Showing posts with label electronics courses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electronics courses. Show all posts

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Nike+iPod Dissection

People self-educational purposes in order to destroy them, do not just buy something? Is not that right? Oh ... Well here is another breakdown of internal commercial device. You can learn a lot from professionally engineered devices. Creating a Nike + iPod photo internal piece was surprisingly satisfying. Image available only set was horribly out of focus, so here's how to set a quick picture of the popular Nike + iPod product works.


There is a very interesting paper was published by the CS department at U-dub some of the students. The serial connection between the receiver tapped and figured out how to listen to tag several feet. Not surprisingly, news of a 'security and privacy risks as this happened. A malicious person tracking people and places (think crazy stalker ex-boyfriend) as a way, a system designed for a specific tag can hear, but it's just that this commercially available product (cheap! $ 23.15 purchase on the Internet can be used as reliable as the time of writing) to monitor where my grandpa, my sleeping 4-year-old nephew is playing, or automatically when I entered my office / can turn off my lights. A reader needs to get physically closer to the RFID, the foot pod turns over 10-20 feet can pass. An RFID card out of your wallet when you do not have to worry about, you just let your shoes talking.

Nike + iPod, or RFID, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a lot of resentment in any form correspondents. Foot Pod can transmit a unique ID, it sends this information to actively 2.4GHz band. Pod 80 channels available on one leg each time the user takes a step in a "Hello World, I am XYZ" (broadcast in the low 0.0001 seconds) transmit in very short bursts. The active signal as much as 40-60 feet and can travel (we really do not care to test range). 125KHz or 13 MHz RFID tags work publicly available and often passive (requires an RFID tag, the reader, will be in a few inches) is. Nike + iPod technology RFID systems is very different from the truth.

What is MEMs accelerometer! How to monitor your weight on the foot pod feet (quick run shorter amount of time spent on one foot), was designed to enable an easy piezoelectric sensor. This sensor interrupt a PIC16F688 a fire (yeah! A PIC microcontroller us!). I thought there was going to be built in an accelerometer, but this simple method considerably reduces the cost of the device (Retail $ 8- $ 10 dollars) and possibly avoid some nasty patent infringement! Dynastream and PhatRat (hey, they're just down the street from SparkFun!), Overall distance, speed, etc. to determine the gait of a man and the movement associated with the use of an accelerometer companies like

Enough! There are pictures here ...
<img alt=“The image

Coming Soon Next Part.............

Saturday, April 23, 2016

LiPo Battery Care

Care Techniques conventional lithium polymer battery
Lithium polymer battery is a favorite of ours. Some very light weight and high power density available.



A battery capable of producing 6 Amps for one hour!
We kiss the battery, car battery, because it's a big call. Not physically (there are 110 grams!), But because this 6AH Lipo 6 Amps outputting power for more than an hour in! This is our low-power embedded in a very large amount of power in the world. Please do not confuse this with a real car battery!
Please do sometimes, but with a special charger Lipo Lipo charge!

SparkFun us to take a two-cell charger Lipo offers. Our quality and our fast chargers old MAX1555 IC is based on the relatively new MCP73831 charger IC is based on. MAX1555 great but its limited current (300mA) charging market and reducing the availability of our MCP73831 (hourly charging rate of 500mA) based on the side of the charger were pushing.

LiPoly 6000mAh USB charger attached to a brick Here you can see properly. But you can not cut off the charger to the battery? Have you ever tried to pull a JST connector socket and a JST If you find it incredibly difficult. This is because, deep inside JST connectors in electronics, where the lifetime of a battery or a component may need to be changed only once or twice is designed to be used. A very strong, strong connections were more important than the removal process. Specifically, we use the JST connectors because they are so big and so compact holding! So you have to separate the battery from the charger or your embedded device?

Note: The doll will be drawn on the cross! You need to get a mechanical advantage. Instead of cutting the thin wire that connects the mouth to allow you to grip the wire. Be careful not to cut the wire. Do not go cutting squeezing her hard. They grip the edge connector. Needle nose pliers can work, but you really need to get behind the connector flange.
LiPo Battery Care
LiPo Battery Care
As a resort at the edge of the PCB and connector out of the lever, gently sideways pulling. JST connector and remove the friction points after pressing a few points that you will be able to remove the connector by hand will wear down a little.
Power Cables reinstated
The Lipo battery power connection is not broken them down to one of the parties. The smaller, more fragile a hardened portable device like an iPod connectors you're embedding the battery to learn. But with a few projects LiPos later, I saw that my day-to-day use of the battery built into the power cable terminal on the safety circuit will break. Luckily for us, a little goes a long way electrical tape!

Lipo wear out on a red and black wire and cut very close to the battery if you will tend to swing. This is so easy to fix, but I have seen a lot of people can not realize what a little stress relief. Fold the red and black wire on your Lipo battery. With electrical tape, batteries and tape over the top of middle.

Use a little bit of tension on the tape as you go over the top of the battery.

The secret is a simple one or two of battery almost serve as stress relief. All the mechanical stress is transferred to the terminal tape welded inside the top of the battery. Now that you use (or incorrect use) batteries, battery breaking above the red and black wires will not have to worry about!
LiPo Battery Care
LiPo Battery Care
I found a wonderful collection of LiPos for different projects I was (they just seem to be replicated at this point!). A problem that came up a few months ago was the battery identification. I have to do with the battery? I was in pain with it? Perfect for a sharpie marker to identify your battery. For example, "heater" or "costume" as the name makes a world of difference. You will know when you first used it on the battery. My lips are still a walk, but a few years later, I guess the battery will begin to lose some of their power. A date code of a cell that helps to indicate the general health.
Remember, a safety circuit that we sell are manufactured in the pack. Over-voltage protection circuit (over-charging) will prevent over current (if the battery will shut down your system in a short form), and the under voltage (low battery runs down, it will stop). The safety circuit of the battery to prevent the abuse and misuse, we definitely have some battery. You can be assured that the safety circuit and the battery will save you.

10-Segment LED kit Landing Page

Short Description
This nifty bar graph module is a convenient 20-pin DIP (dual inline plastic) packages consisting of 10 separate LED. Are you one of their latest bright four modules, each color (red, yellow, green, blue) and one, and get enough resistors.


10-Segment LED kit Landing Page
10-Segment LED kit Landing Page
Necessity
Along with the kit is available in this manual should be the following:
  • breadboard
  • Jumper cables
  • Arduino microcontroller or similar
How it works
Each module has 10 independent LED. The pins are arranged so that the anode (positive) pins are on one side of the module, and the cathode (negative) pins directly opposite. Since the package 0.3 "wide, just standard DIP, IC, like a breadboard with their feet straddling the center of the gap is easy to set up. Pin 1 is indicated by the package that corner a little bevel. (Tip: A thin plastic module to a more may peel off crisp appearance) at the top of the film can be saved.

As usual LEDs, LED bar graph 10 to limit the current flowing through the resistor in a series. Fifty Kit 330 ohm resistor, the LED kit comes with all of the light is sufficient.

10-Segment LED kit Landing Page
Pin layout and the typical connections (are shown only the first LED)

How to use it

Hardware
An Arduino, a microcontroller, or any other cable, bar graph, is pretty straightforward. A breadboard- J) each Arduino output (0-9) connections. And with a 330 ohm resistor to ground cathode connection pins. Do not forget to stop at any one of the LED. Otherwise, you may reduce the life of one or more LEDs, and a bar graph that no one wants a segment is missing.

10-Segment LED kit Landing Page
10-Segment LED kit Landing Page
Firmware
Arduino code below shows a few ways to drive straight to the bar graph. Everything hook-up, sketch, upload, and see what happens. (Nothing happens, then make sure that the correct orientation is a bar graph module, and a ground pin on the Arduino to the ground is not connected). This is when you need to drive with your own code, you can reuse this function.



// LED bargraph demo code


// ...in which we provide a few functions to drive a 10-segment LED bargraph


// Mike Grusin, SparkFun Electronics


// This code is completely free to use for your purposes




// Hardware setup

// connect Arduino digital pins 0-9 to LED bargraph pins 1-10


// connect LED pins 11-20 via 330-Ohm resistors to ground




void setup()

  int pin;

{


  

  // set pins 0 to 9 as outputs


  for (pin = 0; pin <= 9; pin++)

  {

    pinMode(pin,OUTPUT);


  }

}



void loop()

  int number;

{


  

// exercise lightOne() up and down


  for (number = 1; number <= 10; number++)

  {
    lightOne(number);

    delay(250);

  }
  

  for (number = 10; number >= 1; number--)

  {
    lightOne(number);

    delay(250);

  }



// exercise barGraph() up and down

  for (number = 1; number <= 10; number++)



  {

    barGraph(number);


    delay(250);

  }
  

  for (number = 10; number >= 1; number--)

  {
    barGraph(number);

    delay(250);

  }



// exercise binary() up and down

  for (number = 0; number <= 1023; number++)



  {

    binary(number);


    delay(10);

  }

  for (number = 1023; number >= 0; number--)

  


  {

    binary(number);


    delay(10);

  }
}

void lightOne(int number)

// input is a number from 0 to 10

// lights only that LED on the bargraph


// (0 lights no LEDs)


{


  int pin;


  for (pin = 0; pin <= 9; pin++)

  {

    if (number-1 == pin)

    {

      digitalWrite(pin,HIGH);


    }


    else


    {


      digitalWrite(pin,LOW);


    }

  }
}

void barGraph(int number)

// input is a number from 0 to 10

// lights that LED and below on the bargraph


// (0 lights no LEDs)


{


  int pin;


  for (pin = 0; pin <= 9; pin++)

  {

    if (number-1 >= pin)

    {

      digitalWrite(pin,HIGH);


    }


    else


    {


      digitalWrite(pin,LOW);


    }

  }
}

void binary(int number)

// input is a number from 0 to 1023 (10 bits)

// if a bit is '1' in that number, the corresponding LED is lit, otherwise it is off


{


  int pin;


  for (pin = 0; pin <= 9; pin++)

  {

    if (number & (1 << pin)) // check if bit position 'pin' in 'number' is a 1 or not


    {


      digitalWrite(pin,HIGH); // it's a 1!


    }


    else


    {


      digitalWrite(pin,LOW); // it's a 0!


    }

  }

}


One thing you'll notice when driving the display that you can quickly run out of pins, each pin is dedicated to a single LED. To drive more leads with fewer pins, shift registers, which Arduino to control additional external synchronous serial interface Take a look at the output pin.

Resources

  • Datasheet (blue LED)
  • Datasheet (green LCD)
  • Datasheet (red LED)
  • Datasheet (yellow LED)
  • YouTube video demo

Conclusion
If you have any questions or suggestions, do not hesitate to contact us at Tech support@sparkfun.com. Have fun with your new display!

Friday, April 22, 2016

Force Sensitive Resistor Round 0.5

0.5 "force sensitive resistor (FSR) is a quick way to measure the pressure, and is very easy to setup. FSR depending on how much pressure is applied to the sensing area, its resistance to change. The greater the ball, the less resistance. When measured with a multimeter , the sensor is greater than 1MΩ when no pressure is applied to a resistance.
As an example, we have a simple resistor voltage divider circuit using an Arduino UNO and will measure the force.


Force Sensitive Resistor Round 0.5
Force Sensitive Resistor Round 0.5
27kΩ standard 0-5V output voltage from the best "sweet" to have been selected, assuming that the sensing range of the sensor (resistance sweets) 0-100kΩ is. UNO A0 output voltage sensors with wires attached and the other (27kΩ) to prevent the jumper, are welded. If you're new welded, welded 101, be sure to read the tutorial.
Force Sensitive Resistor Round 0.5
Force Sensitive Resistor Round 0.5
Using this circuit, we can read the analog inputs of 0, and the Arduino 5V representing return a value somewhere between 0 and 1023, with 1023. When pressure is applied to the sensor value decreases. This is proof that the circuit works, but what we want to calculate the value of the sensor resistance? We use this equation to a voltage divider can find:

VO / VI = Rfsr / (R+ Rfsr)

In this case, Arduino VAL is measured. Since its output is 0-1023, 1023 5V with representing, we can replace the sixth with 1023. Also, since we know that the value of R1 27kΩ, the equation becomes:

VO / 1023 = Rfsr / (27000 + Rfsr)
Lfsr solution to use a bit of algebra, we get:

Rfsr = (26.4 * VO) / (1 - (VO / 1023))
Keep in mind that, Rfsr 27kΩ resistor value of this equation only works for R1. Now we can plug this to our Arduino sketch, VO, such as the value of A0, and FSR resistance au Print
&nbsp
//*****************************************************************************
// Example Sketch for the 0.5" Force Sensitive Resistor
// 3/17/11
// 
// Set up the FSR as R2 of voltage divider circuit with R1 a value of 27k
// Vout connected to Analog input 0
// Prints resistance value of FSR
// 
// WARNING: Resistance value only valid for 27k resistor if using a different
// value, use the equation
// 
//    x = (Rfsr/(R1+Rfsr))*1023
//
// where x is the value from A0, and R1 is the non-FSR resistor, to find the 
// FSR resistance in Ohms. 
//
// To find the actual weight applied to the sensor, refer to the graph on page
// 5 of the datasheet (theoretical values only!) or calibrate the circuit using
// of a known weight. 


//*****************************************************************************


#define FORCE 0

float value = 0;
float resistance = 0;

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("0.5\" Force Sensitive Resistor Test");
}

void loop()
{
  value = analogRead(FORCE);
  resistance = ((26.4 * value)/(1-(value/1023.0)));
  Serial.println(resistance,DEC);
  
  delay(200);
}
The sketch in order to translate the actual force applied to the FSR estimated resistance of the resistance will be printed. FSR's datasheet you can refer to the graph on page five:
Force Sensitive Resistor Round 0.5
Force Sensitive Resistor Round 0.5
Please note, however, that the real power to prevent the implementation of the application you're using and the FSR is heavily dependent on tolerance. In order to determine an actual weight, it is recommended that an exploratory force / resistance curve ball with a known structure in order to calibrate the sensor. Otherwise, the sensor for detecting the weight shift and the relative strength of things like the great.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

LCD Add-On Assembly Guide

Welcome
Liquid crystal display exclusive Owners Group (OC dawgs ...) Congratulations on becoming a member! Easy assembly of some of the world on his mind soon after you'll be able to communicate with your Arduino.


Before continuing, you probably want to check out our introductory tutorial Welding Welding is your first time on this. Read through the tutorial soldering and welding experience to help you in your first go more smoothly pick up some good tips.

Parts
If you've purchased, LCD add-ons for Aik kit from us at SparkFun you have in front of you or in the following part of the side a little bit more ... yeah ... is turned off (if that part is OK):

LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
  • 1 X 16x2 character, LCD - Black 5V White (LCD -00709)
  • 1 X Header break away 16x1 - Straight
You can use any standard alphanumeric LCD 16x2, however, white on black display supplied with the kit shows übercool. "16x2" exhibition, 8 or 20 x 4 x 1 each other, which can be found on the display indicates two rows of sixteen characters (this is a standard reference on display photographs in black, green, and so yours may be different.).

If you do not have a 40x1 header strip kit (eg PRT-00116) purchase and sixteen pins to be cut off.

Fit Test
I get the part, I welded a "test fit" to run. When you double-check that you are part of an experiment you know what you need and how they will fit together to make sure that opportunity. For this project you need to do is hold, LCD module header pins into the pit:

LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
Make sure that you have one or pin headers that do not have a very short strip. Also make sure that you plug into a socket on your breadboard or PCB headers are plenty of black plastic strip pin down the length of the printed circuit board (PCB) is on the underside of space. The pins can not be less than the longest part of the PCB.
Soldering
It's pretty straightforward LCD module header, solder pins. You hold the soldering iron in contact with the joints for more than three seconds, as there is a small risk of harmful material to ensure the heat of the board. You can also soldering iron soldering material already on the grain from the board probably still be ready to surface mount soldering station need to be careful.

Pin Header
Pin header to connect the display ... for displaying the data signal carries. They show you one of the modules and LED backlight behind black blob ability to carry a small microcontroller.

If you've done a test fit your header should be in place.

Confirmation header as parallel as possible to the edge of the board is connected to the left or right pin and solder into place:

LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
Not a lot of room, because when I soldering iron tip, the middle pins are welded to the side of the pin against the pin from behind the iron resting on the side of the PCB solder pads to eat and it was the easiest.

We started with just one pin, because it is easy to obtain proper alignment and to correct any mistakes.

If the header is not quite right alignment of a solder joint Reheat carefully and stagger header. After you move it, but the heat is not removed, or you'll end up with a poor joint.

Once you are happy with the alignment of the header you can solder the other pins in the first place-I recommend you soldered pin header at the opposite end of the pin solder. The reason for this may be the last two pins on the alignment will not change places:

LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
I recommend double-checking the alignment is still OK and you can Reheat joint pin, and carefully remove it if it is not quite correct.

After you confirm the alignment in place Solder the remaining pins can:

LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
Finished, LCD
Display Module You should look like this:

LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
LCD Add-On Assembly Guide
Note that a more detailed pin header 'of the' best 'display, so keep that in mind if you're my hard won experience (sorry about that, Pete) plans to mount it somewhere to learn from.

Now it's time to connect your Arduino to your LCD ... {TODO: circ- Guide, Quickstart add links? And tute}

The assembly guidelines, we have a suggestion for how we can improve? No step aside? Unclear instructions? Please let us know. You can leave a comment below or email us spark@sparkfun.com. If the manual assembly of the most horrible experience you've ever let us know and we'll stop trying to improve.





Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Flex Sensor 2.2" - Small Retail

Thank you for buying a SparkFun Flex Sensor! This unique material sense, it is much lower. It opens up a wide range of projects including:
  • Whiskers on robots
  • Gloves know what your fingers are doing
  • You can say that the door remains open how far they
  • You know that if you're shaking their hands stuffed animals
... And other uses limited only by your imagination.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

Short description:
LED brighter than the starter kit, but not packing the punch Über bright Luxeon, tri-color LED Breakout Kit lets you shine guru. Some of you, in the light of the large, bright and colorful, if you need to throw your project, look no further than tri-color LCD breakout kit. superbrightLEDs blind could brighten it with just about anything! Here we have everything you need here to get you up and running quickly with it.
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

Requirements:
Assembly of the kit to be welded. So, if you already know how to do, please check out these helpful guidelines. In addition, a few tools you will need for assembly:
  • Soldering iron
  • Solder
  • Cutting
  • Male header or other connection methods
  • (Optional) needle nose pliers
  • (Optional) Third Hand

Breakout is a breakout of the tri-color LED that there are many, many ways that you can use or control it. However, following this guide you will find helpful:
  • breadboard
  • Jumper cables
  • arduino
  • (Optional) multimeter or coin cell battery

What does this mean:
Tri-color LED Breakout Kit is a simple very bright LEDs, which can provide more current than the pins of a microcontroller draw kit is designed to control. Each LED LED transistor to switch from a 5V source said. The current limiting resistor as close as possible to their maximum 80mA for each LED is run. It is planned to check out all laid out.

How to use it:

Assembly:
Before starting assembly, check carefully that you have received all the parts. You must have the following:
  • 1x tri-color LED breakout PCB
  • 1x Super Bright LED - Red 10mm
  • 1x Super Bright LED - Green 10mm
  • 1x Super Bright LED - Blue 10mm
  • 1x 7.5 ohm resistor (to be colored Stripes: Violet, Green, Gold, Gold)
  • 1x 6.8 ohm resistor (to be colored Stripes: Grey, Blue, Gold, Gold)
  • 1x 20 ohm resistor (Stripes will be colored red, black, black, Gold)
  • 3x Transistor 2N3904
  • 3x 330 ohm resistor (to be colored Stripes: Orange, orange, brown, gold)
If any part is missing? (Bad SparkFun kitters!) Drop an email to our customer service team. We'll leave them to you as soon as possible.

Okay, let me start building!
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

The PCB occupies the center of a large round and check out the silk screen. This is for your LED. Each of the LED to the long leg holes marked "L" and enter the number of holes in the shorter legs short "S" marked. LED diodes and this is really important because if you turn them back, they will not be installed.

Now you need to figure out which color of each LED. There are several ways to do this:
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

1) Insert a coin cell battery and possession of the coin cell battery in the battery, and on the lead (anode) to the positive side of the leads. LED should light up, indicating its color. If you do not use language that battery is touching both sides of the LED leads, make sure that the battery is correctly oriented and. Outputting a small amount of current to the battery, so do not worry, once these are put together are only able to be bright!
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

2) A good multimeter diode test settings (sometimes combined with the continuation of the trial) that you would like to use your LED light show. Although only the smallest bit multimeter does not worry that the LED shows you the best dim!
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

 3) Orange, Orange, Brown, Gold) and 5V: a 330 ohm resistor (with colored stripes grab one sequence. Connect as shown. We are used to the current limit of 330 ohm resistor, to make sure we do not destroy the current considerably less LED If you want to be that. So, again, do not worry, your leadership will be brighter once this is put together!
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

Now that you know what is the color, which leads them to the right place, and those little buggers biting clip. Make sure the flat beds pushed against the PCB. They will take a little push to get all the way through.

Then, it is time for transistors. This transistor is used because of their maximum brightness LED will be running around 80mA. More than a typical microcontroller output pin, can, Arduino like. So, we use transistors to switch on and off the LED. Transistor line up with their footprints. They should get as much as possible close to the board a little wiggling. Then solder the leads and clips.
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

Third, resistors. There will be a color code to indicate the value of each resistor. You read the color codes or you can use a multimeter to measure the value of prevention. It is important to match the resistors PCB with their proper spots. The number printed on the PCB using the first letter of each color to match or use of the band. Do not worry about the direction in which they are inserted, it is not important. This kit for the resistor color codes are given below:

7.5 ohm (purple, green, gold)
6.8 ohm (gray, blue, gold)
20 ohm (red, black, black)
330 ohm (orange, orange, brown, gold)

Finally solder a connector. We prefer to use a breadboard for the male headers, but you, of course, just about anything, please make use of the free.

Hardware:
Now, let's get this thing shining! If you like a simple breakout board LED behavior of the transistors that are pre-configured for use with low current digital signal. Just make sure that your power supply cable to a microcontroller 240mA (80mA * 3 LEDs) can provide incredibly easy. Most of these can easily wall warts and USB sources. Now, your Arduino wire has been shown to:
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide
Tri-Color LED Breakout Quickstart Guide

Firmware:
Now everything has been fitted, we're ready to handle it with our Arduino. First, you need to install if you already have the Arduino IDE. The LED control will allow us to load our example code. Check out this tutorial if you need help to install more Arduino IDE.

Notice that we PWM pins on the Arduino wired? In this view, an impact 'dimming' to produce, our LED flicker on and off very quickly, allowing faster than the eye. Check out the following example code for a demonstration:
 /*
 Tri-Color LED Breakout - An example sketch for the Tri-Color LED Breakout
 By: Hilary Hoops
 SparkFun Electronics
 Date: 6/23/11
 License: CC-BY SA 3.0 - Creative commons share-alike 3.0
 use this code however you'd like, just keep this license and
 attribute. Let me know if you make hugely, awesome, great changes.
 */
  
int RedLED = 9; // LED connected to digital pin 9 (pwm pin)
int GrnLED = 10; // LED connected to digital pin 10 (pwm pin)
int BluLED = 11; // LED connected to digital pin 11 (pwm pin)
int LED[3]={RedLED, GrnLED,BluLED}; //an array to make it easier to cycle though
the LED colors

void setup() {
  //Set pins as output pins
  pinMode(RedLED, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(GrnLED, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(BluLED, OUTPUT);


void loop() {
  //Fade each LED in and out individually. Possible range is 0-255
  for(int i=0; i<3;i++){ //Cycle LED color
    //Fade in
    for(int fade=0; fade<=255; fade+=5){
        analogWrite(LED[i], fade);
        delay(30);
    }
    //Fade out
    for(int fade=255; fade>=0; fade-=5){
        analogWrite(LED[i], fade);
        delay(30);
    }
  }
  //Fade all the LEDs in and out
  //Fade in
  for(int fade=0; fade<=255; fade+=5){
      analogWrite(RedLED, fade);
      analogWrite(GrnLED, fade);
      analogWrite(BluLED, fade);
      delay(30);
  }
  //Fade out
  for(int fade=255; fade>=0; fade-=5){
      analogWrite(RedLED, fade);
      analogWrite(GrnLED, fade);
      analogWrite(BluLED, fade);
  nbsp;    delay(30);
  }
}

That's all you need to get your lights shining.

Resources:
Tri-color LED Breakout Kit product page
LED's basic commentary
LED current limiting resistor
Vs. anode cathode

Conclusion:
Enjoy your new LED! If you have any problems, feel free to contact technical support Take support@sparkfun.com SparkFun

Sunday, April 17, 2016

How to Use a Hot Air Rework Station

How to Hot Air
When working with a lot of room for error there or the creation of printed circuit boards are made. You can build buildings by hand or machine, depending on whether you, too, often have a mind of its own. Sometimes the person building (or building a machine that makes programming) you can do wrong. Other times, rang the time, solder or components on the PCB can react in ways that are not acceptable. Although there is no fear, there are ways to solve this problem! SparkFun Hot-air rework station is a kind of solution. Hot air stations or guns are very useful tools and is essential for any electronics workbench.

He's Done Good
Hot air rework station can be very convenient. As mentioned above, they are an important tool when it comes to reworking a board. Refinishing is a term that means you rework or repair a board already rang, and it is usually called in the world of electronics. Only the board was not involved in the actual production process is to think of it as work. There are some common rework:
  • Polarized parts of the mistakes that have been put in place (moved backwards X Close degrees). This, IC, diode, some capacitors, connectors, etc.
  • Part of the tombstone. This is a portion (usually a resistor or capacitor) is only one side of the reflow. Usually up to the narrow part of the stick resembling a tombstone.
  • Cold joints. This connection is not difficult to see being made up part of the process without making a similar tombstone may be sticking.
  • Removing the defective part. Sometimes, during the IC manufacturing process, errors can arise and go unnoticed. This, IC and PCBs are placed on perfectly well. Hot air is great for replacing these bad part.
  • Element is missing. Small components, the easier it is invisible. Before this can occur during or shank, in a spot where something should be done, but it is not so. This is a new part of the Hot-air rework station in its place is a snap.
  • Solder jumper. If you use excessive solder or solder paste, as a result of one or more legs of the IC may be on the jumper. Sometimes hot air with a flux pen can be used to remove these pesky buggers.
Rework hot air rework station is not good for only one thing. Other uses include:

  • PCBs from old electronic components Salvaging.
  • Heat shrinking onto the wires.
  • With the right settings, hot air heating and certain plastics can be used to bend.
  • They warm up the hot glue to remove or reposition the item was accidentally glued can be used.
How to use it
Our pal Dave Stillman Hot-air rework station to show us how our Sparkfun're going to let me correctly.


Follow the simple rules laid out Dave videos, and any problems you are reworking the toughest of goof-ups.
  • Select the appropriate tip for the job.
  • Temp settings and set the appropriate air-flow (slightly higher than the melting point of solder, excessive wind and blow away your part).
  • Hot air station and wait for it to warm up before using.
  • You do not want to spoil the surface is not hot air. A piece of scrap wood or something similar on the hot air remains highly recommended.
  • Third hand or vice trade to help tremendously. Remember, heat dissipation, and can take a lot of rework.
  • If you smoke, warping or black goo coming to see your board, then turn down the heat setting in.
  • Use the tweezers to push or move parts. Hot air, well, hot.
  • When you wash your board with alcohol to remove flux, which may decay over time're finished.
  • Allow to cool down to the station when finished.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop in the comments box below. Happy expensive! And remember, Donny what does not.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Through-Hole rework The "Slap in The System"

Soldering is an art. With practice, one easily with small-pitch SMD LED chips can learn how to assemble complex circuit board. Along the way, various "tricks of the trade" to learn: that the strategy is not immediately apparent, but much easier soldering.


However, regardless of how long you have been welded, you still make silly mistakes every now and then. You have a chip with the wrong orientation, etc., on the wrong side of the board to prevent an incorrect value, the rework needed to solder the header, and the most frustrating part of the rework scenarios involving the hole. You must completely remove solder pin-by-pin and solder VIAS cleared before a new part can be installed. This may be the need of the hour with solder vacuum. We have to remove solder "slap in the procedure," Do you want to call it hope, however. These tricks can help with the headache of the hole rework one.

Disclaimer: This procedure is not for beginners and welded dangerous if done improperly. If you are a new soldering, solder vacuum instead attempt to use this technique. No matter your skill level, always wear safety glasses and strategy in this case, any skin that may come into contact with solder coating. If you're new to the brand welded, welded 101 then read the tutorial and try this technique, be sure to build some experience before.

For example, suppose you a little excited with a new kit and soldered header the wrong side of the board.
Slap in The System
Urge to kill: rising...
I've used the picture for a scrap board, so the header are on the right path, but for the sake of this tutorial, we're going to remove them anyway. Without destroying part of the slap method can be used to remove a portion, but the headers, are cheap and plentiful, so go ahead and away for illustration, I'm going to cut bits of plastic to show what's going on. I usually break away from the cutter, where they will be cut with the header.
Slap in The System
Slap in The System
Now I just show off bare-metal can slide in separate plastic bits. This free header pin them individually will be able to be removed.

Slap in The System
Slap in The System

Slap in The System
Slap in The System

Now comes the tricky part. I soldered the header where they were essentially "short" side of the board to turn over. I soldering iron on the solder joint to keep the solder is melted.
Slap in The System
Hold only until the solder is melted.
When the solder is fluid, six inches off the edge of my workbench, and gently hold the board about (but firmly!) "Slap" on the board edge of the table.
Slap in The System
Hold until the solder in the via is melted,
When the board hits the table, the board stops, but the liquid solder (and hopefully pin header) workbench comes out onto. Dangerously hot solder, so again, goggles and protective clothing can fly anywhere in the solder accidentally Do not forget to wear a covering. Once the solder has left, it will be filled again in a second, so it wont be too hot for long. All through pin headers Solder or does not come out, then simply repeat the process. I did this until all the pins for each solder VISE is obvious.
Slap in The System
Three of four vias cleared.
Insert the tip of the soldering iron in one moment that we should never important to note that it is not. Through out this easily, excessive solder, which is a much bigger problem than with the one you can rip off the pad. Always with only the soldering iron out of touch.
Once the solder is refined from a visa, you have some new headers (in the right direction this time!), You can re-install. And five minutes what would have taken too long with a solder've done in a vacuum tool.

This can be a bit confusing if you're going to just images, so full of action-shot video below Be sure to check out!









Monday, April 11, 2016

Robot Journal - Pamela

SNACK: confidential / Silent Killer Ninja Android
Okay, my mum was not just robots, but it was kind of stealthy (if the slowness equal stealthiness). In addition, a play of words for snack, tasty treats based on the Android release - in my case, Ice Cream Sandwich. To save you from falling asleep or get munchies, I get off on food and get to the tutorial.
I was told we bonus for every goal has been to create a robot, I went home and lasers, rail guns, and other deadly weapons in an assortment of chemicals dreamed of my fellow co-workers' robot melt. As long as it does not harm a human being, eagerly approve Asimov, okay?


Robot Journal - Pamela
Robot Journal - Pamela
When we found out just short of the destruction of toothpicks to attach the robot for the competition, and it was mentioned that we have to meet some hard, my heart was broken. A 6x6-inch box that will fit our robots and weigh no more than 1.5 pounds had. I kind of weight with my arms limitation was all about how to add?
It's probably for the best; My advice was not always looked at as weapons, for fear of seeing a little tricky Bots in the arena melt into a puddle of acrylic and metal bits. For the record, the laser can be truly secure, especially when you have a "kill" switch received. All told, the safety of the observers, if I go this route is allowed to fight everyone there would have been necessary for the goggles.

Step 1: Planning and Design
Our free time was given six months to build a robot. Holiday, free day, and they need help with the project at the last minute after a six-month rapid influx of college students in a panic, caffeine, and reduced down to a few weeks full of Jamba Juice.

I decided early on that I wanted to be a robot ninja-themed, and that I wanted to control it with an Android device via Bluetooth. The easiest way to accomplish this is with IOIO was awesome. I drive my robot decided to go with the four large servos, and for my ninja theme, I can control the spinning ninja stars with plenty of torque to the servos. In addition, I have a quick opening of the CO2 valve, the quick, to inflate bicycle tires along with some CO2 from compressed got intended. CO2 from the smoke and shrapnel bombs that ninajadera theme (usually made of iron or ceramics) went along with what was known to use release. Then, the compressed CO2 released quickly enough to cool the surrounding air and moisture condensation will need to create a quick mist. This is needed to open up a lot of ball valves, parts of the list, so I had to add another big server. If one thing was certain, my bot was not to be trifled with torque server combinations, and will require a pretty serious battery.

The final part of my list:
  • IOIO
  • Servos 5 stars
  • 2 medium servos
  • From 16G CO2 cartridge
  • Trek Bicycle quick release valve
  • Transformer Prime running ICS to control my robot
  • 7.4v Lipo battery
  • CO2 valve mounted from Polymorph
  • 1-2 "nylon screw

For me, chassis, I'm a sexy black matte finish, ninja stars and some of acrylic sheets with a mirror finish sorting out, cutting laser cutter. I used to inkaspesa get ready to design laser cut. Inkaspesa an awesome open-source SVG graphics editor. Inkaspesa design files here:

Robot Journal - Pamela
Robot Chassis SVG
Robot Journal - Pamela
Ninja Stars SVG
When it came to weight were a couple of design flaws. After the initial weight, I realized I increased my bot drops down to a lean and mean machine to trim the Ninja. I cut out the size of the chassis acrylic and nylon screws and ask you to switch. Another design element that I had covered wires.

SNAK final weight of 1 pound, 7.5 ounces with a full end up being the CO2 cartridge.

Step 2: SNAKE coding
Coding for IOIO was pretty fun. The fastest way to set up with IOIO "IOIO beginner's Software Installation Guide" is to follow. Instead of dark v3.6.2, v3.7.2 I used without any problems. I was basically element of Ice Cream Sandwich SDK and it works great! Later, I switched to Android 2.3.3 SDK so I can run the controller as well as the phone. A toggle button, two seekbars, and an open source library to two joystick, multi-touch graphical user interface code with some minor changes in was very easy. Here are a few links which greatly helped me to develop are:
  • IOIO Wiki.
  • IOIO Lib basics, which went on IOIO activity.
  • IOIO for the PWM output.
Multi Touch sense, the two buttons at the same time, which was helpful when you need to be able to control the Making.
Android reference, which is a great reference for me was the toggle button and seekbar.
If you run into trouble when developing for IOIO, IOIO discussion group for help, I recommend checking out.

I Bluetooth, which was a big relief for me to work more in order code do not need to change anything - I just plug in a Bluetooth dongle, the IOIO Lib library, my tablet, and everything worked just added! And I was coding, ninja stars, I was moving with a moving robot. When I tested the CO2, it is the force behind a substantial amount of work and it was great - hopefully enough to take off some toothpicks.
Here is my code will be available for IOIO

During the war,
My five for fighting, SNAK managed to come out with all his toothpicks untouched. Unfortunately, I rushed to my second revision ninja stars and did not have enough time to put them firmly mounted servos. This led to them coming loose in the arena, and the molten polymorph handy, I use zip tying them to the servos. On top of that, snakes, Sensei, the heat of the battle, which some disorientation (* cough * like driving completely off the platform around the arena again and again) was not caused enough with the training, and the leadership he flipped a couple of times.

Robot Journal - Pamela
Robot Journal - Pamela

En general, mi robot y un asesino estaba en guerra menos de un amante. Es un pequeño robot de la diversión, fue fácil, tuve una gran cantidad de par motor, y fue muy divertido de ver y de control. De CO2 fue divertido, pero no lo uso mucho. Estoy atrapado en una baldosa otros robots embestir, o palillos de dientes para proteger mi vuelo se ha centrado en.
Al final, me IOIO tiene que aprender un poco sobre el desarrollo de un diseño del robot eficiente. Tengo un poco de conocimiento de mi robot de Android da esperanza. Ahora, si me perdonas, Snak unos láseres de alta potencia, armas de riel, o algún tipo de turbina está equipada con.