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dsPIC based Spectrum Analyzer

January 14, 2012 by Chris
“The dsPIC runs on the internal oscillator of 7.37MHz, which is then raised close to 30MHz using the PLL. This enables the board to run without external oscillators and associated loading capacitors. The signal to be analyzed is passed through a high impedance resistor (1Mohms) and then amplified by opamp (TL084). This is done to avoid any high voltage damaging the dsPIC or associated circuit. DC offset is added to the signal to enable it to be measured by ADC (0V to 5V).”

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This Robot Can See Through Walls…Really!

December 26, 2011 by Chris
“In the heart of the D1 radar sensor is a radar chip based on UWB radar technology from Novelda. An UWB radar sensor sends out EM pulses and looks at the pulses that are reflected back. When an EM pulse hits the wall in the video above, a part of the pulse is reflected back to the radar and a part of it penetrates the wall and is reflected from the cabinet behind the wall.”

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Arduino code for IMU Guide algorithm

December 24, 2011 by Chris
“This article introduces an implementation of a simplified filtering algorithm that was inspired by Kalman filter. The Arduino code is tested using a 5DOF IMU unit from GadgetGangster – Acc_Gyro . The theory behind this algorithm was first introduced in my Imu Guide article.”

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AVR Based Digital Thermometer with Nokia 3310 LCD and Thermistor

December 16, 2011 by Chris
“This project shows how to use a simple thermistor to measure temperature and display the temperature graphically on a Nokia 3310 LCD. Thermistors are incredibly cheap (about 50 cents), and provide fractions of a degree accuracy.”

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Accurate Ultrasonic Distance Measurement

October 25, 2011 by Chris
“This paper introduces a different approach to the measurement of the time-of-flight of ultrasonic signals. Frequency variation monitoring and recording is used to determine accurately the arrival time of the ultrasonic signal. A high speed D.S.P. is used for both: transmission and direct measurement of the frequency of the incoming signal in every single period and with an accuracy of about 0.1%.”

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PIC16F648 GPS Logger

October 5, 2011 by Chris
Another data logger! This one uses a PIC to load GPS points into an EEPROM and when you're done you can unload the points into your PC through a serial port, put them into google maps and get a map of where you (or the data logger) traveled. Would be cool to put one of these into the mail and see how efficient the mail system is. The article is in dutch so use google translate for english.

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An Inkjet Printer Servo System

September 19, 2011 by Chris
A DC servo motor is a powerful tool if you know how to design it properly. They offer high torque and high precision, something that steppers can't always offer. This article dis-assembles a standard inkjet printer to show you how to experiment with building a low cost DIY servo system. They even recommend using my 10-A H-Bridge! The article is a two parter, so don't miss both pages.

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Haptic Assisted Locating of Obstacles (HALO)

August 24, 2011 by Chris
Want to add some sonar to your senses? Look no further, the HALO does what you want in true DIY fashion. Using an Arduino as its brain, the HALO connects together a number of ultrasonic sonar sensors to give you feedback about where obstacles are helping you navigate.

New PyroElectro Tutorial
Coming Tomorrow!

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Flatpack Walker With Radar

August 16, 2011 by Chris
Adding a little intelligence to your robot is as simple as adding a proximity sensor. The flatpack walker uses servo motors to walk and the sensor to know when there is something in its way. The software and construction details are all in the article.

New PyroElectro Tutorial
Coming Friday!

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Encoder Sensors And Robots

July 4, 2011 by Chris
Encoders are a form of sensor feedback that tell you how far something has moved. As seen in my tutorial: The Digital Tachometer encoders can be based on line-of-sight, reflect off black and white encoder wheels or they can even detect magnetic field changes as a form of movement tracking. This article goes through these types of encoders and explains how you can use them in your robotics projects.

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