Difference between revisions of "User:DavidCary"

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(yet another propeller clock)
(mention scoreboard clock project.)
 
(100 intermediate revisions by 56 users not shown)
Line 9: Line 9:
 
I created the [[WikiNode]].
 
I created the [[WikiNode]].
  
Electronic projects:
+
== scoreboard clock ==
''(Should I move these to dedicated pages such as [[electronics workbench]], etc.?)''
+
 
 +
I have been handed most of a classic basketball scoreboard.
 +
 
 +
Each digit on scoreboard has 20 incandescent lamps:
 +
 
 +
    * * * *
 +
    *    *
 +
    *    *
 +
    * * * *
 +
    *    *
 +
    *    *
 +
    * * * *
 +
 
 +
 
 +
I hope to someday turn it into a clock and get it listed on the
 +
[http://www.hackersbench.com/giants.html Unofficial Registry of Giant Digital Clocks"].
  
== electronics workbench ==
+
Should I divide up each digit into 7 segments, like most digital clocks,
 +
or should I add more hardware so I can control each lamp individually?
 +
--[[User:DavidCary|DavidCary]] ([[User talk:DavidCary|talk]]) 22:50, 10 October 2015 (PDT)
  
What exactly do I need for "normal" electronics development?
 
I have a pile of stuff, and I have a wishlist of more stuff ...
 
I hope to document which things are important to have, which things are useful but not immediately necessary, and which things ended up just gathering dust.
 
  
== data collection network ==
+
== Open Circuits wiki ==
  
I'm building a "data collection network" that may end up with hundred of microcontroller sensor nodes,
+
In 2013, the OpenCircuits wiki went offline for a while,
piping data into a PC.
+
during the handover when I was trying to take over maintenance of the OpenCircuits wiki.
This may turn into a serious medical diagnosis tool.
 
  
== POV display ==
+
Oops.
  
I'm building yet another "POV display".
+
There's still a few things not quite right --
 +
after I thought I had completely restored the wiki, the "[[Open Circuits:Community Portal]]" doesn't exist at all,
 +
but I can see through the Wayback Machine [https://web.archive.org/web/20130831175940/http://www.opencircuits.com/Open_Circuits:Community_Portal]
 +
that there used to be a discussion there.
 +
I wish I knew what else needs to be restored.
  
I plan on putting a few features into my display that I haven't seen in any other so far:
+
Some ideas for possibly improving the OpenCircuits wiki:
 +
* Install the "Math" extension so we get pretty TeX formulas (<math>\sqrt{20140218}</math>). Done!
 +
* Install the SpamBlacklist extension. Done!
 +
* Install something to make in-browser schematic editing or viewing or simulating or all three easier. In no particular order:
 +
** Perhaps [http://kicadhowto.wikidot.com/fq1circb CircuitBee]?
 +
** Perhaps [https://www.circuitlab.com CircuitLab]?
 +
** Perhaps [http://www.falstad.com/circuit/ Falstad circuit simulator]?
 +
** Perhaps [http://www.docircuits.com/ DoCircuits]?
 +
** Perhaps [http://www.partsim.com/ PartSim]?
 +
** Perhaps [https://upverter.com Upverter]?
 +
** Perhaps [http://www.dz863.com/ Dz863 DrawSCH]?
 +
** Perhaps [http://123d.circuits.io/ 123D Circuits]?
 +
** Perhaps [https://code.google.com/p/svg-edit/ svg-edit]?
  
* bright blue LEDs (even though blue is usually the most expensive color ... although sometimes "true green" is even more expensive than blue).
+
== Electronic projects ==
* no slip rings -- just pumping energy across an air gap
+
''(Should I move these to dedicated pages such as [[electronics workbench]], etc.?)''
* ... and a few other features that I'm keeping hush-hush.
 
  
I want lots of lumens.
+
== wind turbine maximum power point tracker ==
Unfortunately, when I go to pick LEDs out of the catalogs, they're not
 
rated in lumens, they're rated in candelas.
 
  
Is it even possible to estimate "lumens" from the catalog information?
+
''moved to [[maximum power point tracker]]''
  
Do you know what the difference is? Does your flashlight really
+
== thermal imaging ==
produce 10 times the light ( in lumens)? Or does the flashlight merely
 
focus its light on a tiny spot, so that that spot gets 10 times as
 
many candelas ?
 
  
For example, check out these 2 LEDs:
+
David Cary did some work thermal imaging parts on a PCB a few years ago.
$8.75 SSP-LX6144C7UC : 4000 mcd at 120 mA
+
I hear some people say you can see stars in the daytime with a (far-IR) thermal imager.
$8.75 SSP-LX6144D7UC : 1800 mcd at 120 mA
+
I'm thinking about getting my own thermal imager.
 +
Perhaps something like:
  
From the mcd rating, it appears that the first one is more than 2wice
+
cheap-thermocam: an arduino project[http://www.cheap-thermocam.tk/]
as bright -- and it is, if you're directly in front of it when you
+
via
look at it.
+
"DIY Thermal Imaging System for under $200"[http://arduino.cc/blog/2011/03/14/cheap-thermocam-around-100/]
However, if you're even the tiniest bit off-center, the second one is
 
much brighter -- in fact, the total lumens that second LED puts out
 
(2500 mlm) is slightly more than the total lumens than the first one.
 
If you diffuse the light and try to light up a whole room with an
 
array of them, the second one will make the room brighter.
 
  
I'm currently planning on using these in my first POV display:
+
== anti-spam ==
* $1.32 Telux TLWB7900 : blue : 330 mlm, 231 mcd at 50 mA. (price in ones from http://Newark.com/ )
 
  
Other LEDs I considered using in my POV display (and may re-consider for my next one):
+
see [[spam]].
  
* $18.89 "Lamina light engine" BL-22B1-0140 : 22000 mlm at 420 mA. (this price includes the required heat sink -- price in ones from http://Digikey.com/ ). This has the most lumens per dollar I've found so far (for blue LEDs).
+
I prefer public communication so I avoid the problems associated with (the perception of) [http://www.usemod.com/cgi-bin/mb.pl?BackRoomDecision back room decision]s.
  
* $8.750 Sunbrite LuxLEDs SSP-LX6144D7UC blue: 120 mA, 2500 mlm, 1800 mcd (Odd that the red Sunbrite LuxLEDs are cheaper at Newark, the other colors cheaper at Digikey.) cheapest $/lumen blue LED, except for the "light engine"
+
--[[User:DavidCary|DavidCary]] 18:03, 4 February 2008 (PST)
  
* $2.550 Lumex "DSP LED" 67-1876-ND: blue, 5 mm, 2500 mcd ( DigiKey ) apparently have some kind of internal chip. All colors run at 2.0 V nominal (1.5 V minimum) (rather than running on current like most LEDs. unfortunately, the data sheet doesn't suggest how much current they take -- I presume more than 20 mA).
+
== electronics workbench ==
  
* $1.600 Sunbrite "based LED" SSP-01TWB7UWB12 (441-1007-ND) blue 10 mm 20 mA 7000 mcd
+
What exactly do I need for "normal" electronics development?
 +
I have a pile of stuff, and I have a wishlist of more stuff ...
 +
I hope to document which things are important to have, which things are useful but not immediately necessary, and which things ended up just gathering dust.
  
* $5.980 GM5WA06270A SMT RGB (35 mA red, 35 mA green, 35 mA blue) 3000 mcd (full color range -- apparently used for digital camera flash ?) (Digikey)
+
I wish there were a place like [http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/09/techshop-geek-h.html TechShop] somewhere local.
  
Spoke-POV and propeller clocks links:
+
* filing cabinet for all the miscellaneous bits of paper. If at all possible, I attach instruction manuals to the actual tool -- but if that is awkward, I stick the instruction manual in this filing cabinet.
  
* An entire discussion forum devoted to POV displays http://ladyada.net.nyud.net:8090/forums/viewforum.php?f=11
+
== data collection network ==
** In particular, lots of nice pictures http://www.ladyada.net.nyud.net:8090/forums/viewtopic.php?p=4712
 
** 'no-microcontroller-programmer-needed' minipov http://ladyada.net.nyud.net:8090/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32
 
  
* LEDtoy on Sourceforge http://ledtoy.sourceforge.net/
+
I'm building a "data collection network" that may end up with hundred of microcontroller sensor nodes,
 +
piping data into a PC.
 +
This may turn into a serious medical diagnosis tool.
  
* Ian’s Spoke POV http://www.ianpaterson.org/projects/spokepov20050704/index.htm
+
== POV display ==
  
* "Propeller Clock" Mechanically Scanned LED Clock: by Bob Blick http://www.bobblick.com/techref/projects/propclock/propclock.html (I think this is the original)
+
''(moved to [[POV display]])''
  
 
== Full-color LED lighting ==
 
== Full-color LED lighting ==
Line 116: Line 136:
 
--  
 
--  
 
DavidCary
 
DavidCary
 +
 +
== Open Circuits Sysop ==
 +
 +
Whee! I'm a sysop at Open Circuits!
 +
The power -- it's rushing to my head!
 +
--[[User:DavidCary|DavidCary]] 15:20, 23 February 2007 (PST)
 +
 +
Me too ( thanks to you? ).  How can I use my power, release the hounds.  I am open to suggestions as to how I can help, right now I am just going to read up on what a sysop can do.  [[russ_hensel]] Feb '08
 +
 +
 +
Hi David, will be nice to have antispam measures :).
 +
 +
--[[User:RafaelOrtiz|RafaelOrtiz]] 18:00, 28 October 2007 (PDT)
 +
 +
Hi David can you give me some block IP rights ?
 +
 +
--[[User:RafaelOrtiz|RafaelOrtiz]] 13:17, 18 November 2007 (PST)
 +
 +
Hi David, I noticed that a bunch of open circuits is just a placeholder.  I'm effectively retired so I can probably help contribute to this Wiki by expanding a bunch of the sections, but the spam here is really way out of control.  I look at the revision history and I see a good 10+ spam edits per day.  Don't you think it's time to try requiring a logon to make edits?  I thank that would really reduce the spam.  Asking people to use a human controlled e-mail address is not that much.  It's not like people need to give their real name and address or anything.  I think you will find that more people will be willing to contribute if the spam problem is handled. Eliminating the spam is more of a problem at this point then getting people to contribute. It would also free up your time to focus more on real editing.
 +
[[User:Mzoran|Mzoran]] 19:38, 12 December 2007 (PST)
 +
 +
== strange and bizarre serial protocols ==
 +
 +
It seems like many people can't resist building yet another custom proprietary communication protocol.
 +
I'm polishing up a list of the 22 most common serial communication problems.
 +
I'm also making a collection of various communication protocols.
 +
I'm most interested in protocols that are (a) simpler to implement and simpler to understand than TCP/IP, (b) don't use "too many" pins on a microcontroller, and (c) avoid most of the above 22 most common problems.
 +
 +
I am beginning to suspect that it may not be possible to avoid all 22 problems unless the protocol is at least as complex as TCP/IP.
 +
 +
Also, I think that 4 pins on the microcontroller seems to make the hardware and software the simplest -- it's possible to squeeze communication to fewer pins, but either the hardware or the software (or both) will be more complicated.
 +
 +
Some "simple" protocols:
 +
* [[SPI]]
 +
* [http://www.microchip.com/unio UNI/O single I/O serial bus] -- seems to contradict my earlier suspicion -- the hardware is simple (connect a I/O pin on the MCU directly to the I/O pin on the EEPROM), and the software doesn't seem very complex.
 +
* ... more to come ...
 +
 +
 +
== from russ_hensel ==
 +
 +
I think some of it is forum vs wiki.  I like the wiki format better, if I have a long answer I would rather post on open circuits and link to it.
 +
For a while I would send an email to people's site that I linked to to try to get more traffic and contributions here.
 +
I think some of it is ego, there is more ego in a forum.
 +
For now I just try to talk up open circuits as much as i can in my other posts.
 +
Open to more better ideas.
 +
 +
Russ
 +
 +
--
 +
 +
== from Alan: Hacker Wiki Radio ==
 +
 +
Hi,
 +
 +
My name is Alan, I am a web developper and a music junky.
 +
I am working on music web project.
 +
We are building a network of local wiki radio, where everyone are DJ and contribute the music
 +
ambiance, the local information page and the general atmosphere.
 +
 +
I am writing to you because we are promoting indie artists and are looking for feedback, on features that would most suits them, from  people with a hacker mindset.
 +
 +
Here is the url:
 +
http://muurje-project.appspot.com
 +
 +
Do not hesitate to write me an email. I am more than eager to give you details.
 +
Thank you for your time
 +
 +
Hoping to hear from you
 +
 +
Alan
 +
 +
== restore ==
 +
 +
restored from archive.

Latest revision as of 22:50, 10 October 2015

Welcome to my little corner of Open Circuits.

I think I first stumbled across Open Circuits on 2006-03-01. I had been starting to set up a electronics-related wiki, but since this one was already here, why bother?

Feel free to leave a note on my talk page.

I created the WikiNode.

scoreboard clock[edit]

I have been handed most of a classic basketball scoreboard.

Each digit on scoreboard has 20 incandescent lamps:

   * * * *
   *     *
   *     *
   * * * *
   *     *
   *     *
   * * * *


I hope to someday turn it into a clock and get it listed on the Unofficial Registry of Giant Digital Clocks".

Should I divide up each digit into 7 segments, like most digital clocks, or should I add more hardware so I can control each lamp individually? --DavidCary (talk) 22:50, 10 October 2015 (PDT)


Open Circuits wiki[edit]

In 2013, the OpenCircuits wiki went offline for a while, during the handover when I was trying to take over maintenance of the OpenCircuits wiki.

Oops.

There's still a few things not quite right -- after I thought I had completely restored the wiki, the "Open Circuits:Community Portal" doesn't exist at all, but I can see through the Wayback Machine [1] that there used to be a discussion there. I wish I knew what else needs to be restored.

Some ideas for possibly improving the OpenCircuits wiki:

Electronic projects[edit]

(Should I move these to dedicated pages such as electronics workbench, etc.?)

wind turbine maximum power point tracker[edit]

moved to maximum power point tracker

thermal imaging[edit]

David Cary did some work thermal imaging parts on a PCB a few years ago. I hear some people say you can see stars in the daytime with a (far-IR) thermal imager. I'm thinking about getting my own thermal imager. Perhaps something like:

cheap-thermocam: an arduino project[2] via "DIY Thermal Imaging System for under $200"[3]

anti-spam[edit]

see spam.

I prefer public communication so I avoid the problems associated with (the perception of) back room decisions.

--DavidCary 18:03, 4 February 2008 (PST)

electronics workbench[edit]

What exactly do I need for "normal" electronics development? I have a pile of stuff, and I have a wishlist of more stuff ... I hope to document which things are important to have, which things are useful but not immediately necessary, and which things ended up just gathering dust.

I wish there were a place like TechShop somewhere local.

  • filing cabinet for all the miscellaneous bits of paper. If at all possible, I attach instruction manuals to the actual tool -- but if that is awkward, I stick the instruction manual in this filing cabinet.

data collection network[edit]

I'm building a "data collection network" that may end up with hundred of microcontroller sensor nodes, piping data into a PC. This may turn into a serious medical diagnosis tool.

POV display[edit]

(moved to POV display)

Full-color LED lighting[edit]

I'm planning to build a silly little toy with 3 LEDs -- one for red, green, and blue -- to show how "additive colors" work (a "color wheel"). (I might just extend it to have a whole spectrum of visible and infrared LEDs, and a prism to show the little spikes in the spectrum that LEDs generate).

"Red, Green, and Blue LED based white light generation" by Muthu, Schuurmans, and Pashley (2002) http://www.advancetransformer.com/uploads/resources/LED_White_Light_Issues&Control_-_White_paper.pdf

LED illumination applications http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode#Illumination_applications

"How Many Red, Green, and Blue LEDs to make White" by Don Klipstein 2001 http://members.misty.com/don/ledrgb2w.html

LED Color Shifting http://hackedgadgets.com/2006/02/14/wireless-led-color-shifting/

"PC Card" PCMCIA[edit]

I maintain the unofficial PC Card FAQ.

I'd like to move it to a wiki. What would be the best wiki to put it on? Open Circuits?

-- DavidCary

Open Circuits Sysop[edit]

Whee! I'm a sysop at Open Circuits! The power -- it's rushing to my head! --DavidCary 15:20, 23 February 2007 (PST)

Me too ( thanks to you? ). How can I use my power, release the hounds. I am open to suggestions as to how I can help, right now I am just going to read up on what a sysop can do. russ_hensel Feb '08


Hi David, will be nice to have antispam measures :).

--RafaelOrtiz 18:00, 28 October 2007 (PDT)

Hi David can you give me some block IP rights ?

--RafaelOrtiz 13:17, 18 November 2007 (PST)

Hi David, I noticed that a bunch of open circuits is just a placeholder. I'm effectively retired so I can probably help contribute to this Wiki by expanding a bunch of the sections, but the spam here is really way out of control. I look at the revision history and I see a good 10+ spam edits per day. Don't you think it's time to try requiring a logon to make edits? I thank that would really reduce the spam. Asking people to use a human controlled e-mail address is not that much. It's not like people need to give their real name and address or anything. I think you will find that more people will be willing to contribute if the spam problem is handled. Eliminating the spam is more of a problem at this point then getting people to contribute. It would also free up your time to focus more on real editing. Mzoran 19:38, 12 December 2007 (PST)

strange and bizarre serial protocols[edit]

It seems like many people can't resist building yet another custom proprietary communication protocol. I'm polishing up a list of the 22 most common serial communication problems. I'm also making a collection of various communication protocols. I'm most interested in protocols that are (a) simpler to implement and simpler to understand than TCP/IP, (b) don't use "too many" pins on a microcontroller, and (c) avoid most of the above 22 most common problems.

I am beginning to suspect that it may not be possible to avoid all 22 problems unless the protocol is at least as complex as TCP/IP.

Also, I think that 4 pins on the microcontroller seems to make the hardware and software the simplest -- it's possible to squeeze communication to fewer pins, but either the hardware or the software (or both) will be more complicated.

Some "simple" protocols:

  • SPI
  • UNI/O single I/O serial bus -- seems to contradict my earlier suspicion -- the hardware is simple (connect a I/O pin on the MCU directly to the I/O pin on the EEPROM), and the software doesn't seem very complex.
  • ... more to come ...


from russ_hensel[edit]

I think some of it is forum vs wiki. I like the wiki format better, if I have a long answer I would rather post on open circuits and link to it. For a while I would send an email to people's site that I linked to to try to get more traffic and contributions here. I think some of it is ego, there is more ego in a forum. For now I just try to talk up open circuits as much as i can in my other posts. Open to more better ideas.

Russ

--

from Alan: Hacker Wiki Radio[edit]

Hi,

My name is Alan, I am a web developper and a music junky. I am working on music web project. We are building a network of local wiki radio, where everyone are DJ and contribute the music ambiance, the local information page and the general atmosphere.

I am writing to you because we are promoting indie artists and are looking for feedback, on features that would most suits them, from people with a hacker mindset.

Here is the url: http://muurje-project.appspot.com

Do not hesitate to write me an email. I am more than eager to give you details. Thank you for your time

Hoping to hear from you

Alan

restore[edit]

restored from archive.