Posted August 27, 2010 by Chris

This is a cool little project that uses a PIC microcontroller to build a voltage output display for a variable power supply. The circuit schematic and software for the pic are included in the project write-up. The pure simplicity of this project is very refreshing, take a look!

Posted August 26, 2010 by Chris

It’s not even close to an analog computer, yet it reminds me so much of them. This computer is built purely from TTL counters. The instructions are stored in two EEPROMs and the old school style is definitely worth a look. The write-up gives you a great idea of why we love microcontrollers so much.

Posted August 24, 2010 by Chris

I’m sure we’ve all seen the security motion sensors in the corner of the walls of our arch-enemies’ homes, so why not learn how it works? This project takes a look at how to use a PIR motion sensor to switch on/off virtually anything, from an alarm to water sprinklers!

Posted August 23, 2010 by Chris

While it might seem to be a terribly obvious design, a night light that runs off of AC 120v is still worth taking a look at. The circuit, construction, pcb board & layout are all in the project write-up. Make one for your child today!

Posted August 21, 2010 by Chris

Here’s a medical oriented project: DIY ECG Machine. The project write-up goes through the machine that he’s built and gives you some guidance towards building your own. For anyone who is new to the medical field, this is some really cool stuff.

Posted August 20, 2010 by Chris

In a little more sinister project, this guy used an AVR micro controller to act as an RFID tag. Hopefully the security gurus see stuff like this in action and realize how bad access control security really can be. The write-up has a few pics and gives a good general overview.

Posted August 19, 2010 by Chris

This project uses a small embedded board to gain computer control over an old school air conditioner. The write-up goes through the process of hacking the A/C board and making php scripts to control it. There’s even a short youtube video to sum it all up!

Posted October 1, 2009 by Chris

While surfing around I ran across the Z80 Text Scroller by Tim Williams. Tim’s website has a lot of his personal projects and they all have the DIY feel that I love. Take a look at the text scroller and his site, hardware schematics & software are there as well!

Posted September 29, 2009 by Chris

This project uses a 12xx series PIC to control the rear light to go on a bicycle. The main function is for when you are riding your bike at night so people can see you. Hardware schematics, PCB layout & software is all there. Avid bicyclists don’t miss this one!

Posted September 26, 2009 by Chris

This very detailed write-up goes through the process of designing a vehicle monitoring and security system. If you don’t mind the lack of pictures and prefer schematics this article is for you. It’s all brought together using a microchip PIC as its CPU. Some advanced components are used in this design. Check it out!