Category Archives: circuits
CD4099 Addressable Latch Used to Control LEDs
This tutorial will show how to control multiple LED outputs from a microcontroller using a CD4099B addressable latch. Parts you’ll need: CD4099B addressable latch Arduino microcontroller (Any model will do) 16 LEDs
CD4067 Multiplexer used to control LEDs
This tutorial will show how to control multiple LED outputs from a microcontroller using a CD4067 analog multiplexer. This is a stub. More explanation will follow, but for now, here are schematics and code for Arduino. Parts you’ll need: CD4067B … Continue reading
STP16C596 Shift Register
This tutorial will show how to control multiple LED outputs from a microcontroller using an STP16C596 shift register. The STP16C596 is similar to the popular 74HC595 shift register, but it’s nicer because it can sink a constant current to the … Continue reading
Tilty ball: Controlling 64 LEDs and a 2-axis accelerometer
This example shows how to control 64 LEDs and read the input from two axes of an accelerometer on an Arduino. The Arduino used here is a Duemilanove, but it will work on any of the models out there prior … Continue reading
A Tale of Two Pongs
When I start learning a new platform, I have a simple rule: If you don’t know what to do with it, make pong. What I love about pong is that it’s a simple rule set, easy to understand, and implementable … Continue reading
8×8 LED matrix control on an Arduino Mega
Once you’ve mastered microcontroller programming, you might be tempted to control a lot of LEDs. Lots of people have this desire once they master the basics. Many microcontrollers have a limited number of output pins, however, so you might think … Continue reading
Controlling Inkjet Printers from a microcontroller
There was an interesting thread on the Sketching in Hardware mailing list a while back on how to control an inkjet printer. Wendy Ju started the discussion. Following are some of the links from that thread: A closed, proprietary portable … Continue reading
Dynohubs: power from bikers
Lots of people are into mechanical generation of electrical power these days, so here’s a nice tip from the guys at Uncommon Projects: dynohubs. I had a note in my inbox for months that just said “dynohubs, Tarikh.” So I … Continue reading
Surplus Center
Mike Olson likes to move heavy things. So when he says something like this: Hands down the best site for finding cheap powerful motors is: www.surpluscenter.com You can’t search by torque, but they usually have an excellent seclection of powerful … Continue reading
Using an Accelerometer to Sense Which Way Is Up
ITP just got some nifty flat panel mounts that can rotate 360 degrees. They’re very easy to move, it takes only one hand. When I saw them, I thought, “what good is a rotating mount if the content on the … Continue reading