Arduino Blog
Arduino Cloud and Opta WiFi make an injection molding machine connected and smart
In the rapidly evolving landscape of industrial technology, three interesting trends are...
9 hours ago
In the rapidly evolving landscape of industrial technology, three interesting trends are intertwining to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and reduce downtime. They are retrofitting, remote control/monitoring, and power metering – and together, they make for a great...
Engineers Need Art
VPX Scripting - Part 6 (End Sound)
This post wraps up the sound work on Teacher's Pet.
3 days ago
This post wraps up the sound work on Teacher's Pet.
Arduino Blog
AI-powered pet door tracks where your furry friend is
For those who own a pet with the freedom to move between the house and the yard, keeping tabs on...
5 days ago
For those who own a pet with the freedom to move between the house and the yard, keeping tabs on where they are can be a challenge, especially if there’s a pet door involved. Instructables user madmcu wanted to know where their cat was whilst away from the house on vacation, so...
Engineers Need Art
VPX Scripting - Part 4 (Pet Sounds)
Teacher's Pet gets new sounds in this post in a series about scripting Visual Pinball tables.
6 days ago
Teacher's Pet gets new sounds in this post in a series about scripting Visual Pinball tables.
Arduino Blog
The best maker software by experience level
Today’s makers have access to the most advanced materials, resources, and support in history, and...
a week ago
Today’s makers have access to the most advanced materials, resources, and support in history, and it’s improving all the time. The downside is that finding the right software can sometimes feel confusing and overwhelming. There are seemingly endless options, all with different...
Electronics etc…
Tektronix TDS 684B Oscilloscope Button Swap
Introduction
Removing the panels
Swapping a Rotary Encoder
Putting it all back together
End...
a week ago
Introduction
Removing the panels
Swapping a Rotary Encoder
Putting it all back together
End Result
Introduction
I recently bought a TDS 684B for cheap at a government auction. With 1 GHz BW
and 5 Gsps sample rate, it can be used for those cases where my 350 MHz/2Gsps
Siglent...
Arduino Blog
This beastly DIY bench power supply will satisfy any requirement
Every maker should have a bench power supply in their possession, ready to provide whatever voltage...
a week ago
Every maker should have a bench power supply in their possession, ready to provide whatever voltage a project or particular component requires. But not all bench power supplies are created equal. Some only have a single output, some have a limited voltage range, and some can’t...
Engineers Need Art
VPX Scripting - Part 2 (Linting)
The second in a series of posts about scripting Visual Pinball tables.
a week ago
The second in a series of posts about scripting Visual Pinball tables.
Arduino Blog
Classify nearby annoyances with this sound monitoring device
Soon after a police station opened near his house, Christopher Cooper noticed a substantial increase...
a week ago
Soon after a police station opened near his house, Christopher Cooper noticed a substantial increase in the amount of emergency vehicle traffic and their associated noises even though local officials had promised that it would not be disruptive. But rather than write down every...
Engineers Need Art
VPX Scripting - Part 1 (Teacher's Pet)
The first in a series of posts about scripting Visual Pinball tables.
a week ago
The first in a series of posts about scripting Visual Pinball tables.
Arduino Blog
LanderShot is an out-of-this-world espresso machine
If you think coffee people are opinionated, then you’ve never met an espresso person. There is a lot...
a week ago
If you think coffee people are opinionated, then you’ve never met an espresso person. There is a lot of art and science that goes into making the perfect little cup of espresso and a good barista will control every factor, from temperature to pressure to pour rate. It isn’t...
./techtipsy
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s gen 4 (AMD): it doesn't suck under Linux
I’ve had the opportunity to try out another new laptop at work. I’ve used a brand new laptop...
a week ago
I’ve had the opportunity to try out another new laptop at work. I’ve used a brand new laptop recently, and it was horrible.
But this time I’m pleasantly surprised.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P14s gen 4 has great specs:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U (8 cores, 16 threads, up to 5.1 GHz)
GPU:...
Arduino Blog
4 new IoT monitoring dashboard updates on Arduino Cloud
Arduino Cloud recently received a major upgrade renewing the user interface and the Arduino Cloud...
2 weeks ago
Arduino Cloud recently received a major upgrade renewing the user interface and the Arduino Cloud editor. And as we promised it was just the beginning. This article dives into some of the new IoT monitoring dashboard features that may seem small, but pack a big punch for your...
Electronics etc…
Guide Technology GT300 Frequency Standard Teardown
MathJax.Hub.Config({
jax: ["input/TeX", "output/HTML-CSS"],
tex2jax: {
inlineMath: [...
2 weeks ago
MathJax.Hub.Config({
jax: ["input/TeX", "output/HTML-CSS"],
tex2jax: {
inlineMath: [ ['$', '$'], ["\\(", "\\)"] ],
displayMath: [ ['$$', '$$'], ["\\[", "\\]"] ],
processEscapes: true,
skipTags: ['script', 'noscript', 'style', 'textarea', 'pre',...
Arduino Blog
A shift register is all you need to build an Arduino Nano-based retro computer
If you’ve ever tried to produce an analog video signal with an Arduino, then you know that it isn’t...
2 weeks ago
If you’ve ever tried to produce an analog video signal with an Arduino, then you know that it isn’t easy. That’s a bit counterintuitive if you think of analog video as “old” and assume that generating an analog video signal would be trivial with our powerful modern hardware. But...
computers are bad
2024-04-05 the life of one earth station
Sometimes, when I am feeling down, I read about failed satellite TV (STV)
services. Don't we all?...
2 weeks ago
Sometimes, when I am feeling down, I read about failed satellite TV (STV)
services. Don't we all? As a result, I've periodically come across a company
called AlphaStar Television Network. PrimeStar may have had a rough life, but
AlphaStar barely had one at all: it launched in...
Arduino Blog
Detecting HVAC failures early with an Arduino Nicla Sense ME and edge ML
Having constant, reliable access to a working HVAC system is vital for our way of living, as they...
3 weeks ago
Having constant, reliable access to a working HVAC system is vital for our way of living, as they provide a steady supply of fresh, conditioned air. In an effort to decrease downtime and maintenance costs from failures, Yunior González and Danelis Guillan have developed a...
./techtipsy
How to take down production with a single Helm command
You’re Cletus Kubernetus: a software developer, and a proud Fedora Linux
user.1
You know Kubernetes,...
3 weeks ago
You’re Cletus Kubernetus: a software developer, and a proud Fedora Linux
user.1
You know Kubernetes, especially after the time you migrated some services to it.
Everything is calm.
Your pods are running. Your service is up. Business as usual.
You release some minor changes to...
Arduino Blog
This robot dominates dart games
You’ll find dartboards in just about every dive bar in the world, like cheaper and pokier...
3 weeks ago
You’ll find dartboards in just about every dive bar in the world, like cheaper and pokier alternatives to pool. But that doesn’t mean that darts is a casual game to everyone. It takes a lot of skill to play on a competitive level and many of us struggle to perform well. Niklas...
Engineers Need Art
Virtual Pinhead
Discovering virtual pinball, a hobbyist community devoted to it, and building a full-size virtual...
3 weeks ago
Discovering virtual pinball, a hobbyist community devoted to it, and building a full-size virtual pinball cabinet.
latest projects -...
Robot Slide Whistle Orchestrion
[Hardware] Army of Robot Slide Whistles
3 weeks ago
[Hardware] Army of Robot Slide Whistles
Arduino Blog
This small scorekeeping air hockey game brings the arcade classic to your tabletop
Go to any arcade and the air hockey table will probably be one of the most popular games they have....
3 weeks ago
Go to any arcade and the air hockey table will probably be one of the most popular games they have. Everyone loves air hockey, but a lot of people don’t want to go to an arcade just to play. If you fall into that category, then you can follow LloydB’s Instructables guide to make...
computers are bad
2024-03-27 telephone cables
So let's say you're working on a household project and need around a dozen
telephone cables---the...
4 weeks ago
So let's say you're working on a household project and need around a dozen
telephone cables---the ordinary kind that you would use between your telephone
and the wall. It is, of course, more cost effective to buy bulk cable, or
simply a long cable, and cut it to length and attach...
Arduino Blog
Ceiling fan becomes a “spaceship” SCARA robot arm
We all know how annoying a ceiling fan can be when it isn’t balanced well and that annoyance...
a month ago
We all know how annoying a ceiling fan can be when it isn’t balanced well and that annoyance perfectly demonstrates the necessity of a good, sturdy bearing. A ceiling fan’s bearing needs to allow for smooth rotational motion with as little friction as possible, while completely...
Electronics etc…
Symmetricom 58532A GPS Antenna Supply Voltage Mod
The Symmatricom 58532A
Opening up the 58532A
Voltage Regulation
Result
What about the other 58532A...
a month ago
The Symmatricom 58532A
Opening up the 58532A
Voltage Regulation
Result
What about the other 58532A variant?
References
The Symmatricom 58532A
As part of a package deal, I got my hands on a Symmetricom 58532A L1
GPS antenna.
Microchip, which acquired Symmetricom in 2013, doesn’t...
Arduino Blog
An easy way to add a gear indicator for your stick shift
The objective benefits may be almost nonexistent today, but there is still something satisfying...
a month ago
The objective benefits may be almost nonexistent today, but there is still something satisfying about rowing through the gears in a car with a manual transmission. If that car was made in the past couple of decades, there is a good chance that it has an indicator on the dash to...
computers are bad
2024-03-17 wilhelm haller and photocopier accounting
In the 1450s, German inventor Johannes Gutenburg designed the movable-type
printing press, the first...
a month ago
In the 1450s, German inventor Johannes Gutenburg designed the movable-type
printing press, the first practical method of mass-duplicating text. After
various other projects, he applied his press to the production of the Bible,
yielding over one hundred copies of a text that...
Arduino Blog
DIY “Staccato” controller drives Tesla coils
The Tesla coil, patented by legendary inventor Nikola Tesla in 1891, is a kind of resonant...
a month ago
The Tesla coil, patented by legendary inventor Nikola Tesla in 1891, is a kind of resonant transformer circuit capable of producing sparks of high-voltage alternating-current electricity. They don’t have many practical uses today beyond novelty, but they were commonly used in...
Engineers Need Art
Experiments in Printmaking - Part 1
Trying some unconventional techniques to create a pop-art print of a Cherry Mash candy bar.
a month ago
Trying some unconventional techniques to create a pop-art print of a Cherry Mash candy bar.
Arduino Blog
This animatronic CatNap is predictably creepy
Poppy Playtime is an interesting horror video game — or rather, an episodic series of games — that...
a month ago
Poppy Playtime is an interesting horror video game — or rather, an episodic series of games — that puts players into the eerie toy factory of fictional company Playtime Co., where they find that the company’s characters are alive and quite aggressive. A big part of the game’s...
Abort Retry Fail
Housekeeping for 20240309
Super quick updates
a month ago
computers are bad
2024-03-09 the purple streetscape
Across the United States, streets are taking on a strange hue at night. Purple.
Purple streetlights...
a month ago
Across the United States, streets are taking on a strange hue at night. Purple.
Purple streetlights have been reported in Tampa, Vancouver, Wichita, Boston.
They're certainly in evidence here in Albuquerque, where Coal through downtown
has turned almost entirely to mood lighting....
Arduino Blog
Build yourself this simple app-controlled robot dog
If you have an interest in robotics, it can be really difficult to know where to start. There are so...
a month ago
If you have an interest in robotics, it can be really difficult to know where to start. There are so many designs and kits out there that it becomes overwhelming. But it is best to start with the basics and then expand from there after you learn the ropes. One way to do that is...
./techtipsy
Fairphone 5: my heavily biased overview after 58 days of use (and counting)
After months of contemplating I finally pulled the trigger and got myself
a Fairphone 5. The...
a month ago
After months of contemplating I finally pulled the trigger and got myself
a Fairphone 5. The fact
that iPhone X stopped receiving major iOS updates certainly helped make that decision.
“But why? My Xiaomi/Oneplus/Samsung/other glued-together device is like so much cheaper and...
latest projects -...
Simsim Pendant
[Concept] Mercurial Medallion
a month ago
[Concept] Mercurial Medallion
Arduino Blog
Controlling 3.6kW of solar EV charging with an Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi
The EV (electric vehicle) versus ICE (internal combustion engine) debate is more complicated that it...
a month ago
The EV (electric vehicle) versus ICE (internal combustion engine) debate is more complicated that it may seem, but one fact is quite simple: it is much easier to generate electricity at home than it is to refine fossil fuels. This means that it is possible power a vehicle for...
computers are bad
2024-03-01 listening in on the neighborhood
Last week, someone leaked a spreadsheet of SoundThinking sensors to
Wired.
You are probably asking...
a month ago
Last week, someone leaked a spreadsheet of SoundThinking sensors to
Wired.
You are probably asking "What is SoundThinking," because the company rebranded
last year. They used to be called ShotSpotter, and their outdoor acoustic
gunfire detection system still goes by the...
Arduino Blog
Motion control interface facilitates robot operation for those with paralysis
Henry Evans suffered a brain-stem stroke 20 years ago that left him paralyzed with quadriplegia. He...
a month ago
Henry Evans suffered a brain-stem stroke 20 years ago that left him paralyzed with quadriplegia. He can move his head, but other than a small amount of movement in his left thumb, he can’t control the rest of his body. To help Evans live a more independent life, researchers from...
computers are bad
2024-02-25 a history of the tty
It's one of those anachronisms that is deeply embedded in modern technology.
From cloud operator...
2 months ago
It's one of those anachronisms that is deeply embedded in modern technology.
From cloud operator servers to embedded controllers in appliances, there
must be uncountable devices that think they are connected to a TTY.
I will omit the many interesting details of the Linux terminal...
Arduino Blog
UNO R4 Stars: Meet Clatters Machines
The launch of the Arduino UNO R4 marks a huge leap forward for our community. For us, it’s also the...
2 months ago
The launch of the Arduino UNO R4 marks a huge leap forward for our community. For us, it’s also the chance to celebrate the people who bring our ecosystem to life with their bright ideas, radiant enthusiasm, and shining insight. That is how the UNO R4 Stars blog post series...
Electronics etc…
HP 8656A Signal Generator Schematics
Agilent has made the 8656A Signal Generator Operating & Service Manual
available as a PDF, but the...
2 months ago
Agilent has made the 8656A Signal Generator Operating & Service Manual
available as a PDF, but the schematics of chapter 8 are all spread over 3 or 4 pages, which makes
them hard to follow.
I spent a good evening extracting the schematics pages, cutting-and-pasting
them together...
./techtipsy
My very first career day
This post is a short overview of my experience at
a career day in Valga, Estonia, hosted with the...
2 months ago
This post is a short overview of my experience at
a career day in Valga, Estonia, hosted with the help of GreenDice.
I’ve never spoken at a career day before nor attended one as a student, which is why I instantly agreed to going to one
when GreenDice reached out to me.
Why? I...
Arduino Blog
These custom Chucks are smokin’ hot kicks
Once you get bored with the shoes on the shelves at Payless, you can dive into the fascinating world...
2 months ago
Once you get bored with the shoes on the shelves at Payless, you can dive into the fascinating world of custom sneakers. Converse Chuck Taylors are probably the most popular canvas for shoe customizers, as they offer plenty of room for paint and jewel bedazzling. But creative...
latest projects -...
LED Matrix Earrings
[Hardware] Itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow dot-matrix LED
2 months ago
[Hardware] Itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow dot-matrix LED
Arduino Blog
The ultimate lighting system for model railroaders
Go to any model railroading convention and you’ll see that most layouts have far more work put into...
2 months ago
Go to any model railroading convention and you’ll see that most layouts have far more work put into the terrain and buildings than into the trains themselves. The emphasis is usually on realism, so enthusiasts spend uncountable hours constructing and weathering their buildings....
./techtipsy
Oops, I published my drafts!
Those of you who follow my blog using the RSS feed might have seen that new, incomplete posts popped...
2 months ago
Those of you who follow my blog using the RSS feed might have seen that new, incomplete posts popped up around the time
I published my FOSDEM 2024 post.
Oops.
I recently tried looking for an alternative to writing blog posts in IntelliJ and out of all the options I stuck...
Arduino Blog
Build a better spindle controller for your CNC mill
Proper spindle speed control is necessary to get good CNC milling results. If your spindle speed is...
2 months ago
Proper spindle speed control is necessary to get good CNC milling results. If your spindle speed is inconsistent, your speed and feed calculations will be wrong. That will lead to poor finishes and even broken end mills (and ruined parts) in extreme cases. But cheap CNC mills and...
./techtipsy
FOSDEM 2024: my experience, some notes and tech tips
I finally went to FOSDEM. I’m sleep-deprived, completely exhausted, but incredibly excited
about the...
2 months ago
I finally went to FOSDEM. I’m sleep-deprived, completely exhausted, but incredibly excited
about the whole experience.
I’ve split this post into three separate sections.
overall notes on the conference and the city
less technical, but sheds light on the FOSDEM experience
the...
computers are bad
2024-02-11 the top of the DNS hierarchy
In the past (in fact two years ago, proof I have been doing this for a while
now!) I wrote
about
the...
2 months ago
In the past (in fact two years ago, proof I have been doing this for a while
now!) I wrote
about
the "inconvenient truth" that structural aspects of the Internet make truly
decentralized systems infeasible, due to the lack of a means to perform
broadcast discovery. As a result,...
Arduino Blog
UNO R4 Stars: Meet Anouk Wipprecht
The launch of the Arduino UNO R4 marks a huge leap forward for our community. For us, it’s also the...
2 months ago
The launch of the Arduino UNO R4 marks a huge leap forward for our community. For us, it’s also the chance to celebrate the people who bring our ecosystem to life with their bright ideas, radiant enthusiasm, and shining insight. That is how the UNO R4 Stars blog post series...
computers are bad
2024-01-31 multi-channel audio part 2
Last time, we left off at the fact that modern films are distributed with their
audio in multiple...
2 months ago
Last time, we left off at the fact that modern films are distributed with their
audio in multiple formats. Most of the time, there is a stereo version of the
audio, and a multi-channel version of the audio that is perhaps 5.1 or 7.1 and
compressed using one of several codecs that...
Arduino Blog
This DIY Jurassic Park pinball machine is a T-Rexcellent use of Arduino
Pinball machines are prime examples of the dizzying heights achieved by engineers in the...
2 months ago
Pinball machines are prime examples of the dizzying heights achieved by engineers in the electromechanical era before digital electronics came along. But while those classic pinball machines are extremely impressive from an engineering standpoint, they required an immense amount...
computers are bad
2024-01-21 multi-channel audio part 1
Stereophonic or two-channel audio is so ubiquitous today that we tend to refer
to all kinds of...
3 months ago
Stereophonic or two-channel audio is so ubiquitous today that we tend to refer
to all kinds of pieces of consumer audio reproduction equipment as "a stereo."
As you might imagine, this is a relatively modern phenomenon. While stereo
audio in concept dates to the late 19th...
Arduino Blog
Garrita is an Arduino GIGA Display-powered slideshow
Watching back a slideshow of some of your favorite times of the past years is a great way to reflect...
3 months ago
Watching back a slideshow of some of your favorite times of the past years is a great way to reflect on what’s happened and get excited for the future. The Electronic Cats crew wanted to incorporate this concept into a more simplified, interactive form which resulted in...
computers are bad
2024-01-16 the tacnet tracker
Previously on Deep Space Nine, I wrote that "the mid-2000s were an unsettled
time in mobile...
3 months ago
Previously on Deep Space Nine, I wrote that "the mid-2000s were an unsettled
time in mobile computing."
Today, I want to share a little example. Over the last few weeks, for various
personal reasons, I have been doing a lot of reading about embedded operating
systems and ISAs for...
Arduino Blog
Arduino Education at Bett 2024: Inspiring STEAM innovation
Discover the future of K-12 & HE at Bett 2024 with Arduino Education Arduino Education will be back...
3 months ago
Discover the future of K-12 & HE at Bett 2024 with Arduino Education Arduino Education will be back at Bett 2024, the global stage for education innovation, from January 24th-26th at ExCel London. Our booth (which you’ll find in Bett Hall, Stand NJ12) will be a hub of creativity...
Electronics etc…
Hideo Okawara’s Mixed Signal Lecture Series
Introduction
Hideo Okawara’s Mixed Signal Lecture Series
Frequency/Phase Movement Analysis by...
3 months ago
Introduction
Hideo Okawara’s Mixed Signal Lecture Series
Frequency/Phase Movement Analysis by Orthogonal Demodulation
Misc
Introduction
While researching a DSP related topic, Google dug up an excellent article,
written by Hideo Okawara, that is just one part of a series of ~53. I...
computers are bad
2024-01-06 usb on the go
USB, the Universal Serial Bus, was first released in 1996. It did not achieve
widespread adoption...
3 months ago
USB, the Universal Serial Bus, was first released in 1996. It did not achieve
widespread adoption until some years later; for most of the '90s RS-232-ish
serial and its
awkward sibling the parallel port
were the norm for external peripheral. It's sort of surprising that USB...
Arduino Blog
OpenAutoLab lets you automatically develop photos at home
20 years ago, you could walk into any pharmacy or big box store with your rolls of film, then get...
3 months ago
20 years ago, you could walk into any pharmacy or big box store with your rolls of film, then get developed photos back within 24 hours at a reasonable price. But that industry is dead and life is much more difficult for film photographers today. While big chain pharmacies still...
Abort Retry Fail
Housekeeping for 20240102
Some stats, updates, and whatnot
3 months ago
Some stats, updates, and whatnot
Arduino Blog
This automated machine shuffles and deals cards so you don’t have to
Shuffling and dealing is very serious business when you’re playing any card game that puts money on...
3 months ago
Shuffling and dealing is very serious business when you’re playing any card game that puts money on the line, like poker. Even when the stakes aren’t that high, poor shuffling or dealing can drive a family apart. If you’re tired of being criticized for your card-handling skills,...
Electronics etc…
Remote Controlling an HP 1670G Logic Analyzer with a Linux PC X Server
Introduction
Reserving a fixed IP address for the logic analyzer
Assign the chosen IP address to the...
4 months ago
Introduction
Reserving a fixed IP address for the logic analyzer
Assign the chosen IP address to the logic analyzer
Allow the logic analyzer to access your Ubuntu X server
Configure the X-window Settings on the logic analyzer
Install and declare the HP logic analyzer font...
computers are bad
2023-12-23 ITT Technical Institute
Programming note/shameless plug: I am finally on Mastodon.
The history of the telephone industry is...
4 months ago
Programming note/shameless plug: I am finally on Mastodon.
The history of the telephone industry is a bit of an odd one. For the greatest
part of the 20th century, telephony in the United States was largely a monopoly
of AT&T and its many affiliates. This wasn't always the case,...
Arduino Blog
The best Secret Santa gift in an oversized Furby
Some of YouTube’s most famous makers get together every year for a Secret Santa gift exchange. We...
4 months ago
Some of YouTube’s most famous makers get together every year for a Secret Santa gift exchange. We already showed you the heartbeat-controlled drum machine that Sam Battle created for Ali Spagnola, but what did Battle receive? Roboticist extraordinaire James Bruton drew Battle and...
latest projects -...
LED Industrial Piercing
[Hardware] Illuminated circuit inside a hypodermic
4 months ago
[Hardware] Illuminated circuit inside a hypodermic
Arduino Blog
The user’s heartbeat controls this drum machine
Every holiday season, several of YouTube’s most prominent makers get together for a Secret Santa...
4 months ago
Every holiday season, several of YouTube’s most prominent makers get together for a Secret Santa gift exchange. It is always fun to see what kind of tailored gifts they create and this year is no different. Sam Battle of the LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER YouTube channel drew Ali Spagnola...
latest projects -...
Hand-cranked Flux Capacitor
[Concept] Control the flow of time
4 months ago
[Concept] Control the flow of time
./techtipsy
My cat water fountain comes with a spicy USB power adapter
It turns out that you can’t trust any USB type A power adapter to be within spec.
I have a Catit...
4 months ago
It turns out that you can’t trust any USB type A power adapter to be within spec.
I have a Catit Flower Fountain
for my two adorable cats. The idea of a water fountain for cats may sound odd,
but having one really helps with cats staying hydrated and that alone avoids all
sorts...
Arduino Blog
Our October top picks from Project Hub: play more, with less!
A will to create something new by subtracting and simplifying, rather than adding, seems to inspire...
4 months ago
A will to create something new by subtracting and simplifying, rather than adding, seems to inspire the three projects uploaded to Project Hub in October that we are proud to highlight today. This “less, but better” attitude is often the key to great ideas and even better...
latest projects -...
Smallest USB-C MIDI Synth
[Hardware] The smallest and silliest MIDI synth yet
4 months ago
[Hardware] The smallest and silliest MIDI synth yet
Arduino Blog
Classifying audio on the GIGA R1 WiFi from purely synthetic data
One of the main difficulties that people encounter when trying to build their edge ML models is...
4 months ago
One of the main difficulties that people encounter when trying to build their edge ML models is gathering a large, yet simultaneously diverse, dataset. Audio models normally require setting up a microphone, capturing long sequences of sounds, and then manually removing bad data...
./techtipsy
The simplicity of the modulo operator: how I scaled an inefficient solution on a legacy system
Your service cannot process events fast enough during peak hours.
There is no obvious quick and...
4 months ago
Your service cannot process events fast enough during peak hours.
There is no obvious quick and dirty fix.
Refactoring would take ages.
People have been unhappy for a while now.
What the hell do you do?
Background
I had the pleasure of working with a legacy backend system...
latest projects -...
Badge
[Hardware] A RISC-V LED matrix
4 months ago
[Hardware] A RISC-V LED matrix
Arduino Blog
UNO R4 Stars: Meet Michael Cheich
The launch of the Arduino UNO R4 marks a huge leap forward for our community. For us, it’s also the...
4 months ago
The launch of the Arduino UNO R4 marks a huge leap forward for our community. For us, it’s also the chance to celebrate the people who bring our ecosystem to life with their bright ideas, radiant enthusiasm, and shining insight. That is how the UNO R4 Stars blog post series...
computers are bad
2023-12-05 vhf omnidirectional range
The term "VHF omnidirectional range" can at first be confusing, because it
includes "range"---a...
4 months ago
The term "VHF omnidirectional range" can at first be confusing, because it
includes "range"---a measurement that the technology does not provide. The
answer to this conundrum is, as is so often the case, history. The "range"
refers not to the radio equipment but to the space...
Arduino Blog
Creating a ChatGPT client with the Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi and GIGA R1 Display Shield
ChatGPT is certainly the best-known large language model (LLM) available today and it has a lot to...
4 months ago
ChatGPT is certainly the best-known large language model (LLM) available today and it has a lot to offer. But you can’t run it locally and instead you must use OpenAI’s online service to access its functionality. That doesn’t, however, mean that you’re out of luck if you want to...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of the IBM 5100
IBM's First Personal Computer
4 months ago
IBM's First Personal Computer
Arduino Blog
Building a minimalist network-updated digital clock with an Arduino Nano ESP32
There are almost endless variations of clocks for sale on the internet today, but it is still easy...
4 months ago
There are almost endless variations of clocks for sale on the internet today, but it is still easy to end up in a situation where you can’t quite find a model with the style and features you want. Marco Zonca ended up with that problem while searching for a new clock to put in...
latest projects -...
POV Candle
[Hardware] Tiny volumetric display
4 months ago
[Hardware] Tiny volumetric display
Arduino Blog
Real-time notifications and much more in the new Arduino IoT Cloud Remote app
Welcome to the next chapter of our ‘Better, with You’ journey! Now it is time to present the latest...
4 months ago
Welcome to the next chapter of our ‘Better, with You’ journey! Now it is time to present the latest updates to the IoT Remote app. These new features are all about making your time with your IoT projects smoother, more fun, and right at your fingertips. Let’s dive in! If you...
./techtipsy
Control - how to make a game enjoyable for casual audiences
I’ve decided to intentionally take more time to play video games this year,
since it’s a relatively...
4 months ago
I’ve decided to intentionally take more time to play video games this year,
since it’s a relatively healthy way to escape from the real world once in a while.
A friend recommended one game in particular: Control: Ultimate Edition.
During the Steam summer sale of 2023, I went...
Arduino Blog
Add an inexpensive digital readout to your drill press
A drill press is a very useful tool that lets you slowly drill holes that are perfectly...
4 months ago
A drill press is a very useful tool that lets you slowly drill holes that are perfectly perpendicular to the work piece. And good drill presses give you a readout that lets you drill to a precise depth. But the cheap drill press stands for hand drills make that difficult. To...
latest projects -...
3D Model Viewer Improvements
[Software] Unlocking the embedded gimbals
4 months ago
[Software] Unlocking the embedded gimbals
Arduino Blog
TAST-E is an animatronic robot head with a sense of taste and smell
There are many theories that attempt to explain the uncanny valley, which is a range of humanoid...
4 months ago
There are many theories that attempt to explain the uncanny valley, which is a range of humanoid realness that is very disconcerting to people. When something looks almost human, we find it disturbing. That often applies to robots with faces — or robots that are faces, as is the...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of GM-NAA I/O and SHARE
The Birth of Computer Operating Systems
5 months ago
The Birth of Computer Operating Systems
Electronics etc…
Analyzing the Monoprice Blackbird HDCP 2.2 to 1.4 Down Converter
Introduction
Some Words about HDCP
Inside the Monoprice Blackbird 4K Pro
The Test
Digging Deeper:...
5 months ago
Introduction
Some Words about HDCP
Inside the Monoprice Blackbird 4K Pro
The Test
Digging Deeper: UART Transactions
Decoding HDCP I2C Transactions
The Legality of It All
References
Footnotes
Introduction
I got my hands on a
Monoprice Blackbird 4K Pro HDCP 2.2 to 1.4...
computers are bad
2023-11-25 the curse of docker
I'm heading to Las Vegas for re:invent soon, perhaps the most boring type of
industry extravaganza...
5 months ago
I'm heading to Las Vegas for re:invent soon, perhaps the most boring type of
industry extravaganza there could be. In that spirit, I thought I would write
something quick and oddly professional: I'm going to complain about Docker.
Packaging software is one of those fundamental...
Arduino Blog
This DIY tool automates LED testing and current limit calculations
GPIO pins on most microcontrollers operate at low voltages, typically between 3.3V and 5V, and are...
5 months ago
GPIO pins on most microcontrollers operate at low voltages, typically between 3.3V and 5V, and are unable to deliver much current — oftentimes stopping at 20-40mA. This is why, when setting up an LED, series resistors are used to limit the amount of current draw and prevent...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Commodore, Part 4
The Amiga, The Decline, The Fall
5 months ago
The Amiga, The Decline, The Fall
computers are bad
2023-11-19 Centrex
I have always been fascinated by the PABX - the private automatic branch
exchange, often shortened...
5 months ago
I have always been fascinated by the PABX - the private automatic branch
exchange, often shortened to "PBX" in today's world where the "automatic" is
implied. (Relatively) modern small and medium business PABXs of the type I like
to collect are largely solid-state devices that...
Arduino Blog
DIY PC case features interchangeable kinetic front panels
RGB LEDs are sooooo 2015 and the “it” thing today is kinetic art. If a blinking LED is the “hello...
5 months ago
RGB LEDs are sooooo 2015 and the “it” thing today is kinetic art. If a blinking LED is the “hello world” of the microcontroller industry, then making something move is the equivalent of finally fingering out how pointers work. So Robert of the Ideal Idea YouTube channel had to...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Commodore, Part 3
Are you keeping up with the Commodore?
5 months ago
Are you keeping up with the Commodore?
Arduino Blog
Introducing Arduino’s new storage libraries: Streamline data management for your projects
At Arduino, we’re always on a mission to make development easier and more accessible. That’s why...
5 months ago
At Arduino, we’re always on a mission to make development easier and more accessible. That’s why we’re excited to introduce two new libraries, Arduino_POSIXStorage and Arduino_UnifiedStorage, designed to simplify how you handle data and storage in your Arduino projects. These...
Engineers Need Art
Op-Amp Helper PCB
A PCB for breadboards to make working with op-amps easier.
5 months ago
A PCB for breadboards to make working with op-amps easier.
Arduino Blog
Voice-enabled controller makes video games more accessible
Almost all modern video games require either a gamepad or a keyboard and mouse, which means that...
5 months ago
Almost all modern video games require either a gamepad or a keyboard and mouse, which means that they’re inaccessible to many people with disabilities that affect manual dexterity. Bob Hammell’s voice-enabled controller lets some of those people experience the joy of video games....
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Commodore, Part 2
The VIC-20
5 months ago
computers are bad
2023-11-04 nuclear safety
Nuclear weapons are complex in many ways. The basic problem of achieving
criticality is difficult on...
5 months ago
Nuclear weapons are complex in many ways. The basic problem of achieving
criticality is difficult on its own, but deploying nuclear weapons as
operational military assets involves yet more challenges. Nuclear weapons must
be safe and reliable, even with the rough handling and...
Arduino Blog
Electronics embedded in elastomer enabled this exotic dress
Integrating electronic components into textiles is usually a challenge, as they are rigid and most...
5 months ago
Integrating electronic components into textiles is usually a challenge, as they are rigid and most textile applications require flexibility. But new materials and fabrication processes are changing that dynamic. FashionTech designer Anouk Wipprecht and Chromatic 3D Materials were...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Commodore, Part 1
Chuck Peddle, the 6502, MOS, and the PET
5 months ago
Chuck Peddle, the 6502, MOS, and the PET
Arduino Blog
Tapping without seeing: Making touchscreens accessible
Modern devices rely heavily on touchscreens because they allow for dynamic interfaces that aren’t...
6 months ago
Modern devices rely heavily on touchscreens because they allow for dynamic interfaces that aren’t possible with conventional tactile buttons. But those interfaces present an issue for people with certain disabilities. A person with vision loss, for example, might not be able to...
./techtipsy
The optimization treadmill: why I keep changing my computing setup all the time
I have a bad habit of changing my computing setups all the time. I tend to see new gear, then I...
6 months ago
I have a bad habit of changing my computing setups all the time. I tend to see new gear, then I get
some new ideas, and then I obsessively think about it for weeks and months until I just buy it.
And then the cycle repeats.
I’ve had time to think about why that keeps happening...
Arduino Blog
Open-source loom encourages interdisciplinary learning
You don’t need to go back more than a century to find people who carried the job title “scientist”...
6 months ago
You don’t need to go back more than a century to find people who carried the job title “scientist” without any qualifiers. But as STEM fields advanced, people had to become increasingly specialized in more niche disciplines. In recent years, however, we’ve seen a bit of a...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Slackware
The Oldest Surviving Linux Distribution
6 months ago
The Oldest Surviving Linux Distribution
Arduino Blog
Brew virtual potions by mixing ingredients in this interactive cauldron
The large, bubbling cauldron is a classic mainstay in our Halloween decorations as it evokes imagery...
6 months ago
The large, bubbling cauldron is a classic mainstay in our Halloween decorations as it evokes imagery of devious witches and their mysterious concoctions. Fed up with this being a mere display piece, element14 Presents’ Katie Dumont created an enchanted cauldron that allows...
computers are bad
2023-10-22 cooler screens
Audible even over the squeal of an HVAC blower with a suffering belt, the whine
of small, high...
6 months ago
Audible even over the squeal of an HVAC blower with a suffering belt, the whine
of small, high velocity fans pervades the grocery side of this Walgreens. Were
they always this loud? I'm not sure; some of the fans sound distinctly
unhealthy. Still, it's a familiar kind of noise to...
Arduino Blog
Building the OG smartwatch from Inspector Gadget
We recently showed you Becky Stern’s recreation of the “computer book” carried by Penny in...
6 months ago
We recently showed you Becky Stern’s recreation of the “computer book” carried by Penny in the Inspector Gadget cartoon, but Stern didn’t stop there. She also built a replica of Penny’s most iconic gadget: her watch. Penny was a trendsetter and rocked that decades before the...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Microsoft Encarta
Searchable Human Knowledge
6 months ago
Searchable Human Knowledge
computers are bad
2023-10-15 go.com
Correction: a technical defect in my Enterprise Content Management System
resulted in the email...
6 months ago
Correction: a technical defect in my Enterprise Content Management System
resulted in the email having a subject that made it sound like this post would
be about the classic strategy game Go. It is actually about a failed website.
I regret the error; the responsible people have...
Arduino Blog
This payphone provides access to a speakeasy STEM library
If you live in a nice neighborhood that has a sense of community, you may have come across a Little...
6 months ago
If you live in a nice neighborhood that has a sense of community, you may have come across a Little Free Library. Those are small cabinets filled with books that anyone can take. Ideally, people will also leave books for others. They’re usually situated next to sidewalks where...
./techtipsy
Zimaboard: the closest thing to my dream home server setup
I stumbled upon this Hardware Haven video about the Zimaboard recently.
I liked it a lot.
I finally...
6 months ago
I stumbled upon this Hardware Haven video about the Zimaboard recently.
I liked it a lot.
I finally bought one.
In short, Zimaboard is a small single-board computer that is relatively affordable and comes
with an interesting selection of ports, which includes an exposed PCI...
computers are bad
2023-10-09 prolific counterfeiting
I'm working on a side project right now, one of several, which involves
telematics devices...
6 months ago
I'm working on a side project right now, one of several, which involves
telematics devices (essentially GPS trackers with i/o) from a fairly reputable
Chinese manufacturer. The device is endlessly configurable and so, like you see
with a lot of radios, it has a UART for...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Lotus
The Hardest Working Software in the World
6 months ago
The Hardest Working Software in the World
Arduino Blog
Join us at Maker Faire Rome, and make our day!
With some 100,000 attendees a year, Maker Faire Rome has been Europe’s biggest maker event since...
6 months ago
With some 100,000 attendees a year, Maker Faire Rome has been Europe’s biggest maker event since 2013. At Arduino, we are proud to have been part of it since its first edition, and to have grown with it – and with the maker community – year after year. In fact, we have grown so...
computers are bad
2023-10-03 overheard overhead
Let's talk about overhead paging. The concept goes by various names: paging,
public address, even...
6 months ago
Let's talk about overhead paging. The concept goes by various names: paging,
public address, even intercom, although the accuracy of the latter term can be
questionable. It's probably one of the aspects of business telephone systems
that gets the most public attention, on account...
Arduino Blog
Tiny DIY Roomba cleans desks and countertops
The future we were promised was supposed to include robot maids and flying cars. The future we got...
6 months ago
The future we were promised was supposed to include robot maids and flying cars. The future we got has Roomba vacuums and Southwest Airlines. But at least those Roomba vacuum robots work pretty well for keeping floors slightly cleaner. Sadly, they leave elevated surfaces...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of OS/2
Getting a Divorce
6 months ago
Arduino Blog
Celebrating a few resourceful Project Hub uploads from July
Makers always find a good reason to make: to learn or to enjoy, to share or to find a solution, they...
6 months ago
Makers always find a good reason to make: to learn or to enjoy, to share or to find a solution, they can play around all day, and work around anything. Proud of our community’s resourcefulness, this month we celebrate three projects uploaded to Project Hub in July that embed IoT,...
latest projects -...
Analemmagraph
[Concept] Video of a day, one year in every frame
7 months ago
[Concept] Video of a day, one year in every frame
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Windows NT 4
Taking the Server Market
7 months ago
latest projects -...
Hardware Reverse Oscilloscope 2
[Hardware] A synthesizer with jacks and sliders!
7 months ago
[Hardware] A synthesizer with jacks and sliders!
Arduino Blog
Industry automation? There’s an app for that! With FLECS and Portenta X8
FLECS and Arduino Pro are partnering to make Industry 4.0 easier for you. FLECS is the...
7 months ago
FLECS and Arduino Pro are partnering to make Industry 4.0 easier for you. FLECS is the easy-to-configure and open-source platform that allows industrial users to work with automation solutions dedicated to their machinery just as easily as we all handle the apps on our phone:...
./techtipsy
My trip to the Communication and Laptop Museum in Estonia
While on vacation I went on a small road-trip across Estonia. During the second half of the trip I...
7 months ago
While on vacation I went on a small road-trip across Estonia. During the second half of the trip I ended up being in Võrumaa,
and while driving I suddenly remembered a random fact that some people mentioned in a hackerspace Slack channel: there’s
a new museum around here!
The...
Arduino Blog
Building a rodent-friendly catch-and-release mousetrap with Arduino
Rodents, including mice, are problematic. They can cause significant damage to your home by chewing...
7 months ago
Rodents, including mice, are problematic. They can cause significant damage to your home by chewing up wires, walls, and insulation, while leaving behind unsanitary droppings that present a health hazard. But those of us who love animals are reluctant to utilize traditional...
Abort Retry Fail
Unboxing New Old Stock Windows 3.11
A Photo Gallery
7 months ago
Arduino Blog
Lab-on-a-drone detects and analyzes pollutants from the sky
Air quality concerns encompass several different pollutants and irritants. Chlorofluorocarbons...
7 months ago
Air quality concerns encompass several different pollutants and irritants. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were, for example, a major concern in the 20th century due to the damage they cause to the ozone layer. But not all pollutants are easy to monitor. Hydrogen sulfide, which causes...
OH8HUB’s Substack
Eliminating Radio Interference from Apple charger
Apple's product design teams should do a better job eliminating unwanted radio frequency emissions...
7 months ago
Apple's product design teams should do a better job eliminating unwanted radio frequency emissions from their product!
latest projects -...
How SLR cameras work: Nikon F3
[Misc] Video tour of a modular 35mm camera
7 months ago
[Misc] Video tour of a modular 35mm camera
./techtipsy
Steam local network game transfers are a game-changer
Steam recently launched a new feature: local network game transfers.
The idea is simple: if you have...
7 months ago
Steam recently launched a new feature: local network game transfers.
The idea is simple: if you have a game downloaded on another PC and you’re both on the same local network, then Steam can download game data
from that PC, avoiding the need to download the game over public...
computers are bad
2023-09-10 the Essex GWEN site
Programming note: this post is in color. I will not debase myself to the
level of sending HTML...
7 months ago
Programming note: this post is in color. I will not debase myself to the
level of sending HTML email, so if you receive Computers Are Bad by email
and want the benefit of the pictures, consider reading this online instead
(the link is at the top of the email).
In the aftermath of...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Red Hat
The Billion Dollar Open Source Company
7 months ago
The Billion Dollar Open Source Company
./techtipsy
The IKEA-powered homelab on a wall
I recently learned about the IKEA SKÅDIS series, which is a
pegboard that supports a variety of...
7 months ago
I recently learned about the IKEA SKÅDIS series, which is a
pegboard that supports a variety of extras. During my self-hosting journey having to figure out the best
place for putting all my compute stuff to has always been at the back of my mind, especially due to limited...
computers are bad
2023-09-03 plastic money
You will sometimes hear someone say, in a loose conceptual sense, that credit
cards have money in...
7 months ago
You will sometimes hear someone say, in a loose conceptual sense, that credit
cards have money in them. Of course we know that that isn't the case; our
modern plastic card payment network relies on online transactions where the
balance tracking and authorization decisions happen...
Abort Retry Fail
The Birth of Windows Gaming
Software is a fluid that expands to fill its container
7 months ago
Software is a fluid that expands to fill its container
./techtipsy
Why you might not want to publicly self-host a Wikipedia clone
A while ago I wrote about how easy it is to download an archive of Wikipedia and host it...
8 months ago
A while ago I wrote about how easy it is to download an archive of Wikipedia and host it anywhere
you want using Kiwix.
I’m still hosting Kiwix sites publicly, but here are a few things you might want
to consider before doing so yourself.
The spam
I have a specific e-mail address...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Windows 95
The Dawn of Microsoft's Golden Age
8 months ago
The Dawn of Microsoft's Golden Age
OH8HUB’s Substack
A quick visit to Vaajasalo island
Vaajasalo is a small island in lake Kallavesi in eastern Finland with population less than hundred....
8 months ago
Vaajasalo is a small island in lake Kallavesi in eastern Finland with population less than hundred. There’s also a winery called Alahovi Berry Wine Farm. They produce berry wines, cider, beer and liqueur. The temptation to visit them was huge, but I was on tight schedule. Maybe...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Windows NT 3.1
A Highly Portable Future
8 months ago
computers are bad
2023-08-19 meanwhile elsewhere
I had meant to write something today, but I'm just getting over a case of the
COVID and had a hard...
8 months ago
I had meant to write something today, but I'm just getting over a case of the
COVID and had a hard time getting to it. Instead I did the yard work, edited
and uploaded a YouTube video, and then spewed out a Cohost thread as long as a
blog post. So in lieu of your regularly...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Windows 3
Windows becomes competitive
8 months ago
Windows becomes competitive
computers are bad
2023-08-07 STIRred AND SHAKEN
In a couple of days, I pack up my bags to head for DEFCON. In a rare moment of
pre-planning, perhaps...
8 months ago
In a couple of days, I pack up my bags to head for DEFCON. In a rare moment of
pre-planning, perhaps spurred by boredom, I looked through the schedule to see
what's in store in the world of telephony. There is a workshop on SS7, of
course [1], plenty of content on cellular, but...
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Windows 2.0
Success and Litigation
8 months ago
./techtipsy
Cool projects
This is an unsorted list of projects that really cool and neat.
Chromebook cluster
someone took...
8 months ago
This is an unsorted list of projects that really cool and neat.
Chromebook cluster
someone took some old Chromebooks, stripped them down and built a cluster. I love this kind of jank!
Abort Retry Fail
The History of Windows 1.0
Vaporware
9 months ago
computers are bad
2023-07-29 Free Public WiFi
Remember Free Public WiFi?
Once, many years ago, I stayed on the 62nd floor of the Westin Peachtree...
9 months ago
Remember Free Public WiFi?
Once, many years ago, I stayed on the 62nd floor of the Westin Peachtree Plaza
in Atlanta, Georgia. This was in the age when the price of a hotel room was
directly correlated with the price of the WiFi service, and as a high school
student I was not...
Engineers Need Art
Kim-1 User Manual
For sale: a few KIM-1 User Manuals I printed up.
9 months ago
For sale: a few KIM-1 User Manuals I printed up.
computers are bad
2023-07-10 the tragedy of beatrice foods
Occasionally, research into the history of telephony takes you into some
strange places. There are...
9 months ago
Occasionally, research into the history of telephony takes you into some
strange places. There are conspiracy theories, of course, and there are people
who insist on their version of events so incessantly that details of dates and
places can become heated arguments. There is also...
Electronics etc…
Teardown of the TM4313 GPS Disciplined Oscillator
Introduction
What is a GPSDO?
The TM4313 GPSDO
Power Consumption
Inside the TM4313
The TM4313...
9 months ago
Introduction
What is a GPSDO?
The TM4313 GPSDO
Power Consumption
Inside the TM4313
The TM4313 Schematic
Frequency or Phase Lock Loop?
OCXO Temperature
The Curious Case of the MAX6192 Voltage Reference
The Discrete Tuning DAC
GPS Module
Microcontroller instead of NMEA Serial...
computers are bad
2023-06-30 calling in the alarm
I currently find myself on vacation in the Canadian Rockies, where internet is
hard to come by. But...
10 months ago
I currently find myself on vacation in the Canadian Rockies, where internet is
hard to come by. But here's something short while I'm temporarily back in the
warm embrace of 5G: more about burglar alarms. I recently gave a presentation
on this topic and I'll probably record it for...
Electronics etc…
ThinMachine - a $25 Thin Client MacOS Time Machine Appliance
The instructions below set up Time Machine using the Apple File Protocol
(AFP). After publishing...
10 months ago
The instructions below set up Time Machine using the Apple File Protocol
(AFP). After publishing this blog post, I’ve been told that this is now
deprecated and that Samba should be used instead. I’ll update this blog
post in the near future.
Introduction
The HP t520 Thin...
latest projects -...
Ethereal Ball of String
[Concept] Another entanglement
10 months ago
[Concept] Another entanglement
Electronics etc…
Increasing Frequency Counter Precision with Linear Regression
MathJax.Hub.Config({
jax: ["input/TeX", "output/HTML-CSS"],
tex2jax: {
inlineMath: [...
10 months ago
MathJax.Hub.Config({
jax: ["input/TeX", "output/HTML-CSS"],
tex2jax: {
inlineMath: [ ['$', '$'], ["\\(", "\\)"] ],
displayMath: [ ['$$', '$$'], ["\\[", "\\]"] ],
processEscapes: true,
skipTags: ['script', 'noscript', 'style', 'textarea', 'pre',...
computers are bad
2023-06-12 radio on the tv
Like many people in my generation, my memories of youth are heavily defined by
cable television. I...
10 months ago
Like many people in my generation, my memories of youth are heavily defined by
cable television. I was fortunate enough to have a premium cable package in
my childhood home, Comcast's early digital service based on Motorola equipment.
It included a perk that fascinated me but...
./techtipsy
How I blew up my backup server (Valve pls fix)
It all started with me getting a Steam Deck.
Background
After getting familiar with the Steam Deck...
10 months ago
It all started with me getting a Steam Deck.
Background
After getting familiar with the Steam Deck and how the Proton compatibility layer works, I decided to write a
backup script that would back up everything in the home folder, excluding the Steam games themselves due to the...
Style over Substance
Using the EZCOO / AVStar HAE118 HDMI2.1 Audio Extractor for PS5/Xbox audio
Back in 2021, we bought a PlayStation 5 (PS5) as our main living room console. Making the most out...
10 months ago
Back in 2021, we bought a PlayStation 5 (PS5) as our main living room console. Making the most out of this console meant we also had to buy a new TV, as our old TV was not 4K-compatible and did not support HDMI2.1, the new A/V standard required to support all of the PS5’s...
computers are bad
2023-06-07 something up there - nasa and uaps
A brief note on Grusch
First, a disclaimer of sorts: I am posting another article on UAPs, yet I...
10 months ago
A brief note on Grusch
First, a disclaimer of sorts: I am posting another article on UAPs, yet I am
not addressing the recent claims by David Grusch. This is for a couple of
reasons. First, I am skeptical of Grusch. He is not the first seemingly
well-positioned former...
latest projects -...
Hydraulic Ram Revisited
[Misc] A garden watering quest
10 months ago
[Misc] A garden watering quest
computers are bad
2023-06-02 the reinvention of owens lake
Programming note: In an effort to introduce an exciting new social aspect to
Computers Are Bad (a...
10 months ago
Programming note: In an effort to introduce an exciting new social aspect to
Computers Are Bad (a functional necessity to appease early-stage investor
demands for "engagement")¸ I am launching a Matrix room for CAB readers.
You can join it! Do whatever you do to join rooms in...
./techtipsy
I held a talk about my self-hosting adventure!
There are two reasons why I haven’t written much lately, and one of them is that I was cooking up...
11 months ago
There are two reasons why I haven’t written much lately, and one of them is that I was cooking up a
talk about self-hosting, more specifically my own self-hosting adventure (the other one is the Steam Deck, more about
that in the future).
The talk took place on May 25th 2023 at...
Engineers Need Art
Same Stop
Marvelling at the full circle life seems to have taken after retirement.
11 months ago
Marvelling at the full circle life seems to have taken after retirement.
Electronics etc…
The HP 423A and a Beginner’s Deep Dive into RF Crystal Detectors
MathJax.Hub.Config({
jax: ["input/TeX", "output/HTML-CSS"],
tex2jax: {
inlineMath: [...
11 months ago
MathJax.Hub.Config({
jax: ["input/TeX", "output/HTML-CSS"],
tex2jax: {
inlineMath: [ ['$', '$'], ["\\(", "\\)"] ],
displayMath: [ ['$$', '$$'], ["\\[", "\\]"] ],
processEscapes: true,
skipTags: ['script', 'noscript', 'style', 'textarea', 'pre',...
computers are bad
2023-05-07 electrical characteristics of telephone lines
Let's take a break from our boring topic of regional history to focus instead
on an even more boring...
11 months ago
Let's take a break from our boring topic of regional history to focus instead
on an even more boring topic: implementation details of telephone lines.
The conventional "copper pair" analog telephone line is fading away. The FCC
has begun to authorize abandonment of copper outside...
Electronics etc…
Measuring the HP 11720A Pulse Modulator and Coax Cables
Introduction
What is a pulse modulator and what are they used for?
The HP 11720A Pulse...
11 months ago
Introduction
What is a pulse modulator and what are they used for?
The HP 11720A Pulse Modulator
Inside the HP 11720A
Measurement Setup for a Quick Testing Session
Pin Modulator Power Measurements with HP 432A
Cable Loss Measurements with HP 432A
Cable Power Measurements with...
OH8HUB’s Substack
Spring day ham radio activation in Hiastinlahti, Finland
Hiastinlahti is a bay where river Iijoki flows into Bothnian Bay, the northernmost part of Gulf of...
11 months ago
Hiastinlahti is a bay where river Iijoki flows into Bothnian Bay, the northernmost part of Gulf of Bothnia. This area is a Nature 2000 nature reserve area and good spot for bird watching. The area has a two kilometer long nature trail with fireplace, lean-to and toilet. From the...
computers are bad
2023-04-30 los alamos - compound to county pt II
Where we left off, Los Alamos had become a county, but the town itself
continued to be directly...
12 months ago
Where we left off, Los Alamos had become a county, but the town itself
continued to be directly administered by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
The Atomic Energy Communities Act (AECA) mandated the AEC to dispose of the
towns it owned by transferring the property to private...
latest projects -...
Calibrator Keyboard
[Hardware] I'm as confused as you are.
12 months ago
[Hardware] I'm as confused as you are.
./techtipsy
Dell Latitude 5411: the Linux compatibility sweet spot
Oh boy, here I go testing a new laptop again!
Well, it was new back in 2020.
You might remember my...
12 months ago
Oh boy, here I go testing a new laptop again!
Well, it was new back in 2020.
You might remember my article on why I went back to a ThinkPad T430 in 2022.
Or that other time when I got a new HP laptop for testing and got so frustrated that I wrote about it.
Well, today I’m writing...
computers are bad
2023-04-27 los alamos - compound to county pt I
This weekend, I found myself staying in Los Alamos for a volunteer role in
which I judge children on...
12 months ago
This weekend, I found myself staying in Los Alamos for a volunteer role in
which I judge children on the quality of their software. Clearly this is not
the kind of opportunity I would turn down, but I also always take an excuse to
drive back up the hill. I only lived in Los...
./techtipsy
Life is maintenance, maintenance is life
Over my relatively short career (6+ years), I’ve noticed a change in the way I approach building...
a year ago
Over my relatively short career (6+ years), I’ve noticed a change in the way I approach building things.
When I was still an inexperienced junior developer who barely survived operating in a Linux
environment and saw backend development as a black box, I was happy to get...
computers are bad
2023-04-20 different kinds of differential
On the front page of HN today was an [article with a confusing headline],
"Farmers 'crippled' by...
a year ago
On the front page of HN today was an [article with a confusing headline],
"Farmers 'crippled' by satellite failure as GPS-guided tractors grind to a
halt." Of course the headline doesn't actually say this, but it does seem
to imply that there has been some kind of failure of...
OH8HUB’s Substack
Spring ham radio activation of Korkattivuori (Mt. Korkatti)
Korkattivuori (“Mount Korkatti”, 186m above sea level) is a small hill and Natura 2000 nature...
a year ago
Korkattivuori (“Mount Korkatti”, 186m above sea level) is a small hill and Natura 2000 nature reserve area near town Haapavesi (pop. 6588) in Finland. The nature reserve area consist of short family friendly hiking path of approximately 1.5km. One end of the path has parking...
computers are bad
2023-04-10 solving problems with chatgpt
One of the foundational goals of computer technology, at least as understood by
popular culture, is...
a year ago
One of the foundational goals of computer technology, at least as understood by
popular culture, is to automate away our jobs. When your job is (put simply) to
get computers to work correctly, there's sort of an irony to this view of
things. Still, just within the span of my...
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