy coin: collaborative creation. Sure, collaborative consumption can help you earn some side money, subsidize car ownership, or have a more human-centered vacation, but rarely can it help you learn new skills, build a small business, or drive a new industry. I've had a front row seat to this emerging trend. I started an open-source underwater robot project with my friend (and hero) Eric Stackpole. My Zero to Maker experience at TechShop has been a shining example of the true potential of the sharing economy - both collaborative creation and consumption. It’s the process of creation that instills meaning into the products we use.
Yet another laser cutter When my EPSON 830U decided not to work for me anymore (printing heads clogged) I thought I could make some use of the still working mechanics of the printer. It's based on a couple of stepper motors for both axis of motion (print head and paper feed). So I replaced the original power supply and drive electronics for an arduino board and an stepper motor driver from Adafruit industries. Now I could move the printhead anywhere on a page. Next step was to add a laser on the printhead and to control it using a PWM output from arduino (so laser power could be modulated from the computer). Though it only cut thin back color cardboard, it has may uses. Data format is very simple: each line contains a sequence of integer numbers separated by blank space. If you have an old EPSON printer, you may want to give it a second thought before putting it to the trash. Video was shot by taping an iPod to the printer's head.
Setting up LIRC on the RaspberryPi - alexba.in June 8th 2013 Update: I have completed a soldered circuit prototype, complete with a full parts list and high resolution build pictures. Please read Open Source Universal Remote - Parts & Picturse to learn more. March 9th 2013 Update: I have formalized the schematic and parts list that I’m using and have made it available on Upverter. Please read RaspberryPi IR Schematic for LIRC for more details. March 4th Update: I’ve written a follow up post that describes how to control your RaspberryPi universal remote from the web. Preface In July 2012 I wrote a post called Universal remote experiments about creating a web controlled universal remote from the electronics up. At the end of that post I had decided to rebuild the project on a RaspberryPi. This post will serve as ‘part two’ of that project and cover how to install and configure LIRC on a RaspberryPi. LIRC - Linux Infrared Remote Control Setting up LIRC on the RaspberryPi sudo apt-get install lirc Add this to your /etc/modules file: Success!
Arduino Resources Arduino Resources I really love cheat sheets. In a lot of cases they can take the place of an entire manual. So I was surprised, given its popularity that I couldn’t find a single-page reference for the arduino online. I tried to make a sheet that captured all the things I hit the reference for while programming. Any other things you’d like to see added, send me an email and I’ll stick them on Rev 3! Edit: Thanks to Macca and TBAr for their feedback. Download: PNG PDF Visio —- Gavin
HackerspaceWiki KeypadTutorial Matrix Keypad library This page last updated September 04, 2013, at 11:42 AM by gratefulfrog This tutorial is based upon theMatrix Keypad library Navigation What is it? The Keypad library allows your Arduino to read a matrix type keypad. Download latest(This includes four example sketches.) Identifying the keypad pins First you need to get a piece of paper and draw the right hand diagram as you see it below. Procedure Connect your Ohm meter leads to pins 1 and 2. Notes on using the library The library is non-blocking which means you can press and hold the key all day long and your Arduino will continue processing the rest of your code. Example Troubleshooting 1. 2. 3. Modifying the library The library supports user defined pins and keymaps so it should not be necessary to change the library. More information on using and creating libraries
New release: HVAC IR Remote Module for Arduino / Raspberry Pi IR Remote is a small shield that allows you to record any infrared command sent by a remote control and resend it from the Internet. It works connected to Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and let us to control any HVAC system including heating,ventilation, air-conditioning and thermostats from the Cloud. We offer 6 different wireless interfaces to connect Arduino and Raspberry Pi to the Internet: WiFi, 3G, GPRS, Bluetooth and 802.15.4 / ZigBee. With IR Remote you can easily control our home HVAC system from a laptop, a webserver or even from your smartphone. The shield is compatible with both Arduino and Raspberry Pi so you can choose your favourite platform to automate your home. You can find a detailed Tutorial to know how to use IR Remote Module with your favourite HVAC devices, as well as a demonstration video to show a basic example of what it can do.
Thingiverse - Digital Designs for Physical Objects Search Whipcar for Montreal, canada Dear customers and friends, When we launched WhipCar in April 2010, we embarked on a very exciting mission. We were the first to offer car owners the chance to make better use of their cars and offset the rising costs of motoring by renting to their neighbours. We are sad to say that, at this time, we have decided to close WhipCar. In many ways, WhipCar has been a success. However, while so many of you saw the future, we have discovered there are still barriers to widespread adoption of peer-to-peer car rental in the UK. What this means for our customers: Beginning March 12th 2013, we are no longer accepting any new bookings or new membership. If you are a WhipCar member, you may want to take a look at our FAQ s for some useful information. Thank you again for your support and for taking the leap with us into peer-to-peer car rental. All the best, The WhipCar Team